"…so the guy still had enough time to feel himself colliding with the steel since, as it turns out, the brain don't immediately die when you get impaled with a sword, even if it's Pursuer size."
Bach rolled forward under a fireball which proceeded to detonate violently a few meters behind his back as he raised his shield toward the Alma. They were the only ones training each other in one of the open-air practice rings near the back of the Academy which are often vacant due to the lack of supporting equipment such as holograms and dummies. However, the place does offer a nice atmosphere due to its close proximity to the garden and the cliff at the back of the school. As the wind blew, red petals began fall from the tree crowns and drifted toward the two hunters in training only to be disturbed when two clashed once again.
Alma was wearing her jean, tight black shirt and full combat gears which consist of steel toes boots, white fingerless metal bracers and a small pauldron made from overlapping metal sheets strapped to her right shoulder by a black leather strap that ran across her chest. Bach, on the other, thought exchanging his shoes for a pair of metal greaves was a good enough addition to his usual cargo short and polo shirt for this practice.
The bout was similar their usual practice duels with the exception that Alma had emptied all the dust rounds from her Red Guards. Instead, she was using solely pyromancy spells from the list provided by her team recently, instruction description included. This left the practice arena with multiple cracks and scorch marks that for once wasn't cause by Bach's excessively large weapons.
"His last thoughts?", the faunus deftly parried a cut with her tonfa and slammed the other into Bach shield, knocking him back with a blast of explosive dust.
"Huh?", the metal greaves screeched as his heels skidded back.
"Tell me his what was the last thing he thought about", Alma swung her arm horizontally bathing the undead in a swath of flame spewing from one the red guard's exhausts, concealing the coming uppercut.
In response, Bach just rushed forward with his shield as a battering ram, crashing into the small faunus through the fire. She was forced to disengaged with a quick blast from her weapons lest she wanted to be hit with the Zweihander.
"Butter fingers."
"What?", Alma rolled her shoulder.
"His last thought was his mum's butter fingers", the undead was keeping his shield up, its dragon crest glaring at the small girl, "His brother and him love them."
Alma paused for a moment to contemplate the thought. It was an incredibly simple compare to the story about huntsmen heroical sacrificing themselves that she used to read. Yet, it left a sad bitter taste in her mouth like the other stories Bach had shared with her.
"These people who died…their life doesn't really flash before their eyes, huh?"
"Well for some people, yes, but I haven't gotten to them yet, next time perhaps?", he banged the pommels on the edge of the shield, signaling for her to continue with the match.
With a fiery blast to the ground, Alma hurled herself through the air in an arch toward the waiting undead, her pyromancy flame primed on the short end of her tonfa. Bach focused on the faunus and braced himself in respond, failing to notice the small ember that was spinning behind his back. It exploded.
The deafening burst of flame sent him flying toward Alma as she was coming down from the zenith, her hand priming the ember for a very explosive punch.
Fus Ro DAH
The metal charm on Bach's hand glowed and his word turned in to shockwaves that forced the two apart just as the faunus hand was about to connect with his face. They came down rolling to their feet not too far apart, a fact that the undead took advantage of with a downward swing using the full reach of his Zweihander. Alma twisted her body to the side, letting the blade bite into the ground in front of her while responding with a giant fan of fire toward her practice partner. He let the fire crashed harmlessly against his shield and simultaneously twisted the blade for a horizontal swing that crashed against the team leader's tonfa.
Alma was forced back quite a distance as her heels skidded to a halt. She gave her dear weapons a quick glance, feeling relieve that her aura had managed to prevent her tonfas from being split in half by the great sword. On the other side, Bach was standing with his arms open mouthing the word "What is it?" with wide grin on his face. The shit eating grin was soon wiped off when he noticed her smile and the small ember floating near his feet. The resulting blast was much stronger than she expected and the faunus swore she felt the ring shook beneath her feet while Bach was counting the things that were broken as he sailed toward a wall.
"Oh crap", Alma rushed toward the pile of Bach slumped at the foot of the wall, "Hold on!"
"Man…pfft…WATH DITH YOU THAY?", a few teeth were spat out as the undead tried to shake loose the shield from his less broken arm, obvious disoriented from the blast.
Alma crouched down next to her teammate and quickly fished out the Estus from his pocket since his arm wasn't performing that task very well. She tipped the bottle and he took a long sip from it, letting the ethereal liquid mend his wounds faster than any aura the faunus had ever seen. When the work was done, the bottle was taken from her hand and put back into the magic box in his pocket.
"I know you are getting better with pyromancy and all but…", Bach scratch the back of his neck as he rolled his head around a bit, making cracking noises, "…Shouldn't you anger management class start with dummy first before moving on to live target? I'm undead and all but this shit still hurts, mate."
"Sorry…", she sat down and crossed her legs, glancing briefly at the scorch marks on the ring, "…but I need to be combat ready as soon as possible."
"For what?"
"We are showing up at the ambush like Fina demanded, right?"
"Well…", he took off his glasses and began wiping it with the edge of his shirt, "…of course, but you seemed a bit tense about this and we got like what? Two weeks to prepare?"
"And you're way too relax about this, considering how anyone who ends up dead is going to be inside that brain of yours."
"Hey, that doesn't mean I not thinking about it. It's just that I'm confident about my leader's plans, especially the backups", he pulled out a handful of small homeward bones, "Quite elegant actually, just force teleport everyone out if things go south."
"The general isn't going to be happy about students intruding on his ops and teleporting his men, not to mention the problems when Yorhska shows up", she frowned, "She's not going to let us run around freely and she kicked your ass the other night, while pulling her punches."
"Hey, my punches were pulled too…", Bach's put the bones away and his glasses back on before letting out a sigh, "…besides, you have three different plans for her and that's excluding the boner maneuver."
"Oh dust, please stop calling plan D by that name."
"Hey, you're the one who said that first."
"It was an accident!", she took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, "It's just a bit unnerving, how you guys put so much confident in my planning considering last time."
"Hey last time was a success, we all got out of the dock alive with everyone we set out to rescue", he protested while checking his ribs to see if there are back to normal, "And, if remember it right, Liz, Eric and I spent quite a long of time peer reviewing those plans with you."
"Yeah but you know what they say about plans and first contact…"
"And Murphy's law is absolute but that's what teammates are for. We'll deal with it together."
"Thanks", she smiled wryly.
"Well, if it makes you feel any less lonely in the freaking out department, I do have some concern about your aiming."
This drew a scoff from the girl.
"And I thought you're confident about your team leader."
"Her plans, yes. Her aim, no, considering how I'm going to be near where you throw the fireballs. You know what, let's also include Eric's skill with artillery."
"Well, then you probably shouldn't be whining about every live fire practice we'll have since you know, you're one of the people who approved this plan."
Bach's mouth hung open for a few second but there was no comeback for him to said.
"Good point…", he smiled and dusted himself off, "Well, you should get back to position then. My ass isn't going to blow itself up like some Al Qaeda."
"It's okay, you're off the hook for now. We'll go over the plans again, tonight", Alma pushed herself up to her feet, "C'mon, let's get going, you need to eat before your shift begins."
"Aaaaargh…", Back quickly followed suit, "Now that job is a cruel and unusual punishment."
"That's the point, isn't it", Alma chuckled, "By the way, I've been wondering…are all Velka followers undead?"
"As far as my memories goes, yes. The end of the world isn't easy for normal human to survive not to mention…"
Emerald groaned quietly and clicked her tongue as she watched the two member of team ABEL walk away from the outdoor ring. Leaning against the guardrail, she was observing them from an open walkway overlooking the backyard while a few students moved about their daily lives behind her back. The noise was no distraction, however, as her mind contemplated the faunus and undead from below.
"Did you get dumped by someone?", a distinct voice finally caught her attention.
"Hello, Mercury…", she turned around and rest her back against the railing.
"Oooh, why the long face?", the assassin was as laid back as ever when he made his way next to her.
"I don't think Pyrrah is the only one we'll have to look out for in this Academy."
"You're still concerned about that guy from…what is it… team ABEL right?", he scoffed, "You're overthinking it."
"He kicked your ass."
"Hey! That hurts my feelings", Mercury made a mocking gesture of him feeling offended, "I was caught by surprise. Besides, our little knightess already gave us a rundown of what he's capable of and didn't she promise to take care of him if needed?"
"Her knight company and she will take care of him. That's a lot of people for one person."
"The guy does seem hard to put down permanently but hey, he won't be our problem."
"But the rest of his team might", Emerald crossed her arm.
"You worry too much it's giving you wrinkles", he scoffed, again.
The girl promptly showed him a video on her scrolled to make her point. It was a recording of Alma's and Bach's practice duel that had concluded just a few moments ago. Bach was limit himself to just his sword, shield and abilities similar to the ones in Mercury's duel with him a week ago. On the other hand, the faunus was unleashing a plethora of pyromancies that shook the air and threatened to engulf the undead. Fire was being shaped by her into an arsenal of explosive air bombs, mines, streams and even at sometimes whips, spears and what seems like a fan.
"That is some semblance she got, might even be harder to deal with that Nikos little magnet trick."
"This is the tame version", she swiped to another recording, "They were testing this in the forest the other night."
This video showed the whole of team ABEL in the forest, near the gate that would lead them back to one of the Academy many courtyards. A few words of what they said was barely audible for the two assassins.
"…let…a fireball…see the damage…", the few words sounded like it came from Bach as he shrugged.
This prompted the older and seemingly annoyed faunus to summon a crimson fireball on her hand and threw it at a tree. The explosion was undoubtedly loud, it also vaporized the whole trunk and left a crater as large as a minivan for the crown to fall in.
"And it's not a semblance."
"It's not?", Mercury whipped his head toward his partner, showing obvious surprise and concern.
"No…", she fast forward to the part of video where the undead was trying to demonstrate pyromancies, albeit weaker compare to his teammate, "…but it seems like the faunus has a particular knack that make this pyromancy thing quite destructive for her."
"I guess this is going to be one of those troubling individuals we have to report to Cinder, huh?", he sighed and scratched the back of his neck.
Emerald nodded and use her semblance to reach out to one of the crows on the roof, one of the Darkmoon disciples'. Her soul reached into the animal's consciousness and drew up an illusion that contain the message to be sent. After a few seconds, the crow promptly took off to its destination.
"I swear, those crows creep me out when they start talking", Mercury traced the black bird with his eyes.
"It is creepy but we can't deny that the this is way more secure now that communication is being monitored by Atlas's boots."
"Yeah", the boy turned around and leaned also leaned his back against the railing, "But unless this guy start teaching everyone his tricks or this team suddenly pop up at our next operation, I don't think they'll be Cinder immediately concern."
"No, but still, she won't be please with more potential problems."
"You gotta relax before your forehead get all wrinkly, Em."
The girl sighed.
"May I remin-
"SOMEONE CATCH THAT PLANT!"
Both teenage assassins were unpleasantly surprise as their heads were used as platform for a plant and its pot to traverse the hallway. It immediately scurry off as its apparent owner, a faunus name Lisbet, passed by the pair in a dead sprint, yelling as she goes.
"FRANKY! COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANCE!", she howled in frustration as the little thing turned sharply into another hallway.
Franky the burning plant was making its way through the crowded hall of Beacon, drawing the attention of every student in sight and the ire of a poor girl desperate to catch her pet plant. It was quite an interesting spectacle. The small sapling was using its roots over flowing its pots to scurry along the corridor while carrying what seems to be a tiny fireball at the top of its burning crown. The flame flicker as it weaved its way between the students' ankles, making it harder for Liz to get a clear look at and evoking some yelps here and there from several surprised students.
"FRANKY! STOP BOTHERING PEOPLE!", she pounced at the thing as it ran across a clearing amongst the passerby.
Unfortunately, the faunus caught nothing but a puff of black smoke while Franky was on its merry way after launching itself briefly through the air with a combustion. With a huff, the girl scrambled back on her feet to give chase to the plant before it could disappear from her sight.
The chase continued throughout the main buildings and hallways of the Academy. A lot of the students were startled by the pair as they barrel through the crowd, eliciting yelps, but a lot of others also was recording on their scroll. A faunus chasing a burning house plant that breaths fire wasn't a common occurrence around here and it was quite amusing. The long chase sequence eventually led the two out of the main halls and back into the dorms, specifically toward the workshop and its raging forge.
"Eric! Franky's going for the forge!"
The commotion startled the on-shift attendant behind the counter for a moment but he managed to gather his mind in time and began putting up his barrier to entry. Tendrils of gold light began to weave themselves into the shape of small walls, prison bar and chain blocking Franky's way to the forge. But small obstacles were no match for this plant's freakish agility as it blasted itself over them or through the lights tendrils in the few seconds before they could coalesce into anything tangible. On the other hand, Liz was having a much harder time navigating these new obstacle as they did not dissipate quick enough.
"Oh crap…", Eric launched himself over the counter in a desperate attempt to catch the little sapling.
"Sho youhr dah wath a fruithcaketh?", Bach's knuckles were covering his grin as he tried to work through the huge bite of beef while his other hand was already stabbing for the next one with a fork.
"Just because he owns a bakery that sells both fruit and cake, doesn't mean he's a fruitcake, Bach", Alma's brow was making a perfect horizontal line as she leered at the teammate in front of her.
"Welth, he'th altho…", the undead quickly swallowed his food and began wagging the fork to illustrated his point, "…cook, clean, sew, do laundry and teach Liz how to do her hair."
The pair was sharing a table with team JNPR and it seemed like the few who was listening to the conversation were looking a bit confused.
"Okay…I think you need to give us your definition of fruitcake", Ren asked with the face that said he didn't get the full meaning of the word yet.
Bach took a glance at his team leader and mumbled a "Dang it!" under his breath as the realization dawn on him.
"Right…different world, different culture, different slang…", he mumbled to himself before addressing the table, "You know what, guys, just forget that remark. Alma, yer dad is a cool guy, very responsible with family. Just forget whatever else I said."
Alma narrowed her eyes at him for a moment then with a flick of her finger, a knocked the guy flat on his back with a small explosion just in front of his face.
"The hell as that for?", Bach exclaimed.
"Knowing you, you were probably being an asshole", she calmly when back to her soup.
"Well, aren't you a smart little kitten."
The faunus' ears twitched, and she proceed to give him another mini flame swath to the face which elicited quite the muffled howl from the undead. Ren glanced down to witness Bach clutching his nose and mouth while hastily try to pour a golden liquid from an emerald bottle on to his face.
"Hmm…you said this pyromancy is not your semblance but I've never read or heard about something like this…", the explosive exchanges seemed to have caught Pyrrah attention and made her and Jaune turned away from whatever they were discussing, "…How does it work exactly?"
"More IMPORTANTLY, can you teach me how to make explosions with my mind too!?", Nora leaned forward with excitement on her face and a pancake on her fork.
"Mayb-
"Nope!", Bach had managed to hoist himself back to the table and interjected before Alma could even get the rest of her word out, "I'm not giving anybody else pyromancy lessons and Alma, please don't."
"Aww, but this is so cool. Can't you just teach me a little bit, pretty please!", Nora gave the best puppy dog eyes she has but Bach was showing the his blankest of blank stare.
"Looks, pyromancy works with people emotions and you look like a powder keg of overexcitement, right Ren?", Ren who nod in agreement, "Besides, I already got one case of anger issues sitting across the table, no offense."
Alma just shook her head lightly and sighed as her hands went back to the food, "None taken…"
"Boooooo!", ball of excitement deflated and grumbled as she settled back on her seat, "I thought you were the cool one on the team."
"Flattering gets you nowhere not, even a discount."
"Speaking of team", Pyrrah swivel his head toward the one half of ABEL, "What happened to the rest of your team?"
"Well, Eric's on shift at Kozlov's…", Alma started.
Mentioning the quartermaster name raise a few words of condolence from the group and he team leader could hear someone said "Poor guy…" from another table.
"…and Liz is giving Franky a trim, I think."
"That must be a very…", Bach shoved another piece of steak in his mouth, chew then swallowed, "…good trim considering how long it's taking her to do it."
"Sis is quite particular when it comes to looks ever since we got accepted to Beacon", she shrugged.
"Hey…", Jaune called out while his eyed was still fixed on the screen of his scroll, "Does your plant have burning leaves?"
"Yeah…did we show it to you guys?", the faunus turned her attention to the end of the table.
"Well, you didn't but…"
Jaune turned the scroll around and extended toward the other team end of the table to showed them while everyone else crane their neck around to look at the content. It was a video that showed a faunus chasing a flaming plant across the dormitory halls while streams of light burst out and formed obstacle for the two. However, it seemed like only the bigger of the pair was hindered in anyway and the clip ended in what looked like a mess in the quartermaster workshop. Coincidently, team ABEL received a new message in their group chat.
Hey Bach, can you fix stuff other than weapons with your magic? If not, can we afford a new forge?
The undead took a deep breath, exhaled then turned to his team leader.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK", he pushed himself to his feet, "Can your pack some of the food for me later?"
"Sure", she sighed and moved to get some of the cantina boxes.
With the assurance, Bach march out of the dining hall muttering how even god would avoid smiting someone during dinner and a slur of curses in his mother tongue.