A/N: Sorry won't be doing weekly updates as there are other things that require more attention. Will put out new chapters when able. Thanks for understanding.
Riktor propels himself up the tree and looks out over the top of the forest. He rests his back against the trunk of the tree and scans the area but isn't able to spot the temple from where he is. He thinks back to his partner.
A Faunus! She's a Faunus! It must be pay back for everything I've done while part of the Crimson Skull. Carlyle is probably rolling in his grave, laughing his ass off at me because of the predicament I've found myself in. The worst part is that, even with the scales on her face and the weird shaped eyes, she is kind of cute. A Faunus is the last thing I'd expect to be paired up with and honestly I had hoped I wouldn't be. Regardless, Carlyle would want me to try to make this work. He thinks to himself knowing that his old friend would find this whole situation hilarious.
Why had she snapped at me like she did? We were getting along pretty good. I was even starting to like her a bit and feeling a tad comfortable with her, but then she goes all crazy on me! Maybe she picked up on my big secret? He ponders as he looks out at the great view of the forest he has since he is above most of the trees. Off in the distance he hears gunshots, which pulls him back to reality. Glancing around the tree tops he figures that it must be Anna fighting against monsters and decides he needs to go check on her. He leaps down to the ground, creating shockwaves in the air to gradually slow his momentum. He hits the ground and peers through the foliage.
Anna stands in the clearing, and snaps a whip at a large Boarbatusk that is crumpled against a cracked tree. A smirk creeps across Riktor's face as he watches his partner finish off the Grimm creature. He notices another one creeping up behind the young woman that she hasn't noticed. He surges forward as fast as he can, launching himself into the air and over her before planting his glowing fist directly on faceplate of the charging pig. His fist collides with its thick skull at the same time he releases a powerful shockwave. The boar's skull cracks into several pieces and blood dribbles down the side of its head. The ground around the Boarbatusk craters several inches from his attack. The Boarbatusk squeals as it dies from being stopped dead in its tracks. Anna looks up at him while sitting on the ground since she had fallen over in surprise from Riktor's attack. The blond wipes the blood that had splattered onto his gloves and jacket, off onto the boar's fur. He stands up and looks down at the broken corpse at his feet. Turning to look at his shocked partner he puts on a cocky, shit eating grin that he loves giving to girls.
"Dinner is served," he jokes, trying to play cool and hoping that would ease the tension that had previously spawned up between them. Anna's shocked expression quickly turned to one of annoyance. She rolled her eyes and gave a sound of utter disgust before walking off.
Oh man, why would I even think that would work? It just makes me sound stupid. I really need to stop acting like such an idiot. Riktor thinks feeling as ridiculous as the joke was. He quickly walks after her hoping to redeem himself. "I didn't see much while I was up there by the way," he informs her, trying to make a recovery from his poor attempt at humour.
"I could have told you that. We have to go to the far edge of the forest," she retorts in a grumpy tone. Her brisk pace never falters as she walks through the forest, coiling up her whip before returning it to her side.
"So why didn't you?" Riktor asks her, still attempting to make conversation and get to find out the source of her anger.
"I know your type. You wouldn't have cared to listen to anything I might have said," she retorts still annoyed at him. Riktor rolls his eyes and speeds up to catch her.
"Alright stop for a second," he growls, grabbing her right shoulder and spins her around to face him, pushing her against a tree. "I don't know what type of humans you've dealt with in the past and I'm sure they were gigantic assholes, but I'm not like that," he barks at her as she tries to escape his grip. "We are teammates whether you like it or not. Now trust me when I say you have every right to hate me, I deserve it more than most but I'm trying to be a better person and you're not making that very easy," he tells her, moving his hand off her shoulder. She looks up at him slightly confused by what he had just said. Riktor immediately walks off without another word. The look of pain and regret on his face would tell anyone how much he felt he did not deserve to be near the young Faunus, however it is apparent that he is doing everything he can to stick it out for his new partner.
"I'm sorry," Anna's timid reply comes from behind him catching the young man off guard. He expects her to get angry or throw some more sass at him but there is only sadness in her voice. He turns back to look at her, she hasn't moved from the tree he had pinned her too looking quite ashamed of herself. "I'm so sorry. I'm not exactly used to dealing with your kind and it's made me pretty hostile towards humans" she confesses, looking at her feet with sorrow painted across her face.
"Believe me when I say that it is way harder for me than it is for you," he replies with the same hint of anguish in his voice that was in Anna's. He tries to walk a bit faster than her so she can't see his grief stricken expression. She looks up to see him walking away from her. Though quite shocked by what she had just heard, she knows he is hiding something from her and is just trying to avoid saying anything. She catches the sad look on his face moments before he turns around to keep walking, which makes her wonder even more.
He thinks silently to himself as they wander through the forest before finally speaking up.
"So uh…What type of faunus are you?" he inquires, unsure if that is a rude question to ask or not.
"Huh?" she calls out, caught off guard by his question, due to her being deep in thought.
"Well I noticed the scales and was curious what kind of Faunus you were," he repeats with more detail.
"A snake Faunus, can't you tell by my eyes?" she asks slightly surprised that he had asked her and wondered it wasn't obvious.
"No I couldn't. I've never really paid much attention to animals or anything like that much so I didn't know besides the scales," he informs her.
"Really? I would have thought that it would be pretty common knowledge," she remarks, feeling slightly confused about the situation.
"I grew up different than most everyone else so common knowledge for me is a lot different than common knowledge for others," Riktor explains.
"I hope someday you'll explain all the stories behind these intriguing comments," Anna suggests, with a sly grin, appearing beside him.
"You'll probably think less of me when I finally tell you and I wouldn't blame you if you did," he retorts. Anna stops for a minute to ponder what he said. Riktor just leaves the girl with more questions about his past.
Come on Riktor, stop being so broody. It's pretty obvious she doesn't hate you.
"Are you here to haunt me some more? What would you know about all this?"
You do realize that I don't actually exist right? You're just arguing with yourself. By the way, you're talking out loud and she can hear you.
"God damn you, Carlyle!" Riktor mumbles under his breath. He snaps back to reality and looks over at Anna who was staring at him with a confused look on her face.
"Who's Carlyle?" Anna asks about the name Riktor used once he stops muttering to himself.
"He's friend of mine," Riktor sighs, realizing he needs to tell her something to not look any crazier then he already does.
"Is he here at Beacon as well? Are you upset because you didn't get to meet up with him?" Anna continues to dig for information from her stubborn partner in hopes to learn more about him.
"I'd rather not talk about it, so just drop it," Riktor replies sternly as he disintegrates another couple tree branches. He grits his teeth angrily every time he hits a branch.
"Oh, alright, I'm sorry I brought it up," Anna sighs sadly realizing she has hit another sensitive topic with him. She thinks that he seems fairly distressed because of his angry grunts as the branches explode. The two of them walk along in silence for the next little while since neither of them wants to say anything that might upset or annoy the other any farther. They eventually approach a clearing where they hear voices coming from. Before them is the sight of Spencer cradling a girl, with long blonde hair and a white coat, in his arms while down on one knee.
"Look at the lady's man," Riktor chuckles and claps him hands.
