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Chapter 15: Shadow Cadre

The plan to retrieve the weapons from the New Vale exclusion zone had not gone to plan. They had found the weapons, retrieving them from the top of a building had proven challenging albeit less so than salvaging them from the remains of the utterly decimated warship they had originally been a part of would have been. However after loading the eight laser batteries into a pair of semi trucks the Scavenger Guild and their hired fighters, a collection of Hunters looking for work and miscellaneous goons and mercenaries of dubious backgrounds the group had been seemingly besieged with problems. The first truck breaking down had cost them time, the panic it caused to spread through the group; many of whom were vastly inexperienced was enough to attract Grimm. Onyx Ursabane had loved every moment of it; the Puma Faunus had integrated himself well into the collection of rogues, his love of fighting, fine weapons, casual sex and strong liquor making him seem thoroughly at home. He almost lamented the outcome, there had been several more than capable fighters amongst them whom he would have relished a chance to pit himself against; he had been discreetly studying the leader of a recently graduated team of Hunters, a man named Snow wielding a sword named "Long Claw" the arm holding that sword had been removed at the elbow by the long claws and teeth of a particularly odd Beowolf, one that Onyx noted walked like a human and seemed far too resilient.

"Hey, you okay over there?" the voice dragged Onyx's attention back to world around him and he cursed himself for being exhausted enough to become distracted, he was far from finished tonight. Taking in his surroundings he saw that they were travelling along a dimly lit road far from the steel nest of a city; they wouldn't be disturbed

"Aye, blood stopped pumping is all….give me something else to fight or fuck"

"You're a sick man" the driver of the truck laughed, Onyx didn't know the mans' name and he had utterly failed to make an impression when the fighting had started

"What of your people?" Onyx murmured, trying to get comfortable in the cab of the truck forming the rear half of the convoy, looking far less aware of his surroundings than he actually was

"There's a private hospital we take people to. The guild looks after it's people….it'd be bad for business if word got out that our subcontractors had a habit of catching the dead" Onyx gave a low chuckle, the man was a grasping little worm in the Puma Faunus's opinion. His people raided and took what they wanted but they did it honestly, the Scavenger Guild were cowards who lived by the blood and sweat of other people; Onyx didn't usually drink and work alongside his victims but knowing that they were cowards made what was to come much easier to stomach. He leaned forwards, hands resting on the shaft of his double bladed axe. The driver saw the movement in his peripheral vision

"What's up?"

"Nothing" Onyx grunted "Just keeping an eye out….with our luck tonight we might just have to fight some Hunters" the driver visibly twitched at the thought and Onyx fought the urge to cuff him around the back of the head and tell him to show some spine. Turning his attention back to the road ahead, his far superior eyesight well accustomed to the darkness scanning the sky when eventually he saw it, a single dark shape overhead; squinting he managed to discern that it was indeed Hellion's pet. They were nearby with their stolen truck and it was time to begin.

"It's a shame that this will be my last time working with the Scavenger Guild. Your people know how to have a good time" the driver raised an eyebrow

"Really? I'm guessing you're gonna head back to….wherever your accent is from. It's a shame, we need some more big hitters"

"I'm not going home" Onyx chuckled, focusing his Semblance "Neither are you" with that he unleashed a deafening roar and a power that had earned him the title 'Speaker to gods' one of many such titles he'd acquired over his short life. The air rippled and warped with a low distorted bass note and everything exploded outwards. Onyx rolled to a stop and rose to his feet roaring a challenge, weapon in hand as he took in the scene around him. The driver had been hurled from the semi truck as the cab was ripped apart, the trailer had screeched to a stop behind him and the burning engine block had been launched forwards, crippling the rear wheels of the truck in front and bringing the vehicle to a screeching halt. Onyx rooted himself to the ground and shifted Jotun Fang into its' ranged mode, knowing that he wouldn't be able to muster his Semblance like that again for the duration of this little skirmish. The remaining fighters leapt out of the trucks, the driver being the first one to collapse to the ground with their chest smoking as he fired. The woman had some Aura left it seemed, just not enough to muster any real defence

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

"YOU TWO FACED SON OF A BITCH?"

"WHO SENT YOU?" Onyx couldn't help but grin, the same old questions again and again.

"To answer your questions" a low, rasping hiss caught their attention; a shadow moving across the ground going unseen until it rose from the tarmac, a viscous liquid state solidifying into a robed Shark Faunus who promptly lowered his hood. Carcharodon's eyes, twin abysses surveyed the stunned rag-tag group while Raffia and Hellion slunk into view behind him

"I sent him. We are the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River and we will be relieving you of your spoils"

Felix saw the bright smile forming on Eagle's face and turned his attention away from his Scroll, texting Nyanza had revealed that Team NEON were doing well on their mission

"What's got you smiling?"

"You mean besides the fact we've actually completed a mission, we're actually training to be Hunters now and not just reading about it?" Felix listened to her whispered rambling and grinned, he was indeed frankly euphoric about that information, he was just tired

"Look at them" Eagle whispered nodding towards the other half of Team FADE, seeing them he realised why she had been whispering. Arctus and Diamond had fallen asleep sharing a pair of earphones, her head on his shoulder as she leaned into him, his head had lolled on top of hers; anyone who didn't know the pair would most likely have assumed that they were a couple

"He is utterly hopeless" Felix murmured

"They are so adorable" Eagle seemed to be fighting the urge to squeal "I mean I know you shouldn't ship real people but look at them! How can you not?" her enthusiasm was apparently enough to wake Diamond, she groggily brushed the silver bangs that always seemed to find their way in front of her eyes aside and removed her earphone; voice croaky as she extricated herself

"Hey big guy wake up" the Bear Faunus gave a sound somewhere between a yawn and a deep rumbling growl as he dragged from his sleep

"So what if I told you we had pictures?" Felix gave them both an evil grin

"I'd put a round through your Scroll while it was still in your pocket" Diamond answered bluntly. The conversation died as the partition separating the cockpit moved aside and Flax silently beckoned them in without turning his attention away from the controls. Team FADE unfastened themselves from their seats and made their way to the front of the craft; all of them momentarily stunned by the view. New Vale itself was visible in the distance, the lights of the towering hive city and the aerial platforms above it were truly a sight to behold

"Almost home" Eagle grinned, her smile faltering upon seeing her uncles' expression

"I just got word from a guy I've done some work for in the past. He was part of a convoy moving some goods out of the capital, they've just been attacked and there're no Hunters nearby. I've tried contacting Rover Tan but he isn't answering his Scroll-"
"How far out are they?" Felix demanded

"We can reach them" Flax admitted "But I can't jump into a hot-zone with students on board"

"Dude we literally just fought a Grimm the size of a warship" Diamond sighed

"Exactly, you're all still recovering from that"

"Mister Scarlatina….Flax" Arctus breathed out "Yeah we're tired and yeah we're students. But we signed up to be Hunters, that means we help people. It isn't a choice" the Rabbit Faunus considered for a few moments before groaning

"You just had to be a tough mother fucker like your Dad didn't ya?" before Arctus could enquire further about that bit of information the Jackrabbit banked hard as it turned sideways at breakneck speed. Team FADE silently drew their weapons and mentally prepared themselves to answer the call of duty.

Raffia watched as the sole remaining qualified Hunter fought a losing battle against Carcharodon and Onyx. The Shark Faunus's Semblance allowing blows to simply pass through him before being returned with devastating force, Onyx wielded his axe with finesse one would think impossible for a weapon of its' size. The tarmac shattered under the force of the Puma Faunus's latest assault as the Hunter leapt aside only to be set upon, their own weapons clanging against Carcharodon's arm mounted blades 'The Red Waves' in a desperate defence.

"At least they're having fun" Raffia spat as he returned his attention to his own opponents, a term he used loosely. While Carcharodon and Onyx picked off the strongest targets the Axolotl Faunus dispatched the grunts. Currently almost a dozen men and women that been inside the trucks littered the ground either conscious or clutching at various injuries, and he hadn't even bothered to draw his sword yet.

"YOU LITTLE BASTARD I'M GONNA-" he never found exactly what the hired goon intended to threaten him with. His spinning heel kick connecting with their stomach followed by an impressively acrobatic kick to the face deprived them of their ability to speak. They rolled to a stop and remained on the ground only to be followed by yet another imbecile, this one wildly swinging a crowbar at his head. Raffia's movements were unsettlingly fluid as he sidestepped his attacker and plucked the weapon from their hand, breaking their wrist in the process before striking their knee with a resounding crack. The minute berserker tackled the hapless fighter to the floor and began raining blows down on their face

"WHY! ARE! YOUR! PEOPLE! SO! WEAK?" each furiously screamed word punctuated with a punch in the face that saw his knuckles spattered with his opponents' blood. A high pitched whistle pierced the night and Raffia wrapped his hands around their throat and squeezed before turning to the source of the noise, Hellion who had been in the process of trying to transfer the weapons from the trucks belonging to the Scavenger Guild to the vehicle they had stolen was pointing to something in the sky. Carcharodon gave an irate hiss as he realised that it was a Bull-head

"They have reinforcements. Prepare to leave" with that he delivered a final slash to the face of the remaining hunter before sprinting over to Hellion to assist her. Raffia's face split into a toothy grin that promised nothing but mayhem, reinforcements meant a challenge. As the craft drew close a group of five leapt from the hatches and his eyes widened as he recognised a blonde Lion Faunus and a Bear Faunus with a broadsword

"I'll hold them off" before he could be given orders to the contrary he rushed forwards, Hydra Macabre finding its' way to his hand as he let out a demented cackle and prepared his Semblance. Vaguely aware of Onyx making to follow him into the fray.

Eagle landed and instinctively brought her shield up to cover her face, briefly taking stock of her surroundings and recognising the sounds of the rest of her team and her uncle landing alongside her before rising to her feet and drawing her sword her eyes immediately focusing on the diminutive figure charging towards them, a minute Axolotl Faunus with intricate tribal tattoos covering the left side of his skull and wielding a double edged sword almost as long as he was tall with one hand. A much larger Faunus behind him, rapidly drawing closer

"Is that-" Arctus sounded utterly baffled

"Fucking Oum, it is!" Felix spat, gripping Hack and Slash tighter and preparing to charge only to be cut off by Flax

"Whoever he is he's going down" with that the older Huntsman deployed his machine gun gauntlets and opened fire, a horrified gasp escaping his lips when the young man jerked and blood erupted from him in a fine mist as bullets ripped through his flesh. Eagle's hand flew to her mouth, crimson eyes wide in shock which quickly turned to disgust and barely controlled retches. Raffia's Aura became visible, a pale pink light bubbling and rippling like a liquid as it took the shape of his body and scores of injuries that should have been fatal healed themselves at an impossible rate, Eagle fought the urge to vomit as she watched the attacker blink a few times, each time more of his eye socket and skull regenerating from the bullet that had blasted through it

"Dude….what the fuck" Diamond mouthed, near silently. The Axolotl Faunus rose to his feet soaked in his own blood yet seemingly no worse for it

"WITNESS ME!"

"Fuck this" With no more to be said Felix rushed in, chainsaw blades screaming as they crashed against Raffia's sword and the smaller Faunus rolled aside wearing an insane smile as he prepared for the next exchange

"Oum damn it" Arctus growled out before rushing in after his cousin. Eagle watched him charge towards the pair locked in combat, a warning dying on her lips as the Puma Faunus reached him, six foot six and wielding an axe. Arctus managed to throw a Glyph up but was still forced back by the sheer force of the swing which was followed up by a roar that warped and distorted the air, hurling the Bear Faunus back.

"What the fuck are we doing stood here?" Diamond demanded as she shifted Lex Talionis to its' glaive mode. Flax placed a hand on her shoulder and held her back

"Don't rush in blindly. There're injured people here get them to safety use one of their Scrolls to get ambulances and reinforcements then join the fight. Eagle, there're more of them trying to load something onto that truck over there, I want you to stop them while I help Slate and Xiao Long"

"One of the others is coming our way" Eagle informed her uncle, nodding towards the truck which was now being attended to by a single raider while someone strode slowly and deliberate towards them, casually removing a cloak and throwing it aside to reveal a pair of curved and serrated blades along their forearms.

"Everyone know their jobs?" Flax demanded tensely, seeing Eagle and Diamond nod silently he readied his weapons and the trio charged into battle.

"Help Car, I have business with these two" Raffia spat as he ducked under a wild slash from the Lion Faunus who had to hastily flip and staggered his landing to avoid having his belly opened. Onyx chuckled at his friends' insistence. He and the pale Bear Faunus were locked in combat, the blade of the broad sword being forced down against the shaft of his axe

"Another time perhaps" Onyx rumbled as he ducked, resting his weapon across his shoulders as he stepped inside Arctus's guard and delivering a brutal headbutt to his snout like nose followed by a knee to the stomach as he staggered back, sending him to the ground, weapon clattering to the floor beside him. Onyx nodded to Raffia with a wordless grunt before sprinting towards where Carcharodon was doing battle with the clearly more experienced Huntsman.

Arctus rushed to his feet and retrieved his weapon while still blinking spots out of his vision and saw that they were now facing the smaller Faunus two on one, he still knew better than to underestimate the berserker though, Raffia had shifted his sword into its' flail form and was using it to keep distance between himself and Arctus and Felix who were now on opposite sides while retreating back far enough that they both in front of him

"This Kingdom is a big place, but I had hoped we'd run into each other again" the flail retracted and collapsed back into its' sword form

"So are you gonna talk all night now your friend who can actually fight left?" Felix spat, Raffia saw through the attempt to rile him up but decided to indulge them anyway. Sprinting forwards he readied Hydra Macabre for a wide slash at both of their stomachs only to be forced to leap into the air to avoid a glowing Glyph that the Bear Faunus hurled at his chest, rotating like a saw blade. Somersaulting over the attack a cruel smile played across his lips, quickly replaced by an agonised cry as he was blasted back to the ground, his left arm engulfed in a blue light, rolling to his still functioning hand and knees he saw that the Glyph had been a distraction, the Bear Faunus had turned his sword into some kind of plasma weapon.

"I'll carve your heart out!" his voice came out as a tortured scream as he sank the blade of his sword into the ground and took stock of his situation through the pain. His left hand and forearm were reduced to a skeletal and still burning husk which he winced as he grabbed, his right palm blistering before ripping his own arm off at the elbow and rising to his feet with a demented smile

"How many times do I have to prove that I am unstoppable"

"At least one more" the cocky Lion Faunus snarled rushing forward swords at the ready, Raffia channelled his Semblance and his viscous rippling Aura took the shape of his body, his whole unmutilated body and he blocked Felix's backhanded left slash with a left forearm made entirely of light, within which bones were starting to form with a series of wet snapping noises as tissue began to knit itself together around the glowing substance; with an even wider grin the Axolotl Faunus rolled away and pulled his blade from the tarmac, twirling it as his arm finished regenerating.

Felix sheathed his swords and reached for a handful of Fire Dust crystals

"Felix don't" Arctus warned him, the Lion Faunus was in no state of mind to listen

"He's got a cool Semblance, that's okay. So have I let's see him recover from his"

"Oh this should be entertaining!" Raffia giggled. Felix roared as he crushed the Dust crystals and triggered his Semblance, absorbing the heat and channelling it as he entered his Balrog state.

"I'm gonna pull your head off!"

"You're going to die in the attempt" Raffia cackled as he weaved under a berserk lunge from the Lion Faunus and slashed at his face, mildly surprised when it proved ineffectual and his blade began to glow with the heat. Sheathing the blade Raffia cocked his head

"A test of stamina then" Felix lunged again, tarmac melting beneath his steps as Raffia danced around him and after a few failed attempts to close the distance between them the Lion Faunus realised his mistake; he'd overexerted himself. Felix had never entered this state twice and expended this much Aura in so short a time before and after a few more easily avoided attacks his Balrog form failed leaving him collapsing to the ground and struggling to breathe

"Well that was ill advised" a mocking voice taunted moments before a kick to the face left him unconscious.

Arctus rushed in with Gefroren-Erbe in sword mode at the ready as Felix was sent sprawling across the ground, he sent a horizontal swipe at the smaller Faunus's skull which Raffia proceeded to backflip over, opening the flesh of his palms as he grabbed the blade, wrestling the weapon from Arctus's hands and pulling him off balance before ducking low and sweeping his feet out from under him. Arctus swiftly rolled to his feet only to be pushed back by a kick to the stomach, Raffia drawing his blade in the same fluid movement. The Bear Faunus was panting heavily by this point, dizzy from a combination of exhaustion and blows to the head; he'd recovered a lot less Aura than he would have liked in the minimal rest since Team FADE's mission and the Glyphs he's cast over the course of the day had drained him. He couldn't keep this up and he knew it, deciding to make a desperate dive for his sword only for his world to explode into pain before he'd completed a single step

"I don't think so" Raffia's voice taunted, Arctus grit his teeth and tried to process what had happened. He was on the floor now, looking down he saw a rapidly expanding crimson stain on his white pants. Raffia's bladed flail was embedded in his thigh, the tip puncturing through the flesh on the back of his leg and Arctus suspected breaking his femur in the process. A pained scream was torn from his lips as Raffia ripped the blade free by returning his weapon to sword mode and stalking towards him, racked with silent laughter

"That was stupid, but there's just the tiny little issue of you owing me a left arm….I don't have the means to burn yours to a cinder so I'll just have to saw it off slow-" he was cut off by a curved blade bursting through his sternum. Arctus's pain addled mind refused to process the fact the maniac was still smiling even as he vomited blood when the blade was ripped free, Raffia collapsed to his hands and knees with the Aura already forming around him to repair the horrific wound revealing the one who'd assaulted him. Arctus's eyes homed in on silvery hair and bright cherry red eyes. Lex Talionis shifted almost silently to its' sniper rifle form and Diamond pressed the muzzle against the back of the Axolotl Faunus's neck

"Yeah he's a dumb-ass but he's my dumb-ass" Arctus managed to stay conscious for just long enough to see Raffia's jaw explode as the round exited the bottom of his skull.

Onyx's attempt to cleave the older Huntsman in half was avoided with laughable ease, the Rabbit Faunus merely used the blade of Jotun Fang as a springboard from which to deliver a knee strike to Carcharodon's skull. Onyx used a small burst of his Semblance, the Huntsman rolled aside allowing the wave of distortion to hit Carcharodon the Shark Faunus triggering his own Semblance, his protean body rippling and absorbing the damage with ease. The Shadow Cadre had met many Hunters in their short lives, most of them recently qualified and eager to make a name for themselves with the occasional has been desperate for one last chance at fame and glory wandering into their domain; in the few exchanges of blows between them Onyx Ursabane had realised that Flax Scarlatina was neither of those things, he was something far greater and the Puma Faunus couldn't remember having so much fun in a very long time.

"Take the lead!" Carcharodon snarled, Onyx nodded and swung Jotun fang horizontally causing Flax to leap back; exactly as planned Carcharodon leapt over Onyx's shoulder and ran along the shaft of his weapon before launching himself forwards. Flax blocked an attack that never came, the Shark Faunus triggered his Semblance as he landed, melting into the floor. The ruse proved successful when Carcharodon reappeared behind him, wrapping an arm around his throat while Onyx shifted his axe into its' artillery mode and fired. Flax managed to haul the slightly taller Faunus choking him over his shoulder, Carcharodon's Semblance was the only thing that saved him from the blast, his liquid body was left steaming as it solidified and Flax pressed the advantage against the pair of them with his machine gun gauntlets.

Carcharodon allowed the bullets to pass through his unstable body; the clanging behind him assuring him that his oldest friend was safe, bullets pattered off of his axe without consequence. Casting his obsidian eyes around he saw Raffia laying on the ground, blood pooling around him as one of the Hunters attempted to drag her allies to safety. The minute Faunus's Aura flickered and flared unevenly with overuse as his Semblance pulled him from the brink of death once again, but it was clear that things had been allowed to go on for far too long.

"It's time to leave" he hissed to Onyx "I'll assist Raffia, end this at the first opportunity"

"Nah, you're not going anywhere" the older Faunus sneered, wearing a cruel smile "Reinforcements should be on the way by now. I think I've stalled for long enough" Carcharodon's pitch black eyes widened as the Bull-Head the interfering Hunters had arrived in came back into view, flying low with its' weapons trained on them

"BRING IT DOWN!" he spat as he activated his Semblance and sank into the floor once again. Onyx shifted Jotun Fang into its' ranged form and opened fire. The already damaged wing of the Jackrabbit burst into flame under the barrage and the craft began to fall from the sky at the same moment as Carcharodon Gore burst from the ground and pinned Flax's arms to his sides. Holding them both in place as the craft ploughed into them.

Eagle reached the truck that the attackers had been in the process of transferring the goods they were stealing into. Rushing to the rear of the trailer she deployed Sentinel

"Stand down or I open fire!" she tried to make her voice as authoritative as possible but couldn't quite keep it from trembling slightly. She was rewarded by a pair jade green eyes piercing the darkness followed by the figure those eyes belonged to stepping out of the shadows. A dark skinned young woman, a Dragonfly Faunus with gossamer wings fluttering behind her back, deep magenta hair and an amused smile on her face as she idly petted the bird of prey perched on her armoured forearm

"Oh you are just adorable. You'd open fire on a truck filled with unknown goods? You'd risk the explosion? I doubt it" Eagle scowled as she realised that she had a point and wasted no more words. Tightening her grip on her sword she surged forwards, intending to leap into the truck. The Dragonfly Faunus moved blindly fast, hurling a pair of throwing knives with Ice Dust crystals set into the handles to the ground, Eagle found herself sliding and struggling to balance as the floor was coated in sheet ice; her opponent used the opening to leap from the rear of the truck and deliver a vicious spinning kick to her face, Eagle hit the ground with a crash.

"Don't force me to ruin such a pretty face little canary" Hellion sighed as the downed Huntress rose to her feet. She'd heard the Rabbit Faunus call her 'Eagle' Hellion studied her for a moment noting her height, golden hair and flustered freckled face; the comment about how pretty she was had not been entirely mocking. Eagle's face seemed to redden though whether it was in response to the taunts or exhaustion Hellion made no effort to guess, her attention taken by the fact that the armoured Huntress had began to charge forward again.

Picking up Sentinel as she rushed forwards, realised that the droid would be of little use against a single agile opponent. As her mechanical companion returned to shield mode she used him to cover her face and chest, the clang of another pair of throwing knives informing her that the attacker had indeed gone on the offensive. With a roar of exertion she swung her sword in a wide slash only to hit nothing but air as the Dragonfly Faunus leaned back, allowing the blade to pass over her head before following it through into a handstand and a kick to the back of Eagle's head. Eagle tumbled to the ground, rapidly pulling herself into a crouch and fixing her opponent, whose identity she still hadn't learned with a glower. The bird had returned to her arm and she was giving Eagle another amused smirk, her eyes glinting in what little light there was.

"Stay down" incensed by both the instruction and the bemused tone it was given in Eagle rushed forwards, only to find herself flung backwards as another series of throwing knives sunk into the ground directly in front of her, Dust crystals worked into the projectiles exploding. Eagle couldn't help a cry of frustration that escaped her, drawing a soft laugh from the Faunus. The fight between them was forgotten moments later however when Eagle something that made her blood run cold

"No" the single world failed to encapsulate the dread and desperation that consumed her as she watched her Uncle's Bull-head be shot out of the sky, its' collision course sending it crashing to where Flax himself was fighting. Her attempt to rush towards the wreckage was halted by her legs being swept from under her and a foot planted firmly between her shoulder blades preventing her from standing. Hellion crouched down on her back and whispered

"I said stay down. Neither of them are dead" the Dragonfly Faunus received all the confirmation she needed when a single shadow slithered away from the crash site, making its' way towards where Raffia lay unmoving; she knew how Carcharodon's Semblance worked and he had been holding the Rabbit Faunus in place then they had both reaped the benefits of a protean body, he was most likely inside his own downed craft and in shock. Hellion removed her foot and stepped back as she saw Onyx running towards the truck; she'd made it less than half way towards their stolen vehicle when she heard Eagle rise to her feet behind her

"Endearing as this is little canary, I really have to go" faster than Eagle could react she launched a flurry of throwing knives, each with a smoke bomb or small explosive attached, each finding its' way between the plates of her armour, harshly restricting her movement. The attack wouldn't be lethal but it would stop any attempts to follow her. After all Hellion smirked as Marauder returned to her once again she really does have a pretty face.

Arctus opened his eyes slowly, his blurry vision filled with nothing but sterile white. After a few moments filled with confused blinking everything came into focus and he realised that he was in the medical facilities of Halo Academy, a screen around his bed obscuring his view of any other patients present. Trying to pull himself into a sitting position he became aware of just how numb he was, a combination of exhaustion and a cocktail of medication leaving him barely able to move. A pair of hands grabbed him and helped him to sit upright

"Hey kid" Arctus shook his head, trying to clear the cotton wool it seemed to be filled with and noticed his Uncle Rover was there, Aunt Artemis beside him. The other hand, currently resting on top of his own belonged to an exhausted looking Diamond Sustrai-Black

"How bad is it?" he croaked out, voice hoarse; he remembered his leg being skewered in the fight and the blade belonging to the demented Axolotl Faunus being ripped free violently. Diamond was the one that answered

"Dude" her voice wavered as she whispered the single word, needing to pause before she continued "You lost a lot of blood….they got away, we needed to get you here. That son of a bitch just healed from what I did to him….it was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen" Arctus noticed her hand was trembling on top of his and in a gesture that he would given more consideration were he not heavily medicated, he took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Artemis spoke up

"You're gonna be okay. All of you. Arctus your leg was broken and there was some muscle damage but they've pumped you full of enough Aura stimulants to get you back on your feet in a few days at the most" Rover looked increasingly guilty with every word, his husky tail tucking flat along the back of his legs as he chimed in

"I'm sorry kid. Flax tried contacting me but Artemis and I took the night off because we had some news to give to our families….hell we may as well tell you now" he turned to his wife, silently asking her permission. Artemis smiled and proceeded to tell the teen she considered her nephew herself

"I'm pregnant, you're gonna be the cool older cousin" Arctus took a moment to process the information, a smile that could best be described as goofy formed on his face

"Sweet" his expression darkened slightly "Family….Where's Felix? Oh shit where's Eagle?"

"They're okay" Diamond assured him "Eagle's in one of the other beds, nothing major depleted most of her Aura though; she fell asleep in the corridor so they moved her. Felix is with his Mums outside; had his nose fixed up and something for his Aura strain"
"Broken nose again?" Arctus couldn't help but laugh hysterically, personally blaming the cocktails for his inability to compose himself

"Are you okay?" He managed to ask Diamond as his laughter subsided, his partner shrugged and looked away

"I'm fine, just a little freaked out" her hand seemed to tighten around his and Arctus felt his pulse quicken despite himself.

"We'll go let Blake know you're awake" Rover murmured, he and Artemis giving each other knowing looks "And you did good out there. No casualties, it could be a lot worse"

"And you're welcome to come and visit us anytime" Artemis added, giving him a brief hug before they left, an awkward silence hanging between Arctus and Diamond for a few moments until more vague and disjointed flashes of the nights' events pieced themselves together in the Bear Faunus's mind

"So I'm your dumb-ass?" he had hoped for a teasing tone, it came out more hopeful than anything else. Diamond turned to face him her expression a mixture of embarrassed and annoyed that made her look in his opinion, adorable

"You are such an idiot!" she pulled him into a tight hug "Never scare me like that again" they stayed that way for a few moments until they heard the door opening at which point they broke apart hastily.

"Thank Oum you're all okay" Blake breathed out as she pulled the screen around the bed aside, revealing herself and Felix. She looked as though she'd dressed frantically and the dark rings around her eyes and messy hair suggested that she'd been asleep when she and Yang were contacted. Felix merely sported a bandage across the bridge of his nose

"Sorry we caused a fuss" the Bear Faunus mumbled, Blake merely laughed

"Oh this is nothing compared to Team RWBY's first mission. Goodwitch tried to contact your parents, Whitley answered apparently he's babysitting your sister tonight because Weiss is working on some experiments in the SDC labs and your Dad is working; he couldn't say anything other than that. He'll let them know that you're okay though"

"That's fine" he shrugged, even without the drugs numbing him to almost everything he was used to how busy his parents lives were and accepted it "Where's Aunt Yang?" Felix couldn't help but chuckle at that question before Blake answered it

"Flax has presented himself to Goodwitch for a debriefing to give his appraisal of your abilities and explain what happened. Yang upon hearing this decided she would very much like to hear that explanation" the feline sighed in equal parts frustration with Flax himself and her wife's barely contained fury

"He's gonna be rabbit stew within five minutes" Felix snorted. Blake seemed to consider the likelihood of Yang loosing her temper and turned to leave, stopping and giving some parting words as she did so

"You did well today and don't let how it ended make you think otherwise. I'm proud of you"
"Love you too mum" Felix murmured as she left, as the door closed behind her the Lion Faunus made his way over to another of the hospital beds; Arctus's assumption that he was waking his partner was proven correct when Eagle sat up rubbing her bleary eyes. After Eagle had taken a few moments to make sense of her surroundings she and Felix made their way over to Arctus's bed, the leader of Team FADE wearing a grim expression

"So, it's pretty clear that the people we fought tonight are the same people who've been attacking trucks regularly lately" he growled out waiting for his teams' silent nods of agreement before continuing "And the small one who did this to Arctus was on Patch, whoever they are they can seemingly hit wherever they want and the police and Hunters can't seem to catch 'em"

"Wait for it" Diamond muttered with a roll of the eyes, Felix glowered at her

"I think we should look into it, we at least got a good look at them which is better than a lot of the people they attacked did….Are you with me?"

"I'm with you" Eagle whispered, blushing slightly when she saw her friends' eyes on her "I'm an Arc, my whole life I've heard my Granddad and Aunts say 'Arcs protect what's important', well New Vale is important so I'm going to protect it" none of them could help the smiles that formed on their faces during the short but impassioned speech

"I'm in, I really hate thieves" Diamond admitted "It's a Mistrali thing" she added with a shrug, growing up in a Kingdom home to the most deprived city and most depraved criminal underworld on Remnant and several tribes of marauding bandits between the cities, those born in Mistral tended to have a very dim view of those who stole from others.

"Well I did promise Aunt Blake and Aunt Yang I'd stop you doing anything too stupid" Arctus sighed "And at the risk of sounding like you here Fluffy, I really wanna see that psycho again" Felix grinned and gave his cousin a suitably rude hand gesture in reply

"So we're all agreed then? Team FADE are…..Oum damn it we need a cool slogan or something"

Phobos licked blood from its' claws, The Alpha Beowolf sat on its' haunches atop the wreckage of a car, decades worth of rust corroding its' chassis. In pale light of the pre-dawn the Grimm surveyed what remained of its' pack, less than fifty in total; their numbers had been thinned in the fight with the meat they had chased to the wall and the guns mounted atop the gargantuan barrier that kept the Grimm contained. Phobos snarled, its' mind had been working faster and in new ways lately; the monsters' newfound gift of intelligent speech was only the most noticeable aspect of the mental development. Crimson eyes glowed with malice as it gave a short howl that demanded the attention of the other Beowolves, seeing them turn their attention towards it Phobos rose to his hind legs

"Phobos lead Grimm, but need more" a deep guttural snarl escaped it "Grimm can't leave. Phobos lead ALL Grimm then Grimm escape" PHOBOS MAKE GRIMM HUNT FREE!"

Authors Notes:

So this is the end of the First year – Arc: 01; in rough terms we're about equivalent to the fight with Roman and the White Fang at the end of Vol.1

I may not update this for a couple of weeks while I plan out Vol.2 and write the various one-shots I have planned for RWBY Rare Pair week, rest assured I'll be back to working on this story as soon as possible.

Anyway let's summarise:
Yes that was a Jon Snow reference, with Onyx being based on Tormund it seemed like a fitting hat tip; no Jon Snow will not be appearing again it was just a throwaway Easter egg.
"A particularly odd Beowolf" Yes they met Phobos and its' pack.
Onyx clearly has at least some sort of code of honour that lives by.
Onyx is the Shadow Cadre's tank, he's the only one who actually carries a real ranged weapon and his Semblance is basically an area of effect blast.
Carcharodon's entrance is needlessly extra and admit it, you loved it. His Semblance that lets him walk through walls also gives him a protean body, he can manipulate his body and allow bullets to pass through him. The whole travelling across the floor as a shadow was actually based on the 'Shark Dive' from Street Sharks….which may reveal just how old I am.
"The Shadow Cadre of the Frost River" is cool but its' not actually their full official name/title….all will be revealed.
Eagle is a Diamond Dust shipper, we are all Eagle Arc.
I think I may have to bring Flax back, just so he can tell Arctus about the two different occasions that Gangrel Slate saved his skin.
Okay I'll adress this here, The Shadow Cadre are all actually roughly the same age as Team FADE. They come from a vastly different background to most students which is why they're a lot more proficient. I'm trying to keep them from seeming OP which is why I had Flax hand their leader and their tank their asses at the same time.
Yeah Eagle's reaction to Raffia's Semblance is honestly pretty fair, he is a pretty disturbed and disturbing little critter.
Also a little bit of 'Jobbing' going on there, Arctus is the tank of Team FADE, six three physically strong with a big sword and a Semblance he can use like a shield; Onyx, who's six foot six just ploughed into him like a train.
On top of insane regeneration Raffia can use his Aura as a substitute for missing body parts while he grows them back.
Felix's Balrog form has its' limitations, it leaves him tired and using it in succession is just asking for trouble. Also he sacrifices a bit of agility for raw power and the ability to shrug off damage.
Arctus has clearly inherited Gangrel's affinity for brushes with death; luckily he has Diamond for a partner.
Also note that Raffia isn't totally invulnerable, his Semblance still only lasts as long as his Aura and his Aura can be drained. Either a sufficiently powerful weapon or a protracted fight could still kill him.
Onyx managed to bring the Jackrabbit down, but remember it was already damaged. Also Carcharodon actually saved Flax's life there.
Okay so the Eagle and Hellion fight….all I'll say is that their ship name is Tamagotchi.
LEWD HAND HOLDING….yes I am enjoying the Diamond Dust ship entirely too much.
Yeah I think we can all safely assume that Yang would give serious consideration to scalping Flax in that situation.
Felix wants to go after them himself….he is so Blake's son.
More Phobos, be afraid, be very afraid.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, ShadowAlex2000, ShadowWolf, Ferrous, FleetOfWarships, ThePrimeWolf, MariamTheLibrarian22 and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.
I love how much people seem to enjoy my own Grimm species, but here's a thought: Would you rather see a Brachiodonis fight a Gojirex OR Phobos ride something of that size into battle.
If the mission reminded you of Dark Souls it's probably because it's ridiculously difficult.
Some mixed feelings on Qrow I see; I mean yeah he did kinda stalk her, but it was done with the purest possible intentions.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.