Welcome back everyone to a long overdue installment of The Darkling Thrush!

Before we get started, I'd like to thank everyone for your patience. These past two weeks I've been swamped and struggling to write this piece.

I would also like to thank everyone who left a review last chapter. Baoh joestar, Drake187, noone297, jinouga and Ussop, thanks again for leaving your thoughts, its greatly appreciated!

Anyways, I think you all have waited long enough. Here's the next chapter. Further notes below.

XXXV

Nebula: Conclusion

"What the hell are those?" Dew asked aloud, pointing out into the buffer lands between Vacuo and Vale.

"They're called Goliaths." Professor Kashmir answered as he viewed the herd of Grimm from afar through the use of binoculars. "The oldest living Grimm in the world."

"Huh." Nebula raised a brow at the Goliaths, watching as they slowly walked across the land. "They're Elephants?"

"Yes." Kashmir pulled his binoculars away from his face and passed them off to Gwen who'd been waiting patiently to use them.

"They're Elephants?" Nebula asked in a bemused tone.

"Your point, Ms. Violette?" Kashmir questioned.

"Elephant doesn't exactly scream godless murder beast." The indigo haired team leader shrugged. "I don't know. I expected more from 'oldest living Grimm'."

It was a three hour flight from Shade to the border. The girls and their Professor spent their time between liftoff to touchdown discussing the objectives of their mission. Initially it seemed to be a standard operation as prefaced by the months spent attending Combat School. Patrol the border and eliminate any Grimm they should come across.

The Bullhead came to a stop, hovering over sandy dunes and they jumped out minding the sand that got kicked up into the air. Then it was another three hours spent walking under the harsh sun along the border. In that time they hadn't seen a single creature of Grimm. No Creep, no Deathstalker, just them and the unkind sun.

But then they cast a glance over to the no man's land boundary between Vacuo and Vale's borders. Out of the death coated buffer lands stepped out the herd of Goliaths they now watched.

"So, what's our plan of attack?" Nebula addressed their Professor.

"There is no plan of attack." Kashmir muttered as he continued to survey the border. "Goliaths are never a concern. It's the other ones we need to worry about."

"We can take them." Nebula said, raising her crossbow in the air to further prove the statement.

"It's not a question of whether you can in deed fight them, Ms. Violette. Goliaths are some of the oldest living Grimm on Remnant." Kashmir informed. "They've learned that when they attack our borders, they're likely to die, and what we lack in strength, we make up for in will, and that killing one human will only bring more."

"So what do we do then, Professor?" Octavia questioned.

"Nothing." Kashmir muttered before retrieving his binoculars from Gwen. "Goliaths are pose no immediate threat. There's nothing out of the ordinary here. We should continue on." He said that last part bitterly.

"Something up Professor?" Nebula inquired, noting Kashmir's tone.

"I had this mission planned out for weeks." Kashmir said gesturing for the team to continue their patrol. "But then orders from high up dictated that instead of expending our effort in productive sweeps in the northwest forests of upper Vacuo, we'd instead be out here along the no man's land. For community outreach purposes."

"From Headmistress Wytcherly?" Dew asked as they turned their attention away from the Goliaths and in the direction of a nearby town just a mile away.

"Higher." The Professor muttered in a way that made his true thoughts on the matter known. He shook his head and did not hide his scowl. "I don't particularly like it when the politicians think they can meddle in our affairs. We're huntsmen is all, we're out in the field while they sit behind their desks in air conditioned offices. They don't know the first thing about this sort of thing and I believe it's best to leave it to us, the professionals."

"Community outreach? What's so bad about that?" Nebula questioned, once more finding her Professor's reasoning and tonal change odd.

"It's a waste of our talents." Kashmir said in a disdainful manner. "Well come along children. We'd best get this over with." He said before he led motioning to the town in the distance.

Without a word, the girls fell in line and followed the senior Huntsman's lead. But Nebula couldn't help but linger a little longer. The violet haired girl spared a glance over her shoulder to the herd of Goliaths off in the distance. Where they had spent their time leisurely vegetating out in the distance before, now the herd stood now staring back at Nebula and the rest of her team.

A cold shiver ran down Nebula's spine as those glowing red eyes shined like rubies out in the distance, staring into her soul from afar. It was the call of her partner Dew that snapped Nebula from her trance and the NDGO leader found herself playing catch up. She turned her attention back in front of her and quickly ran to close the distance between herself and her team, but in the back of her mind she knew they were still standing there, watching, waiting. And that unsettled Nebula greatly.

It took them another hour to reach the town of Grendel. And the moment the step within its perimeter, all eyes fell on them. Walking through open sandy streets out in the open for all the town's inhabitants to see put the team under their scrutiny.

There was a natural tension between them and the Huntsmen and the townsfolk, one that Nebula was familiar with. But this was the first time she'd ever been on the receiving end. These people were all Faunus, living in clay buildings and wearing rags. The mere sight of Nebula and her team brought glares and silent sneers, the same that she'd seen on her fellow students back at Beacon when Talal ever graced them with his presence.

"Savages." Nebula caught Professor Kashmir saying under his breath. Where there would normally be a happy excited smile was replaced with a contentious expression.

For all that Nebula had seen, her experiences at Shade had opened her eyes to a world she was unaware of. She'd seen the people at their worst and the consequences of their actions. The first immediate response that crossed her mind when hearing Kashmir's words were to violently berate the man, his position as Professor and her place as pupil would not save him from her scolding remarks.

But that wouldn't do her or anyone else for that matter any good. Nebula's argument was not with her Professor, but with a commonly held mindset. That was whom she had words for. So she stayed her tongue and held a kind smile. This was them reaching out to a community, to these townspeople. If Kashmir wouldn't be the bridge between them, then she certainly would.

Out of a growing crowd of onlookers emerged an old man, thinly built and his back arched slightly. He wore a pale sun bleached tunic and brown pants worn by years of labor. The old faunus must've held some sort of authority amongst the community, as the crowd he emerged from began to watch him, as if waiting for an order.

So the five Huntsmen met with the old faunus at the center of the growing crowd at the center of town.

"What is it you want, Huntsman?" The old faunus asked, addressing Professor Kashmir directly.

The Professor just eyed the man, not liking his tone. "Patrolling the borders and visiting our neighbors." Kashmir answered simply as he locked eyes with the old faunus, meeting his senior's tone with a contentious glare. "Would you perhaps have need of any assistance? By the good graces of the Speaker of Chambers we are required to lend our help, should you need it."

Nebula and the rest of her team sneaked glances towards the other, making sure they weren't the only ones noticing Kashmir's underlying tone. They then looked to the old faunus for his response, catching sight of and equally contentious expression that matched Kashmir. But the old faunus, instead of trading blows with The Professor, he laughed.

"What's so funny?" Kashmir asked angrily.

"You mask your spite poorly." The old faunus smiled. "Aside from that, we have no love for The Speaker of Chamber's lapdogs."

Taking a step forward past Kashmir, Nebula spoke up. "Sir, all due respect, but our intentions are pure. We just want to lend a hand." Nebula pleaded her case, paying no mind to her Professor's heated glare.

"Forgive me, child. But I find that hard to believe." The old faunus said in a scolding tone. "

"Did you guys hear that?" Dew asked aloud as she stood and faced the direction of banging noise. "That sounded like gunshots."

"It seems you have need of our aid after all." Kashmir mused as he, along with the rest of the crowd of towns folk looked on after the sounds of gunshots and screams. "Well wat are you four waiting for?" The Professor addressed the Huntresses in training. "Let's move!"

Following the senior Huntsman's command, Team NDGO rushed off in the direction of gunfire. Aside from a curious few who'd run off alongside the Huntsmen, the majority of the crowd that had welcomed them remained behind. Nebula afforded herself to look back for a just a brief moment, seeing the looks on their faces. They wore a myriad of expressions, ranging from concern, fear and contempt, especially so on the old faunus.

Down streets littered with trash and old tossed out sofas as well as past other town folk running in fear, the Huntresses and their Professor ran. The noises grew louder but the screams died down to an eerie silence. Down a corner they ran, but Octavia, the most earnest of the group who'd run off ahead of the group, came to stop and let out a sharp gasp.

The group caught up with Octavia and shared the brash girl's horror. Littered throughout the street were the bodies of dead faunus. Some appeared to have been shot. Others appeared to have been hacked apart by some bladed weapon, given all the bits and pieces. The sight was enough to make anyone lose their lunch, so no one was surprised when Dew did just that, vomiting on the ground.

"Who could have done this?" Gwen asked aloud, a repulsed look on her face. "What kind of monster would do this?"

As if to answer Gwen's question, out in a nearby clay hut, a wolf faunus was shot outward from his home and onto the street. Out of the hut stepped a helmeted man armed with an old Great War era Lancer in its sword form. The wolf faunus attempted to crawl away, but the helmeted man quickly ran over and placed his boot atop his back to hold him in place before getting to work, hacking away at the man.

The Huntresses looked on, frozen in place by the sheer horror and brutality of it all. Professor Kashmir, on the other hand, let out a tired sigh and mumbled a number of swears under his breath.

After finishing his brutal murder of the wolf faunus, the helmeted man then turned his attention to what was without a doubt Huntsmen standing there in the street watching him. After acknowledging their presence, the helmeted man with one cracked horn at the top glanced back to the clay hut and let out and whistled. Out of the hut stepped a burly man, who appeared to have a number of silver objects in his hands, probably the only things of value the wolf faunus had ever owned.

"Finished are we?" The burly man questioned his partner. The helmet man simply pointed to the five Hunters standing in the street, causing the burly man to frown. "Sheet, I thought we'd have more time."

Snapping out of whatever stunned trance the brutal scene had placed the Huntresses in, Nebula stepped forward, drawing her crossbow and taking aim at the duo. "Stay the fuck where you are!" Nebula shouted angrily.

"Sheet, we gotta go!" The helmeted man's burly companion shouted before taking off down the street with the silverware. "We gotta keep moving! They'll be here soon!"

The helmeted man gave an agreeing nod. He grabbed ahold of the handle of his weapon still lodged in the body of the wolf faunus and withdrew it. After wiping the blood off on his sleeve, the helmeted man took off after his burly associate.

Making good on her threats, Nebula pulled the trigger of her crossbow, and launching an arrow the pair. The arrow darted past the helmeted man and found its way into the burly man's shoulder. The burly man let out a pained yelp and wound up dropping the loot he'd taken from the hut.

Nebula fired again, this time however her arrow failed to even come close to hitting either man. It became apparent that the murderous pair had run out of her range. "Come on, let's get them!" Nebula shouted before rushing after the pair.

Her still stunned teammates remained still a few moments longer, their brains still processing the barbaric event they'd witnessed. They'd been training for years, studying at lower academies for the day when they'd eventually face the devilish creatures of Grimm. Never before did they believe they'd encounter such acts that they could only describe as evil. But after snapping out of their daze, the trio ran after their leader.

Professor Kashmir remained where he stood and folded his arms on his chest, quietly debating how to proceed. By now it had become abundantly clear he the man had no love for faunus. It was only the shouting of his students that caused the senior Huntsman to act. He sighed as he removed his rapier from its sheath by is hip and then he darted off after his students.

Nebula kept on after the two men, chasing after them as they vanished from her line of sight behind a corner. Rounding the same corner, Nebula found herself facing a fork in the road. The NDGO leader looked to each of the dirt roads in order to narrow down her odds at hunting down the two men.

She looked down the right road and then the left. It was down the left where a small patch of blood caught her eye. There were no dead bodies down this side of the street, nothing around to bleed, except for the man she'd shot with an arrow. So without a second thought, Nebula went running down the left road.

The rest of her team arrived moments later. They looked down both roads, seeing as they curved down around poorly constructed buildings, they were left guessing on which road to take. So then they defaulted to their Professor, expecting some sort of wisdom or lesson in tracking prey. But Kashmir offered them no such teachings and merely rand forward, down the right road. Trusting their Professor and his reputation, the trio ran off following their Professor without question.

The right road took them all the way to the edge of town, past a multitude of dead faunus and equally scared number of living taking shelter in their homes. The team excluding Nebula continued on after their Professor, sure of themselves they'd gone the right way.

Now where the town faces the nearby border, the Huntresses and their Professor found the helmeted man alone without his burly companion standing to meet them.

"Where's your pal?" Gwen questioned as she produced a pair of throwing knives.

"Better question is, where's Nebula?" Octavia asked, glancing around as she attempted to find any sign of their leader.

All eyes fell to the helmeted man for some sort of explanation. But he stood there and eyed them before offering a question. "An unexpected slaughter brings out the worst in people, no?" The helmeted man said in a rhetoric in a rhetoric manner.

"What the actual fuck is he talking about?" Dew raised a brow.

As if to answer Dew's question, a low growl caught their ear. The trio of DGO looked off to the side, spotting a pack of Beowulfs running from out of the nearby desert and into town. Creatures of Grimm were attracted to negative feelings, one of which being fear. The trio of girls didn't have to exchange any dialogue between them. On their own they put the pieces together. With the rampaging gunmen running loose, the townsfolk were without a doubt cowering in fear and attracting the Grimm to this very settlement.

"Deal with the Grimm." Kashmir ordered the trio as he raised his weapon at the helmeted man. "I'll deal with him."

"We can take them." Octavia said as she amassed whatever courage she could to face the Grimm. And so then, without another word, the trio leapt into action, planning to cut off the Grimm somewhere in town.

With the trio of DGO now gone, all that remained were Kashmir and the helmeted man. "I don't like faunus." Kashmir admitted as he held his rapier. "I couldn't care less about what you've done to these people. But you're careless actions have set loose Grimm onto Vacuo's borders. You've not only endangered the lives of my students but Vacuo as a whole. I simply cannot let that pass." The helmeted man gave an understanding nod, before ultimately drawing his lancer and raising it to meet The Professor's weapon. "But before we begin, I would like to know the name of the man I intend to kill."

"Coyote." The helmeted man answered simply.

"Well then, Mr. Coyote, shall we?"

Following the trail of blood, Nebula tracked the burly man back to home deeper in town. She watched as the burly man made his way into the building, cradling his shoulder wound. Nebula saw no sign of his helmet wearing companion and was left to assume they'd split up at the fork in the road in order to decrease the chances of both of them being caught.

"Dr. Kruger, we've got Huntsmen." The burly man shouted announced as he entered the house, sidestepping the bodies of the Freeman family in the process. "And given the shouting of all those faunus, I reckon we'll but up to ore knees in Grimm about now."

"Very well, then we'll depart. After all, I believe we have everything we need." The thin Dr. Kruger nodded in agreement before producing a journal with the image of a snake devouring its own tail on the cover from one of Freeman's desk drawers. "Pepper." Kruger pointed to the wounded burly man. "Go fetch the van. We'll remain here. Can't be too careful, there's Grimm out there."

"You got it boss." The burly man, Pepper, nodded before running for the exit to retrieve their mode of transportation. With Pepper's departure to claim their van, that left only Kruger and his goggle wearing henchman alone in the house once more.

"So, just like that and we're done?" The goggle wearing man questioned, sounding a bit disappointed. "I didn't even get to kill anyone, boss."

"To be perfectly frank, Brussels, you didn't even notice that kid sneak in here. I doubt you would have been effective even at that." Kruger said, pointing past Brussels.

"What kid?" The goggle wearing man known as Brussels questioned before the end of Nebula's crossbow was bashed against the back of his head.

"You look familiar." Dr. Kruger pressed a finger on his chin as he eyed Nebula. In particular the man was drawn to the girl's distinct indigo colored hair. "Have you ever attended one of my lectures on the origin of species?"

"Can't say I have." Nebula said as she turned her crossbow on Kruger. "No sudden movements pal."

The thin man did as he was told and remained still, his eyes staring at Nebula's weapon. "You'll have to forgive me, I'm not much of a fighter. I pay people for things like that." Kruger said, making a slight hand gesture to the unconscious Brussels on the floor. "Guess I'll have to reconsider the way I vet applicant-"

"Stow it." Nebula uttered sharply. "You're going to jail."

"For what?" The thin man couldn't help but laugh.

Kruger's laughs caused Nebula's features to shift to unprofessional. "Look around you daft man. Look at all the dead!" She shouted with anger, gesturing to the dead family lying on the floor.

"So what? They're only faunus." Kruger said with a smile, causing Nebula's angry scowl to twist and betray the disgust she felt for the man.

"It doesn't matter if they're Faunus or not, it never did. They were people who had lives and they're dead because you." Nebula retorted, holding back the urge to pull the trigger on her crossbow.

"Ha! Sure, they lived lives that didn't belong to them. They're a lesser species my dear. You can prattle along with those speeches about human-faunus equality all you like, I'm on the verge of making the discussion redundant." Kruger couldn't help but crack a smile.

Nebula raised a brow, which did not go unnoticed by the doctor. Kruger's smile widened. If anything, the man was a teacher. So Kruger began educating the huntress standing before him. "There was once a great cataclysm. All you need is but to look up into the night sky and see the shattered moon. Once upon a time this was not so. Once before, there were societies like our own. Archeologists like the Larks from Vale have uncovered such truths in jungle ruins and ancient structures of steel and stone. But what does this have to do with anything you might ask. Well, it means that at one point there was recorded history and then there wasn't."

"I'm an ecologist. I'm interested in the process of how life became what we know today."

"But what about faunus? What does any of your prattle have to do with them?" Nebula questioned.

"My 'prattle', is how I ease individuals into the lecture, Huntress. For you see, it was not too long ago when a pair of archeologists and their son, the Larks, made a discovery. They led an expedition and found the oldest known human civilization." Kruger said in a way that exposed his experience in this art of public speaking. "There, they discovered bodies, an ancient king and found myth itself. The Scrolls of Evermore. The oldest piece of recorded history. Dated some hundred thousand years ago."

"And you want to know what the scrolls said about Faunus?" He asked rhetorically. "Nothing. Oldest recorded history of man and there's absolutely nothing about Faunus. So from somewhere between the cataclysm and now, they emerged." With that said, Kruger raised the journal he'd pulled from Freeman's private study and held it up in the air for Nebula to see. "And I'm very well on my way to solving mystery."

"So who gives a damn? They're still people."

"Are they?" "We can trace back humanity's origins but not Faunus. Perhaps, they're man made organisms, built in a lab who broke free of their bonds and scurried off into the woods. Or maybe they're the result of some shit farmer and his goat. We can't say for certain, not yet anyways. The Sentinel of Vacuo, you know of him, correct?"

"Everyone does, he's a folk hero and everyone's learned of him in primary school. Sinbad Queen, he was Vacuo's greatest hero a protector." Nebula glared.

"As well as an adventurer, a scientist and hoarder of knowledge." Kruger said excitedly as he continued to 'educate' Nebula. If she didn't know any better she'd guess the man had been hoping for some Huntsmen to happen along, just so he could hear the sound of his own voice. "He had a library built, which is said to be vast and includes texts long forgotten. He never shared any of his findings. And then died and became a factual myth we romanticize for children and whatever other nationalistic nonsense the politicians gamble at."

"I'm not the first to theorize that The Sentinel found the missing link, the origin of Faunus and hid it away in his library like all the other treasures. But I will be the last. Especially since the last piece of the puzzle has been provided by one of thanks to this gentleman." Kruger nodded his head at Freeman's body.

"Now I understand." Nebula muttered lowly.

"As I hoped you would." Kruger smiled victoriously. "Now, if you would please stand aside. I must retrieve my men and be off."

"No, you misunderstand. I do not agree with you. I can't ever agree with anyone who'd try to validate this idea of a master race. That something that does not meet their standards is in effect beneath them." Nebula said before gently moving her crossbow a little to the right. She pulled the trigger and shot an arrow at Kruger, piercing through his wrist and causing him to drop Freeman's journal.

"You brat!" Kruger shouted in a pained tone as he cradled his arm. He reached out and touched

"…Violette?" Kruger wondered aloud as he eyed Nebula once more. "Your related to Andros Violette, aren't you?" The thin man questioned.

Nebula remained silent, only watching as Kruger continued with his pained ramblings. "That bastard must be dead these days. And you're much too young to be his daughter." Kruger glared at the Huntress standing before him. "But you're related to him. I can see it. You're a Violette."

"So what if I am?" Nebula gritted.

She was expecting the man to continue with his tirades but Kruger broke out laughing, as if she'd made the world's funniest joke. The way he howled, the way Kruger held his sides, he would surely hurt himself if he continued this fit. In between his laughs he glanced at Nebula and continued with each obnoxious sound that left his mouth turning more venomous than the last.

"I knew him. I knew Andros Violette." Kruger continued to laugh. "He knew the importance of human supremacy. He also knew the dangers of enabling faunus. That should any of them come to believe that they matter, they will fight to establish themselves, to claim they actually matter."

"And you find that funny?" Nebula raised a brow.

"I find it tragic." Kruger corrected her as his taunting laughs turned hollow. "Andros would be ashamed of you. But he wouldn't be surprised. No, you Violette are always on the losing side of history."

"That may be true for any other Violette, that they have been destined to lose. But not this Violette." Nebula declared. "For my time attending Shade, I've seen the world in a new light. I've seen people acting horribly towards another just for being different. And It's appalling, immoral. And I know in my heart that it's wrong. Just as everything that you preach."

"Do you honestly believe you can sway me to your side of this argument?" Kruger laughed. "My minds already made up. What then, child? What happens then?"

"No, I don't believe I could change your mind or anyone else's." She admitted to both Kruger rand herself. "It could take a decade or another hundred years before we all start regarding Human and Faunus as just people. But I'll never give up." Nebula proclaimed.

"Well, it's good to know where you stand then." Kruger said tauntingly, looking past Nebula to Brussels, who was now finding himself back to his feet having regained consciousness moments ago. "Deal with her if you would?" He said, catching Nebula off guard.

Realizing that last bit of dialogue wasn't directed towards her, Nebula spun around, recalling the man she'd knocked out earlier. Brussels had reached out his hands as if to grab Nebula, but the girl was quicker than he and turned her weapon on him and shot an arrow at him, imbedding it in his shoulder.

With Nebula's attention preoccupied with dealing with Brussels, Kruger took the opportunity to reclaim Freeman's journal and make a run at Nebula. With her attention elsewhere, Nebula was blindsided by Kruger and knocked to the floor. The two men then made a run for the door. Nebula found her way back to her feet and reclaimed her crossbow. Resolving not to let Kruger and his men escape, she set off, intending to stop them no matter the cost.

From the outskirts of town back to its heart, the duel between Professor Kashmir and Coyote had initially appeared to be a one-sided bout. Kashmir was an expert swordsman and a capable Huntsman, he had the skills to effectively kill Griffons and Nevermores. But this man standing before him, armed with an old outdated weapon from the Great War was matching him blow for blow.

In the heat of battle as they exchanged attacks, the senior Huntsman attempted to use his semblance of increased agility to gain the upper hand and end the battle quickly and prevent the spread of fear. But Coyote persevered and now, after an extensive sword fight, towered over the fallen Kashmir and prepared to deliver a killing blow.

But Coyote's actions had sacrificed his footing, allowing the downed Kashmir to kick the helmeted man and knock him over with ease. The Professor leapt back to his feet and ran at the downed man, reeling back his leg for an aura charged kick to the face. The momentarily stunned Coyote was incapable of preventing Kashmir's attack and watched helplessly as the man struck him. The horned helmet flew off, bouncing off a nearby brick wall and damaging the single horn further.

Then Kashmir's eyes fell over the unmasked face of Coyote with a victorious smirk. Now would have been the time for him to say something memorable like a catchphrase, to publically declare victory and rub salt into his opponent's wounds. But Kashmir couldn't act on these impulses, he was too busy looking in shock at what he'd found beneath Coyote's helmet.

Coyote found his bearings while the Shade Professor doubled over, vomiting on the desert street. He gave an understanding nod and waited patiently for Kashmir to finish recomposing himself. "You're no man." Kashmir muttered in awe as Coyote went over to reclaim his helmet.

After lightly tapping the helmet's forehead and examining the damages made to the horn, Coyote placed it once more over his face. He then turned his attention back to the senior Huntsman and indulged the man.

So then Coyote stalked towards Kashmir, producing a jagged knife worn from years of use from his duster pocket. The helmeted man's intent was clear. So with a gruff sigh, Kashmir shifted his weapon from its rapier from to its hand gun and took aim at the man. A small part of Kashmir regretted what was about to happen, but he quelled that voice by the time he pulled the trigger.

Kashmir shot at Coyote twice, clearly hitting the man in his chest and throat. But still the helmeted man powered forward. Another round of gunshots rang through the air, two more bullets ran through Coyote but still he pushed on.

"What are you?!" Kashmir exclaimed before taking a step backwards out of fear as Coyote continued his approach. Kashmir kept taking steps backwards into the open street, but then he came to a stop, bumping into something behind him.

It must've been a trick on the eyes. Coyote was no longer standing in front of him. A familiar sleeved arm snaked around Kashmir's necked and pulled him back. The Professor struggled, attempted to revert his gun back to its rapier form, but it was already too late. The jagged knife was already being jammed into his ribs. Repeatedly.

"I am Coyote." The helmeted man declared before tossing Kashmir's body to the side. With that settled, Coyote turned his attention elsewhere, back to the faunus running scared from his rampage.

After retrieving his Mantle era lancer from the ground, he aimed to return to his slaughter. But from around a street corner came the trio of Dew, Gwen and Octavia. Seeing the approaching Huntresses was a cause for concern. So the helmeted man prepared for another bout.

"Coyote!" A familiar voice belonging to Kruger called out from nearby. So the helmeted Coyote spared a glance Kruger's way, spotting the good doctor cradling his wound while Brussels and Pepper brought the van around. "We're finished here. It's time to go!" With a nod, Coyote headed Kruger's words and closed the distance between them.

But fast on the heels of Kruger and his men was Nebula, running as quickly as she could. Rounding a corner, Nebula took aim with her crossbow. Seeing Kruger and his men, she let loose a barrage of arrows.

Seeing the oncoming hail of arrows, Kruger dived into the van and was closely followed by Coyote. She could hear Kruger shouting from within the van, demanding the driver gun it. With her quarry attempting to escape, Nebula decided to pull out all the stops and began to aim at for the tires. With any luck she might be able to prolong their escape.

But the Violette new that there was no such thing. Out of a nearby alley crawled out a Deathstalker with some poor civilian impaled on its stinger. The creature of Grimm charged at Nebula and flung the dead faunus off its stinger like a projectile. But Nebula's reflexes were quicker. She rolled out of the way and then turned her weapon on the Grimm.

A Deathstalker had ten eyes. That meant it had ten targets a well-trained shot could exploit. Thankfully, Nebula was just that good a shot. Ten arrows, ten well placed arrows, had the beast crying out in pain.

The Deathstalker charged out into the open blindly, its claws and tail lashing out in whichever direction. Nebula collapsed her crossbow and produced a blade from the front. It would not be arrows that would slay this beast, but rather steel. So the Huntress charged at it and leapt forward, completely bypassing its outstretched claws and struck at its stinger.

The blood stained stinger flew off with one swing and was long forgotten by the time Nebula got to work on the rest of the Deathstalker. Nebula channeled her partner in these next few moments, recalling how she'd first met Dew out in the desert during initiation. How Dew had literally dropped into her life while combating this very same type of Grimm. Nebula had been taking notes then, on how to successfully murder a Deathstalker.

After brutally stabbing the creature of Grimm to death, Nebula walked away from the evaporating corpse. She turned her attention back to her original goal, to capture Kruger and his men, but they were nowhere to be seen. Instead, Nebula found this Faunus community being overrun by Grimm.

There were Deathstalkers running around and Beowulfs chasing the people who all ran away screaming. So now Nebula was faced with a hard choice, to further pursue Kruger or drop everything and throw herself into the fray and save as many lives as she could.

"Nebula!" A familiar voiced snapped the Violette from her thoughts. Nebula turned around and spotted her team running towards her with relieved expressions on their faces. Dew actually ran up to Nebula and hugged her.

"You idiot, we were worried about you!" Octavia shouted as Team NDGO was reunited.

"Don't ever run off without us again!" Gwen shouted in a scolding tone.

"Hey, relax, I was chasing the bad guy." Nebula said before looking around, having noticed the lack of Professor Kashmir's presence. "Where's the Professor?"

"Professor Kashmir's dead, Neb." Dew informed somberly. "Killed by some that creepy helmet guy."

"Where is he?" Nebula asked as she reloaded her crossbow.

"I saw their van leaving town. Which is something we should be doing as well." Octavia said as the screams of terrified townspeople and roars of bloodthirsty Grimm echoed all around them.

"Negative on that." Nebula said darkly. "We're staying put."

"What?!" Her three teammates exclaimed in unison.

"Even if we call now, evac is three hours out and so is any backup Shade can pull together." Nebula gave a look over to the darkening sky, noting how the radiant setting sun had turned the sky orange and now matched the sandy surface. "It's going to get dark soon and more and more people are going to be afraid. That means more Grimm will be coming out to play."

"Which is why we should leave!" Octavia shouted in hopes of snapping Nebula to her senses.

"Which is why we need to show them there isn't anything to be afraid of." Nebula stated firmly. The NDGO leader looked to her friends, seeing their weary faces and taking into account their days' worth of walking and exertion at fighting Coyote. To say the least, none of them were at their top form.

"I'm not going to argue with any of you. I'm staying. "Nebula said, in effect quickly shooting down anymore protests for them to flee while they still could.

Nebula wasn't stupid. Standing their ground here and now would most likely result in certain doom. She was a Violette after all, this endeavor of hers was practically fated to end in failure. The very least she could do was spare her team this fate. She wouldn't judge them and hopefully they wouldn't judge themselves.

The trio of girls exchanged concerned glances, carrying on a silent conversation, before returning their attention to their leader. "Alright, looks like we're staying." Gwen announced. "What's our plan?"

Knowing that despite giving them an excuse to leave that her team decided to remain at her side brought a smile to Nebula's face. But that brief moment of joy was quickly killed by the dower situation "We hold the line."

And so then Team NDGO walked out into the streets once more. They walked past fleeing town folk and even the old faunus from earlier. The old man just watched as the quartet of Huntresses walked towards danger. Nebula didn't spare any glances like before, neither did anyone of her team. Their attention was firmly directed ahead of them to the packs of Beowulfs and the Deathstalkers as well as a Goliath that now approached the town.

The massive Goliath peered downward over them all. As Team NDGO engaged the enemy, the larger than life Grimm found itself locking eyes with Nebula. The Violette felt a small tinge of fear grace her countenance, but only for a moment. She readied her weapon once more that day, drawing her blade from the throat of a Beowulf and took aim after converting it into its crossbow form.

This creature of Grimm that has lived for centuries, that's spread fear through its mere existence, Nebula would kill it. This symbol of an outdated regime that has since long overstayed its welcome, she would defeat it. And so then Nebula leapt at the giant Grimm.

Word reached the capitol of a Grimm breach somewhere far out in the desert sometime in the night, when some frightful faunus living out in Grendel had managed to make the call. The immediate response by the men and women of the ruling council was not swift action, but rather debating on how they would tackle such a matter.

After hours spent discussing the matter, it was then decided they would default their response to the Headmistress of Shade. That early morning a number of Bullheads carrying Wytcherly, The Speaker of Chambers himself and a number of experienced Huntsmen made the three hour long trip from the capitol to the border town of Grendel.

The Bullheads landed just outside of the town, with their payload of battle ready Huntsmen deploying onto the desert floor. Led by the Headmistress herself they made their way into the town, ready to do battle with the multitude of Grimm that no doubt infested Grendel.

But they found no Grimm. The Huntsmen were greeted with the sight of four exhausted Huntresses and what remained of the town's faunus inhabitants.

"Ms. Violette?" Wytcherly singled out Nebula as she approached the tired Team NDGO. The elder woman studied the weary team of Huntresses, noting their battle worn attire and the devastated homes behind them. "I see you've had quite the night." She gestured to the ruined town.

"Yeah, you could say that." Nebula offered weakly from where she sat against the only remaining wall of the town's local bar.

"Professor Kashmir?" Wytherly asked aloud as she looked around the nearby wreckage.

"Dead." Came a somber reply from the NDGO leader. Though they had conflicting views of faunus, Nebula mourned her Professor.

"Bravo Huntresses, you've saved these people." Vermillion said as he and his aide arrived at the scene. "I can see the headlines now: 'Young Huntresses avert Grimm Disaster!' 'Huntresses Rescue Faunus Town From Danger!' 'Huntsman Killed In Action Protecting Faunus.'"

"Yes, most excellent sir." Vermillion's aide agreed in a monotone fashion as she busied typing up a memo to media outlets all over Vacuo on a portable laptop.

"Not just Grimm, sir." Nebula spoke up from where she sat, gaining the councilman's ear. "This is the work of a number of humans under the order of some ecologist. They initiated a slaughter that brought the Grimm into town."

"You fail to grasp the gravity of such an accusation, miss." Vermillion spoke sharply in a scolding manner. "These are troubling times and what we need most is cooperation between faunus and humans. Grimm attacked faunus. Huntsmen saved faunus. End of story. As you were, Huntress." Vermillion said before turning back to the airship he arrived on. "We're done here."

Nebula looked on after Vermillion as he and his aide retreated back to their ship, a firm glare on her face. Seeing her angered expression, Wytcherly couldn't help but sympathize for the girl. "Does this ecologist have a name?" Wytcherly looked to Nebula.

Nebula thought back earlier to when she'd snuck into the Freeman household. She'd overheard Pepper and Brussels talking with the doctor, even using his name. "Kruger." She answered. "He wants to scientifically prove Faunus to be an inferior race."

"I'll keep my ear out for anything regarding this Kruger character." Wytcherly said before signaling to medical crews to come and aid Team NDGO. "These are indeed troubling times, Ms. Violette. But you and your team kept a cool head and handled the situation. Excellent job, to all of you." With that said, Team NDGO was helped to their feet by medical personnel and began their trek to the waiting airships.

"Oh, one last thing Ms. Violette." Wytcherly called out one last time, causing Nebula to look back. "The Vytal Festival is fast approaching. You've signed up to participate, haven't you?"

"We have, ma'am." Nebula answered quietly.

"Just brainstorming here." The Headmistress said. "Given what you've done here, saving all these faunus." She gestured to the number of townsfolk who'd survived the night. "Should you win the tournament, perhaps you might be able to steal a moment of air time and hypothetically call for peace between both faunus and human."

"Might just be what we need." Wytcherly winked. The Headmistress then watched as the Team of Huntresses were escorted to the waiting airships a feeling of pride swelling within. She then turned her attention east, beyond the nearby border to Vale, where in less than thirty day the next Vytal Festival would be held.

The Headmistress of Shade afforded herself a pleasant smile. There was a saying about the Violettes, that they were ultimately destined to lose. All they had to do was point to the likes of Orion Violette during The Great War and Andros Violette during the Faunus Rights Revolution. But having met Nebula, perhaps there was an exception to the rule.

So the Headmistress looked forward to the coming month, already sure of the winner.

Is it a cop out to not show a fight scene? Yes, yes it is. Which is something I'm famous for these days. But I don't feel like the fighting was actually important, especially between the Grimm. You notice how I just glossed over that, because that wasn't what Nebula's story was about. It's like The Walking Dead, its the people you need to worry about, not just the zombies.

In regards to a character like Kruger, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at these aspects of society we haven't seen in the show. Kruger is a Human Supremacist, trying to scientifically prove his ideology, which was a thing people tried to do in real life. So, its this discussion that fits perfectly in the Vacuo setting, where we get to see Humans being villains, not just for criminal empires like Roman, but for their own fucked up beliefs. And you especially see that in Coyote. We will see Kruger and his merry band of misfits again, it just won't be with Nebula.

Also, I think I should address the SSSN vs NDGO fight now. Will it be an AU scenario? We'll just have to find out won't we?

Next time and Interlude, expect that relatively soon, those aren't too difficult to write up. 'Til then, Later Days!