Chapter Two—The Black Queen

The Cravens swarmed them from all directions. It was a cloud of dark feathers engulfing them, a flurry of beaks, and a storm talons cutting at them, tearing their clothes and shredding their skin. So numerous were the Cravens that Hazel could see nothing but their flashing black bodies as they flickered in and out of the light, but that was okay. She didn't need to see in order to fight—she had been taught that much at Transmit… but would it be enough? She winced as one cut against her shoulders leaving an opening for another to tear at her sleeves and blooding her wrist.

Damn these birds.

How many fell by her sword? Twenty, maybe thirty in all. Yet they kept coming. One would be sliced or set aflame by Jetstream and several more would swarm at her, blinding her with sweeping talons and inky feathers raining down hiding their allies. Grunting in pain as one of them nicked her forehead she felt a small trickle of warmth seeping from her skin and down her nose. If they didn't break the Cravens formation they would be slowly but surely picked apart. How long until someone laid down their weapon in exhaustion or in a moment of pain? All in all this wasn't a fight about swords or beaks, it was persistence verses stamina.

… But what if they had more firepower? If they couldn't outlast the Cravens, what if they could kill them quicker than they appeared? Hazel smiled, not only did her sword have power, but it had fire as well. Flicking the control wheel under the guard up to its maximum she immediately stabbed her massive sword into the ground.

Liquid orange flames poured from the jets in the blade, dousing the black birds with brilliant hues of burning red and searing yellow. The constant screeches of the Craven turned to whimpers as they birds flocked in all directions. Their feathered burnt to a crisp and they fell from the skies, others in panic collided with trees with a thump before falling to the earth.

The chaos of the Cravens were over. A soft hand rested against her shoulder and Hazel could feel the smiles and relief from the others. She proudly turned to her comrades and found them bloodied, scratched yet happy. Not only did their lips form smiles, but their eyes were filled with bright light as they looked at her.

She had done it. Well of course she had done it. It was the leader's responsibility to pull a miracle out of their ass in times of need, wasn't it? What would she be to them if they had been picked to the bone by those carrion-starved birds?

"That was incredible!" Lillian exclaimed, she extended her arms and her grappling daggers reeled back to their various hidden locations. Her nose had a small scuff on it, but other than that and her torn collar she was unharmed.

"No, it wasn't really anything special." She said with false modesty, savoring the praise.

Lucas scoffed at her, "It really wasn't. If I had thought about it I could have done the same thing." He tapped his left gauntlet, clenching it into a fist. A dozen barrels extend out around his fist so it looked like a Gatling gun. "Just a few bursts from this and they would have plenty of pretty holes poked in them."

"But you didn't." Edwin said softly, "By time you had we would've been dead."

"What did you say?" Lucas turned to Edwin, flexed and gave him an intimidating look.

Edwin stepped away but Lucas wasn't satisfied by his flinch. One of the last routed birds fluttered by his head and without even looking he punched it, leaving only a puff of feathers.

"Well, at least he can say he was the first to punch a bird… I didn't think fighting was effective against flying."

Lucas began to walk away, shaking his head.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to find a new group."

"That's not how it works!" Hazel pointed out, "We're a team. Whether you like it or not. We're a team and we're seeing this though to the end."

"I'm not appreciated here. I'm leaving. And there's nothing you can say to stop me."

Was that a challenge? She wanted to win this more than she disliked his attitude.

"You are appreciated though! You have a freaking minigun in your arm, and a cannon in your other one. I punched a tree down in order to slow down, I know I watched. You're strong Lucas, and we're going to need all the strength we can get if we want to come out on top. I don't care what you think of me, or of anyone else in this group but I care that we win. I care that I win. You should too, because without us you don't have a snowballs chance in hell. And without you… neither do we…"

"You don't know that. You don't know me."

"Then give us the opportunity to. It's been ten minutes since we're all together. You're not giving us a chance."

Lucas was silent for a good several seconds before he said, "Fine. You know what, fine. I'll stay—fine, ok you win I'll stay. But you can't blame me if I want to leave after this little test is over. I'm talking to Professor Ozpin after this whether you like it or not."

Hazel smiled, if that was the best they could hope for she'll take it. She wasn't going to let him, or anyone else in the group hold her back. This was the school her mother had made her name at, and she intended to do the same—but only better.

"We're a team!" She yelled, "And nothing is going to stop us now."

There was a loud screech overhead and everyone froze. Oh no, was it another flock? Looking up she could see a faint black outline like a crow flying away from the. It wasn't a Craven. Something else flew overhead. It was big, black and furious. But it was clear to her wherever that thing was flying, it was heading the same way they needed to go.

If that was their next challenge before they got the relic… so be it. She was ready.