Alright I wasn't actually planning on producing a hectic chapter because I wanted to make 2 chapters for another story for Halloween but hopefully I can finish this in a week.
So this question is from SPARTAN-626, "Nice to see Team EMMM on their missions and granted not the most thrilling but not crazy or so. So not bad and nice work. Was touching to hear the twins reasons to be Hintresses and how their dad was a great father. So where can we find these fanarts of yours if I may ask?"
Guest 1467 also asked this question in a similar manner.
Good question. I won't be posting these fanarts on a website like tumblr, DeviantArt, etc. Instead I will be placing these on the story cover everytime I make one along with a new chapter. Also if they come out shitty, my only excuse is that I've been doing all this shit from my phone.
Hopefully that answers your guy's question.
Now let's get to it.
[Sea Town]
Emerald woke up to the bright grey light pushing it's way through the white curtains in her team's room. She groggily raised her head as she checked her scroll for the time, 9:37 am. She would've been up earlier but sleep was not her ally last night as her mind was plagued with questions.
As she got out of bed her bare feet touched the smooth hard wood floor beneath, instantly making her recoil. She reached for her bag to put her socks on as she now retried to plant her feet on the ground. She stood up in her forest green tank top and grey white sweatpants with red stars along the thigh. When she finally moved around she went to the twins and nudged their shoulders to wake them up. For Mercury she learned it was best to wake him from a distance. It wasn't a good idea for him to take the top bunk last night for that reason.
"Merc, wakey wakey." Emerald greeted as she tossed his book that fell out of his hand last night. His head shot up as it hit the ceiling making him grunt in pain, rolling over his side he fell off the top landing face first on the floor. Adding insult to injury the book Emerald threw at Mercury toppled with him moments later hitting the back of his head.
"Why?" He wondered as his hurt filled life continued.
Emerald simply opened the bathroom door, "We got to get going."
"We do?" Melanie asked through closed eyes.
"Yes. Now come on, get ready." Emerald demanded.
After the troublesome hour of getting ready with one bathroom they made it downstairs to discover why the light was so grey. A sea fog had rolled into town early before the sun rose, but the thickness of the low cloud wasn't too bad. You could see the whole town which stretched only about seven or eight houses down the road from north to south and five houses east to west. Problem was that was all you could see. The area outside of the town was covered too much to make anything out.
Chopping noises and a knife running against a wooden cutting board distracted the team as the innkeeper had been cutting ham the farmers provided. The innkeeper focused on the ham as his assistant chef was busy toasting large pieces of Vale rolls and tossing green spinach in a bowl. The bell that connected to the front rang making the two cooks raise their heads, seeing Team EMMM they smiled and waved. Looking over the counter, the two who were preparing food shared the same greeting with Butch Flowers, caring a basket of jars and Professor Peach with a pot of coffee and one mug.
Butch had cleaned up his beard as there were no loose or stray hairs on both his facial and top head hair. He wore the same type of outfit, except this time he had clothes that were intact and his chest piece was cleaned up. Professor Peach still was smiling pleasantly as she sipped her dark roast coffee with whole milk and cane sugar.
Butch handed the innkeeper the ingredients and then turned back to the team, "Well, a good morning to you all. I hope you all slept well."
"Sleeping wasn't the issue, waking up was." Mercury grumbled as he began to glare at Emerald.
Emerald ignored the non-threatening stare Mercury gave her and stepped forward to Butch, "Sir, it was an honor. But we do have to get back home."
"Well, Emerald was it?" Butch asked as he scratched the back of his neck, "I don't think me or the people of his town can let you leave without giving you a proper meal now. That would just be rude. Won't you stay?"
"I'm not sure if we can, Professor?" Emerald turned to her shadowing huntress for confirmation.
Professor eyed her coffee with a wild desire in her eyes, "Well, it'd be impolite to abide by these people's customs."
"Well then, I guess we can stay for a bite." Emerald agreed as she could enjoy a meal.
"Yes, cream gravy." Butch cheered as he started to make it to the door, "I'll tell you my home knows how to make some delicious dishes you must try."
When Butch opened the door a loud scream made everyone drop what they were doing and look outside to where it originated from. The shrieking noise came from a little girl who was running in the middle of the street as a figure followed her from the fog. A man sized crustacean with marrow pincers for arms and several small bony legs ran after her, it had red glowing eyes and a white bone shell. The creature was a Grimm, locals call them Sealurkers as they come from the ocean nearby.
The little girl, who was no more than 6, tripped on her feet as the Sealurker continued to approach at it's sprint. When it was about to attack a tomahawk had cut off the pincer that was trying to jab at her, the weapon embedded into a wall a nearby house. The creature gargled in pain as it spit water from it's mouth, it's injury was no longer it's concern as Butch rushed the Sealurker with his other tomahawk and planting that one between it's eyes.
"Butch." The little girl cheered as her savior picked her up and sat her on his shoulder.
Butch grinned as he looked up at her, "Come on Anya, let's get you home to your folks."
Rapid clicking came from behind as five more stalked slowly behind him. With the little girl in his arms and only one tomahawk he narrowed his eyes and prepared to protect the little girl. The first crept towards him as it's four others were trying to surround him, he kept backing up knowing the mother's house was just a house south of him. One lept up behind him as it reached for the little girl, but Butch moved to where he would take the attack instead. A shot rang as the Sealurker's head burst apart as Butch looked up at his dead attacker.
Bullets began piercing the skulls of the Sealurkers one by one as they fell leaving the only one, the shooter, Emerald Sustrai standing with her smoking guns. She walked casually as she glanced back and forth to see if there were more to come. She was soon accompanied with her team as they ran out with their gear to meet up with Butch.
Butch put the girl down and pointed to her house, "Go home, now." He ordered as she nodded and sprinted to her home. Her mother had opened the door and pulled her inside as she soon slammed and locked the door shut.
More clicks were heard as the street behind them became crowded with Sealurkers just waiting in a line to strike. Flowers retrieved his other hatchet as he joined the kids, "Don't worry kiddos, the lurkers are just hermits aim for the face and the torsos and they'll go down eas-"
The Sealurkers made room for five more types of Grimm with red eye stems attached to a hideous lobster face and even larger claws. It crawled on around eight appendages and snapped it's claws ferociously, "Okay, these are Oceancrawlers, tougher and faster. Try to cripple the legs to give you a fighting chan-" Butch advised until he heard an echoing moan.
Between the five Oceancrawlers came three man sized, humanoid Grimm monsters. These ones had fins on their limbs with webbed fingers and toes, gills breathing from it's stomach. They had an almost human face but with large red eyes, sideways eyelids and sharp yellow teeth. Butch went pale in the face, "Deep Kings?!"
"They don't look so tough." Mercury smirked as he assumed his fighting stance.
The ground shook at their feet, the local huntsman turned slowly as he began explaining his fear, "The king isn't the most powerful chess piece." Butch explained as he saw the three large silhouettes of the Deep Queens. These goliath beast of water stood tall as the two story houses of the town they were in. Their shells covered their backs like a cloak, the piercers were as long as spears. They each had a single orb for an eye looking out in several different directions.
They stopped approximately 30 meters from the five hunters in front of them. The only town's defenses versus the fury from the deep blue sea, this would end in a gory mess. Butch loaded his tomahawks up with a cryo and an incendiary grenade, "Take care of the small ones, I got a date with royalty." He ordered in a serious tone as his cheerful smile was replaced with an angered straight face of stone. Emerald nodded as her team faced the other sea Grimm.
As soon as his tomahawks were loaded, Butch made a jog towards the Deep Queens. He fired his fire grenade with his right arm to his left and shot the ice shot at his other enemy to his right with his left arm. The Queen on his left cried with the burning flames that covered it's body, while the one to his right froze as the ice held it in place. With the two occupied he lept into the air to fight the middle one.
Emerald who had her guns aimed at the ocean monsters in front of her waited for any movement. Suddenly the Deep Kings turned invisible and she grew wide-eyed with shock. Her first instinct acted as she turned to Mercury, "Merc! Make them bite the dust."
Mercury slid his left foot back and in a swift motion sent water droplets from the street flying into the space in front of them. The droplets splattered on the chests of the Deep Kings now just with in a hop distance away. Emerald smiled and fired her twin guns in front of her making the black blood cover the rest of it as it collapsed in front of her, "Take 'em down!" She barked. Mercury shot with a gliding front kick busting a hole through the stomach of the King in front of him. Militia dived at the King to Emerald's side with her twin gauntlet claws and began tearing at it's back giving it no chance to recover as she slashed with hook after hook.
The other lurkers started to charge as Emerald continued firing seeing how many she could take down before they got too close. She tallied in her head, two of the five Oceancrawlers and five of the several Sealurkers as she switched her guns into their kusarigama forms. Before they got too close she spun her chain around slicing the faces and bone shell arms off as they kept closing in. Two Sealurkers tried to catch her off guard as she yanked her chain back implanting the blades into the skull and torso of the two behind her. Holding her blades at their handle she ran forward into more of them.
The twins were back to back as the circle around them snapped hard in their area. Militia grabbed her sister's ankles hands and spun spun her around. Slices from Melanie's skates let the black blood form a circle serving as a warning for the rest of the Grimm to back off. Militia let her grip go as Melanie landed through the body of an Oceancrawler as she separated the sea invader's head from it's body.
Militia was now surrounded as they crept in on her, she didn't waste no time slicing left and right. Her back was struck by the claw of Sealurker as she fell to the floor with part of her dress torn up.
"Militia!" Emerald yelled in worry.
Melanie put her arm out, "Don't worry, she's a regenerator. No matter what happens: bullets, knives, explosions... she'll heal. And come back fighting."
Militia tore off the top part of her torn dress off, only her sports bra covered her as she glared daggers at the surrounding enemy. Going into a berserker barrage she cut anything in her path as she swung her arms forward. Stabbing the last one against the wall of the place they came from this morning she stared as the red left it's eyes. When she released, the monsters hesitated to even move as she now stood there panting. They began backing away one step at a time until she darted for them.
Mercury threw kick after kick as his foes practically lined up one after another. Switching between heavy roundhouses, lighting fast knife kicks to hard hitting back kicks and devastating knee strikes. Alternating between the different strike styles kept him in the game and out of harm's way. As several crawled directly at him he unleashed his special, with a powerful stomp kick he broke the floor beneath and in front of him sending sharp rocks upwards towards his enemies.
Team EMMM lined up on the street to group up as their strength had been getting depleted from the continued fighting. Emerald had to admit it was nice to catch her breathe, "They just don't get it, we've wiped out almost all their forces and they just don't quit."
"Yeah, maybe a few more kicks will teach them." Mercury suggested.
Out of nowhere a fire erupted at the end of the street leading out of the city towards the sea. Then another and several others making it impossible for anyone to escape this trapped situation, especially the monsters. As the fires burned on doors and windows were swung open as the villagers and town folks came out with old war guns, fishing spears and harpoons and all manner of weapons. They sprinted past the resting team as bullets shot out from the window down upon the creatures of Grimm. Skewering the monsters up close were men, women and strong willed teens stabbing, beating and slashing the attackers of the deep. For a moment team EMMM stood as they enjoyed the sight until they split up as the twins helped out most of the townspeople with the smaller Grimm, leaving Emerald and Mercury to take care of the large one's.
One of the Deep Queens was already dead and the other two were injured as bad as Butch, who was covered in his and theirs blood. As the closest made an attack for Butch, Flowers stood with his two tomahawks prepared for what was to come. Then out of nowhere spears and harpoons began raining on the monster's front. As the beast wailed in agony Butch saw the people responsible launching everything onto the Queen, his family and friends.
As the one fell in front of him the last one ran for the Ocean, "Harpoon!" Butch barked as his town came in with a wheeled cannon. They loaded a heavy spear attached to a chain into the barrel and took aim. With loud KABLAM the spear launched through the air and impaled the last Queen. The people grabbed the chain and yanked holding it back.
Emerald and Mercury prepared for the flying kick they nicknamed 'Rocket Feet', by them naming it, their mentor dubbed it that. Mercury grabbed onto Emerald's chain as she spun him around in the air, until he would gain enough momentum. The centrifugal force let Mercury zip through the space above the villagers head shoot at the Queen. In a second before impact his feet actually got fire until they went into the back of Queens head. He hadn't went through the other side, but he was waist deep in it's head.
As the final behemoth fell, the citizens made their way to help Mercury out of it's mushy brain goo. Mercury got out as the town celebrated their victory over the monsters that came from the water. Butch couldn't help but hug him, "That was some mighty fine work you did there."
"Thanks, but you mind if I take a shower before you touch me again?" Mercury asked as the people laughed at his question.
[After Multiple Showers]
The people and Team EMMM said their final farewells as Professor Peach scribbled more notes on her clipboard. Butch not only made it his mission to hug every single one of them but to make sure they received a proper farewell. Accordions, guitars and a drummer boy provided the best acoustics for singing sea shanty songs. The people danced and sang in front of the bullhead that had just arrived.
Butch gave the group one last hug, "Are you sure y'all can't stay a little longer?"
"Yeah, we should be getting back soon, but we'll be sure to keep in touch." Emerald answered.
Butch smiled and began walking away until he stopped at two steps, "Anything else we can give you guys?"
"Nah, I think we're good." Mercury replied as he looked at the wooden wagon the pilots and the townspeople were strapping together to fly and stay safe.
Butch nodded once more as he stood with the town waving 'so long' to the town's saviors. Team EMMM waved back as they all loaded into the bullhead and smiled at the lives that they had saved that day. The little girl was on Butch's shoulder as she bid the team a 'see you again' from her little voice in the crowd of loud cheers. They took off and the music and joyful noises faded with the wind as they left.
"Good job, children." Professor Peach congratulated as she enjoyed her thermos full of warm coffee she filled up from the village.
Emerald hummed as she closed her eyes and felt calm enough to finally relax. Then a blaring alarm went off in the ship and she groaned at the annoying, repetitive siren. As she made it to the front where Professor Peach was she looked at the shocked pilots, "What's seems to be the problem?" She quizzed until she followed their gazes toward the rising smoke, "Oh."
[End of Chapter]
Okay, I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter and the fanart that came with it. If you haven't seen it for some unknown reason I'll see what I can do to make it available for all.