Team SWRZ - Volume 2 - Chapter 17 - Base of Operations!

Two days passed since the search team went out to discover the location of the trafficking base hidden in the forest. Forty-eight hours and the group haven't uncovered a single clue. Ordinarily, people would give up around now. But the party was determined to complete their mission. Well, most of them.

"This mission is a bust," complained Schwartz after turning over a random stone on the path with his foot. He looked over at his search partner for the day, Professor Hale. The woman was further ahead, lightning up another cigarette.

"Did you expect us to find it on the first day?" Lilith wondered, exhaling the smoke.

If the leader of the trafficking ring, Roddy Mack, were indeed the person they were after, then the team would have one hell of a time. As a former Huntsman, he had skills, connections, and insider information about how most people in their line of work think. It's likely why he's managed to avoid detection and capture so long after his defection.

Then again, his hypnosis Semblance possibly also had a hand in it.

"Yeah? Is that a bad thing?" Schwartz responded, puzzled. "The sooner we find it, the sooner we can get this over with."

"You're impatient. That needs some work," Lilith snidely commented and resumed her search.

"C'mon! You're telling me you'd rather be out here than back at Haven?"

"Of course, I'd rather be back at Haven. But that's just the life of a Huntress," Lilith stated. "Sometimes missions will keep you out for days, months even. Thankfully, our food supply will keep us going for longer."

"I bet that Atlas woman would keep us going even if we ran out of food," Schwartz teased.

"She would," Lilith nodded without hesitation.

Schwartz paused, not entirely expecting such a fast response. "I couldn't help but notice the hostility between you two. What's that about?"

Now it was Lilith's turn to pause, catching the young student off guard again. He expected an immediate rejection. Was she considering telling him?

"I'll answer your question if you answer one of mine in return." The Professor suddenly proposed.

"Uhhh, okay," Schwartz nodded.

Lilith stopped and took another drag of her cigarette, recalling the story as if it were yesterday. "Joan and I first met at the Vytal Tournament as freshmen. We fought in the finals, and I wound up beating her. That's how our rivalry began,"

"Oh, it turned to hostility because you kept beating her in everything afterward?" Schwartz presumed.

Lilith chuckled. Oh, if only it were that easy. "No. After graduation, my team signed up for a joint task mission with Atlas. Things went bad, and a lot of people died."

"Is that what happened to your team?" Schwartz recalled their conversation during their first semester. She told him she'd save the story about her team another time.

Lilith shook her head. "No, but that's how Joan wound up hating me. She lost her team and blamed me for it. Now she compensates by teaming up with androids instead of people. Androids are easily replaceable."

"Damn..." Schwartz discovered a newfound respect for the Atlas Specialist. The two of them share something in common, losing people. It takes tremendous strength to lose something, someone important, and keep moving forward.

"Now it's your turn to answer my question," Lilith dropped her cigarette and squashed it beneath her heel.

Schwartz shrugged his shoulders. "Ask away."

"Why do you want to become a Huntsman?"

That's a loaded question if he ever heard one. Of course, Schwartz responded with a scripted answer. "I want to become stronger."

Lilith scoffed, unimpressed with his reply. There was something behind that condescending laugh of hers that irritated the young student. Either she underestimated his potential, or she saw right through him. "Why?"

"Why not?"

"No one wants to get stronger for no reason. What do you plan to do after you get stronger?"

Kill Huntsmen was the first thing that popped into his mind. Why wouldn't it? That's his sole reason for joining the academy in the first place. But Lilith was right. There was more to his desire for strength. Killing Huntsmen was secondary. The real reason was--

"--Protect my family," Schwartz answered genuinely, much to his surprise. The Professor had some profound ability to get him to open up to her. "It's cheesy, I know. But--"

"--It's all you got. Family is the most important thing in the world. Protect it at all costs." Lilith recited the exact words Schwartz planned to say. It was one of the mottos, the creed of the Lowell Tribe.

Schwartz's first instinct was to reach for his swords. But he stopped himself, unsure of what to make of the situation. Maybe it was a coincidence. While strange, she recited the creed of the tribe; it's not like any other family wouldn't have a phrase like that of their own.

"Yeah..." Schwartz nodded. Was this all a test? Did the Professor somehow find out his identity? If so, then what kind of game is she playing? Is she trying to scope him out? See if he's willing to walk down the righteous path of a true Huntsman?

Lilith smirked, noting how rocked the boy must feel. While testing his motives and resolve to see through to his goals, it couldn't hurt to push him a little. "And what will you do with that strength of yours if you fail?"

"Huh?"

"If you woke up tomorrow and found out your family died. What would you do?" Lilith laid down a heavy hypothetical.

"That won't happen," Schwartz refused to play along.

"How do you know? You're not around your family right now. How do you know if they're still alive?" Lilith continued to hammer away at her student with questions.

Schwartz fell silent, unsure of how to respond. Of course, there was no way to get in contact with the tribe while he was attending school. That was the point. He couldn't risk getting caught associating with bandits while playing undercover student.

The poor boy hadn't heard from the tribe in months. Were they still alive? They had to be. They were strong with or without him.

The Professor noted the young man's hesitance and backed off. "Come on, let's head back to the camp."

The two of them turned back and returned to the campsite. Rowan dropped down from atop a tree and greeted them. "Welcome back," She tipped her hat.

"Any trouble?" Lilith asked.

Rowan shook her head. "None. It's been all quiet minus Watchet's snoring."

The group looked to Watchet and Zorina sleeping away peacefully, despite the circumstances.

"You two wake them up and get some sleep," Lilith ordered before she headed back out.

"What about you?" wondered Rowan.

"I'll take another quick search around the perimeter. Perhaps we've missed something," The Professor waved them off before disappearing into the forest.

With Lilith gone, an awkward silence filled the area.

"What's with you?" Rowan noted Schwartz's odd silence. Often she can rarely get the boy to shut his mouth for two minutes.

"Huh?" Schwartz snapped back to reality.

"What happened out there? You look out of it," Rowan noticed.

"The Professor hit me with hard questions. That's all," Schwartz answered, still feeling shaken up.

"Yeah? Well, shake it off. Get it together," Rowan demanded. "I need you focused when we find this base."

"And Duncan, right?" Schwartz looked to his teammate for confirmation. "You still haven't told me everything about this guy."

"What's there to tell? I want him out of the picture. Isn't that good enough for you?"

Usually, Schwartz would call her out on her dismissive attitude, but he wasn't in the mood for a fight. "How about his abilities? How does he fight? What weapon does he use? Does he have a Semblance? I'd like to know what I'm walking into."

Rowan sighed in defeat, knowing that he was correct. It couldn't hurt to let him in with that information.

"He's not exactly a fighter, but he's resourceful. He'll try and use anything around him as a weapon, but he prefers guns. As for a Semblance, he doesn't have one," Rowan explained.

Schwartz smirked and leaned in closer. "You HAD to have known the guy to have all that juicy info on hand. What's the story there?"

Rowan ignored the question and went over to wake up her sleeping comrades. It was her turn to rest. Watchet and Zorina woke up and traded shifts with their teammates.

Meanwhile, Flock Executives Alba and Ash traversed through the forest, dragging a bound and gagged Duncan behind them. The poor man tried desperately to break free from the restraints, but nothing seemed to work. He was only tiring himself out at best.

The group stopped when some Grimm blocked their path. The Beowolfs snarled and rushed, their fangs bared and ready to rip them apart. Ash retrieved her twin daggers and sliced the monsters to pieces with ease. With the creatures of destruction dead, she dipped the blades into their blood and painted an arrow on the nearest tree.

Duncan looked on, puzzled. He thought the executives already knew where to go. What was the point of marking a path? He knew the forest was massive, but that shouldn't have been a problem for them.

"Think it'll be enough for them?" Ash asked her partner.

"It should be," Alba nodded his head and continued to drag Duncan along with them, ignoring the corpses and blood in his path. "But one more couldn't hurt."

"I sure do hope Roddy likes our peace offering," Ash glanced over her shoulder to see Duncan, all dirtied by the mud and blood staining his suit. "Make sure you're on your best behavior, okay?"

If not for the gag in his mouth, Duncan would have A LOT of choice words to say to the executives. He did not sign up to become a political pawn for the Flock. Why did he have to suffer through this humiliation?

"Don't forget to mark this spot too," Alba indicated to the path leading to their next destination, a dark cave hidden behind hanging vines. He continued onward while Ash did as instructed, marking another arrow pointing into the cave.

The duo made quick work of any Grimm that dared to get in their way, exiting the cave safely and spotting a large mansion beyond the trees.

"Why couldn't I have come here alone? Walking takes too much time," Ash complained, contemplating riding on her partner's shoulders for the rest of the way.

"The boss ordered us to bring him along," Alba tugged on the rope keeping Duncan restrained. "It would be dangerous leaping through the forest while carrying him. Plus, we're not supposed to be spotted."

Ash scoffed at the idea. Who would be able to spot her out into this forest? It's ridiculous all the lengths executives must go through to remain anonymous. But, it worked in the long run so that she couldn't complain too much. It's one of the many reasons she wasn't the leader.

The trio reached the front of the mansion, stopping once a couple of guards poured out into the courtyard, aiming their rifles at them. Alba and Ash remained calm and collected despite the danger, expecting this to happen. The large man handed the rope to the nearest guard.

"A peace offering from The Flock," Alba gestured to Duncan.

The frightened man's face went pale as he shook his head frantically. The guards exchanged glances, then stepped aside once another man stepped out from the mansion. While not as tall as Alba, his broad chest and muscular frame made him just as imposing. Plus, the scars on his face helped with the image.

The scarred man looked down at Duncan with his good eye. "What the fuck is this?" He asked.

"They said it was a peace offering, Beryl," One of the guards answered.

Beryl scrunched his face at the mention of the peace offering. "What does your boss expect us to do with this garbage?" His gaze shifted to Alba.

"Do whatever you want with him. He's the one responsible for losing your cargo," Alba explained.

"Oh?" Beryl circled Duncan, examining the captured man. In his honest opinion, nothing about him screamed dependable. He looked like every other faceless goon under their employ. "Other sources tell me that you managed to recover the cargo. It begs the question of why you haven't delivered them here instead of this..."

"If you let us inside and speak with Roddy, we'll be sure to explain everything," Ash suggested with a smile.

While suspicious of the fabricated smile, Beryl nudged his head, ordering his men to bring their guests inside the mansion. "Take the peace offering upstairs. I'll personally deal with it later. As for you two, follow me,"

"Yes," Alba and Ash answered in unison, following after the man.

Midday arrived, and Lilith returned to the campsite with some good news. She gestured for her students to gather around, showing off the message she received for her colleague, Professor Patel. It was an image with a red arrow marked on a tree.

"An arrow?" Rowan inquired.

"Try arrows," Watchet corrected, seeing more notifications on the scroll.

"Why are traffickers showing us where they are?" Zorina thought aloud.

"Who cares? If we find 'em, let's go fuck 'em up!" Schwartz smirked, raring to go with his swords drawn.

"Wait. Zorina has a point. Why would traffickers leave us clues unless they had a trap waiting for us?" Watchet cautioned his allies.

"Of course, it's a trap. But it's the only lead we've got to follow right now. The least we can do is follow and see where it takes us," Lilith acknowledged the possibility of a trap. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Trap or no trap, nothing's gonna happen 'til we get out there," Schwartz stated.

The group collected their equipment and headed for the first marking. It was there they found Professor Patel and Team WEIS on standby.

"You made it," Clementine smiled at Lilith.

"About time," Wei rudely commented.

"Don't start," Lilith held her arm out in front of Schwartz, stopping the argument before it could happen. She then looked around, not spotting a particular uptight individual around the group. "Where's Joan?"

"She went ahead to follow the markings," Clementine pointed further down the path.

Lilith sighed. "Of course she did."

"Are we done standing around? Let's go!" Schwartz tried to goad his comrades into action.

"Hold on," Lilith said. "You first-years may see horrifying things if these arrows lead where we think it does."

"We ask that you kids keep your emotions in check and follow our orders," Clementine said as a follow-up. "You want to see Huntsmen at work? Well, this is it—the big leagues."

"Bring it on," Schwartz crossed his arms.

"We shall not disappoint you," Watchet assured the professors.

The teachers exchanged looks before leading their students into the unknown dangers. The guided path led them through the forest, into a cave, and finally before a large mansion. On their arrival, any doubts they had vanished.

"No wonder we had such a hard time finding it," Schwartz complained. With their path to get there, it would've taken them months to find the base. He made a mental note to thank whoever guided them here.

"Who knew there were buildings this far out into the forest," Zorina stared at the mansion in awe. It was about as big as her own house.

"With the trees and cave acting as cover, it's no surprise it took us this long," Rowan noted.

"Hey, there's Lieutenant Stark," Emma pointed to the Snow Leopard Faunus approaching them.

"It's about time you call caught up," Stark looked to the group, agitated. "I've staked the place out. Security is abysmal. Only a handful of guards are in the front and back of the mansion."

"Are you suggesting a pincer attack?" Clementine inquired.

"Yes. But you all will draw the enemy's attention to the front. I'll sneak in from behind and deal with the rest." Stark added to the plan.

"You want us to act as bait?" Schwartz called her out. The Atlesian Lieutenant turned and walked away without a word, confirming the student's suspicions.

"Clementine, follow her. Try and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." Lilith ordered.

"Okay. I leave the kids in your hands," Clementine headed into the forest.

With them both gone, Lilith looked to the students. "You kids can handle a bunch of goons, can't you?"

"Goons aren't a problem. Why? Are we doing this? Why can't we sneak in too?" Rowan asked. She'd rather avoid combat if the option were still on the table.

"There's too many of us to try that. Plus, stealth isn't my thing," Sunil sheepishly admitted. No one expected the big man to sneak around.

"If you're too scared to fight, stay out of our way. My team will clear them out," Wei boasted.

Schwartz stepped out before the White Tiger Faunus with his swords drawn. "Not unless mine does it first."

"I don't care who does it. Get it done," Lilith ordered. Both teams readied their weapons and approached the front of the mansion.

Meanwhile, Alba and Ash stood side by side, still surrounded by armed guards with guns trained on them. Despite the numerous laser sights trained on them, they showed no fear nor concern for their safety.

"Can you put the toys away now? It's no way to treat honored guests," Ash complained, yet kept her arms down at her sides.

"Honored guests? Ridiculous!" chided Beryl from outside the kill circle around the Flock executives. "Last I recall, honored guests don't screw over their clients. There must be some honor among thieves."

"We are honorable. We handed you the man responsible for the little mix-up," Ash reminded.

That brought another laugh among the group. "You expect us to believe Duncan Butcher could beat Blaine and Prim by himself? Quit playing us for fools. We know a sacrificial pawn when we see one."

"Because you're one yourself, right?" countered Ash. "What other reason would you be here instead of your boss?"

"Our boss believes in loyalty and respect above all else," Beryl glared at the woman. "He doesn't want to meet with lackeys. He wants to meet with your boss. Face to face."

"That isn't possible due to your boss's criminal status. He can't walk in and out of an orphanage without raising red flags," Alba stated.

"Yes, we've heard that convenient excuse repeatedly," Beryl dismissed the large man's response with a slight roll of his hand. "We're done jumping through hoops with your organization. As far as you're concerned, The Flock ends today once we clip off two of its wings,"

"Is that right?" Ash smiled.

Beryl raised his hand, ready to give the order for his men to shoot. He stopped once he heard gunfire outside. "What the hell did you do?"

"No idea what you're talking about," Ash playfully tilted her head to the side.

"Keep an eye on these two! If they try anything funny, shoot them!" Beryl rushed out of the room.

"Shall we?" Ash looked at her partner.

"Yes," Alba nodded. The executives made sudden moves, prompting the men around them to open fire.