The heat was now non-existent as we sped past the open plains of the Savannah and occasional giant areas of sand and an oasis. Supposedly from what Qrow had mentioned, Raven was in the only town in the middle of the desert finishing up an assignment given to her from the Vacuo Kingdom, which was to slay a Dragon Grimm, not something neither Weiss or I had any experience dealing with. So we could either stop in the town to ask questions or just follow the Dragon, either would work.
"So how much further Rhodes?" Weiss asked over the earpiece that I gave her so we could communicate while on the bikes. It was rudimentary sure but it was better than nothing considering the situation.
"About 20 miles left between us and the small town. Think you can keep up Ice Queen?" I chuckled.
"Ice Queen? Funny, my sister was called the same thing a long time ago by a certain someone." She brought her sister up and what seemed like a huge wave of sorrow came from right behind it.
"Still haven't mentioned what happened to her, or even worse, how she died." I said as she sighed.
"When I'm ready Rhodes, I'll tell you the whole thing. I promise." She said as I smiled underneath the scarf around my face.
"Fair enough Ice Queen." I receded my efforts as I heard a louder rumbling behind us. I turned my head briefly seeing a 3rd motorcycle approached us from behind and fast. "Looks like someone wants to join in our fun. Hostile?" I asked her.
"Not sure, they haven't fired or attacked us yet. Doesn't mean that they are friendly." She said as I gripped the throttle.
"Stop, and see if they do the same." I proposed.
"Alright, on you." She responded as we both slowed down and turned our bikes around to face the unknown and stopped dead in our tracks ready to face whoever this person was. It was we predicted that they wanted something as the bike began to slow down as I removed the scarf from my face and threw it to the side. The 3rd biker stopped completely with a few meters of distance between us. The rider removed their helmet and rubbed her hand through the silver dreads kept up as she placed a pair of sunglasses on her face.
"Expecting me huh?" She mentioned as she dismounted her bike. I noticed the pair of pistols on her hips as I dismounted my own.
"Who are you?"I demanded as she laughed.
"Need information or to feel safe Mr. Lightning?" She asked as Weiss got off her bike and drew her rapier and pointed it at the mysterious woman.
"Answer him you harlot, now." She threatened as a white glyph appeared behind her.
"Oh Weiss, you aren't that scary now come on." The woman joked as I drew my Gunblade from behind and pointed it at her.
"A mercenary, that's what you are. And let me guess, you're after me then?" I asked as she drew her pistols from the holsters.
"Someone offered me quite the fortune to take you alive Mr. Rhodes, and to kill you Heiress." She explained as I knew who it was that hired her.
"Guess Victor hires others to do his dirty work now." I mentioned.
"Maybe, doesn't matter to me, now come on Rhodes." She asked.
"Only way I'll come with you is as a cold dead corpse." I said.
"We'll see about that." She said aiming her pistols at me and firing a burst of rounds with electricity arcing from them as I swung my blade in an angled arc knocking them past me. She charged switching her pistols to dual swords as our blades collided briefly before Weiss propelled herself forward with the glyph she summoned earlier to attack the assassin who casually dodged her attack and slammed her fist into the Heiress's stomach. Weiss gasped as it quickly knocked the wind out of her.
"Now now princess, go rest while the big boys play." The assassin grunted as electricity arced through her blade with it piercing her shoulder, shocking her literally. Weiss's pain filled screams could be heard for miles as she was kicked off the blade and off to the side, leaving me and the Assassin to fight it out.
"You bitch!" I screamed swinging my sword past her head as she dodged it and back flipped out of the way. My hair turned the snow white, extending past my waist with my eyes taking on the baby sky blue color.
"Now that is interesting, where did you learn that little ability?" She taunted as I put the Gunblade back in it's sheath and drew my Katana and took up an offensive stance. She gasped lightly as she noticed the figure.
"You look like something out of a fairy tale. Doesn't matter, you're mine big boy!" She switched back to the pistols and fired away a large volley. I raised my blade and swung downwards as a shock wave blew away the rounds to the ground just in front of me. It seemed impossible as she stood shocked at the sudden and immense display of skill and power.
"Impossible! No one can knock bullets out of the air like that!" She proclaimed as I kept a blank state of emotion rushing her and clashing her with a heavy flurry of strikes as she blocked them with her blades. She retreated briefly to catch her breath as I was unfazed by my sudden and intense attack against her. "What the hell are you?" She demanded.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" I taunted as she changed her swords back to pistols and holstered them.
"Clearly right now you are quite the match even for me, consider yourself lucky Black Lightning, but don't worry. I'll be back, always am when it comes to a contract." She said putting her helmet back on and speeding past me back towards the main kingdom. I kept my stance before twirling the sword in a circle as it slowly entered back into the scabbard and with a loud crack, it secured itself into the curved sheath. My hair and eyes reverted back to normal with pain overcoming my chest quickly after. Collapsing to the ground and gripping my chest, I panted trying to regain my own composure.
"I need to really stop using this." I whispered to myself as I took a deep breath with the pain now slowly fading away. I turned around to still see Weiss laying on the ground bleeding. She saw me walk up as I stood above her. "You alright Ice Queen?" I asked.
"I can't move." She barely moved her lips as I chuckled picking her up and holding her in my arms bridal style.
"Guessing that electricity did more than a number on you. Don't worry, you can ride with me." I mentioned carrying her over to my own bike as I positioned her on the back seat with me taking the front as I wrapped her arms around my waist.
"What about my bike?" She said.
"Don't worry about it. Just relax and see if you can't get moving again. How's your shoulder?" I mentioned the bleeding wound.
"It's nothing, just get me to the town." She mentioned as I grabbed my scarf and turned to face her and wrapped it around the bloody wound.
"Well it should hold for now. Now try and not move, I'll get us to the town." I said squinting my eyes as I started the bike again and revved the throttle before taking off into the desert heading to the town in the middle of nowhere.
Nearby
"Well that should be expected of a Merc looking for a big payday, doesn't matter though." Gabriel said putting the binoculars away under his coat and let a cocky smile out. "If you want something done, might as well do it yourself. Still though, she did manage to temporarily take care of the Heiress for me. Looks like Kyran should be a rather easy target then." He finished talking as his scroll rang with an unlisted number. No doubt it was Victor calling to confirm that they were dealt with. He answered it as a scratchy voice started to talk.
"Is it done Gabriel?" Victor asked.
"Sorry to disappoint you but our Merc failed, no doubt she'll try again though." He explained bringing his gloved hand through his hair and slicking back his silver hair.
"Well then, I guess you'll go after him it would seem." Victor proposed.
"Did you deliver the weapon I asked for?" Gabriel said.
"One Ceremonial Katana as requested. Sure you don't need those curved swords?" Victor asked as Gabriel chuckled undoing his weapon belt, letting them drop to the ground with a loud thud.
"No need Victor, I'll be okay with the weapon you send me. So...send it." Gabriel said as he hung up the scroll and awaited silently in the desert with the hot wind blowing through his hair and hitting his face before a whistling appeared through the air with a metallic container slamming into the ground. He walked up to the box and entered the combination as there stood a single Ceremonial Katana with a white hilt and an orange ribbon attached in a plain black scabbard. Grabbing the weapon, he examined it from top to bottom as he unsheathed the clean silver blade and examined the master craftsmanship as he cocked the sword back aiming it at a rock. Swinging the blade forward, a large shock wave focused from the blade cut the rock clean in two. Sheathing it back into the holster with a quiet snap. He laughed menacingly as he felt the power in his hands.
"I will kill you myself brother." Gabriel whispered as he began his trek to the town where Kyran and his friend were heading to.