Death Comes to Beacon

by The Powder Keg

Death has come to Beacon. Except he isn't the one that reaps you. He's an ancient creature of darkness, older than death or the Grimm. And when something as old and powerful gets bored, things are sure to take a turn. Let's see how Beacon fairs against him, shall we? Not for faint of heart, meant for those with a darker sense of humor.

10. Chapter 10

I did it. I FOUND IT!

After months of searching and thinking and methods, I finally found it. The Lock-Box And I have the abomination and her aura to thank. Because I could see her aura through the buildings and even ground, the thought occurred to me, why not move through it.

So that night, after we reconciled with Blake, I snuck to the top of the roof once more, and returned to my pure form. Although, it was a much weaker and less potent form. My being left my body once more, and I dove downwards.

Searching through the ground was not easy to do, as I could see almost nothing and there were minimal aura markers aside from a mass hunter grave under the building. In there thousands of hunters were sealed away with their weapons and an inscription on them. Although something perturbed me. All of the graves had different auras surrounding them, except for one

There was an empty grave with the name 'Valus Marks', and the light touch aura matched Ozpin's. It was empty though, And it gave me one idea. If Ozpin had been reincarnated and lived as long as he had, were these his bodies? Was Valus the body he was in? The thought intrigued me, and I would soon have to pay him another visit soon.

But onto greater matters. The Lock-Box. While there was no aura marks to speak of, there was a certain light protruding from a section deep under Beacon's hunter statue. And as I moved myself closer, I began to see what the light was. It was a door. A glowing, massive door.

When I got close to it, I found myself falling at first, having entered a void space, or room as the locals call it. Quickly I caught myself and landed on solid ground. The door stood in front of me, but despite my efforts, I could not see through it.

Only one thing to do, go through it. So I boldly walked up to it, and fully expected to walk through it. Instead, I ran into the wall as if it was the most solid object in the world. Placing my hand on it, I found it wouldn't budge. The glowing didn't even react to my touch other than giving me a sense of rejection.

Fine then. I hadn't met a door that could hold me yet. So I pushed some of my power into my arm, about 5%, and swung. Enough to take down a strong door, but nothing to this. Again I pushed my power, packing 25% of my effort, and punched again. Other than a dull thud, the door didn't even flex.

Just what was this, I wondered. So I pushed an even larger amount into my hand, probably too much, and swung a final time. With force enough to bring down this cavern, I impacted the door. A dull thud, a few sparks, nothing. How?

"Show me what you are." I demanded, letting my mind seep inwards and find out the purpose behind this obvious magic. What I saw troubled me. This door entered into a space that didn't truly exist behind this door. And it could only be opened by a certain power. Another thing became clear to me. Whatever was behind this door, was not what I was looking for.

Something told me it was important though, so I set that in the back of my mind, bookmarking the power it would react to, and stepped away. This cavern was not what I wanted.

For the rest of the night, I swam deeper and deeper into the ground, covering larger and larger circles of area in greater speeds in order to find what I was looking for. The Lock-Box had to be here. And when I felt the sun beginning to rise, I found it.

A steel box of amazing size and thickness surprised me. But it was there. Below me were assortments of weapons and labels detailing what they were. And while I wanted to start playing with them now, I had no time left. So I shot upwards, through the ceiling and ground for two minutes before I surfaced. Beacon was on the horizon from where I was at.

Where I was exactly, was hard to tell. The most information I had was smack in the middle of the Emerald Forest, but here the trees were thicker. I could sense the presence of stronger Grimm here. Goliaths and Ursai Majors. It has been a long time since I had seen Grimm herding done. Just what kind of blood was spilled here that these beasts still frequented it so much?

For another time I suppose. I planted a small sigil marker so that I could find this spot again when I had time to properly examine them. It may have been the end of the semester and in the middle of our one week break, but Ruby wanted to use all of this time to the fullest, up at sunrise and asleep past sundown. Dragging me to many different annoying places and events.

The only entertaining part of this week was the Team Dinner Yang brought us all to. I had her drink some Good Ol' Sailor Vodka, and her reaction was priceless. After boldly taking the shot and downing it, she coughed and hacked up a storm for about a minute before she looked up at me and gave a weak thumbs-up and crooked smile before coughing some more. Five minutes later she quoted 'That'll put hair on a 9 year old girl's chest.', all while wheezing out words.

I chuckled a bit at the memory as I sailed to Beacon, thinking of alibis to keep this day to myself. I knew they were expecting me to train them at least once this week, and while that was fun enough, the Lock-Box was more important. Perhaps I could appeal to their sense of family?

All my family was at the Ice Fangs, thanks me... Maybe I had some sort of distant uncle who was a nomad. He was just visiting here for some reason. but they'd have questions, maybe even want to come. I'll say he's paranoid, a bit off in the head. That'll work. Yeah, crazy Uncle Dave. Why not.

With the thoughts in my head, I slammed back in my own body and dissipated the Sigil once again and prepared to step down. "Oh, hey there Darren. I was just coming up to get you. Ruby wanted to get some more training in today, and I was hoping you could teach me a new trick. Even Weiss is interested now."Yang jumped from the ledge she was on and up to me. She smiled so imploringly, and if I was human, it might have swayed me.

"You light the paper yet?" I asked, and her smile dropped. "A-Almost! Still get those damn nosebleeds..." She trailed of. "Then no-can-do. Besides, I've got some family traveling in and wanted to catch up with them." She tilted her head. "Isn't your family across the world?" I nodded. "Most of them. I've got this odd uncle though. He's a traveler, never stays in one spot more than a week."

"Well can we meet him?" She asked, but I was prepared. Verbal checkmate! "He's... Just a bit off in the head. Doesn't really trust anyone but family, and even that's strained." I told her, and she seemed to understand. "Yeah, we've got an uncle a little bit like that, but he's fun. Go meet up with your uncle and I'll tell the rest of them down there." I made a hat-tip gesture before jumping off the building and on to lower rooftops. She yelled at me from behind. "Hey! Try to get back before nightfall!"

"No promises!" I yelled back, jumping to a lower roof and waiting until she got inside before hopping over the cliff edge and opening my jacket into wings. That went much smoother than I expected. Maybe after all this time, I'm finally predicting their personalities. Good thing to, because that has been a pain since day one. At least now I have their trust. But was it trust enough to set off a few grenades in the hallway and have them not suspect me? Maybe just one. Maybe.

Probably.

Ah, property damage. I'll wait.

So I continued to glide down the cliffs and towards my Sigil about two miles away. An annoying trek to have to make in my meat suit, but the wind was nice. You just couldn't get that when Astral Projecting. The meat suit has benefits, alright. Not as many as being a god, but still. I'll keep it around. Hang it on my metaphorical wall.

Hmm, the treetops were getting a bit close, so I'd have to run soon. I was only about halfway there, disappointingly. Though I was looking forward to fighting the herded Grimm in the area. Been a while since I fought a Goliath.

I impacted the ground and broke into a run immediately, pushing some strength into my run and hitting a solid thirty-mph. The wind was still there at that speed, and I was having a good time, but at the same time impatient. There was experimental weaponry to test after all. Hopefully there was a target range.

I began to slow my pace and weave more as the trees thickened and I neared my mark on the ground, Unsurprisingly, I could sense a few larger Grimm puttering around it, but they felt off somehow. More colorful than your average Grimm, soulfully speaking. They had specks in their masses of void that existed in place of their soul. This I had to inspect.

I slowed to a normal jog and drew my humongous blade and readied myself, though I didn't really need to. Pushing through the thick brambles of trees, I spotted with my normal vision the pieces of white and black that signified Grimm, along with what looked to be flashes of dust. Through the brambles, now I could see what I was dealing with.

Dust Grimm... These Beowolves and Ursai had spines of dust where their normal spikes would have protruded, and speckles of the specified elements fluttered around their bodies in the typical miasma of Grimm essence. Their eyes and markings were also colored accordingly. How they were created I had no idea. There were only old tomes describing the practice of integrating dust into the human body, and that only succeeded because of the soul, and how dust reacts to it.

Did these Grimm posses a soul? No. A single glance into them disregarded that theory. They were as dark and empty as they used to be, save for the streaks of dust flowing through them. Could it be that the dust was bonding to itself inside the Grimm's bodies, like a conductor of sorts. It was plausible, and dangerous. Supplementing greater Grimm knowledge and learning, it might give them rudimentary control over their element.

A hunter's nightmare. The one advantage we had over Grimm, taken to level the playing field. While the idea fancied me, I knew I couldn't leave these things to wander around my body while my essence explored the Lock-Box. So I flicked my blade to the side, shearing a few grass blades. Then I lifted my hand to my lips and called out a shrill taxi-whistle to get their attention.

It worked.

It seems the dust integration had made them significantly more aggressive. They didn't even take the time to acknowledge me before the nearest Beowolf, a yellow one, lashed out with his arm at me and an arc of electricity impacted where I was standing just milliseconds ago. I don't care who you are, lightning is fast. My jump carried me to a tree trunk which I bounded off of to return the attack.

The creature was faster than I anticipated, its movements encased in arcs of lightning that jumped at anything near them, especially my sword. The beast's movement carried its claws to my chest, and due to the velocity of the movement, i felt them pierce my poorly readied body shield and leave four pinprick cuts across my sternum and sent my sailing a few fee back.

Before I even had the chance to ready and redouble my shielding, it was on my again, tailed by another of fire, the red eyes glowing just a shade brighter and embers sprouting from its form. I kicked and jumped back, dancing around the trees, actually on the retreat. This thought surprised me, and I loved the thrill of it. I decided to keep my power at this level, and rely on skill.

Smiling, I turned my backwards jump into a surprising forwards launch with my sword outstretched and aiming for the lightning beast's neck. It was still fast, pulling up its claws in a strike and forcing my to repel it, before launching once again. With its arms swung open by my parry, it was exposed. I swung upwards in a slicing arc, but it jumped backwards, only receiving an inch-deep cut that oozed sparking ichor.

A sudden warmth in my back quickly increased as the fire Beowolf raked its claws across my back, sending my forwards and into a similar attack from the lightning that pummeled my rag-dolling body into the dirt. While the attacks failed to pierce my power, the jarring impacts shook me some, and I almost lost my weapon.

Gripping the hilt tighter, I kicked my legs and one arm to the sides, flinging upwards and in a horizontal arc to give myself space, and landing heavily on my feet. They were unhindered by my show and converged onto me. I jumped, letting them collide under me before issuing out a heavy slice that chipped away at their surprisingly tough skulls, and left more shimmering blood on the ground.

I landed on the flame wolf's gnashing mouth, my feet propping the jaw open while I fended off the other with my sword. This didn't last long because the one I was standing on seemed to hate me, and began clawing at my ankles, pushing me off balance, but not before I kicked out a few of it's teeth and sliced through one of its cheeks. As I landed, it snorted and some fire sparked out.

It charged me and I slid under it, delivering a heavy punch to it's ribs and forcing it over me. It landed sideways into a tree roughly, shaking itself off. I rose from my slide and to my feet, meet the lightning elemental wolf. My sword raised, I summoned a dagger in my other. We met in a clash of sparks as I hammered downwards in an arc with my dagger and it locked my weapon with its claws.

I broke the lock with a heavy upwards slash, my blade coming to a stop before I reversed the motion, preforming a double spin on my feet. Two deep chest wounds appeared and bled heavily. The beast snarled at me, and I felt the heat rise to my back once more.

Back-flipping over the intended danger, the two clashed once more as I landed behind them, though this time I didn't charge. instead I jumped once more over them, gripping my sword and plunging it through the back of the fire clad beast. That wasn't it though, as its hate for me knew now bounds. I saw it turn against my blade as its dust crystals and eyes began to glow brighter.

Sensing the impending explosion, I removed my sword and back-stepped several yards, hoping that the blast took out the lightning wolf as well. It growled as I saw flames burst out of its chest before black hell-fire consumed it in a large ball of heat and death ten-feet wide. The resulting shock-wave pushed me back some, leaving trenches in the ground.

I however was not given a moment's respite, raising my sword just in time as a singed lightning Beowolf charged me, maw dripping with blood from its broken teeth. it snarled and snapped at me and I side-stepped away from it as we began a circle. Eyeing one another wearily, I waited for the creature's aggression to force it to make the first move.

I didn't have to wait long, and it barreled for me. In my left hand I summoned a rock gauntlet and swung downwards onto its head. Using the force from my blow I propelled upwards, twirling my blade over my side into a deadly cleaving motion that finally split the beast's head in two. Unlike its counterpart however, the sparks intensified for a moment before dying out and letting the body fall to the floor.

I sighed and removed my blade, flicking it to rid it of the Grimm's ichor. "Some odd creatures you two were. At least now I can-" My outer monologue was cut off as a deep roar moved through the forest along with several trees snapping and falling. I readied my blade an unconsciously boosted my power limit slightly. It may have seemed too much, but I could feel the ground shaking from here.

Whatever it was was strong, that much was clear.

My eyes didn't have time to scan the trees for impending Grimm as my target crashed through the treeline. From what I could gather before I had to avoid its crushing fist, the Grimm was a Beringel, or GoreApe as it is better known. It also large glowing eyes, swimming with purple and brown as seen on its arms. The forearms themselves along with the biceps where much large that normal, with not just shards, but entire plates of Gravity and Earth dust. Its bone plates also covered more of the thing's body than normal, making it older.

As I avoided said crushing fist, I could feel the impact reverberate through the trees as a small shock-wave of purple radiated from the blow. Its eyes followed me to the tree I landed on, and it charged again. I knew I wasn't safe on the tree, and jumped as the Beringel swatted it away like a simple stick, its velocity taking out two others before stopping.

My jump carried me over the Grimm's back and I took two experimental slices into its back and between the bone plates. Aside from a grunt of frustration, I don't think it even felt that, despite the size of my blade.

Deeper cuts then.

It turned around and I ducked under one fist, using my sword to slice at the fingers of the next. It recoiled for just a moment, and I stabbed inwards, between the ab plates. Without reaction I was grasped in one fist, feeling the weight of gravity and earth over me. With a roar it slammed me into the ground flat-palmed. And if I hadn't realized how bad of a situation this was and boosted my shielding, my body would probably have a few broken bones. As it was I could see my power flicker around me as the Ape's hand lifted off my chest and beat on its own.

I was on my feet soon after, and summoned two large sledge hammers while lowering my power output of speed and increasing strength. Two could play at this game. With a roar of my own I charged the GoreApe, impacting its sternum with a heavy scissor slice of crushing might. It grunted as It was pushed back an inch. Then it raised its arms and the pebbles around us began to float. I saw the Gravity Dust plated begin to glow brighter before the arms were brought down on me. Even with increased durability and strength, I knew not to take that blow head on unless I was fighting at half or more.

As it was, being grazed by the attack was enough to turn a man into a fine paste, and it sent me reeling and groaning, the first time feeling pain in some time. And I felt it a little too much. "Now you've pissed me off." I snarled, a little of my true voice bleeding in. If the creature understood the danger it was in, it didn't let on.

I evolved my twin hammers, adding spikes to either end and increasing the head size slightly, and packing small pockets of energy in the backs. "Round two." I spoke, and charged with both hammers overhead. The Grimm in front of me bared its own hands in challenge, and I activated the hammers.

The pockets of energy exploded in a velocity fueled swing that impaled deeply through the skin of the Beringel's hands, and it bled a roar of pain into the air as I retracted my hammers and refilled the energy. With hate in its eyes, the creature picked up handfuls of dirt, the dust's power turning them into solid balls of rock the size of beach-balls.

The Ape launched them at me with ferocity, one after the other. I was forced onto the offensive for a short moment, having to swat the chunks of newly-made stone out of the air with my hammers. Unsatisfied with the effect of its attacks, the Beringel charged its earth and gravity dust again, surprising me that they were not being depleted by the constant use.

Two massive fists smashed the ground, sending out a wave of influence over the soil. Multiple large rocks of soil lifted themselves from the ground and into the air. It seemed that my estimate of rudimentary control had been grossly underestimated. This kind of ability took mastery over dust. I didn't have much time to ponder this, as the first of the dozens of rocks began to move towards me.

Once more I was forced onto the offensive, weaving in between and smashing boulders out of the air as I attempted to formulate a plan that didn't involve charging my power higher. This was one of the best fights I had had in a long time, but it could soon turn dangerous if I stayed at my current level.

So I focused on the pattern of the rocks, taking more than a few impacts in the process as I shifted my concentration to looking for an opening. Shoulder, leg, head, right side, there!

Smashing the final rock of this set, I launched my legs into movement, kicking up the dirt behind me. Duck right, keep moving. The ground between me and the beast had become little more than an oddly shaped crater. Juke left. Jump, roll. Closer.

The beast could see what I was doing through its natural blind rage, and halted its assault in order to charge me directly. As the GoreApe's hands were brought down on my form, I slide around, anchoring my hammer like a bootleg turn. Then I allowed the rest of my body to swing around and upwards, ending with impaling my right hammer just above the Grimm's shoulder blade. This was soon followed by my left, and I activated the stored energy once more.

The hammers drove in to the opposite face, severing many muscles that were necessary for major arm control. It howled in agony and extreme anger, attempting to throw me off, but I remained anchored by my hammers, filling the energy pockets once again. As I finished, I felt the beast's movement shift backwards as my body crashed through several trees.

Barely able to keep my bodily shields up, I leaped from my position on the Beringel's back before bringing both my hammers down onto the back of its skull with an almighty crack. A deep squelching sounded as I ripped my hammers from through the sides of the head and let the body fall to the ground. The dust on its arms lost their glint and faded. The brown returning to soil and the gravity simply dispersing.

I heaved for breath as I stood there, my clothes wet with black ichor that was slowly dissolving away. My hammers fell from my hands and I let them disappear. For the first time since I created this body, I was racked with pain, but the smile on my face was apparent. If Beacon's best were able to put up anywhere near as much of a fight, I would be happy.

I said an old respect to a very worthy opponent, silently wishing there was a soul for me to reap, and that its essence wouldn't just return as another Grimm. Food for thought, but I had more important things to think about.

My battle with the three creatures had taken me a good distance from my sigil. The walk over was filled with me constantly scanning the area for more dust-infused Grimm, but sadly there were none left. Perhaps I could figure out how to create one, just for kicks. There were greater Grimm to infuse than just a Beringel. The possibilities were endless.

If they were here, herded in by spilled blood, then that means someone created them. The knowledge would be a forbidden practice for sure, and most definitely would count as weaponry. If I was lucky, then the knowledge of how to do this would be in the Lock-Box.

With that on my mind, I sat down in the center of my sigil, and returned to meditation.

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. This was one of my favorite fight scenes to write, but the best are yet to come. Stay tuned for more. Make sure to leave a review or PM if you have anything to say or any ideas.