Omniscient POV
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Nearly a month after the Fall of Beacon
Off the northwestern coastline of Anima, the sun smiled down at the bustling port town of Argus, fueling it with the energy needed to go about its busy day.
Children skipped the sidewalks alongside their parents, public trams glided over the rolling cobblestone roads, dropping off workers rushing to earn a paycheck, fishers hummed to the singing engines of their boats, and Atlesian soldiers greeted passersby as they strolled the streets and went about their business.
Outside a cafe, a particular soldier held a steamy cup of coffee, pulling her nose out a folder of files to sip it every now and then.
Winter Schnee.
The seat across from her moved, and a man in a blue and violet suit joined her at the table.
"You're late," Winter said without bothering to look.
"Sorry." Reynold Hill removed his glasses and massaged his eyes. "I made a quick stop at a funeral."
"My condolences." She grunted and slapped the folder shut. "From what my scouts reported, there's an encampment southwest of here, deep in the woodlands, with an estimated amount of fifty or more hostiles."
"Is that all?"
"Everything else you need to know is in here." Winter slid over the folder. "From what I read, this is not something you should trifle with."
Reynold put his glasses back on and gave it a swift check.
"Once you're done there, I'll send in my troops to investigate the area for stolen Atlesian military property." She stirred her coffee. "You also better be out of there before they arrive."
"You should know first hand that I'm not one to fool around, Schnee." He smirked. "Consider me gone."
Winter squeezed her spoon. "Just remember our deal, Hill."
"Enough to break protocol and share intel with a third party?"
"Enough to get me my rematch." Her eyes narrowed. "I pulled a lot of strings to make this happen."
"I know." Reynold's voice softened and so did his expression. "You have my thanks."
Winter blinked, turned away, and sipped her coffee.
"Is there anything else I need to know before I leave," he said and tucked the folder under his arm.
"Once you're done doing whatever it is you're doing," she said, "you better come find me or else the next time I see you—"
"Hold onto this." He slid her a playing card. "Keep it somewhere nice. I'd appreciate it."
Reynold snapped his fingers.
In a blur of blue and violet, he vanished, and a slip of paper took his place, swaying in the air before landing on the table.
Winter quirked an eyebrow and picked it up along with the king of diamonds playing card.
FREE DRINK & SNACK
ANY ITEM
SUNBUCKS
Winter glanced at the sign name above the cafe entrance, and the edges of her lips curled slightly.
-----
Hours later, after day surrendered and night conquered the sky, the wounded moon led an army of stars to a camp located in a remote area of Anima's wilderness.
An array of tents and crates were pitched out in the middle of a small field near a cliff, and occupying the land were men and women, Faunus of many kinds donning Grimm masks.
The White Fang.
In the largest tent, a Lieutenant and her best soldiers discussed strategy and details needed to complete their objective.
The regular rank and file soldiers loitered outside, doing their daily routine that consisted mostly of training, sorting and checking equipment, or finishing menial chores.
At the perimeter of the White Fang camp, several guards stood watch with their rifles, yawning and fighting to stay awake behind their masks.
A twig snapped.
The guards jumped and fixed their sights at the treeline ahead.
"Stop!" said a guard. "Who goes there?"
A figure walked towards them from the tree line, and emerging from the shadows, Reynold Hill stepped into the moonlight.
He tossed a rock behind him and approached with his hands up.
Several minutes later, Reynold was escorted inside the camp with every kind of gun at the White Fang's disposal aimed at his face.
"Well, this is certainly a surprise." The reptilian scaled Lieutenant sauntered out of her tent. "I never expected to see Reynold Hill of all people walk up to my doorstep."
Reynold shrugged. "I was in the neighbourhood."
"I can see that." She eyed the soldier next to him. "Did you search him?"
"Yes, ma'am." He stood at attention. "He's unarmed, and we also sent a few of ours to sweep the area. Nothing so far. He's alone, ma'am."
The Lieutenant scowled at the Huntsman. "What are you up to?"
As Reynold adjusted his glasses, the lenses twinkled in the camp light. "To accept your surrender."
The soldiers flinched and looked at each other as if to make sure they heard him right.
"Surrender?" The Lieutenant chuckled. "I think you have it backwards."
"Lay down your arms and we can end this peacefully." Reynold sighed. "Although, I doubt that that's going to happen. Final warning: surrender now."
She scoffed. "Tie him up. He might prove useful."
A soldier approached with rope, but Reynold snapped his fingers and vanished, leaving behind a playing card.
Everyone stopped and stared, dumbstruck.
A bright flash of lights overwhelmed the camp, and everyone dove behind anything they could for cover, gawking at the armoured SUV suddenly parked in front of the camp with its high beams on.
Sitting on the hood was a little girl in a scarlet kimono stoked by white flames dancing across the silk fabric tied shut by an orange obi sash. A sleek, ivory mask concealed her whole face, mouthless with two wide slits for the eyes and orange swirls carved all across the surface.
Behind her, on top of the SUV was Laurence and his machine gun, Cerberus, locked and loaded.
In the passenger seat, Reynold touched his ear piece.
"Laurence," he said, "let 'em loose."
The girl plugged her ears as Laurence cackled and pressed the triggers.
Cerberus barked a barrage of bullets, sweeping side to side and slicing across the entire camp. The White Fang returned fire, yet no matter how well or often they placed their shots, every single bullet dinged off an invisible barrier and ricocheted back at camp in full force.
Laurence hit a cache of Dust.
An elemental hurricane exploded, reducing most of the camp to rubble, and Laurence took that as the perfect time to stop and admire his handy work.
"Roxy," Reynold said. "Go play."
The girl on the hood reached behind her and unveiled a long bolt action rifle, swiftly putting down anyone caught in the crosshairs of her scope.
Several brave souls saw an opportunity and charged the SUV.
Roxy slid off the hood. A bayonet extended from underneath the barrel of her rifle. The White Fang soldiers could only scream and flail their weapons as she bounced between putting a bullet or a blade in every target.
Laying in the grass, the Lieutenant groaned and snapped awake under the alarm of cries and gunfire.
She opened her scroll, but a glint of steel sliced the device in half.
A muffled yawn seeped behind Roxy's mask.
"Rey-Rey," she said and pulled the mask over her head to reveal a pair of sunny, half-lidded eyes. "You're good to go."
Reynold stepped out, followed closely from behind by Laurence.
The last one to leave the vehicle was a tall woman covered in a fur cloak. Her platinum braid of hair looped around her head and flowed like a tail.
"D-do you have any idea what you've done?" The Lieutenant gulped at the blade a nudge away from gouging out her brain. "When the rest of us hear about this, my brothers and sisters will hunt you down to the ends of Remnant."
"Then we'll make it easier for them," said Reynold.
Roxy pulled away, revealing the rest of Team RRYL standing before the Lieutenant.
Reynold knelt to her level and the dagger behind his gaze pressed against her throat. "Tell us the location of the White Fang Headquarters."
The Lieutenant fumed as if he spat out the worst insult imaginable.
"You're insane." Her teeth bared. "As if I'll tell you!"
"I wouldn't expect any less." He backed off. "Yonah."
The tall woman with the braid took his place, and the Lieutenant's face slacked.
Underneath the moonlight, Yonah glistened like fresh winter snow, her smile breathed the winds of a lively spring, yet her eyes burned hotter than grass sailing the summer wave.
"Are you afraid?" The calm flutter in her tone was an autumn leaf falling from the branch. "It's only natural."
The Lieutenant sweated profusely.
"Tell us what you know." Her voice became a brewing storm about to unleash its wrath. "And I'll be gentle."
"I can't!" she cried as loud as she could. "I won't!"
Yonah removed her gloves and played with the Lieutenant's collar, causing her to whimper.
"Yes, sweetie." Yonah tapped the Lieutenant's chin. "You will."
The Lieutenant recoiled as if Yonah poked her with a needle and ran screaming into the first vehicle she saw.
Team RRYL did nothing except watch her speed out of there.
Reynold went up to Yonah. "Nice job."
Yonah chuckled behind her hand.
A war of howls cried out from the forests.
"Take care of it," Reynold said to the others.
Laurence bellowed in laughter as he set up Cerberus, cutting down waves of Grimm coming out of the treeline.
Cerberus clicked.
"Out of ammo?" He dismantled the gun and wielded both the club and sword in either hand. "Come to Uncle Larry!"
Meanwhile, Roxy hung back in front of the camp, providing covering fire for Laurence
Click!
Humming a playful tune, she pulled down her mask, transformed her rifle into an odachi, and unsheathed the shimmering sword that was nearly the same length as her body.
An Ursa Minor pounced at her.
She air cartwheeled to the side and lopped its head off in a single stroke.
Blood splattered the leader's shoes.
Reynold glared from the corner of his eye. "Roxy. . ."
Giggling, she dashed towards a roaring Beringel.
Roxy slid between the gorilla's legs and severed the tendons behind the ankles, dropping it to its knees. The Beringel threw wild lefts and rights. Roxy casually slipped the punches and surgically sliced open every muscle in its arms until they were rendered completely useless.
Attaching the hilt of her odachi to her scabbard, Roxy formed a naginata and twirled it while she spun and sprung.
The Beringel could do nothing except watch Roxy separate its head from its neck.
Reynold rallied his team once the Grimm were eliminated.
"The Atlesians will be here soon," Reynold said. "I just hope Winter doesn't mind cleaning the mess."
Laurence ran an arm across his brow. "What now, Boss?"
"We'll collect Alexander at the village first, and then we'll see where our little messenger takes us." Reynold stared at the White Fang flag that fell to the ground. "If all goes well, then I'll be expecting an audience with none other than the High Leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan."