Existence-Asserted-By-Violence

Kali rushed to the large gates when word began to spread of odd sightings. The head guard was already there speaking with a few others to secure the perimeter and make sure they were secure. A few more days. That was all they needed before the boats would arrive.

But time wasn't on their side anymore. It ran out the moment a team came back reporting Grimm tracks that matched the one they were saving people from.

That cursed creature was near. Why was it so close now? She didn't doubt that people were having ill thoughts, but to have enough to cause Grimm to show up was just absurd. While believable, she doubted that there were enough people to cause it to show up.

So it was hunting.

What were the honest chances that it found them purely by chance? They were well fortified and near the coast with a thick treeline to protect them from prying eyes. Grimm did live off destroying humanities creations, but even that had its limits.

"What's it look like?"

Sienna shook her head. "Not good." She gestured to a few injured people. They were working with medics at the moment. "It's not the same thing that we've been running from. Something else is out there. New type, most likely."

Kali shut her eyes. That was the last thing they needed. Another new type was beyond terrible news. If that news spread that another type was chasing after them or just in the area, then it would cause mass hysteria. That would only invite more Grimm to their location.

"Can you keep it under wraps?"

Sienna shrugged. "Something like this?" She looked back at the wounded men and women. "I think it's going to get out sooner or later. I'd rather deal with it sooner, rather than later to be honest. Force it to fight us on our time, not its."

"Easier said than done."

Sienna conceded to the point. Kali might not be a physically strong woman, but she was a smart one. Give her enough time and she just might come up with a way to fight the unknown monster lurking around their doors.

But that was one fight she didn't want to fight. No one wanted to fight it. Not even Sienna.

"Any word on Adam or Nickel?"

Sienna smiled. "We picked up their tracks on the way back. A team reported it. Said something about them being in a hurry. I think they're running from something. Probably that thing or just trying to throw it off our scent." She raised a hand to silent her superior's wife. "Already sent out a few teams to pick them up. Hopefully we hear back soon."

Both turned to the forest as faint echoes sounded in the distance. Their ears twitched as they waited for another sound like it. When nothing came, Sienna looked to a pair of guards and motioned to head out.

(-)

"What is this stuff again?"

"It's Old Man's Beard."

Adam examined the odd brown moss they had been plucking from low branches and brush for the past ten minutes. It made starting fires easier, something he had never known.

They had made good pace for the last few days. Nickel had insisted on traveling at night and sleeping during the day. He made the change because the nights were getting colder and if they traveled at night, they were less likely to die in their sleep.

For once, Adam put his trust in the reasoning behind the request. And it had helped him greatly. Two days of sleeping under starless nights with little warmth had done him very little in the way of getting sleep. Granted, sleeping during daylight had not been an easy feat, but he had achieved it.

Stuffing another batch of the oddly named moss in his pocket, Adam saw the sun through the trees and suddenly came to a sudden realization. "We're back near the roads?" he asked.

Nickel nodded. "We're not that far off from the campsite. A few more hours of travel and we'll be there." Nickel stopped suddenly and crouched down low. Adam dropped and snuck closer to him. The teen was staring straight ahead, fingering a pebble.

Food?

Adam tried to peer through the thick brush but to no avail. He could see nothing but white snow and dark browns.

Nickel turned to face him, blinked twice before pushing ahead, his form still low. Thankfully, the mask wearing Faunus understood what he meant when he blinked, and followed as silently as he could. It was another twenty meters before he could hear slow and steading breathing from up head, and another ten before he caught sight of some antlers.

He dropped the pebble suddenly and turned to his right slowly, his eyes squinted one something in the distance.

Adam looked in the direction Nickel was looking, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. He could see the Elk in the distance still grazing through the snow. Nickel got up and marched in the direction he was looking, his hand drawing his gun from the holster. Adam grabbed his weapon up, making ready for a fight.

Nickel stopped and stared down at a patch of upturned snow. Slowly, almost cautiously, he moved the snow and stopped, looking away when he saw a patch of pink flesh. Adam glanced down at it and it took his tired mind a moment to process what he was staring at.

"A hand?"

Nickel pushed the rest of the snow of the person and revealed a male Faunus. A guard that had traveled with them. A single hole was in the center of his head. Adam looked from the dead Faunus and then to more random mounds of snow. There were at least another ten mounds.

"Bandits?" Adam asked quietly.

"We're clear. They're not in the area." Adam was unbelieving in his words and started looking around for something out of the ordinary. "They're moving to the campsite. We need to move quickly. These are about a day old at best."

He holstered his weapon and rushed through the trees. Adam held his ground for another ten seconds before following. Strength surged through his body and hatred was the fuel. There would be a reckoning for this.

The two ran for an hour before they came to the wall. Muscles burned. Lungs full of lead. Adam stared at the breached wall where something had smashed through it. Tire marks made it clear a vehicle had been responsible.

Adam moved to the breach and was pulled back by Nickel. Before he could speak, Nickel drew a knife and shoved him back while flinging it with a simple twitch of the wrist. A body fell from above and someone grumbled something above.

Nickel hastily grabbed the body and dragged it into the nearest brush, leaving the legs visible. Adam followed when he heard the speaker from above grumble and start moving. A moment later a large male in leather clothing walked out with a sawoffed shotgun on his shoulder.

"You slip up there?" He scoffed and moved to his downed buddy to kick his shin. "Get up, Hank."

Nickel moved around and drew his gun. Adam tightened his grip on his weapon and made ready to slay the man where he stood.

"Hank? You alright, buddy?"

The soft click of a gun behind him had him spinning around, gun at the ready. Nickel grabbed the barrel and brought down the butt of his gun down on the forehead of the man. Adam sheathed his weapon and looked back up at the tower. He couldn't see anyone up there and made a move to the breech.

"No." Nickel told him. "Grab the other one. He's not dead." Adam took two more steps. "We need information. I don't smell a lot of blood. They're keeping them alive. Grab the other one." Adam's weapon shook in silent rage and protest. "Adam. There will be a counting for this. But if you rush this, more people will die that don't need to. Grab the other one."

Adam bolted through the breach.

Grumbling a curse, Nickel glanced up and scampered up the wall, tossing a knife and drawing his revolver as he came across three more humans. He fired his gun twice. Center mass. Three bodies dropped and he snatched a rifle from the ground to take aim and follow Adam.

Nickel dropped two more humans with the rifle before he suddenly jumped back, abandoning the rifle in favor of his revolver and taking aim at a woman with short brown hair and icy blue eyes. In both hands she carried two crescent shaped blades, each with a ring-shaped center and large outer blades.

The unknown woman smiled at him.

Several men and women showed up, all armed with varying blades. No guns.

Nickel fired over his left shoulder one-handed, grabbed a knife with the other, spun, tossed the knife, killing two people in the process, brought his gun up and fired again, killing a third attacker that was rushing him from the front, and planted his elbow into a fourth that came out from behind the third. The Faunus fought to keep his footing while bringing the gun up under the chin of his attacker. He fired once, exploding the head of the man and taking aim at another rushing man on the wall. He drew another knife and flung it with all his might, catching him in the face.

The woman watched in almost pure appreciation to his quick work of five people in short order without hesitation as more bandits came out to try and deal with him.

Nickel emptied the gun, flourishing it as he slammed more lead into the chamber while ducking to avoid a sword swing that would have cleaved his head from his neck. Pivoting on his heel, he fan-fired the gun, catching three of five in the chest and dropping them dead on the ground while the others rushed him with little concern.

More came for him, rushing the wall to try and cleave him apart with rusted weapons.

Nickel jumped off the wall, firing twice as he came down on a larger man in armor, crushing his skull under boot for added insurance on his death. He rolled forward, avoiding a bolt from someone further away. Gun raised, he fired once and dropped the crossbow user with a well placed shot to the head.

The unknown woman appeared in a flurry of steel, a sickening grin on her face.

He twisted in the air, turning just enough to avoid her swings, land, twist on the back of his heel, aid and fire at another man approaching from behind. THe woman gave a moment of pause in seeing this, stopping short from pulling the trigger on her weapon when he twisted around, pointed at her and fired once. She ducked just in time to avoid a clean shot that would have struck her between the eyes.

Nickel reloaded his weapon, slowly, methodically, almost as though he was waiting on something or simply judging her. When the weapon clicked shut, he stood a little straighter, his eyes were alive with fire, and his breathing slow and steady.

He's at home with this, she surmised.

Gun pointed at her, she felt no fear. No hesitation. Just pure resignation from him. He would kill her if given the chance. There were no words. Nothing to say but the song of gunfire and blood.

Who was this Faunus that stood before her? Challenging her to a duel to the death? One that stood with no fear in his eyes.

Nickel pulled the trigger, forcing her back as she felt his shots get closer to hitting her. Nimble as she was, she couldn't evade forever. He'd tag her eventually and when he did, she held no illusion that he'd end her on the spot.

His firing stopped focusing on her and turned around sharply, weapon drawn and fired. A shadow darted along the wreckage of homes and vehicles until it was on him, jumping out of the ground with a spin kick, knocking his weapon away and forced him back.

Nickel rolled along the ground, yanking a knife from its holster as both humans rushed him. The revolver was ten meters away but they were fast enough to get on him and forced him away from the weapon. One kicked him hard in the ribs while the woman tried to take his head off with her weapon which he avoided deftly with a roll.

Once on his feet, he tossed his knife at the shadow man as he started to slip again. Nickel wasn't having that and grabbed a chunk of burnt timber. The man never saw it coming. A powerful swing from the makeshift weapon caught him in the face, knocking him out cold when it broke across his face.

The woman rushed him to stop him from killing the man.

Too late.

Nickel crushed his throat under boot and grabbed both her wrists as she swung them in a wide arc. Exhaustion hadn't taken its toll on him. Not yet. But it was nibbling away at the edges of his strength. Strength that the woman could see was waning.

The woman planted a knee in his chest, breaking the stalemate. She took aim and fired. Four bolts of yellow energy sailed through the air towards the Faunus. He leaned to the side, taking only a single bolt to the left shoulder.

He spun and feigned a fall, rolling at the last second and snatching his gun up in one fluid motion as he rose to greet her, barrel presented and his finger already working the trigger. A clap of thunder echoed out and the woman wasn't fast enough to dodge the round, taking it in the right shoulder when she tried to avoid it.

Nickel scowled when he pulled the trigger again and heard the click of an empty shell.

She rose sharply, weapon pointed at him and fired a red bolt of energy towards him. He jumped to the right and avoided the crimson bolt, snapped up like a professional tumbler, charged through a small hut while reloading, stopped, turned, and fired at a shadow that was darting around. A whimpering cry sounded and Nickel twisted sharply, knife now in hand. Like clockwork he cut the end of the tent, then turned and left through the original entrance. Gunfire sounded at the spot he cut.

Running out of the tent, he turned and fired blindly at the back of it. Screams echoed over the sound of gunfire. Nickel reloaded the gun and waited.

The woman stepped out from around the corner, her face covered in blood. Her ire was noted, but not his concern.

"You're not that bad," she commented finally, her weapon slowly raising with her one good arm. Nickel said nothing. "You'd make a good bandit. Or Huntsmen. Can I have your name?" The revolver came up slowly. She didn't flinch. "It's a shame to kill you. Someone as strong as you…?" She shook her head. "You are something different."

Slowly and with purpose, Nickel moved the gun to the right of the woman in an arc until he was about forty degrees to her right and was no longer looking at her but towards the spot he was aiming.

The woman stared at him, her brow furrowed to a point it was almost knitted together. He squeezed off a round and her eyes went wide with realization.

Slowly, her eyes turned in the direction of the shot. A body dropped from thin air, a bullet in the head. When her eyes turned back to Nickel, she felt a chill run through her body. The gun returned to her face.

"My name is Vernal," she informed him. He was indifferent. Vernal could respect that. A man who didn't care about the name of the person he fought was unique to her. She liked him.

A hut exploded outward. Nickel barely had time to react to the sudden blast of timber, let alone the form of Adam sailing into him. They collided together, ending up in a heap on the ground, but recovered almost a little too quickly for Vernal's liking as she opened fire on them.

Adam was the first to his feet, his weapon out and blocking the shots without fully leaving the sheath. Taken aback, Vernal backed peddled a moment when he looked ready to rush her, only to have Nickel push him aside, gun raised and already squeezing off rounds, forcing her back for safety.

A sword materialized between them, aiming for Adam. Nickel kicked him out of the way and took the blow in his stead through his thigh. The sword fully emerged from a red and black swirling object between them and out stepped a woman in a red and black outfit, long black hair, and a Grimm mask.

The new arrival looked down at her weapon that was still in his thigh and yanked it out. To his credit, he didn't cry. Instead, he raised his weapon, pointed it right at her face and fired. The bullet ricocheted off an invisible field of aura, leaving not a hint of damage.

"Nickel!" Adam yelled as he got to his feet and rushed to push the woman back.

Nickel's eyes snapped to the right, behind the new woman and towards the ground. He fired his remaining bullets and reloaded.

The new woman turned sharply to his shots and backed up with her weapon ready to taste blood.

A dark miasma rose from the soil, turning the ground a sickening purple. Grass wilted, turned yellow, and died. The ground cracked and dried before their eyes. A three-fingered hand emerged slowly from the soil, which had once been farm-land soil, now reduced to desert sand.

Black smoke obscured a creature of teeth and bone, leaving only a humanoid face visible and a forked tail. It stood ten meters high and when it took its first breath, the very air left the world around them, replacing it with emptiness.

Adam dropped to one knee clutching at his throat. The new woman stepped back further, her hand holding the hilt of her sword tight enough to draw blood. Vernal dropped her weapons and reached for her throat, her face going blue. Nickel touched the side of her face, his eyes no longer holding a fire in them, now reduced to the eyes of a dead man.

It took a single step towards them, the earth responding as its dark miasma snaked out, creating death to the land, and a smile spread along its horrific face. When it exhaled the breath it took, the trees answered with a liturgy of howls.

"Vernal…" the woman gasped out, her hand now going to her throat. She had no more words as she turned and swung her sword. A black and red swirling object appeared behind Vernal as the woman made a mad dash for her companion, grabbing her and hauling her through the object she created.

Or she would have.

An Ursa of a titanic size crashed through the camp and forced the mask wearing woman back. It stood between the two, its red eyes staring hungrily at its target.

A dozen Grimm came up from behind the unknown type, all chittering and snarling at them.

Adam pushed himself up, his face slowly regaining some semblance of color. The unknown Grimm seemed confused and glared down at him while more Grimm began to spill through the breech and wait for some hidden signal to attack.

The Ursa collapsed over dead, its face a mixture of horror and confusion. Vernal walked out from behind its smoldering corpse, her hand holding her side. Blood spilled between her fingers as she stepped to the masked woman. The object appeared again and this time they stepped through with no problem.

Adam felt his strength begin to leave him again as he saw the portal close, leaving the two to face the army of gnashing teeth and claws.

Nickel grimaced as he got to his feet, his eyes suddenly very tired. Had Adam looked to him, he would have seen the resignation right then and there. He looked to his gun, the final gift given to him by his second father, and felt only bitterness and sorrow within himself.

This is not the end! Nickel felt a voice, his voice, cry out defiantly in his mind. He accepted those words. This was not his end. This was their end. He would end them. For he was more than a man. He was a storm! A man could be killed, but a storm could not. A storm could only be weathered.

With renewed strength, he raised his gun in defiance to them. To death. To his ill thoughts. And to those that would stand before him as those who would do wrong to others.

He was a voice of sound mind and body. A weapon to not be used by no man but himself. Something to rip and tear at the darkness of the world. For if one man could stand against the night, then so too could any man. Every man!

He felt taller. Titanic even. His aura swelled around him and made a barrier between him and the horrors of the dark.

Adam gave a battle cry and rushed them.

Nickel fired at the monstorious horror that stood before them. It did not so much as budge to their assault. Adam swung, cleaving through smoke and bone and flesh, yet it remained standing. When it backed away, the army behind it rushed forward, eager for their pound of flesh.

Snapping teeth and sharp claws were pushed back and cut down. They came in the hundreds. Thousands. Too many to count. Their numbers were infinite. When Nickel ran out of ammo, he switched to his knives. When his knives broke, he broke their bodies with his rage alongside Adam.

They fought together till dusk finally came upon them. The unknown Grimm watched, unmoved by their strength.

Finally, as the sun dipped beneath the ocean, the last Grimm fell over dead, slain by Adam, and only the unknown remained.

Its attack was not heard, but seen. Tendrils of black oily smoke came from its breath and snaked along the ground towards them, devouring all life and color in its path.

Both males stared at the approaching horror, neither resigning to the fate it wanted. Beaten, tired, bloodied, but not broken, they stood shoulder to shoulder, defiance on their face. Adam sheathed his sword and channeled all his strength. Nickel touched his shoulder, releasing a challenging roar as he pushed the remaining Aura he had into Adam to bolster their final gambit.

An umbra ran over their bodies, combined, congealed into one formless face of savagery and teeth. The shadow of death collided against their combined power and held strong for a moment. Adam swung his sword with such strength that the earth ruptured and the sky split clean in two. Dark clouds that had gathered parted and light shone through the bleakness created by the monster.

A scream not of this world sounded. Rushing wind took their breath away; but definitely they stood; determination in their eyes. Darkness consumed the world for a brief moment, as if shielding the stars above from the power they wielded.

Color returned to the world. The noise died down. The smoke faded and when the dust finally settled, the beast that challenged their right to live, lay dead at their feet, a hand reaching up to them, as if it could cheat death and beat them.

It died a little death.

Nickel released Adam, and stumbled where he stood. On shaky legs, both looked around, seeing more horrors just in the shadow of the trees. But they did not come. They did not challenge that which had slain so many of their kind and did not die.

Gasping for air, both stared them down, challenging them to try their luck. The red eyes vanished. The looming threat faded.

Their strength faded and darkness took them. The last thing either of them saw were rushing figures and muffled screams.

A/N

That was fun.

Couple of things to note going forward with some other stories. While I will be working on this story, the DOA/Naruto story, and Vandread story, I will be making a push to finish Unsung Hero as that is a story that is close but I have just been too busy with these stories and they have taken me away from them.

Another thing to note is that while I know people don't like OC stories, this is a special one to me, along with the Vandread story, because they are my attempts to make a story where the people in them seem real and believable. Not just random inserts that can do the impossible. Sure, Nickel can do something strange, but there is a reason for that. We'll get to that in a bit.

If there are any beta readers that wanna take a shot at these stories, it would be much appreciated. I'll be going on the site and trying to work that out. I had one and it allowed my ability to dull and become lax.