Disclaimer: RWBY is property of Roosterteeh, not me.
From Cinders Comes Fire - Trial by Fire
"Warning! Warning! Due to Grimm threat levels exceeding expected parameters, Professor Lionheart has declared the initiation test to be cancelled. Airships have been deployed to gather all students and return them to Haven Academy. All students are to abandon the test and return to the staging area immediately. This is not a drill. Repeat. This is not a drill."
The message was sent over the entire forested area where the initiation tests were held, repeating at set intervals as Haven Academy tried to scramble and get a handle on the situation as it was unfolding.
Almost immediately after the first warnings of an unidentified grimm were given, Lionheart took action as he made it back to Haven's school grounds, barking orders and rallying the rest of the faculty. Transports were getting prepared to collect any students they could find, and several drones were quickly launched ahead to relay the warning to any students that lacked scrolls to try and draw them back towards the school.
It was still such a vast area to cover. It would take time for them to cover it all and get all the students back safely. Time they simply didn't have if the warnings about this one grimm were accurate. It seemed to have appeared without warning, covering a great distance very quickly, completely undetected until it was within the academy's borders. It now lingered completely out of sight, despite its apparent size, and nothing so far had been able to locate its exact location. Not only that, but its threat level was the greatest Lionheart had ever seen for a single individual grimm. Stronger than an entire herd of goliath grimm.
And if it managed to find a group of students who were unaware of its presence…
He shook his head sharply. Now wasn't the time for hesitation. He activated his scroll. "Azure, talk to me. How's the situation coming along?"
"As best as can be, all things considered." The blue haired professor was hard at work in the faculty's main control room, trying to guide the drones to relay the message as far and swiftly as possible, his one hand typing out commands faster than most could perform with two. "Areas nearest to the school have already been safely evacuated, but deeper in remains a problem. It appears that the drones are dealing with… some sort of sensor issues."
"How do you mean? Are the drones not able to locate the students deeper in?"
"That's just it. Something appears to be jamming their signal as they get deeper in, preventing us from surveying the area. It doesn't appear to be the forest itself, and I've already ruled out the grimm is capable of such a thing... unless it's very intelligent... and toying with me by hiding its true abilities... hmm... Perhaps if I were to perform some tests later, I could—"
"Azure!" Lionheart snapped. Now was not the time for the man's wayward curiosity to distract him.
"Right, sorry... I'll keep trying. But whatever is causing this interference, it's not natural."
The Headmaster changed frequencies. "Mordin, Hyacinth, everything okay I your end? Any signs of the unidentified Grimm?"
"All students in my area are accounted for. Heading back to the school now." Hyacinth's response was immediate, voice raised to be heard over the airship's engines as it began taking off. "We'll drop off the kids and then make a deeper sweep to see if we can locate where the grimm is lurking. No signs of that thing yet, but we'll keep looking until we find it or it retreats on its own."
"I can't find anything either. There's still students unaccounted for and none of them have put out any sort of distress signal or even any hint of their location," There was a muffled curse, and then the sound of something being struck, frustration bleeding into Mordin's tone, "I feel like I'm running blind here! How can something that big hide so well?!"
"I understand your frustration, Mordin." Lionheart was quick to step in. "Believe me, I do. But I need you to keep a cool head. Getting angry won't make it any easier to find."
"Rrrgh… fine." A small pause as the Dragon Faunus tried to calm herself down. "Are the drones picking up anything? Anything at all that we can use?"
Azure tried to see if he could answer her question. "Still nothing I'm afraid. As I said, everything further north keeps getting—" A loud series of beeps suddenly cut him off, followed by a machine flatline. Typing sounds echoed through the connection as Azure tried to figure out what just happened… and then he cursed. "One of the drones just went offline!"
"What?"
"Where? I don't see any smoke coming from the trees." Mordin was straining outside of the airship's hangar as far as she could, eyes wide, scanning all over. "You sure?"
"Positive! Drone number three isn't responding at all. One moment it was fine, the next it lost control and shut down. Now there's no signal or anything! It's just... gone!"
All of the teachers fell silent, an unspoken agreement materializing in their minds all at the same time. The drone couldn't have possibly crashed on its own. Not in such a way that it was completely destroyed. It had to have been shot clean out of the sky to suddenly cut off like that. This meant the unidentified grimm could attack from long range. As if its threat level wasn't big enough as it was...
"We need to find this thing right now." Hyacinth was the first to speak. "Azure, can you pinpoint where the drone crashed? Where it first set off the alarm? Anything?"
"Give us a rough estimate. Where was the drone flying when it was shot down?" Lionheart ordered, hoping it would speed things along.
"Checking now… Almost…" More clicking sounds, faster, more urgent as he worked, followed by a loud ping of success. "Got it! The drone was heading towards… Oh no… It was heading towards the old fortresses in the northwest quadrant. Right where we placed the relics! The students could be heading straight towards that thing!"
It took everything in Lionheart's power not to freeze up at Azure's words. He recovered quickly, knowing time was of the essence. "Alright. Mordin, get over there as soon as you can. If there are any students near the relics, pick them up and get the hell out of there before that thing shows up. If you spot the grimm, do not engage, just get the kids out of there. Hyacinth, as soon as you drop off your students, do the same and support Mordin. Repeat, do not engage this grimm unless absolutely forced to."
He could almost hear the smirk forming on Mordin's face. "You got it, Leo. Time to head out! Let's move!"
"Understood. Hyacinth moving out."
"Azure," Lionheart continued, "Send all available drones to the northwest quadrant to find where that drone crashed down. I want this grimm found, and I want my students out of there, safe and sound. They may be eager to prove themselves, but they're still just kids."
"Already working on it now. I'll keep you posted."
Orders given, the Headmaster of Haven closed his eyes, offering a silent prayer. Please... Please let them be safe. Please let us be swift enough to protect these kids.
If only he knew what this mystery grimm was...
He smelled the smoke and fire long before either of them saw the wreckage.
They had both heard it at the same time: a small explosion that was muffled, but unmistakable, drawing their attention. The next moment, the sound of something flying, screaming through the air at very high speed, before crashing hard and heavy, shaking the trees as it hit hard. The sight and sounds were so colossal, they had to go and investigate, curiosity at what had just happened too strong to be ignored.
A pall of smoke soon rose high over the trees as Cinder and Stone approached, casting the sun's rays into greyish haze, and beneath the scents of burned wood and grass lay the odor of scorched metal and burning machinery, as well as... something else. An acrid and bitter undertone that defied description and kept a near-constant surge of bile waiting at the back of his throat. Stone had smelled nothing like it in his life. Now it filled their world, growing stronger with every step they took as they entered the clearing.
"A drone." He stated upon seeing the wreckage. Something didn't feel right about all this, but he couldn't put a finger on it. "What could have happened to it?"
Cinder did not reply, lowering herself to a knee, inspecting what remained of the drone. The one side of its metal plating was partially melted, the rest of it burning or broken, twisted in unnatural ways. Wether it was caused in the crash or just before, the drone's camera and audio speaker were both damaged beyond repair, so no chance of them figuring out what its purpose was or what caused the drone's sudden crash landing. The heat coming off the melted side was much stronger than the other, enough to cause her to avert her gaze if she looked directly at it for too long, but nothing remained to indicate what had happened. There was also no tracks or signs of wildlife in the area. Nor were there any other signs to determine what exactly caused such damage. What could have happened to it?
"It looks like it was unmanned, so no one got hurt at least." She curled her fingers into the grass, feeling the tender blades crush in her grip and pull free of the spongy spring turf from which they grew. She closed her eyes, clenched her teeth, waiting for the worst of the smell to pass before she pushed herself to her feet again and set off, one cautious footstep after another. "We should keep moving."
"What do you think happened?" The giant had approached, already at her side in an instant, moving more silently than anyone north of seven feet tall had any right to. It was already starting to become a habit of his, somewhat routine despite the two becoming partners only recently. A part of her wondered how long it had taken Cy to grow accustomed to Stone's quietness.
"I don't know," she replied evenly. "In fact, part of me would rather not find out. You said the shrine was not too far from here?"
"Yeah. It shouldn't be too much longer." He was speaking to her, but his eyes were on the horizon, scanning their surroundings, the features of his face set in unreadable lines. Unlike before, she now knew it was him being cautious, wanting to keep both of them safe. "Assuming we encounter no more grimm along the way, we should be there soon."
"Let's not stay here then." She got to her feet, bow out in front of her. The feeling that something wasn't right was starting to get to her as well. "The sooner this test is over, the better.
"Agreed..."
Despite the feeling they were being watched, the rest of the journey towards the shrine Stone had seen earlier was uneventful. The shrine appeared to have once been part of an outer temple of sorts. A place of worship that had long since been abandoned by time and left to the wildlife and other elements. One wall was erased outright, while the others were covered in various degrees of vegetation, half crumbled and in other states of disrepair.
They approached the ruin cautiously, on their guard for grimm ambushes or if other students had already arrived. Neither of which were present, yet they chose not to relax just yet. The interior was relatively empty save for pedestals lined up along the circular curve of the tower. Atop the pedestals objects sat various objects, some glowing with a faint golden hue, others a bright metallic silver.
"Chess pieces?" Cinder asked as she looked closer. "Are these the relics Professor Lionheart wanted us to find?"
"So it would seem," Stone rumbled. "I think it's the same for each school. Ozpin oversaw much of the school's various initiations himself, but I am uncertain about the exact details. …Which piece do you want?"
Cinder looked over the pieces remaining. Some were missing, including the King and Queen pieces of both sets. Evidently they weren't the first students to arrive. "Seems my favourite piece isn't an option. Pity."
"Nor the king," Stone noted, before reaching out to pick up a silver Knight piece, inspecting it in his hand.
"Trying to be the knight to my queen, Sir Stone?" Cinder asked, a small smirk on her lips.
A small chuckle broke through Stone's stoic demeanour. "If that is what my lady commands." He even went so far as to give her a small bow, earning a smile from Cinder before motioning towards one of the matching pieces. Cinder picked it up, looking it over carefully, nodding in satisfaction. With this, their task was now complete.
"Oiiii!" A familiar voice called out, getting their attention. "Glad to see we're not the only ones to make it!"
Cy Reiner came up over the nearby hill waving with the biggest grin on his face. They also recognized the Atlas girl following right behind him. Considering how they had been at odds with one another during their first meeting, Stone could not help but give a small wince of sympathy. That was a pair of teammates that would need time to smooth out its rougher edges.
Still, Cy appeared to be all smiles as he approached. "Hey guys! Fancy running into you out here. Having fun on your wildlife adventure?"
"As fun as can be, given the grimm." Cinder replied, but still smiled all the same.
"Ha. True enough. I see you got Stone as your partner. Lucky you. She treating you alright, Big Guy?"
"She is."
"Terrific! Oh, and by the way, this is my partner-"
"Ivory Mineko." Ivory interrupted, voice cool. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at her partner. "Must you ramble on so much?"
"Hey, I'm just trying to have some fun. Sheesh."
Cy was walking around, admiring the stone ruins around him, while Ivory seemed more focus on wether the area was secure or not, clearly choosing to ignore him. Finally she approached the relic pedestals themselves, grabbing a the final pair of silver knight pieces, then shoving one rather hard into Cy's arms, knocking him slightly off balance as he tried not to drop it.
"Some of the pieces are missing. I guess we weren't the first ones to arrive," Ivory noted.
"Must have been picked up by the airships already." Cy shrugged. "No need to hang around once we're done, right?"
"We haven't seen any airships." Cinder looked up towards the sky. "Besides the drone that crash landed, we haven't seen anything really."
"You saw that too?" Now Ivory's attention was on Cinder.
"We inspected the crash site. Half of it was melted by... something. I have no idea what could have caused it though."
"Hmm... The drones were designed and built in Atlas. They don't just crash on their own. Maybe it was shot down?"
"By what? Some sort of grimm?" Cy had heard of Nevermore attacking drones before, but didn't know of any that could melt something made of Atlesian steel.
Ivory shook her head. "I don't know. This all just seems... off somehow."
Cy shrugged, tucking his relic away and reaching for his scroll. "Well, no point hanging around here if we're all done. Time to call for a pickup." He started typing on his scroll… And was stopped as the scroll immediately flashed red, repeatedly showing the same message.
*Error* … *Error* … *Error*
"What the hell...?" He tried to type some more, pull up some other options. Nothing worked, the error message continuing to flash at him despite his efforts. "What's wrong with this thing?"
"It's not just yours. Mine's out too…" Ivory held up her scroll. It was flashing the same message. Whatever it was, it wasn't an isolated case.
"Think the CT Tower's offline?"
"It shouldn't be…"
"Whatever it is, we shouldn't stay here." Cinder declared. "Something is clearly wrong. We have to leave, see if we can make it back to the staging area on foot."
Nods of agreement all around. Not wanting to find out what was causing this, the four huntsmen in training began to move out in the same direction form which they had first arrived. Stone, however, lingered behind, casting his gaze once more the area. Specifically towards the pedestals that had been empty upon their arrival. As Ivory had said, it appeared that others had managed to reach the shrine first.
…So where were the other students? Where did they go, if hailing an airship to return was not possible?
"Stone, you coming? Let's go!"
Still on guard, Stone hurried after the others, pulling Valor off his back and holding his weapon tight as he did so.
It was difficult to determine how long they had been traveling through the forest. Apart from the crashed drone, there were very few signs that could mark their progress as they tried to make their way through the woods. With each step taken, the feeling of unease and being watched gradually grew until it started to become almost unbearable. All four of them kept their weapons in hand, not knowing if they actually were being watched by grimm or possibly something equally dangerous. Wether it was imagination or not, they remained ready all the same. Their hopes that the issue with their scrolls would fix itself as they got closer to the school was quickly dashed; the same error message continued to play loudly whenever they stopped to check.
A current of air tickled the underside of Cinder's chin as she ducked under a large branch, then paused and reversed itself as the light pressure waxed and waned. The cycle repeated itself at inconsistent intervals, creating invisible eddies that brushed against her skin like fountains of roiling water. Her breathing was calm, if slightly ragged from all the hiking, but still soft in comparison to the assortment of other sounds that propagated throughout the trees and shrubbery.
They still hadn't encountered any other students, either heading towards the relic's shrine or elsewhere. As more and more time passed without that changing, the feeling of unease grew even more pronounced.
"You think we would have seen somebody else by now." Cy said to no one in particular, speaking what everyone else was thinking. "Like, I know this forest is huge and all, but still... Where the hell is everybody?"
"I'm more concerned about our scrolls not working." Ivory was busy inspecting her own. "Perhaps if we had some time, I could find out what's causing the lack of signal."
"Any ideas what's wrong with it?"
"The scroll itself seems fine; I don't think it's just some kind of connection issue. I'm not entirely sure. Maybe if we had a means to boost the signal or interact with the—" She suddenly stopped, looking around. "Wait… do you hear that?"
They all stilled, listening intently, grips tightening on their weapons.
"…I feel like we're being watched … but I don't hear anything." Cy whispered, fearing speaking too loudly might cause him to miss what he was supposed to be listening for.
"No forest creatures." Stone answered. "It's too quiet."
"Exactly." Ivory's face was grim, pressing two fingers against her temple. "The forest is too… still. Something's in the air, something… unnatural. Even the leaves are silent."
Everyone was tense, waiting as the silence reigned.
And then, as if close by and yet covering a great distance, a single, deep roar echoed through the air. The power behind it was unmistakable. Something truly deadly.
A brief look of fear flared up briefly in Cinder's face, as it did the others, then faded just as quickly. "We need to get out of here," she ordered. "Something is definitely out there, and I don't want to be around if it decides to come after us next."
The hiking pace they had been using before turned to one of running, eyes still searching through the many trees for something, anything that could tell them where they were or how far away they were from making it safely back to Haven. The silence was their only answer, with no visible indications anything was nearby and yet ominously implying there was something out of sight, just the same.
After a while of sprinting, dodging through the trees and hoping that they were still going the right way, they finally hit a stroke of luck: a large gap in the forest where no trees had grown, a large gap that Cy recognized as a location he had ventured through near the beginning, not too far away from where he had first landed. The group of four doubled their speed, and swept out into the opening with all the speed they could muster—!
Only for Cinder to hear an inhuman shriek that caused her to freeze in her tracks, leaping back as something large and heavy slammed into the grass and dirt directly where she would have been had she not stopped in time. It tore up the earth with ease, leaving a divot large enough to fit a full grown man. Her eyes shot up to the tops of the trees, seeking out her attacker. Was it a grimm? The thing that was lurking out of sight all this time?
She did not need to look long. It was perhaps the only person in the entire world she was not happy to see right now.
"Well, well… what have we hear? Fancy running into you out here, Outlander."
Dropping down form the tree branch he had been standing atop of, Otho Rost landed with a flourish, drawing a one handed arming sword from his belt as he rose to his full height, the blade a bright silver with orange runes engraved along the metal, the blade thin and slightly curved halfway down its length. On his left arm, a heavily armoured gauntlet covered the entire arm, resembling samurai's armour in its design, yet wide enough from wrist to forearm to work as a medieval knight's shield.
Moments later, a girl in dark black-purple leather armour that left her right arm bare sauntered out of the trees, taking her place right at his side, sporting a smirk not too different from Otho's own. Resting atop her shoulder was a large weapon that could only be described as a two handed, bladed club with a cannon built into it. She was only a few inches shorter than him, long white hair hanging loose down her back with one bang colored crimson covering her forehead and a part of her right eye. The smoke rising from the barrel of her weapon made it clear she had been the one to fire at Cinder, narrowly missing the mark. Cinder gripped her bow tighter. That was a weapon she would have to be careful dealing with.
"I half expected to hear you ran into a Beowolf pack and gotten yourself killed, though I'm glad that's not the case." Otho's smirk never left his face as he started closing the distance, the girl following right behind him. Even as he was talking, two other boys—friends of his no doubt—were approaching as well. Cinder didn't care, her focus entirely on Otho. "This way is much way is going to be so much more fun."
"What do you want, Otho?" Cy demanded. He already had Torchy in hand, having a pretty good idea exactly what Otho wanted.
He was right. "For little Cinder here to honour our agreement from yesterday." came the simple, arrogant reply. "You do remember what we discussed, do you not?"
"Now is really not the best time for this, Otho." Cinder tried to warn him, but was already coming to the conclusion a fight was going to happen regardless. Otho was making the first move, and already doing his best to provoke her. "We're cut off from the CT Tower. There's something out here. Something dangerous. We need to get out of here before—"
"Oh, I'm already aware about that. And to be frank, I don't care." A dark chuckle escaped him. "Look around you. A perfect arena right in the middle of nowhere. No teachers to get in the way and no witnesses. Just you and me, just like we were hoping for." He brandished his blade, aiming it towards her throat. "Don't worry, I promise Fig and the others won't interfere. They're just here to make sure you don't try running off."
The girl, Fig, gave a small mocking bow in greeting, purple eyes bright with malice. Cinder highly doubted she was simply there to observe, or the others for that point. Still, she tried once more to reason with Otho. "Were you not listening? I told you we have to get out of here. There's something out there. We're not—"
"I didn't ask for your objections. I don't care what a weakling like you is apparently so scared of. Draw your weapon. Now. Or…" His eyes flicked over to the others, pausing on Stone, who had silently stepped forward to stand at Cinder's side, something she acknowledged as well with a meeting of gazes and a small nod. "Seems you managed to find a partner yourself. A full team in fact. Unlucky them. What do you say we spice things up? I'd say the odds are fair. Four on four, right Fig?"
"I don' know." Fig smiled darkly, cracking her neck and rolling her free shoulder. "These people seem to t'ink they can outsmart us. Maybe… maybe. I have yet to meet anyone who can outsmart my cannon."
"You people are acting like fools." Stone growled. "Stand down. Now. This is not the time to be fighting."
"Not gonna happen." One of the boys behind Otho sneered. He was dressed in green, using some sort of sword with built in grappling hook and gun function in its hilt. The other wore white and yellow robes in a similar fashion to Otho, even sporting a similar gauntlet and blade. Had they been trained in the same manner?
"All that tough talk and now you're trying to back out." He sighed in mock disappointment. "I suppose it was stupid of me to expect an outlander to try and keep her word. You should go back to hiding in the woods like a good little weakling. You're clearly unworthy of being a huntress."
Cinder grit her teeth at that, splitting her bow into its twin blades. Fine then. If Otho wasn't willing to listen, then she would make sure to end this quickly. She raised the blades in preparation for battle at the exact same time Stone readied Valor, pommel facing toward Otho and Fig, the axe angled high and over his head, ready to be brought down with full force, all but daring them to come into range. Cy and Ivory were ready as well, Cy in front ready to charge and Ivory angling back, taking aim with her weapon in its rifle mode.
*Thud*
Everyone started at the sound of the impact. It was faint at first, but distinct enough that it couldn't be overlooked where everything else was so quiet before.
*Thud*
Another heavy impact, much louder, much heavier than the first. The distance was closing fast. Both groups started looking around, trying to find the source of the heavy tremors.
And then they heard it, all at the same time. Something that sounded like a mix between a thunderous growl and massive roar sounded off in the distance, deep and booming. Strong and foreboding enough to make their blood run cold.
"Now do you believe me?" Cinder snapped at Otho, glaring at him.
He was too focused on sudden new development to acknowledge what she said.
*Thud*
The ground was beginning to shake now from the impacts, trees creaking, a loud crash audible as one toppled over, the earth cracking under the strength of each impact. The mighty footfalls of something big still rapidly approaching.
"What the hell is that?" the boy in green asked. His eyes were wide, searching the trees, backing away with audible fear in his voice. "Otho, think this is—?"
"Shut up." Otho snapped, his focus solely on the trees around them. "I need to hear. Stay focused..."
Everyone was tense now. Whatever it was, the thing was coming closer...
*Thud!*
The impact was so strong, it managed to knock some of the huntsmen in training down to their knees. They struggled back to their feet, some shaking, others clearly on the verge of panic, barely keeping it together. It sounded like the creature was right on top of them now... so where was it? Why couldn't they see it? Something so big, making such a thunderous racket with its footsteps, couldn't possibly be this illusive?
"I can't see anything..." Cy muttered under his breath, grip on his weapon tightening. "Ivory?"
She shook her head, a bead of sweat visible on her brow. "...nothing. I can't see anything out there."
*THUD!*
Everyone had their weapons trained on the forest, both groups forming a circle in the centre of the opening. It was definitely overtop of them now, ready to strike. The students took aim, waiting for the attack to come…
…
… and then nothing.
The silence stretched out for what felt like an eternity. And then longer still. No matter where they looked, no one could see anything. There was no movement in the shadows of the trees, no black and white coloration, nor glowing gold and red eyes that would have been the telltale signs of a grimm.
… So why did it feel like they were moments away from being massacred?
"Otho, we need to get out of here." The boy grabbed Otho by the shoulder. "Let's just go before what—"
*CRACK!*
A loud snap caused everyone to jump. They all turned just in time to see one of the large oak trees begin to splinter and rupture, breaking apart and pitching straight towards them.
Cinder's eyes widened. "Scatter!"
All eight students scrambled to do so, running out of the falling tree's path. Most were safely out of the way in seconds, while others only just narrowly avoided the tree as it crashed heavily into what had been the centre of their formation. When the dust settled, everyone was unharmed, but the tension in the air was so thick now, it threatened to overwhelm them.
"Goddammit!" Cy swore as he pushed himself back to his feet. "This thing is playing games with us! Just come out and fight us already!"
Nothing responded to Cy's outburst. It only continued to let the pressure build. A feeling of coldness started to permeate the area, as if all warmth and life was slowly being drained away, leaving only dread, death and emptiness to circle and overwhelm them. A void they could not escape from even if they did try to flee.
Cinder swallowed, finding her throat dry. She tried to reattach her blades into a bow, fitting an arrow to the string, her attention diverted for the moment as she moved to grab an arrow on her back—
"CINDER, BEHIND YOU!"
It was Stone who spotted it first, shouting the warning just in time. Ivory opened fire a split second later, shooting at the long, snake-like creature that had just moments before been about to wrap around Cinder's neck and torso from behind. Cinder nearly jumped out of her skin as she saw it, leaping back and away from it out of pure human reflex. So much so, she ended up tripping over herself, falling over in her haste, scrambling to regain her footing as everyone else with projectile weapons opened fire as well.
"Watch out!"
"Shoot it! Shoot it down!"
It's stealth attack foiled, the snake-like grimm immediately recoiled back, retreating into the forest once more. The students continued to fire after it, trying to kill it before whatever grimm it was managed to escape.
"Open fire! Everyone shoot!"
More of the surrounding trees exploded into wooden fragments as the students all unleashed as much firepower as they could in the direction it had fled in. Stone and Otho, the two primary melee fighters who lacked ranged weaponry, moved to the front of their rough formation, trying to form a defensive wall so as to protect the others should the grimm try to break out of the forest and rush them.
It never did. As quickly as it had appeared, the snake-like grimm had vanished. Was it really retreating? Or regrouping to attack from another direction?
"Everyone quiet! Stop shooting!" Cinder bellowed. "You're just waisting ammo! Stop shooting!"
Not everyone responded right away, but eventually the spray of gunfire began to recede, until silence once again resided over the area. Everyone was panting hard, adrenaline still coursing through their blood, still on edge now that they knew that a grimm was indeed ready to strike.
"Hah... Hah... Hah... I think... I think we scared it off." Otho's friend in white said in between heavy panting breaths.
"I don' think so." Fig spoke this time, sweeping the trees with her cannon raised. "What the hell was—"
*BOOM!*
It was louder than any explosion. The forest directly behind the students seemed to burst apart as it charged out into the open for the first time.
Directly behind them.
Too late did they realize that the snake-like grimm had actually been the creature's tail, used as a distraction to lure them into turning their backs from the real, much more dangerous threat. No longer having any need to lure them out of formation with its toying distractions, it launched itself forward with a sudden speed that should not have been possible for its size, charging forth into full view of its prey.
Powerful. Monstrous. Terrifying. The words tumbled over each other as the gale overtook them, the shadow of death burning its visage into their eyes. The mighty bulk, the lashing tail, the powerful bone-like armour covering most of its body, the sinuous neck and the massive, triangular head with eyes burning like crimson hellfire as it revealed itself in full, roaring an almighty bellow that reverberated through the forest and mountains with unparalleled might.
It was not a Dragon, Cinder thought as she got a better look at it, but more like a demon. An embodiment of death and destruction made flesh. It was the biggest grimm she had ever seen in her life. So large that it towered over the largest trees as it rose onto its hind legs, preparing to fight, easily dwarfing the eight students in front of it.
And it was fast. Far too fast. In the blink of an eye its massive jaws, filled to the brim with razor sharp teeth, snapped open, closing shut around Otho's friend, the unfortunate victim of proximity. He vanished from sight before he could even try to cry out for help. Shaking its head back and forth like a massive reptile, the grimm swallowed the boy whole, a few jerks of its massive head tearing its victim apart.
It did not kill him instantly. They could still hear his screaming, his howls of pain and terror echoing deep from within the beast's throat. There was nothing they could do to help him, only helplessly listen as he was eaten alive.
"Oh my god!"
"What is that thing?!"
"Run! RUN!"
Fear and panic erupted all at once. The students all scattered, trying to run away from the monster in front of them as it. By complete chance, they all retreated in the same direction, the massive grimm unleashing another thunderous bellow behind them before it started moving to pursue. The ancient trees of the forest offered no resistance to its strength, knocked aside as it plowed straight through them, everything reduced to splintered ruins.
The next few moments were nothing but a blur of chaos and desperate retreating. All Cinder could remember were brief flashes and images of what was happening all around them. It was as if the world seemed frozen in that very moment, as if they were all insects trapped in amber, or as if the grimm's mighty bellow was a spell that managed to slow time, leaving her free to observe with an odd sense of detachment amidst the panic and fear.
She watched as Ivory took aim with her sniper rifle, saw the notch alongside the weapon's barrel that would need repair.
She saw Stone bending mid run to scoop up Fig as she stumbled and fell, helping her to her feet, saw several tears that hung on the girl's cheeks like glass beads.
She saw Cy and Otho turn their heads, saw the shock and horror etched onto their faces as the grimm came way too close to sending them to their deaths, a swing of its massive claws as it tried to catch its prey just barely missing the mark, digging up most of the earth directly behind the both of them as they continued to run.
She saw the monster's mighty form rear up; the red-rimmed burning eyes met Cinder's own for a moment, and Cinder saw no hatred or animalistic fury. Instead she saw a sinister intelligence, as if it clearly knew what it was doing. Worse still, she saw amusement. It was enjoying this little game of cat and mouse, as if encouraging them to prolong the inevitable as its prey narrowly cheated death with each lunge and swipe that it took.
Then another mighty bellow shook the world as it roared once again, deep, earth shaking and piercing into her very soul, and the spell shattered like dropped crystal.
The forest surrounding them seemed to vanish in an instant, leading them towards a massive cliff edge and an even deeper ravine. Only a single wood and rope bridge gave them a means to escape from the pursuing monster, allowing them across the seemingly bottomless chasm and towards safety: a large stone castle, long abandoned and with walls falling apart from decades of misuse, but the fallen shards plenty big enough for cover. It wasn't the best thought out plan, but the students were cut off from the rest of the world in that moment, terrified, and operating more on instinct than conscious thought. Their only concern was escaping from the monster behind them. They all sprinted as fast as they could across the bridge single file, hoping to use the fortress to protect themselves.
Moments later, the trees on the forest's edge exploded outward, the massive grimm barreling its way through them. It skidded to a stop as it saw the cliff's edge, its tail smashing into the dirt as it readjusted its posture. The amusement from before quickly faded, replaced with an angered hunger, searching for a means to continue its pursuit and finding none. It growled deep in its throat, baring its massive teeth.
And deep within its maw, a deep azure glow began to form, growing brighter by the second.
"It's got a breath weapon!" Otho called out in warning.
"Take cover!" Ivory shouted.
A blaze of azure fire erupted from the monster's mouth, a massive BOOM that was louder than a thunderclap. It only narrowly missed hitting Cy dead on as he and the other students dove behind the castle debris. Instead the fire tore straight through whatever defences had been directly in its path. Everything it touched was destroyed outright, all but incinerated by its power. Even worse, whatever remained was already starting to melt or combust into bright and volatile blue flames, the sheer heat coming off of the melting fragments impossible to describe, burning everything away until there was nothing left to burn. Even Cy's aura began to burn brightly, simply by being way too close to the blast radius, forcing him to scramble away less the rest of his body quickly followed suit.
"Holy—" he bit down the curse, swatting away the burning flames on his arm. "Don't let it hit you!"
"Spread out and keep it distracted! Don't let it focus on a target!" Cinder shouted, heedless of the radiating heat. "Stone, get the others to safety. Cy, cover their backs. MOVE IT!"
The monster reared up to strike again, then pulled up short as the students began shooting back, flinging its head skyward and snarling in anger as it protected its eyes from the return gunfire, relocating in an attempt to evade. It weaved and bobbed in place like a mongoose fighting a snake, seeking the source of the gunfire amidst the rubble as it prepared to fire once more. It's second attack was as devastating as the first, the blaze destroying another section of the protective walls and melting or combusting whatever remained too close.
Sliding into cover, Cinder's left hand settled into the grip of her bow, her right reached back to pluck an arrow at her back, practiced fingers easily finding the fletching, fitting the arrow to the string in one flawless movement as she tried to think of a way they could get out of this. The fortress was only a temporary measure. With the grimm's breath weapon destroying everything it hit, they wouldn't be safe for long. One wrong move would mean all of their deaths. They needed help, and fast… but how were they supposed to call for help?
Panic faded before the imperative of survival; she rose out of cover and drew back, drawing breath along with the movement, paused long enough to sight along the line of the shaft and released between one heartbeat and the next, exhaling as she did so. The missile flew true, burying itself deep in a shoulder between the interlocking plates of bone, but it was only a few moments at best before the monster's constant back and forth movements snapped the shaft in two, the damage minimal at best. It gave no indication it had even felt the arrow digging into the meat beneath the armour. Its hide was simply too thick, their weapons far too weak for a monster so large and powerful.
None of the other students were faring any better. It was all they could do just to keep out of sight, stay spread out behind cover and muster any kind of resistance. Every blast destroyed just a little more cover, and before too much longer they would have nowhere to hide. The grimm on the other hand seemed only mildly irritated at best, firing back into the debris wherever it saw an opening, trying to flush them out into the open. The grimm was not just powerful, but displayed a frightening amount of speed and intelligence. It continually moved from one location on the cliff edge to the next, preventing them from zeroing in, all while guarding its face to avoid damage to its eyes. It never gave them more than a few moments to shoot before it immediately locked onto them and fired back. For the kids it was a fight to the death, but for the grimm it was little more than a game for its own amusement.
And once it got tired of playing…
Another blaze of azure flame sent Cinder scattering for cover, all but falling behind the massive rocks, barely keeping a grip on her weapon as she found herself beside Ivory. A little further off, she could see Otho and Fig, the armour on her covered arm showing signs of burning from a very near miss. Both were wide eyed and struggling to stave off panic, but their determination to fight still burned strong on their faces. Stone, Cy and Otho's remaining teammate were trying to fight back as well. Grunting from the effort, Cy twisted the crossgaurd of his weapon, the blade retracting, transforming from a greatsword into some form of type of rail gun, which he used to try and draw the monster's attention, firing in controlled pulse blasts. Stone meanwhile was trying to somehow reinforce the defences they had around them, using his great strength to move the pieces into place. His weapon, designed to incapacitate single targets to help close the distance, was useless for a ranged battle such as this.
"We can't stay here!" Ivory shouted over the chaos. She leapt to her feet, fired a few shots, then ducked back into cover. She scanned the area around them, looking for a way out. The only way they could escape on foot was the bridge they had taken, but that would lead them straight back to where the massive grimm was waiting for them. They were completely trapped. "We need to contact the airships. They can drive this thing off!"
"They don't know we're here! And our scrolls are jammed!" Cinder flinched as the grimm bellowed at them once more, shifting its position and causing the earth to rumble around them as a result. "How are we supposed to contact them?!"
No response for a small time as the fight waged on. Then Ivory seemed to get an idea. She placed her finger to her temple. "Calling all Haven airships, this is an emergency!"
"What are you doing?"
There was a pause then Ivory scowled. "…Tch! Signal's still too weak." She turned to Cinder. "I think I know a way to help hail them, but I can't do it down here. I need to get higher up where I have a better chance at reaching them."
If it meant getting reinforcements to fight this monster, Cinder was all for it. "We'll cover you as long as we can, but you better hurry." Then she called out to Otho. "Are you with us?"
Otho looked stunned for a moment, then nodded an affirmative. "I'm with you!" Whatever his thoughts on the request, he kept them to himself. With death itself attacking them, there was no time for prejudice or grudges. He suddenly pointed upward, back to the castle, specifically its main tower. "Up there! That's where the signal should be strongest. We'll give you as much time as you need. But you better move your ass!"
Another blast of azure flame rocked through the area, a desperate response of covering fire followed suit, and then Ivory was off, taking the steps up the tower two or three at a time. If she was spotted during her mad dash to the top of the tower, she did not risk turning back to see it, trusting the others to watch her back. She could hear the sounds of battle, felt the tremors as the grimm continued to smash and move around, changing its position. The heat from the flames were starting to really add up, making it harder to breathe even as the battle continued to grow more intense.
She stumbled but kept running as a another blast of azure fire struck the tower's base, heavy enough to make the entire building shake. Only once she reached the top of the tower did she slide to a stop, taking cover against an opening that oversaw the battle as it unfolded. As she scanned over the horizon for any signs of help, she hoped this would be enough.
Without their connection to the CT Tower, it would be next to impossible to gain direct access to the airships directly. Fortunately, her father had given her a way to hail them; something that was to be used solely for emergencies, which this definitely was. It was a complicated piece of hardware to access. Even those among the military who used it were rare. But thanks to her father's gift to her, Ivory knew exactly how to do it. She pressed her hand to her temple, waiting but a moment for the old schematics to appear before her, and immediately went to work, typing in the commands she needed, ignoring the frequent error message as it rang out over the din of fighting and fire.
A few more clicks, scrolling through the options to the correct one to boost the signal, a small prayer this would be enough for someone to hear…
"Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is Ivory Mineko from Haven Academy. We are under attack from an unidentified Grimm species, extremely dangerous. We need immediate assistance." She flinched as another explosion rocked the tower, before trying again. "Any aircraft within range of this transmission, respond immediately!"
For one long, dreadful moment, it appeared her efforts would not be enough. But just as she was about to try and call for help a third time, the transponder suddenly crackled to life. "Ha! Finally a response!" came the jubilant response. "This is Mordin Revolantis! We hear you loud and clear, Ivory. How many survivors are with you?"
Ivory couldn't help a sigh of relief, but responded quickly. "Seven students, including myself. We're trapped inside an abandoned fortress. The grimm has us pinned down, and retreat isn't possible. Need immediate assistance. Please hurry!"
"We can see the smoke and fire from your battle now. On our way to give you kids a hand. Try and hold your positions for a couple more minutes! I'll have my airship prepare to drive that thing off and get you guys out of there. In the meantime—."
"WATCH OUT!"
Ivory looked up, just in time to see the grimm opening fire once again, this time aiming straight for the tower. The azure beam tore straight the brick, melting it down like wax. She felt the tower tremble all around her, then slowly begin to topple forward, no longer capable of maintaining equilibrium. Realizing she'd be crushed if she stayed there, Ivory dove out of the hole in the tower, hand outstretched in front of her.
To the others, it appeared like a stream of liquid silver was summoned into being, before transforming into of sheets of ice. Flipping in midair to land on her feet, the huntress from Atlas slid down the ice with an effortless grace, safely out of range of the collapsing tower, landing right next to the others, not a hair out of place.
"That was awesome!" Cy looked completely awed. "You can summon ice?"
Ivory ignored him. "Cinder! I was able to hail one of the airships. They're on their way now!"
"Nicely done! Alright, everyone split up, keep it distracted!" Cinder roared over the explosions, leaping out of cover as she took aim at the grimm. "If that things shoots them down, we're all dead! Keep its attention firmly on us!"
"Aim for its head!" Otho ordered. "It keeps shielding its eyes. Force it to protect its eyes, and it won't see the reinforcements coming!"
The two teams split up, Cinder's side going left while Otho's went right, dividing the grimm's attention as the seven remaining students rushed out into the open. Another azure blast very narrowly missed the mark, digging up the ground so quickly it was almost like Cinder's footsteps were the cause of the destruction. Again and again, the students targeted the grimm's head, their efforts minimal in comparison to the grimm's powerful azure breath, but it was enough irritate it, make it adjust itself as they hoped. It kept having to change position, faster than before, seeming to sense their increased resolve. It responded to their new aggression by fighting even harder, roaring in anger.
Sliding behind another piece of rubble, Cinder watched as Fig took aim with her weapon, firing the canon straight for the beast's head. The grimm saw it in time, tilting its head to shield its eyes. The cannon shot that tore up the ground like nothing minutes before bounced harmlessly off the thick bony plating, showing not even a scratch as it exploded harmlessly. The armour was simply way too thick to break through. They simply didn't have the means to break through.
And yet it continued to cover its eyes. The one area of its massive head not protected by heavy armour. Her hand reached back, fitting one of her new explosive arrows to the string of her bow. She would only have one chance. As the grimm turned its attention to Otho's group, firing once more at the rubble they were hiding directly behind, Cinder saw her opportunity. Leaping out of cover, she spun to face the beast, pulling her arrow to her ear and then releasing it all in one fluid motion.
She was only just slightly off the mark, the arrow embedding itself directly under the eye. The monster didn't appear to notice it had even been struck, nor did it sense as the arrow began to glow red, heating up…
The next moment, the supercharged arrow exploded, a large bang like a grenade going off. Immediately, the grimm howled in pure animalistic agony, so loud they had to cover their ears out of pure human reflex. As the heated shrapnel tore deep into the flesh and bone, the monster reared back onto its hind legs, nearly toppling over from the speed of its recoil as its clutched and clawed at the damaged eye socket. Half blinded, it began smashing into the dirt and tearing trees apart with the strength of its thrashing and flailing about.
"Woo! Nice shot Cinder!" Cy whooped, standing out of cover, celebrating the small victory. Then his face paled as the grimm roared in bloodcurdling fury, bright azure light now faintly visible between the scales of its belly. "Oh shit! INCOMING!"
The grimm started firing again at random. Enraged, seething after being blinded, the grimm was unleashing its azure flames everywhere and anywhere at once, not even trying to play with its food anymore. It just wanted them dead. It wanted them to suffer for inflicting so much pain. The students all scrambled, trying to somehow avoid the onslaught.
Not everyone was successful. Otho and Fig were only just able to get out of the way of another blast, forced to watch as their third partner was caught flush by the attack. His aura offered no resistance, his body completely disintegrated as he cried out in terror, cut off mid scream. They could only stare in shock, unable to fully register what happened.
The blast continued onward, shattering the bottom half of the broken tower, causing the rubble to explode, sending boulder sized chunks flying out in all directions. One piece of debris, larger than Cinder was tall, came straight at her, far too fast for her to avoid. A large arm suddenly wrapped around her, pulling her in. The next thing she knew, Stone was directly in front of her, using his much larger bulk as a shield, the debris shattering on impact with his back. The giant grunted in clear discomfort from the hit, but held strong until the danger was past.
"You okay?" He asked, releasing her.
Cinder could only nod, slightly dazed. "Yeah… T-Thanks… What about you? Your back…"
"I'm fine. Keep moving!"
A thunderous bellow from the grimm made them look back towards the beast. It had finally ceased its thrashing, glaring back at them with a look of pure hatred with its remaining eyes. Both of its right eyes were gone, bleeding black shadow matter from the ruined sockets, several large cracks visible in the thick bone armour. It bared its teeth in anger, clenched together so tightly it was a miracle the grimm wasn't breaking its jaw with the strength of its own bite.
"I think we're just pissing it off!" Cy cried out, panting heavily, fatigue starting to settle in.
The grimm lumbered forward, each step heavy, the ground shaking as it got as close to the edge as it could. It's jaws finally released from their deathlock, ready to unleash death—
Cannonfire suddenly erupted from far off, colliding with the side of the grimm's head and torso. It roared in surprise, turning towards the new danger at the exact same time the students did.
"Reinforcements have arrived!"
Rushing to the rescue, the airship appeared over the treeline, all port side cannons opened and locked onto the grimm. It launched another volley without hesitation, the grimm recoiling, staggering under the torrential downpour, finding itself at a disadvantage. Suddenly its prey wasn't so helpless. As the airship continued to fire, the hatch opened, revealing Professor Mordin Revolantis.
Mordin stared at the black mass of fangs and claws below, a hand gripping the frame of the open hatch. She'd never seen this type of Grimm before, but she was no stranger to new opponents or new and fantastical kinds of Grimm. As far as she was concerned, this was just another beast to put down. She glanced back into the ship, "Keep hitting it! I want you to keep bombarding it at a constant interval until you're completely out of ammunition, understand!? And don't you dare hit those kids!"
"Yes sir!"
"And make sure Leo is getting a feed on this. I want him knowing exactly what we're dealing with!"
"What about you, Mordin?"
The Dragon Faunus smirked, turning into a confident grin as she reached for the sword on her belt, Clara Draco, with her free hand. "I'm gonna do my job. Time to go hunting!"
As the airship settled into place in the air, Mordin raised her blade, gripping the hilt tighter as she prepared her attack; red arcs began to spark across the blade in a surreal cross of fire and lightning. Before long the entire blade was coated in the crimson lightning, the colours delving into rich royal purples more fitting for the very edges of a sunset than anything else. The Dragon Faunus gripped the sword with both hands, raising it high above her head as the flames grew more intense, the lightning more chaotic.
Sensing something big incoming, Ivory waisted no time, summoning a shield wall of ice, large enough for everyone to take cover behind, all bracing for impact. The grimm meanwhile rose to stand on its hind legs, roaring in defiance, all but challenging the upcoming attack head on.
"I will burn you to cinders!" Mordin roared, bringing the blade down with all the force she could muster.
A stream of crimson, lightning infused fire and soared through the air, launching itself towards the mighty grimm. The moment it struck the grimm in the chest, a myriad explosions of fire spread across the creatures entire front, each one powerful and unrelenting, managing to knock the grimm back several steps as it roared in pain. Timing their attack with Mordin's, the airship unleashed another volley, firing everything it had all at once, hammering away at both the grimm and the surrounding area on the cliffside. Dirt and dust shot up into the sky, but the airship continued to fire, leaving nothing to chance. Again and again, an incredible display of aggressive firepower, until the grimm all but disappeared under the endless assault.
From their position, the students watched in awe as the airship pummelled the monster that had killed two of their friends and tormented them for so long without apparent difficulty. Was it all over? Could they finally put an end to this nightmare?
Without warning, another beam of azure flame erupted through the smoke, striking the airship hard against the keel near the engines. Mordin staggered, barely holding onto something as the airship veered sharply, entering a death spin as it fought to maintain control.
"Controls unresponsive!" The pilot cried over the blaring alarms. "No stick response! We're going down! Repeat, we're going down!"
Still spinning in its death throes, the airship tried to ascend but instead found itself veering hard towards the fortress, straight at the ice wall Ivory had created. The students just barely got out of the way as the flaming wreckage came screeching at them, plowing hard into the dirt and debris. At the last second before impacting the remains of the tower, Mordin dove out of the hatch, rolling as she struck the ground and landing in a crouch, sword still in hand, ignoring the hard crash behind her in the moment.
"Tch! No freaking way that thing's still not down."
It wasn't. To the horror of Cinder and the other students, the grimm was still standing as the smoke began to clear, the entire area around it torn apart by the airship's assault. It had taken the enemy's best shot, and come up standing.
But only just barely. Even as they watched, the grimm was visibly pained, panting heavily. It's shoulders were slumped, and it was putting no weight on one of its forelegs. Its thick bone armour remained unscathed, but there was visible shadow matter seeping out through the gaps in the interlocking plates like blood. It tried to press forward, only to stagger, clearly nearing its limit.
"It's really hurt." Ivory noted, eyes wide, hopeful. "You did it!"
"Don't let your guard down!" Mordin snapped, taking up a defensive stance in front of the students. "This thing's not dead yet! Be ready for anything!"
A tense standoff ensued, both sides beaten and battered, but refusing to back down. The grimm was wounded, but the students and their professor were hardly ready to continue the fight. Their weapons were still pointed at the grimm, but they were cut off from Haven Academy, plagued by fatigue and injury, and having now just lost their offensive edge. Something was bound to give out if they continued to fight.
And then they heard it. The sounds of more airships on the approach, having been drawn in by the fire, smoke and fighting. The grimm turned its massive head towards the sound, evidently realizing the implications as well. It growled deep in its throat, before turning its gaze once more towards the surviving students… and in that moment, a cold, inhuman chill crawled up Cinder's spine. The glare in its remaining eyes were not like the glares of hatred from earlier, nor the sadistic pleasure it had taken in tormenting helpless prey. It was a look of pure unadulterated vengeance, vowing death to those who had dared to slight it. It would not rest until they were all dead, crushed in between its massive jaws.
And despite having no reason to feel the way she did, Cinder could have sworn the look was directed solely at her. The grimm would not forget this day, this embarrassment it had endured. And it would never forgive the one who had blinded it so.
Then, with one last roar that could be heard all across the land, the massive grimm rose upon its hind legs, slowly making its way back into the forest. Disappearing as quickly as it had appeared into the trees with a stealthiness that was greatly at odds with its size and injuries. Before long, the sound of its footfalls faded away entirely.
No one was willing to celebrate their sudden good fortune. They had all sensed it and had come to the same conclusion. They hadn't defeated the grimm. It was allowing them to escape. Death itself was showing them mercy.
"This is Professor Hyacinth Bles hailing Airship AA-23. Mordin, do you read? Are there any survivors capable of responding to this hail?"
With a sigh that was equal parts relief and exasperation, Mordin reached for her scroll and answered it. "Mordin here. Yeah, I'm okay, and so are most of the kids. Gonna need a new ride back though. Our airship's down and out, and the pilots are wounded pretty bad."
"Understood. We have confirmed visual on your location. Moving in to pick you up."
Listening in on his own scroll, Lionheart all but collapsed into his chair, a sigh of both relief and exhaustion slipping past his guard at the good news. This whole situation had drained him. "Bring them home." he ordered, though not unkindly. "Azure, have them taken straight to the infirmary once they've landed. We can focus on debriefing them after their wounds have been tended to."
Azure nodded, but then frowned. "What about the Grimm?"
"We've already lost enough people as it is. I don't want to see any more deaths if we can avoid it. Let it go for now… but make sure we have a report on today's events ready for the next council meeting. Ozpin and the others will need to be informed about these developments." Lionheart paused, then sighed again. "That was too close. Way… way too close… You didn't recognize it at all, did you?"
"No…" Azure adjusted his glasses, features hardening with concern. "I've never seen that type of grimm in all my life or my studies, which is… problematic. I promise to do all I can to find out just what it is."
"I know you will, Azure. I know you will."
With a small nod, Lionheart dismissed Azure, leaving himself alone in his offence as he looked over the images of the battle that had transpired. Whatever this mysterious new grimm was, it was dangerous. While necessity demanded they let it escape now, he new letting it roam unchallenged would only cause more death and destruction in the future.
Hopefully someone would know more about it, or provide a means to destroy it when it appeared again.
It was a silent trip back to Haven. No one felt like talking after their narrow escape from the grimm. Resting with her back against the ship's hull, one leg hanging from the ledge, Cinder cast her gaze over the interior. Everyone appeared to be divided up into three groups. Professor's Hyacinth and Revolantis were at the front, near the pilots, discussing something in low voices that Cinder couldn't hear. Stone, Cy and Ivory were sitting with her, already a team in all but name, given today's events. Tired and a bit beat up, but as a whole unharmed. And then there was Otho and Fig, both of them on the opposite side, keeping to themselves. She couldn't see Otho's face since his back was turned to her, but Fig appeared absolutely miserable, try as she might to hide it. Doubtless she was mourning the other two students who had not survived the battle.
Despite the earlier hostilities ever since they first met, a part of Cinder still had her sympathies for her and Otho. They had lost some of their friends today. Arrogant as they had been towards her, they had still suffered a painful lost. Briefly checking to make sure the others were alright, she got up to her feet and approached them carefully.
"Otho?" she asked softly once she was close enough. His shoulders tensed, showing he had heard her, but he still refused to look at her. She tried again. "I know you and I have never seen eye to eye… But for what it's worth, I'm sorry about your friends. I can't even imagine what you're going through…"
She saw Fig looking at her with a small, faint nod in thanks, before turning away to wipe her eyes. Otho however still didn't respond. Gently, she set what was meant to be a comforting hand on his shoulder, offering her support—
He swatted her hand away before it ever reached, finally turning to glare at her. "I don't need any pity. Least of all from you." His voice was flat, but his gaze firm as he met her own. "We may have had to work together to survive, and I… thank you… for your help, but I lost two of my friends today. Half my team, and they're never coming back. Just be grateful your team made it out alive. Next time you might not be so lucky." With that, he once again turned his back to her, pretending she simply wasn't there to pester him.
She sighed, knowing there wasn't any point trying to press her luck. He wasn't going to change his mind with just one conversation, so why bother trying to force it? Returning to her own group, she refused to let her annoyance show.
Cy gave her a sympathetic smile as she joined them, taking a seat next to Stone. "You did what you could, boss. Let him grieve in his own way."
That got her attention. "Boss?"
He shrugged. "You were the one giving the orders in that fight, and you dealt the biggest blow to the grimm before help showed up. Far as I'm concerned, you're the boss now. Or team leader if don't want me to call you boss. The others think the same, so it's pretty much unanimous. Congratulations." He got up and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Stone nodded in an affirmative, placing his hand over his heart in a fist, a clear salute of respect. "You've more than earned it."
"There's still some things that need to be addressed." Ivory added, folding her arms over her chest, "It won't be made official until the main ceremonies, which will no doubt be delayed after what happened today, but I agree with their assessments. I hope you can prove yourself capable of leading us rightly in the future, Ms. Fall."
Cinder was stunned, not sure how to react. She had been on her own for several years now, relying on no one other than herself to get things done. And that was for just herself, not having to consider others at all. To suddenly find herself in charge of a four person team…
"I… I don't know what to say. You're sure about this?"
"Why not? I think you can do it." Stone seemed almost surprised to see her being so hesitant.
"I just… I'm not one for leading others. I hunted animals before I ever tried becoming a huntress. I never attempted to lead others."
Surprise quickly changed to reassurance, regarding her steadily. "You'll learn as you go" he replied softly, "but only if you want to do it, too. It's your choice if you want to be the team leader." Gently, he placed his hand upon her shoulder. "You're already a skilled leader to me. You don't have to go at it alone.""
"…Thank you." Not simply for the compliment, but for the choice that was hers and the knowledge that, whether she took command or declined and let someone else lead, her new teammates and friends would support her. "In which case… I think I will go for it."
"Good." Another, more congratulatory but still gentle clap on her shoulder followed the first. "Otho was wrong. We are lucky to have you."
She smiled a little bit deeper, a bit embarrassed at the praise. A part of her was not entirely convinced she was worthy of such, but she appreciated the gesture all the same. This would be the start of her new life as a huntress. If her team believed in her, she would do all she could to prove herself worthy of it.
Otho had been right about one thing though. She had been lucky today. Had fate been less merciful, she could have very easily lost parts of her new team, just like he had. Possibly even her own life. She needed to grow stronger, for her own sake as well as theres. Looking over her new friends and teammates, Cinder knew that as team leader, she would be the one responsible for their wellbeing going forward. She swore then and there she would not take that responsibility for granted.
And she would do everything in her power to keep her team safe.