The days slowly passed into weeks, though to say that the mission given to the pair was a failure was only true in some aspects. Unfortunately it was enough to put a severe dent in Cyprus's morale. As they travelled in a zig-zag pattern through the south, roaming from town to town, the gaps between them grew larger, and the threats of more and more Grimm in the expansive wilderness of the country led them to taking the slow way around, camping out in small caves and sheltering in their cramped tent within the dense forests. So far, they had crossed well over half the remaining names off the list, some Hunters were never found, despite signs of fighting or not, and the townsfolk were of little help. Whereas the more unfortunate of their encounters, the ones where the two did find who they were sent to look for, always resulted in the same outcome. A body, covered in lashes and cuts, and somewhere on them was the same, sickly indigo colouration, their corpses looking pale and ill.

As the names were crossed off however, Scylla managed to notice that her companion did not, and while Grimm left nothing behind to be examined, the bodies of humans on the other hand housed plenty of evidence and room for theories. As they neared their next destination, walking under the sun and peppered shade of the trees, she pondered. "Hey, Cyprus?"

"What's up?" He asked, walking ahead of her and watching his footing while he stepped over a protruding root.

"Have you noticed something about the people we found?"

He looked back briefly with discomforted grimace. "Yeah, you know, I try not to think about it."

"No, I mean..." The redhead sighed, struggling to put her discovery into the correct words. "When we found that first woman, she had been dead for days, maybe a week? The others seem...Fresher?"

"Gross." He replied, coldly.

"Sorry, but think about it. If something, or someone, is killing these Huntsmen. They're taking longer than we are to find them." She said, clasping her fist in her palm.

It was then that the vigilante caught on, his face lighting up briefly. "Then we could catch them before they reach the next Hunter! But wait, wouldn't that mean we'd have to fight whatever was doing it?"

Scylla chuckled nervously. "Yeah, probably."

He didn't particularly have a death wish, and if they were lucky, they could find the next name on the list in time to help before anything terrible happened to them. Though the amount of unknowns had Cyprus plenty worried, despite the amount of experience he had, he doubted he truly came close to the level of a true Huntsman, even Scylla who was still a good few levels above him likely couldn't match skills of their calibre. A job was a job, however, and they could only hope they wouldn't have to give their lives for it. Speaking of which, the next name on their list was a Huntsman by the name of Finn Argentus, a veteran in his fifties who took a job just a few miles out from his home in Solistus, about halfway to the border of Vacuo.

"You know, I think the Vytal festival will be starting soon, I wonder if we'll get to see the guys." Cyprus said, changing the subject.

"In a few days I think, it'll be broadcast everywhere so I think there'll be a chance to stop and check it out. One of these places must have a TV or two." Scylla replied.

"Yeah. I wonder how they're doing."

As much as they both wanted to keep in touch with the group, contact was kept to a minimum, and aside from the odd picture that Cyprus couldn't resist sending, they couldn't risk anything about their task slipping out. Word of mouth was a powerful thing, and Ozpin made it fairly clear that the real reason they were gone, and for how long, should stay within his inner circle.

"You know, I wonder if we're missing anything on their end, too." He pondered, chewing on his bottom lip.

"What could we possibly be missing?" Scylla chortled. "Exams? Schoolyard gossip?"

"I mean, since we started going we've fought a bunch of Grimm, I got abducted by Torchwick, fought the White Fang, went on vacation to a tropical paradise, saw my crazy ex's house burn down in said paradise, get burdened with a vial filled with crazy magic power, find out about secret evil plans involving that thieving bastard and finally find out that said crazy ex is currently a part of those evil plans and probably wants me dead and now we're..." Cyprus ranted, eventually his voice drained completely and he was forced to take a breath.

"Alright, alright, you made your point." the girl replied, raising her palms. "Speaking of which, where is that thing, anyway?"

The vigilante triumphantly tapped a small leather pouch that rested on the hip of his belt. "In here, padded the inside and wrapped it in some foam. Unless someone stabs it perfectly or runs over it with their car, I think it'll be fine."

Scylla wasn't completely comfortable with her friend keeping the object on his person, but she also wouldn't be able to convince him otherwise.


A short time later, and the open boundaries of their destination revealed themselves as the road exited the forest. Low wooden fences bordered each house, the layered stonework showing off the town's age as moss crept up from the ground and into the cracks of their walls. Still, it seemed lively enough, citizens wandered the streets, seeming happy enough as they talked, a few even casting welcoming nods towards the pair.

"Okay, so where do we start?" The hacker asked, hands on her hips as they stood in the middle of the street, the scattering of citizens politely walking around them.

"How about getting some food?" Cyprus replied.

"I'm serious, maybe the town Mayor or Chief? Guardsmen or something?"

"I'm also serious, I haven't eaten since breakfast. Food time." He said, glaring at his companion.

"Okay, food. But then business." She replied with a smile.

One healthy dose of food later, and a quick talk to the man who served them, they were at last pointed in the right direction. It turns out the Huntsman they were looking for was well known throughout the town, something of a local protector in Solistus, and took most of the jobs that were located within the area. Even more fortunate was that his family home was nearby, just around the corner from the town's center. The circular layout in which he buildings were created was perfect for its small amount of defenders, four main paths connected directly to the middle of town, with smaller connecting roads in smaller, flawless curves for a simple, yet efficient design.

"Argentus household, this is it." Scylla said, hopefully.

"You think he's home?" Cyprus asked, peeking past the short hedge fencing and into the front window.

"Only one way to find out." She answered. Walking the small cobblestone pathway up towards the front door and loudly knocking.

It took a moment for Cyprus to catch up, and one step behind her, the door slowly opened. A young girl, only around ten or so stood before them in a yellow sundress, one hand clenched over her chest as she looked up towards the two sheepishly. Cyprus backed up a little and whispered to the other, his hand hiding his lip movement.

"Uh, I'l let you take care of this one."

Shooing him away, Scylla bent her knees and matched the height of the girl at the door, smiling kindly. "Hey there, are your parents home?"

She stepped back in response and the hacker was worried she would turn tail and run, or scream. Thankfully, the silver haired girl looked down the hallway and called out. "Mom!"

Sure enough, a woman who was the spitting image of the girl turned the corner, her head tilting inquisitively as she made her way down the hallway through the building and met her daughter at the door.

"Can I help you?" She asked. She wore a simple brown robe, lined with gold coloured thread that traced just barely across the wooden floorboards.

"Yes, we're looking for Mr. Argentus. We were told he had a contract in these parts." Scylla answered, making sure to get to the point as quickly as possible. Thankfully, the woman seemed to be quite welcoming of the two and cheerfully let them inside.

"More than a contract." She chuckled, "A family. I'm his wife, Marigold, and this is our daughter, Sylvia. Say hi sweetie, don't be shy. Are you a Huntress?"

"Yes Ma'am." Scylla feigned.

"Well, I'm sure he'd appreciate some backup. He went out a couple of days ago to deal with some Grimm that made their home in a cave nearby, normally that wouldn't be a problem. But they were getting a little too close to home, and Finn decided to take care of it."

"If that's the case, shouldn't he be back by now?"

Marigold shrugged and shook her head. "You never know with those fiends, you have to be certain they're all taken care of, or they just keep popping up again like weeds." Her daughter since getting bored of the conversation, wandered back into their home. "I'm sure he'll be back soon if you're here for a day or two."

"Thank you, but I'm afraid our business is urgent. Do you know exactly where he went?" Scylla

The older woman pondered for a second and rested herself against the door frame. "The Grimm were said to come from a cavern a few miles out, southward, at least that's what the guards said. Other than that, I'm sorry, but I can't be of more help."

Scylla gave a smile and a soft bow, and the two took their leave. Their destination secured, Cyprus led them towards the nearest inn, leaving their packs and valuables before making their way out of the quaint structure in the direction of the aforementioned cavern.

"Look at you, being all professional." The vigilante joked, nudging his companion in the side with an elbow.

"Yeah, yeah. I mean, how would it have looked if we gave the impression we had no idea what we were doing? Someday you'll learn to be grown up, too." She giggled, condescendingly tussling the young mans' hair, causing him to shoo her way and pout. Unfortunately, his pout wouldn't disappear anytime soon, as dense clouds began to roll in the distance, the wind picking up and blowing them through the sky at a frightening pace. For now the sun was still showing itself, giving the two drive to pick up the pace before the rain set in.


Thunder clapped as the downpour started to turn the ground into a slippery, soaked mud. The cavern was still a short ways off, and the two relied on the underbrush and overhanging branches to keep themselves as dry as possible while trudging towards their destination. The brilliant white splintering streaks of lightning filled the blackened sky above them, the sun completely blotted out by this point while the rain obscured vision and chilled their skin.

"This sucks." Cyprus asked, hood draped over his head as he repeatedly dipped his staff into the dirt to keep himself from slipping.

"I'll be sure to relay that to the gods, I'm sure they'll move the clouds just for you." Scylla rolled her eyes and nudged him forward. "Come on, cave has to be close."

More thunder, lightning and booming sounds echoed throughout the valley. However the redhead focused her hearing. Something about the thunder seemed off, the winds seemed far too calm to encroach such constant thunder amongst the inclement weather, and not only that, but the glow of lightning in the sky didn't match the sounds produced around them.

"Geez, It's a miracle none of the trees have caught fire." The vigilante scoffed.

"Wait, listen." She said, holding herself against a tree an closing her eyes, the rattling of loud bangs around them sounding familiar enough for her hunch to take over. "I don't think most of that's thunder."

Her mutually drenched companion was about to question her theory, but he wasn't quick enough to stop her from charging through the mud past him, splashing his body with dirty water.

"Scylla! Scyl' what's going on? What do you mean it's not lightning!?" He called out, letting out a frustrated grumble before giving chase. With a decent head start, and less time spent focusing on not slipping and falling onto the grass, it took Cyprus over a minute to catch up with the girl. "Seriously, what is it?"

"You don't hear it?" Scylla asked, pointing towards the cavern, now in full view just beyond a thicket of shrubs and overgrown grass. The opening was centred at the base of a steep cliff edge, however it seemed to descend down into the depths of the earth rather than twisting and turning within the cliff wall. And peering closer, the two could see quick flashes of light emanating from the wide cavity. "It's not thunder, it's gunfire! Someone's in there!"

Pulling his hood down, Cyprus charged towards the cave alongside his ally, their weapons drawn and at the ready. Wasting no time, they entered the cave, the large, wide open space devoid of much in the way of interesting architecture. It seemed simple enough, a narrow passageway that opened up into a central chamber, the only light coming from the entrance cast thick shadows when they moved inside. The chamber was large enough to run around in, with the ceiling at least a few meters high, and a thick cylindrical formation jutting from one side reaching towards the other, connecting either wall.

"He's still fighting Grimm after all this time?" The young woman asked, her crossbow sighted down into the cavern before nearly slipping from her grip as she looked on in shock.

"That's no Grimm."

Maniacal laughter was what followed, the insane rambled hilarity of a man who swiped and fired at another who was on the defensive. The assailant was tall, hunched and lanky with a long brown, braided ponytail. Wearing a simple attire of a white vest and trousers smeared with a series of leather belts, he charged with his arms outstretched and coated in bandages. On his wrists were two weapons, which seemed to be a pair of vambraces flanked by sharp, curved blades, with barrels running down the middle that fired in a flurry of short bursts.

His target, was also theirs. An aged Huntsman, the beard covering his face tainted with a hefty amount of grey hairs that overwhelmed the black colour of his youth. He wore simple yet no doubt effective armour, royal blue steel plate covering a majority of his figure that seemed battered and chipped from the battles he had been fighting over the last couple of days, or the assailant himself. He swung the weapon in his left arm in a defensive arc, a sphere riddled with spikes rested at the end of a chain, a lengthy flail that seemed to retract and fire out of the haft to create a simplistic, intimidating mixture of a weapon. For now the explosive Morning Star seemed to keep his opponent at bay, but he seemed tired, exhausted even. Like he had been fighting for days.

Scylla and Cyprus wasted no time, charging forward and into the depths of the cave. The hacker stayed a few steps behind, Prismatic Flurry in it's crossbow form had it's sights fixated on the man, but his erratic and estranged movements as he attacked made him troublesome.

"Well, what have we here?"

The pair stopped, not many people could send an uncomfortable shiver down one's spine from a few words, but as the lanky attacker turned to face them, the Huntsman also taking notice, his pupils seemed to dilate, his eyes widening as his smile grew from ear to ear.

"Oh that's creepy." Cyprus mumbled.

His uncontrollable cackles echoed through the cavern, loud enough that he could have sworn the ground shook beneath his feet. The Huntsman continued to back away, his aura pulsing a cool white as it struggled to keep up with the assault. "What are-? You two! Get out of here!"

"Oh, screw that!" The vigilante replied, as he came to Argentus's aid. His staff flourishing slowly, he gripped the haft tight and leapt at the strange man, the telegraphed strike easily blocked and swept away by his gauntlet. Thankfully, this created a momentum in which Cyprus could further swing and send the man on a brief defensive, the sharp clashes of metal as each strike sent sparks in all directions. Crouching low to about a swipe to the neck, the chuckling attacker grinned as the belt around his waist began to uncurl around him, slowly, the segmented pieces curled from his tailbone and raised upwards over his head.

"Cy'! Down!" Scylla called out, noticing the extra body piece just in time. Not needing to turn around to heed the call, the young man quickly leaned far back and held himself up with one hand planted firmly on the ground as the Faunus's tail sprung forward, the end a bulbous round shape with a single, needle sharp point. His attack missed, and he growled and looked up just in time to dodge a fiery bolt sent out from the redheads' Crossbow. Laughing at the danger, the close call, or something else entirely, the two couldn't tell. He furrowed his brow and with Cyprus's legs wide open, took a figurative and literal low blow as his shin connected with his most precious parts, sending him flying back several feet in a fetal position. In a panicked response, Scylla charged to her friend's defence, her crossbow firing a glowing blue bolt at the feet of their attacker, creating a crackling spiked pillar of ice that forced him to back away for the moment.

"I'm okay, kinda..." Cyprus groaned, being pulled to his feet as they heard a clashing of steel once again.

Just behind the ice, the Huntsman had gone on the offensive, his chained weapons firing out explosively at their target, and though easily dodged, it was much harder for the scorpion Faunus to block the heavy spiked balls that swung in his direction, his bladed gauntlets not enough to resist the force of the swing as it threw him against the cave wall. Growling like a rabid animal, he watched as Finn turned tail and ran, guiding the pair out of the cavern opening as he gave chase.

Back outside, the raging storm above their heads had only intensified, and brutal winds began to pick up as the trio felt themselves blown to one side. There was no time to look for shelter, however, as the madman rushed up from behind and leapt at the Huntsman with newfound manic intensity, screaming as he landed on his back and swiped at the others with his tail, who backed off defensively.

One of the pair of gauntlet's had it blades crack against the Huntsman's Aura, again and again as he held on against the wild flailing of his opponent, laughing uncontrollably until another strike with his fist brought his shield to its limit. However, as the blades penetrated the man's Aura, armour and finally, skin. A blinding white light exploded from the point of contact, causing the Faunus to howl as he reeled back, his eyes burning as everything went white. Though vulnerable, this gave Finn the opportunity to reach back and grip his attacker, hurling him over his shoulders and into the soaked mud beneath him.

"What the hell was that?" Cyprus asked.

"Semblance. Doesn't last long so let's go!" Argentus yelled, leaping over the incapacitated man and leading the group back through the forest.

He proved correct, as after but a few moments the Faunus's vision returned, and he was back on the chase.

"He's gaining on us!" The vigilante called out, glancing behind him.

"Where should we go?" Scylla called out, wincing as a sharp clap of thunder occurred just past a tree lining.

"I don't think we can outrun him. You two get back to the village!" Finn called out, slowing down so he could face their opponent.

The younger man scoffed. "We came all this way to make sure you didn't die, we can take him. Three on one."

There wasn't any time left to decide. Footsteps grew louder as the maniacal attacker stomped through the puddles of muddy water and leapt at his main target. One of the flails launching its way towards him, he leapt over it with ease, the momentum carrying him the rest of the distance, making sure to use his left gauntlet to deflect a bolt that came from his right side. Unfortunately, his gauntlets were hardly insulated, with Cyprus landing a bolt from the end of his staff onto the leather around his wrist, it stuck in place and dispensed the charge. The crackle of electricity coursing through his arm sent him howling and distracted him just long enough for the Huntsman to avoid a strike from his tail.

Unfortunately, this not only seemed to do little more than irritate the man, he was sure his grin would have been wider were it possible, as he laughed away the pain and set his sights on Cyprus. What followed was a panicked rush of blocks and dodges by the Teal haired defender, the Faunus kicked away the professional who was already in a weakened state, he swiped again and again, his repeated trio of attacks glanced off of the weapons and small pieces of armour Cyprus had, though every now and again one snuck through, causing his aura to flare.

Scylla did her best to come to his aid. Not wanting to risk hitting Cyprus with a bolt, she ran towards the two as they traded blows and formed her weapon into it's Battleaxe form, the shiny new blades peppered with rain as they slid from their position as the functioning wings of the ranged weapon.

The Huntsman behind regaining his strength, he was forced to watch as the assailant toyed with his prey. Dodging each swing that was thrown at him, even causing the pair to bump and knock into each other as he casually avoided the swings, grasped their own weapons and pushed them into each other, the service given with the most genuine of smiles.

No amount of flourishing, careful synchronisation or improvisation could help them. The attacker was just too skilled, too tenacious for them to keep up with. However, this caused him to get just the slightest bit too cocky. And with the tail end of his staff striking the scorpion-man in the thigh, he grunted in shock before the downswing to follow struck him square on the forehead. Thrown to the ground from the force of the hit, his smile faded and he panted through gritted teeth, surrounded by the three of them.

Their victory was short lived, as like a man possessed, their attacker spun himself around on the spot, a freakish break-dance of an attack that saw his blades swinging out in wide circles, his legs knocking the trio back and his tail flailing in hopes to find any target at all. And unfortunately, it did. Finn cried out in pain as the needle like point of the tail slashed at a chink between his armour plates, his depleted aura leaving him defenceless to the strike as a purple coating splashed over the deep, fine wound.

The ground sparked with lightning and high winds rocked the trees as the storm reached its pinnacle, Branches and leaves blowing all around them as they all struggled to keep their footing. With the Huntsman out of the picture, it was simply a matter of clean up for the aggressor, who turned and set his sights on the vigilante once more. Readying his staff, the tail cloths fluttered strongly behind him, and Scylla stood ready to charge with the next movement.

"Who are you? You work for Cinder?" He called out, gripping Tempest tightly, the electricity crackling at the rear end. The man's attention was fixed on that shocking piece of the weapon for a moment, though as he heard that name, he broke out in a fit of laughter.

"C-Cinder? Ah..Haha! You think I work for that insolent, delusional child!?" He couldn't contain himself, holding his stomach as he reached the verge of tears, finding the accusation nothing short of hysterical. "Oh you know so little, just like her!" He paused and raised a brow, looking up towards the cracking, intense clouds above. "Though, I suppose you won't live to find out, anyway."

"Don't you sound confident?" Cyprus retorted with a smirk. Alas he did hesitate, however, something about his relaxed stance seemed too strange to ignore.

Scylla watched the pair trade words, her eyes bouncing back and forth as she tried to notice anything out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, her own moment of realisation came a second too late, as she finally made the connection. A storm wasn't exactly the best place to use an electrified weapon. The Faunus sighed and closed his eyes, his tail relaxing as he opened his arms wide, both leaving his body wide open, and his ears listening intently for the splashing of mud. Though he was assured he had timed his little dramatic presentation just right.

"Cyprus-!"

For the vigilante, that was all he heard. What followed was nought but blackness, an utter sense of the utmost, intense pain taking over his whole body. The maniacal laughter returning to the fray as the thunder, the remnant of what had occurred, echoed high above them.