A Hunters Pride

by ElementalShadow

Young Alastor Demor, Master of Weapons and Slayer of Nergigante, is dead. It is in his death, however, that he will find a new calling from a new employer. Sent on through the fabric of time and space, armed with powers beyond even Hunters of his own field, he will set out to make this New World a better place.

1. Chapter 1

A Hunters Pride
Chapter One
Terms With Death

'Oh man…Fuckin' Sapphire Star I really need to get the number of that Duramboros that hit me! Why does my head hurt so much?!'

A young man opened his dull brown eyes to an endless white void. As everything, or lack thereof, came into focus, his heartbeat quickened as he tried to keep himself from panicking in his unknown surroundings. 'What the…this isn't the camp. This definitely isn't Astera, either! This isn't where I should be at all! Where am I?! Wait…am I…no…no I can't be!'

As he failed to keep himself from panicking, he tried to stand up but found that instead he was floating through nothingness, causing him to freak out even more. 'Oh my god…oh my god! Nononononononono! I can't be dead yet! I don't wanna die! There's so much that I haven't done!'

"Judging by the fear I can feel practically rolling off of you, I believe I am right in assuming you know what is happening?"

The young man's eyes widened as he spun around to meet the dark, echoing voice, but spun to fast and started to go out of control, only catching a glimpse of a black cloak that billowed in the nonexistent wind. As he spun round and round, he tried to speak without sounding like he was having five separate heart attacks at the same time. He failed. "W-who are you? Why am I here?! A-a-am I dead?!"

His momentum didn't stop and he couldn't keep himself from spinning so he subjected himself to catching mere worrying glimpses of the being that was uncomfortably close to him. "For the sake of drama I think I'll just answer those questions in reverse. It's not too terribly often that I get the chance to make an offer such as this so I'd like to savor it. Now…are you dead? Yes, in a manner of speaking, you are indeed dead. It's rather unfortunate how it happened too. You were an amazing Hunter. I speak the truth when I say it is strange for one as skilled as you to be taken down in such a manner."

The man recognized the amused tone in the beings voice and grew irate. "What're you talking about?!"

"Unfortunately you were taken by surprise when a Kulu-Ya-Ku ambushed you with a rock. It truly is a sad way to go. One such as yourself…I expected you to go out in a blaze of glory fighting one of the Great Elder Dragons."

His eyes widened in disbelief and shock. "Hey! That's not true! I had to be killed doing SOMETHING cool! I died because of that dumb bird?! I'm only fuckin' twenty-four for fucks sake! Please…PLEASE tell me you're joking!"

The dark chuckle that echoed around the space they occupied set him on edge. "Oh believe me, I wish I were. When I say that you're not off to a very good start as my agent, I mean it wholeheartedly. Though, with skills such as yours, I'm sure you'll more than make up for it in the future."

"Wait…your agent?"

"Indeed. That's the answer to your second question. Why are you here? Your time was short on your world. As such you have been brought before me to be granted a second chance at life as my agent. More specifically, an Agent of Balance. Many beings such as me have agents scattered across the dimensions. Some have multiple. Beings like me, however…well we are only allowed to have one. When our previous agent dies we are able to conscript a new one. It has been far too long since my last contract. Though, that is thanks to the boons granted by my contract and gifts."

The young man was surprised by this. He had also still failed to stop spinning and was beginning to get a headache. "Agents…of Balance? Like Order and stuff like that? Sounds like hefty shoes to fill if you ask me, even for a Hunter."

The being hummed in delight as his dark voice seemed more amused than anything. "Some might think the same. However, you are wrong. Balance is not defined as simply Order. It is Chaos as well. As my agent especially, you will be whatever the world you are sent to, requires. An unstoppable evil, a never-ending beacon of hope. Should the time call for either, you shall be the driving force behind it. Some would question why, but of course, what hope would a human have of understanding the will of Gods. Not to worry, though, not everything requires such a calling. More often than not you will simply live a normal life as you see fit. Keeping balance in the world wherever you go and doing as you please. A true second chance at life. A chance to reinvent yourself and become greater than before"

The man grunted in understanding and continued to spin in place. At this point he had accepted his torment and crossed his legs and arms, closing his eyes as he spun, his brown hair already ruined from the ceaseless spinning. "So you mean that I get to pretty much chill half of the time? Man…that sounds kinda boring. I hope there are fun things to do. Hmmm…am I getting paid?"

If the being was annoyed at the question, he couldn't tell. But the voice did seem to get a slight edge to it. "You are getting a second chance at life, powers that mortals such as yourself could only ever dream of AND a boon of your own choosing. Yet you are worried about pay?"

He shrugged and continued to keep himself crossed. "Look, I don't even know where you're sending me, but odds are, if there's people involved, then money is going to be a must. Look, I don't even care if you just set me up with a job in this world I just wanna make sure that I ain't gonna be sleeping under a bridge as an Agent of Balance. I'm not asking much. I became a Hunter so I could help people. Keep 'em safe from the monsters of the world. I got paid decently regardless. All I ask is a tiny bit of compensation so I can at least afford to eat and keep a roof over my head. I ain't the grand type. Also, you haven't even told me who you are yet. If I'm gonna do this then I wanna know who I'm working for."

There was a long and drawn out sigh before suddenly, the man stopped spinning. "Well…I suppose I can't really argue with that. Besides…you are far more bearable than my last Agent. At least you aren't like him. Nothing but a self-entitled little brat that one was. He was a waste of my time and everyone he met. A stain upon my name."

The man slowly opened his eyes, with the black mass in front of him still swirling as he tried to focus from spinning for so long. "As for who I am, young Alastor Demor, I am whom most of your race fears. The ultimate truth and inevitable fate of the Universe itself."

The now named Alastor had to squint his eyes to see the human skull lurking beneath the cloak of living darkness, with a large and deadly looking scythe with a blade that was easily four feet long. While inwardly terrified of the revelation to come, on the outside his face was unwavering. "The 'Ultimate Truth'…is Skeletor?"

Before the being could continue, Alastor had made his little quip, stopping it dead for a good minute as they stared at one another, with the cloaked being easily towering over the cross-legged Alastor, who simply stared up. "All things considered…knowing who you are…I shouldn't be surprised. But are you serious? Of all things…Skeletor? You shouldn't even know about him to begin with!"

Alastor couldn't help but chuckle as what was obviously Death itself pinched the bridge of his nonexistent nose. "No…you imbecile…I am Death. Just…let's get this over with so I can send you on your way. You have a new world to defend. Or destroy…whichever need pops up."

"See that's just odd…" Death groaned as Alastor cupped his chin in thought. "You said that before, that if the need rose then I'd have to be some sort of unstoppable evil. Why? If a world is peaceful then I don't want to be a dick and mess that up. I spent my whole life trying to make my world safer for everyone. This is a major flip of the script."

The Reaper would've been rolling his eyes if he had any, he was sure of it. "That is not something that I can fully explain. It is beyond you humans to understand us godly beings and the reasons we do what we do."

"I mean…do I HAVE to be a major asshole? Can't I just be a little asshole? I don't wanna go starting wars or anything."

"You do what must be done, and what must be done is determined by your instincts. You're reading too much into this. More than you really should be. I was trying to be dramatic!"

The young man nodded and waited patiently for the Reaper to gather his thoughts through his irritation. "As you already know, you are getting a second chance at life. I will be sending you through a tear in the fabric of reality and you will take residence on the world where you end up. Beings such as me cannot choose where we want our agents to go. Writ set down by us long ago. Far longer than even your species has existed. The power that you will gain will be an essence of me. Nothing too terribly complicated. However, learning to control the energy that your body will naturally produce after being conscripted by me will be a daunting task. I'm sure that you will be able to figure it out, though. You are a Hunter of exceptional skill, after all. That leaves us with the matter of your Boon. You may choose whatever you want. I should say that you should use this choice wisely. The wrong choice may make you regret it later on."

Alastor put a hand on his chin and closed his eyes, trying his best to look sagely before he eyed Deaths Scythe that hovered behind the great being. With a smirk adorning his lips, he snapped his fingers and pointed at the deathly blade. "I want your scythe."

Death stared back at Alastor for a long while before his eyeless sockets peered at his Scythe, its perfect blade reflecting his skull. "You…want me to give you…my Scythe. Whatever could you want her for?"

The soon-to-be Agent was caught for a moment at how his dark voice seemed to waver for a moment. "Well, you said that I could ask for whatever I wanted. I figured that if I am going to be an Agent of Death itself, then I could staple myself with a look. Not to mention that when it comes to weapons, Hunters don't use Scythes and every Forge Master I meet will never make me one. They always say it's too dangerous to use or some stuff like that. Also, with this energy you're talking about, I don't really have a need to ask for weapons. If I'm right, and I'm pretty sure that I am, it would help me focus whatever type of energy you were talking about and I would be able to make her turn into other weapons."

"She does have the capacity to transform…and She would indeed be a perfect focus. Hmmm…you're sure there isn't something else you would want? I could easily create a focus for your energies. I could even grant you instantaneous knowledge on techniques and how to channel it."

Alastor looked to contemplate it for a moment before shaking his head. "I tend to pick things up pretty fast. Plus I have at least something resembling an imagination so I can just come up with my own techniques alongside the ancient Hunter Arts I've mastered. Your Scythe is the perfect boon for me. Besides, with your reaping and stuff, do you really need your Scythe? Can't you just poof someone's soul out of their body or something?"

The Reaper groaned and wrapped his bony fingers around the six foot long shaft of his Scythe. "I don't require her for reaping. I myself am not required for the reaping itself. I am the governing Deity that oversees complications with the Afterlife before they get to where they're going. No. The unfortunate thing is that she is more than a mere tool. She and I are one and the same. Where she goes…ugh…I must go as well."

"So what you're saying is…that you would have to come with me as well? Oh man that is so fucking awesome! I get Death as a travel buddy! Sweet!"

Death himself seemed to be having the absolute opposite reaction. He was rubbing the blade of his Scythe affectionately and groaning at Alastor's cheering. "This isn't what I would call the most desirable situation. To be stuck cavorting around a random dimension with you for an unknown amount of time will most certainly be taxing. But, as per the arrangement of your Boon, it is unavoidable. Very well, Alastor Demor. Your Boon will be granted and both my Scythe and I shall accompany you to oversee your task. Hopefully this will be an amusing endeavor. For someone so young, you have much room to grow, despite your already great skill. I expect great things out of this arrangement."

"Oh believe me, Mr. Rattle Bones; this is going to be one hell of a time!" Alastor was still ecstatic, having uncharacteristically gotten over his initial death rather quickly. He accepted it for what it was. It wasn't like he had family back in the New World. He was an Orphan from day one. The only one who would really remember him was his teacher.

Death sighed and used his Scythe to cut open a large dark tear in reality beside the two of them. "I would appreciate you not referring to me with such a demeaning name."The newly anointed Agent just chuckled as Death grabbed him by the back of his armor and tossed him through the tear without a care. "Ugh…might as well get a move on."

-X-X-X-

One moment, Alastor was laughing at Death itself and the next he was falling from thousands of feet in the air. Instead of screaming, though, he took in the sight above him. A large, shattered moon that shined brightly in the night sky. 'Well now that's just a tad unsettling. Still cool, though. A New world with new sights is gonna be fun!'

"It has been awhile since I have seen this world. A long time indeed. I believe an Agent of Order is still here, as a matter of fact."

Alastor looked to his left to see Death calmly falling alongside him with his Scythe hovering behind him still. "You've been here before, huh? So what can you tell me about this place? Is it cool? Advanced or anything like that?"

Death merely lifted a bony finger to point off into the distance and Joseph turned to see massive sky scrapers and lights. He grinned in delight as he righted himself into a proper freefall. "Oh I can already tell we're going to have a lot of fun in this place! I can't wait!"

"Normally I would say that this world would challenge you to the fullest, but with my Scythe by your side and your already groomed skills as a Hunter, you shouldn't have too much of an issue. So long as you use her properly. Now get ready, you need to land."

He noticed that the forest below was coming up fast and smirked before flipping and trying to land on his feet. Unsurprising to himself, he landed and rolled almost a dozen times until he was able to steady himself and stand up. The resulting crater from his initial impact sent dirt and debris flying in every direction. Death hovered to the ground and with a wave of his hand, sent a gust of wind that cleared the dust. He couldn't help the raspy chuckle that escaped his skull.

Alastor dusted himself off as Death stared at him in what he assumed was surprise. The Reaper chuckled in a dark tone. "I honestly thought that you were going to die. A fall from that height should've killed you. You Hunters truly are a strange collection of beings. Still, was kinda banking on it. You wouldn't know how to channel your powers so soon considering this isn't like one of those comic books where you just magically understand everything. Come to think of it…I haven't even given you your powers yet. Hm…slipped my mind I suppose."

Alastor stared at the entity but failed to reply. How could he? His own employer was banking on him dying. He didn't have any retort. "Anyways…we're going to look over the fact that you were actively trying to kill me there and move on from it. Actually…why were you trying to kill me?"

"Mr. Rattle. Bones."

Alastor rubbed the back of his neck and looked away with a bit of embarrassment. "I was just joking, damn…fine, no more fooling around with Death. So…you still have to give me my powers and Boon, I guess?"

Death nodded. "Hold out your hand for me. Right or left, I don't care which."

Alastor did as he was told and held out his right hand before Death starting to scrape his index bone over it. To the Agent, though, it felt like a dull razorblade as the Deity etched a rune into his flesh. The rune itself wasn't anything spectacular. In fact, it seemed relatively unassuming if it weren't for the fact that it was carved into his skin. It was a simple circle with a square inside of it. "By the Blessing of Death, I anoint thee my Agent of Balance."

After he spoke, he pulled away and floated there, staring at Alastor. He looked at his hand and then back to Death. "Soooooo…is that it? I kinda figured it'd be a little bit mo-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH FUCK!"

In an instant, Alastor was struck with an untold pain as his skin and muscles peeled from his bones and practically evaporated in the heat. His eyes melted from his skull and his clothes burst into flames. He screamed, despite the lack of lungs as energy flowed from Death and surrounded his now flaming skeleton. He collapsed to his knees and clutched his burnings skull. The rune that was etched on his hand appeared underneath him, glowing bright purple before the energy of Death sunk deep into his bones. Soon, he started to regrow his muscles and flesh, slowly. The process was beyond painful for the young Agent, but Death did nothing to assuage it. In his mind, it was worthy payback for the Rattle Bones comment.

Alastor was on his knees as his skin, now deathly pale, grew over his new muscles. His eyes grew back as well, turning royal purple with the whites of his eyes now being completely black like the abyss. His hair, which used to be brown, was now a stark black. He had fangs growing in his mouth and claw-like nails. His height remained unchanged as he stood up and clothes began to form on him. A skin tight black shirt that accented his new muscles and a pair of regular blue jeans over tan combat boots. Black fingerless gloves formed on his hands, covering the Rune of Death, as he would now call it. Then, the final touch, a long white trench coat with black straps forming an X over his chest with a skull medallion on it formed. The bottom seemed like it was in tatters, but was alive as well, shifting in a breeze that was not there.

As Alastor looked over his new form and felt the fangs he gave a look to the Reaper. "Really going for the edge-lord look right now, aren't you?"

Death grunted and waved him off. "Every entity has a way of making sure that others know who they represent. My styles may seem…edgy…but they will serve their purpose if another entity sends Agents to this world. You can always change your clothes if you want. It's not like you need to go around wearing the same thing all the time like some cartoon character."

Alastor thought about it for a moment and shook his head. "Nah, I kinda like the look. Just thought it was a little stereotypical. Besides, I'm pretty sure with my new powers I shouldn't have a problem making copies of it or at least cleaning it. Unless I need actual armor, of course. Going into battle wearing a coat and some pants isn't exactly a sound strategy for survival."

"You're not wrong. Anyways…now it is time for you to claim your Boon. My Scythe is a little different, though. She will remain by my side until you need her. You can will her to you when you require her assistance. Just be prepared for the blast."

This caused the agent to raise a brow. "Blast? That certainly sounds pretty ominous."

Death shifted away and looked through the forest towards the lights of the city. "My Scythe and I exist on a completely separate plane of existence. The only reason you can see me is became you are my Agent. When you claim her, she will become one with both the Astral Plane and the Physical Plane. This will most likely create a back blast of immense energy due to her supernatural origins being a part of me."

Alastor started to walk as they talked with Death hovering closely behind. "Doesn't that mean that you will come over as well? Since you are a part of it too?"

Though he could not see it, Death shook his head. "No. Only I control where I reside. I cannot be forced from the Astral Plane without my consent. She can be influenced, but only because I allow it. Besides, should I cross over from the Astral Plane to the Physical, it would do more harm than good. My presence alone would suck the life from everything in sight."

This made Alastor go wide-eyed a bit. He put his hands in his pockets as they reached an open area of the forest. "So you're like…a walking cataclysm waiting to happen, huh? That's actually kinda scary. Kinda like an Elder Dragon."

"I am Death. I AM my domain. It's not scary. It's common sense."

Alastor shrugged. "Okay then, so what about this back blast, won't it kill people around me if I bring her out around them? That would be pretty counterproductive in the long run. I did a lot of solo hunts but I may need allies in the future."

Death picked a flower from the field as they passed it, watching as the petals withered away and scattered to dust in the wind. "Only if you will it to be. My presence may be death itself, but you are but an Agent. While it will be hard for you to control, you can easily focus your Death Energy through my Scythe. She is the perfect focus for someone like you."

"I dunno what you mean." Alastor looked around as he walked and narrowed his eyes as he saw sharp red eyes peering out from the shadows of the forest.

"When I mark an Agent, I give them an incomplete Rune. The power of Death is not one to be taken lightly. You must become acclimated to it. As you move through your new life, your power will grow exponentially, completing the Rune. When I marked you, however, your body took to my energy like fish take to water. It is as though you yourself were shrouded in death from the start. You power will no doubt be great one day. Perhaps enough to match that Agent of Order I sensed when we entered this world."

-X-X-X-

High up in a tower, a man with sharp features, grey hair and glasses sat drinking a cup of hot cocoa. He was busy looking through multiple files concerning new students that would be entering his academy this year. The talent was certainly there, but nothing he hadn't seen before. He truly did hope at some point that someone of note would come to his attention in the future.

As he took another sip of his cocoa, though, he was set upon by a violent sneeze that made him drop his cup onto the scroll that was in front of him, making it spark violently before puffing out smoke. With a sigh, he grabbed a napkin and started to clean.

-X-X-X-

Alastor kept his eyes on the shadows of the forest as they soon reached the edge that slanted down a hill towards the city. Sliding down with a clearly practiced ease, he gave Death a quizzical look. "You've mentioned him twice now. How many Agents are there here? Where is 'Here' anyway?"

Death stopped him at the bottom and pointed off into the distance. Looking far enough, Joseph saw a massive tower that looked oddly like a clock-tower. "Of note, there are only three Agents, not including yourself. There is an Agent of Order from the goddess of Wisdom, an Agent of Domination from the self-proclaimed King of the Gods, and an Agent of Cataclysm sent here by the Goddess of Chaos. Minor Agents of Minor Deities are everywhere in every world, though, but they are the three major players here. As for where we are, this is a world that I visited some time ago. This is the world of Remnant."

Alastor nodded and continued into the streets of the city, walking around and getting a feel for what he was seeing. Despite it being so late, almost three in the morning, the streets were actually pretty busy. "So we have normal humans and fluffy humans. Animal Humans. Animans? I wonder if they're like the Wyverians…hmmm… Whatever, I'll figure it out later. Either way, this world has some pretty advanced tech. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a few pieces of it and making some ACTUAL weapons so I'm not relying on your Scythe since you seem so attached to it. But of course I'm brok-…hey! We never discussed payment!"

This caught not only Death off guard, but everyone around him. Most figured he was crazy, glaring off into nothingness like he was. Neither Death nor the Agent were aware of the looks that Alastor was getting, however. "You mean to tell me you were actually serious about that?! I brought you back from the DEAD! TWICE! I am ALLOWING YOU to use my Scythe! You seriously want me to pay you?! Get a job you bum!"

Alastor sucked his teeth and turned on his heel, walking away and leaving a confused group of people who went on their ways, wanting to forget the strange human. He mumbled to himself so that Death could hear him. "You could at least set me up with a way to MAKE money! I don't have any type of work history here or ANYTHING! I'm dead in the water with the powers of Death. I'm just asking for a bit of help."

Death barely acknowledged his complaining as they entered what could only be known as the Red Light District of the city. A street beset by seedy bars and questionable businesses. Men and women alike conducted themselves in a most appalling manner. It had always eluded him how places such as these could exist when the law was always so close by. "It is not my place to grant you miraculous help. Normally I wouldn't even be here, but because you have my Scythe, I am bound by her to be by your side. As such, I cannot intervene in such a manner. Be happy that I will offer what guidance I can. I will give you this, at the very least. This city is beset by chaos and corruption. The Agent of Order is slacking off and the Agent of Cataclysm is making moves against this civilization using pawns. I can feel it down to the core. Eliminating the cause of this Chaos will most definitely bag you a hefty bounty. Or, perhaps you can make him or her change his or her ways, like some sort of hero. Either way, you can easily solve your money issues if you heed my words and take a deeper look. One pawn of the Agent of Cataclysm is nearby. Though, I'm not sure if he knows he's being used in such a manner."

Alastor eyed Death and took a look around, noticing what he was talking about. This particular area was a place he recognized all too well. He had seen places like these traveling to the larger settlements on his own world. While he was never really one to take part in the services they offered, he made sure to understand how things worked. He grinned. He knew exactly where to start looking.

It didn't take him long, either. At the very end of the street, on the corner, sat a club that was much cleaner than any other place around. Horrendously out of place, if you asked him. "Well that wasn't very hard at all. That's gotta be the bosses place. It'll certainly be a good place to start for some information on this place."

As he walked down the street, however, he noticed something out of place. Actually…he sensed it. This caught him by surprise as he felt what could only be described as a disturbance not far from him down an alleyway. As a Hunter he had developed a sort of Sixth Sense for knowing where the creatures he hunted were, but this was something else entirely. Curiosity getting the better of him, he jogged over, followed by the Reaper and peered around the corner to find an interesting sight. A young man with blonde hair, a black hoodie and an overstuffed backpack, was being thrown around by four men, all dressed like punks and thugs. Death and Alastor watched for a moment as the blonde was tossed into the side of a dumpster before one of the men, a man wearing a black bandana with a skull on it, pulled out a rather large knife and held it to the kids throat.

"Now listen up you punk, all we want is your money and you can walk out of here with at least one of your eyes. Don't make this any harder than it needs to be. I ain't got no problems guttin' you like a fish!" The blonde had fear in his eyes as Death hovered between Alastor and the thugs. "This injustice upsets you as much as it does me. Life is precious and yet they threaten it so brazenly. I believe I speak for us both when I say you must put a stop to this. This will also be a good chance for you to test your new powers to a certain degree."

The Agent nodded and walked out from behind the building. He tried to call upon his Death Energy, imagining it focusing into his eyes and making the blacks of his eyes darker, and the purple glow ominously. When he noticed that everything became sharper, he grinned. 'Imagination helps me focus it I'm assuming. That's good to know. I hope it's this easy with the rest…'

He looked down at his shadow that cast down the alley and imagined it encompassing everything in an abyssal darkness. As it spread out, he could feel everything it touched, from the garbage on the ground to the four men surrounding the blonde. This action did not go unnoticed by the thugs, though. As the supposed leader turned and saw Alastor standing there, his purple eyes glowing ominously with his hands in his pockets. The shattered moon hung over his head and his coat seemed to grasp at the shadows around it.

This somehow didn't deter him, though. "Hey, fuckhead, what're you doing?! You want some of this too? Get the fuck out o' here before I slice your eyes outta your head!" He turned back to the blonde but was stopped when a very cold voice came from the ominous man. "See, I can't really do that, y'know? I got this little ping going off in my head telling me that what you guys are doing here is just plain wrong. Muggin' a kid who looks like he couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag? With four people? That's a little overkill don't ya think? Just let him go an' we can call it a night. What do ya say?"

Alastor inwardly grinned. He felt like some sort of Super Hero! While he was a Hunter capable of feats that transcended what even peak humans could do, he was nothing close to a Super Hero. Plenty of men and women had the skills he did in his line of work, so this was nice. He didn't have much time to bask in his own splendor, though, as the thugs tossed the blonde kid away and turned to him. "Alright, you want us to let him go? Come on over and take him from us!"

He rubbed the back of his neck in frustration and looked behind him up at the shattered moon. "You see, I totally would fight you guys, but I got things to see and people to do. I'd really appreciate it if you guys could just…ya know…not do this? It'll be easier for all of us in the end, believe me."

The leader had enough and cocked his head, signaling his posse to go for him. Alastor groaned but on the inside he was having a blast! 'Oh man! This is awesome! Goddamn I'm just like some lazy hero from those books that Caligra reads!'

"Careful you don't get carried away with this hero façade you're putting on. Boast too much and play around and you'll get people killed. I shouldn't have to tell a veteran Hunter this."

Alastor wasn't listening as he pulled his other hand out and slugged the first guy in the face, breaking his nose in an instant and making him fly back between the other two. He landed twenty feet away and continued to roll another ten. This caught them all by surprise, including the Agent. Sure, he had freakish strength so he could handle the insane weapons he did, but he never expected that much force behind a single punch. "Oh Shit! This guys a Huntsman! C'mon guys let's get out of here!"

The one that landed scrambled up to his feet as the two that charged with him followed while he ran away, leaving Alastor and the Leader with the blonde. "So you got a little bit of power behind your punches. That your semblance or something? Some type of super strength? Well I ain't lettin' some second rate Huntsman stop me! I got my own Aura and Semblance too!"

The thug clicked a button on his large knife and it turned into a pistol before he started to unload shot after shot at Alastor. Luckily for him, the energy that he had channeled into his eyes seemed to allow him to perceive what was coming and he dodged every single one, except for the final shot, which he caught in between his fingers with a smirk. However, the thug grinned as the bullet exploded in a fiery blaze, catching Alastor off guard and surprising him once more.

The smoke kicked up from the explosion soon started to blow away and both the blonde and the thug realized that Alastor wasn't moving. The blonde look worried and scared while the punk had an amused grin on his face. "Betcha weren't expecting that, huh you bitch?!"

As the dust around his head cleared, both onlookers immediately recoiled in surprise and terror. Half of the skin and muscle on Alastor's face was scorched and torn up, revealing bone and his jaw. His eye remained surprisingly untouched as its sickeningly purple hue continued to glow. "Huh…that didn't hurt…but that should've…shouldn't it? No feeling? But I can feel the wind…this is…confusing."

The thug quivered slightly as he saw the glint of the moon off of his exposed fangs, the eerie glow of Alastor's eyes making him shake even more. "What the…what are you?! Some kind of monster?! Is this your Semblance?!"

The skin and muscle soon grew back along with the hair that was scorched off and Alastor cracked his neck. In the span of two seconds he was in front of him and lifting him into the air by his throat. "Look bud…I got some things I need to figure out so if you could just heed my warning and leave the kid alone…that'd be great. I'd rather not have to bust out the big guns."

He then threw him down a few feet away and the thug looked terrified as he slowly backed away before dashing off. Joseph rolled his eyes and popped his necked again before looking at the blonde against the wall. The kid recoiled and put his hands up to defend his face. "I don't have any money on me! I'm just here to try and go to Beacon!"

Alastor huffed and grabbed him by his wrist, pulling him up to his feet. "Quick that shit kid. I'm the good guy here. The name's Alastor Demor, Veteran Hunter. You're lucky I came by when I did otherwise you probably would've ended up taking a dirt nap. Now, I got places to go and things to break, so get out of here and keep your ass safe."

As he turned to walk away, the blonde quickly followed behind him, getting a look from the Agent. "What're you doing? I said get going, kid. I got business with the man in charge around here and I ain't got time to babysit someone who can't take care of themselves."

This made the blonde pause for a moment before continuing. "I have a name, you know. It's Jaune Arc. And you can't just leave me here by myself! What if they come back?! Or something worse happens?!"

Alastor rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, Jaune. Follow me. I don't care. But don't expect me to cover your ass if things get hairy."

"I can take care of myself! I was going to go school to be a Huntsman, you know." Alastor peered back behind him and saw the way the young blonde walked and carried himself. Even now he walked like he was in danger. Caution was good, but actively showing fear was not something a Hunter does. Even in the face of the most terrifying beasts, a Hunter stands tall.

"Whatever you say, kid. Whatever you say."

This made Jaune deflate as they walked down the partially lit street. "Ok…so maybe I'm not the best candidate for Beacon…but I can hold my own. They just got the drop on me, is all."

Alastor stopped underneath a street light and turned to face the blonde. "While I don't doubt that a single person would have trouble taking care of four others, you don't exactly give off the vibe of a warrior to me." He looked over his shoulder to the club and then back to Jaune. "How much do you know about this city?"

This took Jaune by surprise before putting his hands in his pockets rather sheepishly. "You mean Vale? I know a bit about it. Not too much since I lived in a small village with my family, but we came here a lot to get things that we couldn't get there. Why?"

The Agent of Death kept running options through his mind while the Reaper, close by, already knew what he was thinking about. "You're taking pity on this kid, aren't you? You plan to offer him training in the arts of a Hunter of your world. Aren't you?"

Alastor chose to ignore him for the moment in favor of talking to Jaune. "How old are you, kid?" Jaune looked down at the sidewalk. "I…I'm only fourteen. Look I know you have to be seventeen to get in, but…I want to be a Huntsman! My mom won't let me; my sisters think I can't do it and my dad…"

With those words, Jaune narrowed his eyes and looked up to Alastor with a fire in his eyes that the Agent recognized all too well and he could help how it slightly shocked him.

-X-X-

"What d' ya want, ya little brat?!"

"I want you to train me you old fart!"

A young, brown-haired, brown-eyed boy in rags glared up at a man clad in sleek leather armor decorated with bones. On his back he carried a sword easily longer than his entire body. The man ran a hand through his short greying hair with a sigh as his blue eyes hardened at the demanding child, stress lines showing on his face. "I ain't old ya little twerp! Learn tah show some respect!"

The young boy kept his gaze fixed on the old Hunter. "Make me!"

The man groaned and picked him up by the back of his ratty shirt and brought him up to eye level. "Why don't ya run on home an' bug yer mom or yer dad about this trainin' ya want so bad 'steada buggin' me?"

It was at those words that the child's eyes dropped and lost their glare. The man immediately knew he touched a sore subject before he huffed and set the kid back down on his feet. "I'm sorry kid…didn' mean tah hurt ya or nothin'. I ain't got time tah be trainin' no kids right now, though. All this 'New World' business an' all, I'm pretty bogged down with requests an' all. Sorry kid."

The child didn't reply, he only turned and started to walk away sullenly. The Hunter rubbed his neck and groaned. "Hey…kid. What's yer name? Ya got one don'tcha?"

The kid stopped and turned by with red eyes as he fought back tears. He shook his head no and the sight of it all made the Hunter flinch slightly. 'Ah damn…had tah make the kid cry…ugh…Commander ain't gonna like it but…can't turn down a cryin' kid…'

He sighed and sat back down at his Canteen table, patting the seat beside him. The kid eyed him for a moment before rubbing his eyes and slowly making his way to the seat. The Hunter rubbed his temples and waved a dark Palico over before telling it he wanted some meat and veggies for the kid. "I can't pay for food here…I'm fine anyways. I have plenty of fruits from the forests around here."

The Hunter huffed and shook his head. "Fruit's good an' all, but ya need meat on them bones if yer really wantin' tah be a Hunter. Lesson number one, brat. Eating is one of the most important things yah could ever do. Never skip a meal. Ya can't pay, find me. I ain't lettin' no student of mine go hungry, yah hear me?"

The kid got wide eyed and smiled at the Hunter and after not too long, a plate was brought for him and he thanked the Palico and the Hunter before digging in. The old man could help the small, unnoticeable grin on his face before speaking. "So ya ain't got a name, huh? We'll have tah change that. My name's Caligra Demor. From here on out yer gonna be callin' me 'Master', ya got that?"

He got a very energetic nod back in reply before grabbing a beef kebob and gnawing a piece of meat off. "Now…gotta give ya a name…hmmm. Gotta be somthin' powerful! Somethin' people're gonna remember! I want monsters and men tah know yer comin' when they hear yer name!"

The boy smiled and practically had sparkles in his eyes as Caligra put thought into his name. He nearly cried before he jumped due to the Hunter slamming his fist on the stone table in a pure Eureka moment. "I got it! From now on, yer name…is gonna be Alastor Demor! That's a name that'll shake a Tigrex to the core!"

The newly named Alastor could help the tears that dropped and wiped them away. "Thank you…I'll do my very best…I promise…"

This caught Caligra's attention as he looked down and gave a quizzical look before he saw it and grinned. He saw a flame deep in Alastor's eyes that pierced into his very soul. A flame he remembered having back when he joined the guild. With a grin, he let Alastor continue his next words.

"I'll become the greatest Hunter alive! I won't let you down!"

-X-X-

"…I don't care what they say! I'll become a Huntsman! I'll become a hero!"

Alastor schooled his face and sighed with a grin. "Sounds to me like everyone doubts you can do it. They think you can't cut it. Heh…" He turned and looked back to the club with a contemplative expression before looking back to Jaune once more. "Tell you what kid, come with me."

Jaune looked at Alastor with surprise and slight worry. "Wha…"

"You wanna be a Hunter, right kid? You wanna protect this world from evil? Be a hero? Well I can tell right now that you have nothing in the way of training under your belt. A baby Ludroth could pick your bones clean, no offense."

The blonde looked disheartened by this and lowered his gaze until he heard the Agent continue. "But we all gotta start somewhere. I wasn't worth the dirt on my masters' shoe before he took me in. Trained me…called me his son." Jaune looked up and saw something in Alastor's deep purple eyes. "I ain't gonna be calling you my son, kid, so don't get it twisted. But if you come with me then I can show you the ways of the Hunter. You said you're fourteen and this Beacon place only takes people who are seventeen, right? That means you got three years to get your ass in shape. If you accept then I'll make sure that in three years you'll not only get in, but you'll be top of your class. The road will be hell and I can't guarantee you won't want to quit, but I can see it in your eyes. The same fire that I had. So…what do ya say? You gonna stay here and get pushed around by street thugs, or are you gonna stand up and take the offer? 'Cause this is a one-time offer, kid."

Jaune looked at his hands, a thousand thoughts running through his head. Here he was, being offered what he wanted for so long. It was like a dream come true for him. He clenched his fists and looked back into Alastor's eyes and nodded sharply. "I'll do whatever it takes. I won't let you down!"

Alastor smirked and turned around to start walking back towards the club. "Good to hear, kid. Now c'mon. We got work to do, you and I."

Jaune smiled under the light and jogged after him to keep up as Death hovered close by. "Unexpected. You wish to take on an apprentice? Surely there are others more qualified than him. He is brittle and will crumble under the weight of what must be done to become a Hunter like you."

Alastor smirked and was about to speak, but didn't want to make his new apprentice think he was crazy. So, in a moment of imagination, he made a gamble and simply thought back to the Reaper. 'Sure, there are probably thousands of other people who would make better students in my ways, but I know a diamond in the rough when I see it. This kid has what it takes, of that I'm absolutely positive. People like us…well…finding another one would be harder than taking on every Elder Dragon in existence at the same time. Besides, I've wanted to pass on my knowledge to another for a while now. Hunters typically take apprentices sooner than me. Training them as kids when they reach a solid age like twenty or so. Caligra passed his knowledge on to me and I will keep his legacy going even in this new world.'

Death looked forward and nodded as they neared the club. "Very well. There are no rules against Agents taking apprentices. It's not like they can use our powers without our blessings anyway. Whether you tell him what you are or not is up to you. Just be sure that he can keep a secret. Should the other Agents find out about you then it could turn into a very bad situation very quickly."

Alastor nodded and turned to catch Jaune in his gaze before they went inside. "You said you know a bit about this place. Vale, you said it was. You know anything about what I can expect in here?"

Jaune looked around and at the doors that had two bouncers posted up front before shaking his head. "Not really, no. I never really had a reason to come to this side of town on other visits to the city so I never got the chance to see what was going on here."

He eyed the door and took a firm grasp of his apprentices shoulder. "When we go inside you don't leave my side for any reason. You understand?" Jaune gulped a lump in his throat and nodded before they approached the door, only to be stopped by the two very fashion coordinated bouncers. "I dunno where you think you two are going, but it ain't here. Try some other place."

Alastor huffed and leveled a small glare at the one that spoke. "Look, I'm not trying to start a scene, here. I just need a little bit of information…maybe a job. Something that I can use to cement myself here in this city, y'know?"

The Hunter was quick and to the point, and that apparently worked a little bit as the one that had denied them uncrossed his arms and rubbed the back of his head. "Hmmm…I dunno…Junior is pretty picky about the people that work for him." This got the attention of the other one and he lightly slapped him on the back of the head. "Seriously? Picky?! Half the time he hires us out, less than half of us come back. He obviously doesn't care about our skills, you numbskull. Sure man, go on in, but don't start anything. It's been a quiet week without Roman coming through here and we don't need a ruckus."

"Well…I suppose that's one way to do it. I'm actually surprised. I expected a bit of a scuffle."

The man opened the door and quickly let Jaune and Alastor in, the former still wary of the two as they saw the inside of the club. The place was large and relatively sterile with a large dance floor populated with night-goers and the DJ up above who was clad in a suit and Bear mask that set Alastor on edge for a moment. 'That's…unsettling…'

As they came up to the bar, the Hunter took note of the man behind it. He was well dressed and trimmed, wearing a black vest over his white shirt and red tie. On his hands he had black gloves to match his vest and dress pants. His hair was trimmed short and he had a matching beard and mustache. Another thing that Alastor took quick note of was that this man was tall, exceedingly so. He himself stood at six foot three, but this man was inches taller than himself. 'By the Elders…this man is a giant!'

He cleared his throat and got the man's attention, while stilling cleaning the glass he held. "Yeah, what d'ya want? Looking for a drink or some food?"

Jaune took a seat at the bar, earning a side glance from the man before focusing back on the Hunter, who sat as well. He took note that Death was eyeing the wall of alcohol behind the bartender, but thought nothing of it. "I'm actually looking for the owner. I just need a bit of info about the city. Also…was thinking about getting a job. Was wondering if you could help me out a bit."

He huffed and set the glass down while rolling out wrinkles in his sleeves. "Yer lookin' at him. Name's Junior, or at least, that's what everyone calls me. And information costs money around here, and since yer lookin' for a job, that probably means you ain't got money. That means you're out of luck, sorry, not sorry."

Alastor groaned and slammed his head into the bar while Jaune pulled out a small black wallet with a rabbit on the front of it. "Um…sir, I have a bit of Lien. You think that'll work?"

Junior raised a brow and chuckled. "Unfortunately, I don't think any amount of money you got will pay for my information, kid. You two are better off going someplace else."

Jaune slipped his Lien cards back into his wallet and muttered a soft sorry to Alastor who continued to groan as his eyes began to glow, catching the Broker off guard for a moment. Death then pulled himself away from the wall and hovered nearby.

"Groaning in defeat so soon. That doesn't seem like you at all. He denied you information, not a job. This man is obviously an information broker. Having him as either an employer or a friend will be beneficial to you in the long run."

Alastor hummed in thought at the Reaper before lifting his eyes to Junior's. "You're right, I don't have money. But I could always work for you. I have plenty of useful skills that I'm sure a man like you could use."

Junior took note of the fact that his eyes HAD been glowing. It wasn't uncommon in Huntsmen and Huntresses who had their Aura's unlocked. "You some sort of defected Huntsman? Got the training you wanted and dipped out of school or something?"

Alastor, while he didn't know EXACTLY what a Huntsman was, figured that it was some version of his worlds Hunters. "I wouldn't say that. I have all of my training under my belt. Trained under one of the best in my field and I can take on anything you want me to, big or small."

The Bartender crossed his arms and eyed Jaune, who slinked into his seat. "What about the runt? He's a little young to be even a Huntsman-in-Training." The Hunter shook his head. "He is my apprentice, recently acquired. I'm going to be teaching him everything about what it means to be a true Hunter."

Junior grunted and kept his eyes trained on the two of them before flipping the glass over and pouring himself a quick drink. "I think I got something I could use you for, actually. And the Blondie, if you get this job done nice and clean."

The Hunter grinned and gave Junior a thumbs-up. "Whatever it is, Alastor Demor is on the job!"

Junior took note of that and nodded. "I got a shipment of Dust coming into the docks and I need it protected from the White Fang. They're turning into a real problem recently. Started with their little protests but now they're getting violent. My last shipment was stolen and I paid good money for shit bodyguards. You get it done then I'll let you come on with an actual contract, give you some information and I'll let the runt work around here for some extra money for himself when he ain't training with you."

Alastor kept his grin and looked at Jaune, who didn't look like he really wanted to, but conceded under the look of his new master. Looking back to Junior, he held out his hand for a shake, which the man took with a grin of his own. "I got your back. Watch the kid for me while I'm gone and I'll make sure your shipment comes back unharmed and whole!"

Junior jabbed a thumb to a door behind him. "I got some guys gearing up in the back, so head on out and tell them you're going with th-hold up!"

The Hunter had already started to move before the Bartender shouted for him to stop before running to the very end of the bar and coming back with what seemed like a moderately heavy box. This caught the Hunters eye and he leaned back against the bar as the Broker slammed it down and popped the lock on it. "I had a guy awhile back ask me to build him a weapon, but he never did come back so I'm just gonna assume he's dead. I was going to sell the plans for mass production, but I need to test the designs out first. You seem pretty capable so I was wondering if you would mind testing them out for me."

Alastor's eyes lit up as he heard the prospect of a new weapon to master, but lost it the moment he saw two silver bracers, each long enough to cover his forearms, and a metal, linked belt clunk onto the bar. His eyes looked dead for a moment as he shared a look with Death that didn't go unnoticed by Jaune and Junior as he seemed to stare at nothing for a moment. "Uh…Junior…no offense, but those aren't weapons. They're jewelry. At best they're pieces of armor I could shatter those with my bare hands."

To prove a point, he slammed a fist down onto one of the bracers and visibly recoiled while holding his fist to soothe the dull, throbbing pain. He hadn't put a lot behind the punch, but with his new super strength, he felt like that should've left at least a dent in it. Junior smirked before motioning to his hand. "Didn't hurt yourself there, did ya? This stuff is built out of the best materials money can buy. With people running around with Semblances like Superhuman Strength, I had to make it out of some really tough stuff. They can withstand enough force to crumble an Atlesian Destroyers hull!"

Alastor rubbed his knuckles again before shaking the rest of the dull pain away. "I dunno what that is, but anything with Destroyer in the name has to be pretty tough, right? Anyways…you said these are weapons, but so far all I'm hearing is armor."

Junior grinned even more as he made some sort of motion, wanting him to put them on, and the Hunter conceded. Pushing up his coat sleeves, he slipped the bracers on and before he could do anything else, he felt them go to work. In some sort of moment of magic, or so the Hunter thought, they began to extend all the way up to his shoulders and gained a protrusion of sorts that came over the back of his hands that had two slits each with what looked like a small barrel between them. Rolling his sleeves back up, he saw rotary chambers that were filled with multicolored substances that spun until they settled on a yellow dust type. Along the entirety of the armor there were clear tubes that began to fill with the yellow dust until they began to glow and pulse with pure power. He didn't miss the maniacal grin on the Bartenders face as he flexed and made the two slits react to his fists. From the two on each hand came foot-long blades that were serrated in the worst possible way, meant to rip and tear whatever they came in contact with. Alastor felt his own grin spread across his face as he made a few practice swipes while Jaune looked on in amazement and envy. Death himself was also astonished with the technology.

"These gauntlets…they're expertly crafted and were able to withstand your strength. Extending all the way up, your arms are protected well and these blades…they're terrifying for any foe to face, I'm sure. I can feel the power in the dust within them. This Junior is quite good with his craft that much is positive."

Before they could admire the weapon anymore, Junior tapped the buckle of the metal belt and surprised Alastor when they receded back to their bracer forms. "Awwww man! These things are so cool! We don't have anything like this where I'm from! How'd you get them to do that?!"

Junior couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips as he spoke. "These are state of the art. Made with the best I have to offer. These babies took months to perfect, but there are still some kinks to work out, no doubt. The connection mode is still faulty, so try not to use it for now. Those blades at the end work like snake fangs. You can stab someone or something and inject the dust into them for devastating effects. This belt here controls their transformation. Tap the buckle and they'll extend. Tap it again and they'll go back to being bracers. Be careful, though. They have a tendency to snag the skin a little during the process so it can pinch a bit. I'm still working on that, but with time I'll get it working good enough. Test them out if you get the chance so I can figure out what I need to do."

Alastor couldn't help a creeping thought in his head as he eyed Death for a moment before looking back to Junior. "You're being awfully trusting of someone you just met. What gives?"

Junior shrugged before finishing off his drink and cleaning the glass. "You seem like a trustworthy guy. Besides, you told me to watch the kid, so you'll be back. Even if you don't come back, I can find you no problem. Information is my business. No one can hide from me."

The answer was enough to set Alastor's mind at ease for the moment as he took the belt from the counter and replaced his own with it. He sighed and settled his mind before looking at Jaune, who didn't exactly look okay with being left with the Bartender. "Stay with Junior. I shouldn't be too long, so don't cause him too much trouble. Anyways…I'm off!"

-X-X-X-

Alastor wasn't really sure where things had started to go wrong, but he wasn't exactly happy with it.

In the beginning, it wasn't so bad. Juniors' men had started to move the shipment into the truck and things were quiet as he and two others were left to watch out for any unsavory guests. When one of them left to go relieve himself and never came back, he should've felt the warning signals going off in his head. He knew that Death was trying to remain objective and wouldn't really help him out unless it was unavoidable.

It was when shots were heard that he immediately jumped into action. Men and women dressed in a black and white uniform with masks over their faces started to attack Juniors' men and he cursed himself before tapping the buckle of his belt and felt his new weapons extend up to his shoulders. 'This must be the White Fang Junior was talking about. I can't let them take anything!'

Taking a stance meant for his Dual Blades, he dashed in, focusing his Death Energy throughout his body, or at least trying to, swiping at whoever came close to him.

He curled through the swipe of a White Fang member that had a sword and backhanded him, sending him into a container and leaving an uncomfortable dent in it while three others came from behind him, two with guns and another with a whip-like weapon.

Before he could react, he felt the whip wrap around his right arm and yank him towards them as the other two let loose their shots. He felt a sharp pain in his gut and chest as the bullets passed right through him, surprising the White Fang grunts. "He doesn't have Aura! Unload and kill the human!"

They took aim and Alastor felt unimaginable pain as bullet after bullet began to riddle him, putting holes all over his clothes and body. He stumbled as the whip was released and he fell to a knee, grunting and groaning in pain as blood began to pool underneath him. 'Why does this hurt?! The explosion earlier didn't even faze me! Make up your mind, body!'

One of the Faunus walked forward and kicked him onto his back and he didn't have the strength to fight back as Death hovered over his head, his scythe within arm's reach. "You still have yet to master the energy within you. Your powers are not perfect. Pain can be mitigated with extensive training, though. Now…stand up. It is time for you to show them what an Agent of Death is capable of. Use the Boon granted to you. Make the Agents of the world quake under the power of a TRUE force of Nature!"

Alastor glared up at the Faunus that leveled his gun at his head with a grin. With all of his strength he reached out to Deaths Scythe and took hold of the wooden shaft. It was in this moment that the Faunus was sent back by a massive burst of power that cratered the area around the Hunter.

Everyone on the docks turned towards the display of dangerous and unimaginable power and to them, it appeared as a pillar of royal purple energy that permeated in a small localized tornado. Through the miasma of power, they saw Alastor's silhouette and the fluttering of his coat as the torrent of power whipped up everything around him. His eyes glowed with dangerous purple power as Deaths Scythe materialized onto the physical plane. As it did, memories began to flood into the Hunters mind and he felt the scythe itself begin to shift and change in his grip.

As the tornado of power dissipated, he let the blade of his new weapon fall to crash against the ground. It was a Great Sword that was easily as big as Alastor stood. Along the entire length of the blade, bones crept towards its cutting edge like a ribcage, while towards the handle, a skull sat that had fangs, not unlike Alastor's own. The weapon was terrifying and the Faunus of the White Fang took a step back, while the three that attacked him were shaking with true fear.

-X-X-X-

Across the world of Remnant, the power released shook the foundation of everything that ever was. One woman in particular sat upon a throne of black and bone. Her unnaturally pale complexion seemed to pale even more as she felt the unintentional display of power. Despite this, she didn't let it show in her expression. She knew this energy, as it had come to her world once before.

'Death has brought forth a new champion…'

-X-X-X-

Ozpin was a man of many things. He had been around for a long time, and knew he would remain longer still. He had seen much and very little surprised him. But when he felt it, the miasma of Death, something reawakened within him.

He felt fear.

He calmed his nerves rather quickly and took a sip from his glass of hot chocolate before he stood and went to his window overlooking the city of Vale. By this time, the power had lessened and contained itself, enough for him to fully regain his composure. With another sip, he sighed and stared up to the moon.

'He has come to mete out his judgement.'

-X-X-X-

The Faunus with his whip lashed out in fear as he screamed. "What Are You?! Die You Filthy Human!"

Despite the size of the weapon he held, it felt weightless in his hands as Alastor swung it up, clashing against the tip of the metallic whip and creating an upward surge of wind that made everyone stagger before they charged at him with renewed vigor. Juniors' men went back to loading the Dust as fast as they could while the White Fang focused on the Agent of Death before them.

Two came at him quickly, one high and one low and he stabbed the blade of his sword into the ground and lifting himself up before jumping up, kneeing the high Faunus in the chin and twisting, pulling his blade from the ground and swinging it down, crushing the ribbed edge against the low White Fangs back and flattening him into the concrete.

Landing quickly, he swung the blade once more and connected the flat edge with the Faunus he kneed and sent the poor fool flying back into the one with the whip. The rest of the White Fang jumped back and started to open fire, only to realize that no matter how many bullets they hit him with, he didn't react. The weapon in his hands soon began to shift again until now it resembled a sort of heavy cannon with bones and ribs up and down its body. At the barrel of the gun it had another skull, this one resembling a dragons head.

It snapped open like a break action shotgun and by the power of Deaths Energy, Alastor materialized a special cartridge that he shoved into the barrel and quickly snapped it back into place. With a roar, he began to unload shot after shot into the White Fang. Every impact created a small explosion and made the Faunus begin to scatter. Some retreated while others looked for a new vantage point out of his range. To those that stayed, they noticed that the cannon started to overheat and took this chance to start firing again.

Alastor was hit multiple times, and this time he felt them as he stumbled from the force of the shots. Death hovered behind him, watching with apathy as he kept his thoughts to himself. 'He is wasteful of the energy he possesses. While he has much of it, he has no control and wastes it. He will have to train extensively if he wishes to be a true threat to more than mere grunts. As it is, he would stand no chance against the Agents of this world.'

With another roar and surge of power, this one exponentially weaker than the one before, he realized that he didn't have enough power to maintain the transformation of Deaths Scythe and it turned back to its original form. He grunted and let go of the shaft, allowing it to disappear, at least to the rest of the White Fang, and return to Deaths side.

He clenched his fists and the blades of his weapon from Junior sprang forth. New to him, however, the tubes that ran up the armored parts funneled red Dust into them and began to glow with small, almost unnoticeable holes opening up all over the weapon. With this, flames danced forth, coating his arms and destroying the sleeves of his jacket. With a roar, he dashed forward towards the Faunus, making even more flee this seemingly insurmountable opponent.

The one that stayed, however, met him and stopped his advance. This man had red hair and was dressed nicer than the rest. His mask was also different from theirs, more intricate in its design. The weapon he used to stop his attack was a katana-like blade that was red. "You're making a big mistake, Human."

Alastor didn't grant him a response as he pushed him back and went for a swipe at his gut that was blocked in a way that made him feel like this new opponent didn't even care. He kept trying to attack him but found everything useless as this new Faunus sheathed his blade and turned his back. A sign he refused to take him seriously. Alastor became angry and his eyes glowed to show it as he rushed him with a supposedly unavoidable flurry of attacks. However, this man did so without even breaking a sweat. Death took quick notice and realized the problem.

'The boy may have no qualms with fighting normal men and women, but it isn't what he was trained for. He uses tactics that will work against beasts, but any knowledgeable person will easily be able to counter him. Those grunts weren't prepared and he was able to get the drop on them. This one, though. He is very much able to read and counter him without so much as a care in the world.'

The Faunus, obviously having enough, grabbed Alastor's wrist, the flames on his arms dissipating and stopping his assault. He used his other hand to shove his still sheathed blade into his gut, knocking the air out of him. He then pulled back and pulled a trigger on the sheathe, making the blade fire halfway out and reconnect with his sternum. Shoving in to fully sheathe it once more, he added to the force and cracked the bone before pulling back doing it again two more times. The final time, he tossed the Hunter to the side and drew his blade to swipe one of his arms off, but was stopped by the superior metal that protected them. He sneered and reared back for a powerful strike, but missed as Alastor rolled out from under him.

The Agent got to his feet and was able to catch his breathe. He still felt his rage at being underestimated, but quickly realized that he didn't stand a chance against his new opponent. "Who…who are you?!" As he spoke, still trying to control his breathing, the man hummed in disapproval, which made Alastor growl and show his fangs to the man, which caught him by surprise. "You are a Faunus…but you fight against us? Hmmm…you are worse than a simple Human. You're a traitor to the Faunus."

Alastor grimaced at the tone the man took and was forced to block a strike he barely saw coming. It was pretty much by pure luck that he was able to in the first place. "I'm no Faunus! I'm a Hunter!" With a burst of adrenal strength, he shoved the Faunus back and the flames once more danced across his arms. He lunged and struck the man in the side, catching him by surprise with his burst of strength and sending him rolling across the docks. He looked to his right to see Juniors' men pulling away and nodded, knowing that the shipment was secured. He turned back just in time to block another shocking blow that sent rubble flying in every direction.

"You won't last long with every member of the White Fang now aware of your traitorous ways! I'll see to it myself that you lay in an unmarked grave! You will fear the name Adam Taurus!"

Adam used more strength behind his next strike in an attempt to cleave through Alastor, but was once more stopped by the defensive armor of the gauntlets. He grimaced and leapt away, sheathing his blade and running before the Hunter could give pursuit.

Alastor glared at the retreating form of Adam, but didn't chase after him. He knew that he couldn't beat him and, as much as it pained him to admit, he was lucky he decided to run. With the shipment on its way to Junior and the White Fang on the retreat, he grunted in pain and fell to his knees, barely noticing Death floating in front of him.

"Take this as another gift from me."

He looked shakily and noticed nothing and after a moment he knew what the Reaper was referring to. "Y-you…you made him run, didn't you? Why?"

Death grasped the shaft of his scythe and rubbed his bony fingers along the blade. "You are still young. You have the training of a Hunter, yes. Those skills will do well against the beasts of this world, but it will not do against its more humanoid foes. You fought like a savage beast when you were pushed into a corner. No sense of tactical awareness. The only openings you gained were because of surprise attacks and bursts of unnatural strength. An opponent like him won't be fooled by such a tactic twice. I also cannot lose an Agent so soon. I bent a few rules and…influenced his decision to run and fight another day. This should hopefully give you time to prepare yourself against opponents like him."

Alastor hung his head and tried to stand, but found his body not wanting to respond. "So I'm not good enough…"

"You are still learning. Did you really expect to be a monster on the battlefield from the start? A foolish line of thought. You've trained your life to hunt monsters. Not men. Do not wallow. Grow. You have failed hunts before I'm sure. And from those you began to grow. This is merely an opportunity to grow. Take it as such."

The Hunter nodded and huffed once more and was able to force himself to stand. He looked over himself and groaned at the fact that his clothes were now ruined. "Damn it…I'm gonna need some more clothes now…hopefully Junior can accommodate. I guess it's time I head back now."

Without another word, the Agent was able to slowly walk off of the docks, following the skid marks the vans tires made to make it back to the bar, leaving Death to look over the aftermath of the battle.

"Yes…grow and learn. Show the world the power of my Agent."

END:

A New Idea that came across my mind that I hope bears fruit. I do hope that Everyone enjoys this, and if anyone has any ideas for a weapon for Jaune, please feel free to express it. Any constructive criticism is also accepted as it has been some time since I've written anything. Been unnaturally busy, but now I have designated times to write so I hope to get back to everything else that has been sitting in my story library.

R&R

Elemental Shadow Out!