Message to Flight Management:
At around 1400 hours, flight number 207 which should have been heading for the American Airport 33 has gone missing. Any attempts at contacting the crew on the plane have been unsuccessful leading to worry. Huntsmen that have been aboard are also unreachable and the captain hasn't responded.
It has been asked if the military could see what is happening. The airplane is still sending out a signal and we have its location. Please check and view just what the situation is. Possible belief is that someone has hijacked the plane itself.
"I thought a lot of those guys looked familiar."
Bandit Princess looked over at Catra who was staring at her tablet for some reason. "What are you talking about?"
"The group with that...guy." Catra answered, hesitating to recall Sammael. "They all looked familiar for some strange reason and I just now remembered. They're all members of the rumored Invisible Hand."
This caused the rest at the table to look at her as Watts cocked an eyebrow. "The Invisible Hand?"
"A few years ago, rumors of a secretive organization sprung up. There was not much to go on at the time, but the rumors stated this organization took in and recruited rogue Huntsmen and criminals and they weren't your average lowlifes either. The majority of them were listed as Class IV to V ranked Hunters, top of the food chain and the most wanted." Catra explained as she held up her tablet and projected an image of what looked like a dark hand with four clawed fingers instead of five. "While rogues come together all the time, the fact that such high ranked people would gather into a single group suggested either someone was paying them a lot of money to work together or..."
"Or there was someone really powerful gathering them together and keeping them from killing each other." Scorpia caught on.
"Exactly." Catra held up her tablet again and projected an image of one of the members of Sammael's group. "This guy for example. Jujanga, a former Huntsmen from Australia and certified eco-terrorist. His Semblance allows him to inject his Aura into anything and acts as a deadly poison, depending on what he wants with just a single touch. Other skills show him to be an expert tracker and a survival expert."
The next image showed a man with a rather gentleman-like presence.
"Sir James, a former Hunter from Mexico also known as Gentle-Jim or the Gentleman for his rather distinguished manners. It says he was a master swordsman and elite hunter but had a falling out with his home when he was accused of several murders that he claimed he was innocent of and was forced to flee and disappeared into the wilderness." Catra continued. "And I think I saw Katz, the serial killer there too."
"I remember him." Hazel noted, recalling how easily the feline Mobian had easily bested him, Cinder and Bandit Princess with only Tyrian putting up a fight at the time. "He is a member of this group?"
"Looks like." Catra nodded. "Maybe now we're figuring out how this Sammael guys knows about you. For all we know, he could have been looking in on you guys after Katz told him what happened on the plane."
Then Salem supposed that they'll have to be more careful in the future. Though considering the possible spy in the midst, it may not even be possible. At the very least Catra identified dangerous threats that she and the others may potentially face in the future. Speaking of threats, Salem recalled Tyrian facing this Katz who is now in Nowhere.
'Well, unlikely those two will meet on the battlefield.' But just in case...
Once more history would repeat itself.
Two men. A mobian and a faunus.
Both had met one another to take part in a heist. Both then fought one another simply due to disliking the other. Now, both will fight again for the sake of pride and vengeance done upon them.
Tyrian Callows, having lost his tail.
Katz, having been shot at.
This fight could have been avoided in all honesty. But needless to say, the second both spotted one another, their injured egos took command of them. Whatever consequence that'll come soon after will be on their heads. But for the time being, they will battle one another and to the death if they can. Not having to worry about any interruptions thanks to no hero being in sight and the Grimm focused on their targets.
As such, it was just them and them alone.
Pow!
Bam!
Along with their fists as both men, after having stopped just a few feet across the other, then immediately threw their fists against the other. For Tyrian, he slammed his fist onto Katz's right cheek. For Katz, onto Tyrian's abdomen. In an instant both then leapt back and immediately began their attack on the other.
"Time to give you a little trip kitty-cat. Hahaha!" With laughter, Tyrian lunged with his blades out and about, their sharpness aimed toward the mobian with intent to cut him down. As Tyrian threw down cuts and slashes in a random chaotic mess, Katz simply kept his cool and observed the attacks.
"Ph." Unimpressed, the mobian cat merely observed their direct paths and avoided each blade with simple agile movement. He then took out his gun and fired at Tyrian's face. Three bullets shot out, fired at point-blank where they couldn't be avoided. Yet despite having shot at such close range, Tyrian reacted much faster.
"Hahaha!" While unable to move his body, let aside his head, Tyrian could move one limb that always reacted accordingly. His tail, which immediately defended his face and swatted down the three bullets before they could even harm him, let aside touch him. With those bullets out of the way, Tyrian then bent down and threw a kick at Katz's face. His boot making direct contact.
As Katz was sent backward, he grunted and landed on his two feet. From his satchel, his bag of tricks, Katz took out a small whistle and blew on it. A miniature laser then came out from it.
"Woah!" Tyrian ducked quickly as fast as he could. Though his ponytail, which had gone upward when Tyrian ducked, hadn't gotten away in time. The miniature laser instantly burning through his hair and the ponytail falling off. Landing on the ground while Tyrian's hair gave off a slight burnt smell.
Growling, Tyrian lunged at Katz, who's disguised laser attack was now empty on juice. Though that didn't mean he was out of the game yet. Smirking, Katz had Tyrian right where he wanted. Squatting down, Katz got into position and waited. Tyrian, just a few feet from grabbing him, the mobian then jumped up with Tyrian missing him entirely.
"I have you now!" With a chuckle, Katz then landed on Tyrian's back and grabbed what remained of his ponytail. "Here!" With a dark smile, Katz gripped tightly and said, "Let me cut off a few more inches. It's on. The. House!" Then tugged as hard as he could and jumped away.
"Gah!" Tyrian felt the remains of his ponytail being ripped off. Skin being taken out as well which caused some tolerable, but still hurtful, pain with blood dripping out. "Bastard!" Tyrian then turned around and threw a punch at the still airborne mobian. Katz prepared for that thought and took out a tennis ball which he then tossed.
Boom!
It blew up and the force of the explosion sent both men backwards from the other. Smoke was also now released and covered the area that obscured both their vision and themselves. Making it so that neither could see the other properly and would have to use their other senses to locate the other. Once he recovered, Katz quickly took out a baseball bat and closed his eyes, listening within the smoke.
"Alright then," The serial killer muttered. "Time to wait a little." Focusing, Katz stood very still and utilized his training to breathe quietly. His ears then heard movement from within the smoke, and knew Tyrian was in there somewhere with him. A giggle is heard, no doubt the scorpion faunus trying to hunt him just as Katz would him. But instead of calling attention to himself, Katz will wait and prepare to attack the second he heard Tyrian getting close to him. Listening for his footsteps or his weapon activating.
As for Tyrian, he was attempting to do the same, though wasn't as silent as Katz or as patient. As Tyrian ignored the throbbing pain the back of his head felt, where his hair and skin had once been, the faunus just muttered at being unable to see Katz. Let aside find the cat through all this smoke. It seems Katz has stepped up his game. And thinking about it, when the two had first met, it had been a surprise for them both. Perhaps this current method Katz is using is when Katz is prepared for his enemy.
'Meaning I'm at a disadvantage.' While it was annoying, Tyrian decided to think back a little on what had been happening before. Particularly, how Katz had been one of the many people with that interesting man. A man who had more or less proclaimed he would crush everyone before him.
'This means Katz and those with him likely have weapons, gear, and preparation against the heroes and Huntsmen currently here.' It wouldn't be a lie saying Katz likely had improved himself for facing the heroes. Having stocked his supplies to face the heroes at this very moment. Where in the meantime, Tyrian had limited bullets and no back-up. Though there was one saving grace for the faunus.
Primarily, how Katz had impulsively attacked him instead of going for the heroes like he probably should have. It was a trait that Tyrian also had, who also sometimes let his judgment get clouded just to fight an interesting enemy. 'Meaning Katz probably can't waste too much of his toys.'
So Tyrian has an advantage. That Katz won't waste his more unique weapons against him, or at the very least Tyrian assumes on that. While the faunus might be a bit of a blood knight, he could use his head when it calls for it. And right now, he had an idea.
Stopping any movement, Tyrian takes off one of his weapons. Then, with a simple tweaking, Tyrian waited for a few seconds and tossed it to his left. Like that, his left side of the Queen's Servants flew into the air and would soon fall onto the ground.
Click.
But before it did, the bracer that was once on his left arm then went off and immediately fired bullets at random. Tyrian having set a timer on it for when it would shoot which was now.
In that instant, in the smoke Katz shot towards the source of the noise, lifted his bat which was then covered in electricity and swung.
"..?" Only to hit nothing but thin air while hearing the sound of the Queen's Servants hit the ground. "Wha-" Tyrian stuck.
"Hahaha!" Now in front of Katz who is imbal;anced from his swinging, Tyrian brought his arm backward, Katz immediately bracing himself for a punch. Instead, it had been a trick and Tyrian had switched limbs and swung his left foot forward and slammed it as hard as he could against Katz's chest.
"Guh!" Katz felt the impact immediately. Had Tyrian done this against an auraless person, their chest would have caved in then and there. But for Katz, who had a powerful aura, all he felt was a sharp thud and air leaving his chest. Followed by Tyrian then saying one thing.
"Kickball!" With a twisted smile, Tyrian saw Katz shoot up into the air and out of the smoke field. Katz coughing and gasping for breath at the same time while holding his chest. His baseball bat was gone from his grasp.
'Baited me.' Kazt realized while huffing. His eyes then narrowing as he saw, bursting from the smoke was Tyrian, now re-equipped with the weapon he tricked Katz with and then raising them at him. Bullets then shot right at him.
"Tch." Clicking his tongue, Katz quickly recovered himself as he began to fall. He then grabbed a small sports drink from his bag. Though this 'drink' wasn't for a quick sip. Shaking the sports drink up and down, Katz then threw it at Tyrian who saw it and instinctively had his weapon tear holes in it. It then only took a second for Tyrian to realize that he probably shouldn't have done that.
"...shit." Because the 'sports drink' was, in truth, a container for what appeared to be many many small spiders. All of whom now fell down on Tyrian and in that moment, did what they normally do when feeling threatened.
Biting.
"Ow-ow-owwwww. Gaaahhh! Get them off! Get em off me!" While these spiders weren't anywhere near as poisonous as their older 'brothers' that Katz normally used, they could still bite with a sting. And with hundreds of them on Tyrian, he could feel them crawling all over him. Their little legs moving about where despite slapping them off himself, there were still countless biting his skin.
"Hehe." Letting himself chuckle, Katz then landed on the ground as best he could. Granted, he did feel an uncomfortable ache from his chest, but nothing he didn't have to worry about. Instead, he focused on Tyrian and ran right at him.
Tyrian saw Katz and immediately went to fire only for his focus to waver when the spiders, some of which had ended up on his neck, bit down in union and distracted him. More than enough for Katz to take out another item from his bag.
"Aw Feeling hurt." Another 'bottle' which Katz began to squeeze. "Then here's some cream to remedy that!" With a grin, Katz crushed the bottle where some cream splurted out and slammed into Tyrian's face.
"Mmuughhh!" One that burned Tyrian, especially since his eyes were open.
Katz then took out a knife and prepared to stab Tyrian in the chest. Focusing his aura on his arms so he could break through Tyrian's own aura to sink the knife in.
"Yikes!" Instead, he had to avoid Tyrian's stinger from hitting his face. Then the bullets came firing out in every direction possible.
"Kill you! Kill you!" Despite the pain Tyrian was in, the scorpion faunus knew his current state would be bad to where Katz would likely attack him. As such, while painful, Tyrian struck everywhere he could. Twisting, spinning, kicking at random while firing bullets all around him to catch Katz off guard. Such action working as Katz couldn't get close from the chaotic motions and actions Tyrian began making, who also worked at removing the cream off his face.
"Ugh. Some people just aren't appreciative." Katz joked while taking out a gun. Seems he couldn't get close and personal, so he'll have to attack long range. Instantly Katz fired where the bullets struck Tyrian.
"Gah!" And drew blood.
"Heh." Indeed. As Tyrian had assumed, Katz had brought the best items with him for this mission. After all, he and everyone else with Sammael were facing some of the greatest heroes and Huntsmen on the planet. To bring anything less could be fatal, and as such, everyone brought with them gear and equipment that would be needed to face those monstrous do-gooders.
The gun Katz had. Made out of a strong alloy metal that could pierce through aura and draw blood. In this case, Tyrian felt his left forearm, right shoulder, and a bit on his lower back having been shot at.
"Grrrr." Such pain humiliated Tyrian. However, it also brought knowledge at the same time. "You." Tyrian, despite still being blinded, immediately turned in Katz's immediate direction to the mobian's surprise. "Found you!" Then instantly rushed at Katz at top speed. Katz fired quickly and his bullets met their mark. Tyrian felt impact on his left side, a graze on his right knee, and a bullet going through his upper right thigh.
Not enough.
Tyrian had the blades on his weapons detract, where he then grabbed the cream off his face. His hands began to burn. The cream being a formula that caused intense stinging pain and caused rashes similar to poison ivy only worse, so Tyrian's face was rather red and looking rather swollen. Still, he could see again and threw the cream on Katz's shooting hand.
"Mrr!" Katz felt the burn and dropped his gun on reflex. But he couldn't let the burn slow him down, as he then saw Tyrian now at him and his eyes and hands glowing purple. "Crap!" Katz then did his best to avoid the faunus's deranged attempts at grabbing him.
Aura. It was a powerful defense and offense for anybody who used it. Where at one's best you could take gunfire to the face or even get hit by a truck and be okay. Especially for Katz who's aura has improved greatly thanks to Sammeal. But Tyrian's semblance, whatever it was, allowed him to bypass aura like so and attack as if he were beating up a normal person.
'Can't let myself get struck again.' Katz thought as he dodged and parried Tyrian's savage attacks, recalling how he got shot so easily because his aura had been disrupted. Thankfully, it wasn't to hard for Katz to avoid the semblance since Tyrian had difficulty seeing properly due to his eyes being a bit swollen. Still, the faunus didn't need full sight to tell he was failing. Thankfully, he had another idea.
Tyrian then leapt backward to Katz's surprise only to see Tyrian's tail come and wrap around his neck. Before Katz could even say anything, Tyrian beat him to the punch. "Have fun!" Laughing, in spite of the lingering burns he felt on his face and the spiders biting him, Tyrian then got on all fours and had his tail take Katz for a nice ride.
"Screw you!" A ride onto the dirt as Tyrian then ran forward and dragged Katz's face onto the ground face first. Granted, Katz's aura prevented his fur and skin being torn off, but nobody liked tasting dirt and rocks. Not helped when Tyrian jumped up and decided to let Katz go, the mobian landing on his back. Eyes widening when he saw Tyrian coming down with a cackle. Katz rolled to the side as Tyrian slammed a fist where his head had and made the ground crack.
Katz then quickly shot his hand forward onto Tyrian's face, the hand which had cream on it from Tyrian's earlier action, and shoved it into Tyrian's mouth. Two things happened at once. The first, naturally Tyrian feeling the inside of his mouth burning, including his tongue.
As for the second-
Snap!
"Ugh!"
-Tyrian biting down as hard as he could on Katz's hand. Twisting his head so that Katz could feel one of his fingers get dislocated.
"And people call me an animal!" Katz mocked in anger as he then headbutted Tyrian which made the faunus let go of Katz's mouth. The killer mobian then adjusted himself, lifted his legs, then slammed his heels on Tyrian's chest and sent him backward. Katz then grabbed another little item from his satchel, hockey pucks, and threw them at Tyrian who was a bit busy spitting out the cream from his mouth. Thus he noticed too late when the pucks landed on his feet which then beeped a second later.
"...really?" Tyrian asked with Katz just smirking.
Boom!
The pucks then exploded, where soon after Tyrian landed on the ground with a heavy thud.
Weakened. Tired. Not to mention itchy as hell. All under Katz's watch who could only grin savagely while fixing his finger again.
"Ha." Katz then laughed, being greatly amused. "Finally got you, damn bastard!" Hadn't been entirely easy, but Katz had done it. Sure he lost a few toys, not to mention his aura was a bit lower, but it had been worth it. Very much worth it.
Tyrian just gave Katz the middle finger.
Crack.
The latter stomped on it and broke a few fingers, making Tyrian grunt.
"Shame." Katz sarcastically said while kneeling down. "But it seems this little game between us is over." From his satchel, Katz took out some kind of stick. It then extended into a hockey stick. Though at the end of it glowed brightly, Katz then swung it near a rock.
It was cut into two.
Realizing what was about to happen, Tyrian just grunted while spitting at Katz's direction. The mobian cat just snorted. "I assume those are your last words?" Katz then raised the hockey stick, ready to cut off Tyrian's head. "If so…how disappointing." Came the insult. Though just moments before Katz could kill this would-be rival, Tyrian then spoke up.
"..oh. No. I do have some words. Advice actually." Tyrian then said, with Katz deciding to just amuse the loser. Only to get a shiver when he saw Tyrian grinning maniacally at him even when some spiders crawled on his swollen face. "Watch out for those toes."
Katz then immediately felt it.
The aura around his foot vanishing, eyes quickly looking down and saw Tyrian's hand, the one he stood on with his right foot, glowing purple. Tyrian extracted the limb while raising his other hand, blades coming out. Where to Katz's horror, unable to react fast enough, Tyrian then struck down with laughter as the Queen's Servants blade sliced right through all of Katz's toes.
Blood shot out of the missing toes and Katz screamed in both pain and rage. The hockey stick then immediately shooting forward and struck Tyrian. Though due to anger blinding Katz, instead of cutting of Tyrian's head like originally planned, he cut right through the very arm that cut off his toes. The energized blade slicing through Tyrian's skin just as the faunus did to the mobian. Cutting off everything, all the way to a bit after the forearm.
The scorpion faunus then felt a good chunk of his right side feel lighter, and in an instant, an immense amount of agony could be felt at the missing limb. But instead of screaming, the very shock of losing everything from his forearm caused Tyrian to immediately go unconscious.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" While Katz, unfortunately, was wide and awake. Thus he could feel the horrible sensation of his missing toes and hopped on one foot. Cursing up a storm as he landed on his butt, Katz looked intently at his foot which was bleeding a lot. Hissing at how his aura, which is still disrupted from Tyrian's earlier actions, wouldn't even heal it properly.
"Damn it!" Katz then took off his satchel, where in consternation Katz desperately searched for something to help. Finding a bottle that wasn't a hidden weapon, he took off the cap and poured it down his bleeding toes. "Mmmmmm!" It burned, like when pouring alcohol onto a bloody wound. But the liquid Katz poured would prevent any potential infection while also would slowly stop the bleeding, at least until his aura came back. Though Katz knew that not even aura could regenerate toes.
Not helped that even with the healing liquid, phantom pain went off while Katz then saw his actual toes a few feet away, as if to taunt him. Not helped that they were right next to Tyrian who was knocked out cold. A second after seeing Tyrian, cold hard rage once began fueling Katz's emotions.
While Katz had indeed won, it was clear it came at the cost of his toes alongside his pride. He'll need to make up for that, starting now. Getting up, ignoring the burning sensation on where his toes had once been, Katz walked toward Tyrian while grabbing his dropped hockey stick. A look at Tyrian's missing arm showed that his weapon had cauterized the wound, though Tyrian was still bleeding out a bit. Of course, Tyrian also had aura still, so those wounds will close back up in time.
"Not for long." Katz said with a dark expression. Prepared to make up for this humiliation by doing what he should have done the first time they met. Ready to ensure this bastard died for real.
"And what do you think you're doing?" Just as Katz was about to beat Tyrian to death, a familiar voice stopped him and he glanced over his shoulder.
"Go away." Le Quack, the second member of Team KLAW of the Invisible Hand and Katz's own 'partner'. Though, everyone knew that it was more of a formality since the two barely liked each other and even then their methods of operation were different.
Katz was more open to cold blooded murder while Le Quack preferred to avoid it unless absolutely necessary, citing it as a dirty business.
Katz would set up all these little businesses to get what he wants while Le Quack masqueraded as whatever he chose or even used actual credentials in his own little plans.
Katz was more brutal while Le Quack preferred subtlety.
They were both placed on the same team by Sammael due to their similar backgrounds. However that didn't mean any of them liked it.
"I think not." Le Quack replied, noting Katz's own injuries. "We are in the midst of perhaps the greatest battle in our lifetimes and you chose to run off and settle an old score...Despite the fact that are a couple already in the tower who are in the same category."
"So I'll finish him here and now." Katz retorted.
"Again, I think not."
That was when Katz froze suddenly and he realized he had been placed under the effect's of Le Quack's Semblance. "Damn...you..."
"Sammael needs us to carry out our own mission inside the fortress. We have to secure the sanctuary of the Gem of Heart and he will not accept your petty vengeance. I am sure you remember what happened the last time your grudge interfered and caused him to punish you for letting the Grimm Slayer escape. Normally I wouldn't bother but since you are our team leader, your failure is our failure and thus the next punishment would fall on us as well." Le Quack stated as he made Katz turn around and face him, allowing him to see the murderous look on the feline Mobian's face. "Don't think I am not prepared to counter your Semblance as well."
He knelt down and picked Katz's own dismembered toes. "I believe a quick visit to the doctor's office is in order. Aqueela, if you would be so kind."
A black puddle appeared under the two and they slowly sank in.
Katz glanced over his shoulder and glared at the still downed Tyrian. "Consider yourself lucky. Next time, only one of us leaves alive."
Then like so, the mobian and his allies were gone leaving behind a rather defeated Tyrian. While far from dead, he would need at least a few days of recovery, especially to treat the bite wounds and the like. Though there may be a chance he'll die here considering he is alone with nobody to help.
"..." Then, from the sky, a Nevermore came down. The very same used by Salem, and had been commanded recently by Salem to locate Tyrian. Its red eyes gazed down at the faunus, and had it been in its usual state, it would have eaten Tyrian. Instead, it grabbed the bags Tyrian had and then picked Tyrian up. Then like so, flew off with Tyrian back home.
And round 2 goes to Katz. More prepared, stronger aura, Tyrian was good and lasted pretty long. But Katz had won while even taking another limb from Tyrian. Though as you can see, it wasn't without a cost seeing as how Katz ended up losing all his toes on his right foot. Maybe not as much compared to Tyrian's own limb, but I imagine Katz wouldn't be pleased by this. Though not as much as he's forced to let Tyrian LIVE as he's forced to join the battle while Tyrian is allowed to live another day.
Though Tyrian might wish he WAS dead since once he wakes up, well...
In any case, a round three might happen or might not.