XVII

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The tiny figure trembled, arms wrapped around his leg and head pressed into his hip, as the Bullhead shuddered and trembled on its way back to Vale. He played his armored hand through her hair, trying to comfort her, and she grabbed it and held it there. He smiled in spite of himself and reached over with his other hand, flicking his cloak around her a bit more and she wiggled to get behind his leg. Until her shell-back touched the hull and she whimpered and stopped.

"Hmm…"

"Vale'll get her sorted." He looked up and across from him at Cardin, who sat in his seat with his arms crossed. "Orphans like her come through all the time. System's set up for her."

"Good ones?" Cardin shrugged unsurely, and he sighed. "I suppose you wouldn't know that much about it…"

"Not really." Cardin shrugged, "My folks're fine. I just know it exists."

"Mhm…" Suddenly, the Bullhead rocked harder and veered to the side and up, higher into the air. Teal squeaked in surprise, clinging to him even harder, and he turned toward the cockpit, "What is-"

"Grimm in the air, ahead." The pilot cut in, sounding anxious, even panicked. "Lot of 'em, over Vale. All traffic is being rerouted out to Beacon."

"Over Vale?" Cardin barked, standing and flicking his team a look. "Why? The hell is happening?"

"Some kind of…." The pilot sighed shakily, sending static across the intercoms. "I don't know, air-traffic control is swamped. Evacuating part of the city, redirecting incoming, everything's chaos. All I've got i-is some kind of breach. Any, stand-by and-"

"No." Cerulean grunted, "We have to help, of it's that bad."

"But the kid-"

"You can get her to Beacon." He turned, grimaced, and sighed, "Winchester, can I trust you to-"

"You're sendin' us off while you head into whatever the fuck is goin' on?" Winchester growled, shaking his head, "That ain't happenin'. We're Hunters, too, and Vale is our home."

"Yes, but you're tired, and under my protection." He grunted, gently coaxing Teal off his leg and waving for her to pay attention to what was being said. "I don't know what I'm heading into, and won't take you there. If Beacon sends you out, come out in a more organized way. It's the smart way."

"Funny how that doesn't apply to you…"

"Someone has to protect the child." He answered, shrugging, "And only one of us has orders to follow."

"This ain't Atlas." Russel snapped, "We ain't soldiers."

"And yet," he sighed, "you have to follow orders."

"But-"

"He's right, Russ." Winchester growled, obviously pissed but aware of where the wind was blowing. "We head to Beacon with the kid and form up. Whatever's goin' on, Beacon will be sending out groups to help. Fast as they can prep 'em. We down some water, shove food down our throats, and get out here with a plan. Fifteen minutes, tops. You think you can survive that long, asshole?"

"Language." He chided, nodding towards Teal and then nodding in general. "I'll be fine. Get her there safe."

"Right." He nodded, "Hear that, brat? Stay quiet and sit tight."

"Okay, Mister." She nodded, looking up at Cerulean and hesitating before asking, quietly, "Are you… Are you gonna die, Mister Hunter?"

"Cerulean." He corrected, then sighed and shook his head. Kneeling, he laid a hand on top of her head and chuckled, "And don't you worry, Teal. I'll be just fine, I can guarantee it. So just focus on you for right now, and let me do my job, hm?"

"Promise?" She asked, holding up a hand, her little finger extended.

"Promise." He nodded, wrapping his own around it almost on instinct and bobbing their hands up and down. Standing, he turned and paid his tutored team a look, and then a nod. "Take care of her."

"We'll do our jobs." Winchester nodded, "Do yours."

He nodded and raised his voice, "Pilot-"

"We'll be passing low over Vale, two blocks out." He cut Cerulean off, sounding… Stressed. In a wholly new way from before, though. "I'm not supposed to- Damn it, but the Breach is down towards the commerce-residential junction. My sister works there! I-I can't get through over Scroll, and-"

"Drop me," he cut in, "and I'll keep them where they are. If she made it out, she'll be safe."

"R-Right." He nodded, "Opening side doors and slowing- You'll have to roll, though. I can't stop."

"Understood." He nodded, voice almost stolen by the wind as the door slid open and it howled inside. Teal was blown across the Bullhead in surprise, but Dove caught her, pulling her against his leg and turning bit to shield her from the cold wind.

He leaned out, watched them cross the road and come over a building…

And stepped out.

He hit the rough, gravelled top of the building hard, rolling and groaning as bones broken and his armor bruised him. Inside a few seconds, though, his Ghost appeared, tended to him, and he was up and moving. Standing at the edge of the roof, it was easy to see where the Breach was - the smoke pillars crawling into the air was a tell-tale sign, as were the armed craft fighting Nevermore in the area around it.

"Two blocks." Guiding Light chirped, appearing at his shoulder, "You should reach it in approximately five minutes. The blocks are separated only by small access paths - alleys - and as such, I recommend using the rooftops. You will get there unimpeded, bar any Grimm coming, and will also have the high ground upon arrival."

"Good idea." He nodded, turning and running to the edge of the roof, leaping up onto its barrier rim and then leaping across the alleyway to the next building, rolling to recover.

He got to the site in just over four minutes, legs burning and chest heaving for breath as he slid into cover behind the low wall that ran perimeter around the building's roof. Taking a breath, he hefted his rifle and peeked over. The open plaza was wide, opened…

And a war zone.

Bodies littered the ground around a huge, mostly police and armored men and women but more than a few civilians who must have been caught up in the initial attack as well. There was a gaping hole in the concrete, with trains cars strewn around it as if it had burst through the ground, out of which more Grimm were coming. It wasn't a horde, but the steady trickle was clearly enough to keep the handful of younger warriors trying to keep the mess contained under pressure - and who knew when their numbers would thin out?

Or, worse, increase?

"How many-"

"Eleven fighters, all younger than twenty." Guiding Light chirped, watching the fighting. As they spoke, the three presumed teams were being pushed further out and away, trying their best to keep the mess contained but clearly unsure how to even begin managing it. "Likely students, and with no guidance-"

"Grimm will slip through." He filled in, "Suggestions?"

"Shoot the Creeps rushing for the street to your four o'clock." He chirped. Cerulean shot up and pivoted, lining up the shots and putting them through the monster's flanks as they ran. They tumbled and Cerulean ducked while his Ghost chirped, "As for what to do- I would suggest holding your ground. Doubtless, support will come."

"And the others?"

"What can you do for them…?"

"I don't know…" He murmured, standing and flicking them a look.

They were being pushed back, but sticking together to guard three of the four roads out. While the last had been barricaded by the ruined train and the building it had destroyed, sealing it off well enough for the Grimm to go for the easier targets. Or try and slip into the city, lured by the terror out there. Before he could speak, a bellow echoed across the plaza and he shot up, eyes locked onto the cavernous breach.

A massive head and shoulders poked out first, with leathery black skin pockmarked by spines and scars across its chest and bald head. A huge jaw protruded out in a vicious underbite under a squashed nose and one huge, scarlet eye. Long, armored and clawed fingers gouged into the concrete, digging into it to drag the rest of its bare form up until it stood, barefoot and towering twenty feet above them. Its body was bare down to its finger-tips, with thick, almost greying hair covering its hips down to its feet. Slowly, it turned, surveying the fighting still going on in the plaza around it.

Then it bellowed another roar, the sound sending tremors right down into Cerulean's bones.

"Or," Guiding Light chirped, "you can help them deal with that."

"Right…" He grunted, picking out his grenade and stepping up onto the rim of the building, tossing it as he dropped.

The grenade wasn't enough to hurt the Cyclops, but it landed beside his eye, and the bright flash was enough to blind it. It flailed as Cerulean landed and turned, jogging up onto the flank of one of the fights and drawing his axe and revolver. Two Beowolves heard him coming for his armor and turned, arms spread, but all they got for the effort was a shot apiece, straight through their throats and out the back. As they topped he leapt, onto the back of an Ursa Major trying to muscle through to the fighters dealing with its smaller cousins. It snarled at his weight and looked up-

And he buried the axe in its face, from one eye to the other, and leapt off to the side, dragging it down and wrenching the weapon free. One of the Ursai turned to him but his revolver ended it and, as he slid in front of its dying form, its fellow caught a spear thrust into its throat and collapsed, choking.

"Are you a Huntsman?"

"I am, yes, and-" He turned, and his mind froze-

Red, long and free, flowed around the woman as she yanked her spear back and turned, flicking it out to bat a Creep back. Behind her, a woman with a hammer turned, crushing three Beowolves aside with one swing while a young man stood between them, turning this way and that to pepper Grimm in light, accurate fire to cripple and kill wherever he could. But Cerulean's gaze was locked onto the woman, who turned to him, confused, and frowned.

"Guardian!" He ducked under a swinging claw and lunged forward under its arm., slamming his shoulder into the Ursa's sternum. It staggered under the blow and his revolver came up, blasting apart its rib-cage as he stepped back.

"I am, yes." He nodded, turning to blast away another Grimm and watching the Cyclops shake off his stun. "You're down a man- Where are they?"

"Dead." He flinched and turned, and the ginger stepped up to his side, weapon shifting into a grenade launcher of sorts that peppered the cyclops, keeping it disoriented with smoke and some kind of gas. She noticed his reaction, though, and added, "Not today- A while ago."

"Months ago." The black-haired man added, forming up into their little circle of defence. "Where is your team?"

"I'm solo." He hesitated a moment and added, "And taking command. Can you hold?"

"We can." The red-haired woman answered, "What's your plan?"

"Can you get in touch with the other groups?"

"Yes."

"Tell them to pull back and hold the streets." He ordered, "Get ranged fighters up onto the roofs for support- And you, with the bombs-"

"Grenades, and my name is- Whoa, big guy!" The ginger cackled, ducked under a flailing claw, and put a grenade into the monster at close range. Smoke and fire lit up the space and trailed behind it as it was sent careening back into its fellows. Straightening and extending her hammer once more, she said, "Whatevs- What do you need?"

"Every now and again, put a grenade or three down the hole." He grunted, watching the bronze-armored woman hold the front for them nearly on her own, practically dancing around them as she fought. A feat he was sure she couldn't keep up, but took the opportunity for what it was and reloaded, grunting, "It'll thin the herd- May even collapse part of it and slow their advance."

"And you?" He nodded up at the Cyclops and the ark-haired man chuckled while he, too, reloaded and reached for his Scroll. "Best of luck. I'll tell the others."

"Mhm." He nodded, "Grenadier, do you have it?"

"Got it, boss!" She nodded, "Need me to clear a path?"

"If you have the ammo."

"If I have the ammo!?" She cackled again, shaking her head, "Clearly we haven't met!"

He nodded at the obvious fact and she spun her hammer up and down, crushing a Creep as it lunged for her. With a flick it shifted form once more and she knelt, peppering grenades up into the air that exploded all across the plaza, trailing towards the titanic Grimm. Creeps, Beowolves, small serpentine Grimm he couldn't identify - all of them exploded in splashes of black and white, and the concrete and dirt under them while he ducked and charged.

"Ideas?" He grunted shortly as he ran.

"Explosives adhered to the back of the knee." Guiding Light chirped, "Should cripple it- Then, blind it with a Thunder Strike."

"Thunder Strike?"

"Yes, you know, when you punch things and use your Lightning?"

"I figured that's what it was." He grunted, turning to put two shots into an Ursa Major that had survived the grenadier's bombing and was coming for him. They caught it in the throat and it fell back, choking, as he moved on. "Just- Are we really calling it that?"

"Yes." Guiding Light answered, "Yes we are- Now, focus!"

He grunted his assent and rolled as the Grimm, blinking and no doubt bleary-eyed, stomped where he'd been standing. Turning to him, it snarled, but he ignored it and slid behind its leg, pitching one of his sticky grenades onto it just above the calf. And then backing away, emptying his revolver into its Achilles tendon. Bone and meat exploded in a mess and then the grenade went off with a crack and crackle, sending most of its joint flying away in all directions.

With a roar of pain, it toppled onto its ruined knee, braced up on its hands, and moaned almost pitifully.

Cerulean ran up its leg and buried his axe in its hip, using it to wrench himself up onto its back. It swatted at the pain, but he was already gone, running halfway up as it straightened. And then he leapt, grabbing onto the little spines and spikes all along its back and shoulders and using them and his axe for leverage to climb. It snarled and bellowed, shaking as violent as it could with one knee and swatting at its sides whenever he got too close to them, but it never got him.

Finally, he mounted its shoulder and it turned, massive eye boring into him as it reached for him-

And a heavy round slammed home, right into its pupil. It bellowed as it reeled, shaking its head and nearly throwing him off as it pawed at its face. As it collapsed onto its side, he leapt, thunder cloaking him as he brought his axe up-

And came down like a lightning strike, right into its neck.

In its wake, he was left in the midst of the Grimm, right near the tunnel. Standing, and tired now, he raised his revolver and grit his teeth-

But, before they could rush him, heavy auto-cannon fire ripped through them in long rows, and a long shadow passed over the plaza. Overhead, a massive airship loomed low, gun turrets along its sides and belly peppering the monsters as Bullhead transports swarmed around and down. One veered over him, doors sliding open as a familiar massive shape dropped alongside its comrades.

"Cerulean." Yatsuhashi grunted, standing in front of him as his team fanned out, Coco's massive gun pouring fire out on the Grmm as the airship turned its attention on the sky-borne threats. "Catch your breath."

"Yeah." Fox nodded, "We've got this."

Around him, a dozen teams joined the fray, dropping into the fighting and carving a swathe through the sea of monsters. While they did, he watched one lower over the breach and, as if by magic, the debris was lifted up and plunged into it, reforming at least that part of the plaza and plugging the hole while robotic soldiers joined the Hunters on the flanks, and police rushed in to join them.

Satisfied they could handle the clean up, he nodded, took a breath and found a piece of debris to sit on.

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To all concerned-

I base the racism in this fic on my own experiences in real life, living in the south where I am inundated with it. If it seems way too common, and it seems tiring to have Cerulean constantly face it, constantly rail against it and constantly just have to leave, it's because it IS tiring. In real life. It's a very real portrayal.

I won't address it otherwise in Responses below.

Take care~!

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CMDR Kai :

He's still 'young' and learning, and do bear in mind this character won't have all the same direct ABILITIES of normal Titans, owing to his isolation. However, he will carry a lot of the PHILOSOPHY of them. This is my approach because of the mentioned isolation, and also my lack of IN DEPTH knowledge of character abilities.

For instance, in this, I googled if Guardians could heal normal people and… Didn't find any conclusive info? So just kinda did my best lmao.

Poofy Ohio :

'Religious exemptions to discriminate' nowadays tend to refer to LGBT+ people. However, if you look into it, such ideas were used to defend Jim Crow era policies once upon a time. And even now are being used by US Right wingers to defend child marriage. Suuuuuucks lmao.

Also, in RWBY, CRDL and them NOT BEING PUNISHED for harassing Faunus is meant, to me, as a first step at portraying this in the show. Later we get characters talking about experiencing it, and even 'No Faunus' signs posted at stores, as I did in this fic, in Mistral.

Hope you continue to enjoy!

Lea Rosenwulf :

I wanted to be as original as I could be. Snakes, lizards, birds- I've seen them done, and done them. But a big old shell? That's new, at least to me.

GL (Guest) :

If you consider the events to come after the final, concrete revelation of when in the timeline this is, you can guess whether he will come up against Faunus supremacists. And why it was needed to build so much of his character around these experiences.

CN Wamandu :

I mean… Obviously? He's a Guardian. With a handful of exceptions, Guardians cease to be who they were prior to awakening. As for the plot… My friend what you are witnessing is the birth of a character. For this closing window, that WAS the plot. The first great arc.

Soon will come the next.