Shade's New Blood

by Firetoast312

Vacuo isn't the first place many think of when it comes to 'strength'. Vale has its heroes, Atlas has its technology, Mistral has its arts, but rarely has anything worthwhile come from the desert kingdom of Vacuo. As for one new team, it won't be enough to just survive the training and climate. They'll need to learn to work together and maybe a little more about each other...

8. Chapter 8

Shade's New Blood – Chapter #08

Maron and Shae trekked through the same entertainment district from their night out. However, it's customers and visitors were still as lively and carefree as ever, as if the attempted robbery had been erased from their minds. That or they simply didn't care and, judging by the still present, tolerable, scent of smoke and alcohol, it was probably the more likely option. Still, the two girls were a little puzzled, having assumed there'd at least be a handful more security personnel to maintain order and ensure another incident doesn't happen. But there were none. The lack of authorities was impressive and fascinating as it was concerning. Either way, their objective now was to ask around and hope to find someone who can fill in the missing pieces they needed, and possibly give them a lead to begin their search for their missing person. The first stop that came to mind was the very place that was hit by the attack first.

"'Fraid not. Sorry little Miss." A man apologized to Maron. He was one of the brawnier bartenders for Club Tempest, still bearing fresh bruises and a small bandage to cover up a cut or two though nothing serious. He must have been the one who tried to stop those thugs at the door, shame the club didn't have a dedicated bouncer or two. "Haven't seen anything new since that night." He told Maron flatly, his attention firmly stuck on cleaning and polishing a collection of drinking glasses in front of him.

"Figures." Maron said following a sigh. She gave a quick acknowledging nod before turning on her heel and starting for the door. The place was surprisingly clean, save the few bullet holes and broken, now missing, stage equipment, but that didn't seem to stop the patrons from drinking in both the relaxed atmosphere and their beverages. Some of the more inebriated ones even bragged about being able to go up against whoever ransacked the place with one embellishment or another which made Maron frown in annoyance. As if they would've bother to even help at all. Regardless, she was done with the place, already having her fill of asking questions and searching for witness accounts to the point where it started to feel more like a chore than a mission.

Once outside, Maron found Shae leaning against the side of the wall outside, going through her scroll with a bored look on her face as she noticed Maron, "I take it you found nothing worthwhile?" She asked Maron. She pushed herself to her feet again, joining Maron as they continued their small stroll down the line of shops, shows, and whatever else could earn some profit.

"Not a thing, it's like that woman just disappeared without a trace." Maron confirmed Shae's guess, "What about you?"

"About as well as you'd expect." Shae answered back.

Maron sighed, "Right, well where do go now?"

"My vote? Let's go home." Shae suggested, "Cut our losses. Plus, I can only take so much of… all of this." She gestured to her vibrant and lively surroundings of flashing lights and people.

"If I can handle asking a couple strangers some questions, then I'm sure you can too." She returned, "But you might be right—"

"I usually am."

Maron gave her an annoyed look, "Hmph, right.".

"Hey, you wanted to drag us all around Vacuo to search for your 'thief'. Trya and I would've been happy to stay at the dorm."

"And yet here you are." Maron pointed out, "No one forced you to come along, Shae. In fact, why did you tag along in the first place?"

"I have my reason to be here just as you have yours, Maron." Shae spat through grit teeth, "So don't try to pin this on me. Besides, we're not even supposed to be doing something like this without permission anyways!"

"As if anyone else is gonna' find out."

"Urgh, let's just get moving." Shae said in frustration, "Where did you last see this thief of yours before you let them get away."

Maron grumbled at the slight, but remained composed to keep moving along, "Up ahead, somewhere not far outside the entertainment district."

"Then let's get moving, lead the way."

Maron took the lead, both she and Shae treaded down the bright and crowded streets until both the lights and people started to fade. They strayed from the heart of the entertainment district, and eventually found themselves reaching closer and closer to its edge where the number of advertisements and flashing signs trickled down just as the crowds thinned out into the single digits. Now, the two found themselves in what looked to be a somewhat run-down residential area, a sight not uncommon in Vacuo. A couple of tired buildings revealing cracks and chips in its walls with age, windows with dusty glass or none at all. It wasn't the worst looking place in the city, but it certainly could use a bit of improvement.

Eventually, Maron and Shae had stopped in front of a darkened, narrow alleyway which sheltered litter, wooden barrels and crates either broken or full of junk, and darkness. There was a heavy, ominous feeling about the place that kept the two students at bay. Maron reached into her pocket, feeling the small prick of her finger against a little star she kept with her. It may have been called a 'good luck charm' or whatever, but so far it hasn't exactly served its purpose. Maron thought for a moment, her eyes fixed on the little trinket in her hand. Hmm, maybe… Maybe Viri could help shed some light on the situation, she did say she worked in around the district or something to that extent…

"Careful, backstreets don't seem too kind to those who haven't learned their way around." Said the voice of Viri as if on cue. "Honestly, it's due for a little 'cleaning' if you ask me."

Maron and Shae looked above them and there she was. Viri sat on the edge of a balcony's ledge with her back against a wall. She left one leg hanging as she gently swayed it back and forth inadvertently revealing a snug pair of compression shorts underneath her dress with a curiously thin belt housing two leather sheathes and a few pouches along with them. "Viri?" Maron called out, surprised to find her looking down on them.

"Welcome back, Maron." She greeted with a kind tone in her voice as she shifted a glance to Shae, "And friend." The two exchanged greetings, but Shae seemed to keep distant.

"What're you doing up there? And this far out here?" Maron asked curiously,

"Ole' me? Why, I'm just admiring the moon above is all. The lights from the district over there get in the way." She replied, glancing up at the bright, broken object hanging in the sky.

"Really, the moon?" Shae questioned with a skeptic glare.

"It's one of the few things I can still enjoy. It's also a connection to home whenever I'm away, aside from my sister and our lovely two friends of course." Viri shut her eyes and basked in the moon's radiance. A small smile formed on her lips, "But I suppose that's one thing Vauco has that Mantle lacks, for that I almost envy you." She spoke softly. She took in a deep breath and opened her eyes again, "But what brings you two out here? I don't believe you're looking for a fun evening of cards or drink. Perhaps there's something else on your mind?" She suggested with gentle smirk and calm eyes.

"We're looking for someone." Maron told her.

"Oh my, Toma didn't end up lost, did she?" Viri asked, using a hand to cover her mouth with surprised look. She twisted toward the edge of the building, both her legs now hanging off the edge of her spot.

"Um, no, she's fine."

Viri let herself drop from the stone railing that surrounded the balcony, sliding down its side to lessen her fall until she gracefully landed on the ground. "And here I thought she'd have gotten herself into a little trouble!" Viri said, relieved, "She seems the stubborn type, at least when she's set on something."

"That's not un-true." Shae muttered from behind Maron.

"Anyways," Maron continued after turning her attention to Viri again, "Strange question and a bit of a stretch, but you wouldn't happen to have seen someone 'suspicious' around lately, have you?"

"How so?"

"It was one of the people who tried to rob a club, one their gang got away and we're looking for her."

"Hmm…" Viri pondered for a moment, "Not recently, no, but I hear it was bad enough that a whole team of Huntsmen are after them—assuming we're talking about the same people. That team isn't you, is it?" She asked the two students.

"Well—"

"It's complicated," Shae cut Maron off, "We're working as… 'assistants' so to speak." She lied.

"Mmm," Viri shut her eyes with furrowed her brows while in deep thought, "In that case, I suppose you could check the old 'Rust Block' as the locals call it. I think I recall seeing someone headed that direction. Looked a little dangerous too, but they might be who you're looking for." She told them, "Then again, it could just be some mischievous teen or a patrolman, either way it might be worth the search if you're interested." Viri shrugged cluelessly.

"Oh, well that's good to know." Maron replied with a bit of surprise at how lucky she was for Viri to have a lead for her and Shae to utilize. Anything was preferable at this point. "Shae, let's get going." Maron turned to her team member before looking back, "Uh, thanks for the tip, Viri."

"Of course." Viri smiled with content, walking over and patting Maron's shoulder. "I'm always happy to help those who need it—provided they deserve it!" She chuckled. Maron thought she saw a bit of the moon's light flicker in Viri's soft viridian gaze, but in a single blink of her eyes it was gone. "Be seeing you!" She continued forward giving a farewell in the form of a three-fingered wave without another look back. Maron and Shae followed her out to the main street again, but they had only just caught a glimpse of Viri disappearing into a crowd that was headed for the entertainment district.

"Huh, interesting person you—"

"Don't even start." Maron interrupted, "Come on, we better get to move on it before our target decides to skip town or something." She gestured for the other girl to follow after her.

The two students fell to a light run, keeping a steady pace to not wear themselves out long enough to clear sight of the entertainment district. They took their first steps into an area of the city with a collection of old, rusted, rundown buildings dubbed the 'Rust Block'. The district—if it could still be called that—sat at the very edge of the city, snuggly against the perimeter wall that protected Vacuo from the barren, desert wasteland and the vicious monsters that lurked outside waiting for their next prey. It was an amalgamation of a variety of industrial buildings, transport facilities, warehouses, assembly plants, and whatever else the city once needed to refine dust and manufacture its own goods. To think that there had once been a thriving Dust refining and manufacturing industry right here in Vacuo. If the rust and dust was anything to go by, then that was long ago, a distant memory for the city, one that even some of the kingdom's oldest folk could barely remember, if at all.

The layout of the district was reminiscent of that of a classroom back at Shade with its many rings of secondary buildings and smaller warehouses connected by a web of small rails and stone paths, both broken up and torn apart with age and erosion and neglect, leaving only a few patches still usable by workers that had already long since abandoned the old place. At the center of the run-down ring of buildings was a huge refinery gone dormant, now sporting a new, light coat of rust with old paint having completely chipped away and exposing its metal structure and supports.

Maron came to a stop, looking up at the imposing silhouette of the refinery standing in the way of the broken moon behind it. The sight brought with it a sense of melancholy to her, like a reminder of a vibrant past Vacuo once had only to have such a thing stolen. She almost felt some sympathy for the old, abandoned place in that regard. However, she wasn't here to sightsee, so she took a deep breath to clear her head free from a few encroaching thoughts.

"You alright?" Shae rested a hand on Maron's shoulder, giving it a light shake as she showed her a concerned look on her face.

"Yeah." Maron answered nonchalantly, "Just a little nervous, I guess." She lied to her. The last thing she wanted was yet another person prying into her personal life. Toma was already a handful as it is.

"Hah, that's not like you at all." Shae smirked.

Maron ignored her, walking forward and pulling away from Shae's hand, "Let's be quick about this, we'll split—"

"Wait, wait, wait." Shae interrupted, "That's a bad idea, we should stick close together."

"Don't tell me you're getting a little spooked now, are you?" Maron looked back with a curious expression.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." Shae admitted without hesitation, pulling herself closer to Maron as she scanned their immediate surroundings. "I can't explain why, but this place has an… ominous feeling to it." She told Maron.

Maron kept her gaze on the dark and dusty buildings around them for a moment longer, her ruby eyes lingering on the dark shadows that sprawled everywhere. She quietly cursed herself for letting Shae's words get to her before turning her attention forward again and then continuing to delve deeper into the depths of the Rust Block.

The two students stuck together as they explored through the maze-like arrangement of buildings, slowly making their way toward its center one ring of buildings at a time. It was difficult to see, even with the moon shining its light down for them, yet the further they went, the darker the shadows and interiors seemed to get. A trick of the light no doubt, but an unnerving one nonetheless. The stillness of the air and the silence certainly didn't help either. It wasn't until the two girls stopped in front of one of the countless old buildings did Shae speak up again.

"Think we can find a light or something in here? Maybe something else useful?" She looked back and asked Maron.

"Things here are probably decades old, if not longer." Maron started, "You'll probably be lucky to find anything usable at all." She finished, looking over to a worn-out sigh barely reading 'Equipment Store A' which hung lopsidedly above a broken-down door. A shiver ran down her spine, prompting her to glance over her shoulder out of a sudden paranoia that she was being watched. However, she saw nothing but the shadows and the cold, blueish light from the moon above.

"You coming in or not?" Shae called to Maron from inside the building.

"Yeah." Answered Maron, eyes still fixed on the corners and empty structures behind her, "I'm going." She said with a quieter voice as she stepped inside.

Inside the storehouse were rows upon rows of crates, lockers, and other containers with a good number of them being smashed or falling apart. The ones still intact were either filled with trash or other junk, sitting by and doing nothing but collecting dust. Up ahead came a noise of old, squeaking wood, startling Maron before she realized it was just Shae digging around in a few crates. "Come on, there has to be at least one useful thing around here somewhere." She said, moving from one container to the next as she kept coming up empty. So far there had been nothing but old vials, worn-out protective clothing, towels, rusted parts, and other useless junk not worth mentioning.

"What, afraid of the dark?" Maron crossed her arms and questioned with some mockery in her tone.

"I'd rather not acquire a phobia, thank you very much." Shae returned calmly but with an annoyed look. "Anyone of these buildings could house a Grimm who's lying in wait for an ambush." She said, "Do you even watch movies, or even read books?"

"Can't say I have, no."

"Hmph, dull childhood you must've had." Shae continued rummaging through a few boxes.

Maron, provoked by Shae's slight, let out angered growl, "And what would you know about it, Shae?" She snapped at the other girl.

"Hah, like I care." Shae scoffed and looked over with disdain, "I'm only here because of you anyways. That and—"

"Of course you are," Maron fired back, interrupting Shae, "You wouldn't have even gotten this far otherwise!"

Shae rose to her feet, looking offended as she shot an upset look toward Maron, "Don't forget that that King Taijitu would have torn you apart were it not for me." She countered, "If nothing else, that makes us even."

"Yeah, if only you were as useful anywhere else."

Shae's eye twitched with held back fury, her hand had reached for her hip, grabbing the hilt of her sword as Maron did the same but reaching for her staff on her back instead. The two girls stared each other down with the growing tension between them. It was quiet, nothing but the occasional breeze picking up outside the building they were in. Shae squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, relaxing her stance while letting go of her weapon. "You aren't worth the effort, Maron." She told her, turning around to leave with a few inaudible, grumbling curses partially sent Maron's way.

Maron in turn opened her mouth to argue back, but no words came out. She frowned, a little disappointed as her chance for retaliation had slipped away, but more than that, she was angry. That feeling just kept growing, as did the one of being watched again. She rubbed the sides of her head to sooth a minor headache that grew with the intrusive thoughts, memories of before coming up again as if to purposely add fuel to the fire, but Maron was quick to dispel them. "Shae, are you done looking around…" She opened her eyes to an empty building, "…yet." She was alone. There was nothing but the blackness of the storeroom with the only light being that of the moon which shined through a few windows. "Shae?" She called out again with no response coming back to her. And yet she was the one who said they should stick together, yet she's wandered off!

Maron twisted her head to look over her shoulder again, feeling a set of eyes burning into her back. Her gaze wandered past the few crates and other containers lining the walls, falling upon something sitting at the door. It was a vulpine figure, black as the night with its silhouette devoid of any light save for an illuminated pair of crimson eyes. It stared at her with large ears with a blank face attentively aimed at her. Like a statue, it was still, tail neatly wrapped around its two, bone-covered, front paws. Unblinking, it watched her, waiting patiently for her to make the next move.

Maron's heart quickened with her fingers starting to tremble with a fresh course of adrenaline, her mind flooded with thoughts of what to do next. Part of her urged her to kill it now while she could, but a persistent, knowing uncertainty kept her from doing so. A single wrong move, or a failed attack, would alert the rest of this Vulzera's kin, then they would all descend upon her in a battle she was certain to lose. The Grimm's cold, blank stare remained, as if expecting and maybe wanting her to do something. So, she took one step back, then another, and another, slowly backing away until she someone had grabbed her shoulder from behind, "Quit lagging behind and—"

Maron yelped in fright, catching Shae off guard who also jumped at Maron's sudden yell. "Shae?" Maron started, panting to catch her breath as her heart now raced in her chest.

"—as I was saying," Shae continued, "Hurry it up. The sooner we get this done the sooner I can get to bed." She looked at Maron, her stern expression slowly forming into one of curiosity, "Did you find something?" She asked.

The image of the Grimm brought with it a shivering chill again. After seeing that it was Shae who stood behind her with an impatient look, Maron returned her gaze forward, only to find an empty doorway where the Vulzera once sat. "There was…" Maron had begun, stopping herself once she realized that the small predator was gone. She stared at the empty spot, confused. Was it only a mirage? No, it had to have been real! But if so, why had it only watched her? Had it been any other Grimm, it would have charged her the moment it laid eyes upon her. But whatever its reason, Maron chose to instead keep quiet, letting that moment sit and stir within her. "…nothing. It was nothing." Maron answered Shae, having recomposed herself as she joined behind the other girl in leaving the dusty old building. She took one last look back, much calmer now, but still at a loss for answers of the sight she had saw and a new sense of worry at the back of her mind

No much later, Maron and Shae had left out of one of the building's secondary exits and back out into the dry, cool air of the outside. Truthfully, it wasn't much better than the feeling indoors, but at least it was lighter, and their destination was in sight again.

"Sooo…" Maron began, trying to pick up a conversation with the other girl, "Did you find anything."

"No." Shae answered straightforwardly. She didn't look particularly interested in speaking, her eyes showing a bit of tiredness that wanted to claim her. Maron, a little annoyed, wasn't about to apologize for earlier, but she still didn't bother to push her luck with it. However, her mind did wander back to that Grimm she saw. There shouldn't even be one in the city.

Letting the thought go, Maron, with Shae, made the quiet walk toward the towering industrial center. If there was one place to hide out in, this would be it. Yet, unlike Shae, Maron still felt a presence lurking around. She shook her head, waving it off as paranoia left over from before. She pushed forward with Shae and searched the outside for an easy way in. The pair walked around, the longer they lingered, the more they had wanted to give up in the quest that wasn't theirs to begin with. Maron thought that perhaps they should have left it to others like Shae had suggested. It was a little ironic that she had been the one to push her team into this and now she was thinking about calling it quits. Maron didn't care much for playing the hero, let alone live up to the lie she had been told most of her life, yet here she was, trying to put a stop to a criminal who'd otherwise wreak havoc on the populace should she return to her masters. Her hands clutched the sling across her chest that kept her weapon secured to her back. The small comfort reminded her of a better time. If only had the stories been true. If only… if only…

After circling the huge refinery, Maron and Shae stopped in front of two large, industrial doors, partially slid open down to reveal the guts of its interior. They were decayed, rusted and scratched, left alone as if they hadn't budged in a generation or two. However, one of them had two thin, but long scratches across its metal, one of which had a small liquid blotch trailing down like a tear. Maron went for a closer inspection, she squinted her eyes in the dimly lit shadow of the structure to better see it, but she recognized such a liquid. It was red. It was fresh.

A sharp crash like metal rang from inside the refinery, alerting the two students to something new that was inside. Both girls threw themselves at either side of the door's opening, looking at one another as if to acknowledge that they both heard the noise. It sounded like hollow metal tubes rolling across concrete. They listened for more, but soon it was silence again.

Maron was the first to step inside, she was then consumed by enveloping darkness, but her eyes adjusted fairly quickly with some minor assistance from her own ability. The place smelled of dust and other chemicals, but age had dulled its scent. Maron looked around, not finding much left of the interior that hadn't already been stolen or looted by scavengers, looters, salvagers, or whoever else thought they could make a profit stripping this place clean. Husks of machines lined the walls, packed tightly to maximize an efficient use of space as pipes rose, twisted, and zig-zagged around to find their destination, that is if they weren't torn apart already. Cargo containers on the opposite side of the main floor lie pried open and gutted of their contents, leaving behind only empty crates and broken glass from vials that had been thrown away.

Instinctively grabbing her staff, Maron scanned her surroundings, expecting something to lash out at her at any moment. She closed her eyes, whispering words and lessons she had been taught some time ago. Her ears listened intently on everything around her, from the squeaking of the rusted metal, to the creaks of old wooden crates, to even Shae's quiet footsteps behind her with rubber subtly grinding against the rough concrete floor. None of which she was looking for. Then came a slash, like a knife against metal, and a pair of boots clanking against metal grates. The latter changed material to that of stone; the footsteps held with them a strange, uneven pattern as they tapped against the floor. It was getting closer.

Maron snapped her staff into its bow-form, her free hand reaching for an arrow as she focused her eyes toward the sound. A ray of light from the moon shined from above, but past it, was still darkness and the sound of those footsteps. In an instant, a figure emerged into the light, clothes tattered and flesh fresh with cuts and bruises. It was that girl from the club, the one that tried to rob her and Toma. She crashed into Maron, causing them both to trip to the ground.

A couple of arrows almost escaped Maron's quiver, but something else did slip from her pocket. The woman looked just ahead of Maron, a spark of dread filling her eyes as she stumbled back and off of her. "Y-You were with them?" She let out weakly, then apologizing with a small, terrified voice, "W-We were just doing what you asked…" Came her trembling words.

"What?" Maron uttered, perplexed. However, before the woman could say another word she looked back, once again terrified of something else lurking in the dark. She scrambled to her feet, making a sprint toward her salvation: The outdoors. However, from the darkness came a shiny glint: a dagger spinning through the air. Maron kept her head down as it sailed over her, eyes following it as her mind was slow to register the sudden influx of stimulus. With her semblance in play, she could do nothing but follow the path of the blade as it slowly sought out its target. What felt like seconds, in reality was an instant, the dagger had impaled the healthy leg of the fleeing woman, forcing her to collapse to the ground again. This time, she didn't even pause, she started crawling toward the light of the outside with a pained whimper emanating from her as she desperately crawled toward her escape. Maron and Shae looked back, seeing a pair of mint-colored eyes from the shadows as the rest of the figure emerged with silent steps.

She was a small, slender figure, a mask covering the bottom half of her face and wearing a dark outfit that set off alarms in Maron's head. She recognized that outfit, but the woman underneath was different. She was shorter, a little thinner, and had almost pale skin. Even her hair was unkept, shorter, and silvery-white, tied in a low, but clearly messy bun, as if hastily put together without much care on looks. She had a rifle in hand, loading a single bullet into its chamber as she continued forward, ignoring the two students on either side of her. Behind her swaying hips, the tail of a snow-leopard emerged, swishing back and forth with every step, as if it itself was excited to follow up on its prey.

Maron and Shae were frozen still with awe and disbelief, watching as the masked Faunus walked past them, then digging one of her heels into the back of the escaping woman. "W-Whatever you do to—" Shae stammered in her attempt to threaten the new arrival, only to be cut off by an unfazed glare sent her way as she pulled the trigger, a silenced gunshot ringing out. The Faunus didn't even hesitate to turn back toward her target, reaching down and pick off whatever valuables the now deceased woman had on her, from Lien to a well-crafted silver locket.

The Faunus tore a little paper from inside the locket, dropping it on the corpse at her feet. Maron heard Shae let out a furious shout. Something had snapped within the raven-haired girl, but Maron couldn't call out to her in time.

Shae charged at the Faunus, drawing her shortsword, "You'll pay for—" She started, only for a boot's heel to slam into the side of her head in a devastating wheel-kick. Shae was downed in an instant, groaning in pain and dazed as the Faunus looked down on her with pity. Maron watched as the Faunus retrieved the familiar looking dagger, seeing her wipe its bloodied blade off with its victims own clothing.

Maron turned on her stomach as the Faunus started walking back in the same direction she came, but both their eyes fell upon a reflective object between them: A polished, bronze star. Viri's gift. Maron reached out to it but the Faunus was first, stepping on Maron's outstretched hand in the process as she slowly bent over to pick up the star that had freed itself from Maron's possession. The small woman brought it up to her face, her cold and apathetic eyes showing a spark of curiosity as she inspected it before looking down and meeting Maron's gaze. To Maron's surprised, the murderer-slash-thief had instead placed it back down in front of its owner before continuing on her way.

Unfortunately for the Faunus, an angry Shae, cursing under her breath, started getting up. Maron quickly grabbed her star-shaped gift from the ground and pocketed it again. Watching Shae, who by now held a furious expression in her eyes, Maron had gotten up to join her. The Faunus turned to the two girls, still with a disinterested look in her mint-eyes as though they were just a just a chore for her.

Shae was the first to reach her, slashing her sword as quick as her arm would allow, but the edge of her blade had missed, its target tilting her head just enough for it to swipe past her by an inch. The Faunus twisted and turned, stepped and slid, evaded each and every one of Shae's attempted slashes with ease. Soon, the enraged girl would accidently deliver one slash that left her wide open, an opportunity her foe was quick to take advantage of.

With a powerful twist of her hips, the Faunus drove the bottom of her palm into Shae's stomach, winding her in that single strike. Shae weakly grabbed he opponent's wrist, barely clinging on with whatever strength she could still muster, but it was for naught. In a flash, Shae's shoulder was grabbed and she was thrown to the hard, concrete ground with a heavy thud.

Maron had just arrived to swipe her staff at the masked girl, saving Shae from a kick to her side. She started to jab to the Faunus in a rapid pace, slowly pushing her back and away from a recovering Shae regardless of whether her attacks hit or not. However, one final jab had Maron's staff slide across the Faunus's forearm. Now the two were face to face, until a lightning-fast palm strike smacked into Maron's face. The snow-leopard Faunus spun twice on the balls of her feet, the first having snatching Maron's staff from her hands and tripping her with a swipe to her legs, the second was with an overhead strike aimed directly at the fallen blonde. Maron met the other girl's narrowed mint eyes as her own weapon came down to strike her, but it was then blocked and thrown aside by Shae who stood over her. The staff had been tossed aside with Shae finally getting a few hits on the Faunus. Her success was short-lived though as the girl did another spin to follow her momentum and snap a back-kick that sent Shae tumbling back and crashing into a stack of crates which in-turn came tumbling down.

Maron had to duck and dive over and under the falling crates to retrieve her weapon, doing her best to keep an eye on her foe who stood atop one. The Faunus's tail flicked back and forth, tilting her head to the side and a little more interested with the changes in the battlefield than she was of Maron. With her bow in hand, Maron drew an arrow and fired it at the other girl who dodged it. Like the feline she was, the Faunus hopped from crate to crate, dodging Maron's arrows and slowly closing the distance. Maron watched her jumps, waiting, then, when she saw her chance, thrusting her foot into a crate, kicking it forward to crash into others.

The Faunus, still in mid-jump, could do nothing as her intended landing platform had suddenly shifted. She had to adjust, doing her best to adapt and tough she managed to land, it was on the edge of another crate causing her to trip… right into the path of Maron's swinging staff. She could do nothing as the polearm met her stomach, its owner throwing her into the side of a small transport container with a metallic clang and a leaving a new dent on it. She fell to all fours, catching her breath and a little dazed at the attack, but she was not defeated. The Faunus looked up, spotting Maron running along the crates just as she did. Thinking fast, she drew a smaller, expendable throwing knife from a pouch at her hip, throwing it with a slight spin at Maron. It hit her shoulder.

Maron recoiled from the hit, crashing into a crate as its old and fragile wood shattered beneath her. Picking herself up, the knife fell to the ground beside her and she grabbed her shoulder, hissing after the blade's hit. Her Aura may have stopped any real damage from leaving a mark, easily dulling, soothing, then subsiding it in a matter of seconds at most, but that didn't make the sharpened pain of a knife digging into her hurt any less. "Maron!" Shae had called out with ragged breath and weak legs, having barely mustered the strength necessary to rejoin the fray.

"I'll be fine!" Maron rolled her shoulder, a holding back a pained expression as she pushed on, picking up her staff once more. Both she and Shae gave chase to their weakened foe who was slowly retreating closer to a dual pair of doors that led deeper into the heart of the refinery. While Shae continued, Maron skid her feet to a stop, drawing an arrow from her quiver and started taking aim with her bow at the fleeing Faunus who had turned to lay eyes upon her pursuers. However, it was not a look of concern nor worry.

The Faunus twisted on the ball of her foot to face the two girls following after her. Keeping her momentum, she drew one more expendable throwing knife, almost cutting a nearby Shae—which in turn made Shae stumble—in the process as she let it go. The blade flew to the side, hitting the support of a towering metal shelf filled with other boxes and dust-covered materials. It bounced off, but Maron's keen eyes spotted an ever so small difference compared to the first one that was thrown at her. After it ricocheted off of the shelf's support, it gave off a peculiar purplish-black glow, that's when it hit her—literally. The shelf crumbled under itself, folding and twisting and bending as it longed to merge with the glowing knife, the contents stored upon it doing the same and wildly circling about the anomalous knife.

Gravitational Dust.

Shelving, crates, and whatever else was stored on those shelves soon collapsed in front of Maron with ear-ringing clangs and crashes. Her shot was blocked, and if that wasn't enough, some of the debris attempted to fall upon Maron, forcing her to back out of the way from falling wreckage once again, separating her from the battle.

Meanwhile, Shae was left to fight the Faunus on her own, but her slashes failed to make any connection. Like it was a routine dance, she weaved and stepped to avoid Shae's attacks and, with a frustrated yell, Shae kept pushing herself to land at least one good hit on her again. Unfortunately, her stubborn persistence would also spell her defeat. With one wide, horizontal slash of her right hand, Shae had unwittingly left herself open to a counter, again, an opportunity the Faunus was, again, more than happy to abuse.

Shae's tried to pull her arm back as quick as she could to defend herself, but it was hopeless. As she tried, the masked girl blocked it, then captured it by snaking her own arm around and applying a quick and sudden pressure on Shae's elbow, grabbing her shoulder in the process. The pain disarmed her, Shae's free hand had grabbed the Faunus's own arm, the one that was keeping her held hostage in a futile attempt to relieve the pain. She could do nothing as she was forced to her knees, helpless, staring into the Faunus's cold mint eyes, their owner methodically unsheathing her dagger with her own free hand. She started raising it above her, ready to claim another mark when the singing of an arrow through the air had caught her eye. The was forced to let Shae free, just barely cutting at the projectile with her dagger to deflect it. She looked ahead and standing above a pile of debris was Maron who dropped down to defend her companion from further harm.

With few options remaining, the Faunus delivered a spinning side-kick at the exhausted Shae, a final blow that at least put her out of commission. Shae skid to a halt in front of Maron who stuck out her foot to stop her. Maron drew another arrow and took aim, but it was clear to even her that the Faunus was at her limits. The Faunus then stood tall, giving a small bow toward and shooting Maron a narrowed-eyed look as she unsubtly grabbed something from behind her. It was a tiny cylinder about the size of the girl's palm who then tossed it to the ground between them. A second later and the small cylindrical cannister burst into a thick cloud of steam that enveloping Maron, obscuring her vision in the process.

Maron's withdrew her arrow from her drawstring, instinctively shielding her eyes from the fiery 'pop' before readying for a possible counter-attack. For a minute or two she waited, guard at the ready, but it would seem that the Faunus used the chance to escape instead. Her presumption would be proven correct when the cloud started to clear, leaving Maron alone with Shae still under her.

"Hey, you awake?" Maron, unconcerned, looked down and prodded a groaning Shae with her foot.

"Ugh, I'm stayin' home next time." Shae whined.

"Maybe you should try not charging head first for once." Maron commented, "Seems to always end badly for you."

"Oh, shut up, Maron." Shae returned, shoving Maron's leg away and slowly picking herself up. She stretched her neck and arm and complaining about 'going to be sore later' before looking over to a waiting Maron, "We should go check on… 'that'." She suggested, looking in the direction from where they came.

"You mean the body?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Hah, come on, you'll be fine." Maron said half rolling her eyes before casually taking the path around the fallen shelf pieces and other materials behind them.

"'I'll be fine'?" Shae repeated from behind, stopping herself from following, "Maron, we just watched someone murdered before our eyes!"

Maron stopped, looking back toward Shae with an annoyed look in her eyes.

"Nothing? Really?"

"You wanted to be a Huntress, right? Then get used to it. It's not the heroic fairy tale you think it is."

"Wow." Shae rolled her eyes, "Parents must be so proud."

"Shae." Maron called between clenched teeth her fists at her side, "Don't you think you're too weak to be starting a fight?" She growled, looking back.

"It's not always about the fight, Maron. You have to show compa—"

Maron snagged the Shae's collar, almost prying open the wrap-style top to reveal the thin, plain white undershirt hidden beneath it, "I didn't ask for a lecture, Shae." Maron growled, shoving the other, now intimidated, girl back, "Check it with me or stay here, I don't care which." Maron finished. As she walked away, she held one clenched fist to her chest, the other hand squeezing its wrist as Maron tried to steady her breath.

Shae had reluctantly and quietly followed after Maron. It was only an extra minute or two to get back to the entrance. However, the body of the murdered woman wasn't alone anymore. Between the pair of industrial garage doors, kneeling by the side of the woman who tried to escape, was another Faunus, one with metallic hair and a white-tipped fennec tail. Her deep red eyes glanced over to Maron and Shae with a concerning look of hostility and a frown on her lips.

"T-Tania?" Shae was the first to breath the silence as she called out the name of the small Huntress, "It's good you're here, we just ran into…" She stopped, feeling a growing sense of fear in her as the woman rose to her feet. The metal rings of her gloves unsheathed, covering her bare fingers until they finally their sharp, signature metal claws protruded past her finger-tips. "A-Are you listening?" Shae questioned with a worried tone as she took a step back.

"No, I don't think she is." Maron replied matter-of-factly, grabbing her staff from her back and settling into a defensive stance.

Tania reached over and lowered to all fours in a stance akin to a predator. She then pounced, tackling Shae to the ground before either she or Maron could properly react. She raised one claw-equipped hand above her prey, who could only lie still in shock and fear as she stared into the Faunus's eyes. From the corner of her eyes, she spotted the swing of Maron's quarterstaff, but with her slender, agile frame, Tania had arched herself back, watching the polearm woosh right over her as she glanced Maron's way with a wide-eyed expression. It was as if she were silently telling Maron that she had no chance to begin with.

The Huntress flipped back, landing once again on all fours as she targeted the only one of the two students left standing. Maron was quick to avert her gaze, doing her best to avoid looking directly into those captivating red orbs else she too might suffer a similar fate as Shae. Unfortunately, it made facing the Huntress that much more difficult as it limited her own awareness. Tania jumped at her, but Maron dropped to one knee, swiping her staff in an upward strike that struck true. Tania had taken the hit with ease, landing on her hands and twisting around to face Maron once again.

Tania swiped and Maron put up a block, but it was a feint. The real move was a spin to sweep at Maron's feet which succeeded in stumbling her. She was unable to regain her balance, allowing Tania rush in past Maron, clawing her side in the process. The Huntress skid on the ground, spinning to face Maron and repeating her rush. Again and again, she slashed at Maron with her claws, too fast for her to put up a guard. She then jabbed her palm toward Maron's face, but it was blocked. However, that too was a mistake that led Maron's weapon to be grabbed and used to shove her to the ground, Tania still on top of her.

Maron was struck in the stomach, but she endured it, clenching her teeth to bare the pain so that she wouldn't drop her only defense left: Her staff. Partially winded, she struggled to hold her staff, of which Tania too held on to it as the two shoved it against each other. "We're not," Maron forced out, "Your enemy!"

"The body you left behind says otherwise." Tania spat, twisting the staff from Maron's grip and tossing it to the side. She raised her hand for a devastating strike, causing Maron instinctively shut her eyes and put up her arms to defend herself as best she could, but it was an attack that would never come.

Opening her eyes, Maron saw that someone else standing above them, someone with a stern set of fiery eyes, someone she loathed. Flaye's fingerless-gloved hand squeezed Tania's raised wrist, looking down on the two with furrowed brows. "That's. Enough." She stated toward Tania who looked up, submissively backing down as the other, threatening, Huntress pulled her off of Maron.

"But—"

"You're wasting time, Tania. These two aren't the ones responsible." Flaye said to her, looking over to the body that hadn't moved an inch, "Neither these two nor their friends use firearms."

"Well, they could have just picked one up!" Tania countered.

"Perhaps they could have," Flaye agreed, squinting her eyes toward Maron knowingly, "But it wouldn't explain why you're here, now would it?" She asked Maron.

"I-I…" Maron stammered, unable to answer for herself.

"Save it," Flaye put up a hand, "I'm taking you two back to Shade. Where you should be." She finished.

"What about the body?" Tania asked her Team Leader.

"Blizz and Steele will be here soon, with authorities to help play 'detective'. Until then, no one is to cover their tracks. Understood?" Flaye ordered the Faunus who simply nodded. "Girls, come along, 'less you want to be interrogated." She said to the two students. Maron froze, confused, hurt even, all this time and he'd never said anything? Just then, Shae had suddenly pushed past Maron, aggressively hitting her shoulder against Maron's. Even in her injured state, she looked back with scorn and shook her head disapprovingly before joining Flaye's side.

Maron started after them, but she stopped next to the body of the still woman. Her ruby eyes were caught by a tiny paper picture resting on the woman's back, the one that had been ripped from the locket. It was old, faded, but she could barely make out two smiling faces, one, though younger, with the distinct likeness of the woman lying on the ground. However, it would seem as if the picture refused to let Maron stare any longer, allowing itself to be carried away with a small breeze that came through the open set of doors. Her name was called, she was given one last warning from Flaye who told her that she was leaving. Maron, with no more reason to linger and with steps a little heavier than when she first arrived, quietly followed.

---

A.N.:

As always, enjoy!

~Firetoast312