Sent To Protect and Serve Humanity

Chapter 58: Untimely Reunion

3rd POV

There was an errie silence that hung over the dilapidated slums beneath Atlas. It was far from the frontlines that tore through downtown Mantle, shielded from the air conflict by Atlas, and safe from the clutches of the Covenant.

A pair of Broadswords would screech beneath the floating city, catching everyone in the slums by surprise and managing to draw the attention of the Atlesian Gunships and Mantas in the area.

As the whirring and rapid fire of an air skirmish became more and more distant, a Pelican would begin to carefully descend toward the slums. Once the faunus inhabitants of these slums saw the unfamiliar aircraft, they scattered in a variety of directions, revealing a familiar farmhand within their midst.

Oscar raised his hand and watched as the landed Pelican lowered its ramp. He held a headmaster's cane at his side and stepped forward.

"Hurry!" Ruby quickly called out. She stepped onto the lowered ramp and waved him onboard. "Kiwi's hurt!"

Oscar widened his eyes and rushed onto the craft. "What happened?" He turned to the Specialist and stared in shock. "I thought..."

The aircraft would raise its ramp and begin to ascend quickly It would continue to fly low to avoid unwanted attention from Banshees or Mantas.

"Cinder attacked." Winter slightly groaned, still reeling from earlier.

"We... we defected." Penny caught his attention. Her shoulders sunk, and a look of shame filled her face.

Oscar, albeit surprised, let a small smile form on his face. That was until he turned to check on the wounded repair ship. He stepped closer to her gurney, taking a glance at a very stressed looking Yang, and turned to Pietro.

"We've stabilized her." Pietro nodded. "She won't die, but I can't be sure of it."

"What!?" Yang snapped her attention toward him, immediately causing Nora and Ren to attempt to calm her down.

"She isn't exactly human, so-"

"She's human enough!"

Yang cut him off as her lilac eyes flashed a vibrant red, shaking off the ninja and grenadier. After several deep, frantic breaths, she would sigh and take a step back. "Sorry..." She took a seat with her teammates. "I'm just... worried."

The rest of their ride would be a silent, tense one. The others knew Yang had come to view Wellington as a child in need of protection, so they expected this sort of reaction.

Their aircraft flew over a street where people were using fires to keep warm while a Grimm siren blared. Eventually, once the plaza came into view, searchlights would highlight their vehicle, and the anti-air defenses would stand down.

In the cockpit, Neo would put a hand on the side of her helmet and tap it twice.

"Affirmative. Land in front." The voice of Roman replied back through her helmet.

Neo would then lower the aircraft to land in the front of the fortified restaurant due to a Hornet already occupying the rooftop. From the view of the cockpit, she could tell the UNSC had managed to drive off the invaders for the time being.

The ramp would lower, and a pair of Marines would quickly wave everyone off.

"Inside! Hurry!" One Marine said.

The group quickly departed their ride before being followed by the two Marines as the Pelican lifted off to find a new mission.

Going through the reinforced doors, the group would realize that this place was the headquarters for the UNSC. Surprisingly, the dining room was full of Marines eating and joking. Behind the counter, a series of wires lead to an open kitchen where terminals and monitors fill the room's edges and a large holotable stand in the center.