Chapter 24: Sidetracked

While RWBY and the others were planning to steal a Atlas Airship, Vest and team SODA had gotten sidetracked in Argus.

"Man, what a big place! I didn't realize it was gonna be so many side-quests!" Pepper bounced around jokingly looking up and down at the city. He saw a theater playing the fall of beacon, construction, someone hanging out, and people drinking!

"I swear Pepper, one of this days I'm gonna go spinning into a tornado," Sprite sighed.

"Yeah, you think Ruby and others made it to the city?" Aquafina asked.

"Good question, maybe we should go hunting them up?" Fanta asked.

There was a store that was displaying news about Haven academy bursting into flames as some witnesses had described a figure leaving the building.

Vest looked at the screen seeing the news about the academy. "Uhhh...that was my fault wasn't it huh?" She mainly asked herself.

Pepper looked at it confused. "No, you were frozen in place. That must have been something else, lovely, it's probably little miss edge lord herself who decided to make the place lit."

The report kept going, as someone had mentioned Queen and Lionheart not having to be seen anywhere.

"Oh, that person I blasted by! Oh no, and Lionheart as well? Well, he's a cowardly lion so can't say that's surprising." Pepper commented.

"Wait a second, wasn't he supposed to be arrested for allowing the enemy in the school?" Auqafina asked.

Vest sighed "I still can't believe she beat me so easily in that fight how does she know so much as well she's just a kid?!" She sounded angry.

Pepper patted her back. "Hey, don't beat yourself for it! You'll get her yet! Just have to keep pushing yourself and put your mind to it, then nailed her Grimmy ass!"

Vest smiled and turned to Pepper with a nod. "Thanks..Pepper I appreciate it."

There was now a wanted sign for Scarlet displayed on the news, she was wanted dead or alive and turned into the the police or military.

Pepper smiled back. "You're welcome Vest! It's what I do!"

"Lovely, a wanted posted for Scarlet." Sprite sighed.

The ground shook a little as shadow could be seen going over the ground, followed by another one.

Vest stood not bothered by the shaking as she looked at the shadows before looking up. "What the?"

Ah crap, what now?!" Pepper grunted looking over at the moving shadows.

"Did Ruby and company make a 'surprise' entrance?" Fanta asked.

~~~

An airship was flying around in the sky as a Mecha arm swung behind it, question was who was on the Mecha and who was on the airship.

Vest looked at it confused. "An airship?" She asked rhetorically as she looked to Pepper.

"You want me to fly over there to check it out don't you Vest?" Pepper asked. His suit covered his body ready for action!

"How about we both go and find out? You forget I can use my powers to fly too." Vest said.

Pepper scoffed and smirked. "Just don't slow me down miss maiden." He gave a thumbs up, he jumped into the air spinning in a ball, blasting off towards the Mecha fight.

Vest rolled her eyes and used her powers fly behind Pepper towards the airship that had passed overhead before.

"Stay still you brats!" Caroline's voice came from the Mecha as she was trying to hit the airship.

"Look out!" Jaune cried.

"Ah crap, it's the gang!" Pepper held out his hand shooting out several bottles filled with wind dust blasting away the arm of the Mecha attacking the airship.

Vest conjured a ball of flames as she launched it at the large mecha. "What's going on here?!!"

"GUYS!" Ruby yelled. "No time to explain, we need to bring Caroline down...she's trying to keep us from going to Atlas!"

"Wait, Caroline is still alive and works for Atlas still? I thought she was let go!" Pepper cracked his knuckles and faced Mecha. "I'm OFFENDED by such a engrossed design piece of junk of a Mecha! I shall show you my superior tech and GENIUS!"

Vest flew up and over to where Ruby and the main group where. "What did you guys do?!"

"We stole an Atlas airship, that's what." Nora said.

"You did what?! We leave for FIVE MINUTES! AND YOU PEOPLE DECIDE TO STEAL AN AIRSHIP?!" Pepper flew over to the group behind Vest. "Good grief people! Yall are still the same trouble makers back at Beacon."

"Pipe down whippersnapper." Maria said. "Do you see any other way to Atlas?"

"Shut up grandma! Last time I checked, my dad is still in Atlas and could have called in a favor. Besides, yall didn't even bother to check in with us! Local coms are up ya know." Pepper clenched his fists. "Also, whose the old fart in the party?"

"The Grimm Reaper." Nora said.

"The Grimm Reaper? I read about you when I was studying to become a huntress, you were incredible!" Vest said.

"Well, my fighting days are over now." Maria said.

"Well wisdom from a legend is always helpful! Anyway, let's rust this bag of bolts!" Pepper gestured to Caroline.

"I'll teach you to respect your elders boy!" Caroline said.

"I'll teach you have to earn respect! Now buzz off, we have a world to save!" Pepper raised his hand charging up a ball of energy blasting the mecha's arm.

Vest became surrounded in an orb of flames as she flew up between Caroline and Pepper "ENOUGH FIGHTING!!"

Caroline stopped as she looked at Vest. "A Maiden."

Pepper sighed and pouts. "Dang it Vest! You're no fun!"

The sirens started to go off, as the Leviathan Grimm started to approach from where it was at. The massive Grimm was slow, but regardless gigantic.

Vest heard the sirens as she looked over. "Ohh no.." She flew back over to where Ruby and the rest of the group where "we've got to stop that Grimm!"

Ruby hesitated for a bit but nods. "Get me close to it...I should be able to use my eyes....I just need time to figure how to trigger it."

"Ah crap! We have a big one on the horizon!" Pepper followed Vest back to Ruby and others.

"Vest, me and you buy Ruby time to use those wonderful sliver eyes! You folks get Ruby close enough to kill this thing," Pepper suggested.

"You heard the man." Jaune said with a nod.

Maria nodded her head a bit. "Right."

Vest nodded as she flew towards the Leviathan Grimm, as she spun in the air sending a beam of fire towards the Grimm hitting it on the arm as she moved the beam slowly upwards.

Pepper flew over to the Leviathan Grimm behind it blasting it in the neck. "Hey, big guy! Over here!"

Maria slowly flew the airship towards it, not wanting to get it's attention and get in the range of fire.

"Any day now red." Derek said.

Ruby nodded as she closes her eyes, trying to think of ways to get her silver eyes to trigger.

Pepper kept blasting the Grimm buying time for Ruby. "Vest keep it up!"

Vest nodded as she moved her free hand next to the one that had the flames coming from it as the beam got stronger.

The Leviathan charged a beam of it's own from it's mouth as it fired at the two, Ruby was lost in thought until she felt a hand touch her shoulder.

"Tch, we're not going to get anywhere at this rate." Qrow said. "Damn you Salem."

"Woah!!" Vest dived down as the beam shot past her.

"Thanks for the energy!" Pepper absorbed the laser into his aura charging himself up powering himself up. "Now take this!" he rose his hands in the air charging up a huge ball of energy. "Sugar sweet BURST!" He quickly threw his hands towards the Leviathan launching the ball of energy.

Ruby seemed to have having a conversation with someone as Maria had gotten a little closer to the Grimm.

The energy ball made contact with the leviathan in the neck.

"Ah!" Pepper yelled closing his hand causing the ball to explode engulfing the Leviathan.

~~~

Ruby's eyes shot open as she looked at the others. "Maria, turn the ship around. I got it now. Everyone cover your eyes!"

"Gotcha." Maria said as she was turning the airship around as she opened the door. "Try not to fall off."

"Vest, Ruby is ready! Keep it distracted!" Pepper shouted flying towards the head curled up in a ball dashed forward smacking it.

Vest panted and looked at the Grimm. "Hey over here big guy!!" She shouted hoping to have it focus on her as she created a large icicle launching it at the Grimm.

"Out of the way you two." Ruby said. "I got it from here."

"Take it away Ruby doo! Vest, you heard her! Let's move." Pepper flew out of the way quickly.

Vest nodded and followed Pepper to a safe distance away from the Leviathan Grimm as she flew next to him. "I gotta take an early retirement after this.."

Ruby took a deep breath as she then exhaled, she glared at the Leviathan as her eyes started to glow. "Cover your eyes everyone."

Pepper chuckled. "I don't that's possible." He then covered his eyes.

Vest closed her eyes and looked away.

The others closed their eyes as Ruby yelled as she unleashed her silver eye power, turning the Grimm into stone. She nearly fell off the airship, but Qrow caught her in time before she could.

Pepper uncovered his eyes seeing the Grimm had turned to stone. "Ah heck yeah brother!"

"Don't celebrate yet." Maria said.

"Pfffth!" Pepper crossed his arms. "Don't have to ruin the moment!"

The stone started to crack as part of the Grimm could be seen. Ruby's eyes widen at this, she thought it would work. "N-No....it didn't work."

"Ah crap! What do we do now?!" Pepper asked.

Caroline moved the mecha forward. "All of you get going to Atlas, leave this beast to me."

"You're letting us go?" Derek asked.

"I was blinded by my own stupidity, I didn't realize until now." Caroline said.

"Sweet! Let's pick up the others and get going!" Pepper suggested flying towards the ship landing inside.

"I saw her..." Ruby said.

"Who?" Qrow asked.

"I saw mom." Ruby said looking down. "She motivated me to do it, but it failed.."

Pepper sighed. "Vest, get on this ship! We're picking up the rest of my team and going!"

Vest flew over and stepped down onto the ship. "Alright let's go."

Maria nodded her head and closed the door after Pepper and Vest had gotten on, she flew the airship to where the others were at. "Everyone, get on. We're heading to Atlas."

"Booyah." Yang said.

"Sweet! Let's get on!" Fanta jumped onto the airship along with Aquafina and Sprite.

Blake looked a little concerned and worried, but shook her head. "Right..."

"Worried we might run into Adam again?" Derek asked. "The coward ran away before he could be arrested, if he shows his ugly mug again, we'll put him down."

Pepper nodded. "What Derek said, we'll run him over with a bike or something while we at it!"

"Is everyone on?" Weiss asked looking back.

"Indeed," Sprite replied. "Maiden and my team, wait, where's Draken?" Pepper asked.

"Right here." Draken said.

"Oh goody! Then that should be everyone!" Pepper said.

Maria piloted the airship from Argus and towards Atlas. She glanced out the window to see Caroline taking care of the Leviathan, Ruby and the group here making their way to Atlas in hopes to warn Ironwood. However, they were unaware that Scarlet was already at Atlas, with Tyrian and Watts.

A/N:[I don't own Draken, Vest, Queen or Team SODA. Credit goes to my friends on Discord.]