Cyclone
The night sky was dark, shimmering stars above obscured by rumbling thunderclouds that filled the sky, and was accompanied by the howl of the approaching winter wind. The streets remained quiet, not a single soul daring to shatter the oppressive silence that had fallen on the city. The air itself seemed calm, yet bore the chill of the icy fangs of the wind. Occasionally, discarded litter would flutter through the air in aimless journey.
Despite the peaceful façade, the people themselves were not experiencing an evening of tranquillity, as they could sense the masked tension which constantly trembled and threatened to break. For recently, an elusive hunter had been preying on the innocent, casting fear into the hearts of all victims, leaving nought but the incomprehensible fearful whispers, breathed from bloodied lips in its wake.
However, such fanciful rumours and tales had not deterred a particular blonde haired huntress, who casually strolled down the lifeless streets as the evening breeze playfully ran through her hair. As she walked, she joyfully reflected on her most recent escapades, giggling as she remembered she laughs she had shared with her team, who had secretly escaped the confines of Beacon to let off steam after their recent expedition into Grimm filled territory. Ozpin would undoubtedly berate and scold them for their careless actions, but it would undoubtedly been worth it.
Soon, two figures detached themselves from the shadows. They were large thugs, large men comprised of thick muscle set beneath shabby clothes. They regarded hungrily with beady eyes, eyeing her up in the same way a vulture regards carrion.
One of them gave a thick chuckle "My, my little lady, those are some mighty fine tools you have on your person," He called to her, studying her Ember Celica while his companion carefully drew a wicked knife "I hope you understand that we will have to ah…ease you of their burden."
Yang halted and rolled her eyes, before cracking her knuckles "Oh dear, mister, it looks like someone isn't walking away from this little meeting." She called back dramatically.
The brute once again chuckled "I'm so glad you understand."
She laughed back and turned to them, raising her fists as the shotgun shells clicked into place "I don't think you do." And she lunged at them.
The silence was temporarily disturbed as the next few minutes consisted of crunches, discharged shells and pain fuelled grunts and cries, before the sounds of two bodies crumpling to the floor emanated from the alleyway.
She emerged from the street, dusting herself off while whistling merrily. She smirked to herself "The look on their faces…" she murmured under her breath.
The sound of shattered stone echoed from across the street. Yang's head shot up and she darted towards the sound of distress. As she reached a scene, a second wall was reduced to dust as a small, wiry man was hurled through before he stumbled down the street. The man who calmly followed him out was greatly different.
He was clad in a sleeveless shirt of burgundy scaled armour, combined with a dusty black trechcoat and a hooded cape in which the attacker's features were hidden beneath. He also wore tight black trousers, with a belt that contained various coloured gems at his waist. On his back were pair of black morning stars, with red tipped spikes protruding from the surface of the gleaming orbs. Yang studied him suspiciously. He looked evil. He looked dangerous.
He looked fun.
"Sooo…" The attacker said in a curious voice "You're telling me that throwing you through that wall didn't jog your memory?" He stepped towards the trembling man "Did I do it incorrectly? Should I try it aga- His words were cut off as Yang viciously punched him, the force causing him to hurtle into the wall, crushing it as dust spewed into the air.
Yang clapped happily, proud of her surprise attack. She remembered the victim next to her, who was staring at her in awe.
"You know, this area is gonna get kinda fu-…dangerous." She told him, biting her tongue before the word 'fun' escaped her lips "So you might want to run…away…like, really quickly…just sayin'" He nodded quickly in understanding and Yang watched the shadows enshroud him as he fled from the scene.
Yang's ears pricked up as she heard her new opponent groan as he disentangled himself from the rubble, where he clutched his head in attempt to quell the throbbing pain.
"Why…the hell…did you do that?" He moaned "I didn't do anything to you! I was just minding my own business, and this guy came along and uh…threatened…me and I acted in self-defence!"
"Hey buddy, I love rough and tumble as much as the next person, but it's only fun when both people want to play…and I sure as hell think we both want to play." She called back, once again raising her fists to him.
The assailant's entire demeanour changed as he chuckled in amusement before he unslung his twin morning stars, before twirling them proficiently "You…you think you can beat me?" He asked with a tone of genuine surprise.
"Pretty sure I can. I'll be sure to send you out…with a Yang." She quipped before leapt forwards.
The assailant ducked under the first few punches before delivering a swift kick to the stomach. The wind was expelled from Yang's lungs, yet she nimbly dodged the swing of her opponent's weapons. She curled around the following strike, and unloaded a shotgun shell to his head. He stumbled away, yet was able to direct her second punch to the wall. He brought his morning star down on her exposed arm, causing her to double over, wincing in pain, before he brutally head-butted her. She collapsed to the floor as he backed away cautiously.
"That was for that god awful pun." He cackled.
She snarled and whipped around, her fist crunching into his into his jaw, immediately silencing his laughter. Once, he stumbled away, yet she didn't allow him the chance to recover.
"God awful? I'm God sent, and he sent me here in exchange for you." She replied, swinging for him. This time, he easily curled around her blows, further incensing her. She continued to jab and fire at him, yet she was unable to land a single blow as he dodged, ducked, dived, spun and even flipped out of her path while laughing mockingly.
"Will you just stay still?" She cried out on exasperation "That little ice-cream hair freak wasn't as slippery as you!" She threw her fist forward, but this caused her to overbalance. Seizing the opportunity, her aggressor dashed forwards and punched her in the stomach. She bent over from the force of the blow and he cracked his elbow on the back of her head where she collapsed into a cursing, undignified heap.
"Ok you're…you're good." She panted as she unsteadily rose to her feet, feeling her consciousness beginning to falter "But you're not as good as me."
"You're not half bad yourself." The stranger praised her "At least, better than the other jokes that I've seen from Beacon. They really were-"
He released a strangled cry as Yang unloaded a blast to his throat, before following with a final round to his exposed sternum, launching him of his feet.
She giggled again "You think I'm a joke? You still haven't seen the punchline! If anyone is gonna be laughing at the end of this, it's gonna be me!"
He considered her taunt, before nodding "I'm afraid you're quite mistaken my dear. You're not going to beat me….I truly am quite unique."
She raised an amused eyebrow, before reloading her gauntlets "Oh yeah?" She asked "You seem pretty run of the mill to-"
He raised a single finger to silence her "Trust me dear, you will never find another like me." Suddenly his image shimmered and split. An incorporeal duplicate of her enemy had emerged, before solidifying and leaving an identical clone next to him.
"Or me." The clone added, splaying a hand on his chest. Once again, the image became blurred and the original form split again, creating a third clone.
"They both are right, they really are something to behold." He agreed.
The three of them laughed in unison before the original raised his hands in a mock surrender "Ok, ok maybe I'm not so unique. These guys are like the brothers I never had."
Yang gave a little pout, pretending to sulk "Aww, but don't you know that three's a crowd?" She whined.
Although she couldn't see beneath his hood, Yang knew he had rolled his eyes "Well, there was a surprise to the act, but you've ruined it now." He sighed dejectedly. Then he clicked his fingers "Boys." He commanded, before silently pointing at Yang.
"Kill."
They darted forwards, but they dissipated mid step, only to re-emerge in different positions around her.
Teleporting too? She wondered.
This pause cost her however, as the trio wasted no time launching into a furious frenzy of lashing kicks, swift ruthless punches and endless battering from the cruel morning stars. Her first few futile parries were effortlessly knocked aside, and soon she was lost amongst the chaotic and violent storm that was comprised of the three teleporting warriors. She began to crumple under the attack, unable to withstand such a barrage.
"Boys, let's crank it up a notch!" She heard the leader yell gleefully. Suddenly, the spikes protruding from the surface of the weapons shot out, revealing their true nature as missiles. These missiles soared around the conflict before screaming towards Yang, peppering her with small projectiles.
Eventually, the attack subsided and the trio receded, causing Yang to collapse. Her vision had become blurred, and she desperately fought to remain conscious. She looked up to see the clones disappear, leaving just the attacker, who cracked his neck. Finally, he turned to Yang and sauntered over to her, picking her up by her neck. She feebly attempted to break his vice-like grip, yet it proved to be in vain.
"I have to admit, during this fight… I've grown rather fond of you." The man said cheerily.
"Yeah…" Yang agreed as her eyes began to glaze over "I really think we hit it off…"
The man snorted despite himself, before inclining his head, as if listening to near silent whispers "Let's end this." He muttered, before he clicked his fingers "Oh, before I forget, let me introduce myself. I'm Cyclone, and you are?"
"Yang…" She murmured, dazed.
He nodded slowly, then threw her up into the air, where she ascended towards the clouds. As she reached the peak of her considerable ascent, Cyclone appeared next to her.
"A pleasure to meet you!" He shouted to her in an attempt to be heard over the wind. He then punched her in the stomach, causing her to hurtle back towards the earth head first.
But just before she struck the ground, he reappeared again and allowed his hood to slip ever so slightly, revealing shining emerald eyes and an evil grin "Sleep tight." He whispered as his boot heel connected with her forehead, causing stars to cascade across her vision and for her to plummet into unconsciousness.
Cyclone sheathed his weapons and began to saunter down the devastated alley way, contemplating on his most recent encounter. That young lady had definitely proved problematic, yet he was still able to easily triumph over her.
"That you were." He blurted in a voice that carried the subtle undertones of sophistication. A pale faced man with well groomed, silky black locks dressed in a voluminous burgundy robe. This was Sigmund.
Cyclone sighed, as the side effect of his unique abilities made itself known. His powers had originated from a supposedly miraculous medical procedure that had the intention of combing Semblances in order to create a new enhanced breed of hunter. However, it was discovered that although the Semblances could coexist peacefully without any physical harm, the procedure had wrought catastrophic psychological damage, , shown through his personality shattering, plaguing him-
"I think you mean gifting." Cyclone giggled in a high pitched girlish voice. A childlike figure with straight blonde hair and an impish grin bounded into view. This one was Trixie.
…with seven distinct personalities, which he constantly hallucinated as individuals, which he had come to call The Chorus. The people themselves did not speak, but their voices were forced through his unwilling lips.
Cyclone regained control of his voice "No, I meant plagued. It is awful having you all trapped in my head."
"Yeah well, it isn't exactly wonderful for us either, cupcake." A third voice rumbled in response. This one was shown as a heavyset, balding man in a drab suit with dark savage eyes. The man he called Morgan.
"And where are the rest of you today?" Cyclone snapped, the characters already beginning to grate on his nerves.
"Sleeping." Morgan responded simply "Funnily enough, although we're trapped in your head, our entire existence doesn't revolve around you."
Cyclone screamed in frustration "Yes it does! You're my personality! How can it not-"
"I think we are becoming distracted." A soft, lilting voice spoke out, and Cyclone could feel each personality focus on it. A tall, lithe woman with brown hair sauntered sultrily into view, the clack of her heels echoing throughout Cyclone's head. This was Rebecca "Who was that blonde vixen? Was she looking for us? Does she know of our connection to our employer?"
"It doesn't matter" Cyclone himself said through gritted teeth "Even if she wakes up from the coma I've undoubtedly put her in, I believe I've probably beaten the knowledge out of her."
Cyclone then laughed in the rumbling voice of Morgan "You may be good buddy, but you ain't that good. I reckon that when that girl wakes up, and she will, she will hound you mercilessly."
Trixie clapped her hands, the anticipation evident in her expression "Ooooh, I can't wait! She was such fun!" She cried out.
"No, Trixie." Cyclone muttered. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed Morgan's advice. "What do we do?"
"Escape. Hide. Calculate our next attack." Morgan stated flatly.
Cyclone sighed as he noticed the truth within his own words "I suppose you're right. I think we'll have to fade into the shadows. But that's what we do best after all."