Beacon Official Publications
Professor Oobleck on: Ferox
"The faunus have stood beside humanity for as long as history can record. The faunus are known for having a single animal trait that differentiates them from humans.
However, in recent history, a strain of faunus seemed to have come into the picture, hosting between 3 and 5 animal traits, yet always strongly resemble humans. Their official name is Ferox, but, like the faunus, they are known by many bastardizations and, especially, derogatory names. For a full list, see the Ferox disambiguation.
The emergence of the ferox has left us no closer to understanding our pre-history, unfortunately.
And, unfortunately, as the faunus suffer from discrimation at the hands of humans, the ferox also share their struggle, and in some cases, suffer at the hands of the faunus.
Progress is a slow staircase, please make sure you're always going forward, students."
Hard stone melting into concrete, moss and hardy grass acting almost like connective tissue between the two, sucking the condensation it can reach right off the surface. The perpetual smell of bleach and burnt bread.
This is what Catra grew up in. FZ-H was her block, and 488 was her identification, long, long before she was known as "Catra".
The musty smell had a way of never quite letting you get used to it, and 488 sniffled. She might've been 8 or 9 at the time.
The Compound is quieter today, she thought. The Compound stretched on for at least 4 miles, and was at least 400 feet below the surface. At least, that's what she'd heard from one of the older subjects. 488 had never actually seen the surface before, or anyone that wasn't a ferox, for that manner.
488 looked up at where the lights failed to illuminate the cavern's ceiling. I'm getting out of here.
Catra sat up with a gasp, coughing soon after, the scrapes on her arms healed thanks to her Aura.
"Damn it, Ilia…" She whispered, gazing up at the shattered moon. I let my guard down. Stupid Catra, stupid!
She rolled over to her hands and knees, groaning at how her limbs complained, the heaviness of paralysis and somnolent effect still lingering.
She then struggled to her feet, pulling out her scroll, checking Blake's location.
Thaymor Singing Drinks, in the Southern Quarter of the city.
Catra shook her head. "Going out for karaoke at a time like this, Blake?"
She ran to the parking lot.
"-ing darkness to liiight~" Yang sang into the microphone, following along with the lyrics onscreen.
Blake and Ruby sat in awe, watching as Yang strained to hit every note.
Ruby sipped on her juice box, smiling.
Blake raised an eyebrow. "Does Yang sing often?"
Ruby shrugs. 'Not when I'm around.'
The lights of the bar were red and purple, shining on a white and gold stage.
As Yang belted out the last lines of her solo, she stepped down from the microphone, giving a gratuitous bow.
At the same time, Catra burst through the doors, pushing through the crowd.
"Blake!" Catra shouted, trying to keep her anxiety suppressed.
Yang giggled, cheeks slightly red. "Oh hey Catra, glad for you to join us! Did you run here?" Her words slurred slightly, and Catra frowned.
"No, but me and Blake need to go. Right, Blake? We're meeting up with Ilia."
Blake understood, lying. "R-Right! For math!"
"Mhm! Which we're already late for!" Catra lied with grace, ruffling Ruby's hair. "See you girls later."
The two cat-eared girls quickly exited, and Yang put an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "They sure left in a hurry, eh Rubes?"
Ruby gagged slightly at her older sister's breath. 'One, you've had enough to drink tonight. And...yeah…' Ruby frowned.
Yang grinned. "Maybe they just needed an excuse for some alone time? Keep us out of the dorm?"
Ruby blushed as understanding sunk in.
The motorcycle roared to life as Catra hopped on. "C'mon, Blake, now!"
Blake hurried over, and hopped on, wrapping an arm around the ferox's waist. "What happened?!" She had to yell to be heard as Catra peeled out into the street.
"Ilia knocked me out, and tried to go after you. I guess I found you firs-AHH!" Catra screamed as an SUV nearly T-boned her, Catra narrowly swerving to avoid it.
"Adam?!" Blake cried in alarm. "That was Adam in there! He just tried to run us over!" Her voice tightened with fear.
Blake would easily survive a hit like that, why's she so scared?
Catra filed the question away for later, revving the bike to gain speed.
The blacked-out SUV corrected in the intersection, giving chase.
"Shit, I hope this thing goes faster." Catra muttered, weaving between cars.
Blake's arm tightened around Catra's waist, and the wind roared in her ears.
"Go!"
The SUV was gaining on them, bumping cars out of the way, and pedestrians had to jump out of the way as it took to the sidewalk to avoid traffic.
"He's going to kill someone!" Blake yelled over the wind.
"I know, it'll be us if we can't lose him!" Catra yelled back, rounding a corner.
A DEAD END sign passed them by, and Catra drove right off the edge of the road, into the forest.
Evergreen trees gave way to Forever Fall soon after, and the woods became too dense to drive through. The motorcycle skidded to a stop, and Catra stepped off, drawing her sword.
"Well, Adam?!" She called into the darkness.
We didn't go more than a half-mile, I know he can still hear me.
Blake drew Gambol Shroud, holding it close to her chest.
"We're surrounded for sure." Blake muttered. "Great work, Catra." She snarked.
"I'm counting on it, princess."
"Don't call me that."
Catra smirked. "Unless you're scared, Adam?! Don't you think you can take us without a 2 ton death machine?!" She yelled.
Silence sat in the air, even as both of them strained their advanced hearing and sight.
Catra got back-to-back with Blake, the two of them getting ready.
A shotgun blast boomed as Adam flashed into the clearing, his Grimm mask seeming to glow in the moonlight.
Blake's hands shook as she blocked his opening attack. "What do you want?!"
Catra tried to move in to counter, but Adam barely even glanced her way, kicking her in the diaphragm, forcing Catra to collapse to the ground, gasping for air.
That was hard enough to shatter my ribs, if not for my aura. Catra struggled to keep her eyes open and her grip on her sword tight.
Blake and Adam exchanged blows, Blake quickly getting over her fear.
"Is this what you left for? For a pathetic school life?" Adam growled.
"I didn't leave you, you left yourself behind!" Blake retorted, taking a more defensive stance as Adam re-sheathed, then quickly reversed the action, nearly disarming the Belladonna.
Blake continued, getting into a rhythm. "You don't stand for the faunus anymore! You just want the humans to suffer like you did! That's not justice, it's vengeance!"
Adam's scowl turned up into a grimace. "So what? In the end, the faunus will be treated with respect. They'll be grateful."
He kicked Blake off her feet, the cat faunus slamming onto her back, tucking into a back handspring to her feet. "You're just a murder-"
Adam hilt-slammed Blake's nose while she spoke, but Catra jumped behind him, delivering a sharp elbow to the back of Adam's head. "Miss me?" She hissed out.
Adam simply backhanded the ferox swiftly off her feet. "Is a little privacy too much to ask for?" He snarked, leaves flying into the air as Catra slid across the forest floor.
Damn, he'sfast.
Catra closed her eyes for a second, focusing on the image of Sienna, and felt herself overcome with a somewhat familiar feeling: grudging.
Grudge, Sienna Khan's ability. As the opponent weakens, the user grows more powerful.
Catra got back to her feet, and Blake fired Gambol Shroud point blank into Adam's face, shattering the right side of his Grimm mask, only the outer wisp of a tattoo of some kind revealed. This gave Catra the opening she needed, firmly catching Adam under his armpit and following through, knocking him off-balance and lowering his aura a bit.
At the same time, Catra felt a bit of strength return to her.
Ahh, so that's how it feels. Thanks, Sienna.
Blake didn't let Adam recover, swinging her weapon at him but only able to meet his edge.
Catra advanced from the bull faunus' side, and landed another blow, leaving a gash in Adam's shirt, lowering his aura by a great deal.
"Screw this." Adam grumbled, and tossed a large, unrefined Fire Dust crystal between Catra and Blake.
As he aimed at the volatile crystal, Catra and Blake dove for cover, the explosion shaking the trees.
When Blake was able to look up, Adam had made his escape.
Catra got to her feet, using her sword as a crutch, looking at Blake. "You okay?"
Blake brushed herself off. "No broken bones."
