Struggles of a machine (The Forever Winter x RWBY)

Chapter 3

Taiyang was worried. Worried for his wife and former teammate of STRQ. She had said she was going on a solo mission given by Ozpin but she hasn't answered or called back at all. For a while he just thought she was keeping radio silence for the mission but to be sure he checked with Ozpin but he didn't know anything. Inside Taiyang's head he thought "D-did Summer lie?" What did she leave for? Why did she leave them behind without saying anything?"

Currently they were searching around for Summer, she had said the mission was up north and that she'd take a Bullhead there so they searched and found the Bullhead who had transported her. They then managed to get to the destination and went there and started searching the surrounding forests. It's such a large area but they were desperate since she was no one what had happened to her. It was then they started hearing the gunfire and howling. Some battle must be taking place so they rushed to the location as fast as they could. While getting close the sounds of the battle had stopped but as they got closer they could see trees being moved and pushed as something large was moving away from the clearing the fighting had been going on in. They lit a searchlight and what Taiyang saw relieved him and caused him immense fear and worry. There in the clearing, not too far from a completely mangled corpse was she lying, bleeding profusely from the head and other smaller injuries all around her. The Bullhead rapidly descended but Taiyang couldn't wait so with it still being a few metres over ground he jumped from the ramp and sprinted over to Summer, almost tripping over during the landing. He basically threw himself next to her and started surveying her condition. She was dirty and covered in dried up blood. It was hard to see the full extent of her injuries on the head because of all the blood but her ear seemed torn to pieces with gashes from what seems to be from claws. Her right eyelid was closed but it was bleeding so much from under Taiyang feared it was most likely gone too. But he checked her pulse and was relieved to still feel it, if a little faint. Suddenly another man appeared on the other side of Summer, Taiyang not even noticing his approach because of his worry. The man was holding a medic bag and after a quick check on Taiyang and his reaction he started to treat Summer. Ozpin soon also came over, having followed them in the Bullhead. His face tried to show a facade of calm and control but Taiyang could pick up his distress and worry.

- W-what happened? Why did she leave? Taiyang asked defeatedly with confusion in his voice as he looked weakly at Ozpin.

- I do not know. But what is clear is that she was ambushed here. She's strong, and wouldn't receive these kinds of injuries from just a normal encounter.

- But Grimm isn't that organised. Someone must have led them specifically then to do this "ambush". But who? Taiyang asked now with an even more confused and tired voice.

- I don't know. answered Ozpin while slowly averting his gaze which Taiyang didn't notice, too focused on watching over his wife as she was cared for by the field medic.

A bit further away an armed guard was walking around investigating the site when he came to the blown up tree line with a crater. He looked around the trees and the dark, wide path that had been created through the trees, avoiding the mutilated corpse with chunks missing when he stepped on something metal. The soldier looked down and saw what seemed to be scattered links for some kind of belt or something else. This unusual sight made the guard extra interested so he kept looking around, over towards the Bullhead and then he saw something he had a hard time believing they had missed.

- Uhm, guys? What is that behind the Bullhead? the soldier asked the others while lifting his arm and pointing at something behind the Bullhead.

The others first looked over to the soldier before turning to look at what he was pointing at and what they saw baffled them. There behind the Bullhead right on the edge of the clearing laid a giant, broken piece of some kind of machine, lightly smoking. It was sitting in a crater but still from that distance they could clearly make out the broken tracks, hole in the middle of the box of metal and other pieces of metal attached to it. Together Ozpin and the soldier went over to the wreck while Taiyang stayed behind with Summer and helping the medic bring her to the Bullhead.