Author's Notes: What's up kiddos, sorry that its been a while. Not sure when the next chapter will be, since life has been pretty crazy lately. But I guess we'll see. Anyways, who else is stoked for November?
Music Choices: Shut Up! by Simple Plan, Major System Error by Marmozets
Eclipse
Chapter 14
Feathers Part V
Raven glided under the carriage of an SUV, panting as her claws grazed over sweaty asphalt. Above her, several tons of metal, oil and pistons growled along. The speed limit and traffic surrounding her were fairly slow, preventing the vehicle from rolling ahead of her.
Her pursuer was a car length behind, but she never risked flying under one of automobiles throughout their chase; the drivers had a tendency of switching lanes suddenly, or braking, making it difficult to not get turned into feathery roadkill. Which was why Raven flew under them as often as possible, disconcerting her faster, more aggressive opponent.
The falcon would have to stay close to keep eyes on her, despite wanting to climb higher for a better advantage. If she so much as blinked, Raven would be able to duck out from beneath a car and down an alleyway. This was making Raven's pursuer obviously desperate; she believed Raven was right on the verge of slipping away from her.
A horn honked angrily as the driver above her braked hard, barely avoiding rear ending the truck in front of him. Raven timed her escape, flapping out from beneath the carriage of the vehicle and darting through a crowd of people in front of a popular café.
The falcon screeched in outrage, having passed the spot that Raven bolted at; she would have to bank and come back around, giving Raven a few seconds head start. The alleyway was not very lengthy, and dead ended with a wooden fence that blocked off a construction site. Apparently, Vale wanted yet another skyscraper, but was out of funding for the project as the site was completely empty of workers.
Practically humming to herself, Raven made for a pile of concrete drainage cylinders that had yet to be buried. She flew into one easily and waited. Her opponent was targeting her with her Semblance and didn't need line of sight to maintain it; which meant she could likely track her aura once she locked onto to it, or something similar. Therefore, she would see Raven in the cylinders and try to flush her out thinking she was hiding.
Typically, hiding in something like a cylinder would put Raven at a tactical disadvantage, much like a fish in a barrel. However, she had a little surprise for her new friend, and immediately shifted skins; she could only stretch out in the cylinder, but managed to change the coating of her blade to yellow and draw it awkwardly, angling the blade so that it was pointing forward. The back of the cylinders were against another wooden fence, preventing a sneak attack from that end.
As Raven waiting, she took a brief stock of her aura and physical condition, pleasantly surprised to realize that her aura was recovering much more rapidly in her second skin than in her human one. This was something that Ciara had brought up previously, but Raven had yet to actually test it. She was still below one hundred percent but had recovered enough that she was not immediately concerned with an outright fight.
She listened to her environment, aware that the falcon was circling her overhead. If she was smart, she would stay there until her people came to back her up, effectively trapping Raven. However, Raven strongly suspected that her opponent underestimated her 'prey' regularly, having never been hunted herself.
Raven grinned and cawed mockingly. There was a long pause, before she finally heard footsteps on the gravel outside, soft and serious. She cawed again, louder. The footsteps came closer; more silence, until Raven heard movement on the concrete skin above her, pacing. Then the steps moved towards the entrance of the pipe.
Raven waited, keeping an eye on the clear end of the pipe and the circle of light three meters away. She saw a shadow as the woman hopped down by the entrance; a second later, a tear gas canister was tossed down the tube towards her. Instead of panicking, Raven immediately triggered the yellow Dust coating of her sword; a bolt of lightening snapped out, striking the canister back and causing it to explode into an angry plume. Raven heard the woman shout in surprise.
She changed skins again, utilizing a trick her mother had taught her and shielded her eyes and face with aura as she darted out of the drainage pipe. It wasn't a feat she could maintain indefinitely, but it kept her eyes and sinuses from burning as she took the air above the cloud.
Her opponent was staggering back from the cloud, a weapon in hand. She would take to the skies again any second and have the upper hand once more unless Raven struck immediately. Having gained some altitude, Raven shifted skins and barreled down atop her, sword swinging. She triggered the electric Dust coating her blade and sent the falcon woman flying ass to dirt, her cerulean aura diffusing the blow; Raven leapt after her, pressing her advantage viciously.
To her opponent's credit, she recovered quickly, springing to her feet and bringing her own weapon to bear; a claymore, one embedded with Dust infused glyphs of an unknown nature. Their swords clashed, as Raven mercilessly tested the other woman's strength and speed.
The falcon woman, who had long blue and white hair and wore actual steel and canvas armor, glared at her in outrage. Raven laughed at the expression, triggering the Dust along her blade. Another bolt of lightning lanced past the woman's face, attracted to the metal pylon standing nearby; the air smelled like ozone.
The falcon woman shoved Raven's blade back, taking a defensive posture as she tried to reevaluate Raven's skill; however, Raven did not feel like giving her the time to do so, and pursued. The claymore and Raven's katana darted dangerously through the air as their wielders danced around each other.
The falcon woman was physically stronger than Raven, and her blows shook the bones in her arms and shoulders; she was also quite aware of her environment, refusing to let Raven drive her back into obstacles or trip her. Even the glyphs on her blade, once triggered, sped up her attacks, indicating a form of time dilation; fortunately, the glyphs seemed to have a limit, because the woman only seemed able to utilize them once every thirty seconds.
Raven swept low over the gravel and sand as she dodged a strike, grabbing up a handful of the debris and flung it into the falcon woman's golden eyes. Her opponent snarled angrily, shaking her head without releasing her grip on her hilt; Raven darted in, landing a crackling strike against her unguarded upper arm, lighting up her opponent's aura painfully.
"You cheating dog," falcon woman spat, bringing her blade back around to deflect Raven. It was the first thing she'd ever said to her.
"Rich, coming from a woman using tear gas," Raven tossed right back, blocking a retaliating blow.
Raven sent a kick towards her face, aura blazing. The falcon woman twisted, and Raven kicked her shoulder instead; the woman stumbled and Raven spun, sending a sparking arc of electricity waving before her. Cerulean aura flared, absorbing the damage. Raven measured the distance between them.
"You're going to make me actually hurt you, aren't you?" the woman scoffed, dusting her shoulder with gloved fingers.
"Not to damage your fragile ego or whatever, but you're doing a shit job of it so far," Raven drawled, her bored tone at odds with the tension humming under her skin. "I suppose terrifying small children is more your speed?"
The other woman's cheeks darkened at the barb. Raven smirked tauntingly.
"Tch. Absurd. It's like you people come looking for a fight," the woman rallied.
"Yes, you're right. That's exactly what we were doing at a fucking bird sanctuary," Raven said sardonically, tilting her head. "Trying to pick a fight with a band of lunatics. You got us."
"Seriously? You want to play the innocent civilian card?" the woman droned, golden eyes glaring balefully. "You honestly expect me to believe that?"
"Considering that I am?" Raven tapped her chin, smirking at her. "Sure. Why not?"
Falcon woman shook her head in nearly palpable condescension. Instead of it making Raven immediately angry, it just made her want to laugh. This was pretty hilarious to her, in fact; because for once, Raven really hadn't done anything wrong. Whatever agency this woman was a part of, she was way out of line; not that they usually weren't.
"Unbelievable. Surrender, now, and the worst you need to worry about is some jail time-"
"Yea, sorry sweetie, I'll pass. Because, oh dear! You forgot to actually identify yourself before assaulting me and my friends," Raven interrupted, her face full of mockery. "For all I know, you're a runaway circus clown with a vigilante fetish. You certainly fight like one."
Falcon woman looked like she wanted to set Raven's body on fire in a mass grave. Raven smiled, her grin dripping poison. Falcon woman drew her badge out from within her vest, flashing some silver crest at her.
"I don't know what that says," Raven smirked. "You're too far away."
"I'm not coming closer to you, I might catch fleas," falcon woman bit. "I am a lieutenant of the Kings Service. You are an unauthorized skinchanger and an obvious outlaw. Lay down your weapon and surrender."
The Kings Service. That's new. And they're full of skinchangers apparently, and who knows what else. This is bad news; I need to warn the Morrigan so she can get word out.
Raven sheathed her sword, drew out her school id, and smirked at the obnoxious woman across from her.
"Huntress in training. Beacon."
Falcon woman actually tittered and Raven felt herself bristling; her smirk grew more dangerous.
"Like you're the first bandit to pluck an id off a corpse. Don't be absurd."
"Hm," Raven tilted her head. "Are you implying I killed a Hunter?"
Because I have.
"Hardly. I'm implying you scavenged at Mountain Glenn and thought yourself clever," falcon woman raised her claymore, her face growing cold.
"I was at Mountain Glenn, you're right," Raven pretended to glance at her nails. "You know, it's funny, though? I didn't see any 'Kings Service' running about helping anyone at all? I guess you guys only come out when you get to beat up starving families."
"Impersonating a dead Huntress is a very serious offense," the falcon woman claimed haughtily, as if talking to an irksome child. "Now hand over that card."
"Come and take it," Raven snarled.
They closed the distance between themselves instantly. During their banter, Raven had quietly changed her blade's coating to black. Therefore, the bitchy lieutenant was quite surprised when Raven triggered gravity Dust instead of electric, and witnessed her claymore's being suddenly glued to Raven's own blade; Raven whipped the sword from her hands and flung the item across the mounds of sand and gravel to their left. Then on the back swing, she slashed the blade against exposed meat; blood sprayed.
The lieutenant's face changed from imperious disdain to cold fury when she observed the ugly slash she'd caught across her forearm instead of her throat; livid hate flickered in golden eyes, before a sheen of blue flickered over them. A canister of tear gas dropped between them, and Raven shielded her eyes with aura a second too late. It burned like a son of a bitch, but it was hardly the first time Raven encountered the substance.
Tears streaked her vision and her sinuses felt like she snorted lava, but Raven still managed to get her guard up as a hail of blows rained down on her; her opponent had used the distraction to regain her sword and could now see clearly while Raven could not. Her strikes also carried a weight and ferocity that they hadn't previously, and Raven was having a difficult time keeping up.
Her aura absorbed several powerful strikes painfully, pushed to the very limit. She spotted a blurry kick to her side and moved to block; but then the falcon woman sped up, engaging her time dilation feat. Another kick, followed by a final blade strike, and Raven felt her aura nearly break as she tried to retreat.
A gauntlet crashed into Raven's ribs out of nowhere, and they cracked. Raven staggered. Half blinded by the tear gas, Raven knew it would not be remotely wise to keep fighting. She could still shift into her second skin, and gods willing, she would still be able to fly despite the pain in her chest. But for whatever blasted reason, she couldn't bring herself to run.
Raven used the last of her aura to trigger the black Dust coating of her sword as a shadow swept towards her head. The claymore glued itself to the blade again, as shielded gold eyes glared at down into her own. The two women pressed against their weapons with all their strength.
"That isn't. Going…To work on me…again," the woman grit out, hanging on to her blade. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, a fact that Raven took pride in despite everything else.
"I know."
Raven spit right in her face and, as the falcon lady reeled back in horror, furiously head butted her. Blood flew as Raven broke the other woman's nose, ignoring the burn in her chest. Now was the time to fly away, and fast. Yet, the image of several dirty, terrified faces looking up at her floated in the back of her mind; and she knew she couldn't.
Raven twisted and broke away, unable to wrench the claymore out of the King's woman's hand. She brought a fist up, shrugged and socked her in the side of the head, before going on the attack again. Her opponent, who was violently cursing Raven's ancestral lineage, renewed her own assault with a vengeance. Their exchanges were increasing in brutality, and at any moment Raven expected to lose a limb; or her head.
"You know what!? Prison isn't good enough for you!" the King's woman declared, trying to sweep her legs out from under her. "After your trial, I am going to hang your body from the palisade myself!"
Raven leaped over her leg, dodging around several cement blocks that awaited patiently to trip her.
"We'll let the Grimm have it! And all your nasty little friends can look up and see your remains swinging!" the woman continued, darting around the blocks as well. "And maybe the next scavenging mongrel will think twice before picking the pockets of a corpse that even in death is worth a thousand times more than they'll ever be!"
"What is this, your fucking therapy hour?" Raven taunted, trying to get under her skin. "What's the matter darling, did you lose someone to the nasty bad bandits? Goodness! Has life been unfair to you?!"
"Rrrrr-stand still, you inbreed!"
"Have you tried perhaps calling a hotline? Might I recommend 1-800-HELP-I'M A FASCIST PIG?" Raven chuckled, trying to stay ahead of her. "Instead of being suuuuch a homicidal loser?"
"OH I WILL SHOW YOU A HOMICIDAL -Wait, no-"
Raven cackled, dancing in that space of exhilaration that only existed between two swords and the blood of the people wielding them. She was afraid, but she was alive; and gods, if she didn't just love that.
The King's woman activated her time feat once more, catching up with Raven in a blur as she tried to swipe her with an upwards slice; Raven deflected it, before another strike caught her across her upper arm. It dug in, deep, and Raven bit back a scream.
Blood ran freely down her right arm as she disengaged; something prompted her to duck, and she dodged low to the left as the claymore hissed through the air. Her limbs were shaking as she instinctively reached for her Semblance; but other than a faint flicker, she felt nothing. Without aura and with her bonds being suppressed by her antagonist, there was no help to be had.
She sneered defiantly, blood coating her swords hilt as her trembling fingers tried to keep a grip on it. Her right arm was nearly useless, and the smug face of the King's woman showed that she knew it. In the distance, Raven could hear the engines of a bullhead, flying low over the city.
"Surrender," the woman demanded. "You can't fight like that."
"You'd be surprised, actually," Raven said, wielding her sword in her left hand.
Rolling her golden eyes, the falcon lady came at her again, moving at her regular speed. Her arm burned as she parried again and again, letting herself exist only in the moment and the motion as Raven fought for her life. With every strike she was growing slower, and the loss of blood and aura making her lightheaded; her limbs were heavy, her chest was on fire, and her opponent seemed no closer to exhaustion now than she had earlier.
Raven nearly took a tumble over a twisted pylon as she was driven back towards the unfinished skyscraper. She blocked an opportunistic slash at her thigh, nearly dropping her sword as she dug deep for the strength to push the claymore aside. The King's woman sensed that the last of her defenses were failing and drove forward; and with a flourish, disarmed Raven. The red blade skittered over the concrete to her right, but Raven's eyes stayed glued to her opponents. The claymore rested under her chin.
With a sigh, the King's woman raised an eyebrow at her.
"Now then. Put your hands where I can see them."
"But we haven't established a safe word yet," Raven smirked. The woman's eyebrow twitched in fury.
"You are vile. Comply or-"
"Or you'll kill me?" Raven asked calmly.
The King's woman faltered, her expression confused, before sighing again.
"Not unless you make me, tempting as that might be. Unlike you people, I do have a sense of honor. "
Raven smiled at her, which seemed to cause her more distress than anything. The woman opened her mouth again, frowning angrily, when movement to their left caught Raven's attention. A shining something slammed forcefully into the falcon woman's side, knocking her over with an unflattering yelp.
Raven stepped back, spotting a familiar figure marching implacably in their direction, their hand extended. Raven's mouth dropped as she stared blatantly at her rescuer. Professor fucking Arc, wearing full plate and an expression that would have frozen a Settlement Killer in its tracks, was stalking towards them over the gravel. Raven let out a disbelieving laugh of relief as Arc's shield returned to her hand, obeying the call of its mistress.
The King's woman rolled to her feet, her face promising retribution, when she too beheld Arc; and the color went right out of her cheeks. Arc approached, and Raven imagined the ground shaking beneath her feet. Raven had seen the Professor angry, before; but she had never seen her look like this, and it made the hairs on her neck stand up.
"….Joan?" stammered falcon woman, dusting herself off as she sheathed her claymore. "What on Remnant was that for-"
"Never!" Professor Arc snapped. "Never in nearly twenty years of service have I EVER seen outrageous conduct!"
The King's woman glanced about, as if uncertain as to whether Arc was addressing her.
"Outrageous?" she repeated. "We – listen, Joan we respect the BTF but this situation hardly warrants-"
"Shut your pompous mouth, Regalia, before my fist finds a new home in your teeth!" Arc barked, stopping in front of them. 'Regalia' blinked slowly as a gleeful grin spread across Raven's face.
"How dare you assault my students?!" Professor Arc snarled. "Who gave you the AUDACITY to terrorize a handful of children and the Hunters who risk themselves daily to protect this bloody gods damned Kingdom unprovoked!? Is this what the King's Service does these days?! Act like a bunch of violent maniacs?!"
Raven glanced mischievously at Regalia, who was staring at her with newfound horror.
"I told you I was a Huntress."
Regalia flinched, visibly, as Professor Arc's face gave an all new meaning to word 'thunderous'.
"I – Surely you jest?" Regalia stammered, pointing accusingly at Raven.
"You really did know?" Arc asked coldly. "And you did this to her anyways?"
Regalia raised her hands in frustration.
"I thought she was lying! They wear tribe coloring, and that boy had Red Flag ink on his arm! Those feathers are from successful raids she has perpetuated! She's an unauthorized skinchanger-"
"She is hardly unauthorized. I authorize her, and so does the Headmaster of Beacon," Arc snapped, waving her hand. "You are a bloody disgrace to your shield. Branwen, we're leaving. Get your sword."
"…She's a Branwen!" protested Regalia, all but pulling her hair. "You knowingly let Branwens into Beacon – are you people high?!"
Raven nearly snickered, but grimaced in pain instead as she staggered over to her weapon and scooped it up gingerly. She should care more that both Arc and Ozpin now apparently knew about their secret; but the loss of blood and delirium was making it difficult to care too much at the moment.
"You should be ashamed," Arc sniffed at Regalia. "But I doubt you have the sense to be. Your chain of command will be informed of this absolute disgrace of a shit show. Now, kindly go jump off a damn cliff."
With that, Arc turned sharply about and escorted Raven off the premises, leaving a flabbergasted Regalia in their wake. The bullhead that Arc had apparently caught a ride in had landed in a parking lot across the street; Arc assisted her across the road, stopping traffic with a firm hand. Nobody dared to honk at her.
Arc set Raven down on the ground firmly as she demanded the pilot to grab the medi-pack, and began inspecting her injuries. Raven had the sense to not protest and was honestly too woozy to do so. A moment later, she was being injected with aura-boosters and her armor removed as Arc cleaned and bandaged the bone-deep gash on her arm. The Professor did not speak nor fuss as she worked, her face stoic.
Finally, the blood-loss had been stemmed, and Raven let out a hiss of relief as her aura set to work on her injuries. As her adrenaline faded, the pain was beginning to really set in.
"How did you get here so fast?" Raven muttered, trying to distract herself.
"Oz owes me many, many favors," Arc replied briskly. "And I encountered your brother panicking in the dorm room when I came looking for all of you. After realizing the gravity of the situation, I decided to make use of such."
Raven raised a confused eyebrow, biting back a curse as her bandaged arm was tucked into a sling.
"You were looking for us?"
Arc spared her a wry glance.
"As a mother of seven extremely mischievous girls, I have excellent instincts. Did you really expect me to not suspect something when you four in particular are all missing from your classes?" Arc droned. "And that was a nice trick you pulled with bribing Amosa. He is a sucker for good food."
Raven smiled hesitantly.
"Thanks."
"Never do it again," Arc hummed. "Or I'll skin the lot of you."
"No promises," Raven smirked.