Nathaniel Zellos: Well, I don't have much to say right now, other than we worked hard on this chapter and hope you enjoy.
Chapter 2
Family
Third-person P.O.V.
After a few months had passed, Michelle and Nathaniel began training each other. Michelle trained for her sense of smell while Nathaniel trained with his hearing. The two stood in a clearing at opposite ends. Nathaniel was wearing makeshift nose plugs while Michelle had makeshift earplugs. This had become routine for them, and they had made immense strides. Michelle stood her ground and waited for her brother to make a move. Not wielding any weapons in her hand. She had even removed her bracers and set them aside. Nathaniel quickly moved towards Michelle's right side, aiming at her ribs with his fist. Michelle grabbed his fist, twirled to his side and tried to elbow him as a counter. Smirking, Nate just moved with the motion, bending his arm and elbowing Michelle in the stomach. Michelle let go of his fist and moved his elbow out of the way. She ducked down and swiped her leg under him to trip him before jumping away.
"You're going to have to try a lot harder than that. Though, if I could use my semblance, you wouldn't be able to land a hit!" Michelle boasted a bit with a large grin on her face. Nate just flipped backwards before his back hit the ground, using the palms of his hands to continue the motion till his feet were under him. "I could say the same. We are evenly matched as it is." he mouthed, getting into his fighting stance with his left arm slightly guarding his face, his right arm guarding his chest, and his feet shoulder width apart. Michelle lowered herself and had her claws at the ready. She watched Nate intently and kept up her guard.
Nate just grinned and ran up into Michelle's face, throwing an elbow to her shoulder. Michelle moved back and swung her leg up to his chin. Nate quickly intercepted her leg with his left hand, moving his head as he proceeded to flip Michelle backwards. Michelle caught herself and lunged at Nate, swiping her claws at him. Nate caught her hands, but didn't compensate for her momentum as they tumbled across the ground, snarling. Michelle smiled and brought her feet up to kick his chest. Nate smirked as she did this, and just moved one of her hands to be gripped in one of his as he wrapped his free arm around her legs. Michelle headbutted Nate to get free as he fall back. Nate just took the headbutt, suffering a broken nose, as he tried to pin down his struggling sister. Michelle struggled more, trying to get free, her claws scratching him periodically. Not able to bear it any longer, Nate released Michelle as he stepped into the tree line out of her sight.
Michelle got up and looked around before sniffing the air. She sat on the ground and waited for him. Nate watched his sister's actions before deciding to risk it. He climbed up the top of the nearest tree and, while waiting for the wind to change, sat on a limb. Michelle closed her eyes and relaxed, she had his scent but decided not to act. As the wind started blowing at his back, Nate quickly changed trees and pounced on Michelle. Michelle waited until the last second before rolling out of the way and swinging her leg down onto him. Hitting the ground with enough force to crack a rib or two, Nate grabbed Michelle's lower leg and twisted it off of him. Michelle grabbed him by his neck and threw him a few feet away from her.
Standing up and popping his neck, Nate stared at Michelle, waiting for her to make a move. Michelle charged at him, only to jump over his head and snap the neck of a beowolf. As Nate turned around, he motioned like he was unplugging his ears, signaling for Michelle to take the earplugs out. Michelle removed her earplugs and smiled. "Seems we had a friend show up!" Nate just shook his head, smiling along with her. "I knew he was there. He just wasn't close enough for me to kill in one hit," he explained.
"Sure you were." She picked up her weapons and put them back in their place. "So, any word about upcoming mercenary work yet?" Nate just shook his head as he pulled some weapon parts out of pockets and began to tinker with them. "Nope. Any word from mom?" Michelle looked down for a moment. "Yeah… she is very worried about us… she said that if it flares up I lose my mind in an instant… But I am not giving up without a fight!" Michelle smiled confidently. Nate stopped tinkering for a second as he looked up, taking out his nose plugs. "Any episodes like the first? Mom did tell me to keep a close eye on you, and that means keeping track of how many times this happens."
Michelle's ears lowered and she sighed. "About… 5 or 6 this month…" She said reluctantly. Slowly breathing out, Nate lowered his head as he resumed tinkering and said, "This isn't good. We need to find someway to at least control it. If you can learn to harness this, you could be unstoppable. Hell, you could probably kill the Wyvern if you harnessed this thing. Come on, I laid some traps around the cottage." Nate smirked as he put the pieces away and looked up. "Let's see if they caught anything." Michele looked up and smiled. "Alright, hopefully its better then a random mouse that we had caught." Nate visibly gagged at that. "Please don't remind me. That is one experience I don't need to relive." Suddenly, his ears perked up as he started laughing. "What about that time we had to eat those berries? Now that was funny!"
Michelle blushed a bit. "Maybe for you… I don't why I ended up in tree… or doing the other things that I would rather forget if you don't mind…" Still laughing, Nate just walked back towards the cottage, waving a hand over his shoulder while shouting, "You're the one that started it! And you tried to eat leaves to get the taste out of your mouth!" As he finished, Nate turned to face Michelle and broke into a fast backwards run. "Race ya home!" Michelle smiled and ran after him. She jumped up into the trees and pounced upwards to get ahead of him. "You're on little brother!" she laughed and smiled.
~a couple minutes later~
Panting heavily, the siblings arrived back at the cottage. Nate leaned against the wall and pulled a can of corn out of his shadow along with the can opener. "Damn, you are still fast as ever. And I thought we agreed not to trip each other during these things?" Michelle, not panting at all, smirked and giggled. "Oh? I don't remember agreeing to that…" she walked over to him and tried to take the can of corn. "Get your own can! They're just inside!" Nate said as he pulled the can closer to him and further from his sister. "And we agreed right before the mouse, if you are keen to 'forget'..." Michelle rolled her eyes and went inside. "I know, I just don't think rules should imply when we race. You know, like taking a job!" Michelle sad as she rummaged through the cupboards.
Sighing, Nate opened his can and ate the corn all at once. "You do know fere are somh jovs that hafe rules too...right?" he yelled with a mouthful. Michelle got out a can of beef and used her claws to open it up. "That depends on what mercenary group you're in and who hired you." Michelle ate almost half the can now. Leaning against the doorframe, Nate set his empty can in the corner shadow, watching as it disappeared. "Not always. Some clients have specific rules for a job. Some may want the target killed a certain way, others may want the target alive but scared. You never know what the job will be until you are told," Nate replied, staring at his sister.
Michelle eats the rest of her can and puts it down. "That is also true. Guess I tend to scare people. Now more than ever." she hinted at the blood of the wyvern that flowed in her blood. Sighing, Nate took a seat on the couch. "True. You're good at intimidation and mass killings. For some reason though, dad has been sending me out on more stealth missions." Michelle sighed. "He has been sending you on more missions in general…" Michelle sat on the kitchen counter. "He doesn't trust me as much as you… He has it out for me…" Nate turned to look at her. "We both know his reasoning, although it is misplaced," he said. Michelle slammed her fist into the counter. "It doesn't seem like he wants me to be there though… He made a rule with me. I am not to say a single word to him unless he asks me to explain myself… he started giving me more yes or no questions because of it…" Michelle got off the counter and winced a bit.
Nate shook his head. "That isn't right. Dad is starting to get as bad with discriminating against those like you and mom as the Schnee's are with all Faunus." Michelle nodded. "Yeah, but he respects mom… she did try to kill him at one point…" Michelle lied on the couch and relaxed. Nate just sighed. "But did he ever know about mom's fangs? If he didn't when they met, he probably has his suspicions now." Michelle nodded. "Yeah… hopefully things with him will lighten up…" Nate shrugged and started tinkering again, this time with bigger parts. "Yeah...hopefully…" he replied. Michelle started to fall asleep and rest.
~one year later~
"So… took me a while, but what do you think?" Nate asked as he held up a purple and grey box. Pressing a button on the top, it expanded into a sniper rifle with a bayonet attached. "Impressive… But I like how I upgraded my weapons more!" Michelle smiles. Nathaniel just held up a finger as he pressed another button, causing the rifle to split in two. The front half compacted as the bayonet slid down away from the barrel, forming a spear. The back half twisted and turned, sprouting another blade as the scope withdrew into the newly revealed short sword. "May I introduce Leaf and Vine, the melee form of Grimm's Thorn." Michelle whistles. "Nice! But do you know how to use a sniper?" Michelle asked. Nate just shrugged. "A little, but it's been years. I could use some practice," he said, reforming the sniper. "Snipers need wind speed, wind direction, and the target!" Michelle smiles.
Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "Yeah… everything dad had pros teach me is coming back...albeit slowly…" he replied, resting the rifle against his shoulder and aiming at a stack of empty cans. "Good thing we saved these, huh?" Nate asked before aiming a little to the right and up. As he counted in his head, he took a deep breath, released it halfway, and pulled the trigger, missing the cans by an inch. Michelle covered her mouth to try to contain her laughter. "You know skills deteriorate when unused for long periods of time, right? Last time I ever held a sniper rifle was when I was four." Michelle smiled. "Alright, let me see the gun then! I have never held one, Put I aim with pistols, I want to see if it's any different!" Nathaniel handed the rifle over to his sister reluctantly. "The sight may be a bit off. I did finish it today, mind you."
Michelle checked the sight and corrected it. "Off by one foot…" she took aim at the cans. Turning the sight an inch away from the can. She closed her eyes and relaxed. She pulled the trigger and hit the can dead centre, tearing it to pieces. "Good choice in bullets!" Nathaniel took the rifle back, ejecting the spent cartridge and the magazine, handing both to Michelle. "Armor and bone piercing bullets. Useful against both people and Grimm." Michelle inspected the bullets before handing them back. "Perfect for snipers. My bullets are mostly explosive rounds… Hard to make without the risk of exploding, but it's worth every step to watch a grimm suddenly explode!" Michelle giggled and pulled out her twin heavy pistols. "Then again, only mom's pistol that even compares to mine! And I am only classifying pistols for that, so don't worry." Michelle twirled her pistols a bit.
Nate chuckled a bit before transforming Grimm's Thorn back into its carry form. "It's not easy to make these though. It requires the right concentration of fire, ice, and lightning dust. Even if there is one milligram off, the bullet is useless and the dust is wasted. So, these are more expensive, and more dangerous, to make in the long run." Michelle smiled and giggled. "Fair enough, mine is only hazardous because I have to use black dust to make even more lethal. Oh! I got job coming up soon!" Michelle smiled. Nate grinned widely and hugged her. "That's great news, sis! Maybe dad is finally starting to trust you," he said, joy evident in his voice. Michelle giggles. "Yup! Its an assassination and a kidnap mission!"
Nate's ears twitches slightly. "So who're the targets, if you can tell me? I understand if you can't," he asked with curiosity. "I'm killing a bodyguard and kidnap a princess!" Michelle said happily. Nate nodded, releasing Michelle and heading back inside. "So when do you leave for this mission?" Michelle smiled widely. "In a few days! I wonder what the princess is like…" She thought for a moment. Her brother just shrugged as his eyes flashed quickly. "Knowing the jobs dad has been accepting, most likely a stuck up bitch, with a temper to boot," he said. Michelle gave him a smirk. "You never know! She could be a scared pretty girl that is completely innocent to the world due to her nice and quiet upbringing!" she giggled.
"Have you ever known dad to accept a job to take out someone he doesn't have some type of vendetta against?" Nate asked as he rolled his eyes. "It depends on how he feels! I'm sure everything will be fine! It will take me a day to get to the location, two days to plot and execute, and another day to send her off and get back!" Michelle stated proudly. Nate just waved her off as he pulled two sodas from his shadow, tossing one towards Michelle. "Okay… Here's to a good job and a bountiful future!" Michelle catches the soda and raises it. "Here here!" she giggles. Nate just flopped onto the couch, opened his soda, and took a few sips. "You won't believe how hard it was to find these within a couple hundred miles of here. We were lucky that there was a nearly deserted town at the edge of my range." Michelle nodded. "I bet!"
~During Michelle's mission~
Michelle watched from a dark alley for her targets to come by, she had watched them for a few days before finding out their routine. She watched out into the street and saw her two targets walking by. "There they are…" she whispered to herself. Michelle waited a few minutes before stepping out of the alley way and following them. Listening to them carefully as they walked.
"Miss Belicov, please… your father wants you back at the mansion…" a tall man wearing a suit pleaded with a young girl. "It's fine! I want to have a walk outside! Daddy can wait!" a little girl stated. Michelle followed them and watched as they took a quick turn down a dark alley. She smiled and followed them. Once there, she vanished. "Miss… why did you come down through here?" The man asked. "I wanted to be adventurous!" the girl giggled and ran deeper into the alley until she bumped into someone. Michelle's eyes glowed red. "Hello young one. You seemed to have taken a wrong turn." Michelle smiled. The man grabbed the girl and tried to run to the exit. Shadows suddenly shot up like spikes, blocking the exit.
"Let us out of here… we have no money on us…" the man said. Michelle just laughed. "Money? You think I want your money? Wow! You have no idea why I am here! No… I am here… for here." Michelle pointed her claws at the girl. The man pulled out a gun. "Back off you damned mercenary!" Michelle just stared them down. "Tell the girl cover her eyes and ears… best not to let her see blood… right?" Michelle crossed her arms. The man turned to the girl and get her to do just that. "I really wish I didn't have to use my gun…" the man ran at Michelle he fired a couple shots before going in for a roundhouse kick towards her head.
Michelle had vanished. She pulled out her own pistol and aimed it at his head. "Be glad that she knows you died protecting her… but you both had a contract… Someone wants you dead…" Michelle pulled the trigger before he could react. His head exploded into pieces. She lowered her pistol and turned her attention to the girl. The girl was crying, trembling and fearing the outcome. Michelle licked her lips, she could feel the wyvern blood start to boil feeling the strong negativity from such a young girl. It took every ounce of strength to just pick up the girl and jump up to the roof top. "Let me go!" the girl yelled. Michelle jumped from the rooftop to rooftop. "I'm sorry…" she said. The girl was shocked hearing that. She was still scared, but the mercenary that held her was sympathetic.
Michelle brought the girl to a warehouse. Her shadows tied the girl up as she sat the girl down. A tall man wearing a blue suit walked out. "Good, you brought her… I'll transfer the money to the specific account as agreed." Michelle nodded. She turned her back to leave and had a gun pointed at her head. "Not yet. Your old man gave me a task." Michelle glared at him clenched her fists. She was now thinking the worst of how it was going to end. "Your code name is now Dark Wolf." Michelle turned back to him in confusion. "What did you say?" she asked. She wasn't sure she heard him right. The man laughed. "You seem shocked! I was tasked to giving you your codename when making request! Seeing how heartless you were doing your job, your name should reflect that! Though, the best I can think of is Dark Wolf. You can go now. You have to give your report after all!"
Michelle bowed to him. "Thank you for cooperation than." Michelle turned and left the warehouse, getting into a family bullhead. It lifted off and headed for the family home. She thought to herself during the journey.
At the family home, Michelle knelt to her father. "Father… I have completed my mission." she said with a slight smile. "Good. Now, what was your given code name?" he asked her. "My code name is Dark Wolf." Michelle replied to him. He nodded and turned to her. "You were a minute off then the plan though… Guess you need to be rewarded for this…" Her father glared at her. Michelle's eyes widened and she paled.
~1 week later~
Back at the cottage, Nate was busy wrapping his hands after punching some trees. Sighing as he finished, he looked over at Michelle. "How is it today? Need more painkillers?" he asked with some concern. Michelle shook her head. "No… I'm fine…" she held her arm tightly. "I haven't had an attack though… probably because it is agreeing that I need time to recover…" Nate stood up from the couch, hands held away from him as he pulled the wrappings tight. "Still doesn't mean that dad isn't an asshat," he growled. As he tied the wrap,the loose ends fell out as he continued speaking. "He should have a 'failed attempt' on his life so he can learn what it means to be us, or more specifically, anyone born with Crimson fangs. Don't you agree?"
Michelle smiled softly. "Yeah, I do agree. Then again… he is in the hospital right now…" Michelle looked at her arm. Nate just looked at his sister. "Yeah… care to explain how that happened? You never did tell me," he asked. Michelle smiled and giggled. "I let it loose… Mom had just got home when I had tore off his leg… she pulled me off him…" she gripped her arm tightly. Nathaniel groaned slightly. "You know you just gave him another reason to distrust you, right? He won't forget this. Sometimes I think he might be an elephant Faunus due to his memory." Michelle giggled. "You should have seen the look on his face. The emotions he had! It was a beautiful thing!" she curled up and trembled. Tears began going down her face. "I wish I had just killed him…" Nate made his way over to Michelle and wrapped as best as he could in a hug. "I know Michelle. But we both know that wouldn't have solved everything. If you had, someone more ambitious would've taken his place and put a bounty on your head. No one in the Claws takes kindly to traitors. If I could without being seen, I would've done it years ago. But I got some news from mom that might cheer you up!" he said.
Michelle looked up at Nate. "What is it?" Nate just smiled and told her, "I'll let mom tell you herself. She's dropping by tomorrow. She sent me the message this morning while I was out." Michelle pouted and grumbled. "I hate waiting… why can't you just tell me?" Nate chuckled at her face. "Because, orders are orders, and mom ordered me not to. Now, why don't you give your arm some rest?" he said as he released her, ruffling her hair as he did so. Michelle huffed and laid down. "Fine… but I honestly don't want to talk or think about what exactly happened when he gave me the 'reward' if you don't mind…" she pulled a blanket over herself and tried to relax.
Nate just sighed and replied, "I know, big sis. I know." He went back outside and stared up at the sky for a couple of minutes, watching the patterns of stars change. After a couple of minutes, he went back inside and sat cross-legged on the floor, closing his eyes as sleep overtook him.
~the next morning~
Nate woke up to see Michelle was no longer on the couch and that the door was open. Standing up, he made his way outside and saw his mother and sister standing talking. He smiled and went back inside, keeping an ear on the conversation that was taking place outside. "So what's the good news you had?" Michelle asked Sia.
"Fifth time you have asked. I know you're excited but still, you're asking way too many times! But the news I have is that most of the members have no idea who attacked your father, but that's only part of it. Since you two have been here for six years, you're getting close to the end of this. Rules state that you two must have at least two weapons. I know I am not telling you the actual good news yet. But the head of the Crimson Fang is going to step down and guess who is taking over!" Sia smiled. Inside the cottage, Nate smiled, waiting for his sister's reaction to this news. Michelle smiled and hugged Sia. "Oh my god that's amazing! I'm so happy for you!" Michelle said excitedly. "Thank you! But when you're done the last four years here, I want you to be my second in command, your brother of course will be with the Crimson Fang as well!"
Michelle pulled away and tilted her head. "What about dad? Does he know about this?" Sia shook her head. Nate stepped back outside and spoke up. "No he doesn't. I'm running the disinformation part of this plan, as he thinks I never lie to him," he stated. Michelle smiled. "This is awesome! I can't wait!" Michelle was practically jumping up and down in excitement. Nate and Sia both chuckled at Michelle. "Trust me, it's not as was as I make it sound sis. I have to think of excuses for mom's absences on the fly," Nate said while slightly glaring at Sia. "She never gives me warning." Sia smiled and scratched the back of her head. "Well, neither does Michelle or you when you two decide to try something! I covered for you two when all of a sudden your scent came from the roof and your father took notice!" she replied back to them. "When does her ever go on the roof of his free will? He would only notice if he was dragged up there by someone!" Nate shot back. "Now who else would've dragged him all the way to the roof, hmm?"
"In this case, he left the window open to be fair…" she glared at him. Michelle looked at them and sat down. She was finding this amusing. Nate pointed a finger at Michelle and said, with amusement evident in his voice, "Oh no. You don't get to enjoy this. If you hadn't been so stubborn the day before, I wouldn't have had to push myself to get you home!" Michelle just shrugged and smiled. "I know! I wanted my brother to help me get back since I was having such a hard time trying to home after spending so many days being punished." Michelle frowned and sighed. She got up and started walking towards the forest. "I think I should go for a walk…"
Sia sighed and shook her head. "That probably shouldn't have been brought up…" Nate's ears visible twitched. "I'll go get her. It was my fault anyways for choosing that cave all those years ago," he said before following his sister's trail. Michelle sat on a rock and looked up at the clouds above her head. She held her arms close to her as she watched the clouds. Off in the tree line, Nate stopped at the edge and called out, "Michelle! I know you're there! Can you please come down so we can talk? I'm sorry for bringing that day up!" Michelle jumped down and walked over to Nate. "That depends, what do you want to talk about?"
Nate created a set of chairs and a table from the nearby shadows and took a seat. "Whatever's on your mind. All I want is to take some of the weight off your shoulders," he said. "And don't say there is no weight, as I have noticed you staring at nothing often." Michelle sighed and her ears lowered. "Ever since I absorbed the blood of that wyvern… I… I've been hearing things… a voice… female to be exact. It sounds… friendly… but whenever I start to communicate with it… the wyvern roars at me and tells me not to speak, only listen… like it… it respects the woman… to certain degree…" Michelle started pacing. Nate motioned for Michelle to take a seat, saying, "I hear it too. I have ever since I ingested the beowolf's blood. But I always just thought it my imagination or the work of my…'friend'... I never thought it was real… until now."
"Do you think… she is beckoning for us?" Michelle sat down in a chair and leaned forward. "As if she wants us to meet her?" Nate shrugged and leaned back, stretching as he did. "No idea…maybe it is just communication to all Grimm…I mean…we are technically part Grimm, so it makes sense we can hear things we couldn't before…right?" Michelle nodded. "Yeah… That makes sense… I do hear the wyvern calling out, asking me to return to it… I don't understand why though…" Nate tapped his chin in thought. "Maybe…maybe it thinks you are one of its spawn and wants you to protect it…but that wouldn't make sense…" he mused until he was murmuring just below hearing level. Michelle's eyes changed briefly and she shook her head. "Back inside… inside the darkness…"
Nate sat up as his eyes lit up. "I just remembered…I experienced the same pain and agony afterwards that you did in the cave! I think it is a metamorphosis of sorts! That would explain everything!" Michelle tilted her head. "What do you mean?" Nate leaned forward and laced his hands together under his chin. "Think about it…First we ingested the blood of a Grimm…then we both had massive headaches the next day that probably made new pathways for us to be more like the Grimm…it all makes sense, doesn't it?" Michelle stood up and thought for a moment. "I guess…" she began walking away. "I still have a hard time believing it…" Nate followed, allowing the shadows to fall back into place. "So do I, but it is the only thing close to being logical that I could think of…" he replied. "If you can think of something else, I'm all ears."
Michelle thought for a bit. "I am going back to the wyvern…" her shadows began to come off of her. Nate stumbled a little, but resumed following his sister. "Let me guess…You're going to try to get some answers? I doubt it would work…but it's worth a try I guess…" Michelle smiled. "You never know!" she began to sprint towards the mountain. Nate smirked and sprinted after her. Once hitting his stride, he shadow stepped to her side, and started sprinting backwards. Raising an eyebrow at Michelle, he asked, "What? You never said this was a race!" Michelle smiled. "It's not! I just like running!" she sprinted faster to get to the mountain.
Nate just grinned wickedly as he shadow stepped into the cave ahead of her, tackling her when she entered. Michelle laughed and quickly got up, she suddenly stopped and turned her attention to the wyvern that looked at them both with glowing red eyes. Nate quickly stepped back as the Wyvern raised its head and released a low growl. "Can you understand it?" Nate asked quietly. Michelle's eyes glowed. "Yeah… I can understand it…" Michelle walked closer to it as it watched the two of them.
"So, you decided to finally show up, child? And you brought an outsider?" the wyvern growled. Michelle grinned and giggled. "He followed me home?" Michelle acted a bit smug. "That is not an excuse!" he yelled. "He must be taken care of!" As the wyvern said this, he reached out with his barbed tail, only for it to pass through shadows. "He is not your concern! He is family… my family…" Michelle snapped at the wyvern. Her eyes glowed brighter. "You do not tell me what is and is not my concern," the wyvern replied, resting his tail against Michelle's injured shoulder. "Now tell me, why did he have a speck of darkness in him? I know you could see it also." Michelle winced and gritted her teeth. "He has a bit of the blood of a beowolf running through him… if that is what you're referring to…" Michelle started to relax a bit.
"Hmm...so he is part of the family after all. That still doesn't excuse his presence here, or your evasiveness! But, I shall forgive you, child, on one condition," the wyvern said, moving his tail back to his side. Michelle looked up to the wyvern. "What is the condition?" The wyvern glared at her. "You must do as my mistress commands without question. You vaguely know of whom I speak," he replied, his gaze never wavering. "And in doing so, you must give up on the light, or forever be tormented." Michelle laughed a bit. "For me, darkness is more warmth than what the light can bring. Seeing as I also don't like being tormented, I'll agree to the condition. I'll agree to do what must be must then. I am supposed to be a mercenary, after all." Michelle bowed to the wyvern and smiled.
The wyvern dipped its head. "Then go, my child, and wait for your orders. Do not speak of this to anyone." With that said, he lowered his head, and went back to his slumber. Michelle nodded and turned away from the wyvern, pulling Nate with her out of the cave. "All is good now." Nate just glared at his sister. "What the hell was it that you agreed to?!" he yelled, tearing his arm free. Michelle looked at him and shrugged. "I don't know exactly. The wyvern made it very vague for me to understand completely. Even if I did understand, wouldn't it be against the rules I was given to talk about it with anyone?" Michelle was hinting that he drop it and not think about too much. Tossing his hands up, Nate replied, "Fine! But don't expect me to not tell mom about heading back to the cave. I won't tell her about you talking to the wyvern though, so don't worry."
Michelle smiled. "Thank you!" she headed for the cottage and stopped for a moment. Nate sniffed the air and looked at her. "You smell that?" Michelle nodded. "Yeah, smells like fire to me… you?" Nate nodded and grabbed Michelle's arm. "You ready?" he asked, stretching a shadow before them. "Ready as I'll ever be!" Michelle smiled. Nate grinned as he pulled Michelle into the shadow, stepping out in front of the burning cottage. "Shit! Mom, where are you?!" Nate called out. Sia didn't call out, someone came out of the blazing inferno. "Well… looks like I still have one more to kill… My orders are to kill the one to take over Crimson Fang… I seemed to have missed one…" They wore the symbols for Shadow Claw.
Nate let go of Michelle as he grabbed Requiem and Grimm's Thorn out of his shadow, holding the sniper in his left hand and the chakram in his right. "You're not going to lay a hand on my sister. And after I'm through with you, I'll kill the son of a bitch who calls himself my father. Michelle, hold these for me, please," he snarled, holding the weapons towards his sister as his aura flared bright blue with distinct streaks of black. Michelle nodded and took the weapons, she started to back away from them. The man smiled.
"I love a good chase. Let's see how long you can last kid!" the man pulled out a sword that turned into a shotgun. Nate just stood in his spot, head down and arms swinging lazily, as his shoulders shook with laughter. When he looked up, his eyes changed, and as he spoke, he grew claws and fangs. "You really picked the wrong kids to mess with. Now, I'll give you one chance to back away, and say the mission is done." the man aimed his shotgun and got ready to pull the trigger. "Sorry kid, I am supposed bring back their fangs!" he pulled the trigger and fired a spray of bullets. "You really need to work on your perception," Nathaniel said from behind the man as the clone dissipated from the bullets. "Then again, I doubt you'll have the time."
Nathaniel then proceeded to grab the shotgun and pulled it up into the man's chin. The man glared at Nate. "Even if you kill me, more will come! No matter where you go!" Nate just ripped the shotgun out of the man's hands and dropped it into his shadow. "Now, who said anything about me killing you? No no no, that would help me at all. You see, you are to carry a message to father, and he will be the one to kill you. And trust me, dying by his hands is actually a blessing considering what I would do if you don't agree to be the messenger. What do you say?" Nate asked before laughing. "You only have thirty seconds to answer, so make your decision quickly!" he sang. The man gritted his teeth and weighed his options. "Fine, have it your way… what is the message?"
Nate sighed and picked the man up by his throat. "Tell our father, your boss, that if another person comes for her head, I will personally visit and tear him limb from limb. Got it?!" Nate stated, jerking a hand towards Michelle. The man nodded and choked a bit. Michelle watched them and looked down. Nathaniel stared at the man before dropping him. "Good. Now leave before I change my mind and carve the message into your flesh," he said, walking back to the forest while trying to calm down. The man ran away into a bullhead, flying off to their father. Michelle dropped his weapons carefully and ran towards the cottage. She was hoping Sia was still alive.
Nate just watched as his eyes faded back to normal and he put his weapons away. Once they were safely stored, he walked up to Michelle and hugged her. "I don't think she was inside when it started. If she was, she probably managed to escape, so there's still hope that she's alive," Nate said in a whisper. Michelle relaxed and leaned back into him. "I don't want to lose her… she was the one person in our lives that cared about us…" her ears lowered and she saw Sia's helmet. "She left her helmet behind…" Nate just held her tightly as they watched the fire burn down. When it was nothing but embers, he finally spoke up. "We need to move. Knowing our luck, someone probably saw the smoke and is heading this way. Do you feel up to it?" Michelle nodded and stared at the helmet. "I want helmet with me…" Michelle spoke up.
Nate sent some shadows into the embers to retrieve the helmet, handing it to Michelle. "Let's get going. There are a few abandoned buildings further south, and more caves to the west. Which way do you want to go?" he asked, worry evident in his voice. Michelle put on the helmet and looked at Nate. "Let's go west… Been a while since we lived in a cave." Michelle stated. Nate looked at her, smiled, and said, "Alright, boss. Hold on tightly," before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and stepping into a shadow. Michelle held onto Nate tightly. "Let's go!"
~two years later~
Nate sat against the cold wall of the cave, waiting for Michelle to return from who knows what. In the last two years, there had been no word from Sia or the Crimson Fang. As he began to calculate all the possibilities, the sound of footsteps brought him back to the real world. Michelle walked up to him and looked at him. She had grown to wear Sia's helmet more often than not since their cottage burned down. "Hey Nate, I'm back."
Nate just looked up at her. "I can see that. Any word today? Or did you not check?" he asked as he stood up. Slung across his back was Grimm's Thorn, with Requiem hanging from his hip. "I did check… Shadow Claw is scrambling to get their shit together ever since our father got of the hospital and not only that, Crimson Fang has been in hiding so far… apparently, something happened that has caused them to go quite… I'm not sure what exactly happened… My informant didn't really have that much info about it… I also got us a present!" Michelle seemed happy.
Nathaniel just waved his hand towards the table and chairs he made the year before, more elegant than the ones that burned at the cottage. Taking a seat, he set Thorn against the wall next to him and said, "Really, now? What'd you get?" Michelle sat at the table and place two scrolls in the middle of it. "I got us a scroll! We can keep in touch with each other now!" Nate picked one up and spun it in his hand with a smile on his face. "Nice! Oh, and I got you something also," he said before placing an elaborate box on the table. Michelle tilted her head. "A box?" she picked up the box and examined it carefully. "No, silly," he said, tapping her forehead. "Inside the box. Here, let me help you with that." Taking the box back, he slid some panels seemingly at random before the box opened. He tilted the opening towards his sister, showing the hundreds of bullets, custom made for her. Michelle smiled widely at the bullets. "Did you seriously make these for me?"
Nate just set the box down, smirking as he held his hands up in the air. "Okay fine, don't thank me. Not like I worked on them all month just for today." Michelle giggled. "Thank you very much Nate. I am very thankful." Michelle took off Sia's helmet and smiled at him. Nate smiled and held his arms out. "How about a hug for your favorite brother?" he asked. Michelle rolled her eyes and gave him a hug. "You're my only brother!" Nate just chuckled and laid his head on her shoulder. "Exactly. And tomorrow, I need to head out for a bit. I scented some Claws to the west. Need to make sure they haven't found us," he whispered before ending the hug. "Besides, I also need to talk to some people other than you so I don't go any crazier than I am."
Michelle giggled. "Alright, don't forget your scroll and your sniper. Maybe you can head to the city and find out some info from people. Stay safe, alright?" Michelle gave him a caring smile, she was worried. "Since when do I not stay safe?" Nate asked, with a hand over his heart and mock hurt on his face. Michelle laughed. "I'm your big sister, I know you too well to try that!" Michelle tossed him his scroll. Nate lost his composure and fell to the floor laughing. When he could breath enough to talk, he replied, "At least I don't go looking for fights like you. I was heading to town anyways to meet someone that has something I need." Picking up Grimm's Thorn, Nate started walking backwards out of the cave as the sky lightened. "See you when I get back, sis!" he shouted. Michelle waved him off and watched him leave before putting Sia's helmet back on.
~later that day~
Nate had stopped outside the walls of the nearest town, waiting for his contact to meet him. Thirty minutes later, a familiar scent finally appeared. "You're late," Nate growled. A tall man walked up to him and crossed his arms. "Sorry, my boss wouldn't let me go early after getting him ready for a few jobs." Nate looked up at the Faunus, only able to see a white mask where the face should be. "How has Adam not gotten onto you for wearing your glasses over your mask, Perry? That is just ridiculous," he asked, pointing to the spectacles over the eye slots. "But that's not why I'm here today. Do you have the package or not?" Perry nodded. "Yeah I have it…" he handed Nate the package. "To answer your question though, I told him that I can't see without my glass and he just shrugged me off."
Nate just sighed as he stored the package in his shadow. "Well, let's just hope he doesn't notice a few things missing. If he does, blame the fresh meat, alright. I don't want to have to find a new contact," Nate said with little concern as he started walking away. Perry smiled. "No worries, Adam doesn't check the supplies too often so we usually end up making everything back without him noticing!" Perry started walking away. Nate waved a hand over his shoulder as a shadow enveloped him, taking him to the forest without a trace left behind.
As he stepped out of the shadow, Nate noticed the forest was unusually quiet. Taking out Leaf and Vine, he followed his instincts until he reached the edge of a currently empty campsite. Not taking any chances, he quickly shadow stepped a few yards from the cave entrance. As he rushed in, he grabbed the chairs and the table, storing them in a shadow. Quickly getting out his scroll, he messaged Michelle, 'Where are you at?', before cloaking himself in the shadows. Michelle sent him a response. 'I went into the forest for a walk, is something wrong?'
'Just got back from town. Saw a camp a few miles from the cave. Think it might be the Claws,' he replied. 'Stay where you are, I'll come get you.' Michelle messaged back, 'Not yet, I am in the middle of something…' Nate swore under his breath. 'You're following them, aren't you?' Michelle messaged back, 'I am not following anyone, I am just relaxing under a tree now.' Nate sighed as he shot back, 'Okay. If you hear anything that isn't me, promise to hide till I get to you?' Michelle sent a message back, 'Alright, I promise to hide if I hear anything.' Putting the scroll back in his pocket, he let the shadows drop before going out to find the owners of the camp.
A group of people seemed to be hanging by their waist from trees, there were screams and snarling coming from the northeast direction. Following the sounds, Nathaniel came upon another campsite, only bloodier than the previous one. A beringal was inching closer to a guy with a red serrated sword, he was swinging the sword wildly. "Get away from me you stupid gorilla!" he yelled. Nate quickly formed the sniper and aimed at the beringal's back, letting his training kick in as he pulled the trigger four times in quick succession. As the Grimm turned to face him, Nate swapped weapons and ran at it with Requiem in tonfa form. Channeling aura into the silver blade, he sliced at its arm, freezing it solid with the help of the ice crystal. As he passed, he sliced at the same arm with the gold blade, shattering it as the Grimm roared. As quickly as it started, Nate ended it by stabbing the tail spike of each tonfa into the side of the Grimm's neck, severing its spine and the carotid.
Turning around, he pointed the silver blade at the man and asked, "Who sent you? Tell me!" the man trembled in fear. "I-I don't know! Someone hired us to camp out here and search for someone! That's all I know! Please let me live!" the man pleaded. Nate stared at the man as he thought this over. "I will, if you tell me who you were looking for… and you better not lie, otherwise…" Nate said, letting the man figure out the rest. "All we were told is that it was a woman! Black hair! Amber eyes! That's all!" the man had fear clear on his face. "I believe you," Nate said as he kneed the man in the gut and kicked his face, knocking him out cold. As he walked back into the forest, he felt the sensation of being watched, but there was no scent or sound indicating where the watcher was. He ignored the feeling as he went to find his sister.
Michelle sat under a tree and a beowolf was lying next to her, it was fast asleep along with her. Her hand on its head while it rest its head on her lap. She began to open her eyes a bit and looked around at the familiar scent coming towards her. "Nate is coming this way…" Michelle yawned. "There you are!" Nate said as he came into sight. "I see you made a friend." Michelle stretched. "Yeah, playful thing. But I guess it's time to head home now, right?" Nate nodded while keeping an eye on the Grimm. "I think we might have a lead, but I'm not sure. Let's go. You can bring him if he behaves himself." Michelle stood up and the beowolf just lied there. "Alright, lead the way, I got lost anyways ways." Michelle started walking ahead a bit. "What's the lead you got anyways?"
Nate spun Michelle around. "Firstly, you're heading the wrong way. Secondly, I saved a man from a beringal, who said he and his group were looking for a woman with black hair and amber eyes. Does that ring a bell to you?" he asked as he started walking towards the cave. Michelle thought for a bit and started walking in the new direction she was now facing. "Hmmm… it sounds familiar… I'll have to ask around to be sure. If I do know her, I wouldn't mind talking to her if she has a bounty on her…" Michelle grinned. "Or… she could be a part of the Crimson Fang, which is why I said it is possibly a lead. If she is, she could tell us if mom survived," Nate pointed out.
Michelle rolled her eyes and looked up at him. "I doubt it… there may be a feud between the two, but they wouldn't actively try to hunt down single members using an entire group… just doesn't seem logical… they would send the strongest…" Michelle stated. Nate stopped walking as he turned to Michelle. "They weren't members of the Claws. The man I saved was blindly waving his sword like he just received it. Does that sound like a Claw to you?" Michelle smiled. "Not unless they were trainees. They wouldn't send trainees out to hunt someone… either the person is seriously underestimating their opponent, or someone is trying to draw them out… But then again, why would a beringal suddenly attack a large group by itself like that… sometimes beowolves tag along with them…" Nate shrugged as he resumed walking. "I don't know. I could ask my friend in the nearby town if he's seen anyone like he description I was given, but there are no guarantees," he said. Turning his head slightly, he glimpsed motion out of the corner of his eye. "Your friend decided to tag along after all. That's cute!" Michelle giggled. "Shut up! I have always wanted a dog!" she went ahead of Nate and yawned. "I am getting tired though, we need to rest before we try getting more information on the one we're going to look for!"
Nate nodded, holding back a yawn of his own as the cave came into sight. "Agreed. He can keep watch to make sure we aren't ambushed. Let's hope he will also defend against his kin." Michelle shrugged. "No idea. I just know that he is playful!" Michelle grinned under Sia's helmet and walked into their cave, lying down on a makeshift bed. Nate sat down against the wall facing the entrance. "You do know that we might have to move again, and soon, right? I mean, just a couple miles away is another camp that had the same setup as the one with the beringal," Nate said, stifling another yawn. Michelle groaned. "I know… But there is no fun in moving when we're a lot stronger than the enemy…" Nate shook his head at this. "Sure we may be stronger, but they outnumber us, around a hundred to one. And that's after taking our strength into account. Would you rather die from exhaustion or live to fight another day?"
Michelle looked up at him. "That may be true, but we can still hold our own… it also depends on who we're fighting, how skilled they are, and if are dumb enough to come after us!" Michelle smiled. Nate just nodded as he listened, and, after thinking for a moment, replied, "Well, you do know that if they are working for dad, he will be contacted once we are found, right?" Michelle thought for a bit. "If they had already found us, they would have already messaged him… and considering the chatter in the Claws, they have been arguing over where to start looking in the first place… but that information is a couple days old… I have no idea what has happened now…" Michelle sat up. Nate shrugged. "Well...If those camps were for mercenaries dad hired to help the Claws, then we better move on anyways. I...sorta knocked out the guy I saved…" he said while rubbing the back of his neck. "They probably had descriptions of both of us."
Michelle sighed and stood up. "I'll deal with it… I also have a plan for what we're going to do in two years… though, I have to make contact with someone first… until then, we'll live in the forest… Alright?" Nate nodded as he closed his eyes. "Sounds good to me… and the only reason I spared the guy is because I promised to if he told me the truth…" he said before falling into a deep sleep.
~Six Months Later~
Michelle rushes to a nearby cave, the beowolf, which she had named Ace, followed close behind her. "Nate! Where are you?" she yelled out for Nate as she got close to it. As she grew closer, a pillar of shadows detached itself from a nearby tree, dissipating to reveal the person she was looking for. "No need to yell, I'm right here. What's the rush, sis?" he asked, worry evident on his face. Michelle slowed down in front of Nate and removed her helmet, a large grin on her face. "I got word about the Crimson Fang! Well, more specifically, they actually contacted me!" Nate's face lit up instantly as he hugged his sister. "That's great news! So? What did they say?"
"Well, mom is alive and almost in one piece. The head of Crimson Fang is going to remain in power until she… recovers… But she is able to talk and everything about what happened." Michelle was smiling and jumping a bit. Nate grinned ear to ear as he heard this. "See? What did I tell you that day? I told you she escaped! Did she say anything about what happened, though?" he asked, letting Michelle go. "Yes! The guy we fought did attack her… but the damaged state she was found in was only because of a miss fire with her weapons. Apparently, the guy had gotten a knife into the chamber the moment she pulled the trigger…" Michelle explained. Her brother swore under his breath, "I should've killed that bastard when I had the chance." Michelle placed a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, everything is okay. She is fine. She has a new forearm that looks badass though!" Michelle smiled.
"Alright, I'll relax… but next time, don't make it sound like something bad happened. For a minute there, I thought you had some Claws behind you," Nate replied with a chuckle and a glare. Michelle giggled. "You think I would let them follow me here?" Nate just kept glaring at her for a minute before replying, "You're my big sis...knowing you, you would've just harmed them enough to enrage them and force them to follow you…so... yes, I do think that." Michelle pouted and sighed. "I wouldn't… I only did that once to be fair…" she walked towards the cave. Nate just shook his head, shoulders shaking from contained laughter, before he started walking towards the nearest town, shouting over his shoulder as he waved a hand in the air, "I need to pick some things up in town, I'll be back in a bit! And don't worry, I'll stay safe!" Michelle turned to look at him and yelled, "You better be!"
~Later that day~
Nate had just finished his business in town and was heading back to the cave when he heard a familiar voice call out to him. Turning his head, Nate did a double take before replying, "Perry! What the hell are you doing here?" as the faunus in question jogged towards him. "I have a message for you… from Adam… says that if you needed supplies, you could've just asked… but also… something is going on in the White Fang… a member that is close to him might leave which means it's going to be a lot harder to get you any more supplies… I also found this in the store room." Perry handed him a piece of paper that had the Claw symbol on it. Nate took the paper and crumpled it. "So he knows…" he muttered before looking back at Perry. "Thanks for showing me this. And tell Adam I'll take that into consideration," Nate said before stepping back into a shadow. As the shadow shrunk, Nate poked his head and an arm, throwing a small bundle at Perry's feet. "There's a little something for helping us out all these years. Hope you find use for it!" Once the shadow was back in its place, Perry picked up the bundle and opened it. Smiling, he took out two sets of earplugs, examining them before placing them away as he went back to base.
Michelle was on her scroll messaging someone. She was sitting on a branch in a tree as she waited for Nate to return. "I'm back!" came her brother's voice from below. "Come down here, I got you something!" Michelle put her scroll away and jumped down, landing in front of Nate. "What did you get?" Nate smiled as he pulled a bag from his shadow, opening it and revealing two almost identical necklaces. One had a gold chain, the other had a silver chain. Both had a stylized wolf head in the other's chain color. Taking out the gold chained necklace, he handed it over to Michelle. "I figured we should have something that can be used to find each other, in a sense," he said, taking out the silver chained necklace and putting the box away. "I placed some gps markers that are linked to our scrolls inside, but you have to flip a switch on the back." Michelle smiled and put the necklace on. "I love it! It would be a good way to find each other, as you said. But love the design!"
Nate just looked over her shoulder, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah...it took forever for me to get all the supplies I needed...and I got me a little something too," he said, pulling out a pair of red wireless headphones with a design on each earpiece and two slots on the band between them. Michelle tilted her head. "Cool? What are the slots for though?" Nate held a hand up as he carefully put them on, sliding his ears into the slots. "It's so I don't have to keep my ears flattened all the time in cities that are not Faunus friendly. All I have to do is tell anyone that asks is that the ears are fake and respond to my emotions due to sensors throughout. Clever, right?" he asked. Michelle giggled. "Nice! All I have to do is wear mom's helmet!" she tapped the helmet that she was currently wearing. Nate rolled his eyes as he carefully took the headphones off. "I know. I know. But I took the liberty of adding my own these, you didn't alter mom's helmet at all," he said, pointing to the symbols on the sides. The symbol was a yin-yang with a red and black color scheme surrounded by silver and gold sunbursts.
Michelle looked down. "It's mom's helmet… I wouldn't change it if it wasn't mine…" Nate sighed as he tilted his sister's head back up to meet his eyes. "You do know that she planned on giving it to you eventually...right? I thought you knew that…" he said. Michelle blinked and suddenly disappeared into a shadow. Ace the Beowolf looked at Nate in confusion. Nate looked back and shrugged. "I have as much insight as you do, Ace," he told the Beowolf before pulling the crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket and staring at it. Ace saw the paper and tilted its head. Michelle came back but without the helmet. "Back!" Nate jumped at her reappearance, dropping the paper before trying to cover it with his foot. "Where'd you go?" he asked, trying to keep the shock out of his voice. Michelle grinned and giggled. "Nowhere in particular!" Ace just stared between the two of them. Sighing, Nate bent down and picked up the paper, handing it to Michelle. "My contact found this in their supply room. Think he knows?"
Michelle thought for a bit. She mumbled, "Not as much as he knows now…" Nate's ears twitches at that. "What was that? And don't you dare say nothing," Nate threatened, concern in his voice. "Did you do something regarding dad while you were gone just now?" Michelle kept her mouth shut and started walking away, her ears lowered a bit. Nate lightly grabbed her shoulder as he growled, "What did you do?" Michelle groaned. "I… broke into his house and stole maybe a hundred… thousand… Lien from him… he may have saw me… and Nearly caught me before I slipped into a shadow to get away…" Nate let Michelle go as he processed the information. After a few seconds, he finally asked, with a calm voice, "Is that where mom's helmet is?" Michelle shook her head. "No, that is getting fitted and getting a few upgrades to it." Sighing in relief, Nate motioned Michelle towards the cave. "Did you get anything else from him? Or were you too focused on the Lien?" Nate asked playfully. Michelle glared at Nate. "I did search the house to find something that would give us an edge… instead, I found out that he is planning on coming after me… he is bringing all the Claws with him…"
Her brother ran a hand through his hair, muttering incoherently under his breath. "This isn't good. There might be a way to stop this madness, but you would have to agree, and I would need to get back on dad's good side again. It is risky. One, if not both, of us could die," he finally said. Michelle looked at him. "What do I have to do?" Nate looked at the ground, gathering his thoughts, before sighing. "First, I need you to give me one of your fangs, as that is what he is asking for as proof. I know it will hurt like hell, but if it gets him off your back, it will be worth it. Second, if you agree and after you give me a fang, I want you to join up with mom and keep low. We don't want dad finding out. Once I get his trust back, we can keep in touch, if I'm not closely watched. I can also resume running my disinformation scheme. What do you say, big sis?" Michelle sighed and shook her head. "I am not losing my fang… I won't get it back ever again…" Michelle turned away and walked into the cave. Nate followed her, shrugging as his idea was shot down. "Then the only other option is to keep running. Unless you have some plans in that head of yours."
Michelle looks at Nate and smiles. "Other then giving my life to someone else in order to get an army, other than that. I fight them off on my own…" Her brother held up a hand. "That would be suicide and you know it! There has to be a less extreme option!" he yelled. "What else can I do? Maybe give up my body and beg for forgiveness when I know that is futile, or…" Michelle sighed and shook her head. "I pay a visit to the dragon and… ask for some advice…" she leaned against the wall of the cave. Nate just watched her with concern before grinning and saying, "I would prefer the less…grim...option, if you know what I mean." Seeing his sister's blank look at his poorly made pun, he clarified while holding his hands up, "I'm talking about going with the dragon! Geez." Michelle sighed. "Sorry, it was bad and I'm also kind of paranoid at this point… I prefer… not crawling on my hands and knees to beg for forgiveness… Now, I am going to see the dragon alone if you don't mind…" Michelle faded into the shadows of the cave to head to the dragon. Nate sighed, looking at Ace as the Beowolf sat at the cave mouth. "This is starting to suck, don't you think?" he asked the Grimm, not expecting a response. Ace just shrugged and lied down.
Michelle appeared in the dragon's cave, kneeling before it and her eyes glowed in the dark. She began to relax as darkness was surrounding her. "Why do you wake me, child? Speak now," the ancient Grimm growled. "I… I need help… My father wants me dead… he has an army and I don't think I can handle the amount he intends to bring…" Michelle explained, her ears lowered a bit. "There is not much I can do, child. What I can do is something I have no control over," it said while staring into the darkness. Michelle gritted her teeth. "Then I have nothing I can do… I either fight and die… Or beg for forgiveness… My father is not someone I would take pleasure and begging for my life to…" The dragon huffed in thought. "There is one thing you gained from me… but the price afterwards is greater than you can mentally stand… Do you wish to know?" Michelle looked up to the dragon. "I'm already mentally unstable because of my father… I would like to know, but I would also like to know what I stand to lose…" The dragon lowered its head to look Michelle in the eyes. "Very well. You, too, can create Grimm, but only from your power from the light. Once created, they will only do as you command for as long as you stand. You will gradually become more like us the more you use this, though. So use it wisely...or don't…" it growled. "Now leave." With this, the Grimm laid its head down and went back to its slumber. Michelle disappeared into the darkness and appeared in the cave. She contemplated what the dragon had told her. "So…? How'd it… go?" Nate asked groggily, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
Michelle looked at Nate. "That depends… what would you do if I end up becoming more like the Grimm?" Nate sat up slowly, his back popping from lying on the ground. "That depends on if you are still the same person I grew up with it not. If you are, then I'm fine with it," he said, still trying to fully wake up. "Then it may or may not have went well… Though, I have figured out how to improve my swords." Michelle smiled. This woke her brother up instantly. "Really? How-...No, when did you do that?" he asked. Michelle had one of the swords shoot out and extend fully. "It came to me a few months back. I figured that since I like mixing my weapons, I figured, why not have my scythes attack along with my swords." Michelle smiled. Nate just stared at his sister. "That… is… amazing! If only I could have mine work like that," he said with a wide grin. Michelle got Xephor to its full form and placed it on the tip of the sword. The double-bladed scythe balanced perfectly on the tip of the sword. "Well, I used a simple magnet… then made sure that the magnet would only affect other weapons!"
Michelle thought for a bit. "I have an idea… When father brings his forces here, I have to be alone… but I need you to stay a good distance away from them as my support… use your sniper. The next, my helmet will be ready with the finishing touches. I'll get Ace to try to lead some Grimm over here to get them ready for a surprise attack. I'll be sitting outside the cave, waiting for father and his army…" Michelle explained her plan.
While his sister was explaining her plan, Nate had leaned forward, lacing his hands under his chin. When she finished, he stayed like that for a minute before leaning back against the cave wall. "It could work… but I need to find a perch and get used to the terrain I am to shoot from… that will take some time…" Nate mused out loud. "When did you say dad was to arrive?" Michelle thought back to the pans she saw in their father's home. "Based on the information I've gathered and what the plans stated… We've got a week to prepare… I also know about a few trees that are just the right height to see the clearing in front of the cave with ease as well." Nate nodded as his eyes started to close. "Alright…I'll start checking them in the morning…right now, we both need sleep…" he said as sleep took him.
~The following day~
Nate stopped at the base of an elder tree and looked up through the branches. "I believe this will do nicely. Be right back," he said as he started climbing it quickly and gracefully. Michelle watched as he climbed the tall tree. Ace was lying at the base if at. As Nate reached the middle of the tree, he moved some branches and received a clear view of the cave entrance and the surrounding forest. "Hey," he called down to his sister, "I have a clear view. I'm coming back down now." After he said this, he shadow stepped to the base of the tree, marking the ground with his symbol to find it easily. "Which number was this tree? I kinda forgot." Michelle thought for a bit. "I believe this makes 12 so far." Michelle had pulled out a notepad that she had been using to keep track of how many trees that have been marked.
~The day the Claws attack~
Michelle put on her helmet and put on her armour. Her new gauntlets went over her wrist guards, but it didn't obstruct the blades that would should out. Her greaves had claws at the toes. She placed her pistols behind her back into their holsters. She relaxed and took a deep breath. "Well… Nate should be in position by now… I need to get ready…" Michelle said to herself. She wouldn't admit it, but she was scared to face her father in a fight like this. She knew Ace and Nate were there for her, but she was still scared. She walked out of the cave, her armour shined in the sun. Michelle could sense them coming.
Michelle sat on the ground and took deep breaths. She could hear them growing closer and closer. She looked around and saw all the mercenaries of the claws starting to surround her. She then saw her father entering the circle. She glared at him. "It's good to see you again, Father." She bowed to him. He scoffed off her greeting and glared at her. "So you really are alive… I thought that you would have been killed by your own brother by now… looks like he needs to be taught a lesson…" he stated to her. Michelle glared a bit. "He wouldn't betray me… unlike you…" Michelle snapped at him.
"Typical of the daughter of the second in command of Crimson Fang… always doing what you want despite what your ordered to do…" he said with venom in his tone. Michelle seemed to lower her guard. "So you were trying to train us to not get into that habit? Not let us live our lives?!" she practically yelled. He smiled a bit. "Well, compared to how well your brother gets things done, I'd say it mostly worked! For you, on the other hand… you were a pain in the ass…" he snapped at her. Michelle gritted her teeth, she didn't want her anger to get control. If her anger went overboard, she might not win this fight. Her father hid behind the others and ordered the attack. Michelle pulled out her pistols and began to fire at the attackers.
One by one, the mercenaries were killed, until she ran out of ammo. "Shit!" Michelle yelled. She gave Nate the signal to open fire. She got her scythes out and sliced off limbs and keeping them at a distance. She seemed to be having a hard time, she also didn't seem to be using her semblance. One of them swung down a cleaver at her, Michelle used her scythes to block it. Striking metal echoed through the forest as Michelle fought them off. She was building up her shadows as she fought. She brought out her double bladed scythe and began hacking more limbs off and pushing them back to give herself some breathing room. One tried to swing their sword towards her head, she brought her scythe up and parried it, slicing their back open as she moved behind them.
A shot rang through the forest as Nate took his first shot, the bullet clipping their father's ear when he moved to join the fray. Nate had kept an eye on their dad, making sure he didn't try anything underhanded. As soon as he shot, he Shadow stepped to another tree with a clear view of the clearing, this time keeping Michelle in sight. He shot a mercenary in the knee when they tried to slice Michelle's back. Michelle took that chance to slice the mercs arm off and swing her scythe down into another's chest. "So he is helping you after all…" their father said while holding his ear. The Claws were going down to thirty people at this point. Michelle smiled under her helmet and had a large shadow appear under their feet, connecting them to hers. Before the mercs could notice, twenty spikes made of shadows shot out and impaled most of them in the chest. Michelle panted and the shadows receded. Ten mercs now stood standing. Their father watching intently at her. She could tell something was up. "What are you doing just standing there?" Michelle asked him. The ten mercs surrounded her. "I am not planning anything. Well, not that you need to worry about anyways…" he simply replied.
A Griffon squawked off towards the north at the same time as one of the mercs dropped, one of his eyes now an empty hole. Michelle took notice to the Griffon flying north and the merc dropping dead. She spun her scythe and threw it into the air, shooting her whip blade at it to pull it back down and slicing three of the mercs in half. Their father reached behind his back, though when he removed his hand from his back, there was nothing in his hand. Michelle moved to the right and swung the spinning scythe blade towards another, only to have her helmet suddenly knocked off and get punched in the face. She pulled the scythe back towards her, catching the shaft of the scythe and retracting the whip blade back into the wrist guard that was hidden. Looking up, she saw their father, his clawed hands at the ready. "Time for our fight…" he stated, his claws shooting out of their covers of his gloved weapon. Michelle disconnected her hand scythes and held them in her hands. She was getting ready to strike. He was suddenly in front of her, taking her off guard, swinging his left claws at her. She ducked and swung her right scythe towards him. He easily countered the swing and got behind her, he got her off balance.
Their father sliced her back, leaving a deep gash as she fell to the ground. Michelle dropped her weapons and screamed in pain. "You left yourself wide open…. Guess you still have yet to learn your lesson…" he was about to strike once more until Michelle whipped around and had her whip blades shoot out and pierce into his chest, ripping through his lungs. She smiled and panted. "Guess you don't know about baiting then!" their father gritted his teeth and pulled out a pistol, aiming it at her chest, and dropped it once she pulled the blades out of him. He collapsed on top of her, his claws piercing into her chest and arm. Michelle kicked him off, causing the claws to tear into her flesh. She slowly sat up and panted heavily. She looked at the last six that were left standing. She stood up and her blood dripped down her right arm, her back, and chest. She shifted her scythes into a pistol form and had the barrel of the left one open, inserting the grip of the right one into it before closing it. "I didn't think I would have a reason to do this… but it seems I don't have a choice with the last of you…" the pistols extended into a large shaft, having a large scythe blade extending at the end of it. She was getting ready to strike.
Michelle's body burned in pain as she stood there. She dropped her scythe and fell to her knees. "Shit… not now…" she said aloud. Nate saw this through his scope and Shadow stepped to the clearing, transforming the rifle into Leaf and Vine, facing the six mercs. "This is your one warning to run," he told them, watching as each took a step forward, not accepting his offer. Sighing, Nate closed his eyes, setting down his weapons. As he spoke once again, he opened his eyes, now showing he is no longer in full control. "So be it." With that, he stepped behind them and punched through the nearest merc, ripping through his spine, lungs, and heart. In the same motion, he hurled the victim at the merc closest to Michelle, hitting him in the legs and knocking him down. Before the others could react, he stepped to the fallen merc and bit his throat out, letting him die in agony. The remaining four quickly turned and ran, scared for their lives at the hand of what was Nathaniel. As they disappeared, Nate took chase and within two hours, screams were ringing through the forest as each merc met their end.
Dark Dragon Queen of Darkness: Hello! Things have really escalated, hasn't it? Well, things are only about to get more interesting! Anyways, Michelle killed their father and now she is in a lot of pain due to her adrenaline leaving her system. Till the next time!