Daggers in the Dark

Slimy, quivery, wet, walls of flesh pressing in on him. Viscous black phlegm engulfed him, gushing down his throat as he screamed. It pressed against his eyes, invaded his nostrils, and filled his lungs till they swelled and nearly burst. He did the only thing he could-lash out with his blade at the slabs of meat around him, cutting open a horizontal orifice, and pushed the walls apart desperate to emerge into the sunlight-and all its promise of life-beyond. Nihil sang shrilly in tandem with the squelching noises-and suddenly it stopped. The desperate Faunus felt his arm recoil with impact, and the last thing he knew before darkness overtook him was the bite of metal teeth digging into his face-

Herman awoke with a start, beads of cold sweat all over his skin. Breathing heavily, he tried to get up, only for the world to go all topsy-turvy and he fell with a crash on the linoleum floor along with the IV drip he had been hooked up to. He coughed, splattering red droplets on the white floor, leaving him dumbfounded.

"Another hospital rooms. This is becoming a habit." He thought, even as he stared at the blood on the floor. There was a rush of wind as a door creaked open, and Herman found himself looking up at a nurse clad in white and green hospital scrubs. She wore a mask and her hair was bundled up in an opaque net, so he couldn't discern her facial features.

"What are you doing? You're not strong enough to move about on your own."

"Where…am…. I?" Herman painfully croaked, dimly aware of the cold IV fluid dribbling onto his back. She sighed and knelt to help him up. "How. Much time passed…since I-"

"You were checked into this Emergency center just a few hours ago by the Vale Army, and you're soon going to be transferred to a General hospital for better treatment. You're in poor shape, boy."

"Nuh.." Herman groaned, his ribs aching. He shook his head, and tried to push the nurse away, but she wasn't having any of that. The nurse bundled him back into the bed, and promptly began fixing up his drip.

"You're lucky to be alive and recovering." She spoke as she reconnected fresh tubing and fixed up a new bag. "That Aura is really something."

"Why…do…I feel…like shit?"

"Your body is exhibiting signs of extreme battle fatigue and poor nutrition. You've been suffering from internal bleeding, fractured bones, increased blood pressure…need I go on? As I said, if it wasn't for your Aura holding you together you would have fallen apart a long time ago. Even professional Hunters need to rest from time to time, and you sure don't look like some pro." Hearing this, Herman anxiously stroked his face and felt a streak of pain from his chin to his left eye. "Have I really been fighting for so long and so hard?" he thought to himself. Then again, given what he had survived so far, it could only be explained due to his Aura healing him and maintaining his physique in between battles.

She brought him a tray with a bowl of mutton stew and potatoes as well as a few slices of bran bread. The pungent fumes of spices wafting from the brown and yellow chunks floating in liquid aroused his hunger, making him temporarily forget his woes and dig in heartily. The hot food helped cleanse a palate violated by the offensively disgusting MRE and tinned fare-the dreaded 'vomelet' and 'baby dicks and beans' were a long forgotten nightmare as Herman finished his stew so thoroughly the bottom of the metal bowl shined so much that he could see his reflection.

Deep crimson gashes ran from above his left eye-though mercifully sparing the eye itself-to his throat. His nose had been deeply cut into and his jaw looked like a flap of meat. Instead of two ears poking out from his unkempt, shaggy grey hair there was only one, while the other one was a shredded rag. The sight nearly made him throw up and he would have if he didn't push the bowl away. Once more he gingerly touched his face-

Nihil's teeth

"Where are my weapons?" He blurted out, looking about frantically. His left hand felt unnaturally light without the comforting embrace of his gauntlet, and his blade was no-where to be seen. A gaping void opened where his heart should have been as he looked at the nurse with a pathetically groveling expression. "Where is She? Where's Nihil?"

The nurse raised her eyebrow and shrugged before collecting the tray and closing the door behind her. He slumped back in his bed, shaking, dark clouds enshrouding his brain. Weakly he closed his burning eyes, chewing the inside of his cheek as he frantically tried to remember what became of his Nihil. Slowly, he traced a line along his scars, pressing down on the tissue till it hurt. He remembers being in that beast's throat, being crushed when-

"Oh, no…" It was all coming back to him. Just as his body was battered from the constant fighting, so was Nihil-and his blade didn't have the benefit of an Aura save for what he imbued in it during combat. It was only a matter of time before one of them broke under the strain. And as for his gauntlet, it must have been confiscated when he was checked in to the emergency ward. He pressed deeply on the scarring, gritting his teeth, and shaking his head.

"Nihil is yours now. Take care of it, all right?" A man with a blank face pressed the blade into his hands.

"Battle after the battle, I've only survived thanks to Nihil." Old memories swam in front of his eyes. "My way of life, my honor, my closest ally, my father's last gift-gone!" Wracked with such thoughts, Herman tossed and turned in his bed.
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A Few Hours Earlier

Hassan loaded another five-round magazine into his sniper rifle and took aim once more at the gunline. Despite his best efforts he was unable to silence more than a few of the emplacements, and there was still the secondary and tertiary line left. Doubt grew in his mind and a slight pain erupted in the base of his skull as something heavy prodded against it.

He put aside the rifle and tried to turn around, only for the metal barrel to push against his head.

"Don't move." Aurum growled, grabbing the sniper by his collar, and dragging him up before pushing him to the edge of the building. The grenades on his ammo carrier pressed painfully into his chest.

"You really think a measly bullet from your pitiful weapon will dent my Aura? What was your next plan, throwing me off the edge of the building- "

"Shut up. You're coming with me to HQ, after you answer some questions for me." The specialist shoved the sniper against the edge so that the upper half of Hassan's body went over, and his stomach was pressed into the concrete.

"Ah, this old technique." Hassan remarked, "Most guys without Aura-or with a small pool of it-would be pissing their pants. Guys like you." For that he got a whack to the skull, making his head grow fuzzy so that he barely registered the pain of the blade digging into the nape of his neck.

"How much of the White Fang remains? Where are you guys hiding? And where's your commander?"

"I'll answer all of that if you can tell me about the men in this building. You kill them all, hotshot?"

"You've got far more pressing concerns." Aurum dug the blade deeper and pushed the sniper further over.

"Kill me, then. I won't talk until I know how the brave, highly trained specialists dealt with the scared teenagers with guns made from metal pipes and junk or the old men with ancient, battered guns." Hassan replied.

"Just took out a few." Aurum relented. "Though your forces aren't what you make them out to be. Quite some young men and women too, fanatical to a dying cause."

"Oh, if only you knew how dead our cause was." Hassan smirked. He heard the jangling of metal cuffs, and his smirk grew wider as he clenched his fists. The leather glove concealing his mechanical arm was torn to shreds as the steel fist extended directly into the specialist's gut, sending Aurum flying backwards. Hassan turned around to face his opponent and flexed his metal fingers, marveling at the smoothness of the mechanism as a five-vial cylinder emerged from within. He quickly loaded in a different type of dust for each cylinder, giving enough time for the specialist to get to his feet and recover some of his breath. They stood there for a while, sizing one another up. The setting sun burned the back of Hassan's neck, while Aurum tipped the brim of his hat to stop the glare from getting into his eyes-which gave him an idea.

Quickly he took his stance, keeping his dagger a shoulder's width from his neck level down to the belt level, pointing the blade at his aggressor while holding his off-hand vertically to protect his ribs, head and neck. Hassan rolled his neck, then settled into his own stance. He stood with his right hand and right foot forward, his rear leg stretched back slightly, and his feet slightly turned inwards.

Aurum stepped forward at a forty-five-degree angle and feinted a low jab at the assassin's belly, forcing Hassan to jump back and kick at the specialist's face. Aurum nimbly dodged, before holding the flat of the blade in such a way that the sun's light was reflected into Hassan's face, blinding him. Sensing an opportunity, Aurum closed in. He slashed at his opponent's neck and stomach, before delivering a solid kick to the stomach, sending Hassan staggering. Pressing his advantage, he charged forward but was met by a metal fist to the chest. Aurum quickly ducked under the flurry of blows and was met with a sharp kick to his chin, forcing him back. Hassan punched at Aurum, and his metal fist went flying at the specialist, who noticed that it was attached to the rest of his steel arm by a chain. He narrowly avoided it, but Hassan jerked it back and triggered the release of the first vial just as it once more flew over Aurum's head. Thick clouds of Earth Dust made the specialist choke and claw and the muddy formations about his head but Hassan closed in and delivered a heavy blow on the specialist's skull, shattering the earthen cast.

Aurum lay on the floor, barely registering the pain of Hassan's knee sinking into his stomach. The metal fist closed in on his face, but he caught it with his two fleshy hands and tried to force the assassin off him.

"What's wrong, weakling?" The assassin laughed as he released a cloud of fire dust about his metal fist, burning Aurum's hands. "Am I too strong?"

"No, just too stupid." Aurum spat back even as his hands burned. He tried headbutting the Assassin but only mashed his face into the enemy's chest. Hassan laughed, forcing his fist closer, until he heard a metal chink. Aurum grinned, revealing the pin of a grenade between his bloodied teeth.

"Fuck-"

The detonation shattered the concrete beneath them, plunging them into the lower floor where several WF soldiers lay insensate due to the falling rubble. Hassan coughed and beat his chest, before quickly jumping up to survey the situation. A slight disruption in the air behind him-

His non-organic arm rotated 270 degrees and caught Aurum's weapon, twisting the specialist's arm in the process, and forcing him to drop it. As he turned around, he got clocked in the face several times by Aurum's free hand and got squarely kicked in the stomach. If it weren't for his steel grip twisting the specialist's arm further, he would have been flat on his ass. Aurum then seized his assailant's throat and began to squeeze as he channeled his Aura to the muscles in his arm and hand.

"Now let's see what gives out first." Aurum said, as if the pain of his twisted arm wasn't registering. "Your squishy neck, or my arm?" The vice-like grip tightened further about the Assassin's neck, and Aurum felt the grip on his arm relax. Outside, the sun descended beneath the horizon, and the shadows grew closer and closer to the pair till sunlight no longer filtered through the newly created hole above them. In the darkness, Aurum saw a flash of pearly whites and a deadly glare in his enemy's eyes. All of a sudden, his enemy dissipated, and Aurum found himself grasping thin air.

"What the-" A blow to the back of his head caught him unawares, felling him to the ground. He felt his vision grow dim and reflexively he clenched every muscle in his body, feeling the burning spread up from his feet as he prepared to release his Semblance-

Hassan's bullet shattered the specialist's skull, sending red, grey, and white fragments everywhere. He drew back the bolt, ejecting a brass casing and sighed.

"Whew. If he had ambushed me in the morning, or had held on a few more minutes, I would have been a goner." He murmured to himself, leaning against a wall and sliding down. From the stairwell he saw the 2nd Lt. and Biliare emerge. She looked a bit wan, while the 2nd Lt.'s expressions were concealed by the mask, as usual.

"Nice of you two to show up-I was afraid that more guests wouldn't arrive." Hassan snarked as he wiped sweat off his forehead. "They'll be looking for this Atlesian specialist, you know. This plan isn't feasible-"

"Silence!" The 2nd Lt. ordered. "It's the only shot we've got, while their forces are in disarray after the battle."

"You're insane. Our forces are depleted, our munitions low, our rations scarce-"

"I know all that." The 2nd Lt. cut the assassin off. "But I know that we cannot fail Taurus." He said very quietly.

"Shut up about Taurus!" Hassan leapt to his feet, incensed. He walked over to one of the knocked-out WF soldiers lying about and pulled her up to show to the other two. "You see this?" The assassin said, sliding off the mask and revealing a smooth, young face coated in thin dust. He slid up a sleeve, revealing a bone thin arm. He knelt down and yanked off a boot three sizes too big and held it up to display. "Would Taurus send Faunus children to their deaths? Zheeliyony might, that fanatical bastard, but would our leader? Would you sacrifice them?"

The 2nd Lt. looked threw aside his chainsaw, before pulling off his mask and looking at his comrade. Hassan was no stranger to mutilation, but even the sight before him was too grotesque for him to keep looking, and he found himself looking away.

"When I was a boy," The 2nd Lt. began "I watched Valesian landowners take my people's ancestral land and force us to work as sharecroppers for a pittance. Those rich human bastards were never from the land; they came and took what they pleased-to them we were simply a pair of strong arms to be worked to the bone and discarded. I watched my grandfather shovel shit, my father shovel shit, and when it was my turn-"He picked up his weapon, and pressed its fangs against his reddened skin. "-I decided that I wasn't going to take shit. So they tried to break me with red-hot chains and irons, and when that wasn't strong enough they sent their Huntsmen thugs to break any resistance I might have inspired amongst the laborers. I watched homes burned, women raped, girls and boys killed. But they didn't break me." The 2nd Lt. gave a ghastly smile. "They didn't break me, and my will to resist was strengthened after that corpse-harvest. Adam Taurus freed me, and every day I've sacrificed to make up that debt. So don't lecture me about sacrifices."

Hassan stood their dumbfounded, his rage boiling up. But before he could speak, Biliare stepped forward and put a gloved hand on the 2nd Lt's shoulder.

"We've all been through injustice-"She said, not flinching as the 2nd Lt. whipped around to face her. "-I worked at a chemical plant where we weren't provided proper safety gear to deal noxious fumes produced by distilling dust. It was cheaper that way-the company motto might as well have been 'Trade Faunus lives for powdered dust'. If we hadn't stole or improvised, the whole lot of us would have died. It was Taurus who came and freed us from the industrialist's tyranny."

The 2nd Lt visibly relaxed, and turned towards Hassan as if to say 'See?' But the Assassin wasn't in the mood to reminisce. When he was about to speak, Biliare continued.

"However, I think Hassan Rimal has a point." The 2nd Lt. turned to face her again. "At this point we're only hurting the cause by throwing away the lives of the young-the future of Faunuskind-which is why I think the attack should be scaled back. I know that the Comissar is acting under Taurus's orders, but even you have to admit that his leadership has been…questionably lately." She spoke. "We've been trying to take on all of Vale head on, despite all our protests to the contrary. He even killed a few of our men for not following orders, if you remember." At this, both the Assassin and the 2nd Lt. nodded, and Biliare was taken aback to see something glisten in the sunken pits of meat the 2nd Lt' called eyes. "I don't think Comrade Zheeliyony has the best interests of the organization at mind, otherwise why would he keep throwing us into these meatgrinders?

"I am a simple second lieutenant." He said, his voice hoarse, his hands against his head as he dropped his weapon and leaned against the wall. "What would you have us do?" Biliare and Hassan were both taken aback-they had never seen him in this state before.

"I will take our captured Paladin and cause a diversion, while you two go and strike off the head of the snake. That should put pressure on the Valesian government for reform, and the disarray will let the remaining forces disarm and stand down." Biliare said, her throat feeling dry all of a sudden.

"And what of yourself?" Hassan asked, taken aback by her decisiveness.

"I'm ready to make the last sacrifice if need be, so that no more may have to die." She said, her voice cracking. They all stood in while a silence full of emotion reigned over the room which was broken by the stunned WF soldiers groggily waking up.

"It's a good plan as any." The 2nd Lt. conceded, breaking the painful quietude. "We'll iron out a few kinks on the way, but we need to go soon. I'll tell our soldiers that they don't have to fight any more."

"What of the Commissar? He won't be pleased to hear that our forces are standing down." Hassan remarked as he loaded his rifle, agony constricting around his head like bars of steel.

"If we return-when we return-we'll deal with him and make him pay for his incompetence." The 2nd Lt. growled. "I trusted the bastard, but I don't know what's become of him. I've lost all contact since the refinery raid, and I've just been receiving responses to make attacks with squads that no longer exist. I think he's broken down." He put his mask back on. "I never intended for things to turn out this way-I didn't want more bloodshed than necessary."

"No-one ever intends that. We just deal with the hand we've been dealt in life and keep moving forward." Biliare said, loading shells into her shotgun.

The 2nd Lt. wished he had a good answer to that, but he was trying not to bawl like a child. "Stow it all away, soldier. Just one more toil, one more battle, and we can have some rest…till the killing begins again." He told himself, and went downstairs.

As the packed up, a little aqueous blob of darkness with a crimson eye crawled up the windowsill and fluttered off to report the tidings of a feast to its dark masters.

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Heidi Azura crouched by the pipes running up the back of the building, taking a quick check of her equipment. Pulling back on the string of her bow, she released an arrow into the darkening skies. The rope attached to it went spiraling, thwapping her on the right greave. Gravity did its work, and the barbed arrowhead found purchase on the railing, allowing her to climb up quickly. She pulled herself over the edge, and made straight for the stairwell entrance, skirting around the swiveling camera attached to the doorway.

The air inside sank past her armor, chilling her bones and goose-pimpling her skin but she quicky continued down to the second floor. As long as she moved as if she belong here and didn't stick around for too long, no one would question her-not when they were busy attending to the battlefield casualties. She heard snippets of conversations floating among the sharp stench of vinegar and the sting of bleach.

"Running out of bandages and morphia here, doc!"
"Tear up some of those bedsheets there. We need to make do till the supply trucks arrive; they're overtaxed as it is."

At the second-floor door, she paused for a bit as two shadows passed by, then entered and headed straight down the dark hall where a lone nurse rummaged through a cart, slipping a few bottles into his coat. Heidi grinned and tapped him on the shoulder. The blue scrubs-clad man froze but did not turn around.

"Listen, it's bad in those refuge camps." He said quickly. "I need this for my kids, you hear me?"

"Relax. I just want to know where a patient is-let me know and I won't turn you over to the guards."

"Ah…. who would you be looking for?"

"Male Faunus, gray ears, silvery grey hair, deep blue eyes, massive build, severely injured." Heidi said tersely, looking around. Down the hall two doctors were in discussion; they hadn't glanced their way yet.

"Ah…I think I saw a guy like that on this floor."

"I know that. I want the room number." She said, tightening her grip on his shoulder.

"I don't know exactly, only that he was taken to the left wing of this floor to one of the private wards. I think there are two soldiers at his door. Ow! Would you let me go?" He exclaimed, but the pressure on his shoulder was quickly released, and when he turned around he saw no one-the mysterious assailant had blown right by him like a breeze.

Heidi peeked around a corner; sure enough, two bored and sleepy guards stood leaning against the wall. This was going to be easier than she imagined; the attack had drained everyone. She was tired too, but she had an objective and was determined to carry it out. She reached into her quiver, drawing out the last two Ice Dust arrows she had. She still had a few Fire, Earth, and Force Dust left; Beckendorf had managed to steal a few from the PX. Momentarily she wondered how'd they live without him.

Before they could even blink, Heidi released her arrows and froze them both to the wall; as they opened their mouths to shout she struck them upside the head with the hilt of her blades, stunning them. She tried opening the door, but it was locked. With no time to rummage for keys, she stepped back and kicked the door right above the handle.

Herman woke with a start as he saw splinters fly and the door spring open. Bewildered, he could not say anything as Heidi stepped through the frame.

"Come with me if you want to be free." She said, extending her hand.

"Heidi!" Herman finally found his voice "I told you, I made a deal-"

"Damn that deal! You think that after all you've done, they'll let you go free? That they'll let any of us go free? You know as well as I do how humans and their pets work-we'll be hunted down once we're no longer useful. We need to make our own life."

Herman groaned as he got out of bed, and Heidi rushed to his side to support him.

"I don't know, Heidi. I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm so confused."

"Let me make things clear; do you want to keep being their pet? That's what they'll do?"

"How can you know?"

"Do you doubt me?"

"No, but- "

"I lived in Vale longer than you have, Herman Grauer. You know nothing but how to fight; but I've seen the deceptive nature of the authorities and their intelligence services. Our history is filled with sad tales of how Faunus cooperated with them and were eventually shafted, but I've got no time to tell you all that. I've come to free you, so we can make our own lives without any of this baggage weighing us down. Or you can let go of my shoulder, and I can leave you cold and alone on the floor for your new masters to pick you up. Is that what you want? A new form of servitude, only to humans instead of power-hungry Faunus like Taurus?"

Herman groaned again and leaned heavily on her as she grunted and moved forward. Already a few others were coming down the hall to check; she chucked an Earth crystal to obstruct the passageway before lugging the big wolf Faunus with her to the stairwell.

"Sorry for weighing you down, Heidi. I'm hurt bad."

"No wonder, after all the fighting we've done. I've got my fair share of scars, but a thickheaded idiot like you always frontlining-all you need is rest and for Aura to do the rest."

They rushed up the stairs and out over to the railing. She shoved him towards the rope, and kept watch at the door not caring if the CCTV saw them; if Beckendorf was on time it would not matter. Voices came bubbling up from the stairwell, and she looked over to see Herman dropping from the rope after reaching halfway down. She did not envy his ankles. Grabbing the rope, she slid down just as Beckendorf came zooming in a quarter-ton four by four jeep bursting with various pilfered supplies.

"C'mon, c'mon! Guards are changing shifts now-we'll be across the bridge before the next shift even reaches the HAB blocks!" he hollered as Herman stumbled forward, but then the wolf froze. "What's the matter?"

"My sword. Do you have it?" Herman said monosyllabically.

"Uh..." Beckendorf's voice trailed off. "About that…"

"Herman, forget about the chainsword! We need to go, NOW!" Heidi said, trying to push him into the vehicle, but he stood firm. "You big lunkhead, what's more important? That sword, or our freedom?"

"I need it." He repeated stubbornly. "I must have it."

"It broke to bits, can't you remember! It's gone!" She shouted hoarsely, trying to shove him forward.

"Yeah, bro. I don't think that even that Aciero could fix it-"Beckendorf clapped a hand over his mouth in horror when he saw the hungry look om Herman's face.

"She has it?" He said slowly, his eyes gazing in direction of the workshop.

"You idiot, 'Dorf." Heidi stopped trying to push him, and instead stepped in front of him. "Herman, please. You're acting like a child."

"Heidi, please." Herman gripped her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "If there's even a fraction of a chance that my sword is repaired, I need to go and take it back. You don't understand; as long as I have my sword, everything will be all right."

"What-"She started, but Herman interrupted her. Her breathing grew shaky as she saw a mad gleam in his normally dull and hazy eyes.

"All my life I've been fighting in battles, against all odds. I would have died without it. I need it. I'm sorry, but I can't leave without it." With that, he pushed her back gently and took off towards the workshop like greased lightening.

"The things I do for love." She sighed, smacking herself on the forehead as Herman took off on all fours. Leaping into the vehicle, Beckendorf took off after their wayward friend. Ahead of them, a logistics truck was rapidly approaching. Partly leaning out of the jeep, she prepared an electricity arrow to stun Herman, but before she let fly the wolf slid underneath the logistics truck even as it drove forth at full speed and did not emerge at the other end.

Rather, Herman slid sideways, nearly crushing his leg process and rolled into a roadside ditch where he began to crawl rapidly towards his objective. At the very end of the ditch, he leapt out, thoroughly caked in dirt. Sure enough, Heidi was a few meters away and let the arrow fly. It struck him square in the chest, yellow sparks arcing outwards, but it barely seemed to slow him down. Instead, he set off at full sprint towards the workshop. Frustrated, Heidi rushed after him, followed by Beckendorf.

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Aciero stood inside, looking at Makellos's handiwork. She ruffled his hair and smiled at the boy, whose face lit up with delight.

"What did I tell you? If the core of a weapon is strong, then one can restore it to its glory, or even elevate it beyond what it was. And I'd say that you've really improved on this weapon along with the gauntlet." She said, as one of her mechanical arms seized the black blade from the glowing coals of the forge and held it aloft. Thick, massive, bristling with fangs, requiring several of her arms to hold it properly it could not rightfully be called a sword-it was a heap of metal. One free arm snaked towards the gauntlet lying on a side table-it was much larger than it was before, with sharp claws in place of fingers and a piston enhanced grip.

"I put a disruption-field generator in that! It was hard work!" The boy smiled, leaning against his mother.

"Caleb Grauer liked his big blades, and his son is no different." Aciero mused. "I think I'll keep this thing safe for the boy till he's no longer mixed up in trouble."

"Isn't that a bit ironic?" Makellos said. "You're keeping away something meant to ward off trouble till someone's done with said trouble."

"Silly boy." Aciero chuckled. "Not all of life's problems can be cut through."

Just then the door behind them was slammed open. A muddied figure stood there, breathing heavily, a single ear poking through an untidy silver-grey mop of hair. Aciero readied the new Nihil, ready to test it out, but lowered it when she saw who it was.

"Aciero…." Herman said, breathing heavily as he advanced, a crazed look in his eyes. Makellos immediately hid behind his mother, slightly peeking around her leg. Herman reached out, touching the tip of the blade, before staggering along its length.

"Please, may I?" He looked at her with pleading eyes, his hands caressing the teeth of his sword.

"What happened to you, Herman? Why are you out of the hospital?" She said, not loosening her grip on the blade.

"You made my daddy's blade; you can fix his blade. Please let me have it. It means everything to me."

"You're not making any sense." Aciero said, thoroughly weirded out, as she saw him fall to his knees and gently press his face-eyes closed, singular ear quivering-to the weapon, his hands resting on the hilt. Just then his two friends burst in, breathing heavily.

"Damn it, Herman! You're acting like a child!" Heidi shouted in frustration, taking her helmet off and throwing it to the ground. Beckendorf just sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Wait, what's going on here?" Aciero said.

"No time to explain- "Heidi began, but Beckendorf cut her off.

"Pretty self-explanatory, really. The man misses his big, black, sword and just wants it badly. So badly that he left the hospital for it."

"Phrasing…" Aciero muttered, raising an eyebrow at Herman who saw his gauntlet, and was gleefully trying it on by rubbing the claws against his face. "I was told he was in trouble with the police. Has that matter been resolved or is he like his father?"

"I don't know what you could mean by that, ma'aam. We were just taking him about for a bit of fresh air when he remembered his sword and took off for your workshop. Our Herman in trouble? Perish the thought!" Beckendorf lied, but Aciero wasn't quite convinced.

"Listen, I can't just let him make off with this equipment; I care about what happens to Caleb Grauer's son too. And I don't think he's in any state to handle anything right now."

"What's all this, then?" Major Marrone entered the workshop, Vale Guardsmen stepping in behind her. "A convicted criminal and his two friends…and you too, Aciero? Care to tell me the meaning of this?"

"Fucking perfect. Fuck it. I have no fucking time for fucking subtlety." Heidi thought, as she grabbed her Force Dust arrow and pulled out the crystal from the head. Major Marrone saw her and made to stop her, but Heidi threw it straight at their feet, generating a force wave knocking them all against the walls of the workshop. Aciero dropped the blade-and Herman pounced on it immediately before swiping the gauntlet-and shielded Makellos with her mechanical and organic arms, while Heidi sprang to her feet quicker than the rest and grabbed her two companions by the scruff of their necks and ran towards the vehicle.

"Can we leave now?" She said through gritted teeth, taking out her rage with a well-placed punch to a groggy Major Marrone's face knocking her straight into the dirt.

"I wasn't objecting." Beckendorf said, sliding into the driver's seat and starting the engine.

"I got what I needed, and I'm never letting it go." Herman said, sliding the gauntlet onto his left hand and strapping the blade to his back as he got in.

From a nearby sentry tower, Hassan watched the scene unfold with mild bemusement which temporarily overwhelmed his anger at the traitor of Alpha Pack. Already several vehicles at the motor pool had started their pursuit of the Jeep-all he had to do was capitalize on the chaos.

"That boy might serve our purpose yet-I'll kill him later." He directed his attention to the HQ, and with one hand he brought out his radio and in the other he grasped the detonator.

"On my mark, initiate the plan."

They took off towards the exit bridges, speeding by ambulances, logistics vehicles, APCs, conexes, HABs and other buildings at full speed only to find their hopes dashed. A tow truck was stopped at the bridge, its cargo a battered and broken Paladin and multiple soldiers were clustered around including the Atlesian squad with Lauton and Oliva who turned around as they saw the jeep approach.

"Wha' the?" Oliva said, while Lauton was at a loss for words. "Weren't we jus' given that terrorist's corpse?" He shook his head, and unholstered his gun. "We've been made fools of!"

Lauton approached the vehicle slowly, his soldiers fanning out with their rifles raised. The three looked at each other with expressions of fury, resignment, and sadness. Herman felt totally and utterly crushed by Heidi's look, and dreaded what she was going to say.

He never heard it. Instead, he felt everything go red and black and was dimly aware of falling to the earth. Someone was screaming while the earth was watered with crimson, with shards of metal sprouting from it. When he could, he got up, using his sword to support him and swayed towards the chunks of rubble where the bridge once was. His foot bumped against something, and he looked down to see a broken Atlesian helmet. A few steps ahead, and he saw fragments of a once-green uniform. In the trees to his right, naked, blackened corpses were impaled on the boughs. He was near the water now, the ringing in his ears subsiding, when he saw a small white crooked bone impaled in a soldier's chest. Reaching down, he noticed that it was curved and forked at the end, no bone at all but an entire antler-

"Herman…" He looked at the shattered fragments of the bridge, where a Faunus woman stood on the winch of the tow truck. Her helmet was gone, her armor in tatters, her smile wistful and her arm extended towards him. Dark red stained her face.

Herman tried to step forward, but he could not. Instead, he found himself on his knees, leaning on his blade for support. Heidi staggered, but just as he reached forward, she fell into the fast-flowing canal with a splash. He pulled himself up, ignoring the pain shooting through his body, and made to dive in but just then something gripped his leg.

A dark claw was clamped around his leg, preventing him from moving. The bloody soil parted, revealing a maw filled with razors. In the distance, Herman was dimly aware of gunfire and screaming, but all his attention was on the dark waters of the canal from which all sorts of red-eyed bone-plated beasts began to emerge. He raised his sword arm and cleaved the claw, noticing a fine layer of dark soot on his bare skin. Distracted, he looked up at the sky and saw black particles raining down on the blasted landscape.

The growls snapped him back to reality; his vision turned red with pain and anger, and Herman revved up Nihil to do what he did best; rip and tear

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"What do you propose to do about the food shortages, Governor? Firearms related crimes are through the roof-the people are desperate!" The Police Commissioner slammed her reports on the circular conference table. "Its bad enough that we still have Grimm in the city after the shenanigan General Gaunt pulled, but now we face threats from our own people?"

The room was thick with cigar smoke and overflowing with ashtrays sitting everywhere-from the edges of emerald sofas to the entire run of the conference table. The jade curtains had been drawn over the windows, enhancing the stuffiness of the atmosphere, and a few Hunters standing guard had to rotate shifts lest they pass out from the smell.

"The shenanigans I pulled? Might I remind you that I had official support from Glynda Goodwitch?" The General slammed his fist on the table, incensed, and looked at the Headmistress of Beacon Academy to back him up. She pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose, straightened her whip, and spoke.

"It's true; to reclaim the Academy I coordinated operations with General Gaunt." The General smirked at the Police Commissioner and elbowed Smokey, who sat by his side. "But I did not know he would use a Dust Missile to eliminate the threat." At these words, the General spluttered but was unable to say anything, so Smoky stepped in for him.

"Headmistress Goodwitch, you certainly know that the numbers of Grimm in that area were too high, necessitating the measures we took. I would add that- "He was cut off as a soldier hurried in and spoke into his ear. Worry etched itself onto his face, and he took General Gaunt aside. The rest of the Council watched incredulously as the two men seemingly ignored all of them.

"Listen, I don't care much for these inter-department politics. What had to be done was done; we need to focus on a solution to the current supply shortages. The power grid is out, making manufacturing of goods such as medicine and food more difficult. We need technicians, armed force to protect them; we need bodies." The Secretary of State, an eminent gray lady, spoke up. There were nods and murmurs of assent at this. "If the Chief of Intelligence and Chief of Army staff would kindly return to the table, we can discuss the matter of manpower much better."

"Yes, yes." Gaunt said absent-mindedly to the rest of them. "I say we set up a volunteer force to help with construction and law enforcement, give them extra rations depending on their assignment." He once again turned to Smoky to whisper in his ear.

"Major Marrone reported a breakout at the hospital? A few minutes ago? And the squads assigned to the bridge have stopped reporting? I don't like this."

"Yes, General. I've already dispatched multiple units to the bridge." Smokey whispered back. "I don't think the convict is connected to the missing units, because the time between the two events as well as the tracker location do not correspond. But I'm taking the required measures."

"This is getting mighty expensive for a project, my friend-"Gaunt was cut off, as was the rest of the conversation, when the curtains were blown open and shredded by the broken glass. Tables and chairs were overturned, and the councilmembers took no time in taking cover even as their ears rang from the force of the impact.

"What's going on!?" Gaunt shouted into his radio. "Give me a SITREP!"

"Reporting several detonations at main bridge, fuel station, and-"The radio was cut off, but Gaunt could hear gunfire and screaming. Remaining calm, he toggled radio stations, trying to cut through the fog of war and gain a clearer picture of what was going on.

The halls had gone dark momentarily allowing Hassan to slip in while the technicians tried to get the backups working. It would take them quite some time; but the assassin felt his heart quail a little when he saw the obstacles before him.

Multiple Hunters taking position in the hallway-by their equipment and bearing they were no fresh graduates or students with their education cut short. No, indeed, these were scarred elites itching to put some hurt on the enemy. One team, Hassan could have slipped by. But there were at least six teams, meaning twenty-four Hunters whose weapons, fighting styles, and Semblances he did not know.

And he had to get past them to kill Gaunt.

"Hey, who's lurking down that hallway there!"

Within a moment, Hassan melted back into the shadows and into a tiny alcove where he tried his best to compress his long limbs and think. A few Hunters rushed past his spot-he needed to think fast.

"Yo, did you see anyone down there?"

"No, but I'll check with you."

At any moment, the emergency lighting would kick in and his main advantage would be gone. He peeked around the corner and saw a door open, and his target stepped right out into the hallway, flanked by his own guard of Hunters.

"There's been reports of Grimm at the perimeter, as well as a rogue Paladin!" The general announced. "Quit standing around here!" At his command most of the Hunters took off, but the personal guard remained by his side.

"I'm in position, Hassan. Biliare's raising one hell of a storm-so let's get it done with already." The 2nd Lt. buzzed into his ear. The assassin waited a bit and steadied his breath.

Time to do or die.

"Go." The concrete wall burst open, showering the general and his guard with concrete and plaster. A massive Faunus wielding a chainsaw followed, swinging his blade in the tight corridor and smacking everyone to the ground. Quick as a panther Hassan leapt forward, narrowly dodging the 2nd Lt. maddened swipes, before seizing the General by the scruff of his neck and pulling him out of the newly created entrance. Beyond Hassan lay a tangle of barbwire, burning bunkers, churned up trenches and cratered ground.

"Is this what the 2nd Lt. is capable of? I'm glad I never faced him in single combat, but one soldier can't affect the course of war." Hassan thought as he dragged the General along with him. He needed to wear down his Aura as rapidly as possible.

The 2nd Lt. stood in front of the entrance; blade extended towards the four Hunters who had managed to recover quickly from the initial attack. For a moment no one moved, so the 2nd Lt. decided to strike once more. Just as he stepped forward, he felt all the air fly out of his lungs as he was slammed against the wall by massive chunks of purple-hued rubble. Pressed against the wall, he tried his best to move, but the debris surrounded him tightly and made escape impossible.

"Move out, Hunters! Protect the General!" A regal woman wielding a whip ordered.

"Yes, Headmistress Goodwitch!" At hearing her name, the 2nd Lt. felt a pang of shock pass through his heart, and he felt the grip on his weapon weaken as rebar bound itself tightly about his wrist.

"Finish the mission, Hassan Rimal." Was his last thought, before he blacked out.

Hassan dragged the screaming general through a mess of flames and barbed wire and then threw him into the broken remains of a concrete bunker. Coughing, the General tried to draw his revolver, but the assassin kicked it out of his hands and smashed him in the face with the butt of his rifle. Wasting no time, Hassan fired several Earth rounds into Gaunt's chest, firmly affixing him to the concrete. He then fired a few more at the entrance and firing ports to slow down his pursuers, before reloading a fresh clip of Fire Dust.

"General Gaunt- "Hassan said suddenly, as he levelled the rifle at the man's face, undeterred by his resolute glare and kept speaking while pulling the trigger "-I'm not one for long winded speeches, so how about this? Get fucked." The Generals Aura began to glow, and Hassan reached for another clip only to find his ammo missing. Faintly, he could feel someone's breath on his back.

"What the- "He spun around and saw a white-haired woman with translucent skin literally hovering behind him, holding his magazines. She winked at him and floated backwards and out of the barrier of Earth Dust leaving him with no time to process what had just happened. Then he found himself on the ground, his face pressed against the concrete. Pain wrapped around his body as he got up and he saw the ground beneath the General open. Six muddy arms reached out to seize Gaunt and behind him he heard his barriers crack, so he swung his arm towards the General's neck just as he disappeared beneath the ground.

Breathing heavily, Hassan turned around to face several gun muzzles. He raised his hands, but in the corner of his eye he saw shadows cast by the flames seeping in. It was time to leave.

Far away, the Hunter who rescued Gaunt wearily pulled the precious cargo out of the earth, and gasped. A new dark red orifice had opened where his eyes were, staining his grey face.

"Medic!" She cried. "We need a medic over here!"

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Biliare breathed heavily, taking cover behind the Paladin's foot. She had a few shells left, her Aura was shredded, and the Paladin was reduced to being a massive burning target. To make things worse, they had been driven back to the river where Grimm of different shapes and types had begun to emerge, so diving into the waters to save herself was out of the question. Not that it would help, Grimm or no Grimm, because they'd probably start tossing depth charges in after her.

Her head felt light and her heart was pounding, her palms were sweaty and her stomach in turmoil. In the distance, she could hear demented screaming which seemed to be coming closer all the time. The Paladin creaked, before toppling over in a giant flaming mass, leaving her with no cover. Caught between Grimm and a human army, she could only fall to her knees and shake.

"Why? Why me?" A shell found home in the skull of a Grimm, but several more circled around her while others steadily advanced into the hail of bullets. "Does it end like this for me?" She clutched her head and lay in fetal position. A mass of talons, paws, and tentacles reached forward. The demented screeching was getting louder. Was she screaming?

A great heat passed over her head and she looked up and saw the dark mass dissipating. In front of her stood Herman Grauer, breathing heavily, red-hot blade in hand, and naked except for a layer of soot. She got up slowly, unable to believe the sight before her, and raised her shotgun.

"You." Herman growled. "What did you do?"

"We're doing what you were too chickenshit to do, traitor." She said through clenched teeth, some of her bravery returning even as bullets flew by them. "Was it good for you, being their bitch?"

"Did you blow up the bridge?" He replied.

"Did that explosion scramble your brains? Who else did it, dumbass?"

"Thanks. I can kill you now."

She pulled the trigger, but the empty click was the last thing she registered before she felt an intense, burning pain spread upwards from between her legs. She was lifted into the air, screaming blood onto her assailant, being split apart by the teeth-

Herman sawed the woman on his blade back and forth, marveling in the improvements Aciero made to his blade. While revving it up, it got hotter and hotter, liquefying the flesh to a black glop. She shuddered, her eyes rolling back into her head as the heat passed into her ribcage. He could have cut her in one swift strike, but he wanted her to feel every inch of the penetration. When he was done with the head it was completely blackened, aqueous eyeballs pouring out of their sockets and mingling with the dark gloopy mess that was once a Faunus woman. Herman stepped back, pressing his bloodied blade against his face, smearing black soot and gore all over himself.

"I'd kill you right now, but you look so pitiful that it amuses me."

He snapped into a combat pose, and saw Hassan standing on top of the burning ruins of the Paladin. The assassin was breathing heavily, his clothes torn and his face bloodied. He still wore his cracked White Fang mask, exposing a shaking bloodshot eye. He glanced at what remained of Biliare, only managing to identify her by her scorched yellow armor.

"You savage beast. What did you do to her?"

"I did as you taught me. What Alpha Pack taught me." Herman smiled, raising his blade towards the assassin. "What I've been doing all my life."

"Come to the clock tower to the East, Private Grauer. I want to show you something."

"What could you possibly show me?"

"Before I kill you, I want you to see what your actions entertain." With that, the assassin melted away into the shadows.

He saw Hunters approaching his position, flanked by vehicles of the Vale Guard. Exhausted, he extended his arms and was met by a hail of bullets knocking him into the cold torrent of the water. He closed his eyes and let himself be swept away. In the absence of hope, he no longer cared what happened.