Enraging Flames

Ceres checks in Drey's heartbeat with her stethoscope while he is resting from his wound. Bandages from the bleeding he had suffered at the hands of an unknown assailant. It would take an immense heat to remove the cooled molten metal from his abdomen. Neptune still waits in a balcony of the hospital room. Waiting for him to recover so that he could give him hints. He remembers that Weiss mentions that Drey have warned him about Rick, how insane he has gotten as a teenager. But she didn't tell him the rest of the details as she have already forgotten about the reason. The real question has been stuck in his head. Where is Rick? Did he have something to do with attempting to murder Drey? The closest person he ever has since childhood.

Ceres then freezes an amount of water in a plastic bag she poured from the sink. Then placed two ice packs, one above his forehead, and the second on top of the abdomen. She wiped the sweat from her head and took off her disposable mask. It was very difficult for the female Vasilias to deal with a patient on her own. But she has faced many challenges healing patients. She is no healer, but she is a determined soul with a medical degree. Like her mother, she has a sense of goodwill. She check the heart monitors on Drey's heartbeat, and it's functioning normally. Before Ceres leaves to rest, Drey gently grabs her hand to request something.

Ceres then walks to Neptune in a balcony, where the wind dances on her ponytail. She spoke to Neptune of Drey wanting to speak to him. Telling him it was urgent. Neptune then reenters the patient room. Where Drey faces him to the right. Ceres left the room to leave the two alone. "Drey, you okay?" Neptune asked. Drey took the time to breathe before he can speak. Then he gives him the full explanation.

"You shouldn't have helped me. I'm better off dead before he finds you." Replied Drey. Neptune is astonished to hear such words. He knew he was the enemy, but he never wishes death on anyone. But he needed him for some hints for what happened and why was Drey targeted. "Don't talk like that. I need to know what was going on? Where was Rick when this happened?" Neptune asked again.

"He...happened. He found out what I said to Weiss...and then he stabbed me." He grunted in pain.

"What Drey? What did you just said to her?"

"I found out Rick was selling out huntsmen and huntresses anonymously. To some organization. I saw his scroll, the messages to the person he calls, the Red Ghost."

"Red Ghost? What are you talking about?" Neptune narrowed.

"There's no time, you have to get out of here."

"What do you mean there's no time?" He asked again. That's when there was an explosion has the floors shaken. "He's here..." Grunted Drey. "You might as well let him kill me before he does it to you." Then Neptune hears a bloody scream. He heard that before and runs outside. He went straight through the aisle. Some of the desks were engulfed in flames. The alarms are ringing. The nurses and doctors came running from the attacker. Then a voice have hunted him for his purpose. "Come on out, Vasilias! I am not asking you twice!" Neptune remembers that voice. He leans his head from the front side of the walls to see Rick, emerging from the flames. He spun back behind to not get spotted.

"I know you're around here!" He sang. Rick have been a bully towards Neptune since at a young age, but he never took him for a psychopath. This is a new side of him that he never saw before.

Insanity.

"He's not here...just spare everyone el-Ah!" He heard that scream again, this time with a blade that is lunged. Neptune's teeth gritted seeing Ceres being stabbed in the abdomen. His blade being molted with heat. Then it hit Neptune to see that it was the same position where he bled Drey. Neptune doesn't know what to do. His sister is in danger if he doesn't come out, but if he comes out, he'll be caught in public and be reported. He'll surely be locked up in prison for good. But seeing Ceres squinting her eyes while fighting the pain from the blade. Her clothes, covered in blood.

"Do you want your sister to die, just like your brother?! I'm am giving you to the count of three, and you're going to come out. Or else your sister gets the blow. Are you around here? Well then, here I go...One" Neptune then took a route in the right hall of the room. The place is like a maze, very much secured before Rick broke in. It was easy enough to get lost. "Two." Neptune made sure his footsteps are quiet. Rick is still tempted to make Neptune feel the pain, mentally and physically. One to feel the loss of his sister, and another way to make him suffer, die to lay next to her. But Neptune is going to make sure neither if this stuff happens. Neptune finally caught up with him before he leans his closer to her chest to cut her heart.

"Three. Time to die!" Ceres is ready to face her fate. But not when Neptune strikes him by bolting his foot on his back. Changing his rifle to a guandao. Ceres fell to the receptionist desk and landed by the shoulder. "Get your hands off my sister." He snarled. Neptune then turns to Ceres, and held her shoulders to check her wounds. "Sis, are you okay?" He asks. Ceres then puts her palm on her abdomen and crystallized the wound. Cooling off the metal that was melted. She is breathing slowly to take it easy. It still amazes her brother that the ice have stopped the bleeding. But not for long. "I tried to protect you, you didn't listen. I don't think Jupiter will be happy about this!" Stated Ceres. "Oh well, we're screwed."

"Take it easy, I'll handle this." Neptune said, gently. He leaves Ceres by the desk. And turns to face his rival. "Hey you! I know what you did to Drey. Do you think you can just shut him up by leaving him for dead? Think again." He glares at him, making him the target of his payback for what he did to his older sister. And for nearly dropping him off the pier in Argus.

"The traitor had it coming. That's what he gets for ratting me out. He's been a good little lackey since the day we were born."

"He was your cousin, and you threw him away, like he was nothing."

"He had one job, and he failed. I'll kill you, just like how you ended my father's life!" He draws his sword and daggered at Neptune. But the line where he says that he ended Rick's father's life. "Wait. What?" It made his eyes widened. He didn't know how he did it. He never met him, nor did his father acquainted with him. But there is a side story that Neptune has yet heard, since the night he and Sun survived the accident. "And then the rest of the Vasilias bloodline will fall! And mine will rise from the ashes when I'm done with you, and your family! Die, Vasilias!" The only thing he could do is defeat him and hear him for why he always have a grudge against him.

At the night of Team ZRVT's disappearance. Rick is on a cruise ship, he was a cook. Not because of his skills with the utensils. But because his his inflammable semblance; flames. To this night of the stormy weather. Rick have been taken by his father to the ship with his boss' permission. Like Neptune, he was also 14 when the accident occurred. He might not know it was the last time he ever see his father. "So how'd you like the cruise, Sport?" He asks ruffling his son's hair. Making Rick chuckled. "Pretty awesome, actually. The girls here are pretty cute." Replied Rick. His parents are the people he always have a soft spot for. Still, he was regarded as a bully, a riff raff, and a scum because of the trouble he caused. The Argo family also has a rare bloodline that has inflammable-based abilities. Using fire, lava, any kind you can think of. The opposite of the Vasilias bloodlines.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. So, your mother and I have been thinking, we thought you're better off in Haven, than in Shade. It's nearby, so it would be the best." HIs father suggested.

"And be in the same room as Vasilias? No thanks. You know he's always been a thorn in my side."

"Young man, I don't know what has gotten to you. But you cannot hold a grudge with someone you barely know." He softly scolded. He loves his son, but he cannot continue to condone his behavior. "And don;t think I have forgotten that you almost dropped the boy off the pier."

"Come on, you and his dad have been enemies when you reached 17." Rick points out.

"He and I have our differences, but in the end, nobody wins. We're just human. We cannot keep up with that competitive behavior. The reason why we've been at nonsense, it's because before I met your mother, Lydia Vasilias has been so beautiful. What I liked about her is that she has a stronger sense of humanity. But in the end, she chose Saturn. But if he had not won, you wouldn't be here. Just don't tell your mother I told you this."

"Fine, but just so you know, I won't be on the same team as him." Then the ship moved vertically. Both Rick and his father went outside to see what was going on. Hanging onto the rails. They saw that they are caught in a whirlpool. And next to the ship is a submarine. The same one that the White Fang operates. Rick failed to notice a bench sliding on the deck and was heading towards him. But it would've smacked him to the water is his father haven't pulled him back inside the ship. Instead, his father took his place and fell into the whirlpool. "Dad! No!" He screamed as his father looked at him in his eyes before he was sucked into the whirlpool.

Then after the whirlpool have been stopped. The ship was destroyed. What he saw before his eyes, is sand, shells, crabs, and sunshine. The last thing he saw was his blue-haired rival being laid on the sand, while his faunus friend, Sun was watching over him. It made this morning worse. Instead of making interaction with him, it got Rick to remember that Neptune has Water Attraction, and it came to him that he is linked to the whirlpool. He then connected the dots that he made the whirlpool. He feel enraged. The heat of his body have enhanced. His skin have been turned red. The color of the fire when he felt angry. He clenched his fist. Then fire have been spreading making a swirl in the air has soon as he screams in anger.

Fire, the symbol of anger, and hatred. Something that Rick would always have. That was the day he unlocked his semblance. Rick vowed to kill not just Neptune, but his entire lineage.

Neptune stood in shock hearing his side of the story. He never thought about what happened to anyone else besides himself, Sun, and Team ZRVT. He didn't know that Rick and his father were there, the night of the accident. "You were there?" He said, weakly. He fell to his knees. Looking into the floor, the guilt running into his mind. His Tri-hard dropped to the floor. "The night my brother and his team disappeared. And he was caught in the same whirlpool as we all have." His hands pushed against the floor. How many people have either died or survived the whirlpool? How many mistakes he's going to make before another one will occur?

"The fact is, Vasilias...is that it's all your fault. And it looks to me, Monkey-Boy can't save you now." Rick smiled, maliciously, referring to Sun. Walking towards him and kicks him to the side of the walls. "You and that damn brother of yours." And he keeps kicking him repeatedly by the stomach to make him cough out the blood. It doubles the stings of pain he received from the men Carlos Vega have hired to rid him from the world. "My father is dead because of you! My life is ruined because of you! I have always hated you since the day we met!" He made it clear to him that he lost his sanity. Drey is still laying in bed, unable to do anything to stop him. "Just be glad that pretty girlfriend of yours is not here to see this." He said. "Our queen has agreed that your bloodline is just as dangerous as the silver-eyed warriors. Therefore, we can't let your lineage live."

"Queen...? Who...are...you...talking about?" He wheezed. Vomiting the blood revolving his veins.

"Doesn't matter. I'll kill you first, then the silver-eyed girl!" Neptune then remembers his promise to Weiss that he will free her from her father's grasp, or die trying. After all, she stood by him when the going is stressful. Then Rick raises his sword downward to his chest. But Neptune rolls away and runs to where his Tri-hard was dropped and picks it up in a nick of time. Rick may have been doing wrong for years. Tormenting and bullying the blue-haired huntsman over his fear of water. But Neptune was the opposite, he has no grudge whatsoever. Remembering his brother's lessons on how to keep his cool in the middle of a fight.

To beat up the bad guys, you need to play it cool and simple. It's not that easy, but you can't let your emotions run crazy when your enemies taunt you. Instead, you let their anger flow like flames. That is the key to beat your opponents. If you keep your cool, it means the water flows from the mind. Not just any forms of water. But also your mind.

The part of him keeps him to be one with the aura beneath him. Rick charges at him to point his sword at him. But Neptune keeps dodging him while keeping his calm. Then he headbutts him like he did in the day of their arrival in Poseidon Island. But this time, he is still not backing down from a fight.

"I'm sorry that this happened to your dad. But killing me isn't going to bring him back." Neptune reasoned. But Rick isn't taking his sentimental tone seriously, lashing out blindly enough. "What's wrong coward?! Aren't you going to fight back?! Or do you want to cry home to your mommy?!" Neptune is now feeling annoyed, but he didn't bite back. Whoever he's working for will not find him useful any longer if he keeps fighting back. In defense, he deflect every throw from Rick. Clashing the blade on top of his guandao, spear vs sword. Fire vs water. It all makes sense for why he held a spiteful thorn in the first place.

"Geez, you're not much of a listener, aren't ya?" Neptune sighed. Rick slashes with flames from his sword. Prompting the blue-haired huntsman to use his guandao to dissipate the fire. As he also spun and threw his weapon at his face. "Ow! Now you've done it!"

"I think you need to chill out, man!" Then he slide under the sword when Rick attempted to cut him. Neptune seizes the opportunity to sweep him underneath his feet. Causing Rick to fall back. Neptune then yield back his Tri-hard and then points at him as a sign for him to surrender. "You cool now?" He joked, but not in the fun way. But he saw his sword next to him. He swung it against his Tri-hard, as it was off his hands and it landed from the sideways. Rick was ready to lunge him, until he was pushed by a rush of water spraying from the left hall. And he slammed into another wall. Rick's aura shattered by the weakening of the substance. The more it accelerated its speed.

Neptune then stepped forward to the hall, and saw Drey holding the hose while turning down the velocity of the water. He panted from the pain of his abdomen. But he's doing better while Neptune was fighting Rick. Drey collapses on his knees in exhaustion. Ceres is being taken care of by a nurse, while the second nurse reported the attack to the police. Neptune now knows he's caught, he has no choice but to leave the hospital, knowing his sister is safe. Now that his identity is exposed. But before he does, he found a scroll that belongs to Rick. And there was a text message sent from the individual named, "Red Ghost."

Did you kill him?

Neptune then check a series of text messages. A photo of him, and Weiss on the same ferry they took to visit his sister in Vale. A bounty for 13,000,000 lien. This makes sense. It also shows the location of the assailant of where he is resided. Neptune has great hacking skills when he was on missions with the rest of Team SSSN. Drey offers to take his scroll to come up with a little white lie to make sure Red Ghost thinks he's dead. By posing as Rick. And Neptune hands him the scroll.

Vasilias is dead, mission accomplished.

Excellent, I knew I can count on you. I'll be sending you the reward. Enjoy your time.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Vega Manor.

Weiss was wandering around the hallway to find the route to escape. Klarissa maintains her cover until she exposes Carlos as a main suspect. She then eavesdrops on the office Vega was standing. With the blink of an eye. Carlos have his telephone as a codec to dial his digits. It opens a bookshelf passage on the right wall. She then walked into the office, quietly. Taking off her heels to not make a sound of foot clicking. She snuck down the stairs. What Carlos did not think is that it was a big mistake to let the former heiress to roam around the manor.

Weiss hid behind the crates until Vega is finished for what activity he is doing in the basement. As soon as Vega left the passage. Weiss came out of hiding and saw an empty lab. The objects were covered in blank white sheets. Weiss checks out a sheet of plans that were meant for a scheduled shipment. Seeing the exact date of the day of the first embargo sinking before the arrival in Poseidon Island. "Vega, you're going down when I find out what you're doing." She muttered.

When she went to the sheets to uncover them. She cover her mouth to not scream out loud that there is a woman with silver hair with an eyepatch in a pod. It's not just her. There are multiple people in the pods. Then holographic screens are active on the side of the pods. Identifying the woman as a huntress.

Melina Rang

Age: 27

Education: Signal Academy, Beacon Academy

Weight: 98 Lbs

Height: 5'2 ft.

Occupation: Huntress

Weiss then saw an extra scroll. When she figured his PIN number on it and saw some recurring text messages sent by Rick Argo. It came to her that Rick was somewhat acquainted with him the day of the embargo sinking. She also suspected Rick to be his spy the day of their arrival in Vale, when she and Neptune are visiting his sister, and the picture was taken. The cost of the bounty. Her eyes widened when she read the last text.

Vasilias is dead, mission accomplished.

She couldn't believe for what she just read. She refuses to. There has to be a mistake. Carlos promised her that he won't be harmed if she cooperates with him. But it turns out he was lying to her to put a bounty on his head. Her body trembled as she fell. Weiss grasps her head in a shaken state of shock. She then shook her head in tears. Then she waits for Vega's visit to the lab so that she could sneak out and find the escape route, once again. But before she does, she turns back to the podded people and touches the glass with a sincere look. She wants to make sure Neptune is still alive. So she keeps hoping to see his face again. To rid the awful memories of her father and Carlos. For now, she has to find a way to signal for help and buy herself some time to escape.

Vega crossed the lines this time. Don't worry, I'll get you all out of here.

Weiss finds a toledo on his desk. Picks it up and waits for the door to be opened so that she make a quiet exit. If Carlos thinks Weiss is under the poisonous substance, he can think again. In case there is no escape from the manor, her only choice is to fight Vega on the day of the wedding.