The crackling transmission fades away, leaving the eerie silence hovering over the desolate city ruins.

 

Looking down below was a horrific sight. Nature had begun to reclaim this forsaken place, as creeping vines and resilient flora weave through the cracks in the pavement, reclaiming their dominion amidst the concrete wasteland. For this was the city of Mount Glenn, a new and great project which would expand the kingdom of Vale and allow it to advance beyond the stage of a City state with intermediate territories.

 

"Awe, it was just getting to a good part," Ruby laments. "We can always listen to it at camp tonight," Yang reassures.

 

"Sorry, everyone, we've arrived at the ruins. Dr. Oobleck, do you happen to see a landing place we could leave the bird?" Kyra inquires through her headset.

 

"On the roof of the dust station over there seems good," Oobleck suggests. "Got it," Kyra acknowledges, flipping a few switches to lower the landing gear and engage VTOL mode.

 

Swinging back for a slow rolling approach, Kyra smoothly guides the aircraft down. "Touch down! Brakes on," Kyra announces, powering down the engines and activating the landing gear brakes.

 

"So, were we invisible the entire time?" Oobleck asks. "Of course, would you like to risk being seen by whatever is here?" Kyra questions, eyeing Ruby's bag.

 

“What is this place?” Ruby asks meanwhile Blake, Yang, and Weiss stand behind the girl silent. Ruby being too young to recall the tragedy was a blessing for the girl—a fact her sister couldn't help but appreciate. For the others who were only a few years older, however, the memories were vivid, a tragety they couldn't easily forget. It was the event which took away their innocents as they had watched humans and fanus alike devoured by the creatures on live tv. 

 

"Welcome to our kingdom's biggest failure," Oobleck comments. 

"Mountain Glenn, Stark Industries is currently working with Vale's council to see if we can reclaim it," Kyra states aloud trying to redirect the current train of thought. Mount Glenn was basically this world’s September Eleventh, although instead of thousands it was tens of thousands. An no country which could have taken the blame for the horrible act. 

 

"Oh, yeah, I forgot the biggest change in recent history was your company, Sapphire," Oobleck remarks. 

 

"Thanks, just trying to help people," Kyra responds brushing lightly from the praise. 

 

“Honestly, I can not wait to see the changes to come.” Oobleck says taking the distraction for what it is. A nice break away from remembering the horrible tragety. 

 

The team strolled through the ruins of Mountain Glenn, their pace unhurried yet purposeful. Kyra took the lead, her steps measured as she navigated the broken pathways and scattered debris. Yang walked alongside her, a casual confidence in her stride as she scanned their surroundings with a keen eye.

 

"Does the underground rail go underneath Vale currently?" Kyra asks.

 

 "Yes, we should look into that," Oobleck acknowledges. That was a massive security risk which would need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

 

"Alright! Ladies, you may still be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as a Huntress has begun," Oobleck declares. "From this point forward, you must do exactly as I say. Do you understand?" Oobleck emphasizes, noticing Ruby's backpack.

 

"Ruby! I thought I told you to leave all your bags back at school," Oobleck scolds. 

 

"But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet... so I didn't," Ruby attempts to explain.

 

"She's not wrong," Oobleck concedes to himself as Kyra facepalms. 

"Alright, Ruby, leave your bag here; we can pick it up upon return," Oobleck directs. 

 

Kyra swiftly interjects, her hand touching Ruby's bag, causing it to vanish into her Pip-boy.

A sudden thud catches everyone's attention as a dog unexpectedly plops onto the ground. "Ruby... did you bring Zwei?" Kyra inquires, eyeing the dog with a mix of surprise and amusement.

"Maybe..." Ruby admits sheepishly,

"Brilliant!" Doctor Oobleck and Kyra exclaim simultaneously. Oobleck swiftly picks up Zwei, praising canines for their perceptive nature.

 

The team, collectively exasperated, facepalms as Ruby proudly claims, "I'm a genius."

 

"Alright, what are your orders, Doctor?" Blake asks, redirecting the focus.

 

"Yes! Let us get back on track!" Oobleck urges. 

 

"As you know, the southeast area has been marked as a hotspot due to a large amount of Grimm activity. That means there are likely people in this abandoned area, since emotions attract Grimm," Kyra observes.

 

"Not entirely. There could be multiple reasons for this behavior. One possible explanation is the presence of Grimm," Oobleck clarifies.

 

"What?" Ruby responds, her confusion evident. "Ruby, look behind you," Kyra urges. 

Ruby quickly pivots, her hand instinctively reaching for her crescent rose readying the rifle..

 

As she assesses the looming threat, ready to react, She slids back the bolt, only for Kyra to swiftly intervene grabimg hold of the charging handle, halting the sniper rifle's bolt and rendering it incapable of chambering and firing. 

 

"Why?" Ruby asks, bewildered by Kyra's sudden and unexpected action.

 

"Good catch, Kyra. Ruby, you were almost about to make a mistake there. Kyra, care to enlighten us?" Oobleck inquires.

 

“How many rounds do you have left, Ruby?” Kyra asks.

 

"I've got 87 rounds?" Ruby responds, a hint of uncertainty coloring her voice at Kyra's sudden inquiry.

 

“How many Grimm are lurking around here?” Kyra continues probing.

 

“Oh,” Ruby murmurs softly, realization dawning upon her.

 

"Exactly. It's wiser and more efficient to evade them than actively engage, especially in this scenario," Oobleck affirms. "Indeed, this is a scouting mission. Where should we set up camp for the night?" Kyra redirects the focus, transitioning the conversation toward their immediate plans.

Doctor Oobleck looks up at a building. Kyra following his gaze cant help but comment "Seems safe enough, and it will give us a vantage point while making it hard for the more common Grimm to reach us.”

 

"Precisely," Oobleck agrees, taking a sip from his thermos.