Had a lot of deaths recently. My computer went down and I got another one, and lost every chapter since chapter eighteen, including this one. Lost the urge to write, and what I did pen down started getting a little dark for the story. Trying to keep it on track, but man...I'm sick of people dying on me. For those considering first responder jobs: correct CPR often breaks ribs, and it doesn't mean a damn thing if they're cold and blue by the time you get there.
Chapter 26
The briefing was bland and boring, something that Sienna had never really thought before. The details and staffing for the next two operations weren't any different compared to others she had conducted, but for some reason she couldn't concentrated. She found herself drumming her fingers on the table on three separate occasions, stopping only when she realized that someone else had noticed. The Supreme Leader had zoned out on two different reports from scouts, and had been forced to ask questions to cover her lapse in attention. Adam and Hannibal both had noticed her restlessness, and Sienna was beginning to get cross.
"Thank you, Yuma. Your attention to detail does you credit. You have worked hard on your reconnaissance, and I would be glad to have you in the main assault." Sienna commended, nodding respectfully to the young man. He stood up a bit straighter, his wings drawing in unconsciously as he did.
"Thank you, Leader." The young Faunus saluted, then stepped back into the crowd of White Fang soldiers too low ranking to had chairs at the meeting table. All around him, other members of the scouting division elbowed him and gave congratulatory pats on the back. The younger members were always excited to be involved in operations, and the bigger the part that they played, the more confident they became. Hopefully, confidence did not become recklessness.
"Thanks to Yuma's report, we know that the radio antenna atop the main headquarters is vulnerable. The first thing we need to do when the operation starts is remove the camp's ability to communicate. A dedicated team shall handle this; two or three soldiers, no more. Once the radio is down, the amount of time before the SDC Security Forces increases significantly." Sienna instructed, standing up and placing a finger on the map. A long, narrow dirt path connected the refinery to the main road, wide enough for an SDC cargo truck and little else. At the end of that path, two black rectangles indicated the barracks for the Schnee Dust Company security forces. Depending on the job, they were either top of the line retired Specialists or little more than common mercenaries dressed in white. From everything Blake and Illia's scouting revealed, Sienna assumed they were the latter. Even so, she knew it foolhardy to plan on the enemy's incompetence.
"Even with the communications tower down, the security forces will realize that something is amiss. If they are competent, we'll see a half dozen guards come to check things out. If not, it will only be one or two. Bane, the security forces response team I leave in your hands." The massive, scarred Faunus nodded, his custom full face mask intimidating in the close quarters. From what she had heard, the big man had recently acquired a Dust-powered chainsaw of all things. "As for the rest of you, I want you to focus on damaging the refinery and scaring the workers. Avoid deaths if you can help it, but you are free to defend yourselves." More nods and murmurs around the room. Adam had been curiously silent, spinning Blush's end idly on the floor. The moody young man was far from talkative, but seeing him completely uninvolved in the meeting was just as concerning. Something had been bothering him for the past few days, and she had yet to get to the bottom of it. The last thing she needed was to lose people because the commander on the ground wasn't focused.
"There's a lot of Dust in there. Why don't we steal it?" The question came from Hannibal, who had also cast several glances in Adam's direction. The former bandit lieutenant was well versed in raids such as this, though usually it was to slaughter everyone present and haul off the goods before the Grimm arrived. Sienna could count on him to be flexible in the execution, but preserving life was a little outside of his wheelhouse.
"For the same reason that we're going in on foot; that guard station is the only way for a truck to come in or out of the refinery. We've see that it doesn't look that big, but the SDC has enough funds to make a sixty man bunker look like a four man barracks. If Bane's team incapacitates the immediate response team, then take as much as you can load into a truck, but do not linger. The longer the operation takes, the more likely that things will go wrong. Focus on destruction and demoralizing; the looting is conditional." Hannibal nodded and accepted the orders, though she could see that the prospect of leaving empty handed irked him. Somehow, Sienna knew that they would be coming back with at least one truck full of Dust. As long as it wasn't payed for in White Fang bodies, Sienna could live with that.
"Everyone that is involved with the operation, get some rest. I want you all out the gate by sun down. Drink if it strikes your fancy, but I want everyone kitted out and ready when its time to move. If I find out some of my assault team passed out in a drunken stupor, you'll be my personal sparring partner for a month." The threat hung in the air for a moment, and no small number of winces were cast in Adam's direction. He looked around, unfazed at the attention, but served as an example nonetheless. Adam Taurus may have come out of such an arrangement unscathed, but they were not Adam.
With the meeting adjourned, the gathered White Fang began filing out of the briefing room, pairing off in twos and threes to see about their duties. Adam remained behind for a few moments, his masked eyes glancing over the map one last time.
"Nervous?" Sienna asked, crossing her arms with a huff. The young man shook his head, his response muted and low.
"Not really. We'll do what needs to be done." As ever, Adam was wonderful at saying absolutely nothing. The Supreme Leader had no time for a moody protege, and she simply waved him off.
"Go find Belladonna, Taurus. You look like you couldn't rob a candy store, let alone the most powerful company on the planet. The White Fang needs you in top shape." Adam smirked at that, and nodded in her direction. With a slow turn, he marched out of the briefing room, leaving Sienna all alone. With her underlings finally absent, the tiger Faunus sagged slightly, drained from putting on the air of command for so long. It was hard to believe that she had fought so hard to attain this position on days like this. They were making progress, of that she was certain, but directing things from up top was so...boring. She relished the thrill of the chase, the fight, pitting her wits and strength against opponents and demonstrating her superiority. From here, she was sending others in her stead, and the victories were not as potent. The victories washed away and the disappointments piled up. It reminded her of a video game the others had played during her childhood, with the falling blocks that disappeared if you got them in a solid line. Successes disappear, and failures stack up.
I need a vacation. She thought dryly, rolling up the map and setting it to one side. Depending on how the mission went, she would either file it as a victory or tear it to shreds if things went sideways. Like it had on the Schnee mansion incident. Of course, the thought of that failure brought Arthur to mind. She hadn't spoken to him in a few days, as busy as she had been with planning two different operations at once. Between how stir crazy she had been and the residual guilt that came up every time she had a conversation with the man, Sienna had cabin fever.
That's it. I need some field time. Sienna nodded resolutely. No matter how much she had to change the plan, the Supreme Leader of the White Fang would be on that train.
While Sienna plotted her next outing, Adam slipped out the door of the briefing room. He considered following Sienna's orders and going right, towards the barracks where Blake was no doubt preparing for the mission. She would calm his mind and settle his nerves; they had that relationship, and he was grateful for her. But he knew he had to check on his other partner. The crazy one.
Adam turned left, marching down the hall towards the training rooms. He turned left again and skirted near the locker rooms where operatives could change in between bouts and spars, angling toward a small classroom. Sienna had included teaching areas in the blueprints for when recruitment really took off, but so far they didn't have enough staff to stop and run any sophisticated training. Adam checked his surroundings casually, certain that he hadn't been followed, then grabbed the door knob. As soon as the door slid inward, Adam smelled blood.
The Faunus rebel stepped into the room quickly and shut the door behind him, scanning the room for the source of the odor. The light was out, and what little he could see was thanks to his Faunus heritage. Desks were stacked to one side, chairs close to them, and an unused blackboard hung on one wall. In the center of the room, two slumped shapes drew Adam's attention. So focused was he on what was in front of him, the rebel didn't realize there was movement to his right until the light came on. Adam winced at the sudden flash of light, but he could only grimace when his eyes adjusted.
Felicia and Tyrone laid before him. The two had been growing closer ever since the incident with the Sea Feilong, and anyone with a brain knew that they were sneaking off together. The two were supposed to be on security detail today, but apparently they had found time to slip away. Judging by the sinister giggle to his right, they had chosen the wrong room.
"Ah, young love. So many people find beauty in it, but as you can see there is danger as well." Tyrian Callows didn't walk so much as dance around the two corpses, taking no care whatsoever to keep his feet clear of the blood. And there was a lot of blood. Felicia's face was a rictus of terror, and Tyrone looked as if he had slowly bled to death. Two comrades dead for this maniac's sport.
"I assume you killed them because they could have compromised your cover, not because of some sick game." Adam's growl was laden with the unspoken threat, but Tyrian paid him no heed. The scorpion Faunus grinned even wider, then bowed as if he had just completed a performance on stage.
"Every coup needs a driving force. I figured a few mangled bodies might add to your claim for power, seeing as how you're so good at using death for your own gains." Tyrian's eyes were hooded but amused as he made the dig at Adam. He knew about Cain? Once again, the homicidal maniac had surprised him. Adam looked down at the cooling bodies of his comrades, and it solidified a promise that he had already made to himself. Once this business with usurping Sienna was done, Tyrian Callows was an enemy of the White Fang. If it weren't for the fact that Sienna could easily kill him, Adam would have rejected the man's help in the first place.
"We move out in four hours." Adam informed through gritted teeth. "The assault team will be gone, and most of the reserves will be on the walls. That gives us a clear line on Sienna for some time. Once the fighting starts, the rest will stay out of the way until the smoke clears." Tyrian ran his hands together as he gave the bull Faunus a sickening grin.
"Betrayal comes naturally to you, mister Taurus! I'll be ready when the time comes. Just remember our bargain, or else I'll make 'killing White Fang leaders' my new favorite pass time." Adam spun on his heel and strode out the door, casting one last glance back at the fallen couple. If they had just done their jobs, they would have survived this regime change. Adam wanted to lump them on Sienna's growing pile of sins, but he knew their deaths fell squarely on his own shoulders.
I can't stop now. There's no turning back.
The urge to call Sienna was terribly strong, but Arthur held out. He'd fought it on the flight over from Vale, he'd fought it in the frustrating amount of time it took to collect Famine and his bags, and he wasn't about to give in now that he was only minutes away. Blake had messaged him to say that they were heading out on an operation to some SDC refinery, and that Sienna would be defenseless while they were gone. He'd responded in thanks, then spurred Famine a bit more than the animal deserved.
Were it Abigail or Summer that he was coming to help, a call would have been his very first choice. They would recognize the danger and be cautious, waiting on him to arrive so that they could break free. If he did so with Sienna however, the base would be in flames long before Arthur would be close enough to help. Sienna had not gotten as far as she was by being meek and waiting for her enemies to come to her. The second he tipped her off there would be blood, so Arthur was struggling to wait until the last possible moment to contact her.
As Famine's hooves pounded into the dirt, the approaching sound of a vehicle made the gunslinger curse and pull his loyal steed to the side, driving them into the underbrush and out of sight. Famine whinnied in protest at the branches and vines slapping against him, and Arthur placed a calming hand on the steed's neck. He watched as a truck drove by quickly, and there was no mistaking the crimson snarling animal emblazoned on the side. The assault team was on the move, and Sienna was defenseless. That meant he was close, but it was also time to make the call.
Arthur guided Famine back onto the path, checking for any sign that the truck might be returning, then continued to the base. They weren't far now. He opened his scroll and tapped Sienna's picture, starting the call as he gripped the reins in one hand. The first three tones felt like they dragged on for minutes instead of moments, but Sienna finally answered, her face appearing on his scroll.
"Arthur? Why are you calling at this hour? Is everything alright?" Of course, she thought that something was wrong on his end. Her ears lowered slightly when she saw that he was riding hard.
"Are you alone? Where's Adam at?" Arthur asked, ignoring her questions as he rounded the corner. It had been a while since he was last around the White Fang headquarters, but he still had a rough idea of the layout. One more curve, and he would have to dismount.
"He went with the assault team on a mission. Why do you ask?" Sienna sighed heavily. "What has he done now?" She walked around a table of some sort, and Arthur assumed that she was close to her office. Hopefully she was somewhere private, at least.
"I got a tip that he's planning to assassinate you. He's been planning it for a few days now, and is waiting for you to be caught without guards." At her incensed expression, Arthur brought a finger to his lips. "Hush up now. No tellin' who might be around that reports to him." Sienna seemed to settle for a few moments, but Arthur could only wince as her rebellious side came out.
"That...that little FUCKER. Of all the things I've done for him, he chooses to double cross ME?!" Sienna's whispers were harsh and loud, and he doubted she was really being all that cautious at the moment. The look on her face promised murder, her amber eyes almost glowing with fury as her ears twitched in rage.
Arthur came to a stop just as he could see the concrete walls of the White Fang compound, sliding out of the saddle and leading Famine toward the wall on foot. He wrapped the horse's reins around a tree, loose enough to where he could break free while tight enough for his training to keep him in place. A threat or his call would be the only thing pulling Famine away from that tree.
"Keep it down, dammit! The whole reason I waited this long to tell you was so that you didn't cook off and destroy half the place chasing after the little bastard." Arthur grabbed his shotgun and slung the Deal Breaker across his back, keeping the Peacekeeper holstered. A second satchel came with it, loaded to the brim with unrefined Burn Dust. It wasn't volatile enough to detonate if he dropped it, but shooting it with a shotgun would blow a huge hole in the wall.
"Arthur, I can handle myself just fine! I swear, you're worse than Ghira sometimes!" He didn't really see that as an insult, but the way she spun was making Arthur dizzy. How did kids play video games like this? The Supreme Leader of the White Fang pivoted once more, and Arthur caught a glint of red behind her. It hadn't been pointed at him yet, but there was no mistaking Wilt, Adam's special blade. Because she was in mid tirade, Arthur had to shout to be heard.
"SIENNA, LOOK OUT!" Before he could see whether or not she heeded his warning, the call cut out. Arthur cursed and charged toward the base's wall, double layered with concrete and rebar to withstand Grimm and man alike. He could hear guards running toward the wall, no doubt listening for the stupid human foolish enough to announce his position while he trespassed on Faunus territory. The Dust charge made a solid thud as he dropped it at the base of the structure, and he turned around to find a safe distance. Famine was about fifty meters away, so Arthur went half that and found a thick tree to get behind. He leaned around it as far as he dared, setting the sights of his shotgun on the small brown satchel he had dumped.
There was a brief moment of hesitation as he remembered all the White Fang soldiers that he had worked with, and the good they had done for the Faunus. Once he did this, there would be no going back. He'd forever be an enemy of the White Fang. But Sienna was in trouble, and the only ones in the White Fang willing to help her in this situation had passed him on the road.
"Sorry, fellas." Arthur apologized, though he knew none of them could hear him. "You gotta be loyal to what matters." He pressed the trigger.
The explosion was colossal, and even though he ducked back around the tree, Arthur could feel the blast rattle all the way through his body as he held onto his shotgun. A wave of heat and energy washed over the jungle, and a bright orange light dominated the night. Arthur winced at the ringing in his ears, but he didn't have time to wait. He felt more than heard the crunch of gravel beneath his feet as he rounded the tree.
The hole he had blown in the wall was massive, and led into the complex itself. He had dropped the charge where headquarters butted up against the perimeter wall, and it looked like he was in some kind of barracks. A few White Fang operatives were inside, but none of them were in fighting shape. There were a few groans of pain, but not all of them had made it. Arthur entered the building warily, thumbing another shell into his shotgun as he examined the room. None of the Faunus were standing back up though. Once Arthur was sure of it, he charged toward the doorway and burst into a hallway, his mind working to remember the base layout. When he had last walked these halls, they had been freshly built, the rooms unfurnished and in most cases unpainted. Now, the lights were dimmed red and an alarm blared to announce his intrusion. Still, he knew Sienna's chambers were deeper in, and that was a direction he was sure of.
"Stop right there, human!" The challenge came from his right, and Arthur hugged the wall and presented his shotgun. Three soldiers were crouched in the hallway, their submachine guns pointed his way. The fact that they challenged him instead of just opening fire meant that they weren't as far gone as Arthur thought, but he still wasn't going to give them the first shot.
"Sorry boys, on a rescue mission!" Arthur shouted with a feral grin, digging his left hand into his satchel. He latched onto a crystal, and sent the red Dust shard flying with an underhanded toss. "I ain't got time to play!" The crystal bounced twice before it reached the White Fang soldiers' feet, and Arthur took aim. The one that had announced must have worked with the gunslinger in the past, because the Faunus was already stumbling backward and dragging his colleagues.
"Go, get back! GET BACK!" By the time he got the warning out, however, the Dust crystal had bounced high enough to take Arthur's shot. He pressed the trigger, and a great big fireball erupted from where the crystal used to be, forcing the soldiers back with a blast of heat. He heard them scamper off, but Arthur was already moving deeper into the compound. If he sat still for too long, they would overwhelm him.
Further down the hall, Arthur could hear loud thumps and the clash of metal coming from a door on the left, so he loaded a shell into the tube and approached. So focused was he on the room ahead, he didn't notice the white blur heading his way until he was forced into the wall. Arthur grunted in surprise and spun his shotgun, trying to point it into the chin of his attacker but instead intercepting two sets of wrist blades coming for his neck and guts.
The gunslinger looked down at the man that had tackled him, and grimaced when he saw the crazed look in Tyrian Callows' eyes. He tried to force the man back, using the shotgun as leverage, but the scorpion Faunus' strength was something else entirely.
"Hm hm hm hm, so we finally meet. I've been dying to meet the cowboy that knows Summer Rose." At the mention of Summer, Arthur's eyes narrowed dangerously. Summer had mentioned that there were people after her, and he had clearly just found one. And this guy was off his rocker something fierce.
"Never heard of her. Might wanna try somewhere else, freak." Arthur lied, then reared his head back as far as the wall allowed. The crazed man anticipated the headbutt and pulled his own head back, shifting his weight and allowing for Arthur to drive a knee into his stomach. Tyrian didn't so much groan in pain as giggle, the strangled sound sending chills down Arthur's spine as the two continued to struggle. The last time he'd seen a maniac this crazy, it had been the serial killer hiding in Lucky's Cabin near Valentine. And if Arthur had his way, he'd be blowing this creep's head off of his shoulders too.
The test of strength ended with an elbow strike from Arthur, driving the stock of his shotgun into Tyrian's jaw as the Faunus reeled back. The gunslinger stepped into his opponent's stance and drove his forearm into the Faunus' throat, toppling him over his leg and off balance. The yellow eyed man bent backward, but suddenly froze in mid fall. With a bone chilling chuckle, Tyrian righted himself and swiped at Arthur with his blades, and the gunslinger caught the sight of a brown scorpion tail flicking in the background.
"Close, but no cigar! I do respect a man that fights dirty!" Tyrian crowed, and dove forward again. Arthur blocked with his shotgun once more, sliding out of the way as the second blade dug into the wall. Rather than contest the fight with strength again, Tyrian used his unnatural agility to flip up over Arthur, planting his feet on the wall and driving the gunslinger to the ground from behind. Arthur cursed as he landed and was forced to release the shotgun, covering his face with his arms as Tyrian took the mount. With a sickening glint of glee in his eye, Tyrian began raining down blows with both arm blades and his stinger, and it took Arthur everything he had to guard against the assault. The claw-like weapons dug into his Aura, sending pain all down his arms as he blocked the attacks. He wasn't proficient enough in Aura to repel the blows, and even if he was Tyrian's swings were too fast and unconventional to anticipate.
With a cry of triumph, the mad Faunus looped his tail around Arthur's left hand and pulled it away from his face, his blades descending to dig into the gunslinger's exposed throat. He didn't expect to see Arthur's eyes take on a golden glow, however. As Tyrian leaned forward to drive his blades downward, he lifted up off of Arthur's midsection and the revolver he had unknowingly trapped. With time slowing to a crawl, Arthur wrenched the Peacekeeper out of its holster with his free hand and fired upward, directly into Tyrian's pelvis and stomach. Three rounds were squeezed off in quick succession before his Semblance ran dry, and time resumed its course with a shrill screech of pain.
A crackle of Aura showed that Arthur's rounds hadn't penetrated, but even a protected shot to the nuts hurt like a son of a bitch. Tyrian slumped off of Arthur's midsection and rolled away, curling in on himself even as his tail was poised for a counter attack. The gunslinger simply sat up, shuffling into a crouch as he opened the cylinder. He had three rounds thumbed into place and ready to go before Tyrian could attack, and the scorpion hissed in pain.
"Still respect someone that fights dirty?" Arthur asked with a smirk, spinning the revolver on his finger before keeping it casually pointed at Tyrian. The Faunus snarled with gritted teeth, and slowly uncurled from himself.
The door to Sienna's office burst open with enough force to knock it off of its hinges, and a black clad figure slammed into the wall across from it hard enough to cause cracks to spread from the impact. Tyrian turned his head slightly to regard the new development, but otherwise didn't move. Arthur blinked at the interruption, but it was his turn to snarl when he saw Adam Taurus pick himself out of the Faunus shaped hole in the wall. The young man groaned in pain, then shook himself free of the dust and debris and rolled toward the other two in a desperate escape attempt. No sooner had he done so, Sienna' battle chain lashed out and dug into the wall thanks to one of her detachable blades. Adam got far enough away to catch his breath, then noticed the other two in the hallway.
"Callows, why haven't you attacked yet?" The usurper demanded, then straightened slightly when he recognized his ally's opponent. "Morgan. I wondered when you would show back up." Adam looked ready to say more, but he instead turned to face the door as the battle chain was pulled from the wall, drawing back into the dark room quickly. Tyrian tensed, ready to attack if Arthur tried to take advantage of Adam's blind spot. The madman had created an adequate foothold in the White Fang, and he would not earn his Goddess' ire by losing it so soon.
"Adam. You still haven't made your point yet." Sienna taunted, her brow cocking when she saw the outlaw drawing on Tyrian. "Ah, there you are Arthur. Barging in on internal matters again, I see." The rebellious lieutenant observed the two's interaction, focusing on the lack of surprise Sienna had upon seeing Arthur. They knew they were going to meet today, and Arthur had come ready for war.
She knew.
THEY knew.
Somehow, Arthur and Sienna had found out about the plan. Not too long ago, judging by how unprepared Sienna had been, but aware enough that Arthur had shown up. There was a mole somewhere, and Adam would take his time to find it. Before he could focus on any possible leaks however, he had to address the two targets in the room. And thankfully, he could hear the pounding feet of guards approaching. Adam looked between his two opponents, and remembered the two dead White Fang soldiers that Tyrian had slain.
It wasn't the first time he'd used a fallen comrade against Sienna.
"Soldiers! Sienna Khan has betrayed the White Fang! She has been working in concert with the human traitor Arthur Morgan!" The first couple of soldiers turned the corner with guns raised, and Adam could see their gritted teeth. "He's already killed Felicia and Tyrone! Kill them!" Adam pointed his sword at Sienna specifically, and Tyrian chuckled malevolently. If the soldiers had been left to figure things out, his presence would have been suspect. But now that Adam had accused Sienna and Arthur, he was simply another Faunus attacking the traitors.
"TRAITORS!"
"Leader Khan, how could you?"
"Kill them both!"
The cries from the mounting number of soldiers became more and more bloodthirsty, and Arthur frowned grimly. With Sienna at his side, he might have been able to fight off Adam and Tyrian, or at least kill one of them. Now that the entire headquarters was spun up in a frenzy, running was the only option. And he would have to convince Sienna to do it regardless. With Adam riling them up and accusing them of murder, they didn't have the time or evidence to prove he was lying. The White Fang wouldn't be cooperating, which made them the enemy.
He reached behind his back for the Deal Breaker.
Adam caught the motion and recognized the weapon, diving past Tyrian and swiping at Arthur's midsection. Sienna tried to follow and stop him, only to block a slash from Tyrian and the bent backward unnaturally, a fierce grin on his face. Adam's blade almost nicked the gunslinger's nose, but Arthur stepped backward out of range and pushed his revolver forward. Adam almost went deaf as the pistol fired, the round splitting his hair and slamming into Tyrian's follow up blade before it could come across Sienna's undefended stomach. The swordsman ducked more than he should have, and couldn't defend from the stock of Deal Breaker as it crashed into the side of his head, throwing him off balance. The blow stopped his charge, and allowed Arthur the precious distance he needed to holster the Peacekeeper and bring his grenade launcher to bear.
Sienna was focused on Tyrian as her opponent, but even she blanched at the sight of Deal Breaker's rifled bore pointed in her direction. Granted, it was canted slightly to the left of the her, but she remembered the column of water that had erupted from the time he had tested it.
"Arthur, don't! Not inside-" Before she could finish protesting, Arthur's grenade rifle fired, launching a projectile past her ear toward the troops coming from her rear. Troops that had just announced their intent to attack, but nonetheless they were the White Fang. She couldn't believe he was attacking her people in such a manner. Sienna flinched when she heard the resulting explosion, but she wasn't prepared for the rush of cold that followed. Turning to the side to keep an eye on Tyrian, Sienna turned her head to see the entire hallway covered in ice, the White Fang soldiers encased and immobilized. Behind them, the entire corner was a wall of ice, blocking off further intruders from their fight. There were other halls and rooms they could take, but that would give them enough time to settle this coup.
Before she could coordinate with Arthur, Tyrian pressed his attack, maintaining the awkward posture as he struck out at her with blade, foot, and tail. Clearly he had experience fighting as a contortionist. With the coming soldiers incapacitated, Sienna jumped backward to give herself room to work and distance from his insane assault. On the other side of the crazy Faunus, she could see Adam rushing Arthur even as the outlaw reloaded. She wanted to assist him, but Tyrian's wild and potent assault commanded her attention. Sienna had to alternate between twisting her chain in front of her and blocking barehanded, stopping the damage but whittling down her Aura.
Arthur jumped back, pressing a Burn Dust cartridge into Deal Breaker's breech before Adam could do anything about it. The Faunus followed, swiping with Wilt to keep Arthur from launching another devastating grenade. The outlaw skipped backward, reaching down for a knife he didn't have anymore and grasping a coil of rope instead. Adam swung his blade downward, nicking Arthur's vest as the older man kicked his elbow away and tossed a length of rope in the air. Adam paused to watch it for a moment, and regretted it when Arthur's fist crashed into his face. The trick would only work once, but it allowed Arthur to keep Adam on the back foot and push forward. The rope fell to the floor uselessly as the outlaw swung his fists, staying close to prevent Adam from using the full length of his weapon. Unfortunately, Adam was no novice to this approach.
Arthur's Aura sputtered and flared as glancing blows bounced off of his forearms and sides, Wilt flashing too quickly for him to block entirely. After a particularly savage thrust however, Arthur's eyes glowed gold in triumph. Time slowed, and Arthur drove his hand downward on Adam's grip and broke it. Wilt spun slowly in the air, and Arthur followed up with a kick to its pommel. He drew the Peacemaker while Adam stepped back, his face slowly contorting into an expression of frustration as his weapon sailed upward into the ceiling. Just as Arthur's Semblance reached its limit, he fired three rounds for good measure, driving them into Wilt's pommel and sending the blade even further into the concrete. It would take Adam more time than they would allow to retrieve the weapon he was so dependent on.
The color returned to Arthur's vision as time resumed, and Adam's frustrated growl made him grin as Wilt pierced the ceiling. Unfortunately, his upward attention made it impossible to avoid the leg sweep that Adam retaliated with. His Aura was weakened considerably already, and Adam's followup knee to the stomach nearly shattered it.
While Arthur and Adam grappled on the ground, Sienna and Tyrian's fight was far more deadly. Using her battle chain to maintain distance, the Supreme Leader danced around Tyrian's savage strikes. The scorpion Faunus' attacks were wild, but each swing was targeted and strong. Sienna's unarmed skills helped her fend off his strikes, and she used her chain's indirect attacks to interrupt Tyrian's rampages before he could build momentum. Unfortunately, Tyrian's tail either had a mind of its own or he had an astounding ability to react and multitask. While he struck with blade and foot, his tail fended off Sienna's chain without even a glance.
Sienna dared to press the attack, diverting a wrist blade to the side with her palm and jabbing forward with a hardened fist. Tyrian was anticipating continuous retreat, and as such was unable to dodge out of the way when her fist slammed into his scarred chest. The crazed Faunus giggled breathlessly as he was thrown backward, but even then his tail lashed out toward her. Sienna cursed as she ducked underneath the vicious stinger, loping forward to press her attack as Grudge took hold. The strike had weakened his Aura a fair amount, and the closer he came to defeat the more she grew in power. Tyrian bounced off of the ground once before he crossed his arms in front of his chest, not in time to stop Sienna from booting him further down the hall. Tyrian's flying body crashed into Adam, who had just managed to wrap one hand around Arthur's throat. The impact tossed him roughly to one side, and he caught a nasty hook from the outlaw as he gasped for air. The two separated and staggered to their feet, only for Adam to be sent spinning away by Sienna's claw.
"You're getting torn apart, Arthur! Focus and get your shit together!" Sienna snarled, her Semblance pushing her temper over the edge. Arthur staggered a bit, feeling like he had rolled down a steep crevice. He was definitely bruised and beaten, but he was still on his feet.
"Oh yeah, let me just beat a swordsman with my fists. Easy as pie." Arthur replied groggily, grabbing his shotgun from the ground. He loaded it with his experimental shells, his attempt at explosive slugs with Dust. In close quarters like this the ammunition wasn't well advised, but the fight wasn't two against two; it was Sienna keeping him alive against two competent opponents. He had to have some way to tip the scales.
The two tumbling villains regained their feet, Adam pointing Blush their way and pressing the trigger. Sienna saw it coming from their many bouts, and spun a haphazard cone in front of them to catch the pellets. With her weapon occupied, she wasn't able to stop Tyrian from closing in. Arthur pointed his shotgun forward, and wasn't really surprised when Tyrian came spinning in like a drill. The scorpion kicked out in both directions, splitting the two apart and throwing Arthur against the wall. Sienna fared better by blocking the attack, but she was soon beset upon by both men. Adam and Tyrian clearly didn't like each other and hadn't worked together for long, but their cooperation prevented Sienna from making full use of her Semblance. With Arthur down, they could focus on the greater threat and end the fight.
His Aura crackled and finally broke, the last of his soul's protective energy faded in a glimmer of gold. Arthur panted as a wave of fatigue washed over him, a side effect of taking too many hits. He stood up from the floor slowly, his hands shaking as he fought past the exhaustion to focus on the fight. Without his Aura, he couldn't use his Dead Eye Semblance to guarantee shots on Adam and Tyrian, and there was a chance he might hit Sienna. But as the tiger Faunus was forced back time and again by the duo, Arthur realized that his options were limited. Explosive slugs loaded, the gunslinger took careful aim at the melee going on down the hallway.
Tyrian leaped over Adam to drive down towards Sienna, receiving a chain across his face and a backhand for his trouble. She was punished for over extending by Adam's accurate fire from Blush, and the young Faunus closed the distance to engage in melee as well. Every time she manage to bat away Adam, Tyrian would swoop in to deal some damage. If she kicked the scorpion away, her wayward student was waiting to deliver a punishing return. They weren't effective because of any kind of teamwork, but simply because they were powerful in their own right and her Semblance was less effective against multiple opponents.
She caught Adam's fist and drew him over her knee, driving it upward into his gut before delivering a spin kick to send him flying away. Just as she pivoted, she could almost feel Tyrian careening through the air to tackle her. The Supreme Leader turned to face the threat, knowing she was too late, but both of them were surprised when a slug buried itself in Tyrian's chest. The projectile ignited on impact, sending both of them flying away from the considerable blast. Sienna landed on her side roughly, and she had no idea where Tyrian had gone. In the aftermath of the explosion, the telltale sound of Arthur's shotgun racking another slug into battery seemed louder. Adam struggled to his feet, his hidden gaze burning into the outlaw that just refused to stay down. Tyrian pulled himself around the corner he had be thrown to, his grin lessened by the damage he had taken but no less manic.
The four combatants stared at each other, the clarity lasting for as long as they could catch their breath. Arthur watched Adam and his insane ally closely, thumbing two more shells into his shotgun. Normal buckshot this time, since he only had the three explosive slugs left. Dust was tricky, after all. None of them moved, and Adam took the opportunity to snarl.
"You just had to butt in, didn't you Arthur? Can't handle losing control of the Faunus?" Normally, Arthur would give the boy a tongue lashing and try to make him see reason. Now though, Arthur recognized the lost cause for what it was.
"I'm just here to protect a friend, boy. Y'all can go back to waging war with the rest of the world once we're out of here." Arthur returned quietly, his eyes flicking between Tyrian and Adam.
"That's right, you have a favorite. Keep Sienna as a pet, and hang the rest of us, huh?" Adam spat on the ground, staining the hall was a string of blood. Sienna must've knocked a tooth loose. "Just like the rest of you human filth. You don't care about the Faunus."
"I cared plenty when I was helping out here. You're the one who blew Cain to hell and blamed it all on me." Arthur retorted, his shotgun inched more towards Adam. "How low are you gonna go, boy?" Sienna gritted her teeth at the mention of Cain, and her chain clinked ominously as she shifted.
"I say the boy has spirit!" Tyrian commented, his manic grin ever present. "Too many people in this world are burdened by such useless things like laws and morals. Adam knows what he wants, and he will do anything to take it. With ambition like that, the Faunus will be free in a generation." Arthur could plainly see that the maniac was stoking the flames of Adam's fanaticism, and Sienna lashed her chain in frustration.
"Enough! You're both traitors to your people! I'll see both of you dead for your transgressions!" With another furious growl, the Supreme Leader dashed toward Adam, the weaker of the two attackers and thus the one to feed her Grudge. Arthur fired at Adam once more to knock him off balance, but the youth ducked underneath the shot as he charged. Blush was slammed into Sienna's chain, twisting it away but leaving him open for a savage kick to the side. Adam tanked the hit as best he could and swung again, keeping Sienna's attention on him as Tyrian charged in. Arthur aimed at the scorpion as best he could, but his second shot went wide as he erred to the right, doing his best to avoid hitting Sienna as she fought.
Using the last of his Aura, Adam roared in defiance and dropped Blush, wrapping Sienna up in a clinch to keep her in place and defenseless. Sienna cursed and drove her knee up into his side, struggling to turn and put Adam between herself and Tyrian. The scorpion's giggle became maniacal laughter as he brought a wrist blade towards her head, slashing her cheek and eye as she leaned back to avoid him. With the confirmation that her Aura was indeed gone, he drove his stinger into her right side, drawing a purple gash across her ribs four inches long. The combined strike made her scream in agony, fire lancing up her face as she squeezed her eyes closed. The pain in her ribs was fiery at first, but quickly settled into a dull throb as the venom spread.
"No, dammit!" Adam reared his head back to drive his horns into Sienna's face and finish her off, but the stock of Arthur's shotgun drove into his nose instead, breaking it and throwing him back the rest of the way. As Adam released Sienna the Supreme Leader crumpled, overwhelmed by the shattering of her Aura and the injuries Tyrian had inflicted. The scorpion Faunus swung his other wrist blade, this time aiming for her throat, but a point blank explosive slug threw him back as Arthur pressed the barrel to Tyrian's side. The explosion tore the weapon from Arthur's hands, the barrel torn and rent down the side. He disregarded it completely.
Before either assailant could recover, Arthur brought his fingers to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle, then scooped Sienna up before she could hit the ground. Blood ran freely down her face as the woman groaned, and he knew he was running to a dead end. The other two would recover soon, and Arthur knew he didn't have long. Transitioning Sienna's weight to his left side, Arthur used his right arm to draw the Deal Breaker and pointed it at the wall he was charging towards. The recoil was far more difficult firing one handed and without Aura, but he still got the round off and turned to shield the woman in his arms from the coming blast. Heat and force washed over him as he put another hole in the White Fang headquarters, and as soon as the blast was over he charged toward the opening. Beyond the dust and debris from the explosion, the setting sun could be seen on the horizon. He had no way of knowing if Famine had heard him, all he could do was run and hope for the best. Arthur could hear the swift feet of Tyrian behind him, that and the man's sinister chuckles. But it didn't matter. Freedom was right in front of him.
Fifteen feet.
Ten feet.
Arthur reached the precipice and leaped, well aware that the ground was twenty feet down. Beyond the woman clutched in his arms, he could see the flash of white and hear the pounding hooves of Famine. The landing was rough, especially with a full grown adult in his arms, but Famine moving forward saved him some momentum. Sienna groaned in pain as he struggled to get settled in the saddle, but also spurred the animal on. The horse's ears flattened suddenly, and Arthur had to hold on to Sienna and the saddle horn as Famine kicked out behind him like a raging stallion. To Arthur's surprise, he heard a satisfying crunch behind him. Once he got the wounded Faunus in his arms situated, the outlaw craned his neck behind him to see Tyrian lying in the underbrush, a significant splash of blood mixed into the dirt.
"Yah! Yah!" Arthur called out, urging Famine on with word and heel as rounds started snapping around them. The sooner they broke line of sight with headquarters, the sooner he could find some place to lie low and start treating Sienna's wounds. Letting Famine take the lead for a few moments, Arthur took the time to look over his friend's injuries. Sienna's face was bleeding profusely, but he couldn't see a lot of actual damage. Head and face wounds bled heavily, so a simple bandage could solve that issue. The real worry was the purple venom running down her ribs.
Tyrian had only made contact for a moment, but in that time he seemed to have dumped an unreal amount of venom into Sienna's body. Arthur's experience with scorpions came from their time out west, and most stings would lay up a rider for a few days with a fever, at worst. Already, Sienna's breathing had become irregular, and sweat was beading on her forehead. This was much worse.
I can't go far with her like this. Arthur realized as Famine broke from the trees, thundering down the road at speeds the Arabian could have never achieved in America. The bounty office is close, but she's got half the Schnee fortune on her head. Taking the former leader of the White Fang to a refuge for bounty hunters was asking for trouble, but it was the only place he could find a doctor in time that wouldn't ask too many questions.
"...failed them..." Arthur was pulled from his planning to the sound of Sienna's weak words, her eyelids fluttering quickly as her delirium set in. Her regret fought through the pain and confusion she was going through, and once again she was shouldering the burdens of her people. The gunslinger shook his head in frustration.
"You didn't fail, you hear me? They failed you. The White Fang let you down, and don't you forget it." Sienna didn't respond. Realizing that he was running out of time, Arthur shifted her to a better position in front of him and rode hard.
Twenty minutes later, Famine stampeded into the bounty compound near Mistral, and Arthur was unsaddled and reaching for his friend before the steed came to a stop. The horse could feel his master's anxiousness, and he pawed at the ground in frustration. It didn't stop Arthur from collecting Sienna as she collapsed out of the saddle. Normally, he would go to the office in the center of the compound and rent a cabin for the night, then see what Granny had going for supper. This time he walked straight to the uninhabited cabin with a number two hanging on its porch. The door was locked but the rocking chair out front would serve for the time being. No one else was walking around the compound yet, but his hard riding would have been loud enough to alert someone and he didn't need bounty hunters bothering Sienna. He set her down as gently as he could into the chair, frowning as she winced in pain. Her fever was worse, and the rapid way her eyes moved beneath their lids told him she was likely hallucinating at this point.
Arthur whistled, bringing Famine over. The horse was still ornery, but he still trotted over with an irritated protest. Perfect for what Arthur needed him to do.
"Make sure no one bothers her, boy." Arthur patted the Arabian on the neck, then turned toward the central office. If someone tried to harass Sienna over her bounty, Famine would raise a mighty ruckus and Arthur could handle the rest.
The office had only one other hunter, a younger guy that specialized in small Grimm incursions, but Granny was mad as a wet hen when she came around the counter.
"Mr. Morgan, I know your daddy raised you better than to just come in here like you own the place!" She chastised at first, but paused at the serious expression on his face.
"I'm sorry for bothering you, Granny, but my friend needs a doctor. This is the only place I knew to come to." Arthur apologized, casting a quick glance back at the other hunter. Some young kid with silver hair and a permanent smirk, but Arthur had seen him take on a whole heard of Boarbatusks barehanded before. Hopefully he wasn't feeling too greedy today.
"Alright, I'll let Jed know to get his things. What ails the poor dear?" Granny turned and started walking back around the counter toward the back door, where her son Jed worked in his shop. Because of her small size, it took her a few moments.
"Venom." Arthur stated simply, realizing exactly how bad this was gonna sound. "From a scorpion Faunus." A pained expression of sympathy crossed Granny's face, but she nodded. She grabbed the key to the number two cabin from her desk and slid it across the counter, allowing Arthur to take it.
"Go ahead and get your friend situated. We'll be over there soon enough." The gunslinger nodded his thanks and turned back out, moving as fast as he could without actually sprinting to get back. Thankfully, Sienna was still seated at the cabin, and Famine stood in front of her like an angry black bulwark. Arthur took the horse over to one side and tied him loosely to the cabin's porch, then unlocked the door. Sienna tossed in her fitful condition, still mumbling nonsense and sweating up a storm. He lifted her from the chair as gently as he could, then brought her into the cabin. The accommodations were just as they were the last time he stayed here, and Arthur set Sienna down on the bed and began looking over her for any other wounds. He hadn't heard any bullets hit while they were riding, but that didn't mean they hadn't found their mark.
Thankfully, he had found no other wounds besides her face and the slash on her ribs when Jed showed up with a medicine bag. The tall man wore a wide brim plantation hat like Arthur had seen at the Braithwaite property, and had stained clothes from working in his mechanic shop behind the bounty office. His face was haggard, but his hazel eyes were focused as he appraised Sienna's condition. The man set his bag down and began drawing out bandages. He wrapped the swathes of cloth around Sienna's face diagonally, gently but firmly enough to ensure that it stayed in place. The bandages were layered, but Sienna's bleeding wound already turned the virgin white cloth crimson.
"A fight, I assume?" Jed asked, his accent just as thick and heavy as Granny's. When Arthur nodded, Jed could only shake his head. The man leaned over Sienna's side to look at her ribs where Arthur indicated, and he was able to see the purple venom oozing from her side.
"What can I do to help?" Arthur asked, his journeyman's knowledge of plants and campfire recipes useless in the face of this injury. Jed gave him a hard look.
"Keep her conscious if you can, and keep her stable. I'm going to have to clean this wound of as much poison as I can before I stitch her up. After that, watch for whoever did this and make sure she takes her medicine. She's strong, but this is her fight." The man began dabbing at the wound with more cloth, absorbing the excess venom as he did so.
Arthur was powerless to do anything except kill, it seemed. He'd fought for it felt like all his life, and here all that combat could do nothing to help Sienna. So, he followed the doctor's orders and tokk her hand in his own, wincing at how hot she had become. Her fever was spiking.
As Jed began to treat the wounds, all Arthur could do was watch and wait as his friend writhed on the bed in agony.
Two days later, two figures descended upon a Schnee Dust Company train traveling through the Mistralian countryside. They fought off the automated defenses, including a prototype spider droid capable of focused laser blasts and impressive strength. And in the moments that followed, the White Fang's future was doomed by a simple exchange.
"What about the passengers?"
"What ABOUT them?"
As Adam Taurus was left staring at a receding shape in the distance, Blake could only sigh in defeat. Arthur had warned her of her mentor's outlook on humans, but she had been too enamored with him to pay attention until it was too late. She had been so caught up with the man that she had failed to see the beast he had become. And now she was alone, hiding on a train she had just attacked and, ironically, saved.
Weiss Schnee was lying in her room. The heiress in training was bandaged about the eye, an injury she had taken in her father's insistence that she be a competent warrior. She had faced his trial, but her eye had been marked in the process. Every mirror brought her distaste.
And in the Xiao Long home, Yang and Ruby were competitively shouldering each other as they battled in the latest game that came out, their homework done and their parents talking in the kitchen.
These four girls had no idea of the future that was in store for them. They each had their own dreams, aspirations, and plans for the future. With eighteen months until Beacon enrollment, none of them could predict the life changing events that were about to take place.
A/N: The next chapter is going to heavily focus on Arthur and Sienna, but Volume 1 looms. Arthur's struggle won't be over before the girls are attending Beacon, and events are inevitably pushing him back toward Ozpin's influence. His luck is about to take a turn, one could say.