Tales of Team STRQ
Chapter 3: Awaken
Location: A SDC compound
Raven
the best part of fighting a horde was the rush. The feeling of overwhelming power over the creatures, that threaten humanity's very existence crumble away at her feet. There was nothing like it. This is what Raven was born to do. Ever since she first held a sword she was trained to fight and kill. She was always good at it, out of all the children from their tribe and a good chunk of the adults, all were weak in comparison, she even left Qrow in the dust years ago. She was always an unstoppable force. That was until she met her. Smoke Platim.
Ever since that day in the emerald forest last year the, she couldn't help but be threaten by the silver-eyed huntress in training. When the Beowulf's came charging in at them, Soke stood up to them and cut them down. With nothing more than a pocket knife, and a smile on her face. She couldn't stand that smile, it didn't match her strength at all! It almost overwhelmed her, it was too long since Raven was able to go to with someone. Smoke had dubbed her, her rival and she played along with her game, it was fun finding different ways to challenge her strength and prowess as the team leader.
It would make it all the easier to kill her one day.
She can't forget her mission, the one that Father entrusted to her and her brother.
Like the Schnee Man said the Grimm showed up moon rise. Nevermore's Beowulf's alike stormed the facility. The threat level was a 5. Nothing that the four of them couldn't handle. The Grimm came in waves like some sort of demonic ripple flowing inward. It was strange how much the Grimm moved like Clockwork, their movements were straightforward which is not normal for these chaotic beasts. In between the waves people would come in and work on the defensive systems.
The first night was taxing and the hardest of the nights, as they did were use to their new fighting schedule. The second night was easier they had developed a nap cycle between waves of Grimm. The third night they had it down, and the fourth night they took charge of the situation
Like always Smoke leaped into action, striking the unexpecting Grimm in the eye sockets, as surrounding Grimm start to surround her she announces her team attack names.
"Form 24!" she yelled as Tai and Qrow lept into action, Tai shooting a with his gauntlets sending the beast into Qrows path. The two then continue to fight off several Grimm in that direction
Raven spots another set of Grimm as they come over the mountain. She moves and activating her minigun and with one sweep all that remained was dissolving pieces of guts lying in the ground.
"Count is at 25" Raven shouted at her "Leader", as she continued to blast other Grimm with a collection of dust types. Their game was one of the few things that she enjoyed during her mission. It kept her focus and had a chance to get ahead of Smoke and prove who is the better wielder of the blade. Smoke, on the other hand, enjoyed it seeing it nothing more than a game.
"37!" She yelled back "Getting sluggish tonight?"
Raven gave back a remark but not one that Smoke could hear. She then focuses her emotions on an upcoming Nevermore.
The beast soared overhead raining its feathers on Raven and the others. She drew her flame sword and sprayed a wave of fire, disintegrating the feathers before they even got to her. The bird soared overhead then circled back around with a coarse strait toward the facility. She took a running jump to the monster's back, and in a swift move she cut off its wings crashing it into the side of the mountain. She pulled out the sword of her chamber and made her way to the birds head. The monster was not yet dead, it still squirmed and flopped its non-existing wings. Trying so desperately to fly away. Raven stabs the beast in the back of its head, releasing thick black smoke that consumed the monster's form. Raven felt the monster disappear under her foot.
Truly, there is no better feeling.
For a moment there was nothing but silence and the sounds of wind blowing. And the buzz of the ice grinding against metal.
"Umm, Rae we need your help over here"
Never mind its just Xiao long.
She groaned. She slashed her sword, activating her semblence and jump through her portal. She landed near her brother, Qrow who nearly dropped his weapon when she landed near him. She glared at her brother, disgusted by his timid nature, he needed to get a grip in situations like this. Why did she bring him along on this mission again? She then turned to Tai who had run toward her almost out of breath.
"What?" she asked
Her blonde partner, stopped in his tracks his face, blushed by the cold of the wind
"Well for one, you looked dashing taking down the nevermore" he stuttered out
Raven rolled her eyes "I have no time for your flattery Xiao Llong"
"Right, of course" he spat out "Also I could use some help with these" he gestured to a horde of laspiers that was following.
"Lead with that," she said pushing out of the way. Instinctively she pulled out her gunshot the wasps with a rapid-fire blast. Xiao Long stood beside her shooting down the ones that got by her. However, even with the two of them, they could only shoot down so much. When they got close enough Raven pulled out an electricity blade and started cutting through the wasps, clipping their wings. Xiao long settled for kicking and punching the wasps as he got to them, cracking there harden white plating. Normally he kicked them into Raven's direction, and she in return would slice them in half and kill them. At the end of it all, Raven found her self just a tad winded while Xiao Long, on the other hand, seemed to be grasping for air like Smoke for a good grade.
"Yeah, 23!" she heard Smoke in the distance
"You know Smoke" Xiao panted "Your team attack names could use some work"
"Nah," Smoke said landing between the two, "I think it works well"
"I mean with you and Ravens, little counting game it gets a little hard to follow sometimes," Xiao Long said
"That's ridiculous" Smoke replied, "I think its just fine"
"Says the one who designated herself number 1" Raven answered
She looked offended at the remark
"Well I am the team leader, and it's my name that's at the begging of our team name" Smoke answered "Than its Tai, you, then Qrow. "
Raven huffed, she was annoyed by this system. It seemed like she was ranked near the bottom and below Xiao long. At least she was ahead of Qrow but she still found it humiliating.
"I'm all for our little game, but it is still a stupid system" Raven replied
"Well, Qrow you like it don't you," Smoke asked Raven's brother, doing a little twirl to face him. Illuminating her self as she did it. Qrow seemed to be surprised by this remark yet again nearly dropping his weapon. The cold seemed to be getting to Qrow as his face started to grow a little redder to combat the cold.
"I ... well" he stammered "Its... good"
Smoke eyes widen and faced Raven and Tai again. "See! Qrow likes it. And that all the approval I need" she said blatantly with a smile.
Xiao and Raven put her hands to her face.
"of course he does" Raven heard him say under his breath.
Raven didn't quite know what he was referring to, she was too busy trying to comprehend her brother's stupidity. How could he think that this method of thinking was, a good idea?
"Well, in any case, we need to focus on our job at hand," said Smoke "The night is still young and luckily for us, so are the Grimm"
Raven turned and sure enough, there was another round of Grimm coming out in the distance. Each member of team STRQ got into position. Each one drawing their weapons and each got into their own battle stance. Raven pulled out her flame dust blade, her favorite out of all her other dust blade, she raised it over her head and got into her stance.
"Before I forget, what is your count?" Raven asked, "I am at 50 myself ..."
before she could finish, she heard a metallic clang hitting a ground she turned to found her leader's prized knife lying on the ground, she looked up and saw Smoke just standing there. Her expression was blank and unfocused, with no signs of emotion or awareness. Her leader's eyes were completely blank starring out to the new moon, completely transfixed.
It was a new moon tonight.
It did not know how or why but it was aware of that much at least.
Its entire time it knew nothing but darkness
no
an absence of light.
That is all it felt
That's all it was
What it shall forever be
a creature of shadow
the shadow of the once full moon
bound to a prison as such
"Smoke are you alright" Xiao asked at their leader, who stood still transfixed upon the night sky.
Her eyes a widen and her body was shaking as if her entire body was commanding her to stay still against its own will.
Raven looked at her partner, she did not know what was happening. She has never seen Smoke like this before. Such a pathetic display of someone who claimed to be her equal. She turned her attention toward the next wave of Grim they were still coming at them she relied on her Minigun. It was out of ammo 'great' she thought. she gripped her electricity blade in hand.
"We got to get her out of here" she heard her partner say.
"I'll take her, " said Qrow said already
"No," Raven stated
"But" he started to say "I need you here," she told her Despite the gap in his skill their teamwork was quite fluid. she would take him over Xiao long any day. She did not know what was happening to Smoke. But their objective was charging at them at an alarming speed. She had no time to dwell on the weak.
"Xiao! take our leader out of here" she said as the wave of Grimm came closer and closer
"Got it" and he moved to grab her but the second his hand touched her. Their leader's eyes started to glow and her entire body along with it.
This was not good.
knew nothing more than fear
it knew nothing more than hate
it knew nothing more than darkness
It should probably let go
but it sense's something. Something toward the moon
Something grows and its eyes started to burn with pain
it knew what it had to do
Off with these chains
It shall know this darkness no more
"She's activated her semblance" Xiao long yelled to Raven.
Raven saw as her leader entire body started to glow.
"SMOKE!" Qrow yelled running up to her.
"SMOKE Snap out of it"
If their leader heard anything she did nothing as with each passing moment her body grew brighter and brighter. Almost like another sun, Raven shielded her eyes as the light quickly increased. The snow around her started to melt away showing the mountains black surface exposed and the metal of the compound began to melt. Her semblance was going out of control.
Raven grabbed her brother's hand. Their best bet right now was to get out of Smoke eyesight. Normally in check but her power could light up the entire campus if she had enough Aura to generate it. They had to wait out her Aura for the time being.
"We need to get out of here!"
"but..."
"Now!"
She grabbed him and ran behind one of the rocks by the compound. Xiao Long followed them. As soon as they were safe behind the rock Raven peaked out to see what was happening. For some reason the Grimm too was stuck in a trace, staring at Smoke. Possibly wondering why there pray would stand still, or they too were blinded by her light.
Smoke's light continues to expand. Then it exploded like a miniature sun. Raven could feel the heat from the rock as it turned a shade of light red. She checked her Scroll, she stilled had a bit more Aura left in her.
Then like a bolt of lighting after a strike it faded. The light was no more, it flickered out of existence.
Raven looked out, curious she found her teammate standing in a circle of steam.
"Smoke!"
both her teammates rush to her aide as her knees gave way. Qrow arrived just in time to catch her before she hit the ground. 'Man that boy is fast' raven though as she came out from behind the rock.
Raven checked her guard, now that Smoke's light show was over. The Grimm would soon return. That is how the Grimm operates here. They will always return. However, as she looked out she noticed something peculiar.
"Curious..." said Xiao Long getting up.
"What is?" Qrow asked still holding onto
"They're gone," he replied. "The Grimm"
Sure enough, the Grimm that was approaching them had no continued up the mountain. Not even the ones that flew have turned around. This was odd the Grimm were not known for their strategic withdraw. But as seeing as their objective was gone, they might as well bring Smoke in and call it a day.
"I'm Calling Gelé to let us back in" she pulled out scroll but it remained in its pocket form.
"Great! Scrolls are not working"
"Guess we just have to knock" Xiao suggested
Raven threw her partner a look of disgust and he returned it with a cheap smile and then ran up to the compound door. Qrow got up holding Smoke in her arms.
"You should probably give her to me, brother," Raven told him
"What?" he asked looking down, seemingly noticing for the first time that he was holding onto their leader. For some reason, his face turned red and his clumsy nature took hold of him again and almost dropped her as he handed him off to her.
"idiot," she remarked as she carried her partner up the hill.
Smoke then mumbled something her breath. Raven couldn't make it out over the howling of the winter wind. and the quietness of her leader's voice.
It was something about a rose. But Raven cared little about flowers and their names.
Security
(status)
offline
Author's Note:
Well, that is the end of that chapter *Looks at watch* and took less than a year too. I don't know how I feel about this chapter. I wanted to add more in but I felt like it would disrupt the flow the story so I will just make it the next chapter. I will try to update that as soon as possible but I also have other stories to write/update. until then see yah
And for those who are asking about smokes name, I'm well aware. As for why. . .
shhhhhhhh
