An Anon's Journey: Remnant Act 1

V2E12: The First Move

Hope crawled out of the darkness with a heavy cough. Once he had held his breaths, Hope hoped against hope that his crowd swimming idea would work. Once he was in, he just let the current of the crowd move him to where he wanted to be.

"God, that was kinda cool... Never again..."

It didn't take long before he found the bright, massive unit of a man wearing stark snow-white in the crowd of shadows. With him were the Wizard and his overly competent secretary. Ozpin was the first to see him coming.

"Ah, Mister Hope." He greeted. "I hope the festivities are to your liking."

Anon wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"Let's cut the shit and get to the point." He interrupted curtly. "The Dark Queen has made her first move."

Ozpin's smile dropped.

"Is it as your feared?"

"Yes, The CCTT is being infiltrated as we speak."

Ironwood straightened out.

"My men will surely be enough to deal with this threat. Especially with all the reinforcement on standby."

Stand By, huh?

...

W A I T, W H A T?

"So what you're telling me... Is that the fucking backup I asked for... Are not on-site at the current..." Anon shook with agitation and fury.

"Of course they aren't, my men have been expressly instructed that at the first sight of trouble, they are to sound an alert. It wouldn't take them five minutes to reach the tower."

Anon had to hold himself back from clobbering Ironwood's head in with a punch glass. He swallowed back a veritable barrage of insult and slurs. His eyes became veiled in darkness.

"Well then..." His wrathful tone matched his gaze. "Why don't you ask for a quick report then?"

Ironwood narrowed his eyes at the leering Hope but did as he asked. He leaned into a small communicator hidden in his jacket's inner pocket.

"Soldier, report."

Nothing. The general raised an eyebrow.

"I repeat, your general is demanding a report."

The silence remained. Now Glynda and Oz were starting to worry and it was all too visible on their faces. Ironwood felt his blood boil at being ignored.

"Answer me godsdammit! I want a report!"

Third, same as the first. Ironwood's anger turned to anxiety. He straightened out but despite his towering height, he felt minuscule under Anon's imposing dark gaze. The heavy silence coming from Hope crushed into Ironwood's mind like a frozen boulder. Glynda pipped up, now deathly serious.

"We need to call an emergency."

Anon shook his head.

"No need. All I need you to do is to keep tabs on who's coming in and out of the entrance."

"What about the intruder?" Ozpin asked.

"The general and I are going to support Ruby and Penny at the CCTT."

The older trio looked at him confused.

"Miss Polendina and Miss Rose?" Ozpin queried. "What are they doing there?"

"I knew Ruby was by the balcony when the infiltrator was making their way to the CCTT. I just asked Penny to stick by her when she inevitably gave chase. That and since she's a silicate, I know I can trust her to deal with the virus."