Author's Note:-
Hey all, thanks for deciding to give Eclipse a read, this is my first real crack at fan-fiction and the first time I've done any proper writing for quite a while; if you have any feedback I would love to hear it. I hope you all enjoy this and decide to keep reading as I expand.
That's all, enjoy!
The sun dipped below the horizon of the evening sky, the rocks along the floor of the desert wasteland glinting as if they were gold; the light breeze blew around small amounts of sand and carrying the chill of the on-coming night. A single train thundered through the solitary tracks, a distinct crack in the otherwise monotonous browns and oranges making up the floor it sat on; a train destined for a town out of the eyes of civilisation.
Shinewater, once a proud town built around a prosperous dust mine that acted as the flagship for large-scale industrial mining of the precious resource; now a backwater shanty laying on the fringes of the civilised world in the vast wastelands of rural Vacou, long dry of any fortunes it may have held before except as a refuge for those on the wrong side of the law.
A stranger stood out on one of the train's balconies, her platinum blonde hair being blown by the wind thrown aside by the locomotive's speed; the black overcoat flapping wildly behind her and the snow white trimmings catching the faint sunlight, a faint tint of the golden light on it. Her purple eyes gazed out into the desert, searching for the small town in which her objective sat waiting; information, and what better way to get information than from a hive of the black market?
She spied a pack of dark, animalistic figures dashing throughout the wastes, the Jackal-like Grimm on the hunt for their next prey, her hand instinctively reached for one of the guns holstered at her side, looking up at a sign hanging by a couple screws off the wall of the carriage beside her, respectfully asking passengers not to use their firearms onboard the train. Sighing to herself, she pulled her hand away and back onto the rail.
The woman heard footsteps beside her, a soft tapping almost drowned out by the rumbles and crashing noises of the train roaring along the tracks. Turning to face the source, she was greeted by a teenager dressed in a shabby uniform holding a piece of paper. Clearing his throat the boy looked up at her.
"You're Xaio Long, right?" He asks, a clearly bored tone in his voice warped slightly by a piece of gum lodged in between his teeth. Clearly one of the orphan lads that came out of one of the many whores who waltz the streets of Shinewater on a regular basis, put to work from a young age to support themselves.
"That would be me, yes." She replies sharply, glancing at the boy up and down quickly; checking for a weapon too, nobody was trustworthy in these places, even the kids... especially the kids, they're not the ones you expect to pull a knife on you.
"Fare's due." He hands her the piece of paper he was holding, showing a small sum for her to pay, nodding at the kid, she pulls out the correct amount of currency and passes it into his outstretched hand, counting it he places it in a small pouch on his waist, slipping a few of them into a smaller one behind.
"We arrive in ten minutes, better grab your stuff." He passes the nonchalant comment in her general direction before heading back into the carriage behind them. She didn't have much except the cash, clothes and weaponry she had on her, she didn't plan on staying in the town for longer than she needed to.
A slender figure briskly approached Shinewater's main attraction, the usual haunt of most of the residents; the Dusty Rock Saloon served as a place for fugitives to wash away their sorrows with strong drinks and as an area of common ground for all those in the town; it actually hailed back to the prosperous days, when people actually acknowledged the town's existence.
"Makes sense that he'd pick somewhere like this." He mutters to himself, striding into the building and making a bee-line straight for the bar, a burly tattooed man tended the counter and walked up to the new arrival after a couple of minutes.
"What can I get you?" The bartender asks, a slightly impatient tone in his voice.
"Grimm Thursday, easy on the ice." The other replied, giving the bartender a knowing glance, who realised the code almost immediately and walked over to a strongbox below the counter, unlocking it and reaching in, he pulled out a key and hands it to the stranger.
"Guess I owe Wolfe a little something, I expected the other one to make it first." The bartender commented quietly, beginning to walk away.
"Other one?" The stranger replied, the man merely shrugged and turned his attention a new group of customers at the bar. Standing up off the bar stool, he begins to walk out of the saloon, exiting and heading towards a small cluster of shops for an alley in between a run-down dust store and a smoking gambling shop.
Xiao Long walked through the main road of Shinewater, if it could be called that. An expanse of dirt, sand and rock between two rows of buildings hardly cries sophistication. Nevertheless, she had to be here whether she liked it or not, but she wanted to make it take as quick as possible. Continuing down towards Dusty Rock, she notices a stranger figure walk out and head towards the agreed location her informant was at.
Focusing on the person walking, she winced in apprehension and she felt her hand reach for her firearm; she recognised the air he gave off, the strange fluctuations in his aura. Initial hatred on sight fell into a sudden realisation.
The Grimm Shadow found Wolfe already? This is bad, an assassin sent to tie up a loose end. I can't let that happen until I've got what I need to know.
She withdraws one of her weapons, Dawn, and begins following the assassin. He eventually turns into the alley that leads to the informant's apartment, confirming her suspicions further, staying hidden so as not to arouse his attention until she was ready. He reached the staircase at the foot of the building and she saw her opportunity, rising out of her cover she begins to aim Dawn at his back; however mid-motion notices his two glinting eyes staring right at her.
"You're shit at stealth." He remarks, turning to face her properly, continuing; "I'd recognise those robes anywhere, what's a Lightbringer doing in a backwater like this place?"
"Quiet, I don't fraternise with animals." She snaps back, glaring at him vindictively, clicking the safety off of Dawn and reaching for Noon, an identical firearm strapped to the other side of her.
"You're not here to kill him are you? That'd be a problem for me, and I don't see one of you lot actually considering one of us worth your time." He asks, throwing a quick glance at the door to the apartment at the top of the stairs.
"Isn't that what you're here to do, Shade?" She retorts, throwing a menacing stare in his direction. He gives a small, obviously deliberate wince.
"Please, I'm in the same boat as you; I tend to stay clear of animals." He replies, returning the stare but with much more apathy; giving a brief sigh he continues. "I'm just here to ask a favour of my old friend." He pauses for a second. "You didn't answer my question."
"He knows something I need to know, I have no intentions of putting a shot through his skull. I'm here on his request." She replies, tensing her grip on her guns and holding her glare. The cool night time wind grazed their heels as they stood in silence, studying each other. It took a while, but eventually the quiet was broken.
"We probably shouldn't keep him waiting. He hates that." The man remarks, taking a step in the direction of the apartment stairs; only to be rooted once again by the click of a safety trigger being switched off.
"We're not finished yet." She says with a stabbing coldness.
"I have no intention of starting a fight, so lower your weap-" Interrupted by the sudden crash of something ballistic smashing into the side of the apartment, they both turn their looks upward at the small aircraft hovering over the small courtyard at the end of the alley; two missile silos on the side smoking from their recent shot.
"What the hell are Angels doing here?" Xiao Long shouts, stepping back as silhouettes began repelling down from the stationary ship, landing about 100 metres ahead of them.
"I don't know, but they want Wolfe." He replies, a quiet click coming from both of his wrists and turning to the woman beside him. "Look, it's obvious you wouldn't exactly be happy with the idea, but we're going to have to take them out together or neither of us will get what we want here."
"Fine then." She snaps reluctantly; the soldiers were getting closer, they had to act before they reached the stairs up to the contact. The two throw a glance at each other, before turning back and getting into combat stances.
"Name's Quacey by the way, or Q, whatever you like."
"Even if now wasn't a bad time, I don't give a damn."
"Thought it'd be handy to know."
"Shut it. Focus on them, not on formalities."
The brief dialogue was cut off by the soldiers ahead coming to a halt, raising their weapons at the duo; an auburn headed woman stepping out from behind the main bulk of the group. Looking the two up and down, she reaches for the tanto lying at her belt and unsheathes it.
"Who are you two? You have no business here." She snaps, the men around her readying their weapons; her blade folding in on itself to form a small repeater pistol. One of the soldiers at her side turns to her. "Ma'am, they match the description of the ones command told us about." She looks at him, then back at the two before them. "Is that so? In that case..." She raised her pistol and aimed at Xiao Long, who had turned her back to face the ones going behind them; smiling, the captain pulled the trigger.
The crack of the shot.
The soft glide of an unsheathing blade.
The rush of air from the sudden dash.
The sound of steel impacting steel.
It happened in an instant, Quacey moved in an instant, extending a blade at his right wrist to deflect the shot flying towards his ally's head. Without leaving a second to spare, he leapt into the main crowd in front of him while the soldiers began firing at the duo. A thundering roar came as Xiao Long fired, the spark dust igniting and sending a double-barrelled shotgun shock blast from both Dawn and Noon, sending their two targets flying and arcing electricity to the ones surrounding them; hurling herself forward at the ones directly in front of her.
Quacey threw himself into the crowd, spinning mid leap to force them to scatter or die; picking his first target he stepped to his right and delivered a brief slash from the abdomen up to the Adam's Apple, immediately turning to the next and bringing his blade to meet the bayonet of the soldier's rifle, locking steel for the brief second needed to deliver a swift stab to the neck. Three left. He thought to himself; the commander and two others, one aiming their shotgun, the other doing the same with an automatic rifle; not giving them the opportunity to shoot, he vanishes in a whirl of black smoke, re-appearing at the side of the first soldier, turning the shotgun in his hands causing the shot-in-progress to be directed at the other; after which he brought the shotgun up to the man's neck and wrenching it swiftly to the side to break his neck.
Xiao Long delivered a quick stab to the gut of a soldier, withdrawing it and twirling around him and firing into his back with Dawn while shooting another with Noon. With the swing of a baton, a third tried to strike her from behind, hearing it travel through the air, in the blink of an eye she squatted down and leant back, blocking it with the blades stemming from her gun's barrels. Rolling back and throwing her feet upwards she deals a double kick to his face and rolls back onto her feet, slashing the throat of the man and turning to her next target.
Rolling aside to dodge the rapid shots of the captain's pistol, Quacey looked at his opponent while running towards her, vanishing in instantaneous flashes to avoid the gunshots flying at him. Tucking to the side towards one of the bodies of the soldiers he had already dealt with, a brief kick sent it airborne; taking several shots and then being used as a projectile to stagger the captain, dazing her for a split-second on contact. Using the brief window, he dashes forward and stamps her knee, causing her to stumble and lose her balance, almost tripping; another kick to the back of the shoulder disarms her and a final slash along the area below her arm sends her tumbling. With one final movement he stabs into the back of her head, the tip of the blade emerging just below the top lip.
Xiao Long pulled the blade of Noon from the chest of the last soldier, turning to see Quacey pulling his blade out of the captain's skull; looking at each other and their bloody handiwork, they throw glances at all of the soldiers, checking for any signs of survivors. Satisfied, they both sheathe their weapons and give each other a brief nod before rushing up the stairs; through the gaping hall in the wall where the missiles struck, they could see the man they were here for, Wolfe, sitting in a charred armchair. The door to the apartment had been smashed down with brute force; clearly one had managed to slip by the fight and tried to confront the man alone. They only had to turn around a corner to see that it didn't work out well for him; looking at the rugged man in the chair, he stands to greet them.
"Quite the impressive display there; you Lightbringers really do live up to the hype, Xiao Long? Xia? Whatever you want to be called."
"Xiao Long is fine." Xia replied with a clinical sharpness.
"Well, good job Xiao Long." Turning to Quacey, the man smirked. "It's been a while, Dugald. Glad to see your skills haven't gotten rusty since the last time we've talked." Wolfe chuckles, offering his hand to the young man.
"It seems you've become no less adept at handling yourself either." A small grin crosses Quacey's face as he accepts the handshake.
"Excuse me for interrupting this heart-warming reunion, but I don't have the time for formalities. Get to business." Xia snaps, following it with a brief sigh.
"Right you are; both of you are here to find out what's got the Grimm Shadow in such a rush these last few months, correct?" Wolfe replies calmly, reaching for a few sheets lying on a table in the corner of the room. "Well, I can't tell you why they're doing it; but I can tell you what they're doing and where the organisation's operating from."
"You made me come here just to tell me about some petty terrorists causing trouble in Vacou? We already know where and how they operate." Xia countered an air of impertinence in her voice.
"You'd think so, but unfortunately no cigar. Something's changed; they have more numbers, better gear and a plan that lies above the usual shock and awe they've gained their infamy for." Wolfe handed her one of the sheets; a classified message embroidered with the seal of the Children of Grimm and directed at an anonymous title. "It says it right there in plain black and white, something's going to happen in Vale; if you want to pick up your trail, look there."
"What would they want in Vale? They've been centred in Vacou as long as the Children of Grimm have existed." Quacey remarks, throwing a glance at the sheet.
"That's the main gist of it, there's some more of the details in what I've given you there." Wolfe states, sitting back into his chair.
"Well, thank you Mr. Wolfe. This information will be put to good use." Xia answers, folding the sheets and placing them in a pocket of her overcoat.
"A word of advice, neither of you are good enough to take this on alone; but seeing you two out there gave this guy an impression that you two would make a pretty decent team, I imagine some mutual co-operation would work out well for both of you. Just a bite of food for thought." Wolfe remarks, hastily adding on the last part after receiving a cold stare from Xia.
"Sounds like a good idea. Two guns are better than... er... none, I suppose." Quacey jokes, indicating his lack of firearm. "Humour aside, I'll be a lot less conspicuous than you and in the types of places we'll be looking into to, you want someone who can blend in. Someone used to living in the less-than-savoury world inside Remnant." Looking angry for a moment before signs of hesitation, Xia gives a defeated sigh and looks at Quacey.
"Fine, but it's only because you have some skills which will be quite useful, and because we're looking into the same thing. I'm not happy about this arrangement; it just makes the most sense." Xia says, giving her new partner a blank stare; before it seems to flare to her cold manner again. "I'm in charge here though, remember that."
"That's fine by me." Quacey responds, nodding his head in acceptance.
"If the little bonding session is done, I need to get to work on fixing this place, get the hell out of my house." Wolfe says impatiently, yet with a slight hint of jest in his tone. Taking the hint, the two scarper out into the alley; stepping over the corpses they begin to walk out into the main street, the moonlight mixing the orange sand with a silver hue.
"How should I address you? Xiao Long seems a bit informal for partners." Quacey asks, looking at the woman next to him; her hair almost silver in the night.
"Just call me Xia; before you open your mouth, I'm calling you Q. Quacey sounds fuckin' ridiculous." Xia remarks to him, continuing to walk and not turning around.
The unlikely duo meandered down the deserted main street of Shinewater, towards the rundown train station that was their avenue out of the isolated town; their route back into the real world and the first step towards their goal of putting an end to the plot of the Children of Grimm. The winds picking up with a violent force, the two reached the train and chose an empty compartment to occupy, they were in for a long journey; both to civilisation and for their shared task.