The Master Corps

Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear belong to me, unless otherwise stated.

Edited by: dashboardgecko

Chapter 35- Betrayal

"Hey. Heyyyyy. Wes. Wakey-wakey, shit's hopping off and you need to get the hell up already."

The hunter winced and forced his eyes open, dimly aware of a strange throbbing sensation in his head. It took him a few moments to collect himself, a process that involved a lot of groaning and rubbing at his eyes, before he looked around at his surroundings. He was back in the dreamscape it seemed, and Silver was standing a couple feetaway from him. The doppelganger looked a bit frazzled for some reason, but what really caught the hunter's attention was how off everything felt. The meadow seemed fine for the most part, save for a peculiar split here or there. He felt like a lot of pieces were missing… or something along those lines.

"Ugh… I feel like I need a coffee," he mumbled exhaustedly, rubbing at one of his eyes and wincing at another throb in his skull.

"You and me both. Care for some Moga Java?" Wes glanced up with a peculiar expression as a couple mugs appeared in Silver's hands and the grey-haired entity extended one towards him.

"I… appreciate it? I guess?" He took hold of one of the mugs, feeling a little strangely about how the beverage actually smelled and tasted like coffee. He didn't even like coffee, but this was... good. That didn't seem right. "Uh… What exactly happened, Silver?"

"Figures your head might still be a little hazy. Short version, you went a little nuts off of Demon Mode, killed a lot of people, got knocked out and imprisoned, and I took over your body to escape along with Saph and Ruby. We got back to Loc Lac, and now Frost and Snow are the most wanted individuals in the city."

Wes blinked in confusion. "What."

"Okay, long version it is. Hold still a second."

The entity approached and placed his hand on Wes' head, and a brief moment later, he felt a flood of memories come to him. Everything that Silver had done while in control of his body, he felt as though he himself had done. He saw everything, from the escape from the prison complex and the fight against Adel and Cutler to Silver's hurried conversation with Snow. He learned that had been days ago, and that he was currently out cold in his room back at the Corps HQ. The sensation nearly caused him to stagger, but he caught himself as Silver released his hold, and the hunter took a deep breath, again having to collect himself. Even after all of that, some parts felt fuzzy to him, but he had an overall clearer idea of what transpired than before.

"So, you get the situation now? Or am I gonna have to bust out the finger puppets?"

"What in the world…"

Wes took a moment before pushing himself up, shuddering slightly as he saw another one of the splits in the meadow further away. Looking towards the fissure, he thought he could see the two halves ever so slowly moving back together, but he also saw several streaks of grass that were significantly lighter in coloration, almost like scars. It didn't take much for him to recognize that there had been even more fissures previously, many of which were significantly worse than what he saw now.

"I hate to say that I need to throw you back out there before you're fully healed, but I kinda need to do that. I've been working overtime to patch your body and mind up, but even I have my limits. Feeling up for it?"

"Not at all, no… All these splits in the ground… You said this place was a representation of my mind, so does that mean…"

"True Demon Mode did a lot of damage. You… weren't quite yourself."

"So I… I actually did attack Saph then… Gods, what was I thinking?"

"Like I said, it wasn't quite you, Wes. More like a… twisted version of you. You had too much self-doubt, and using Demon Mode as much as you did with those doubts and anger… well, it wasn't pretty."

"Too much self-doubt, huh?" Wes glanced downwards, thinking on the events that transpired back in the complex. "Not like this was the first time…"

"Ooh, moment of realization time! Please, do go on. Let it all out."

The hunter glanced aside to see Silver seated on a cushioned chair, wearing a somewhat formal outfit and a monocle. The sight was almost humorous, but Wes wasn't quite in the mood to laugh, or even chuckle.

"Am I just wasting my time here, Silver? No matter where I go or what I do, Pa... Dad is constantly showing me up at every turn. I go out on a hunt, someone gets hurt or killed, and it's my fault. He goes out on a hunt, and everyone makes it back in one piece thanks to him. I hunt a Gear Rex with a team of the best hunters around in the middle of an arena? He single-handedly kills one that's supposedly even more dangerous that showed up out of the blue. We fight a Savage Deviljho, and he only takes a hit because he was covering my sorry ass. And then the complex… it was all just one big reminder that everything I try to do, he's already done, but better. Apparently, he killed a 'god' for fuck's sake! How can I even hope to compare to that? And I don't even know if that's everything he's done either! How can I be better than someone that never seems to stop performing miraculous feats like this?!"

Silver sat quietly throughout the hunter's rant, pressing his fingers together before pushing himself up. The chair and gaudy outfit faded away almost immediately, and dressed in his normal wear the doppelganger approached him and planted a hand on his shoulder.

"Wes, I don't have the answer to that. But what I do know? Your father isn't here right now. And as far as things are going currently, people need you, and your accomplishments, your promises, your skills. They need YOU right now, Wes. It's okay to have doubts and worries, but you can't let those get in the way of what you need to do. No matter how tough things get from here."

With a heavy sigh, the hunter craned his neck upwards and looked up at the cloudy sky above. What Silver said made sense, but still… he couldn't just ignore this anymore. He'd been doing that for years, and all it did was lead to his actions in the complex, and him endangering the lives of his friends once again. Anyone would be distraught, so why shouldn't he be?

But there were people that needed him: Frost and Snow. They trusted him, and even if it was Silver's words, it was his promise to keep. He needed to find a way to help them escape the city, or figure out how to clear their names, or SOMETHING. He didn't know how he could at this point, or if he could even do anything- he knew his father probably could, but Silver was right that Dad wasn't here now. This was something only he could do.

"Alright… Send me back out there, Silver. Time to go to work."

"I've got your back, partner."

The only description Wes could think of when he opened his eyes what that he felt even more like shit now than he had in his mind. His entire body was sore, his side hurt, a wound on his right arm stung like crazy… and his cheek was still lightly throbbing, which he couldn't help but feel was from Snow's punch. He let out a long, agonized groan before throwing the sheets off of himself and pushing himself up into a sitting position through sheer force of will. He glanced to the side after taking a couple deep breaths, seeing a tall red jar with a note beneath it. He lifted the container and checked the note, which he was barely able to read on account of the messy handwriting.

From what he could make out, the jar was a potion Doctor Connor had mixed together for Wes and several other Corps members that had been wounded. It used the medicinal properties of kelbi horns and several other ingredients to create a concoction capable of almost completely healing an individual's body and stamina. There was also a warning not to drink a similar potion within the next ten years due to 'significant side effects', though the list was so long and messy he couldn't really make out any of it. He gave the drink a cautious sniff before chugging it down- oddly, it was almost as flavorless as water. Still, while the effect wasn't immediate, he gradually felt the aches and pains fade away, and he undid the bandages on his arm in time to see the cut there close up completely. Leave it to the Miracle Doctor, he supposed.

His armor was messily strewn up on the stand in the corner of the room, still bearing the various dents and gashes from the attacks it had deflected. The only real lasting damage was the deep gash in the right bracer, the same which contained the broken wrist blade, and the missing hood that Adel had torn off during their brief fight. His Stygian Superbia dual blades were also lost in the events of the complex, so he once more had to equip the twin sabers his father had made for him before he left to join the Master Corps. It was strange holding the weapons at first, considering how long it had been since he used them… He almost didn't even want to use them, really, though they were his last available armaments, so he had to make do. After pulling his armor on, he set about sharpening the edges and sheathing the blades across his back. He was in the midst of filling his item pouch with supplies when he heard the door to his room open, and he whirled around.

"You're… why are you already back in your armor?"

"Oh, uh… hey, Sapphire. Just was, ah…"

"You're kidding me. You have got to be joking." Wes watched as the blue-haired huntress walked the rest of the way into his room and set a tray of food down on his desk beside a number of other trays stacked with cold uneaten food before walking right up to him. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been?! You've been out for days!"

"I know, I know, I just…"

"Just what?" she asked sternly. "Just thought you'd run out after Frost and Snow immediately after getting up? Before you even told anyone that you were okay?!"

"Saph, easy! I just got up maybe a half hour ago, and I-"

"Then why aren't you still resting? Why are you so ready to get up and put yourself in danger again, when by all rights you should be unconscious?! I don't care if Connor can make some miracle potions, you need actual time to rest and recover! The only reason you're not in the ward is because you weren't in immediate danger of dying and they needed all the rooms they could get, but that doesn't mean you aren't still HURT!"

The huntress pretty much had backed him up to the wall by this point. Wes couldn't recall any instances when she had been this ferocious towards him, a fact that concerned him greatly. He could tell she was worried, but this wasn't a kind of 'worry' that she had ever displayed.

"I understand what you're saying, but I have to get out there, Saph! It's important!"

"Why. Why is it important for you, someone who was imprisoned and beaten half to death less than a week ago, to immediately turn around and rush out to fight a couple… super-powered monster-people!?"

"I… Saph, I can't say, but I need you to trust me on this, okay? It's-"

"Really, you just want me to trust you on this with no explanation? You want me to expect that you stand a chance against those two? They hospitalized a quarter of the Corps in a single day, and twice as many Guild officers! That's not even counting the ones that were outright killed! Like hell I'm just going to let you go out and get yourself killed too, on the off chance that you actually manage to find them, that is. So I'm going to ask you again: why is it so important that you have to go out after Frost and Snow right now?"

"Because, they… they were my friends, and they were on my team. That… makes them my responsibility."

"Oh, goodie, now you're starting to sound just like Viper," the short sword wielder sighed, folding her arms and looking aside for a few moments. "You should have seen how severe the frostbite on his legs was before Connor got to him. He could barely even walk. According to him, Snow didn't even have to get near to him to do that."

"I know, I… I saw. I was there, Saph."

"And you're lucky all they decided to do was slam you into a building ten yards across the street! Were you even thinking when you raced after them in your condition?!" she asked, forcefully pressing a finger into one of the dents in his chest plate. Her voice quivered slightly as she stared up at him. "Do you even care about yourself anymore, or are you just looking to get caught up in another fight again?!"

"What-? That's not it at all, Saph! I don't want to fight them or anything! I don't want anyone to get hurt here! I never do!"

"You expect me to believe that after what I saw back in the desert?! You were laughing and joking about killing people! You said blowing people up was like fireworks! That shooting people into the sandsea was like the carnival! And need I remind you that you decided to abandon any idea of self-preservation and charged a frigate, before promptly turning off your earpiece so we couldn't even know how you were doing?! Was that… was that really fun to you?! It was like you couldn't get enough of it!"

SILVER!

I, ah… Left the stove on. Good luck!

Son of a…

Wes turned his head to the side and sighed, placing a hand on his hip and running the other through his hair while he tried to come up with an explanation.

"Saph, look, I… I know I seemed really messed up back there. I… I had to be. It was the only way I could deal with what I had to do- the only way I knew I could deal. I just wanted to keep you and Ruby safe, and that meant… doing things that I didn't want to. I'm still me though, Saph. I'll always be me."

"…You told me you hated killing, that it sickened you. Remember what you said before all this? 'I don't plan on taking any lives if I can help it.' 'Adel and Cutler are just a side objective.' Everything you did… how can you say it was just to protect us when you were taking every chance there was to pick a fight and laugh about it? Every chance you took that could have gotten you killed, you faced with a laugh and a smile, like you didn't even have a care in the world. That's not the person I've known for all this time, Roy!"

"If you would just-"

Wes paused for a moment as he registered what Sapphire had just said, and he gave her a confused look. It seemed like she had realized what she said too, and her face paled dramatically.

"Who's Roy?"

"I-I meant Wes! I meant you!"

"That sure didn't sound like a slip of the tongue," he said, furrowing his brow at the huntress. Sapphire took a couple steps back cautiously, biting her lip before whirling around towards the door. Wes was able to catch hold of her wrist before she bolted out the door, though. "Hold on a second! Saph, what was that about?!"

"Wes, p-please, I just misspoke…"

"You're lying worse than I do. Aren't we in a relationship? Can't we be honest with each other?!"

The huntress tried pulling away for a few more moments before letting out a long sigh and looking down at the floor. She didn't speak, though, which only concerned him more.

"Is there… someone else?"

"N-no! I'm not a cheater!" she defended for a brief moment, glancing up at him with that fire in her eyes from before. It almost immediately died out when their eyes met, though. "There… there isn't someone else. Not anymore, and not for years now…"

Wes lightened his grasp on her arm, and Sapphire gently pulled the limb back towards herself, though she still refused to meet his gaze.

"Roy was my best friend. He was my mentor. He was my inspiration. He was my family, my happiness, everything I could ever hope for. He was so strong, even the things he did would impress you. They impressed everyone he knew, really. He was the one that always called me Li'l Blue… If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be who I am… where I am now. But… I lost him. He died on a hunt he never should have gone on in the first place. He lost his life needlessly over something so pointless as trying to hunt a monster outside his league. And that was after promising he'd come back to me. He told me I'd see his eyes again, and when he died I... I thought I'd never see them open again.

"But… then I met you," she continued, while Wes silently listened. "You were so similar to one another… the way you carried yourself, the way you talked, and your eyes… those wonderful blue and green eyes. It was like he was back again, right in the flesh. Sure, you had your differences, but… I couldn't help but feel like meeting you was his way of keeping his promise to me. And… and that's what captivated me about you, Wes. You were everything I had lost and needed again… And when I thought I might lose you the same way I did him, I just couldn't bear the thought. That's… that's why I don't want you to go out and get yourself hurt again because you're in over your head. I couldn't take that happening again."

The huntress fell silent then, and Wes turned his gaze to the floor as he began to fully analyze her words. Everything she was saying now… everything she said before made perfect sense. He actually had the clearest picture of their relationship now than he had ever before. After a couple minutes, he looked up at her with a scowl.

"So it never was about me in the first place then, was it?"

At that, the huntress glanced up at him out of confusion, and Wes felt something snap.

"I can't… I can't believe this. I cannot believe you, Sapphire. All this time… This ENTIRE TIME, was I just a REPLACEMENT?! Is that the only reason you even cared?! Why you even wanted me to call you by that nickname?! Because in your eyes, I was someone else?!"

"I-I don't-"

"And here I thought I was actually being appreciated for being myself!" he continued, his infuriated tone raising enough to make the huntress flinch. "Hah! What a fucking joke! I should have known I would just end up being compared to someone who's apparently better than I am in every way! It wouldn't be the first time! First Dad, and now Roy! Who's next, the Hero of Kokoto?! Maybe the Slayer of the White God?! Or is it going to be the Demon Dog?!"

He took a step forwards and threw his hands up, making Sapphire stumble back in surprise, as though she expected him to strike her. He stormed past towards the opposite wall before turning back towards her.

"But no, the only way I can get people to like me is by lying to myself. By acting like someone who knows what they want and how to get it, when in reality I couldn't be more lost than I am now. And the worst part? I can't ever show my fears, my insecurities, the things that tear me up inside, or else I'm not 'me'. Who even is 'Wes'?!"

"I-if this is what you were talking about before… Wes, you're-"

"Not like it even matters who I am anyways!" he cut in, silencing the blue-haired huntress with a broad wave of his hand. "I can't aspire to be anything because I'm stuck in this all-encompassing shadow that just keeps getting bigger and bigger by the day! I try, and I try, and I try and try and try, but what does it even matter when I have a father like mine?! He's a legend on par with all the others- no, even better than they are- and at best I'm just a pathetic, shoddy knock off of him! I'm not as fast, or strong, or smart, or experienced, or, or… anything! I am NOTHING compared to him! I get shut down at every turn! I don't need anyone to remind me of that, because I do it enough to myself EVERY FUCKING DAY!

"But by all means, toss another person into the mix! Throw in this Roy guy, who's apparently already outshined my best accomplishments, who had a better personality, more history with you, who was probably a better fighter than me and could actually earn your goddamn affection through his own merits! By ALL MEANS, give me someone ELSE to be inferior to! I'm already a pathetic sack of shit that'll never compare to the likes of the best, so why not? What's to lose?! It's not like my feelings ever mattered to you anyways! Roy's did!"

The hunter's lips were twisted into a vicious snarl, and he was panting heavily from his outburst. He was dimly aware of the tears streaming down the sides of his face, and even after the potion he had before, he couldn't help but feel more hurt than ever. After a couple minutes of uneasy silence, he shook his head and stormed past the huntress, grabbed hold of his item pouch, and began to stride towards the door. He stopped when Sapphire grabbed hold of his arm, though.

"Wes, wait… please. I just-"

"Don't even try," he scoffed, aggressively yanking his arm out of her grip. "I thought… I thought maybe, just maybe, I could actually trust someone with myself. That I could actually open up to someone and be honest with myself for once. Someone that I… someone that could actually love and care about me for who I was. But, turns out that person didn't even see me for who I was, much less care. Li'l Blue just wanted her old flame to come back, nothing more. Just another fuck up on my part, I guess."

The hunter glanced over his shoulder for a brief second, only to turn away and walk towards the door. "But even if I am nothing but a failure compared to the best, I have people that are counting on me to help them. People I made a promise to. I'm sure you know how it feels to have a promise broken. Cuz I sure as hell do now. 'Work through it together'… What a joke."

Wes whipped the door open without so much as giving Sapphire a chance to respond and strode out, slamming it shut behind him as he went on his way.

Viper let out a sigh in frustration as he reentered the Corps grounds along with a couple other members. Their search had turned up empty yet again. It was like Frost and Snow had just disappeared without a trace. They couldn't have left the city- the Guild issued an order for all airships to remain grounded until the Hybrids were found- but wherever they were holed up, they hadn't so much as found a trace. People were refusing to leave their homes out of fear for their lives, so the only individuals in the streets were Corps members, Guild officers and enforcers, or the occasional brave soul that would wander into the vacant streets for who-knows-why. He'd never recalled the city being so empty, so… quiet.

It sickened him knowing that his former teammates were the cause behind this panic. Balestra and a detachment from the Guild had confronted them almost the second after they stepped off the airship with the ambassador.

Hybrids. For the crimes you committed against the village of Calvata, including the deaths of all civilians and the devastation of all property, as well as the threat you pose to the stability to our city and its occupants, we are placing you under arrest.

That was what the Corps Head stated, and Frost damn near took his head off with a quickdraw the second he finished. How Balestra managed to duck in time was beyond him: the officer standing behind him was not as lucky. As for Snow, she didn't even attempt to argue or negotiate, or so much as explain herself. She blasted a bunch of officers away with a wave of ice and booked it. If it hadn't been for the circumstances Wes, Sapphire, and Ruby had been in, he'd have given chase along with the officers. Balestra allowed them to return to the desert after the ship had refueled, but what had happened pressed on his mind the entire time.

His teammates! People he had trusted with his life not even an hour beforehand, were wanted criminals! Not just that, but Hybrids too?! Like Hades? The archer was stupefied by what had transpired. He wasn't even sure whether he could call it a betrayal or not. He felt betrayed, but a part of him also felt like Snow and Frost had been planning some other atrocity in secret. That's just what criminals and murderers did. Just like what his father's killer did. At least they were human, unlike Frost or Snow.

So, after Connor had confirmed his legs were healed, Viper immediately set out to search for them. He couldn't allow them to harm or terrify the people of this city. Whenever he thought of what they were capable of doing, the only thing he could compare it to was the devastation caused by the Savage Deviljho months before, and the city still hadn't fully recovered from that. The people didn't need another catastrophe to worry about.

As he strode across the Corps grounds towards HQ, though, he saw Wes shove the doors open and storm out of the building wearing his Ace armor. The archer grinned excitedly upon seeing his friend up and well and went to greet the dual blade wielder, but Wes didn't so much as reply to him. He just brushed past silently with the fiercest look he'd ever seen the hunter wear. No, not just fierce… Grave. Viper paused for a moment before heading after the hunter.

When Wes reached the gates, though, he took off running into the city. Despite his initial shock, Viper raced after him. Did Wes know something about where they were? He heard that the dual blade wielder had been knocked unconscious by the twins, but had he learned something before that happened? Could he know where they were?!

At that thought, Viper put as much effort into catching up to his teammate as he could, racing down the main street and ducking into an alley after Wes. The path the hunter took was very jagged, and Viper very nearly lost him around several turns. Eventually, Wes clambered up the sides of one of the buildings, which Viper only managed to see from the hunter's feet going over the top, and he climbed up after the hunter.

Wes still wouldn't wait up for him, though: the blue-garbed hunter leapt across the gap between buildings and raced on ahead, towards the Loc Lac Tower it seemed. Viper followed his path as closely as he could, actually managing to close the distance whenever they reached a row of even-roofed houses he could sprint over. After about half a mile, Wes finally slid to a stop on the roof of an inn, and Viper slowed his pace as he neared the dual blade wielder.

"Gods above, bud… No need to take off like that!" the archer huffed. "I thought I was done chasing you over rooftops that time you got drunk at the tavern. What gives?"

"Stop following me, Viper."

That remark actually made the archer feel like he needed to take a step back, there was so much force behind it. Wes never had that kind of tone, not even when he had been fighting for his life against monsters.

"Dude, if it's about Frost and Snow, I get how you're feeling," Viper said, taking a couple steps towards the hunter. "They were my teammates too. Can you believe it? Hybrids, just like Hades!"

"No." Wes turned to face him, and Viper saw that his expression hadn't softened one bit. "Not anything like Hades."

"Right, worse. These two were actually convincing liars. Had the entire Corps fooled before Balestra found them out. Point is, if we're gonna stand a chance against them, we gotta work as a team. C'mon, you and me? There's nothing we can't beat. So if you know anything about where they are now, just tell me. If it means bringing justice down, I'll follow you every step of the way."

"I'm not going to fight them. I'm going to help them."

There was a long pause in the conversation then, and both hunters were left standing on the rooftop without making so much as a sound. The only thing that could be heard for a solid minute was the howl of a stiff breeze carrying specks of sand through the air. The silence was broken when Viper let out a slow chuckle that gradually escalated into full-on laughter. The episode continued for another half minute before he finally began to settle down.

"Hah… Ahah, ah, now THAT was a good one! Maybe I was just hearing things, but hoo wee, for a second there you had me convinced you were on their side! Thanks man, I needed a good laugh. Now c'mon, be serious with me, and let's get after those bastards."

"I wasn't joking."

Viper's smile faded after a couple more moments, and he shifted to the side as he and Wes stared back at one another. The dual blade wielder's tone didn't betray his intentions at all: he WAS serious.

"…WHY?!" Viper shouted, throwing his arm out to the side in disbelief. "Do you even know what they did?! They murdered an entire VILLAGE'S WORTH of people in cold blood! Don't you remember what Hades was capable of?! They could have taken our heads off at any point too!"

"Then why didn't they, Viper?!" Wes shot back with a snarl. "If they were just mindless killing machines, like you and all the others seem so quick to peg them as, then they had every opportunity before to prove it. You don't even know their side of things, and you're already calling for bloody murder! I can't believe that you'd be this willing to turn your back on people you called friends for this long!"

"They MURDERED innocent people! They are CRIMINALS! The way I see it, the only one turning their back on his friends is YOU, Wes! What the hell, man?! They killed dozens of Guild officers and hunters, Snow is the reason you got trapped back in the prison complex, they hurt and killed our friends and allies in the Master Corps... and you want to side WITH THEM?! With MONSTERS?! WHY?!"

"Because I made a promise that I intend to keep, goddamn it!"

"…You knew about this, didn't you? About them?" Viper scowled, reaching back for his bow and fixing his gaze on the dual blade wielder. "This whole time, you knew, and you didn't even say a word to me. You know what? I take it back. You didn't turn your back on a friend. Apparently, you never even considered us friends at all!"

Viper whipped his bow out and summoned an arrow onto the string, but he only succeeded in drawing the bowstring back before Wes closed the distance between them and struck his wrist with a rising palm strike, knocking the archer's arm upwards and causing the projectile to launch off into the sky. He grunted as Wes took a step forwards and took hold of the bow and slammed an elbow in his chest, forcing him to release the weapon as he stumbled back a few paces and dropped to a knee from the blow. He glared daggers at the blonde-haired hunter as he tossed the weapon behind him. The Green Nargacuga bow clattered across the roof and came to a rest right on the edge of the platform, teetering precariously as though it would fall at any moment.

"I'm not looking for a fight, Viper. But if you come with me, and agree not to attack either of them, I promise we can explain everything to you." Wes took a few steps towards him and extended a hand down towards him, though Viper slapped it away immediately.

"Like hell! I'm not going to sit through a couple murderers' attempts to justify their actions! And I sure as hell won't listen to you now that you're trying to defend them!" The archer rose to his feet and let out a low hiss before stooping into a combat stance. "In the eyes of the law, an accomplice is just as guilty as the instigator, too."

"Maybe the 'eyes of the law' can see things wrong. Ever consider that?"

The hunter took a couple steps back and turned to walk away, and Viper snarled before charging after him and taking a swing at the back of Wes' head. The dual blade wielder ducked beneath the oncoming blow, though, rolling back in time to dodge the archer's follow-up kick.

"I will NOT just let you walk away from this!"

"Viper… Get out of my way. I'm really not in the mood for this."

"Tell me where they are and maybe I'll consider it."

"You and I both know that's not happening."

"Then I guess you and I both know that I'm just going to have to beat it out of you then!"

Viper rushed towards the dual blade wielder as he lowered into a combat stance, stepping quickly to the side and lashing out at the side of Wes' head with his fist. The blue- and green-eyed hunter twisted his head to the side and caught his arm mid-swing, batting the limb aside before kicking the archer back a few paces. With a frustrated grunt, Viper again darted towards Wes, whirling around in an attempt to strike the hunter with a spinning kick, only for Wes to block the attempt with his forearms and attempt to strike back with a couple punches as the archer recovered. Viper match his block and knocked his fists aside without much effort, and when he found an opening, he attempted to retaliate with a rising knee to Wes' gut.

Wes sidestepped the attempt and grabbed Viper's arm, twisting it behind the archer's back in an attempt to restrain him. The unnatural angle of his arm caused him to cry out in pain, but Viper knew how to escape this hold: he'd done it countless times in their sparring matches. He twisted to the side and pulled his arm around to force Wes' limb behind his back in one swift motion, placing the hunter in a similar hold, only without the concern of Wes breaking away in the same way. He drew his leg back to drive his knee into Wes' side, but before he could do so the hunter slammed the back of his head into Viper's face, forcing the archer to stumble back with a pained grunt. He felt a thin trail of blood run down his face from a newly formed split in his lip, which he wiped away as Wes turned to face him once more.

The pair warily circled each other for a few tense moments before Wes went on the offensive, taking a swift jab at Viper's side. He brought his leg up quickly enough to block the strike before countering with a left hook, only for the dual blade wielder to duck beneath that attack as well. Viper whirled around and leapt into the air, swinging both legs at his teammate one after another, forcing Wes to block, then flip back to avoid the kicks. Viper chased him down, though, and attempted to strike the hunter across the face once again. Wes raised one hand up to catch the attack in his palm before swinging the other at Viper's head, though the archer likewise stopped the dual blade wielder's strike, locking both firmly in place.

"Give it a rest already!" Wes growled as they struggled against one another for a few moments.

"I'm not one to quit, Wes!" Viper hissed before heaving the dual blade wielder back with a bit of effort, extending his lucent wrist blade as he once more went after the hunter. Wes turned about as his own hidden weapon popped from his bracer, and he threw his arm up in time to parry Viper's thrust with the sound of clashing steel. Viper stumbled forwards as the hunter circled around him before slamming his elbow into the middle of Viper's back, knocking him a few paces to the side with a grunt. He recovered swiftly enough, though, and turned to face his former friend with a venomous look. "Then again, you already knew that, didn't you?"

"Unfortunately."

The hunters darted towards each other and swung with their wrist blades as they passed. Viper's blade managed to slip just below Wes' pauldron and cut into his arm, though he winced in pain as he felt the dual blade wielder score a hit that mirrored the one he dealt. Both slid to a halt and turned to face one another again.

"You know, you should be thankful I didn't apply any coatings to this thing today," he said, pointing towards Wes. "Else this fight would be over already."

"You wouldn't even have that blade if I hadn't given it to you," Wes replied angrily. "Remember? It was a gift, and now you're trying to kill me with it!"

Viper grimaced and glanced down at the blade for a few seconds before sighing in frustration and retracting the blade. "Fine, you want to play that card, go ahead and play it! I don't need it to bring you in anyways! Besides, whoever said I was trying to kill you? You've got information I want, remember?"

Wes retracted his own blade then and brought his arm back up into a defensive stance, gesturing towards himself with his other arm. "Then come on and get me."

With a frustrated hiss, the archer charged at the hunter once more, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks his way when he was within range. High, low, mid, from the left and right Viper attacked, and Wes just as quickly matched him with blocks, dodges, and a few strikes of his own, which the yellow-eyed man managed to stop or avoid as well. Viper backstepped quickly to avoid a kick aimed for his head before dashing towards Wes and attempting to slam his fist into the hunter's jaw, a blow that possibly could have knocked the hunter into the alleyway behind and below them.

Wes recovered faster than he expected though, catching hold of the archer's arm before the strike could connect.

"Sorry for this, but remember, I gave you a chance to walk away."

Viper gasped in pain as Wes delivered a swift backhand jab to his forehead, causing stars to pop into his vision for a moment and giving the dual blade wielder an opening to slam his knee into the archer's stomach, forcing him to keel over with a cough. Wes struck the back of Viper's calf with a quick chop, which threw Viper off balance and caused the archer to fall to one knee. Before he landed, though, Wes caught him by the opposite shoulder, simultaneously moving his leg behind both of Viper's. With a powerful shove and shout of effort, the dual blade wielder hurled the black-haired archer into the air and over the side of the building, making Viper flip once in midair before crashing into a number of boxes in the alleyway below with a pained shout.

Though his vision was swimming, and his body ached from the force of the fall, Viper tried forcing himself back up, though the small piece of wood he rested his hand on slipped under his weight, causing him to topple onto his side. He spared a glance back up the building in time to see Wes kick his bow down into the alley along with him, and their eyes locked for a few moments before Wes shook his head and turned away, wordlessly disappearing from the archer's sight.

"Son of a bitch," Viper groaned in agony, pushing himself up after a few more moments and placing a hand over the bleeding wound on his arm. He huffed in exhaustion as he limped his way over to his bow, stooping low to collect the weapon before dragging his way out into the street and looking in the direction he thought Wes had fled in.

"I won't forget this… You're on the wrong side now, Wes! You hear me?!"

"Ah, Sir Balestra. How kind of you to grace our presence on this fine day."

The Corps Head shot an aside glance at Marshal as he strode into the council chamber and the large wooden doors slammed shut behind him. The entire council, including Marshal Kenway, Aries Huldrum, Valerie Sectwen, as well as arena manager Wayne Delpho and Guildmaster Calistro, were present currently, and every face in the room had a grave expression. Balestra ignored the remark and made his way to the one empty seat in the room, settling into it and resting his elbows on the wooden table before him. He pressed his fingers together and let out a low breath before turning his gaze through the room, inspecting each and every face present.

"There has still been no sightings of the Hybrids since the day of their failed arrest."

"Tell us something we don't know, Balestra. Perhaps if you had been more forward with that 'secret investigation' of yours-"

"Easy Wayne, we've already been over this," Calistro interjected with a quick wave of the hand. "We can worry about who did their job the worst after we've dealt with th' situation at hand."

"He has a point though, Guildmaster," Huldrum added. "Recall the situation with the Savage Deviljho that left the arena severely damaged, and my district in shambles? If the rumors of these 'Hybrids' are to be believed, what's to say they aren't capable of wreaking that same kind of devastation on Loc Lac? This isn't something that can simply be ignored. The Master Corps must be held responsible for this. They brought these... creatures into our city!"

"I do not deny that the fault is entirely upon my shoulders," Balestra stated. "I believed it would be wise to avoid taking any actions until I was completely certain of what Frost and Snow did. I was… unaware of their true natures, however, and I failed to predict that the measures I took for their arrest would not be enough. This resulted in the casualties of many Guild officers, which I truly do regret. I acted as I did because I felt this matter concerned the Master Corps and the Master Corps alone, which is why I have already ceased all outwards travel of Corps airships and assignments to prioritize the capture of the Hybrids. Unfortunately, many of those under my employ were also wounded in the attempts, as well as-"

"And those efforts won't be ignored," Head Councilor Pluvine assured, cutting him off abruptly. "However, it was in your wishes for this meeting to relay new information to us, yes? Has something else transpired since our last meeting?"

Balestra nodded slowly. "Indeed, news that is quite… disconcerting. You recall young Wesley Adler, yes?"

"Ah, the fellow who dealt with our little Deviljho incident, you mean?" Delpho asked. "You know, there's been a petition from some locals to have the arena named after him for that… not that it'll actually go through though."

"It wasn't just him. You ought to know that better than anyone, Arena Manager," Valerie sighed, glancing back towards the Guildmaster. "Unfortunately the Hybrids had a hand in all of that as well."

"As did a hundred other hunters in the city, Councilor Sectwen. Nobody cares who 'helped', just who did the deed."

"We're getting way too far off topic here," the Guildmaster grunted, shifting slightly in his seat. "Anyways, Balestra. What about York's kid is the problem? Thought he was one of the Corps members listed as WIA during the effort to detain the Hybrids."

"According to one of the hunters under my employ, one Mr. Viper Dente, after recovering from the wounds sustained on his latest assignment and the subsequent attempt to capture Frost and Snow, Wes abandoned his station to…assist the Hybrids. He left the Corps grounds earlier today, supposedly with information pertaining to their current location, and Viper gave chase, only to be wounded in the following altercation that took place between them."

"So," Delpho began, his eyes widening as he nodded his head and rested his elbows on the table in front of him, "you mean to tell us that the son of the legendary York Adler, one of our most trusted allies, one of your top employees and the one that people want my arena to be named after… willingly chose to side with these Hybrids."

"They, along with Viper, served on the team designated as 'Storm' following the cuts made to the Master Corps, with Snow being designated team leader. It is very well possible that Wes had knowledge of their true natures beforehand, according to Mr. Viper. And if any of you are questioning Mr. Viper's own dedication to the Guild, or if he was feigning injury to cover for his former teammates, that is most certainly not the case. He made it very clear that Wes threw him from the top of a building during their encounter, and had he not been lucky, the fall could very well have killed him."

The majority of the council went silent then, and numerous pairs of uneasy eyes shot towards the Guildmaster, who exchanged glances with Pluvine. A few moments passed before Calistro let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Kid probably doesn't even know just how deep into it he's getting' himself… Put out a missive that we want him found and captured 'til we can sort this all out. Rather not bring down th' wrath of York if I can help it, but the kid's kinda forcing my hand here. Can't ignore assisting a threat of this magnitude or th' act of attackin' another hunter like that."

"But that does give us a few clues, does it not?"

Balestra and the rest of the council turned towards the usually quiet head of the northwestern district, Edwin Fuller, a man as dubious and underhanded as he was shrewd.

"Think about it. York has family in Loc Lac, yes? Family that Wes may go to himself for shelter…"

"Gods above, bringing Hugh and Zephyr into this too?" the Guildmaster grumbled, resting his head in his hands out of frustration. "Hate to say it, but you're absolutely right. Still, there's no way we'll be able to stage a search through that mansion of theirs without actual proof that they're harboring the kid."

"I think I understand what Edwin is suggesting," Councilor Huldrum remarked. "You mustn't be so willing to play by the rules all the time, Master Calistro. The sake of the city is at stake here, is it not? If Wesley Adler has information about the locations of the Hybrid twins, creatures that could cause damage on par with or exceeding that of the Savage Deviljho… no expense should be spared in trying to find him."

"But it just isn't as simple as that." Every head in the chamber turned towards Valerie, and the councilor continued. "If he's seen as a hero to the populace, one that according to Mr. Delpho is considered worthy of having the refurbished arena named after him by some, treating him as a wanted criminal so suddenly might raise a few eyebrows, no?" The other councilors reluctantly muttered in agreement at that, though Balestra kept his focus on the others. "Plus, it would cause an uproar among the hunting community if it was discovered that we raided the grounds of a hunter with the kind of fame Hugh Leovirtus has without grounds to do so. The man is a massive benefactor to my district and is very well-liked by the populace, so I fear any brazen actions taken without proper consideration might just throw the city into more chaos."

"Then don't make it a brazen raid," Fuller sighed, pushing himself upright and folding his hands with a sly smirk. "Send in a small team and ask nicely. If they attempt to stop us, then wouldn't that be enough evidence that our so-called loyal allies and benefactors have something to hide from us?"

Balestra narrowed his eyes on the man as a pleased smile crept to the councilor's lips, but returned his attention to Pluvine as the Head Councilor rose to her feet.

"We shall see what we can do. Put together a team of officers to search the Leovirtus Manor, and let's start spreading word that Wesley Adler needs to be brought in," Pluvine stated. "I fear there is much to be done if we are to restore peace to Loc Lac, starting with these actions… Let us reconvene later this evening in order to discuss how these matters are playing out. I expect a full report from each of you as to how the searches in your districts are progressing. We must handle this matter as quickly and effectively as possible."

"Very well," the Corps Head stated, rising to his feet along with the others.

Wesley Adler… I wonder if you know what exactly it is you are doing right now. Your actions… are as foolish as they are predictable.

Snow sighed as she tapped her finger against the surface of the wooden table in the corner of the room, illuminated by a lantern in the center of the table and another hanging off the wall nearby the ladder leading out. She and her brother could see mostly fine without them burning, but decided it might be for the best to keep everything as visible and open as possible. They didn't know what to expect, after all.

The room itself was rectangular in shape, about ten feet wide and twenty long. The ceiling was about a foot over her head when she stood, making the space feel slightly cramped and oppressive, especially considering the dark grey stone construction of the place. A few wooden furnishings adorned the chamber, including the table she sat at, along with a few chairs, a shelf filled with sealed provisions and rations, and the ladder leading up towards the hatch to the surface. There was a patterned rug in the middle of the room as well, and on either wall was a door leading to either the small square room with a few cots where she and Frost slept, and the opposite, which served as a bathroom. Certainly not as comfortable as their accommodations at the Corps HQ, but all things considered, at least here they were safe.

She stood quickly at the sound of the hatch opening. Her sword was resting against the wall behind her, which she grasped the handle of and leveled towards the ladder as someone began to climb down. The Hybrid immediately lowered the blade, though, as the figure of Wes came into view, and the dual blade wielder stepped off the ladder before turning to face her. She smiled for the first time in days when she caught sight of his face.

"I was starting to think you weren't going to show up," she teased, walking around the side of the table. "Kept us waiting for a while, y'know."

"Sorry I took so long," he sighed heavily, walking towards the table as he shook his head. He pulled a chair out and sat down wearily, resting his arm on the surface of the table before meeting her gaze. It was pretty apparent by then that the hunter was not quite himself: his expression was cold and fierce, which was rather unbefitting of him, and his tone didn't sound even happy to see her, let alone relieved. It could have just been the situation, but even she doubted that this situation alone would have left him in such a state. "Where's Frost?"

"He's resting in the other room," she explained as the hunter began to undo the belt his item pouch and the rapier at his side were attached to, setting both down on the table before himself. "We decided it might be better to take turns on watch, even if this bunker felt pretty safe, so we've been alternating for the past few days now. It shouldn't be too long before he's up again, though."

"Alright," Wes replied simply, glancing off towards the wall away from the Hybrid. His gaze seemed to go way farther than just the wall, though.

For a moment she was worried that this was a setup, that there was a battalion of Guild officers outside just waiting to attack them or something, but she wasn't picking up any unfamiliar scents from the dual blade wielder's armor. He'd only really spent a long time- if it really was a long time at all- around Sapphire and Viper today, and she felt she could recognize the scent of Zephyr as well. There was only one smell she wasn't entirely certain about, but it seemed rather similar to Zephyr's, so she assumed it was probably Wes' other uncle. But that still didn't quite explain why he was so distant now…

"Is… everything alright, Wes?" she asked with a frown.

"Aside from probably being a wanted criminal by now that's being hunted by the Guild in a city with no apparent way to escape? Could be worse."

While she was fairly certain there was more to it than that, she was at least glad there was still humor to be had.

"Listen, I'm sorry my brother and I put you up to this… we honestly weren't expecting what happened at all. With Balestra and the Corps, I mean..."

"You didn't put me up to anything," he replied, turning back towards her. "I decided to help you on my own, so don't go blaming yourself for my actions. That's the last thing you should be doing."

"Even then, if we hadn't dragged you into our affairs-"

"Snow. Stop."

She blinked quickly and glanced back towards him.

"We've already been over this once, and we have better things to worry about now than that. I'm involved, and that's that."

"Okay, well… How are things up top? Neither of us have gone out since we got here."

"City is on complete lockdown. All air and sandship traffic going in and out has ground to a halt, and most people aside from hunters and officers are staying off the streets. Avoiding all the Guild personnel on the way here was a real blast…"

The hunter winced slightly and began to pull at the straps to one of his pauldrons, lifting the metal plate off to reveal a fresh cut in the blue shirt he wore, and a still-bleeding wound beneath. He sighed and went to his item pouch for a few medical supplies to start patching the cut. The Hybrid bit her lip slightly at the sight of the crimson liquid staining his sleeve before shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

"Did you get that… fighting any of them?" Snow asked, nodding towards the wound.

"Nope."

The hunter quietly continued to work on treating the wound through his sleeve while Snow sat on the table beside him and cocked her head. After a few moments, he finally spoke up again.

"Viper followed me when I left the Corps grounds. I told him what I was doing, and he didn't take it too well. Didn't take getting thrown off a roof too well either."

"Did you… He's not-"

"Dead, no. Definitely hurt, but not dead. Good enough condition to start screaming after me that I was on the wrong side though," Wes sighed as he finished covering the wound and leaned back in his chair, once more avoiding her gaze. Snow narrowed her brow at his choice of words, though another part of her didn't share that concern in the slightest. That side begged to hear the details of the fight, to visualize every drop of blood that splattered the rooftop they fought on, to hear the sound of wood and bone cracking, to-

Snow finally managed to quiet those thoughts before she continued. "Wes, I'm sorry. You and Viper are great friends, and you had to fight because of Frost and I… Because of something we did. It's not-"

"Snow, for the love of the gods, stop apologizing already," Wes snapped, causing her to flinch in surprise. "What I'm choosing to do now is NOT your fault. What I've had to do, what I've gone through today… it's not your fault, so stop treating my being here like a failure on your part."

His voice hiked up a second towards the end, but his expression remained as it had been throughout as he stared up at her, and eventually the Hybrid let out a short sigh in acceptance of his words. She felt bad about it, sure, but apologizing now wouldn't fix anything.

"In any case, this bunker should be safe," the hunter continued, glancing around the room. "My uncle dug it out a long time ago during that 'rapture' craze, but he never ended up using it. Tended to be more of a joke around the dinner table than anything I ever thought would get any use."

"He… dug this out? Of solid stone? With what?"

"He'll tell you he did it with his bare hands. In any case, the Guild isn't aware of this place, and I stopped into the manor to explain things to them before I showed up here."

"Wait, you did-"

"I had to make sure they wouldn't tell anyone from the Guild that this place exists, even if it was by accident. Plus, I can't just stay in the manor: the Guild's going to send officers out here the second word of what I did reaches them. I'm not dumb enough to think that Leovirtus manor isn't the first place they'd assume I would go. It's either here or my grandparent's place, and the last thing their blood sugar levels need is a convict grandson looking for sanctuary."

"I… alright, but how can your family possibly be okay with us living under here? Even if you explained our side of what happened to them, there's no way they could just trust us like that."

Wes' expression darkened somewhat, and he glanced towards the floor. "Hugh said it was 'just like the time' with my father, whatever that means…" He looked up a moment later, though. "In any case, they'll let us stay here until some passage out of the city opens up. Maybe we can get you out of Venetoria, and you and Frost can live somewhere outside its jurisdiction. That's about all I can say for now…"

"And what about you?" Snow asked, cocking her head to the side as the hunter looked up at the ceiling with a scowl.

"I'll probably be fine. If a bunch of wanted criminals didn't want to hurt me so my father wouldn't come after them, I doubt the Guild would be willing to do more than just revoke my hunting license or something along those lines. I leave Loc Lac, maybe head to a small village in the middle of nowhere, live a boring life and die alone of old age. Not like I'd accomplish much else anyways."

"Okay, Wes, what the hell is the matter with you?" The hunter glanced towards her as Snow pushed herself to her feet and looked down at him, her voice full of concern. His tone and attitude was raising all kinds of red flags now, and none of it made any sense to her. It went beyond just being stressed. "This doesn't sound anything like you. What do you mean you wouldn't accomplish anything?"

"Exactly what I said. As for what's wrong with me… Maybe it'd be a better question to ask what isn't wrong with me at this point."

"What does that even-"

"Nothing. Look, I'm just… tired. I'm tired, and I've had a… a lot to go through today. I just need some time, okay?"

Snow continued to stare intently at the dual blade wielder as he slumped further into his seat and rested his head in his hand. Now that she looked, he seemed so drained and… hurt? He'd mentioned Viper, and his family, but there had been the other scent she had picked up…

"Wes, did… something else happen?"

"Snow, just… drop it. I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now. I'd… rather just forget about it for the time being."

The Hybrid sighed and gave him a long look before acquiescing. She had the feeling trying to press the matter might just make things worse, even if she could at least partially guess what had happened. The only scent on the hunter that she hadn't heard an explanation for was Sapphire's.

"Alright, well, just try to take it easy for now, alright?" she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "If you need to talk, well… Frost and I will be around here for a while at least."

"Yeah… so will I."

Author Notes: Please review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter containing an emotional blender! Wes is going to be dealing with a lot of that for the next few chapters. Hey, I told you all I was lying when I said Wes and Saph would have a clean, simple romance, didn't I?

Another fun fact: a very small portion of the fight between Wes and Viper plays out oddly similar to another fight from THO. That was the only intentional Generation Xerox I invoked here, but I like to think that the fight takes place on the same rooftop as that fight too. That's just me, though: there are hundreds of rooftops in Loc Lac. What would the chances be? Their fight uses the Smash Brothers version of the Route 10 theme from Pokemon Black and White, a track I think is far more emotional than action-y, for good reason. Hell, if you ask me the Route Ten theme itself would be a good theme for the entire chapter.

I've been playing through Generations a lot, upgrading arms and armor as usual, and I've been keeping up on Double Cross' information pretty well too. Who else is excited to see Lao Shan Lung's return? I'm already happy about Barioth coming back, but this is one that definitely caught my attention.

Playing: Dead Rising 4, MH Generations, Pokemon Sun