Prologue 2- Regina
The girl just sat there in her room, tweaking around some arrows that she used for her weapon. Her arrows were fitted with different add-ons, Dust, explosives, poisons, cables and whatnot. She's been sitting in her room boredly, waiting for the occasional call that there's some Grimm that needs to be taken down. She was already rich; in fact she's an heiress, so why did she take up Grimm Bounty Hunting? No one really knew, but she had once said that it was just a hobby.
She was just a young girl, no older than 17. She had grey hair which was tied in a ponytail and had calm grey eyes. She wore a blue sweat shirt, a pair of grey jeans and short heeled boots. She also wore a necklace that bore her family symbol which was a grey viper, a black arrow holster which was rested on her back, containing all of her modified arrows and a teal cloak. Her appearance seemed unbefitting for an heiress, but she didn't seem bothered by it. Her parents were bothered by her choice of clothing and tried everything to get her to wear a dress or skirt that would make her look more like an heiress, but all of those attempts were quickly shot down.
Her scroll finally rang, after a couple of hours of waiting. She let out a sigh of relief and opened it up.
At the location already, you ready to go?
Yup, my parents are out for awhile so I have time.
Great. I'll forward you the bounty. Make sure you're up for this one.
She switched off her scroll and placed it in her satchel. She picked up her weapon and leaped out the window. She landed safely on the grass and just dashed off to the location were her partner was.
...
She reached the location were her partner was eagerly waiting at. It was nothing more than a cave with a large entrance. The cave entrance was decorated with skeletons of some dead Grimms and people. Splatters of dried blood were painted on the wall outside the cave and that gave her a little bit of Goosebumps. She could the faint sound of something snoring inside the cave, suggesting that her target was inside the cave. She didn't want to go in yet and looked around. Her partner was supposed to be here and he hadn't shown up since she got here. Where is he? She thought.
"Took you long enough." A voice said. She turned to see her partner resting under a tree, the shadows concealing him completely in darkness.
"I didn't see you when you arrived and it took me awhile to find this place." She replied.
"The important part is that you made it." Her partner said. He exited the shadows and revealed himself to her. He looked almost like a soldier, wearing attire that consisted mostly of camouflage colors. He wore fingerless gloves, black boots and carried a rifle which nested on his arms.
"Of course," she replied, "I only have very little time to go out hunting like this so we better make this quick."
"You know I can't guarantee we'll finish up quickly, Regina." The man said.
"I know that," she replied, "It's just that if my parents find out I'm screwed. You already know that, David."
"Of course I do," he said, "Now let's cut the chit chat and finish this like you wanted."
Regina nodded and they both entered the cave. The cave was damp, nothing more than few stalagmites rested in the cave. David lit up a torch and they quickly found their target resting in front of them. A large King Taijitu was resting next to its nest, snoring softly as the other head stayed up to look watch the nest. Luckily, for Regina and David, the second head was looking in the other direction and didn't notice the two hunters. The quietly approached the nest, making sure not to direct the other Taijitu head to where they are.
The awoken Taijitu head swung its gaze at the cave entrance and started to sniff the air. It detected a faint scent of a human and started to look around the cave. David immediately got rid of the torch and gestured Regina to stay quiet. The Taijitu head then appeared on top of them. It looked around the area from left to right but not below where Regina and David were. The Taijitu then returned its gaze back to behind the cave, safely away from where Regina and David were.
Regina quietly moved forward and approached the nest. David trailed her shortly and looked at the nest. There were several clutches of Taijitu eggs in the nest in the colors of both black and white. They were no bigger than the size of a person's head and they seemed very light despite the fact that they carry a Taijitu baby. Regina picked up one and David picked up another. Since they're Grimm Bounty Hunters, Taijitu eggs like these are worth a lot in the market, mainly the large ones.
David slung his rifle over to his back and picked up another Taijitu egg. Regina gave him a questioning look.
"Seriously?" she asked.
"Dead serious," David replied, "We would've made about 1500 lien with these three eggs."
Regina just rolled her eyes and carried her egg outside the cave. David trailed her shortly, picking up the pace since he's got two eggs on both hands. Suddenly, David lost his grip on one egg and it dropped to the ground, the sound of the egg breaking echoed into the cave.
In an instant, the two Taijitu heads woke up and saw David making off with one of their eggs. The Taijitu also saw the shattered egg and became furious. They hissed in anger and charged after them. The Taijitu was quick, but it wasn't very lucky since it accidentally jabbed its fangs into a tree since the two hunters were behind it.
Regina handed the egg she was holding to David and she drew her weapon.
"Take those eggs to your transport," Regina told him, "I'll deal with the snake."
David nodded and took off. Regina looked at her weapon. It was black crossbow decorated with silver markings of her family crest. A scope was attached on the weapon, making long distance shots very possible with her weapon. She loaded one of her tweaked arrows and aimed at the Taijitu. The snake Grimm managed to pull away its fangs from the tree bark and hissed at the heiress.
She fired the arrow at the creature's neck causing the creature to hiss in pain. The second head launched itself at her, but Regina jumped and fired another arrow at the Taijitu's second head. The pressed a button on her weapon and activated the arrows on both Taijitu heads. Inside the arrows were loaded with toxins and the poisons quickly poisoned the Taijitu head. Regina loaded another arrow and waited for the Taijitu to get back on its feet. The Taijitu was still struggling from the poisons, but the Grimm planned a solution; the black head bent down on the white head's neck and bit it, injecting the poisons from its fangs down to the other head's neck. The poisons negated each other causing the white Taijitu head to get back up. It did the same to the black head and soon, both Taijitu heads were back on their feet.
Regina smirked, knowing the snake Grimm would find a way to save itself. The two heads attacked her simultaneously, but she just rolled away and fired another arrow at the Taijitu. She fired three more arrows at the Taijitu, making it more annoyed than hurt. The Taijitu attacked her again; unable to land any strikes since Regina was moving too quickly. Regina now decided to start using close combat to even the odds. She quickly transformed her weapon into a staff, the scope still remaining on her weapon but the staff's ends formed into two clubbed ends with a spike attached to the top.
The Taijitu brought its head down to attack Regina. Regina quickly spun around her staff and struck the Taijitu's cheek, knocking out a few teeth in the process. Regina added another strike on the Taijitu's head one after another, making the snake Grimm's head momentarily dizzy. The white head however wasn't connected with its black head in terms of pain and it quickly attacked Regina. Regina jumped and brought the tip of her staff onto the white Taijitu head. The spike pierced the skull but didn't manage to get near the brain, making Regina a little disappointed. The black Taijitu head snapped out of confusion and focused its gaze on Regina. It hissed at her and Regina hissed back, attempting to intimidate the snake. The snake, unfortunately, wasn't stupid, unlike most Grimm and seemed very cunning and intelligent.
Regina leaped towards the black head and brought down her staff at its skull. The Taijitu cried out in pain to its partner and the white head just got up and gazed at its black head. The white head lunged forward at its own partners head, attempting to scrape Regina off its second head. Regina leaped off the black head, making the white head bite the black Taijitu head on accident. The white Taijitu head removed its fangs from its partner's head, blood coating its white fangs. The black head collapsed on the ground, dead, causing the white head to lash out on her in anger.
Regina danced out of the oncoming strike and stabbed the Taijitu's eye with the end of her staff. Regina shifted her weapon back into a crossbow and fired an arrow into the hole where the Taijitu's eye once was. The Taijitu quickly regained its composure and attacked Regina with its head. Regina swung her leg on the head, knocking it off course and snapping one of the trees in the forest. The Taijitu brought its head out of the tree, its head now decorated with large splinters which had both sap and blood pouring out of. The Taijitu looked at her again with much more rage this time. Regina just stood there too, returning the glare to the Taijitu. She brought out her crossbow and took aim, but a battle cry broke her concentration, a battle cry that came from the forest.
Regina saw David charge in, his rifle in hand. He fired two shots on the Taijitu's splintered head, one hitting a wound caused by the wood and another hitting the last eye. The Taijitu was immediately blinded after that, losing its ability to see, making it much angrier. David and Regina saw the very evident white puffs of smoke coming out the Taijitu's nostrils, making them suspect that the creature was in fact, enraged. The blinded Taijitu swung its head in a 360 degree motion, surprisingly not injuring its neck by doing that.
Regina ducked out of the way but David wasn't so lucky. The Taijitu managed to knock David onto the snapped tree, his arm getting caught in the dozens of splinters that decorated the top half of the tree. He pulled out his arm and just crumpled to the ground, clutching his arm to ease the pain. Regina gave an angry glare at the Taijitu and loaded in another arrow. The Taijitu then began to coil around her while Regina just stood there confidently. She jumped out of the coil and fired the arrow on top of the Taijitu's splintered head. She landed on the ground and pressed the button on her weapon. The arrow on its head began to pour out kerosene while the arrow on its eye contained ready to ignite red Dust.
Regina ducked out of the way just before the Dust was about to ignite. The Taijitu head exploded in a shower of red Dust and meat chunks. Regina sighed in relief and looked at what was left of the Taijitu's head. The stump was just on fire, the smell of burning flesh started to coat the atmosphere as chunks of burning meat started to collapse on the ground. Regina turned her attention to her bleeding partner who was desperately trying to flare his aura to cover up the wound. Regina bent down at the open wound and examined it slightly. David looked at her and shook his head, knowing exactly what Regina was about to do. Regina just nodded and placed her palms on the open wound.
She began to concentrate and suddenly, her hands began to glow. The wound started to slowly seal up, but the same wound was slowly being copied onto Regina's arm. Regina began to grunt from the pain, wondering if she could actually try to keep this up. She continued for awhile and eventually, David's wound sealed up. Regina cried out in pain from the wound which was copied onto her arm but it eventually faded away. Regina gasped and began to breathe heavily.
David was concerned that his partner just used her semblance again. He knew completely well that her semblance could cost her her life if she continued to do it constantly. David had no idea how his partner inherited such a dangerous semblance in the first place, all he knew was that his partner came from a high stature, had an interest in Grimm Bounty hunting since she was sixteen and was very protective of her secret life as a Grimm Bounty Hunter. Regina was sometimes a mystery to him since she never opened up to him, but he did open up to her though she never returned it.
Regina stood up and straightened herself up. She slung her crossbow back on her back and walked past David. David was still thinking until he heard Regina snap her fingers.
"Come on, David," Regina told him, "Let's get these eggs to the market and see how much they're worth."
David remembered that he left the eggs in his pickup truck and just sighed. He picked up his rifle and trailed Regina afterwards.
...
"Well, well, look who it is." A warm voice greeted.
Regina and David walked over to their client as well as their manager, Rinaldo Ceros, who's communicating to them via the client's scroll. Regina wasn't surprised that Rinaldo didn't show up in person since he manages a lot of Grimm Bounty Hunters, especially someone he calls his "best hunter". Regina heard of the rumors of Rinaldo's best hunter, but she never met him nor did Rinaldo introduce him to her. To her, her own manager was nothing but a mystery.
"Nice to see you, Rinaldo," Regina greeted, "Still communicating from your HQ?"
"Not really," Rinaldo replied, "I'm at another town at the mean time since I have to meet up with my best hunter."
"You seem to spend a lot of time with him, you know." Regina told him.
"I know, Regina," Rinaldo said, "But, he's my star player. I have to look out after him since the poor fellow tends to be a loner sometimes."
"Ahem," the client interrupted, "I hate interrupt the chit chat, but I still have work to do in town hall so let's get down to business."
"Oh, right." Rinaldo said, "Anyways, what'd you find guys?"
David held up the two black and white King Taijitu eggs and placed them gently on the client's table. Rinaldo and the client took a quick look at the large eggs and began to discuss a little bit. Regina and David just watched the two awkwardly and they began to whisper as well.
"How much do you think they'll pay us?" Regina whispered to her partner.
"Don't know," David whispered back, "Maybe around 1000 lien since we only brought over two eggs."
The two men finished their discussion and turned to Regina and David.
"So, we took a while to deliberate on your contract," their client told them, "And, since you managed to bring back at least two Taijitu eggs, we'll pay you the sum of 1000 lien since one of these eggs is only worth 500 in the market."
"Plus," Rinaldo added in, "you guys get a bonus 200 lien for the effort."
"By the way," the client asked, "Did you kill that Taijitu?"
"We did," Regina answered simply.
"Great!" Rinaldo said, "Then it looks like you won't be getting 200, but 600 lien as a bonus for killing that Taijitu."
"And I'm happy as well to pay you that amount," the client said, "That Taijitu used to cost us a lot of trouble, but since its dead now, we'll be able to live a lot peacefully now."
"Thank you," Regina said happily. Their client brought out a case of lien and gave it to Regina. She opened it up to make sure that it was the correct amount. She smiled and closed the case.
"Well," David said, "Looks like we'll be splitting up the loot. Is 800 okay with you, Regina?"
"Its fine David," Regina replied.
"Oh by the way," Rinaldo said, "I need to talk with you Regina. David, do you mind?"
"Not at all, Rinaldo," David said, "I'll wait by the truck to take you back, Regina."
Regina nodded and swung her gaze back to Rinaldo, still being shown on the client's scroll feed.
"He's not going?" Regina asked her manager, pointing to the client.
"He already knows." Rinaldo replied simply, "Now, Regina, we need to talk about something." Regina was already all ears at that point. "Have you ever heard of Beacon Academy?" Rinaldo asked.
"Yeah," she answered, "It's the top and most prestigious training academy in all of Remnant. What's so important about it?"
"Because you're going there." Rinaldo answered, accompanied by a slight chuckle.
Regina was surprised by Rinaldo's answer. She loved to hunt Grimm and get paid after that, but going to Beacon was something different. Going to that academy meant legal training as a huntress and that would cost her less time to hunt down Grimm. She never even once considered going to Beacon in her life, even when her parents wanted to. Now it happened again, but this time, it was her manager who told her that she'll be going to Beacon.
"What do you mean?" Regina asked in a very questioning tone.
"What I mean is that you're attending the most prestigious hunter training academy in all of Remnant." Rinaldo explained, "I talked with headmaster Ozpin awhile ago and I told him about you. He seemed so interested in the idea of accepting Grimm Bounty Hunters into Beacon and I just agreed."
"But, my parents will get suspicious why I suddenly got accepted into Beacon." Regina said, "And if I explain to them what you said, my Grimm Bounty Hunting days will be over."
"Don't worry, Regina," Rinaldo said, his voice remaining confident, "I know you had your share of combat training since you were thirteen and I simply told your parents that Beacon got wind of your training and decided to accept you."
"You told them?" Regina said, her voice rising into a panicked tone.
"Calm down, Regina," Rinaldo said, "Of course, I used an alias to get your parents to listen to me."
"What alias?"
"I told them I was a teacher at Beacon. And if they call Ozpin, he'll simply tell the truth since this was, of course, his idea."
Regina sighed. "When do I leave?" she asked.
"The day after tomorrow," Rinaldo answered, "You'll be meeting a friend of yours there."
Regina's eyes widened when Rinaldo said that. "Wait a second," she said, "You mean Weiss is going to Beacon to?"
Rinaldo just let out a smile and nodded. The fact that Rinaldo was a mystery to Regina was just too overpowering for her. But, since Rinaldo knew a lot about Regina, he was very confident to situations like this. Regina had told him before that her father was very close with the Schnee Dust Company owner and she, on the other hand, was very close with their daughter, Weiss. Regina used to spend a lot with the Schnee heiress and they developed a close bond, eventually to the point where they would call each other buddy. Despite Regina's constant sneaking out and hunting down Grimms for money, she still kept close contact with Weiss and they would just go on their scrolls and talk for possibly hours.
Regina was happy that she would be going to Beacon with her best friend, but she was still concerned if she could still go Grimm Hunting if her time was occupied by classes and training. She still took time to consider the offer.
"What about my duties as a Grimm Bounty Hunter?" Regina asked Rinaldo after some deep thought.
"Don't worry about that," Rinaldo said, still as calmly as ever, "You have weekends and breaks to go hunt wherever you want. I'll just hire other hunters to fill in for you when you're away. Are you okay with that?"
"Yeah," Regina replied, finally reaching her verdict.
"That's great." Rinaldo said, "Your parents have already been informed of your departure and maybe you should tell Weiss that you're going too."
"Alright," Regina said, "Thanks Rinaldo."
Rinaldo nodded and Regina stood up. She walked towards David's truck, where David was just sitting at driver's seat, sleeping. Regina banged the side of her fist on the car door and David immediately sprang up.
"What the fuck, Regina?" David said angrily, "I was having such an awesome dream."
"You can dream when you get home." Regina said, getting into the front seat, "Just drive me back to my house."
"Care to tell me what Rinaldo told you?" David asked kindly.
Regina sighed. Maybe her partner has the right to know what about to happen. If she didn't tell him, he'll just be bombarding Rinaldo with question about her whereabouts.
"I got accepted into Beacon." Regina said.
"Wow! Really?" David said, his voice shifting to excitement. Regina nodded and David just leaned his head back. "I never knew that you went to combat school." David said.
"I did for a few years." She said, "Now can you just drive me home. I have to pack."
"As you wish, Regina." David replied.
David switched on the engine and drove off, continuing to ask more question at Regina. Rinaldo and the client watched them drive off and they faced each other.
"You really want this plan to turn out well, don't you?" the client said.
"Relax," Rinaldo told him, "I just managed to convince Regina. I'm not sure about the other three, though. But, I told Ozpin all about these four gifted hunters and seemed very interested in bringing them to Beacon."
"Fine," the client said, "But you do realize more Grimm threats will continue to come up after those four have left."
"I know. Just remain calm when something comes up and don't be afraid to inform me." Rinaldo said. He disconnected after that, leaving the client alone. He remembered that he had paperwork to do and took off to the town hall. Whatever Rinaldo and Ozpin had in mind, he was ready to either back it up or not.
End of Prologue 2
a/n: Reviews, questions, follows and favs are really appreciated.
