Heads up, this chapter's going to be quite long to make up for the lack of action on the past few chapters.
---------------
As the party arrives at the barracks, they head into their respective rooms to gear up for the mission ahead.
Heath drops his case on his bed, whereas Qrow and Apollo drop their cases on the floor. With a simultaneous resounding click, each of them opens up their cases to admire their new gear. Heath marvels at his newly brandished twin axes and armor, Qrow hums at the sight of his requested outfit, whereas Apollo stands back to admire his case full of new equipment.
Apollo and Qrow grabbed their clothes and headed out of the room to the washroom, leaving Jake to sit on his bed and watch Heath slip on his new gear one by one. Heath stands in front of the mirror, checking himself out with his new outfit.
He had ditched his oversized jacket for gray lightweight armor covered by a heavy-duty light-red hooded coat. His pants remained the same, but instead of sneakers, he now had ankle-length slip-on boots.
He then turns to face Jake and puts his hands behind his head.
"How do I look? Snazzy, huh?"
However, Jake chuffs and rolls his eyes.
"You basically look the exact same as your normal outfit. Cut the cocky crap."
"W-What? Really...?"
Heath checks himself out in the mirror again and sighs.
"Agh... y-you're right... dammit! Screw you, Jake... why'd you have to tell me that..."
Jake snickers, but he turns his head towards the door to see Apollo and Qrow walk in, both of them wearing their new outfits.
For Qrow, instead of his gray-tailed dress shirt and his black dress pants, he now wore a dark gray collared shirt covered by a black vest with cross-shaped buttons. Underneath the shirt was a white v-neck, and instead of his black dress pants, it was now dark gray. The rings around his hands were also different, as he now wore black rings.
And for Apollo, he looked like a completely different person. It was a stark contrast to his Mistral outfit, whether it be from the colors or the types of clothing.
Tightening his cardigan around him, hooking his scabbard and pouch around his waist, and slipping into his new pair of red waterproof boots, he stretches and walks around a bit to get a feel of his new outfit.
"Ah, this feels great! Not heavy and not annoying to move around in."
Heath lets out a low whistle as he stares at Apollo.
"Lookin' good, Y/N! That'll catch all the ladies in sight!"
Apollo chuckles and rolls his eyes.
"Sure, Heath..."
Then, Apollo reaches down to his case to bring out his new sword. Heath's jaw drops as he brings his new blade to the light, watching it glisten brightly with a smile on his face. Sheathing his sword on his hip, he then walks over to the mirror to take a look at himself. He does a twirl, feeling his newly refined black cape spin around with him.
He then turns to face Heath, a cocky smile on his face.
"Now you know why I wanted to keep it a secret."
Heath huffs and looks away.
"S-Shut up! I'm not jealous at all! T-Totally! I take it back, you look stupid and ugly!"
Apollo laughs as he walks over to his case, putting his old clothes inside.
Qrow: So that explains why your case was much larger than ours. Didn't take what Clover said to heart, huh?
Apollo nervously laughs and rubs the back of his neck.
Apollo: Well... he DID say we could request anything. And besides, I assume clothes like these are very easy to get in Atlas.
Jake: Yeah, and a brand new customizable sword's just as easy to get, huh?
Apollo sighs at Jake's blunt tone.
Apollo: Redeemer was great and all, but I much rather use a weapon I'm comfortable with. Unfortunately... gunblades and I don't seem to work together quite well in combat.
Jake: True. Remember when you tried to charge a laser against Ren who's exceptional at agili-
Apollo: Okay, that's enough out of you.
Jake smirks as Apollo glances away embarrassed.
Apollo: I'm gonna go get ready. Head to the airship bay once you're all set.
Heath and Jake nod as Apollo walks out of the room.
However, as he takes a few steps in the hallway, Oscar comes out of his room and spots you, the farmboy staying with Jaune's team. His outfit has changed, as he now wore an olive green coat with shoulder pads, and a belt tied around his waist. Underneath his coat, he wore a white collared shirt, with bandages wrapped around his neck. He now also wore black trousers and red boots.
Oscar: Oh, Y/N! W-Wow, you look amazing!
Apollo chuckles.
Apollo: Thanks! So do you, Oscar! Lovin' the coat.
Oscar rubs his head sheepishly at the compliment.
Oscar: I was about to go to Ruby's room. I have... something to ask her.
Apollo raises his brow out of curiosity.
Apollo: Ah. What's up?
Oscar glances away momentarily.
Oscar: There's... something that's been bothering me ever since we arrived here. I think it's something that needs to be discussed.
Apollo: I see. Well, mind if I come with?
Oscar nods in response. The two of them then headed over to Team RWBY's room and knocked on the door.
Weiss: Just a second.
The door slightly opens to reveal Weiss, the girl dressed in a brand new outfit of her own. Apollo's eyes widen at the sight, he wasn't expecting Weiss to have changed her look so much.
Her hair was now braided as she wore a pale blue sleeveless dress, customized with deep red lining, bow detail fixtures, and two diamond-shaped pieces hanging from the corners of the hem over a white diagonal hemmed strapless dress. Above all of that, she now wore a vivid blue shrug with puffy sleeves with the Schnee emblem on the left sleeve.
Weiss: Oh, Oscar and Apollo. What brings you two here?
Apollo: Hey, Weiss. Oscar says he has something to talk about with Ruby.
Weiss: Ah. Give me a second.
She turns to her room, the door still at an angle where Apollo and Oscar couldn't peek inside. She then turns back to the two boys, opening the door fully.
Weiss: Alright, come in. Great timing, she had just finished putting on her new outfit.
Nodding, the two boys walk into Team RWBY's room. Blake and Yang sat by the table while Ruby sat by her bed, the three girls glancing over to the door.
Ruby: Oh, you two! Heh, you both look great!
Yang: Agreed! Love the getup you're rocking with, Oscar! You too, Y/N!
Blake nods.
Blake: It was quite odd to see you without sleeves at first, Y/N. Your outfit fits you well.
The two boys flush slightly, embarrassed by the compliments they were receiving.
Apollo: T-Thanks! You girls look amazing as well! Oh Blake, digging the new cut, by the way.
Blake's eyes widen slightly at Apollo's compliment. Her hair was indeed different, as her long, wavy black hair was now cut to a shoulder-length bob. She was also sporting a new purple catsuit, covered by a long, white tailcoat.
Blake: O-Oh, yes. Thank you.
She smiles meekly, causing Yang to bump her shoulder.
Yang: Heh, told ya you look good.
For Yang, she now wore khaki overalls, covered by a baggy, dark brown crop aviator-styled jacket with a fur trim around the neck. Her purple scarf around her right leg and her orange scarf around her neck remained, and a new pair of orange sunglasses rested on top of her head.
Ruby: Hey, what about me?
Ruby says, her cheeks puffed and her arms crossed. Apollo takes a second to stare at her, taking in her new outfit.
The most obvious change about her was her hair. Her hair was now spikier and choppier, her bangs swept to the side. She wore a black red-lined lace-up corset with four buckles hanging loose over a sleeveless top, underneath that being a white long-sleeved blouse.
Below that, she now wears a red pleated skirt, split at the side with a small brown belted strap across the gap. Her waist was now tied by a brown belt, ammo on the right side and her emblem on the left side. She also wore a brand new cape, as her old one was tattered and ripped.
To Apollo, Ruby looked... older. She looked more mature, looked more like an adult, and looked a lot more...
Appealing?
"O-Okay, you can stop staring at me now! This is gettin' kinda weird!"
Apollo and Oscar snap out of their daze to face a flushed Ruby. Their faces flushed as well, the two boys glancing the other way.
Oscar: Ah-! S-Sorry!
Apollo: Y-You're the one who wanted my opinion!
Ruby: I-I was kidding! Y-You were staring for too long, too!
Apollo / Oscar: I was!? / I was!?
Apollo and Oscar then turn to face each other, their faces bridled with confusion, panic, and embarrassment. Weiss lets out a sigh and shakes her head.
Weiss: Dolts...
Blake snickers while Yang has her arms crossed, her eyes staring daggers at both Apollo and Oscar.
Recovering quickly from the shock, Oscar clears his throat and turns to face Ruby.
Oscar: Anyway... I came here because, well...
He lets out a sigh.
Oscar: Was... it right to keep that a secret from Ironwood?
Ruby tilts her head slightly.
Ruby: Keep what a secret?
Oscar frowns.
Oscar: About... Salem's immortality.
...
...
...
Oscar: When we came to Atlas... when we came to see the General, he revealed all of his plans to us. The reconstruction of Amity Colosseum, telling the world about Salem... If this keeps up, then...
Yang: I've had the same thought.
Everyone in the room turns to face Yang.
Yang: Are we sure about this? We're really not gonna tell Ironwood about what happened to Oz? What we learned about Jinn? About Salem?
Ruby glances away, her expression showing she is deep in thought.
Yang: What if this will all come back to bite us? Don't you think it'll just cause him more trouble once he's forced to learn about that fact, rather than us not telling him now?
Yang lowers her head as she spoke, her eyes drooping down to the floor.
Yang: Doesn't this feel like what Ozpin did to us...?
The room falls silent at Yang's words, realizing the heavy truth behind their actions. Eventually, Ruby lets out a sigh, a frown formed on her lips.
Ruby: We'll tell him... in due time.
Apollo's eyebrows raise.
Apollo: In... due time?
Ruby faces Apollo.
Ruby: You saw how things were in Mantle, and I'm sure you can feel it in the air. Things... don't feel right around here.
Blake: And besides, your uncle didn't tell the general about it when we came to his office. I'm sure he would've told him if things weren't in disarray.
Weiss: He has the same doubts as us, I think.
Ruby hums in agreement.
Oscar: So... you don't want to add on extra pressure onto him, is what you're saying?
Ruby slightly nods.
Ruby: You could say that. We can think about telling him once things calm down around here. I think that would be best, especially with the mission we have in just a bit.
Weiss and Blake nod, while Yang and Apollo continue to look on with doubt in their eyes.
However, before the conversation could continue, footsteps and voices could be heard outside the door.
"MISSION TIME!!! LAST ONE THERE'S A ROTTEN EGG!"
"Nora, stop! Class is still in session for the students here!"
"G-Guys, wait for me! My hair's not fully dried yet!"
"YEEEEHAWWWW! MISSION TIME!"
"Oh for crying out loud Heath, did you not listen to what Ren just said!?"
"Tch... I'm too old to be dealing with these brats..."
Everyone in the room sweatdrops, all negative thoughts about the conversation dissipating to thin air.
First to recover though, Weiss walks over to open the door.
"We can continue talking about this later. Let's head to the airship bay. I'm sure they're all waiting on us."
Yang bashes her fists together while Blake nods, the two girls walking towards the door. Apollo turns to face Ruby and smiles, motioning for her to get up.
"Yeah. Let's focus on the mission for now. C'mon, Ruby."
Ruby nods at Apollo as she hops out of the bed, her sheathed scythe hooked on her hip.
But, before she leaves the room, she unhooks the Lamp of Knowledge hooked around her waist and hands it to Oscar. He steps back slightly in shock.
"You're giving it... to me?"
Ruby nods.
"Probably shouldn't keep running around with an ancient Relic on a keychain... you know?"
Oscar hesitates momentarily, but he eventually receives the Relic.
"I know you'll keep it safe in Atlas. Keep an eye on it while we're away, alright?"
Oscar faces Ruby and nods.
"Got it. Good luck out there, alright?"
Ruby responds with a nod of her own, then smiles.
"Yeah."
---------------
Apollo lets out a long exhale as he watches from the windows of the manta. His arms and legs shook subconsciously; he was nervous yet excited for what was to lie ahead.
Across from him were Jake and Heath, the two boys staring out the window from their side. A wide smile is plastered on Heath's face, while Jake remains stoic and neutral. Next to Apollo was none other than Grace herself, his old partner dressed in her Ace Op uniform. Yet, she seemed to be in her own little world, as she was using her scroll to check on all sorts of information.
Eventually, the earpiece stuck inside each member's ear piques. Clover then speaks through the communicator.
"Let's make it happen, people."
The ship then starts to slow down and starts to circle over the landing zone. Grace turns to face her squad and nods.
"It's time. Stand before the door."
Apollo, Heath, and Jake nod back, the three boys standing up from their seats and standing before the door. And, within seconds, the door of the airship opens, the cold air of Solitas blowing inside the manta.
Apollo takes a deep breath as he looks down. They were so far up into the air, he couldn't even see the ground. This was the part he was worried about the most.
But, before he knew it, Heath suddenly leaps off the airship, letting out a hurrah as he flipped multiple times in the air. Jake shrugs and follows along, jumping off the airship and disappearing into a puff of shadows, leaving Apollo standing beside Grace, a smile resting on her face. She then turns to face him.
"So? You gonna jump or what?
Apollo lets out a nervous sigh.
"After you, madam."
This causes Grace to snort.
"Knew it, you scaredy-cat."
"Hey!"
But, before Apollo could retort, Grace turns around to face him and walks off the airship. Shaking his head with a smile on his face, he takes a deep breath and jumps after her.
As he fell, he could hear Heath's scream amongst the wind blowing in his face. He takes a deep breath, calming his nerves to remember his landing strategy.
The last time he performed his landing strategy, he had to use his power to save himself.
But this time? He wanted to prove that he was better than that.
Unsheathing his sword from his scabbard, he transfigures his sword to his bow, already pre-loaded with gravity dust. As the ground grew ever closer, he fires a fully charged shot, causing a shockwave to bounce him up into the air. Somersaulting and flipping in the air with all of his downwards momentum negated, he lands softly on the snow, knelt down like a superhero.
Brushing himself off and letting out a relieved sigh, he looks around to find that Jake, Heath, and Grace had already landed next to him. He could see the after-effects of their strategy; Heath had created a massive crater in the snow, while Grace had made a slide made out of ice thanks to her Semblance.
Grace: Cool, we're all in one piece. Not that I expected anything less, of course.
Giving a confident smile, Clover suddenly pitches in through the earpiece.
Clover: This is Alpha Squad. LZ's clear. Proceeding on foot. Status?
Harriet: Bravo here, our sector's clear, too. Status on Charlie and Delta?
Elm: All clear on our end! Charlie Squad, proceeding on foot!
Grace: Delta Squad, we're approaching our sector. Over.
Clover: Excellent.
Still holding his finger on his communicator, Apollo opens up his new scroll, made and delivered by the Atlas science team. Heath and Jake follow suit.
Clover: You've all got fancy new scrolls, so don't forget to use 'em. Keep your eyes and ears open. I want an update if you encounter the target. Alpha out.
Tapping on his scroll, Apollo checks in on his team's aura levels. Jake's aura level was at 99%, whereas Heath's was already at 93%, probably lowered due to his reckless landing strategy. Clicking on a menu, he takes a second to look at the local communications tab. The tab revealed mugshots of the group, but everyone's was greyed out except Heath and Jake. Tapping on the hologram again, the scroll recedes itself, turning into a small horizontal joycon that displays the aura levels of Jake and Heath.
Heath: Y'know, this new scroll's pretty nifty. Do all Atlesian students come with this during enrollment?
He turns to face Grace, but she walks on ahead, much to Heath's displeasure. He then suddenly shivers, chattering his teeth as he takes a look around him.
Heath: Gah, it's freakin' cold out here, man!
Apollo and Jake walk towards him.
Jake: Welcome to Solitas. The cold here can evaporate your aura within hours.
Apollo: Seriously? Sheesh, that'll explain the number of heating grids around Atlas and Mantle, then.
Heath: ... So why was a civilization established here again?
Jake shrugs.
Jake: What am I, a record book?
Grace: Hey, are you three gonna continue standing around there or what? We've got a mission to do!
The three boys turn to Grace, an unamused look on her face.
Grace: C'mon, pick up the pace. I'll leave you all behind if you don't.
Turning around and heading into a tunnel, Heath lets out a chuff.
Heath: Jeez... did she wake up on the wrong side of the bed or sum'n?
Apollo and Jake don't respond, as they wordlessly follow behind Grace into the tunnel.
The tunnel was filled with different colored dust veins, embedded into the walls and ceilings. Fortunately for the party, the air inside the tunnel was much warmer than it was outside. Snow was shoveled on the sides of the tunnel, allowing easy mobility on the paved road.
Heath: This could be a road in itself, y'know?
Apollo turns to face Heath as he examines his surroundings.
Heath: This almost feels... relaxing, in a sense. You know what I mean?
Apollo: ... Sort of.
Heath: And it's all so clean, too. Not much debris or rocks sticking out like a sore thumb.
Jake: Well, yeah. It has to be for workers to easily access the mines.
Heath: I suppose so. It's still pretty cool nonetheless. Right, Grace?
However, Grace doesn't respond. She continued walking on ahead, completely ignoring Heath's question. He sighs under his breath.
Heath: Well screw you too, then...
The three proceed onwards, walking down the tunnel towards the heart of the mine. Soon, Heath strikes up another conversation.
Heath: Gosh, this is exciting! It really does feel like we're actual huntsmen now!
Jake: ... Seriously? We've only just been walking since we entered the tunnel.
Heath: Yeah, but like... I'm sure most huntsmen missions are the same way! It's just a whole lotta nothing, and then suddenly... BAM! Tons of Grimm, right in your face!
Apollo lets out a sigh.
Apollo: Please don't jinx us, Heath.
Heath lets out a laugh.
Heath: Bah, I was just joking. Relax, man! The likelihood of us getting attacked with four squads deployed on each side of this mine is what, 25%? That's a pretty low percentage for-
Suddenly, noises could be heard from within the walls of the tunnel. Grace stops in her tracks, grabbing her dual pistols from her hips and getting into a stance. The rest of the squad does the same, as they draw out their weapons, preparing for an ambush.
Grace: Tch...
Heath: Oh, come on! Seriously!?
Apollo and Jake mentally facepalm as suddenly, multiple large centipede-like Grimm spring out from underneath the group. Each member successfully evades, but they were now separated as more of the same Grimm continue to pour out from the walls.
Heath: Gah! W-What the hell are those things!?
Jake: Centinels. They're quite durable, so prioritize their heads. They can hit you from afar with an acid-like spit, too.
Heath: S-Seriously...? Ugh... gross.
From the top, multiple Centinels lunge towards Heath and Jake. Jake evades, but Heath stands his ground, blocking the attack with his twin axes. Grinning, he spins around, taking out a Centinel with multiple strikes. Another one appears behind it, letting out a screech as it rushes at Heath, but Jake reappears next to it and hooks his scythe around its jaw. He flips on top of the Centinel and pushes down, stabbing through its shell and crashing onto the ground.
On the other side, Grace fires rapidly at multiple Centinels pushing towards her while Apollo fights off his share. He was careful with his movements, striking with his sword once or twice before falling back to mitigate risks. After all, this was a new type of Grimm he was dealing with.
As a Centinel dives towards him, he parries with a slash before turning the other way to slash again, decapitating the Centinel to pieces. But suddenly, a projectile of green acid flew towards him at rapid speeds. Gasping in shock, he manages to duck under the liquid, but the ground suddenly breaks under him as another Centinel comes up to attack.
He gets sent back from the impact, gritting his teeth as he quickly gets to his feet. As he goes for a counterattack though, Grace suddenly zips by him and takes out the burrowed Centinel within half a second, a dagger now formed in her hand.
Grace: Let me handle this.
Getting into a stance, she opens her left hand and channels her Semblance. Blue particles then proceed to form, and with a twirl, she pushes her hand to the ground, causing a massive wave of ice to envelop all of the Centinels in her path, freezing them solid. Not wasting any time, she starts to skate on her path of ice, slashing at all the icebergs containing the Centinels, shattering the Grimm inside.
Finishing her path of destruction, she turns around to the Centinels on the roof. The Grimm lunge at her, twisting their heads with each other like a torpedo. Grabbing her dagger, she pulls it apart to reveal her dual pistols once more. She fires rapidly at the cluster of Centinels before jumping towards them, using the spikes located on the bottom of her pistol's grip to slash at the Centinels.
It doesn't kill them, however, so as she lands, she quickly jumps and flips in mid-air, having already changed her dual pistols into a revolver. Firing a shot, the bullet drills a hole through the Centinels, the Grimm disintegrating as they fall to the ground.
This left Apollo speechless, as he looked on with his jaw agape. Yes, he had a feeling that Grace had grown much stronger than the last time he saw her, but he hadn't expected her to have gotten this strong.
As she lands, she quickly breaks apart her revolver back to her dual pistols and reloads, all within a couple of seconds. She looks around, her eyes tracking the area in a blur. And, much to her relief, all the Centinels that were present seemed to have all been taken out, as Jake finishes off the last of the Centinels a bit away from her. A voice then emits from the communicator.
Clover: Alpha here. Give me an update.
Grace then responds.
Grace: Delta, reporting in. Just finished dealing with a Centinel attack, no signs of the target. Not sure how much farther until we reach the mine.
Vine: Our tunnel seems clear. We should be approaching the actual mine soon.
Momentarily, nothing else came through the communicator. Then, Harriet's voice piques through.
Harriet: Bravo, checking in. Hit a bit of a snag, there's been a cave-in in the main entrance. Not sure if it's recent or was caused by the original accident. Either way, we'll have to do a little problem-solving.
Grace: Will you be needing assistance?
Harriet: Negative.
Clover: Understood. Let us know if you need anything.
The communicator then shuts off. Grace lets out a sigh as she brushes her uniform, turning to face her party.
Grace: Let's proceed. That Grimm attack's set us back quite a bit. Good job on handling it, everyone.
Without wasting any more time, she turns back and walks deeper into the tunnel.
Heath: W-Wait! Grace!
However, Grace doesn't respond once again, causing Heath to growl in frustration.
Heath: Jeez, hell's her problem? Why's she acting so... stuck-up?
He turns to face Apollo.
Apollo: ... I might have a few guesses why.
Jake lets out a groan.
Jake: She's clearly focused on the mission, you idiot. You're the one that's not concentrating.
Heath: W-What!? Excuse you!? I'm very focused, I'll have you know!
Apollo lets out a sigh, sheathing his sword in his scabbard as he follows Grace, Heath and Jake continuing to bicker from behind.
Time passes by, but nothing was of noteworthy as the party continue to walk down the tunnel. Heath groans, his arms laid behind his head.
Heath: How freakin' long is this tunnel!? My legs are starting to get stiff...
Jake lets out an annoyed sigh.
Jake: Do you ever shut up? If you're so fed up, why don't you turn back?
Heath: I think you're the fed-up one, not me! And besides, if I turn back now, there would've been no point in me being here at all!
Jake: I'm sure if you weren't here, the mission's result would've stayed the same regardless. You being here brings no impact.
Heath: What the hell did you just say!?
Apollo: Okay, that's enough.
Apollo steps in between Heath and Jake, an annoyed look crossed on his face.
Apollo: I'm getting tired of hearing you two argue with each other on loop. Use that energy for fighting instead.
Heath and Jake huff, the two boys glancing away from one another. Apollo then picks up his pace to walk beside Grace, the Ace Op maintaining the same stoic expression since entering the tunnel.
Apollo: How much further do you reckon we got before we enter the heart of the mine?
Grace turns to face Apollo.
Grace: Without interruptions, I'd say less than 4 minutes. Why do you ask?
Apollo glances at Heath, then turns to face Grace again. She shrugs nonchalantly.
Grace: Right.
Suddenly, the earpiece piques again. Harriet's voice comes through the communicator, but urgency is detected in her voice.
Harriet: This is Bravo! We found the target, but it fled deeper into the mine. Engaging Centinels!
The sounds of fighting could be heard as Harriet shuts off her communicator. Grace then glances back to her party.
Grace: We're close to the heart of the mine. Expect Grimm attacks at any moment.
As she finishes her warning, Clover then speaks through the communicator.
Clover: This is Alpha! We've engaged the target!
Firing could be heard in the background as Clover continued his report.
Clover: All squads head toward our position!
Now alert, Grace turns back to her group again and nods.
Grace: Let's pick up the pace! Come on!
She then takes off into a sprint, but suddenly, a low rumble shakes the ground. Jake then gasps.
Heath: Jake? What's wrong?
Jake: This presence... down here of all places? Hey, MOVE!
Heeding Jake's call-out, Apollo and Grace dodge out of the way as a massive figure bursts from the wall of the tunnel to the other end. This causes the tunnel to shake, causing Grace to grit her teeth.
Grace: Damn it!
She then activates her earpiece.
Clover: Target escaped, last seen headed ea-
Grace: Delta here! Engaging potential Cenitaur!
Harriet then piques through the communicator.
Harriet: A Cenitaur!? Are you in need of assistance!?
Grace: I-I'm not sure! I'll have to- AH!
She lets out a yelp as the same figure bursts from the left side of the tunnel, burrowing itself into the right side of the tunnel and into the wall again. She had managed to duck underneath said attack, but unfortunately, her communicator had come off her ear and had fallen a bit away from where she stood. As she goes to retrieve it though, the Cenitaur bursts from the ground, blocking the path from herself and her communicator.
Harriet: Grace? Grace!? Delta Squad, status update!
Grace: Damn it! I got careless!
Drawing her guns out, Jake, Heath, and Apollo stand beside her, their weapons also drawn out at the ready. She then faces Apollo.
Grace: Tell them that we don't need assistance. We'll take care of this ourselves.
Apollo: H-Huh? A-Alright, got it.
Harriet's voice continues to speak through the communicator, panic slowly growing in her voice.
Harriet: Delta Squad? Delta Squad, we're coming to your position for assista-
Apollo: Um... D-Delta Squad here. W-We won't be needing any assistance. We'll be fine... n-no assistance required. O-Over?
Harriet: ...
Her exhale was audible through the communicator, but she eventually mutes her microphone, causing Apollo to sigh in relief.
Jake: This is the Alpha version of a Centinel! It must've gone through its evolution very recently, so it's at its strongest! Careful of its blades, and yes it does spit out acid!
The Cenitaur, a large Centipede-like Grimm with bladed arms and a bloated body, lets out a shriek that forces the party to cover their ears. Through gritted teeth, Heath throws one of his axes, but it clangs off the blades of the Cenitaur. Thankfully, this distraction causes the Grimm to stop its shriek, allowing the group to move freely once more.
Heath: GRAH!
With a heave, using his new upgrade, Heath pulls back his axe towards him with a rope that connects his twin axes together and spins, throwing another axe towards the Grimm. However, the Grimm blocks the axe, but that doesn't stop Heath from making a mad dash towards the Cenitaur.
He weaves around its blades as the Grimm repeatedly tries to impale him and jumps, meeting face-to-face with the Cenitaur. However, as he turns his body to slash, the Cenitaur leans back, causing Jake's eyes to widen.
Jake: MOVE!
Disappearing into a puff of shadows, he reappears next to Heath within milliseconds and pops his Semblance just in time as the Cenitaur fires a massive shot of acid from its mouth. Reappearing a bit away from the Cenitaur, Jake turns around to the trail of acid, watching as rocks and debris disintegrate into nothing.
Heath: W-What the!? What was that for!?
Clover: Charlie, Bravo, you should be able to cut off the target at the heart of the mine. Qrow and I won't be far behind. Delta, report to us if you require assistance.
Jake turns to face a very visibly frustrated Heath Slater as Clover finishes speaking through the communicator.
Jake: The hell do you mean, 'What was that for'!? I just saved you!
Heath: I don't NEED your help! I'll show you that I'm not useless, dammit!
Heath suddenly lunges back towards the Cenitaur, causing Jake to growl under his teeth.
Jake: Idiot...! This isn't about being useless or useful!
As the pyromaniac approaches the Grimm, he eyes Apollo and Grace dodging its attacks, waiting for a window of opportunity to strike back. The Grimm then focuses its attention on Heath again and fires a trail of acid, but Heath successfully sidesteps it. Within a second, Heath had closed the gap between himself and the Grimm and was looking to strike. However, the Cenitaur blocks Heath's strike, causing him to stumble from the recoil.
Heath: Gah-!? Kh-RAAAH!
Recovering, he spins and slashes multiple times in a flurry of attacks. However, the Cenitaur manages to block each attack with its blades. Then, as Heath jumps towards its body, the Cenitaur manages to pinch Heath's axes together with its blades, suspending Heath in mid-air with no way to move.
Heath: W-What!?
The Cenitaur then lets go of Heath, but quickly smashes him to the ground with a downward slash. It screeches, indicating that it is going to strike again, but Heath recovers quickly enough to dodge its stab. He then flips, kicking away its other blade and spins around the Grimm, but the Grimm spins as well, slamming its body onto Heath's, sending him crashing through the right side of the tunnel.
Apollo: Heath!
Apollo quickly checks his scroll and his eyes widen as Heath's aura is now flashing a light orange. Within those few attacks, the Grimm had taken out so much of his aura. Realizing that the Cenitaur was a much bigger threat than he expected, Jake suddenly flies by him and delivers multiple slashes to its body, causing the Cenitaur to roar from pain.
He then disappears into a puff of shadows as the Grimm strikes, reappearing above the Cenitaur for a downward swing. However, the Cenitaur reacts quickly and raises its blades for a parry, forcing Jake to abandon his assault and disappear into another puff of shadows.
He then reappears next to Heath and uses his Semblance yet again, soon reappearing with the pyromaniac next to Apollo and Grace, who rained down projectiles from where they stood. The attack was successful, as arrows and bullets were now embedded into the Grimm. It then lets out a shriek and flails its body, pushing all the arrows and bullets out of its body, which forces Apollo and Grace to dodge a few of their own projectiles.
Turning his bow back to his sword, Apollo dashes in and blocks a swing over his head from the Cenitaur. Sliding his blade onto the Grimm's, he slashes at the arm of the Cenitaur, chopping one of its blades clean off. This causes the Cenitaur to screech in pain once again. However, as Apollo turns to continue his assault, the Grimm spins its body around, forcing him to block the attack. He gets sent back, but he skids his feet on the ground to regain balance.
Grace: I'll finish this!
Throwing a ball of blue particles at the missing arm of the Cenitaur, Grace ducks and jumps over two slashes before watching her Semblance slowly freeze the Grimm over as the blue particles make contact. She then parries one more slash from the Grimm, and within a blink of an eye, she lunges towards the other arm of the Cenitaur and chops it clean off, earning another shriek of pain from the Grimm.
But, as she lands, the Grimm lurches itself back and fires a rain of acid that spreads all over the area. Reacting within milliseconds, she kneels down and forms a coat of ice that covers herself and the group, shielding her squad from the acid. When the Cenitaur finishes its rain of acid, it slowly starts to weave drowsily, showing that it was at its end.
But, before the Grimm could touch the ground, it turned frozen solid from Grace's Semblance, its head suspended centimeters over the ground. Grace then gets to her feet and walks towards the Cenitaur, jumping onto the sculpture of ice she made. She forms her dual pistols together into a dagger, but before she could deliver the killing blow...
Heath: GRAHHHH!
Heath suddenly yells in a burst of rage and lunges at the Grimm, his Semblance popped ablaze. Grace's eyes widen as she gasps in shock, jumping off the sculpture as Heath smashes the sculpture into ashes.
Apollo: ...!
Jake: ...!
The two boys stand on their feet, their eyes also wide in shock at the recklessness Heath had displayed. They watch as the pieces of ice burn into ashes from Heath's Semblance, the pyromaniac standing amidst the remnants of the Grimm with rage in his eyes. His Semblance then deactivates, shutting off the fire that burned from his axes and his body.
Heath: That'll teach ya, you filthy Grimm trash.
However, as he turned around to face the group, he was surprised to be met with upset expressions from the group. Apollo's arms were crossed over, Jake had his hand covering his face, and Grace had a glare in her eyes that could freeze over an entire nation.
Heath: Uhh... w-what's up? We killed the Grimm, didn't we...?
Apollo: Heath...
This causes Jake to sigh and shake his head. Grace then walks past him and kneels to retrieve her communicator, sticking it inside her ear. She then clicks on the earpiece.
Grace: Delta here. Cenitaur has been taken care of. Proceeding on foot once more.
Shutting off her report, she then turns to face Heath. And, to put it lightly, the look in her eyes indicated that she was less than pleasant at his actions.
Grace: That... was blatantly unnecessary. Know your place; pull that stunt again, and I'll be sure to have you removed from future missions.
Heath: ...!
He takes a step back in shock as Grace turns around to walk deeper into the mines. He then grits his teeth, his hand balled into a fist as he walks towards her.
Heath: What the hell's your deal, huh!? I killed the Grimm! I dealt the last bl- I was the one who dealt the most damage! Y-You should be thanking m-
Apollo: Heath.
He falls silent at Apollo's tone of voice. It was quite rare for Heath to ever hear Apollo angry, but with just one mention of his name, he could feel the bottled-up rage that boiled inside of him.
Apollo: What you did there... that was too much. That was way too reckless, even for your standards.
Apollo walks up to Heath, the pyromaniac glancing away to avoid meeting his gaze.
Apollo: What's gotten into you? You could've hurt her!
Heath remained silent. Eventually, he lets out a sigh and huffs under his breath.
Heath: ... Whatever.
Without another word, the pyromaniac follows behind Grace, his body language clearly evident that he was upset. Jake and Apollo turn to face each other, and with a glance at each other's expressions, no words were needed to be said between them.
Not much longer after that, the scenery of the tunnel was starting to change. The landscape of the ground had also turned flat instead of a downward slope.
Soon, the group had found themselves inside the heart of the mine. Raised minecart rails, walkways, and stone arches spanned across and around the edges of the chamber. Dust crystals were embedded all over the place, whether it be on the walls, the floor, the roof.
But, what caught Apollo's attention was the heat of the place. It was the complete opposite as to the outside world; it was blazing hot inside.
Footsteps could be heard, and the group turns to their left to find Jaune, Nora, and Ren above them, led by Vine and Elm. Across the chamber, Ruby, Blake, Yang, and Weiss led by Harriet and Marrow also arrive at the site.
They've all arrived at the same time, all except for Clover and Qrow.
Ruby: Guys!
Everyone's earpiece then piques.
Vine: Everyone, use caution. This room is highly active with Dust energy. Triggering it could ruin the launch site.
Marrow: And vaporize us. How is that always second with you?
Grace: It seems we've all arrived. Status on Alpha?
Clover: Alpha reporting, we're still on the way. The target should be there with you.
At Clover's statement, Nora glances around the mine, a confused look on her face.
Nora: Sure, but I don't see it...
Suddenly, Jake lets out a short gasp.
Jake: No, it's here alright. Look up.
Apollo, Jake, Heath, and Grace look up and their eyes widen in shock at the sight. From above, the Petra Gigas was seen clinging onto a chunk of ice on the ceiling, it's massive body almost the size of the whole chamber.
It then turns to look down at everyone, showing purple dust crystals embedded in its body. And, without warning, it jumps down from the ceiling, crashing through a stone arch on its way to the ground in front of Team Bravo, kicking up dust clouds all over the chamber.
Apollo: R-Ruby...!
As the dust clouds fade away, the Petra Gigas stand in front of Team Bravo, staring them down as if it was waiting for them to make a move.
Ruby: It added dust to its body? How are we supposed to-
Suddenly, Harriet whizzes past her, popping her Semblance to run on the walls of the chamber. Marrow follows suit behind her, and so does Elm as she jumps down to the ground towards the Petra Gigas.
Vine: Elm!
From above, Vine uses his Semblance to elongate his arms with aura, wrapping them around one of the Petra Gigas's legs. With his other aura arm, he reaches behind him to grab a support beam. With a heave, he pulls both arms towards himself, rooting the leg of the Petra Gigas to the ground.
Elm then runs over to the leg and grabs it, using her Semblance to root herself to the ground. She grabs onto the leg and glances up at Vine.
Elm: Vine!
Vine lets go of both the legs of the Petra Gigas and the support beam and leaps off the cliff, using his aura arms to swing onto a minecart bridge across the chamber. Using his arms again, he grabs onto one of the Petra Gigas's arms and pulls, revealing an exposed gap between the Petra Gigas's ice and rubble, showing the flesh of the Geist's arm.
Vine: Marrow!
Marrow sets himself up beneath the Petra Gigas and throws his boomerang, severing the arm of the Petra Gigas. However, a purple dust crystal flew out from the rubble and ice and was en route towards the ground. Marrow grabs his boomerang and glances across the room to Grace.
Marrow: Grace, Harriet!
The two girls nod as both girls activate their Semblances. Grace forms a bridge of ice from one end of the chamber to another, making sure the path avoids all falling ice and rubble and allowing Harriet easy access to the falling crystal. Like a conductor, Grace then creates another path for Harriet to use, allowing her to grab more crystals that had fallen out of the Petra Gigas.
As all of this unfolds, Jaune's team, Ruby's team, and Apollo look on in amazement, their eyes wide at the spectacle they are witnessing.
The Ace Ops were just as Ironwood had said; they were proving why they are the best team in all of Atlas.
No words were needed to be said, just call-outs to each other's names. It was as if each member of the Ace Ops were connected telepathically, it was that cohesive.
As the fight continues on, the body of the Petra Gigas continues to be chipped off bit by bit, causing more crystals to fall out of its body. The roles were simple; Vine and Elm were to root the Grimm in place and set it up for Marrow to chop off its limbs, while Grace and Harriet were to help catch the crystals that fell out of its body.
However, as Marrow throws his boomerang to chop off another limb from the Petra Gigas, the crystal unexpectedly flies off in a direction across the chamber from Harriet and Grace. The canine faunus gasps, realizing the grave danger of the situation if that crystal fell.
But thankfully, the crystal was caught by none other than Clover, the man of the hour arriving on set in the nick of time. He lets out a chuckle as he glances at the crystal.
"What would you guys do without me?"
He then turns to face Qrow, tossing him the crystal and leaping off the edge of the cliff. Now that the Ace Ops were all together, it allowed the members to have more freedom in their actions.
Harriet zooms around the feet of the Petra Gigas, distracting the Grimm as it stomps to crush her, but fails miserably. Vine then swings around the chamber using his elongated aura arms, punching the Grimm in the chest and causing it to crash to the wall. As it recovers, Harriet zooms back into the fray and whistles, taunting the Petra Gigas to attack her. The Grimm complies, swinging its arm towards her.
But, Harriet speeds away once again, dodging the attack and allowing Elm to smash the arm of the Grimm down on the ground with her hammer, rooting the Petra Gigas to the ground. This exposes the flesh of the Grimm's arm, which Marrow takes advantage of by throwing his boomerang at the flesh, cutting the arm of the Petra Gigas once more.
Now without any arms, Clover takes advantage of the situation and runs towards the Petra Gigas, jumping off its knee to meet face-to-face with the Geist. Bumping his clover pin on his uniform with his thumb for good luck, he swings his fishing pole, throwing the fishing line towards the Petra Gigas. And somehow, the fishing line manages to hook and wrap itself around the Geist's mask, shocking everyone present in the chamber.
"HAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
With a roar, Clover pulls on his fishing line, forcing the Geist out of its body of ice and rubble. And, within a second of its exposure, Harriet jumps from underneath and uppercuts the Geist, killing the Grimm in an instant.
However, the job was not finished just yet. There were still the crystals to watch out for from the body of the Petra Gigas.
One by one, each member of the Ace Ops began to catch the falling crystals before they could touch the ground. Vine grabs two crystals with his elongated arms, Elm rolls to catch a crystal, Marrow flips acrobatically in the air to catch a crystal of his own, Clover hooks his fishing line around a boulder of ice and swings around it to use the momentum to catch a crystal, and Grace makes platforms of ice for herself to run and jump off of to catch crystals of her own.
However, two more crystals flew in the air, but none of the Ace Ops were close enough to catch them. Clover turns to face Harriet, the only member of the Ace Ops to not have crystals in her hands.
"HARRIET!"
Complying, she pops her Semblance, but quickly realizes that she wasn't going to be able to catch both of them in time. Exerting everything she has, she dives in for the crystal closest to her, but a red blur suddenly flies past her, taking the crystal for themself.
And, for the crystal Harriet couldn't reach, Grace uses her Semblance on two walkways, creating a slope in between them so the crystal could slide safely on it. But, she stops when she notices Apollo positioning himself underneath the crystal, as he fires a gravity-powered arrow shot to send himself airborne, catching the crystal in the process.
Ruby and Apollo fall to the ground, both of them chuckling as they hold onto the crystal. They gently drop it to the ground as Harriet walks over to help Ruby up, while Grace walks over to help Apollo up.
"Thought you said your Semblance was like mine." Harriet says, pulling Ruby up to her feet.
"It... is?" Ruby replies, tilting her head in confusion.
"I've seen other speed Semblances before, but that was different. I think there's more going on than you think." Harriet says, a tint of pride in her voice as she smiles at Ruby.
"Wait until she sees what she can do with her eyes." says Yang from the side, causing Blake and Weiss to laugh. Soon, Elm runs over to Ruby and hoists her on her shoulder, causing Ruby to laugh with joy.
Grace then faces Apollo and smiles as he sheathes his sword back into his scabbard.
"Y'know, I had that one in the bag." says Grace with a hint of sass.
"Really? Your hands look full to me." Apollo replies, firing a bit of sass of his own. He then glances at Grace's hands, both of them occupied by the purple dust crystals. This causes her to roll her eyes.
"Yeah well, wait 'til I get my hands on you."
This causes the two to laugh, and soon, sounds of cheering were heard across the chamber, as the Ace Ops and the group begin to celebrate their hard-fought victory.
"Atlas Control, this is Clover. Mission Accomplished."
...
...
...
...
...
...
Though, as the group starts their celebration, Jake walks over to a wall and leans on it, a small smile on his lips as he watches the celebration from afar.
But, his eyes soon fall on Heath, and his brows rise as he notices Heath's fists were gripped tightly, an upset expression displayed across his face.
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Next Time on The Ashes of The Chosen:
An Early Graduation (Volume 7 Chapter 5)