AN: Now, I try not to do these at the beginning but I edited the last chapter. This notes an important part of the story, or a change to it. Perl will be getting a full team instead of half of them. The reason why they haven't been shown in the previous chapters is because, well, what are the chances that on Perl's first two days she'd meet her entire team before the school started? There are a lot of students after all. The other change was Perl's stutter. I realized that people don't normally stutter that much and I was probably just being annoying. I did some research and surprisingly there's more to a chronic stutter than only stuttering, but that's not something that needs to be explained.
Now, this chapter starts not at the end of the last chapter, but a bit before so you can take a peek at the other half of the story. However, it will cut back to Perl after a bit in.
With that being said, I present to you this chapter.
Chapter 4 - Two plus Two is...
Magynti Drakyo, that was their name, though they simply went by Mags, sometimes Gyn, but mainly Mags. Mags just sounded waaay cooler, y'know? They had been through a wild ride in life, but they were finally here! At Beacon Academy of all places! They had their best friend… and nothing else really but they just knew it was going to be awesome!
They immediately hopped out of their sleeping bag with a grin on their face, a long pink salamander tail trailing behind them as they skipped over to the boy who was sleeping next to them. He was certainly odd, with messy black hair with white and red streaks and large bags underneath his closed eyes. They knew Kuro, the boy, was a heavy sleeper, if only because he averaged three to four hours of sleep a night. When resting only that much, of course someone would have trouble getting up. At least, it made sense to them to think like that.
Mags would have let them rest if they didn't have an initiation to get to. Their solution? Oh only to slap him with their tail until he woke up. It was Kuro's fault he stayed up playing video games all night.
"Wake up ya lazy bum!" With that, they slapped him as hard as they could. Was it a little mean? Yes, they would admit that, but they were just so excited for initiation!
Kuro groaned, covering his face with a pillow. He was not a morning person, Mags knew that, which is why they felt guilty about this. "Ugh… five more hours…" He groaned, however that only made them giggle.
"Don't be silly, you and I know you'd never sleep that much, especially when you could be playing your games." They said with a playful grin, snatching up the pillow. "Now! Get up or I'll turn your sleeping bag into an oven!"
He immediately jolted up, tired red eyes frantically looking around as he scrambled out of the sleeping bag. Mags had been joking, but Kuro really didn't want to risk that.
Mags had a sort of… respect for fire, one they thought was mutual. They wouldn't call themselves a Pyromaniac but… they loved fire, but they also knew to fear it. They respected it, and rarely played around with the heat. They would admit that they had a small obsession with it though, not even themselves could deny that. They weren't sure why they would deny it though, fire was awesome! Though they also knew fire could be cruel.
"Okay, okay! I'm up! Do you have to threaten me every morning?" Kuro complained while rolling his eyes and sighing in frustration.
"No, only when ya won't get up." Despite their words, they had a friendly smile on their face. They held no ill intent, as Kuro was their best friend.
"Ugh… whatever." He calmed down, a bored expression on his face, his crimson eyes nearly dead as he stretched with a yawn. Mags wished he'd be more happy sometimes, but they knew that was just how Kuro was. He was always bored, rarely did they see him having fun. It had been… almost two months since they last saw him smile, and that was on their birthday, before that was six months ago on his own birthday, and he only smiled because of the gifts they gave him.
That would be several games, a custom made card deck and dice set made just for him, and a dice pendant necklace, which Kuro was actually wearing now. He had a theme going on, so they bought gifts surrounding that. They thought the game schtick was a little silly but they'd never tell him that.
They asked and asked all the time about why Kuro was so bored and expressionless, but they always gained the same response. "Don't worry about it."
He had been like that for the seven years Mags had known him. That in itself made them worry.
Unfortunately for them, the boy they were worried about noticed that worry. They could read people, especially Mags, relatively well. "Hey, just focus on Initiation."
They were fairly certain he knew exactly what they were thinking about but he didn't mention it for some reason.
Mags sighed, shaking their head with a warm smile as they gave him a nod. Their tail coiled nervously around their leg, but they paid that little mind. "Yeah, I know.. It's nothing. Come on, we have to get ready for initiation!" They cheered, leading the way.
Kuro nodded softly, following along with his usual boredom.
They would figure out why Kuro was like this one day. Well, they knew some of it… but not everything. However, that would have to wait, as now they had Initiation to deal with.
"Aha! Renny! I found the Imposters!" A voice exclaimed from behind them.
Oh, and some friends to make apparently.
Chaos.
It was inevitable.
Nothing Kuro could do would stop it.
It was a fact of life. Mags, and Nora, would cause Chaos. A bombastic dragon knight and a… pink and orange chaotic girl... he didn't know enough about Nora for a good nickname. Well, he knew they would cause chaos together. He'd bet on it in fact, and… well, he was a gambling man but he much preferred bets he would win.
At least they were getting along for now though. He wasn't sure how much longer that would last, unfortunately.
"So, I'm Mags! The most awesome sauce person around!" They grinned confidently as they skipped along to the lockers—which, by a mildly amusing stroke of luck, were all rather close together. "My bestest friend over there is Kuro, don't mind the bored expression, that's just how he is." They said while pointing their tail towards him.
"You're not wrong." Kuro didn't take offense to that statement as he knew it to be true. He simply slipped on his jacket, which was not unlike a mixture between a Haori and a Hoodie. Traditional, but casual, and jet black in color, bar the grey and red King piece on it's back, with the Mistralian character for King below it.
He liked the symbolism of it, nothing more.
"No way! Me and Renny are besties too! We've been together for a long time, but not… "Together" together…" Awkwardness in the voice, mannerisms, indicated the potential of more. Affection, clearly. He took note of that. Even the look in her cyan eyes, the outfit she wore, he took note of it all. It was useful information, and in time it would help him read her like a book.
Though he had to remind himself that cold reading was not a science, and just because he could guess things did not mean he knew the person.
"I do hope that they do not cause too much trouble together, but it's good to see Nora making friends. Not that I doubted she would." Ren said in passing, shifting his green weapons and sliding them up his sleeves. "She's an interesting person." He said, glancing at Mags.
"It's they, Mags is a they." He corrected the admittedly similar looking boy. Both had black hair with colored streaks, though different colors much like their eyes, Mistralian heritage, thin builds, and so on. It was Ren's heritage that he noted most. He was hesitant to interact with him in worry of his family name being recognized, there was a reason he went by Kuro instead of Kada despite the formalities and traditions, but he wasn't going to be rude about it so he talked anyway. "But they will cause chaos together."
"Yup! They, not she! Ya best remember that!" Mags added with a nod and a grin. They often forgot to mention it, but they were usually quick to correct it. Kuro, however, tried to beat them to it, as they didn't always correct people in… the most friendliest of ways.
"Ah, my apologies." Ren bowed, a soft smile on his calm face. He was kind but passive, another trait to note.
"Got it!" Nora nodded in understanding, which was not unexpected. He guessed she'd be quick to accept just about anything.
"Good, now we are more acquainted. I'm glad everyone is making friends, especially Mags. They need better friends than I." He commented as he slipped on a pair of sleek black gauntlets with red and white accents. What was important to note was the almost roulette style spinners on them and the Emeici attached to his fingers. Other than that, it was a simple pair of black, white, and red gauntlets. He named them Maverick, and that was an important title to him.
Maverick. A person with a unique mindset or perspective. He fashioned himself one, and he thought Mags was a Maverick as well. He had long learned to throw common sense out the window with them. They were simply like that. Even he had a hard time predicting their actions.
However, perhaps that is what made them such great company.
"Hey! I don't need friends besides you! You're awesome!" Mags said, pouting as they raised an accusing finger towards him, causing Nora to giggle.
"Agree to disagree." He answered immediately, holstering a sleek and odd looking gun at his hip. Dead Man's Hand, it was an odd weapon but it was unique, and for that reason he liked it. He'd rather have Mags be happy with actual friends than having to deal with him.
"Why do you think others could be better than you?" Ren asked with a curious frown.
"Because I'm not a very… sociable person." He shrugged. "Social people are typically better friends."
"What does that mean!? You're a great friend!" Mags refuted with a frown.
"That's no mindset to be in!" Nora added simply with a nod. She was predictable, yet chaotic in his mind. But perhaps she would prove him wrong about that.
"It's not that I have a low opinion of myself; I know where my talents lay, and socializing is not one of them. For an extrovert like Mags, they would be better suited with someone who can match their energy." He said with a shrug, turning to face the group now that he was ready.
Mags had slid into their armored Firefighter's outfit, though it was black and pink in color, over their main top and armor. They had some Dust Canisters mounted upon their back that glistened in the light, with pipes that connected to a gauntlet on their right hand, Savior's Scale. Then there was the fire axe on their hip, Excalibur. He was most familiar with that weapon as he gifted it to Mags.
It was rather simple. A fire axe that could turn into a short sword. It was well made, as he used as much money as his parents would let him spend on it. He thought it would have been better for them to have a nicer weapon rather than something poor he made himself. Though knowing Mags they would have been happy either way.
"Nope! You're the only friend I need dammit!" Mags said with a pout, probably thinking something ridiculous.
"I mean, Nora and I are opposites but we get along well." Ren reasoned thoughtfully, his magenta eyes glimmering with… something distant, perhaps a sense of wisdom he disagreed with. He also noticed the more formal and traditional Mistralian combat outfit, with lots of greens and black. A memento of his heritage perhaps? Or simply a style, maybe he was looking too deep into these things.
"Yeah! Me and Renny are the best!" Nora nodded firmly. "You and Mags are like us, a duo!—" and with a gasp of realization. "—Oh! We should be on a team together! That'd be great!" She cheered, swinging around a large hammer with a grin. Up close fighter, reckless, powerful. Overwhelmed with strength rather than skill. Good to know. There was also the familiar crazed glint in the girl's aqua eyes. He would have to keep an eye on them, in combat that is. Ren could handle the rest.
"Oh my~ Yes. That'd be so cool." Mags said with a grin, they were acting more casual and confident than before, rather than bubbly and excited. He gave up on trying to decipher how their mood shifted like that, he had a vague idea but he simply decided to adapt to it rather than predict it.
Trying to predict it is like trying to control a storm, or in Mags' case, a wildfire. Some things trigger it, but not much stops it.
"I would not be opposed to such a thing but I don't know how teams are being formed." Ren said, his tone neutral as he shrugged. Go with the flow, bend but don't break. Endure. That's what he picked up from the boy so far. Of course, when reading people, you must never assume you know them because of what you read. That was the first thing he learned. Never assume you're right. Theorize, don't define.
People mesh and click, while others clash, however they all have traits that link them together. Those traits can be read. They also show how people work together, like in Teams.
Oh yes, the subject of teams. Rather than pieces of a chessboard, which are good to describe individual people, are not the best at describing a four person group dynamic. Of course why think that out when he can have fun with an unknown team? Why not let things play out and adjust from there?
He'd probably do that, as it sounded much more fun to him.
"I'll let the pieces fall where they may. Then rearrange the pieces in my favor. I'd like Mags on my team, as for the other two, I have no opinion." Kuro said calmly, giving Mags a nod. They were his only friend, even if he thought they could do better than him, he would still stick with them all the same.
"That's… an odd outlook but very well." Ren eyed Kuro with mild curiosity, a thoughtful frown on his face. To which he only shrugged in response. He didn't mind, he cared very little of what other people thought of him. Mags was the only person who had an opinion he truly valued, as they were the only person who understood him.
Once again, perhaps that narrowed his view point, but a full view wasn't always the best view. And it definitely wasn't always the most interesting view.
"Ha! That means the four of us can still be on a team!" Nora exclaimed with a grin, to which Kuro only shrugged. It sounded like a boring and tiring match up to him. Not to mention horrible for combat scenarios.
"I mean, it does sound fun, but I'm not gonna complain if it doesn't end up that way, y'know?" They added with a casual grin. Their tail flicked behind them, a sign of happiness from what he had picked up over the years.
"Well, we still don't know how they're forming teams. So it doesn't matter what team we want, but the team that we'll get." He said, nodding to himself. "We'll have to learn how to work with our matchups."
"Wise words." Ren said, sliding a boring pair of gunblades. Simple and reliable yes, but they weren't a lot of fun.
"Wisdom is relative." Those words, oddly enough, came from Mags of all people, which did gain a raised brow from Ren. They had their own moments of wisdom. Which was an amusing thought to have with that statement.
"Yeah, I'm gonna be honest with ya chief, I have no idea what that means." Nora said with a chuckle, putting away the hammer as they bounced up and down. They were getting impatient. Fortunately Initiation would begin soon.
By his predictions?
In three…
Two…
One…
Nothing. He supposed he must've been wr—"Would everyone please head for their designated sites? Initiation will begin in fifteen minutes." Goodwitch's voice echoed through the locker room followed by the pinging of scrolls.
Nope, he was on point. Definitely wasn't a very lucky educated guess. Okay, he looked at Goodwitch's schedule beforehand. Some might say that's cheating, but cheating is simply another part of the game.
At least, that's how he saw it.
He looked down at his own scroll, humming softly. Emerald plateau. He then looked over at Mags.
"Beacon cliff, huh, neat!" They grinned, already skipping ahead, probably expecting him to follow. Which he did, even though they'd both have to split up soon. It'd be more difficult, but even with the difference in sites, he reasoned that they could still be on the same team if he tried hard enough.
"Awesome! Me and Renny are heading towards the cliff as well!" Nora said brightly, following along as well.
"I'll be at the plateau, I'll catch up with you during Initiation, Mags, got it?" He simply raised a brow, to which they nodded in return.
"Yup, I can do that." They giggled. "I won't foil the odds this time."
That simple phrase nearly made him smirk, nearly, and Nora clearly found it amusing as well. "You two are weird. I like it!" She grinned.
Ren simply sighed, to which Kuro actually smirked. "She's right, but it's good, because it's Weird that wins the game." He told him, making Mags beam as they finally left to reach their sites.
He didn't understand why they were happy about his amusement, but he didn't need to understand. He just needed to play the game, however he wasn't the only player. He had a Player Two, his only friend: Mags.
He might not be excited for this game called Initiation, but he was going to win it alongside them.
Player One was ready to win the game.
The Emerald Plateau. A small Plateau at the edge of the forest that could be reached by a bridge connected to another nearby cliff.
It was nearly entirely flat and covered in flowers. Some might call it beautiful, Kuro, however, found it to be boring. Why would he care about some flowers? Yes, they looked nice, and? That was it. There was no reason to be in awe like some of the students around him were.
He didn't understand other people sometimes, yet… At the same time he understood them so well. He knew why they were in awe, he himself just didn't experience the same feeling.
That was what he didn't get.
He brushed the thoughts aside with a sigh as he stepped onto his designated platform, looking around with appraising red eyes.
Nothing interesting, no one of importance. It was all boring.
He did see the other launch sights in the distance though. He did spy Mags, as the plateau wasn't too far from the cliff. Though, Aura granted a small boost to the senses, so that helped.
"For years, you have trained and endured life to reach this point. To become warriors and Hunters, today we will evaluate what you have learned in the Emerald Forest." A wise and sagely voice spoke, causing Kuro to scoff.
Ozpin.
He was fond of the professor, very fond of him actually. Especially after their previous meeting.
"I quite enjoyed this game of chess. We should play again this time, maybe it won't end up in a stalemate?"
He didn't say it back then, but that had been a… somewhat fun, game of chess. Not because it was hard, but because it wasn't about the game itself. At least, he didn't think it was. He was fairly certain Ozpin played a game with him to gauge him of something. Perhaps a test of sorts. Of what, he didn't know.
The fact that someone went easy on him, and he still didn't win, was what made it fun.
"However you will not be alone in this, you will be getting teammates. Today." Ozpin continued, his wise brown eyes piercing through most as he paced before them. They settled on Kuro himself for a brief, subtle, moment.
Something about Kuro had the headmaster's attention, and he was pretty sure he knew what.
His Family Name.
The Kada Family, a renowned and noble family of Mistral. However little is known about his admittedly secretive clan. However one word can be used to describe just about every member of the group.
Prodigal.
He was no different than the rest of his family. It made him sought out after. He was just a piece on the chessboard to Ozpin, at least he thought. However, maybe he'd prove that he was a player, not a piece.
Until then, he had to play along to the moves set up. Until it was time to diverge from the script.
I really use too many metaphors, that's a problem that must be fixed. He sighed softly.
The Headmaster gave them all a nod, taking a sip of hot cocoa with a smile. "It is important to note that the first person you make eye contact with upon landing is your partner."
Most gasped at this, while Kuro rolled his eyes. Unnecessary, inefficient, and solely purposed to make Ozpin look eccentric. Yet he couldn't help but smirk. It was amusing.
He ought to make it even more so.
He raised a hand.
"Kuro, you have a question?" His first name? At least the professor was respecting his privacy. He'd have to thank him for that. Yet… it made nearby students wonder why the headmaster was on a first name basis with him.
He preferred his birth name over his family name anyways, despite the tradition of last then first. His family name only ever grabbed unwanted attention. It'd be like calling the Heiress who's supposed to be here Schnee instead of… White?
He had forgotten her name. Not that it mattered.
"So we are allowed to keep our eyes shut as we move through the woods, to find the ideal teammate if we want to?" He questioned, a grin on his face now. This gained him many looks from the other students.
Obviously he wasn't actually going to do this, that'd be stupid. He wasn't some anime protagonist who could fight even with his eyes closed. He was mainly messing around with the other students, while also gathering information.
Ozpin chuckled softly but nodded. "It's not against the rules, so if you find it within your abilities you may do so."
He lowered his hand, satisfied with that response. "Thanks Professor."
"If there are no other questions, then I shall get into the explanation." He smiled, giving them all a nod. "Once in the forest, and all partnered up, you must head north east from here to the ruins at the ravine deep into the forest." He began his explanation.
Kuro smirked again. Ruins and eccentric team making processes. This was beginning to seem… almost fun.
It was for this reason that he was glad he chose Beacon over Haven. Though, if Mags didn't want to become a Hunter, then he'd probably ignore his parent's wishes and not go to any of the academies. Simply opting to stay at the household and play games all the time.
Oh yes, he should probably pay attention.
"Upon reaching the temple, you and your partner must find a relic. Then, meet back up at the other end of the forest where myself and a few others shall greet you. The exact location is something you must figure out yourself." He carried on, only getting Kuro more interested.
"Now, the forest is filled with Grimm. So you shall have to do whatever it takes to survive and make it to the end." He ended with a smile. "Now, any questions?"
No hands were raised.
"Good. Now… it is time to lift off." He smirked, and with a tap of his scroll, the first student was launched with a resounding howl. A cliché for the wolf faunus who went flying, but it was a little amusing.
Kuro turned to the professor as students, one by one, were sent flying. Ozpin was clearly enjoying this. Which in turn, briefly amused him. Ozpin was an oddity, and that made things interesting.
He sighed as the squirrel faunus girl beside him was sent flying, it was his turn now. "Y'know, old man, for a boring professor, you really are something interesting." He said with a flicker of amusement in his eyes, dropping the formalities. As the plate beneath him shifted, he gave a mock salute, causing said old man to blink in surprise before chuckling.
With that, he began to soar. At first, he was doubtful, but now… he couldn't wait to play this game.
Perl was not enjoying Initiation so far. Not. One. Bit. She had muted Eve, as to make this a real test for herself. However, she wasn't nearly as prepared as she thought. After flying face first into a tree, and painfully tumbling to the ground, she quickly found herself surrounded. Her constant panicking had caused Grimm to swarm her like moths to a flame.
So it was safe to say things weren't very fun at the moment.
The rotten scent of Grimm, the rich scent of Dust, and the sickening scent of sweat mixed together was enough to make her nose crinkle in disgust, the battlefield was an overwhelming place.
Each moment was a struggle, her heart pounding along with the pace of battle like war drums. It was difficult to plan out her actions with all that was going on, which was why she was struggling. Her fast reaction time was saving her so far, but even that had limits.
She skid against the ground as she dodged the lunging beowulf, kicking up a large cloud of dirt. She kicked off and rolled under the next one. There was no moment to rest in a fight, her only chance was to evade.
The dust and earth clouded her lungs in pain, sending her into a sudden coughing fit. The tightness in her ches5 only worsened as she ran from the beasts. She needed to slow them down.
With a quick draw from her hip, she slung her gun out and fired several shock blasts. Her aim was dead on, causing her target to convulse in pain. It soon collapsed dead, smoke hissing off it. One down, a few more to go.
She could do this. It was just a few Beowulves, and she was a Huntress in training. It was nothing she couldn't handle.
Perl moved immediately as giant claws swung towards her. With adrenaline coursing through her veins like fire, she leapt away without thinking and pain wracked her side. She had slammed herself into a tree, it was a sloppy mistake.
She staggered back to her feet as the beasts slowly encircled her. Panic began to cloud her mind like a fog.
The biggest slowly approached her, letting out a snarl that made her flinch. Those red eyes pierced into her soul, fortunately snapping her out of the stupor.
Come on! You're better than this, don't let some dumb mutt beat you. Perl steeled herself, a strange pressure in the back of her mind washed away the fear. With it, golden Aura flowed and crackled like a fluid energy that bolstered her body.
Her aura's attributes might not be suited for reinforcement, but at least it was easy to manipulate. At her command, like electricity through copper, the Aura condensed to her legs as she swung her heel back into the Wulf's skull.
Even with Aura boosting, it wasn't a very strong kick, but it still sent the monster tumbling to the side. Though time seemed slow until it was like molasses.
All the Beowulves lunged with a sense of vengeance, but Perl didn't falter. With the force Dust she used to slow her previous fall, she raised her hands up and began casting the Dust.
Her arms lit up in a kaleidoscope of Gold Aura and Grey Dust, and it skillfully flowed outward in a burst that sent the shadow monsters flying back into the trees.
She practically cheered when a small wulf was impaled on a branch. Maybe that was sadistic, but one less monster was enough to make Perl happy.
She smirked with confidence as she whirled her clockwork gun towards the next one and emptied the entire shock capsule into it, frying it to death. The scent reeked; but it was another victory, even if it didn't last long.
The roar from behind her wiped the smile off her face as pain shattered her confidence. A heavy weight slammed into her like a truck, knocking her to the ground. She let out a cry as the razor sharp claws dug into her. "Agh!"
The beowulf she kicked mere moments ago was back for revenge, and it wasn't even going to give her time to reload or change weapons. It was ready to kill.
Crap baskets! She used the surprising amount of strength her body held to try and force it off, to no avail. Grimm drool dripped down as it's claws grated against her withering aura.
She grunted as another Grimm bit down onto her leg, and though it yelped as she kicked it away, it came right back. She couldn't hold out like this… her aura was being ripped away at a frightening pace.
Something clicked for Perl, and just as she felt her strength leave her… the pressure in the back of her mind welled up with increasing force. She was not going to let herself be killed by a Beowulf of all things.
If she couldn't get them off, then she'd push herself away. She pushed her hands against the ground and readied the last little bit of force Dust she had, planning to fling herself out of their grasp. It was stupid, but hopefully she had enough.
All that remained in Perl was sheer determination. As she released the blast, sending her skidding across the ground in pain, an utterly terrifying roar echoed outward.
It sounded monstrous yet… eerily human. It was a war cry. It was coming closer at shocking speeds, whatever was coming was fast and angry.
I am so screwed. She tried to stagger to her feet so she could run, but she found more Beowulves around her.
"Get the fuck away from her!" A voice growled out, it was the same roar from seconds ago. It was no monster, but a person.
Perl turned in shock, but was only able to see a pink and red blur through her dirty glasses. Was she saved?
Maybe, maybe not. However the turn was the perfect opportunity for the Alpha of the pack to kick off and lunge for Perl's throat. Her aura was nearly broken, and this would be the finishing blow.
Once again time seemed to slow… however even if she saw it coming from the corner of her eye, she knew she wasn't fast enough to dodge it. It was hopeless…
In that instant, a pink fire axe propelled by flames whirled and spun through the air at the speed of a bullet. As if by a miracle, it tore through the Alpha's neck at the last possible second and buried itself in a nearby tree with a thud.
Ichor and guts spewed out against Perl, making her gag as the body slumped to the ground. She didn't even have time to vomit, there was still more Grimm.
The owner of the axe leapt down in front of Perl, wearing some sort of armored firefighters suit. It was hard to tell much, as her vision was hindered, but the colorful figure didn't hesitate.
They charged forward, pink flames flashed through the forest. Ashes and sparks fell down like flower petals in the wind as heat rolled outwards. The monsters howled in agony as they were cooked by the stranger.
Their claws harmlessly scratched against the armor and aura of the firefighter, the song of battle ringing true. And as they turned back to look at Perl, their animalistic orange eyes froze her in fear. It was hard to see, but the rage made it feel like she could be next.
She was stunned, watching the fight play out like a movie. Perl found herself both impressed and horrified as the angry faunus caught a lunging beowulf by the throat.
They… the mysterious fighter gripped it's torso and pulled. She could see the muscle and sinew stretching out as the flesh was torn apart through sheer strength. Bones snapped and the beast's howls and roars pathetically faded away, the fighter had ripped it's head straight off…
It might have been because Perl could barely see through the smudged lenses, but she didn't see any signs of aura boosting… and that terrified her.
With the Alpha dead, and the slaughter that was going on, most of the Grimm fled for their lives. However one young Grimm wasn't wise enough for such a thing, and lunged towards the fighter while it was busy with it's torn up ally.
And for the first time, Perl moved without thinking and rushed to intervene. It was weird, her body moving on it's own. She was out of Force Dust, she hadn't reloaded her guns, so that left one option.
She grabbed Genesis and turned on the Hardlight, not even stopping to check what form it was set to.
With all her might, she swung down onto it. A sickening squelch was all that could be heard. The small beowulf's skull had been crushed by the giant glowing wrench.
She was surprised she could even manage to do that, but at least it was over now.
She had been saved.
Still… she needed to rest. She was just so drained after all of that, even if her aura regenerated quickly she was still exhausted. So when the sensation in the back of her mind faded away, Perl found herself collapsing back into the soft… soft grass.
It was a pillow for her to rest upon, and she really needed it. She was sweaty and covered in Grimm guts, every part of her was sore, and she could barely think.
In fact, she felt as if she could… fall asleep… at any moment…
Yeah, a nap wouldn't be so bad…
AN: So yeah, this chapter isn't as long as the last one. That's because I'm no longer going to be pushing for chapters to be as long as possible. Instead I'm going to write what I feel is a fitting amount, and I feel this is a good spot.
I expect mixed opinions on Kuro, because he's not exactly the nicest or the coolest person. He sees things like a game, and that's going to get him into trouble more often than not. Still, I'd love to hear what you all have to say on Kuro & Mags!
As usual, any form of comment or question is greatly appreciated and I'll do my best to reply.
See you all next time!
