Whoo boy, been looking forward to this chapter, and I think you will too. Either way, expect a lot of action in this chapter. As always, remember to enjoy and leave your opinion in a review, I always enjoy seeing what you guys have to say about the story.
Chapter 17: Facing Demons
Title Song: Heartful Cry - Persona 3 OST
Jasmine and Blake were crouched on the roof of a warehouse, looking out at a large shipping container with the Schnee Dust Company logo on the side. Sun then came up and crouched beside Blake. "Anything happen yet?" He asked.
"Nothing, but I'm willing to stakeout all night if I have to," Blake said.
"I stole you some food," Sun offered some apples. Jasmine pouted at him as he did, stealing was wrong.
"Do you always break the law without a second thought?" Blake asked.
"Hey, weren't you part of a cult?" Sun shot back. He instantly regretted it when she glared at him. "Sorry, too soon."
Jasmine smiled at the weird interaction between her temporary teammates. She then flattened herself when her ears picked up the roar of an engine.
A bullhead-class VTOL dropship flew overhead, before beginning to land. The doors opened and out walked the armed, white armoured and masked troopers of the White Fang.
"Oh no…" Blake sighed.
"Is that them?" Sun asked, he didn't see Jasmine tense up.
"Yes… It's them…" Blake muttered.
"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?" Sun asked.
"I think deep down… I knew, I just didn't want to be right," Blake sighed.
"Hey! What's the hold up?!" All three Faunus looked down, seeing a differently dressed individual. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals pick up the pace?"
"Roman Torchwick? What's he doing here?" Jasmine asked with her scroll.
"I don't know… but the White Fang would never take orders from a human, especially one like him," Blake drew the sword for Gambol Shroud, standing up.
"What are you doing?" Sun asked.
Blake didn't answer, jumping down and running towards the maze of containers. Sun and Jasmine shared a look, Jasmine pulling out Kitsune's Kickback. It's not exactly Ruby's scythe, but I can work with sniping with you, she thought.
A second later, Blake had her sword around Torchwick's neck. She then removed her ribbon, "Brothers and sisters of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?" She asked, appalled.
Blake and Torchwick traded some words that neither Sun or Jasmine could hear, but something Roman said made Blake look up. More engines were heard, and three more Bullheads were approaching. While Blake was distracted, an explosion suddenly blasted out from Roman's cane.
Not far, Koa looked up from his scroll, having split up from Lilo and Onyx to cover more ground. As he did, he noticed the explosion and smoke coming from the direction of the docks. "Jas?" He asked. He called the team. "You guys see that?" He asked, starting to run towards the action.
"I sent Shadow ahead to get intel, I'm on my way," Lilo said.
"I'm also heading over, I'm on the other side of the city though, so I might be some time," Onyx added.
"Copy, I'll get over there now, I'm probably closest to the docks," Koa said.
"Good luck Koa," Both his teammates said, causing their leader to smile.
He channelled his semblance to his feet, acting like springs pushing him to the rooftops, which he continued to do, bouncing across buildings and using his hardlight to make his way towards the massive plume of smoke. Jas… be careful…
Jasmine fired a shot at some White Fang, the ground under their feet getting ripped up by her explosive fire. "You wanna keep trying that, I'll go help Blake," Sun said. Jasmine gave him a thumbs up, aiming and firing at another goon. She noticed a bullhead fly overhead, dropping a handful of grunts. She was about to get up, when a heavy boomerang clunked between the heads of all three, landing in her best friend's hand.
"Jas!" She didn't need to turn to hear Koa slide up next to her. "What's going on?" His eyes then dropped to the battle below.
Jasmine tapped out a short message, "Torchwick leading White Fang, Blake vs Torchwick, Sun is helping," She fired another shot, then pulled a small catch back on the side of Kitsune's Kickback, opening a gap, which ejected an empty cartridge. She then put a replacement inside and reset the catch.
Koa nodded. He and Jasmine then noticed another bullhead fly overhead, and White Fang dropped from the bay onto the warehouse roof. They then heard a guttural motor splutter to life, before roaring. Both glanced at each other, eyes widening.
"No…" Koa said with a gasp. A White Fang soldier, larger than the others, dropped to land before the two students. "It can't be…"
The soldier raised his weapon of choice. "The one who took part in the attack…"
The faunus chuckled. "What do we have here? A traitor and a filthy human," He said, turning off his chainsaw and hefting it onto his shoulder.
Koa bravely stood before Jasmine, who was shaking like a leaf. "I remember you," He said, drawing Return to Sender. "You were the Lieutenant who took part in the attack on Melodious. I remember being forced to watch you murder innocents!" He growled.
"Innocents? Humans aren't innocent. All they do is treat us Faunus like gum on a shoe," The LT said.
"I hope you also remember murdering a family of fox Faunus, what was the excuse for that?!" Koa asked.
"Sorry boy, you'll have to find someone else to answer that question. All I do is follow orders, if someone says for me to kill, I do so," The LT said.
Koa growled. "For our village of Melodious, which hasn't been the same since the Dialis were killed, as well as Jasmine, who lives a life without any family to come home to!" Koa yelled. He threw a boomerang straight forwards, which the LT blocked with his chainsaw. Koa let it spin, charging in with the other, throwing it behind him and catching the other to block the downwards swing from the chainsaw.
This turned out to be a small error on Koa's part, the LT was much bigger than him, and stronger, with a larger weapon. Grunting under the weight, he started to struggle against keeping the gnashing teeth of the brutal weapon from skewering him. Suddenly the LT grunted, his head jolting forwards. Koa smirked, kicking the Faunus in the stomach, rolling onto his back and throwing the man off the roof.
He followed, leaping up to grab the second boomerang and dropping onto the LT, who blocked him with his chainsaw. Knowing this wouldn't last long, Koa angled himself to spring off the weapon to land, summoning a hardlight barrier to protect his flank.
Jasmine looked over the roof edge from where she had watched the battle, cursing herself for freezing up. She glanced at the squad of soldiers, knowing she could handle them easily. She picked up Kitsune's Kickback, swiping at the first. This snapped the others out of their stupor, having been watching the battle below. "She's with the traitor and the humans! Get her!" One called out.
Jasmine ducked under the swing of a sword, before holding it behind her neck to block several rounds heading her way. With her lance still behind her, she rolled onto her back, before using the momentum to spring up and kick a Fang member in the face. Self-righting herself, she shot a shell at two goons that were bunched up. Turning her attention to the last one, she was about to advance on him when a high-powered round diffused his aura completely.
Jasmine glanced over to the other warehouse roof, smiling when she saw Ruby crouched. Waving over to the girl, Jasmine turned her attention back to the battle below. She momentarily paused on seeing watching Sun on the advance against Roman, her eyes glistening at the beauty behind his weapon. Her eyes then drifted down, and her heart almost stopped.
Koa was on the ground, his blue aura flickering before fizzling out completely. She had to act, especially as the LT was lifting his chainsaw.
Moments earlier...
A boomerang slammed into the side of the chainsaw, and Koa followed it up with his other boomerang, shooting towards the LT's chest.
The lieutenant swung his mighty weapon with one hand, causing Koa to slide under the gnashing teeth, before leaping up and axe kicking him in the side of the head… Or that would have happened, but the LT grabbed his leg with his spare hand. Throwing him into the warehouse door, Koa gasped, quickly summoning a hardlight barrier to block the heavy downwards swing from his foe.
Much to his alarm though, the chainsaw slowly cut through the barrier, slashing down at Koa, ripping at his aura. Koa acted quickly, lashing out with a fist of hardlight.
It knocked the LT back, but Koa grunted as his aura broke, the strain from the chainsaw having torn it apart. He tried to stand, but his arms gave out.
"A nice try kid, I'll send your little girlfriend to join you, once I've gutted you!" The lieutenant called out, lowering his chainsaw. Koa closed his eyes, bracing for the painful demise.
It never came.
"NO!" His eyes shot open, hearing an unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar, voice yell.
The shout had paused the entire battle, Roman, Blake and Sun confused, Ruby and an orange haired girl looking over with hope and interest respectively, and Koa just looked up at the fox faunus who stood before him, fists glowing with gold hardlight, and similarly coloured shavings flittering around them. Her right fist was extended in an uppercut pose, her ears flattened against her head and tail swishing with fury.
Jasmine Diali pulled out her weapon. Behind her, Koa's eyes widened. He knew where he had heard that voice before.
"Jas?" He asked. He took a deep breath, feeling his aura slowly recovering. He stood up, coming to stand next to her. "Alright, how about we go again?" He asked with a smile.
"Hey!" Both their heads turned to see Ruby stab her scythe into the roof of the warehouse.
"Well, hello Red, and Blue as well! Isn't it past your bedtime?" Roman asked. Ruby turned to speak with the orange haired girl behind her. Roman took his chance, firing a shot that blasted Ruby off her feet.
"Ruby!" Koa called out with worry.
The orange haired girl then jumped down, a multitude of identical swords popping free from a compartment on her back. She waved her hands, several slashing at a couple of Fang men, before she threw the entire wheel of swords at a line of grunts.
Summoning more swords, she blocked several shots from the Bullheads, which were performing gun runs. She suddenly dropped back to the base of the warehouse, before her swords all pointed forwards, spinning in a circle, before a bright green laser blasted from the centre, dissecting the two attacking bullheads. Suddenly, she turned her attention to the third bullhead, trying to make off with a crate with the Schnee Dust Company logo on it.
Two swords shot into the hull, and the girl began to, somehow, pull the VTOL craft to the ground.
Koa was so absorbed by the show, he only just noticed Roman and some White Fang, including the lieutenant, getting on one last bullhead, which pulled away from the docks.
Koa turned to Jasmine, relieved she was unharmed, however, that was not the most pressing thing. "Jas?" He asked.
"…Y…Y…" His eyes widened as he heard sound coming from her mouth, "Yes?" She croaked. Her own eyes widened, before tears began to fall.
"It's ok kiddo," Koa pulled her into a hug. "Let it out. It's been at least five years in the waiting," He smiled. He felt her body trembling, before he heard her cry out.
Koa: So... that was a thing...
Ruby: You can say that again Koa, I'm glad it seemed to work out though.
Blake: That may be the case, but now you've got to train Jasmine's voice again.
Koa: We'll make it work. That's a promise. On a related note, Season 1 is over, now for a small interlude chapter before Season 2 begins.
All: Next time: Down Time