Flood 3

Taking cover behind an over turned dumpster Coco bit out a curse, "I swear its like fucking wack-a-mole with this guy." she and fox had been at this for what felt like hours. Their foe who had not even deigned to give his name. Was content to wear them out through attrition. Emerging through the ground or a wall to attack then retreating all too quickly.

The ground behind her tore open. A mighty spike of earth launched at her. "Coco duck!" Fox telepathically yelled. The warning came just in time. She ducked under that shot by the narrowest of margins and rolled away from three more spikes of earth that perforated the dumpster and where she just had been. Merging seamlessly back into the ground to whence they originated.

Coco spun the barrels of her Gianduja already spinning. Dust powered rounds enhanced by her potent semblance Hype tore not just whole chunks out of the street but absolutely devastated the masonry. Carving a trench in the street. "You like that, huh?!" she yelled.

Secco bobbed on the surface of the ground like it was water, "I'll fucking kill you!" he exclaimed, diving back underground, The ground around Coco and Fox almost instantly liquefying as if it were quicksand or water. One moment he was waist deep in the ground. The next he was right on top of coco. "If this is all you got, then I don't even need to dive!" he declared in triumph. Raining inhumanly fast and powerful blows down on the trendy fashionista.

Coco weathered each and every blow that battered her form. Maintaining her guard as best she could. Her eyes tracking the patterns of his strikes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, how do you like it." he laughed. Then he made the one mistake he should have never made, aside from living that is. With the unmistakable sound of breaking glass, he got in one good blow that broke her aviator shades. They were completely ruined, shattered, utterly destroyed.

with that Coco was just done, done with today, done with getting blown up, done with someone who thinks they're hot shit, done with being underestimated.

She caught his next punch in a grip unyielding, not unlike a vice. Crushing and unbreakable, silent as the grave as she stared him down. "You know, I get tired when people think that just because I use a Gatling gun like my-," Coco began, only catching his other thrown fist when she was so rudely interrupted. "Rude," she huffed. "Anyway, I get tired when idiots like you think that just cause I use a big gun I must be bad at fighting up close or something."

"Coco, are you ok?" Fox sent telepathically, clearly worried about his teammate and leader. "Fox, I'm gonna need you to stay out of this one." she sent back. "He's mine."

Her grip grew all the tighter, "did it never occur to you that the fact that I wield Gianduja the way I do should be a red flag. Honestly, the torque alone would tear off a normal huntsman's Arms. never mind the recoil." she reared back her head, and brought her head into contact with his own, in one of the most devastating headbutts she could. His nose exploding in a satisfying crunch of bone. Coco let him slip free from her grasp. The ground returning to its solid state in Secco's pained haze. Allowing Coco and Fox to slip free of their immobile prisons.

Three quick strides brought her right on top of the foolish man. Coco brought Gianduja's compact form swinging down, not unlike a flail.

Secco stumbled, sinking into the ground, dodging the blow by the narrowest of margins. "Oh, no you don't." Coco snarled, her purse shifting into mini-gun form. A hail of her semblance enhanced bullets ripped into the spot he had just been.

"Die!" Bounding out of the ground at inhuman speeds, Secco roared his defiance. A fist aimed at her back.

With a sigh of annoyance Coco side stepped the desperate attack grabbing him by that same thrown arm. "Yah, know what the definition of insanity is." Coco said in a lecturing tone. "Its doing the exact same fucking thing over and over again. Expecting a different result."

"Fuck you," he spat, rebounding his leg off the elastic ground to throw a knee into her gut.

Catching the knee with her other free hand, she applied crushing force until she felt the bones creak and went even further.

Secco let out a scream of agony as he felt the bones in his knee and leg be crushed like so much dry kindling.

"I'm going to start beating you now, I don't know when I'll stop." she plainly stated walking over to his crumpled form. "You know you were talking all that good shit just a minute ago. Then I broke your fucking legs." emphasizing her point by stomping down on his other leg... hard.

"N-no, stay back," he whimpered. Using his ability to slip into the ground and escape as best he could. Coco let him go. They had other priorities, like the hostages. She and Fox were not over zealous first years, they ranked as one of Beacons finest second year teams. If their mystery man returned, then he would surrender or die. It was as simple as that.

But what none of them would not, could not know was that in his terror, Secco fled in the direction of the castle. The direction of the flood and the Wretched Egg, the ever consuming Void.

Coco was unsatisfied with the end of the fight, "Fucking coward." She muttered, kicking a misshapen piece of rock left in his wake.

]|[

It was all a blur. One moment she was watching Naruto engage in pitched combat with steely Dan. A battle on a level, Pyrrha knew she would be hard pressed to keep pace with. Even now Dan was hard pressed to do even that. Completely relying on his semblance to make up the gap in skill.

And now she was in a dance of death all her own. With the one who introduced himself as Stinger. It could only be him. And had it not been for Samehada who kept pace. Absorbing blows where she could not. And healing any injuries she sustained.

A job, the sentient blade had already performed once. He hadn't even intended on there being a fight, Stinger had taken her by complete surprise. The man had quickly taken advantage of his faunus traits to slip through her guard within moments of the encounter. That tail of his lashed out quick as lightning, stinging her thrice all in the same instant. Delivering three fatal blows, tearing through her guard and piercing her aura in an instant. Devastating that vital barrier that protected from harm in a matter of seconds. Never was she more grateful than she was now. For the sentient blade.

Worst aside from his rather enthusiastic ongoing murder attempt was that the guy was a chatterbox. He… would… just… not… shut… up. "You know of all the people I've un-alived over the years. No one has survived three doses of my venom."

"Say if you don't make it, can I take your sword… err pet? Yeah, let's go with pet." he said in way of an explanation. "He seems like he would make a good pet."

Detaching from her arm Samahada dropped to the ground a rumbling hiss of a growl its only retort to such a stupid question. Curling itself into a mass of sharp spine like blades. "Ge gee, geeegegeee." its hilt lashing about in clear agitation, not unlike a tail

Pyrrha readied herself shield forward, facing the enemy, her spear in her off-hand. She charged stinger in a clash of spear and shield versus his twin Khopesh. It was not an elegant dance of blades between equals. No, this was a battle fierce and intent with the goal that by its end one would fall.

With the skill that proved he had been more than just a killer at one point in his life. Stinger wielded his Khopesh immaculately, hooking one of his blades under her shield as he pulled hard. Pulling her off balance and in line with the second of his blades. Her pretty little neck fully exposed. And that amazing living blade out of position.

The sands answered her call to arms. Untold billions of grains fell under the sway of her will. Deflecting the strike with an unyielding curtain of iron. As she rolled with the blow, the sand flowed to her will. Writhing like a thing alive, gliding up and around her blade, rippling out across her shield. Six perfectly geometric shapes form from the sand, taking the shapes of an even number of triangles and squares at her back. Each was about the size of a soda machine.

And their magnetic pull was such that Stinger had to fight to keep hold of his Khopesh. Lest he lose them. Pyrrha charged him with a thrust of her spear. Ducking, dodging, and dipping, Stinger did all he could to avoid contact with her blade at all costs. Even when spears of sand lanced out from the cubes of sand to hem him in. He showed just how skilled he was as a veteran of murder and combat.

He cackled and laughed the whole time. "Hahaha, my, my girl, this is the most fun I've had in like… oh, when was it?" He had this look as if in deep thought the whole time, even when he was dodging her with sloppy footwork like he was just asking for something bad to happen. Like he was eager to meet his end.

Snapping his fingers as if he came across some profound knowledge, "Ahha, now I remember. It was right around the same time as I picked up this Stoopid young man. His name was Jacob, he wanted to join me. Thought it would impress me if he killed my target for me." the tone of his voice got steadily darker. Filled with malice. "I was working him for weeks! Then this little shit comes along and ruins it." he said with a sigh, "haha, but you know what?" he asked, his smile growing to manic proportions. "I've learned to make do with what I've got. Ha ha ha ha!" he laughed, charging headlong into a rain of iron spikes. Sheathing his Khopesh, he met her head on. Using only his fist.

Even without his weapons, her shield shuttered under the strength of his blows. He was less restrained, More manic. Putting everything he had into avoiding her blade. Caring not of how he ground away his own aura on her defences. He grappled her shield, uncaring of the violently vibrating sand atop it grinding through his aura. "I've got you now," he declared, his stinger poised to strike. Narrowly avoiding the thrust of her blade. Only losing his grip when the sand atop her shield exploded outward, forcing him back several paces.

"God, do you ever shut up?!" Pyrrha exclaimed. Her sand shifted hints of silver lacing its way throughout. She let out a breath, settling her nerves. She had listened to the tales of Gaara, his father Rasa, and even the Third Kazekage Minoru. All from Shukaku himself. And she had sought to emulate them. Even if their fighting styles did not match hers. How could she not they were the best of their generations at magnet release? It was a mistake, one she would make no more. A sphere of both sand and quicksilver wrapped itself around her. A blend of the two metals Etching itself into her armor, adding to it, altering it.

She looked entirely different from before, her armor once red and gold was now a white silver, it covered her right arm in a hazy sleeve of silver metal, hanging from her hips was a gunmetal gray halve cape. While a half-crown of glowing black and silver steel floated at her head. A wing of silver rested off her left shoulder.

Pyrrha was not the only thing to undergo change. Her spear's blade was bigger now, made up of thousands of rapidly vibrating particles, and her shield rippled with waves of silver metal.

Miló shifted in her hands to its rifle form. And as she took aim, the barrel extension floated into place, held aloft on bands of iron. Rails of the mixed metals formed. Strengthening and enhancing the barrel. Rings of metal formed around her hand.

Just before she fired, Stinger muttered. "Well, that's just not fair at all." no longer smiling, his world went white.

]\[

Yang thought it was amusing to see her little sister take photos of herself and Weiss. Just before their date. The young leader of Team RWBY all but mothered the two girls the whole way to the bullhead. But now that they were on the airship, it was a brief ride to Vale proper from Beacon. Weiss would note that this was her preferred method of travel, as opposed to instant nauseating teleportation. She mentally scoffed, 'you'll get used to it, he says.' she snuggled further into Yang's side, hand in hand. 'Utter rubbish, I say! This is much better, it's more romantic.' Snuggling closer to her girlfriend.

From there it was a short walk into the commercial district and to the restaurant. It was the same one Naruto had taken Weiss on their first date, The Lux. When they entered the building, Yang looked around eagerly at the cozy bi-story restaurant.

The lux was a quaint two-story restaurant with a warm atmosphere, set up for intimate dining, and an open air planned kitchen. So that you could see the staff hard at work. On one wall was a series of tables for general dining and the bar on the other, On the side of the building facing the waterfront was open air dining available. Above that was more private, more intimate dining on the balcony in private booths. That was where they were headed once Weiss spoke to the maître d. He was an older gentleman. Of clear Atlasein descent with shortcut, dark black salt and peppered hair that gave him a distinguished look. Clean shaven, and aristocratic features that made him look rather handsome. He looked positively immaculate in his mystrailian suit. The picture perfect definition of a Maître d'hôtel.

"We have a reservation for two, under Schnee." she said.

He smiled in recognition, "ah yes, if you will follow me. I will take you there personally."

"Thank you, Mr. Monferrato. I hope your day is going well?" Weiss said as he led the pair up the stairs leading to the private outdoor booths.

He smiled as he held the door for the ladies. With a chuckle, he replied, "business is booming as ever, I think you'll enjoy the new menu. It has cuisine inspired by atlas. But please call me Marino."

"Of course, and we cannot wait," Weiss replied.

When they got to their booth. Marino held the door to what was to be their private booth. Only sitting there as if she was waiting for them. Dressed like she was up for a night on the town in an elegant black and Red number that hugged her curvaceous figure. Was one Raven Branwen, looking just as lovely and dressed up as the other two girls with her thick mane of hair styled and left to hang free from its usual ponytail, her lips painted a light pink and wearing makeup.

"Hello Yang, you look lovely dear."

"I am terribly sorry, MS. Schnee, this must be some kind of mistake, if you will give me a moment I will correct this oversight immediately." Marino apologized profusely, directing his attention to the obvious stranger in the booth. He said, "ma'am I am afraid that I will have to ask you to leave. I don't know how you got here, but this booth has been reserved."

"Mom?!" yang exclaimed, in shock over the sudden appearance of her mother. "What are you doing here?"

Pointedly ignoring the Maître d'hôtel, Raven directed her attention to her daughter alone, "we need to talk…"

"Madam!" Marino said, raising his voice to get her attention. "You need to leave NOW!"

Raven glanced his way for a second, snorted in amusement. Then directed her attention back to her daughter. "Alone." glancing at the schnee heiress who yang had stepped in front of as if to shield the smaller girl.

"Anything you have to say, you can say it in front of Weiss too."

By this point a steadily reddening Marino had absolutely had it. He was a man well known for his cool attitude under pressure. He was also known for his temper that burned cold as the deepest pits of hell when he got angry. Raven was only saved from his ill temper by Weiss, "it's ok Marino, I suppose tonight will have to be for three instead." she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Miss. Schnee, are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you Mr. Marino." she responded, giving him a smile. "I don't suppose it's ok to make it dinner for three?" Weiss sighed.

Marino huffed in amusement, his foul mood dispelled. "But of course Ms. Schnee, I will have to inform the young master about this, however." he said, waving his hand in Raven's direction. Dismissing her with a huff. "I will inform the staff of the change." with his peace said, he left to go inform his staff.

Raven quirked a brow in curiosity as Weiss and Yang sat on opposite sides of the table. "So who is this Young Master?"

Both Yang and Weiss gave each other a questioning look. Silently debating on what to tell the raven haired bandit queen.

With an amused nod to Weiss's quirked brow Yang said, "oh, he's nobody, just our boyfriend Uzumaki Naruto." her tone full of wry amusement.

Raven went absolutely still as the grave. No, no, she did not know that. She had come here to tell her only daughter to stay away from that crazy blonde, in part because the utterly terrifying Redheads and their vassals were looking for him. The redheads that had the same surname as the blonde, the utterly terrifying Uzumaki who she feared more than Salem herself.

At least with her dead was dead, and that was the end. With those demons death was only the beginning. Her every instinct told her to run, run far, far away from here. And never look back.

But she made a promise when she inherited this power from Summer, even if it was too dangerous to raise their children herself. That she would always look out for them. It was the least she could do.

repeating the phrase in her head 'for Summer, this is for Summer.' Raven steeled her nerves, resolving to protect the one good thing to come out of her on again off again relationship of her foolish youthful impulsiveness in dating Tai.

"Right then, first things first, I'm too sober for this" Raven declared, ordering a petite arvine, sopraquota 900, a moderately expensive bottle of white wine. Exclusive to the hills of the kingdom of Vale.

She absolutely refused to even start the conversation sober, god why was it her girl enjoyed raising her blood pressure by dating the guy you sent to kill the boogeyman. Why could Yang not be more like adorkable Ruby, the girl would marry that scythe of hers if it were legal.

She just got done dealing with an entire clan of nut jobs like the boy. And worse, they were looking for him. You absolutely did not look for the guy who drags the definition of scary out back and shoots it in the chest then head for good measure. No sir! You did not look.

She completely glossed over the whole 'our' part of the conversation, meaning money. So there was that. She couldn't care less about her Yang dating the Schnee. Not when she knew what she knew.

When the waitress arrived not more than two minutes into what was sure to be a nervous breakdown. With the liquid wonder that was her salvation, Raven decided Marino deserved an apology. And the waitress deserved a major tip.

]|[

There was a reason the Uzumaki were targeted for elimination by three of the five great elemental nations. It was not because of their longevity, their chakra chains, nor their massive chakra reserves that made them the perfect hosts for Biju. That compelled the other nations into destroying the island nation. It was for their gift in the art of fūinjutsu. The Uzumaki ate, drank, and lived the art. An Art Which can be argued to be the most difficult of all the shinobi disciplines. This art that many Uzumaki found was all too easy for them to understand and master.

It was this art that Naruto sought to master once the battle with Isshiki had left not only himself greatly weakened. But his partner Kurama in a coma practically drained of all of his chakra and life force. With a heavy heart and enemies on the horizon, he took a leave of absence from his position as Hokage. One of the hardest things he had ever done. And traveled on a pilgrimage to the site of his ancestral home. All in an effort to find lost knowledge of the Uzumaki. It was a journey that proved... to be fruitful...

The sun mark that rested on Naruto's palm lit up spreading a marking not unlike that of a Kāma along his arm glowing as bright as the star lights in the night sky. With the glowing sun mark and the temporary release of the weight and restrictive limiter seals. Once Naruto landed, he practically blurred. Disappearing in a haze of yellow.

An instant later his fist made contact with Dan's Jaw. black lightning with a red aura sparked out from the point of contact. Sealing script spreading out from the point of contact. The absolute pinnacle of the Uzumaki sealing arts. In the span of under ten seconds, Naruto struck Dan no less than fifteen times. Using the pinnacle of the dual arts that made the Uzumaki so feared. The Uzuken meant for the violently brutal destruction of foes. Strikes that normally would have Pulverised Dan's bones, and pulped his organs in an instant, only saving him by the grace of his vast Aura ameliorating a majority of the damage. The second of the two arts. Learned on his pilgrimage to Uzushio. The infamous and legendary Kokusen, a secret technique exclusive to the main branch of the Uzumaki. Meant to enhance and amplify the effects of fūinjutsu. All of this was further enhanced by Naruto's own variant of the Kāma, meant to enhance and enable access to all the knowledge and abilities of not only his past lives, but those of Indra as well.

Thick branching lines coalesced from the sealing script. Binding and restricting Dan's movement with chakra chains of the purest gold.

Deadly calm in his intent, Naruto walked to the bound man. Who's injuries even now were rapidly mending. And there it was, a look he had seen all too often when he revealed he was a true shinobi. Unbridled fear, thick and wide-eyed terror. Even if it was the first time, this man had shown so much as an ounce of fear.

"What the hell, what did you do to me?" his now bound captive yelled.

Naruto sighed, violently backhanding him in the face. "I have yet to decide what I'm going to do with you. So shut up would you kindly."

"I can't rightly kill you now, no, not without endangering any of your captives that are still alive." Naruto deliberated, "I can however seal you away for now." the blonde immortal decided with a nod.

"What-," Dan tried to ask but was cut off by the back of the church exploding. Blown out by a blinding beam of white. That arched across the horizon.

"The hell was that?" Dan couldn't help but mutter, completely forgetting about his own precarious situation for the moment.

"That would be my partner…" the blonde answered, filled with pride.