The screams of the fleeing citizens echoed through the streets, Grimm had attacked. This was not an uncommon occurrence in Vacuo, but to attack at this time of day when most people were heading home and outside caused a quick panic. The calls of the Grimm only added to the sense of fear amongst the people as the monsters made their way into the city.
"Death Stalker!" someone had yelled followed by a shrill hissing sound.
Sin and Brick tried to push their way through the waves of fleeing people, an easy task for the seven-foot Faunus, but Sin struggled just not to be caught up and carried away by the frightened citizens. Trying to shove his way past them, Sin yelled for them to get out of his way only to get caught again. Thankfully Brick grabbed hold of him and pulled him close.
"Thanks, human shield" Sin breathed once he was safe, "Or should I say Faunus shield? Or does that just sound a bit racist?"
Brick didn't answer as he began pushing his way through the crowd with Sin staying close behind him to avoid the crowd, eventually making it through and seeing the massive Grimm approaching their position.
"So that's a Death Stalker," Sin said seeing the size of the monster, "It's all yours buddy," he said patting Brick's arm.
Brick nodded and started walking toward the Death Stalker as a howling sound reached their ears. Looking at the roof of a shop Sin saw a Beowolf jump down and look at Brick who was starting to pick up speed.
Sin nodded, "That's most my speed."
Throwing a rock at the Beowolf's head Sin got its attention and planted his feet as he raised his fists as the monster growled at him.
"Oh, Grimmy what big teeth you have" Sin mocked as the monster ran towards him.
The Beowolf lunged at him its clawed arm raised, snarling and ready to kill its prey.
"Nope" Sin said jumping to the side avoiding the claws.
Feeling the breeze as the Grimm's claw swiped by him Sin clenched his fist and with his back foot planted twisted his body forward slamming his fist against the Grimm's chest releasing a burst of his Aura as he struck causing the monster to stumble back. Stepping forward he ducked under the beast's arm and jumped up hitting the creature's jaw, using his Aura to attack and stunning the Beowolf once more. Sin pushed his attack hitting with his right hand, followed by his left and then his right again before he ducked to the side and jumped landing a left hook against the Beowolf's head catching it in the eye.
The monster howled and swung wildly forcing Sin to back away until it stopped. Keeping his fists up Sin watched the mindless creature slow and turn back to him still snarling once again setting his weight to his back foot. The Beowolf lunged again and swiped and again. Sin dodged.
Stepping toward its swinging arm Sin ducked under its claws and landed a trio of blows against its side, what he assumed to be its ribcage before sidestepping around it to avoid its backswing. Now behind the creature, he struck again, four hits before stepping to the side once again. He continued to circle the beast and attack, his blows getting faster with each hit before he jumped and brought his fist down on the Grimm's snout sending the monster face first into the ground. Standing over the creature he inhaled and brought his fist down one last time unleashing his Aura and shattering the monster's head for the killing blow.
The Death Stalker hissed and raised its claw. Brick roared as he intercepted the monster ramming headfirst into it and shielding himself with his Aura and grappling the pincers at its mouth. The bear Faunus grunted and growled as he held the giant monster at bay, its claws unable to reach him. Wrapping his goliath hands around its mandibles, he roared again as he twisted his wrists snapping the jaws from its mouth and raising them above his head, before driving them down into its eyes.
The Death Stalker screeched as two of its eyes were pierced, its pincers flailing about as it backed away from the being that harmed it. Brick backed away to a safe distance to catch his breath as he observed his enemy two of its ten eyes blinded. The surrounding walls were damaged from the monster's wild swinging, Brick took another step back and risked a glance over his shoulder to see how Sin was faring against the Beowolf. His human friend was circling the monster and striking with a flurry of blows that seemed to stun the Grimm before he finally jumped and delivered one final blow that sent it into the ground.
The seven-foot Faunus turned back to the Death Stalker which had stopped flailing and set its focus back on him. Preparing himself, Brick waited for the Grimm to attack again as Sin joined him.
"That thing looks pissed" Sin noted, "Well I know a good remedy for that, let's put it to bed."
Brick grabbed Sin's shoulder and pointed toward the building the Death Stalker had damaged. On the second floor where the wall was destroyed was a girl hanging from the collapsing floor, and a woman reaching out trying to help her. The girl was screaming as she held on, her cries, her fear attracting the attention of the wounded Grimm under her. Brick and Sin watched as it raised one of its claws to snatch her.
"Brick throw me" Sin yelled grabbing his friend's hand.
Brick tightened his grip on Sin's hands and began turning in a circle, once, twice and on the third turn threw Sin toward the Grimm and the girl hanging above it. Sin reached out his arms as he was flung through the air, wrapping them around the suspended girl as he reached her and pulled her in tight against his chest, wrapping his Aura around both of them to brace for his impact against the collapsing wall. Slamming into the wall Sin clenched his teeth suppressing his pain, and they fell to the ground, still holding the girl tight against his chest he tucked his legs in as much as he could and tried to roll when they landed. Standing up Sin saw Brick throwing chunks of debris at the Death Stalker distracting it and giving Sin time to get the girl to safety.
He looked back up to the woman that was trying to help the girl, "I'll take care of her, get to safety" he yelled before running back toward Brick, "Alright now what?" he asked, "We can't fight and protect this kid at the same time."
Brick turned and pointed down the street to where the people had fled.
Sin looked up to him, understanding the gesture, "You better not die" he said looking down to the girl in his arms and seeing her long ears, she was another Faunus, "I'm going to get you somewhere safe ok?" he asked her and waiting for her frightened nod.
Telling the girl to cover her head and hold on to him tight he tucked her against his bare chest again and began running only to stop as the shop on his right crumbled to the ground as another Death Stalker charged through it followed by a pack of five Beowolves. Sin swore, but his words were deafened by the collective cries of the Grimm in front of him. He held the Faunus girl even closer to him and took a step back before looking over his shoulder. Brick was attacking the injured Death Stalker again. He looked back to the pack of Grimm in front of him, he couldn't fight and protect the girl at the same time he had to run, but if he did and the Grimm didn't chase him then they would attack Brick and Sin couldn't leave him to fight alone against this many.
The Grimm started advancing on him, and he didn't have a choice, he would have to set the girl down and tell her to run and try to stop the Grimm from chasing her. He doubted he could take on this many, even with Brick helping him if their enemies were people it wouldn't be a problem the two of them had faced similar situations against human foes, but these monsters would tear them apart. Kneeling down he loosened his arms and set the girl down, but before he could tell her to run several gunshots echoed above them and the pack of Grimm halted their advance. Two people jumped down and stood in front of Sin and the girl.
It was the two Faunus girls Sin had spoken to before the Grimm attacked. The two ran to the dark skinned man's side weapons in hands. The one in green was wielding a trident, with a curved glaive like blade at the other end of the shaft. The one in white, Rhia she said her name was had a pair of tonfa in her hands and a short barrel rifle strapped to her right leg.
Sin didn't have time to form a word before Brick landed near them, his weight causing a slight tremor as he hit the ground. Sin turned and grabbed his friend's shoulder as he sat up and groaned, his clothes were ripped and the Death Stalker he was fighting hissed its terrible sound before approaching them again. Sin set the girl down in the middle of him, Brick and the two girls and turned to face the injured Death Stalker.
"Well if we're going to die, might as well take as many as we can with us," he said raising his fists once again.
"No one is going to die" the girl in green said, "Just stay focused and work together".
"You see you say that" Sin began with a smirk, "But I still think the odds are in their favor" he chuckled before glancing back at the girl in white, "Rhia right? Mind if I borrow your spare?"
Rhia nodded and handed him the rifle she had strapped to her leg.
Sin took the short barrel rifle and took aim at the Death Stalker, "What do you say, Brick, shall we show them how us Mistral punks do things?"
Brick rolled his shoulders back before slamming his fist into his open hand.
"I couldn't agree more," Sin said, "Alright, let's go" he yelled breaking into a run toward the wounded Death Stalker and firing the rifle he took from Rhia.
Brick kneeled down and tapped the little Faunus girl on her shoulder and pointed to a nearby store motioning for her to hide while they fought the Grimm. After the girl disappeared into the store Brick stood turned his head until his neck cracked before he charged back into battle. Behind him, the two Faunus girls began fighting against the pack of Beowolves and the other Death Stalker.
"Avoid the Death Stalker for now" the one in green yelled, "Focus on the Beowolves."
"OK" Rhia replied jumping to the side to avoid one of the Beowolves.
After dodging the Grimm's attack, she raised her left arm in an angled uppercut and turned the tonfa around in her hand causing the hardened pole to smack across the monster's head. Once her first attack hit, she turned her torso and struck with the other tonfa making a flurry of blows before turning them around in her hands and jabbing the ends of them against the Beowolf's gut and pulling the triggers in the grip. The two gunshots stunned the monster making it hunch over, and Rhia jumped off its shoulder and brought one of her tonfas down on its head before turning her other around and shooting at the Beowolf behind her.
Off to the side, her sister stood in the middle of the other three Beowolves holding her weapon at the ready as they circled her. The one behind her snarled and lunged its arm raised, but Alena turned on her heel and swung the back end of her weapon cutting off the monster's arm in mid-lunge before she pivoted back the other way turning her weapon and stabbing the trident end in its chest. Twisting the glaive end, she detached the curved blade and turned back around leaving the trident impaled in the Beowolf and with a single swing cut its head off.
"Come on" Sin yelled taunting the wounded Death Stalker as he ducked and jumped back avoiding its attacks only for Brick to run in and attack it.
The injured Grimm shrieked and swiped at them with its pincer, but Brick planted his feet and grabbed hold of the giant claw sliding back a few feet before he stopped it and tried to keep his grip. Sin ran in behind him and raised the rifle taking aim at the monster's eyes and firing scoring a hit on one causing the Death Stalker to flail and back away again. Sin noticed that even with the monster wounded they weren't going to be able to hold it off much longer, they needed a way to put it down. Seeing the mandibles Brick stabbed into its eyes, he had an idea.
"Brick," he said as they backed away from the Death Stalker, "Its stinger. If we can find a way to cut it off, you think you could drive it into that thing?"
Brick growled and nodded.
"Alright then, just hold it off for a little bit longer," Sin said before turning around and running toward the two Faunus girls.
Rhia spun to the side and leaped over the Beowolf landing on its shoulders and striking her tonfa against both sides of its head before jumping off. After she jumped off Alena rushed in behind her and drove the glaive end of her trident into the Beowolf's back. Vaulting over it and twisting the trident's shaft to detach the glaive end, she landed in front of the Beowolf and jabbed the trident end of her weapon into the monster's snarling mouth. Pulling the trigger in the middle, the three prongs of the trident slid together and fired, the three shots blasting their way into the Beowolf's skull killing it.
"Hey" Sin called sliding to a stop next to them, "You" he pointed at Alena, "Switch with me, go help Brick."
"Why?" she asked harshly.
"I can't do anything against that thing" Sin panted, "If you can cut its stinger off then Brick can use it and hopefully finish it off. I can help her deal with the last two Beowolves. Then we can team up against the last one".
Rhia looked to her sister, "Go I've got this."
Alena nodded to her and ran to assist Brick, leaving Sin with Rhia.
"Here" Sin said handing Rhia her rifle back, "Thanks for the loan, but I'm no good with it."
Rhia turned to him as the last two Beowolves flanked them, "Do you have another weapon?"
"You could say that" Sin answered, "Though I doubt I'm going to last much longer."
Cracking his knuckles Sin set himself in his fighting stance and waited for the Beowolf to lunge at him. Sin stepped forward and jumped to intercept the lunging monster, his fist flying forward just before they met nailing the Grimm in the side of its head, Sin's Aura exploding on impact sending the monster to the ground. Pressing his attack Sin landed an uppercut followed by a left hook then a right hook then a left jab his punches coming faster and faster with each hit.
"Not bad," Rhia said keeping the other Beowolf in her peripheral.
The Beowolf charged her, and she jumped back swinging her right arm out, her tonfa finding its mark on the side of the Beowolf's head stunning it. Spinning around the Grimm, she aimed the barrels of her tonfa at the back of the monster's knee and fired, the two shots piercing through its joint breaking it. Falling to one knee, the Beowolf turned swinging its clawed hand at the Faunus that crippled it. Rhia back-flipped over the Beowolf drawing her short rifle and combining it with her right tonfa, when she landed she aimed the double-barreled weapon at the Grimm's other knee and fired shattering it. Adding her other tonfa to the weapon, she pointed at the monster's head and fired the triple barreled gun, blowing the monster's head off.
"Watch its pincer" Alena yelled jumping back from the wounded Death Stalker.
Brick charged forward once again intercepting the claw of the Grimm and struggling to hold the massive monster. Alena watched, impressed by the burly Faunus' strength, and realized what the human Sin was saying. She looked up to the Death Stalker's stinger, if she could cut it off, then the Faunus fighting by her side could use his power to drive the stinger into the Grimm's body hopefully killing it.
"Get it to face the store" Alena yelled backing away some more.
She watched Brick throw the pincer back and charge forward and rear his fist back punching one of the mandible's he impaled in its eyes, driving it even deeper. The Death Stalker shrieked and backed away giving Brick room to make it turn, once the Grimm was facing the store Alena looked up and aimed her trident at the spot near the destroyed wall where its tail and stinger were. Detaching the glaive end of her blade, she pulled the second trigger on the weapon's shaft and the trident end launched out toward the wall piercing into it. The anchored trident began reeling Alena toward it, holding her blade out the Faunus slashed at the Grimm's stinger as she passed it, but didn't get it all the way. Planting her feet against the wall, she unhooked her trident and kicked off slashing at the stinger again, this time severing it as she flew by.
"Finish it off" she yelled to Brick as the Death Stalker backed into the damaged building once again shrieking in pain.
Brick grabbed the severed stinger and charged toward the Death Stalker and jumped with a booming roar and drove the stinger into the monster's head. Landing on the Grimm's head Brick locked his fists together and raised them above his head before bringing them down on the stinger, the ax handle blow driving the stinger even further in. Raising his fists again he brought them down, and Alena watched as the final blow sent the monster's limb in far enough to be a fatal blow and the Death Stalker evaporated into a black mist.
"As far as brute strength goes, I've seen worse," she thought giving Brick a nod before running to help her sister.
With the Beowolves dead Sin and Rhia turned to face down the Death Stalker, slowly backing away as it advanced on its exhausted prey.
"Any ideas?" Sin gasped, "Because I'm running on fumes here."
"Just hold on," Rhia told him, "This is the last one."
"Oh, joy" Sin gasped again.
"Rhia" Alena yelled sliding to a stop next to her sister, "Are you ok?"
"I'm all right," Rhia told her, "He's a pretty decent fighter."
"So is the big one" Alena replied as Brick walked over to them and patted Sin's back.
"Alright, all together," Rhia said, "Hit it with everything we've got."
Brick charged in first with Sin right behind him while Rhia and Alena moved to flank. Brick rammed directly into the monster's pincer grabbing hold of it while Sin ran up and jumped off his back rearing his fist back before coming down on top of the Death Stalker and with one last flurry of Aura filled blows attacked the Grimm's eyes. Rhia following suit jumped onto the Death Stalker's pincer and then its head using her triple-barreled shotgun to assist Sin's assault. Meanwhile, Alena had grappled high up the side of the building and with her glaive in hand dived down and with gravity's help cut through Death Stalker's exoskeleton severing the pincer Brick was restraining.
"Here" Alena yelled tossing the glaive to Brick as the Death Stalker flailed around shaking Sin and Rhia off.
Catching the glaive Brick grabbed hold of the other pincer and a single mighty swing cut it off.
"Brick launch me" Sin yelled running over to his friend.
Brick dropped the glaive and cupped his hands waiting for Sin to step onto them before using all of his strength to launch his friend straight up into the air. Spreading his arms Sin slowly flipped around in the air, he could see everything from this high up. People were watching them this entire time wondering, praying for their victory. He smirked, not because of them, but because of the cold breeze he felt, the air felt nice up there, just right for a nap.
"This is all I've got left" he whispered to himself, "Better make it count."
He began falling, headfirst back toward the Death Stalker, Brick had already grabbed the two Faunus girls and moved them back a safe distance fully predicting what his partner was thinking. Closing his eyes Sin inhaled a deep breath and tightened his fist before pulling it back. Feeling the wind rushing by him, he opened his eyes and with a battle cry threw his hand out as he crashed into the Death Stalker's head using the last of his Aura to release a shockwave. The shockwave kicked up a curtain of dust that concealed both Sin and the Death Stalker though they could hear the latter emitting what sounded like a death cry before everything went silent.
As the dust began settling the three Faunus watched Sin stumbled over to them covered in dirt, "Please tell me it's dead" he said exhausted.
The three of them watched the black mist of the Grimm's corpse evaporate into the air, "Yeah it's pretty dead" Rhia told him.
"Awesome" Sin replied his body was beginning to sway, "Now if you'll excuse me."
He fell backward his back hitting the dusty ground with a dull thud his eyes closed. Light snores escaped his mouth every time his chest rose and fell, and the two Faunus girls looked at each other.
"He fell asleep?" Alena asked.
Brick nodded at each of them before giving them a friendly smile and a thumbs up.