The girls stalked the streets of the forgotten expansion carefully. Their mission was to suppress the sudden spike in Grimm activity and hopefully discover its source.

What are the chances it's another terrorist cell beneath the streets?

"What are the chances it's another terrorist cell beneath the streets?" Reaper passed Ember's comment along.

"I sincerely hope not." Weiss responded. "Last time that ended with Grimm inside Vale's walls."

Oh yeah.

"Good point." Reaper conceded.

Blake hushed the group at that moment and pointed toward a pack of Beowolves. "Isn't Vale the other direction?" She whispered.

"There must be powerful negative emotions to draw them away from civilization." Weiss observed.

The trio took to the broken rooftops to follow the pack unseen. They didn't know how long they were going to have to follow, but they hoped the pack would lead them to a target. The beowolves appeared to be moving at speed, like moths to a flame. It took twenty minutes and almost losing the pack twice, but they finally arrived at a scene that was attracting the monsters.

A group of faunus lay slaughtered in the street, likely the original cause of the Grimm spike that called the huntresses out here. Standing over the fresh corpses was a man who could only be described as a monster himself, so wrapped in heavy bandages and heavy clothing that one couldn't see any distinguishing features, unless you count his height.

The huntresses watched from cover in the building they had come to a stop at as the Grimm circled the mysterious figure. He raised his left arm at the monsters and red blasts shot from the over-long sleeve of his coat. The beowolves faded before him, executed by rapid headshots. The girls could almost feel the negative energy that called the Grimm themselves. They watched the Creature's hood turn, the hidden face within scanning the field.

When his head suddenly turned upwards, the huntresses didn't have time to consider whether he knew they were there before his arm came up again and he fired straight at them. They jumped from the building seconds before the blast destroyed the room they were in. The huntresses used their various skills to land safely. Reaper cushioned her fall with her aura, allowing the impact to aggravate the Red Haze. Red eyes opened as Ember took control, ready for a fight.

The man lowered his arm and was surrounded by the three girls. He wasn't surrendering though, he was waiting. And as he waited, he stared at the scythe girl with all of his endless hatred. Within Ember, Reaper felt something strange, something familiar about this monster.

Why do I feel like I know you… where have we met…

"Screw that, let's just beat him down. It seems he's looking for a fight." Ember responded to Reaper's inner-inner dialogue.

Weiss made the first move. Using her ice, she attempted to freeze the man in place. He watched the icicles approach and moved faster than any of them thought possible in his outfit, actually running to get out of the way. Blake sped towards him next, jumping and swinging Gambol Shroud downward. The man turned and blocked the blade with his left arm, and the faunus noted that the impact didn't feel like flesh or aura. She sprung off one of her after-images to avoid the Creature's right fist and used the dust Weiss gave her to give it a Burn aspect. The explosion barely made him stumble.

Next it was Ember's turn, and the girl elected to open with her Buzzsaw Sprint. She rushed towards the Creature, and the Creature closed his right hand around the scythe's handle, stopping the black cyclone in its tracks. Ember and Reaper saw the flesh of his hand was horribly scarred. The Creature pulled Brutal Thorn and Ember along with it. She arced over her assailant and was smashed into the ground with enough force to crack the concrete. She bounced up, and was kicked further across the battlefield.

At the last moment before her soccer ball impersonation, Ember reached out and took a handful of the man's left sleeve. When she was sent away from him, it tore at the shoulder. His entire left arm was revealed to be a cybernetic replacement, and a bad one at that. Exposed wires were frayed and some were split entirely, causing visible electric discharges at times. The plate looked like battered crap, rough-forged and hastily hardened. And the entire forearm looked as though someone didn't quite know what they wanted and chose a bit of everything, ending in a cannon where the hand should be.

"Even by black market standards, that is a shit arm…" Ember noted.

Ember got to her feet as Weiss launched an attack. The man's left forearm, for lack of a better term, opened. Parts shifted around, and like a twisted Atlas Army Knife the cannon was replaced by an extendable sword. He swung one way and knocked Myrtenaster off its aim. He swung the other way and launched Weiss across the battlefield.

This fight is going nowhere, fast. This guy just sent our entire mission tits up. We gotta get out of here.

"I agree, but how do we run without this guy chasing us?"

Blake charged and sent an after-image ahead of her, hoping to distract and disorient the man for her real attack. His right hand moved and he pushed it straight through the fake as if he somehow knew and his fingers closed around the real Blake's throat. He smashed the faunus into a wall, and then into the ground, before throwing her straight up. He cocked back his left arm, timing her fall back to him, and swung with all his strength.

If Blake had not used her acrobatic skills to correct her orientation in the air, the slice may have decapitated her. Instead, she was sent away from him with her head intact. Her left leg made considerable more distance from Creature than Blake herself did.

"Blake!" Weiss screamed her girlfriend's name, icy blue eyes locked on the fresh, bleeding stump.

The man shifted his left arm back into the cannon mode and took aim. No one had enough time to stop what happened next. He fired, and Blake watched as if in slow motion as the red wave was sent at her. Unready for oblivion, the faunus shut her eyes, hoping it would make the blast go away. She felt the heat soon after, but no pain. In fact, it felt to her as though the wave passed around her. Is this what it feels like to die? Why do I still feel like me? Even the pain in my leg is still here…

Blake opened her eyes slowly and saw a short figure with an umbrella that was open and pointed tip-first at the Creature. She was reminded of the day this girl used the same technique to block Yang's attack that was meant for Torchwick. Neopolitan!? Did Neopolitan just save my life!?

Weiss watched in disbelief as Neo appeared out of nowhere and blocked the attack meant for her girlfriend. She watched on and Neo folded her umbrella and made a rude face at the Creature, tugging one eyelid down and sticking her tongue out. He fired again, and Neo made no attempt to block or even move. Weiss was ready to rush in when Reaper took her around the middle and sped her away. Weiss watched as the blast hit the targeted pair, and they… shattered?

Reaper let Weiss down again in a building a few blocks over and the heiress turned to see Neo and Blake intact. Except for one obvious flaw in her girlfriend. Weiss used Myrtenaster and Freeze dust to patch the wound before it could bleed out. Once her girlfriend was taken care of, Weiss turned on the multi-colored criminal. "What are you doing here!?"

I'm wondering the same thing.

"We're wondering the same thing."

Neo rolled her eyes. Of course, she saves the cat's life and gets an interrogation for a thank you.

"Don't get us wrong, we are grateful you saved Blake's life, but coming out here isn't the smartest thing for you."

Why not? The small girl's face asked plainly. She turned her head to see Myrtenaster's tip inches from her face.

"That's why." Ember sighed.

"Neopolitan." Weiss started. "I don't know how you didn't get caught up in Torchwick's downfall, but right now, under my authority as a huntress, I am placing you under arrest."

Well, it's not like I didn't see that coming… Neo huffed.

Ember, let me talk to Weiss.

"Hey, what if the big guy finds us?"

Then I'll stab myself if I have to, just let me talk to her.

"Your funeral, and mine too, so be careful."

Reaper shifted back to the helm of their mind and walked between Weiss and Neo, lowering Myrtenaster with her hand.

"Reaper, what are you doing?" Weiss asked.

"Please, Weiss. Don't arrest her. If anything, we need her help right now." Reaper begged.

"She is a criminal, and if you don't step out of the way, I will arrest you too." The leader warned.

"Damn it, Weiss, don't make me do this…" the scythe girl pleaded.

"Do what?" The heiress's voice was full of suspicion.

"Don't make me choose!" Reaper's answer wasn't quite the one the huntresses expected.

"What do you mean, choose?" Blake asked.

Reaper sighed. "When I decided to come back, I made another decision. A promise. I promised myself I wouldn't betray my friends, ever again. Weiss, Blake, I don't know if I have to right to count you as friends, but I do. And Neo… Neo is my friend too. So please, don't make me choose."

"If you had to choose," Weiss asked, "what would be your decision?"

Reaper became flustered quickly. "Weiss, I-I can't… I don't know, I can't just make that decision in an instant!"

"REAPER!"

The voice boomed from outside and the girls turned to see Creature fire at them. A flash of light later and they watched the old storefront they were in moments before explode from across the street. He screamed and fired again, without hesitation, onto their new position, and Neo had to teleport them further to get a rest. Reaper saw the exhaustion in her criminal friend, and felt herself get shoved back into Ember's usual spot in their mind.

Ember stalked up to Weiss and looked her dead in the eyes. "If you won't even consider Reaper's words, consider mine! Holding for a moment the question of just how you plan to hold a teleporter long enough to get her into Vale, arresting Neo should not be more important to you than your girlfriend! Who, I shouldn't have to remind you, is heavily injured! Someone needs to carry her to the dropship, and that someone won't be able to fight while doing so! I don't know how that monster is finding us, but he is, and Neo can't teleport us all much longer. Me and her can fight while you carry Blake, and maybe we can all get out of this ALIVE!"

As if to prove her point, Neo had to teleport them from another blast.

"REAPERRRR!"

"Why does he keep screaming our name? Is it us he's after?"

I knew he felt familiar, but from where? When did we meet? Just who the hell is he!?

Weiss picked Blake up and turned to Ember and Neo. "Fine, you made your point. Let's get the hell out of here." Blake used a free hand to call in the airship and request a medic be on board.

The group of huntresses and misfits began to race away from the Creature. Neo and Ember did their best to block the attacks, and sometimes had to shift Weiss and Blake to keep them safe. Ember took a bad hit at one point, but her massive aura held… for now.

Ember, he is after us. Everyone else is collateral.

"You're right. Weiss, we have an idea!"

"Of course you do!" She shouted. This whole ordeal was draining was what little goodwill she brought with her on this mission.

"He's after us! After Reaper! We can draw him away, give you space to breathe and wait for the airship!"

"And what will happen to you!? How will you get back!?" Weiss shouted.

Ember sifted through Reaper's memories of the train heist. "Message us when the ship arrives! Don't message us for anything else, cuz I'm not gunna check my scroll! If I feel it buzz, I'm racing back!"

The heiress knew she didn't have long to consider the plan. "Uugh, fine! But you damn well better come back!"

Neo will want to come with us.

"Good catch. Neo! Stay with them! They might need help from Grimm!"

Neo was obviously unpleased with Reaper going alone against Creature, but didn't make a fuss. She knew she would only lose if she tried to argue. Ember planted her feet and rushed toward Creature, clipping him with Brutal Thorn as she passed. Just as the scythe girl suspected, he began ignoring the others to focus on the ex-criminal. The group slowed down and did their best not to attract the creatures of darkness, Neo on edge to defend Reaper's friends if the need arose.

Ember led Creature on a goose chase through the streets. Without anyone to defend, she could focus on dodging, and with her speed he couldn't land a hit. Ember watched her foe carefully as she ran, and seized an opportunity. The man's guard dropped when his cannon jammed, and Ember used a lamppost and a wall to turn quickly and launch herself at the beast at full speed. Unfolding Brutal Thorn, she brought the blade to where his neck would be.

It made contact, and it felt like Ember just hit a vault door with an aluminum bat. The blade bounced off his still-intact neck, and the force of it all nearly broke the scythe girl's arms. Ember and Reaper actually witnessed Brutal Thorn's blade bend on impact. Creature countered by smashing her with his cannon arm, and she felt her aura hold by a thread.

What the holy hell was that about? What the fuck just happened!?

I don't know, but thank god he didn't have his blade out. I'm not sure we would have survived.

As if it purposefully waited for that last minute, Ember felt the scroll buzz in her pocket. Without hesitation, she picked up Brutal Thorn and ran.

"REAPER! REAPERR!"

The scythe girl didn't turn her semblance off until she was actually on the airship, nearly breaking a leg as she slammed against the wall opposite the door. The others were already inside and the ship took off. Ember slumped to the floor and retreated back into Reaper's mind. Weiss was holding Blake's hand, who was being worked on by a medic. Neo stood in the back, uncomfortable with being here and worried for Reaper.

The mute girl slowly approached the scythe master, who was beyond exhausted. "Hey, Neo… thanks for helping…" Reaper managed between heavy breaths. "Y'know… you might not be… too bad at this stuff…"

"Is our large friend still breathing?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, but… admittedly… not for a lack of trying…" Reaper pushed forward the still unfolded Brutal Thorn to show off the bent tip. "His neck did that."

"To one of your weapons?" Blake asked incredulously. "How?"

"Fuck if I know!" Reaper vented.

After a few more moments of settling and calming their adrenaline, Weiss (predictably) rounded on Neo once more, who was sitting next to Reaper.

"Weiss…" Blake warned.

The heiress sighed and seemed to start struggling with her words. "Neopolitan… than-... thank you, for saving Blake's life."

"And arguably everyone else's." Blake added.

"Look," Weiss continued, looking down on the pint-sized criminal. "You're still a criminal, and I'm still a huntress. If you're still on this ship when we reach Beacon, I'll have to arrest you." Neo's face fell. There wasn't going to be a way she could get off the ship in flight. The heiress looked to her side at nothing in particular and continued. "On a completely unrelated note, I do have to stop by… somewhere… in Vale. I'm just thinking aloud, so you probably shouldn't, I don't know, teleport away or anything…"

Neo couldn't believe her ears and smiled at Weiss. Weiss humphed and sat back next to her girlfriend.

Reaper smiled as well. Neo was going to stay free after all, even if Weiss gave her the reward reluctantly. That was all there was to smile about at the moment, though. Blake's injury put the faunus's entire career on a thread. And beyond that, the seemingly invincible behemoth was still out there, and had a massive hate on for Reaper. But why… who the hell is he…


Hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! And to think, some of you thought Neo would vanish... honestly, you guys are the whole reason she's still around! But more on that another time... Don't be afraid to give feedback and remember to follow or favorite or what have you if you wanna see Act 5, which should be the final act (for real this time).