Chapter 13: The Job


Taylor

Coughing out the dust invading my lungs, I separated from the tangle of limbs that we had landed in.

The lights had gone out, leaving us in perfect darkness.

"Everyone okay?" I asked sluggishly.

My swarm was already on its way, having to take the long route as the tunnel had been destroyed.

I could still make out dulled roars and some yelling from behind the rock and dirt that now blocked us from everyone else. I took it as a sign that they were still alive.

The only bugs I hadn't been using to attack the other Grimm were the ones I had on Cardin, Professor Goodwitch, and the distorted Creep, so I wasn't sure about the miners.

Cardin was beside Professor Goodwitch, moving away from us down a tunnel, most likely with the miners in tow.

The mega-Creep was still moving, shaking off rubble that killed more of what little bugs I had on it.

"Sore and shaken, but I'm fine," Dove said.

"What the hell was that thing?!" Russel asked, obviously unnerved.

"Don't know, won't matter if we don't start moving. We need to get back to the others before we get surrounded by Grimm," I answered.

The mega-Creep stalked after Professor Goodwitch and Cardin.

My remaining bugs bit at the many eyes of the Grimm, causing it to twitch or wince slightly but nothing hindered it. There wasn't anything else I could do.

"Crap, I think I dropped my Scroll," Dove stated, the bugs on him telling me he was frantically searching his person for it.

I felt Russel fumbling with his Scroll until he flashed on the light, his trembling hands causing the light to shake.

Dove gave a grateful grunt in reply as he scooped up his own Scroll.

"Fucking shit, fuck," Russel muttered, looking around frantically.

I put a hand on Russel's shoulder and gripped it hard, causing him to turn to me. I saw dirt and sweat matting part of his mohawk against his scalp as his eyes spoke of unbridled fear.

"Russel, focus on what we have to do right now. We can't run away from this," I said calmly. "All we have to do is find out where this tunnel leads. We can think of everything else after."

Russel nodded slowly, and then desperately. Dove put a hand on Russel's other shoulder in support.

Eventually, Russel stopped his shudders, and I took my hand away.

I found my weapon under a sizable rock, undamaged, which was good. Ruby would have been unbearable if her 'stepchild' had been broken on its first day.

"You guys wounded?" I asked.

"N-no, just a bit roughed up. Aura is around fifty percent. Uh, um, y-you? You good?" Russel sputtered.

"A little battered but fine."

"Dove?" Russel asked.

Dove gave a nod and a reassuring smile to Russel, who seemed relieved.

Russel then patted his belt and glanced around before swearing. One of his daggers was missing from his hand.

"I don't think we'll be able to find it under all that, Russel. Your equipment, Dove?" I asked.

"Lost my ammo. Only have what was loaded," he said.

Distant sounds of Grimm howling or snarling echoed toward us sporadically, reminding us of the upcoming danger.

"Only way out is forward," I stated before starting the long journey.

We walked in silence, content to keep to ourselves until we eventually came upon a fork in the road.

"From the mapping I did, it would be faster if we went this way," I lied while pointing down one of the paths.

In truth, there were worms wiggling about in the open air down the other tunnel. They had fallen from their earthly homes from another tunnel collapse.

Dove did one of his characteristic grunts while Russel nodded, and a grateful look flashed across his face before the apprehensive dread returned to it.

We continued on.


The mine was far larger than I expected, or at least, it took a lot longer walking through it.

I hadn't seen any kind of transport for the miners, but it would have definitely been necessary. The miners must have taken them to wherever they had tried to mine before the Grimm found them.

Time went by with only the soft crunch of dirt under our feet and the distant echoes of Grimm for company. Each new patch of ground our flashlights flickered over looked like the last.

I checked my Scroll for the umpteenth time; it'd only been twenty minutes of travel through the darkness, but it weighed down like hours.

Finally, the bugs ahead found something that wasn't more tunnel.

A large section of the wall had crumbled down to reveal a surprisingly massive cavern, at least the size of a football field. Claw marks and places where the stone looked to have been impacted hard enough to crack it decorated the room between stalactites and stalagmites.

Grimm were huddled around the pointed pillars of rock in the room, idly waiting or aggressively pawing at the ground.

In front of what had once been the wall was various mining equipment; there was a crushed machine that looked to have been some form of drill, another that looked like an excavator that was now flattened, and some kind of transport vehicle that was partially buried.

However, two things stuck out.

The first thing was a minecart partially buried from the wall's wreckage. Inside was a pile of rocks with pointed Dust crystals protruding out of them. A casing of clear plastic ran over the cart's contents to prevent anything from striking the Dust and causing a reaction.

The second thing was the bodies. Different body parts peeked out of the piles of broken stone, and my bugs found blood gently pooling on the soil.

There were at least nine dead, not counting any that had been buried completely or that the Grimm had consumed.

Tucking my Scroll into my belt so that it would still be able to shine light, I drew my sword. Both Russel and Dove shared a look before they followed suit as we moved silently forward.

"There might be bodies ahead. Brace yourself," I warned.

I heard one of them gulp but couldn't tell who.

When we came upon the cavern, I held my hand up for the others to wait, but they ended up walking into me.

I turned to glare but found them staring at a hand sticking out of the rubble.

"Focus," I said, breaking them out of their shock. "We need to concentrate on getting out of here. Don't worry about anything else." I paused, and eventually, they gave small nods. "Now, I think this is the place that the miners opened up and the Grimm came out of. I'm going to take a quick look inside. We may still have to block this wall off somehow if there is an army of Grimm waiting to come out," I whispered.

"A-are you seriously going in there?" Russel asked disbelievingly, while Dove gave me a single nod.

I stalked into the room without answering and moved out of their sight. There was no point in investigating the room myself with my swarm already doing so, I just needed a way for them not to doubt how I knew the layout and number of Grimm in the room.

My bugs found similar patches of spiderwebs in a pattern that matched the footprints of the mutated Grimm, all of which originated from a single area…

I frowned. The tracks didn't lead anywhere, like the mega-Creep had just appeared in the middle of the room.

There were too many overlapping steps to make out any more details.

Had it been buried by a landslide or something so long ago that any trails were gone? Or had it dug its way into the cavern and gone to sleep?

The Grimm we had seen did have a fair amount of bone plating and were a decent size, signs of them being older Grimm.

At least this could be a space to fight that Grimm in if it came to it. No place to get out of the way of that thing anywhere else. Though, I'd rather avoid having to try in the first place.

I rejoined Russel and Dove and gave them an overview of the room and the Grimm still inside.

"There are smaller tunnels in the back that I'm guessing other Grimm could come from, but I didn't see any near the entrances. We'll most likely have to block the entrance or cave in the room entirely for the mine to be safe," I stated.

"Shouldn't we be focused on getting back to Cardin and Goodwitch?" Russel asked, and Dove hummed in agreement.

"I'm not saying that we're going to do it now, but we will have to eventually for the mission. It'll just be good to have an idea for what we have to do when we meet up—" I began before something entered my range.

Cardin was sprinting furiously toward us. The mega-Creep was on his heels.

"Fuck," I said and reloaded my gun.

"What?" Russel asked, shaken from my sudden outburst.

Okay, how are we going to do this?

"Both of you, pick up the minecart and bring it to the middle of the cavern. I'll keep the Grimm off you," I snapped, and received confused blinking in response. "That giant Creep is coming. Move, now!"

At the mention of the mutated Creep, they both sprung into action. Both heaved with effort as they started to carry the cart along.

Can't set up traps without them getting Cardin or blocking our exit. Plus, I doubt I have anything that will work on that thing judging by how it smashed through all that ice last time.

The other Grimm in the cavern roused, and my bugs attacked. My Aura was already wrapped around me, strengthening and assuring me.

An Ursa, blotches of mud and rocks lodged between the thick white plating on its hide from its time underground, charged at us.

I stepped forward to meet it.

It led with a right-handed swing to maul me, but I hopped sideways, forcing the Ursa to overreach while also putting a large stalagmite in its path.

Its claws cleaved through the stone but slowed the blow enough for me to dash forward and dip under its swinging arm.

My weapon extended, and I held it by its end, letting the blade go past the Ursa's neck as it lengthened.

I pivoted and slammed my shoulder into the upper hilt of my extended weapon to act as a counterpoint to my hand. At the same time, a spider pressed the button trigger and the Gravity Dust flared to life, weighing down the blade with my swing.

The blade bit into the bone plating, and the force of the swing combined with the Gravity Dust brought the entire creature down before finally cleaving through its armor and neck.

The Grimm's head fell with a heavy thud next to where my weapon sliced into the stone flooring before it began to dissipate.

My swarm saw a Beowolf and a Creep approaching Russel and Dove from the opposite side as they shuffled along.

I gave my sword a tug, but the effect of the Gravity Dust was still going, leaving it firmly lodged in the ground.

I pulled out my gun and fired a series of shots at a group of stalactites.

The Beowolf leaped ahead and was in line to tackle Russel's back. Dove, looking past him, reeled in shock at the approaching Grimm.

The stone spikes broke and came down, battering the Beowolf and burying it in a rocky tomb.

Russel and Dove stopped to cough from the cloud of dust from the debris, but I shouted at them to keep going.

The dull echoes of the distorted mega-Creep's charging footsteps began to resound in the distance, along with Cardin's desperate swearing.

"Is that—" Russel began.

"I'll get him. Get the cart in position first," I cut in.

The center of the cavern was a small clearing that was surrounded by many pillars of stone. The stalagmites and stalactites would help us control which direction the Grimm would come from and was the best place to set our trap.

"There's fine! We need to defend it until it gets here!" I called out as we reached our destination.

More Grimm in the cavern stirred and lumbered toward us, some squeezing out of the tunnels in the walls.

I ran back to the mouth of the cavern, grabbing my sword on the way, just in time for Cardin to come into view.

He held his Scroll in one hand to light the way and his mace in the other as he sprinted with all his might, the mega-Creep hounding after him and steadily catching up. Its massive maw swung open, showing off rows of sword-like teeth.

"In here!" I yelled to him, and his expression lit up in relief at seeing someone else.

Cardin and I stepped into the chamber before we dove to the sides as the mega-Creep smashed through the cavern entrance.

Its many heads snapped at anything in its path while its main head bit through some large stone rubble that it had picked up on its way, reducing it to pebbles and dust.

It slowed when it realized it hadn't crushed or eaten its prey. The many smaller heads swayed like snakes tasting the air before they saw us.

"Taylor, what's the plan here?" Russel called out, and a wave of fire from his dagger sent a small Creep staggering back before it succumbed to its wounds.

"Where's Professor Goodwitch?" I asked Cardin.

Then, I noticed the three pillars of stone stabbed into the backside of the mutated Grimm.

"She's holding our exit open. That fucking thing started chasing us and brought down another tunnel. I got it to follow me so she could hold up the tunnel. We gotta get back before she tires out or we're trapped!"

Well, this just got way harder. Can't stay and fight. Have to block the tunnel while making sure the mega-Creep can't follow us.

"Okay then—Cardin! Send a wave of fire through the air in front of us now!"

The mega-Grimm reared its many heads, each holding pieces of stone in their teeth, and it launched them forward, sending a volley of jagged rocks toward us.

Cardin swung his mace and a wave of fire burst out—in front of him instead of both of us.

There were too many to dodge, so I ducked and brought my arm up.

The heavy stones pelted me, and I hissed in pain from the impacts. Aura made sure I would have heavy bruises instead of pulped flesh and shattered bones.

"Fucking really, Cardin?!" Russel yelled, having seen the exchange.

"I didn't—" Cardin sputtered.

"Move, dumbass!" I roared and fired towards the ceiling once more, sending a spray of rocks onto the back of the mutated Grimm as it advanced on Cardin.

The rubble battered the smoother skull-like pattern on the back of Grimm, and it stomped against the stone with a pained fury.

The six red eyes on the skull seemed to bulge and narrow from the impact.

Now that I'm seeing it in person, it looks like another Grimm embedded itself into the back of the bigger Grimm—what if that is the case?

The few bugs I had on the mega-Grimm abandoned stabbing its flesh and rushed the six eyes of the skull section.

The effect was immediate as the beast thrashed about, breaking stone pillars and even crushing an approaching Creep under one of its feet. The mine shook as it stampeded about.

Cardin and I rushed to join Russel and Dove.

I fired at a Grimm Dove had impaled and watched as he fired the gun in his blade, using the recoil to pull his sword around and swing wide, over Russel's ducking head, slicing the Grimm Russel had been fighting.

They nodded to each other before retaking combat stances.

"Russel, I need your dagger," I stated, holding my hand out.

"Where's your other one?" Cardin asked.

"Lost it in the cave-in," Russel said, passing me his dagger without hesitation, which I tucked into my belt.

"Whoa, hold up. You're just gonna take his only weapon, now of all times?!" Cardin questioned.

"We're not going to be able to beat that Grimm, especially while other Grimm are hounding us." I punctuated my sentence with a series of shots that took out the leg of a Beowolf, sending it staggering into the Ursa beside it. "Take this instead." I tossed Russel my gun and a fresh magazine.

"Then we gotta get outta here!" Cardin snapped.

"So that we can get chased like you did?" A group of pebbles bounced off my shoulder as my bugs continued to make the mutated Grimm writhe.

The stone pillars that I guessed Professor Goodwitch had stabbed into the Grimm had unfortunately walled off the seemingly vulnerable skull. We would be forced to approach it from where its heads could get us and that wasn't an option.

"I think surviving is the goal right now," Cardin stated flatly as his mace caved a Creep's head in.

"If you guys can keep the other Grimm busy and head to the entrance, I should be able to get the big one into position," I said, ignoring Cardin's comment.

"You wanna be bait?" Russel asked incredulously.

"I'm the best choice. You guys are stronger, so it's up to you to keep the way clear or I'm fucked." I turned to glare at Cardin. "Change your weapon's Dust crystal to ice." Cardin's sneer wasn't as deep as it could have been, but it was much better than the eye roll I had been expecting. "We'll need the slippery and uneven ground to hopefully slow that thing down. Your weapon is best for that."

Cardin's contempt finally melted into resignation. "Okay, we'll cover you," he said, determination set in his expression.

"Alright. Everyone good with this?" I asked, assessing their mental states.

"Please, like my team has anything to worry about," Cardin stated matter-of-factly. The rest of CRDL seemed to piggyback off Cardin's confidence. Good, I needed them feeling as little negativity as possible for what I was going to try.

"Then, let's do this."

I stabbed Russel's dagger into the hard plastic shell, piercing the protective casing around the unrefined, pure Dust crystals. Spiders dropped off me and skittered up the cart.

Team CRDL moved in an arc, out of the path of the mega-Creep, but close enough to provide support.

What I was about to do was possible, and there had been documented occurrences before. It really just depended on the person doing it.

I relented my swarm's attacks just enough for it to stop its frenzy, clenched my teeth for what I was about to do, and fell into my memories, purposely forcing my walls down for the first time in months.

Being isolated from everyone, falling to villainy, becoming a killer, hurting people, betraying my friends, the Slaughterhouse, Aster, Scion. I bounced between all of them, each a cold punch to the gut.

All the Grimm stilled and nipped at the air, as though tasting my despair and self-hatred, then their crimson eyes fixated on me. My spike of negativity suited their palates more than any panic still hidden under CRDL's newfound bravado.

It was enough that their focus turned to me. My plan had worked, even if I now felt terrible.

I had long since found a home in desperation, in the heart of conflict. Pushing that down to open up, during a fight, made me feel raw and weak. I hated it.

Just to be sure, I picked up a stone and chucked it at the mega-Creep with all my strength.

The rock shattered against the Grimm's body, and if my trip down memory lane hadn't grabbed its attention, that certainly did.

The mega-Creep charged, smashing through stone and stomping on its fellow Grimm.

I bolted toward the back of the cave.

I ducked and weaved around stone pillars and even a couple Grimm. Each step of the mega-Creep vibrated the ground, sounding closer with each impact.

Can't go right, too many Grimm. Can't go left, more Grimm and too many columns of stone to move around quickly. The smaller tunnels have Grimm in them. Guess I can only go up from here...

Close combat with the mega-Creep was a death sentence; running was my only option, but getting around the giant Grimm was going to be difficult.

The back wall of the cavern was getting closer; it was too smooth to get a good foothold.

Then I'll make one.

I drew my sword and pressed the button-trigger to extend it.

Drawing back my arm, I threw my blade as hard as I could. It soared high into the air and speared into the wall.

Bits of stone battered against my back as the giant Grimm plowed through a set of stone pillars behind me. I could feel the vibrations of its growls on my neck.

I pushed my Aura as much as I could and leapt up onto a somewhat flat stalagmite before launching off it. Air rushed around me from where the Grimm's many heads displaced the air with their snapping jaws. I grabbed onto the handle of my weapon and swung myself up and on top of it, praying the weapon could hold my weight.

The mega-Creep tore through the area below me and slammed into the wall. The small tunnels that the other Grimm had come through collapsed inward from the force, burying the massive Grimm.

Relief flooded me; one of the hard parts was done. Now, I had to get away.

My spiders switched the Dust cylinder of Russel's dagger to Fire Dust before they began to spin a thread around the weapon's trigger.

The wall trembled with the giant Grimm's attempts to shake the stone off of it, which only resulted in it getting covered in more rubble. The smaller heads coiled backward like snakes and began to bite and attack the rocks on top of it.

Team CRDL shouted over gunfire and Grimm. They hadn't left, which both surprised me and made me question whether I had doubted them just because of my own expectations of the worst in people.

I stared down at the mega-Creep's vicious floundering, catching the horned skull-mask on its back.

Mask seems to be a weak point judging from its reaction, but getting close enough to attack it would leave me open to all the snapping heads. Then again, hitting the mask might be the distraction I need to get away. I'm not going to get another chance like this, so let's see how you like a gravity propelled spear through your back, asshole.

Then, the massive Grimm froze as the six eyes on the skull mask seemed to stare back at me. It was like it had recognized my train of thought. The chaotic thrashing of the many smaller heads slowed and they all turned to face me, rearing back to strike at anything that approached the skull-mark.

Well, that option's out, but I'm more sure that it's some kind of possession Grimm now.

I measured the distance, how far and high I would need to go to get over the mega-Creep while avoiding its heads and tails. An impossible jump for a normal person, even for an Olympic athlete, but with Aura…

With a sharp breath, I dropped down and caught my weapon, my momentum pulling the blade free just as my feet swung around to hit the stone wall, and I jumped off it with my Aura gripped around me.

Snaps from jaws closing beneath me followed my path, each so close I swore I felt them brush my skin.

I arced above heads, over the stone lances on its back, and landed in a roll, before launching into an all-out sprint.

"Go go go!" I shouted. "Forget the Grimm and just go!"

Instead, Cardin rushed toward me.

I was halfway to the minecart when the mega-Creep burst from the rubble that confined it. Faster than I hoped…

Too fast; I wasn't going to make it.

"You better jump for it, dweeb!" Cardin yelled, his mace emanating frost and mist, before he brought it down.

I jumped into a dive, and ice like rolling waves washed under me to crash into the mega-Creep.

Cardin must have used all the Ice Dust he had to cover what amounted to a third of a football field.

The mega-Creep met the ice with a tackle, easily crashing through the obstacle, but then had to stomp heavily with each step to not slip.

Enough to slow it down.

I gave him a thankful nod before we happily retreated.

A deafening roar, louder and more vicious than any before came from the mega-Creep.

I heard its footsteps pick up speed, and the bugs on it edged closer and closer.

It was using its smaller heads as extra legs, smashing them into the ice and stone for purchase.

The entrance was so close, and we were going to get caught right as we reached it.

No time to be safe.

My spider pulled the thread around the dagger's trigger taut and the weapon began to emanate fire along its edge.

The mutated Creep passed the minecart in a blur as it covered half the cave in an instant.

The flames slowly licked the exposed Dust crystals.

It leapt.

I glanced backward and saw an opening maw flying toward us.

We were steps from the entrance.

The cart exploded.

All my bugs in the cavern were incinerated instantly, and I felt the echoes of tons of rubble collapsing down from the ceiling of the cavern.

There was a pained cry from the Grimm as it got thrown off course to collide with the wall beside the entrance.

We turned the corner, out of the cavern, and bolted after Russel and Dove. The mega-Creep burst through the wall beside us.

The mine shook as the cavern collapsed, and the mine itself followed suit.

I didn't dare to look back, but my bugs in the vents being crushed to oblivion gave me a clear picture of the tunnel caving in behind me.

The mega-Creep disappeared under an avalanche of stone with one last savage shriek. I didn't know if that would kill the giant Grimm, but it would certainly trap it.

My legs burned with effort as I sped through the tunnel, the encroaching cave-in getting closer and closer with every step. A cloud of dust washed by us.

Suddenly, our feet left the ground as Cardin and I were picked up by some unseen force and pulled faster down the tunnel before landing in an undignified roll beside the others.

Professor Goodwitch, hair ruffled and a shine of sweat on her brow, extended one hand to let us down, the other raised upward. The glimmer of her Aura on the ceiling—she must have been holding up dozens of tons of rubble.

Her face was etched into a snarl of exertion, and with a final push, she steadied the rockslide that almost crushed us.

"Get… back to the tunnel," she ground through her teeth, arms shaking.

We rushed back through what I realized had been the crossroads area that we had originally been attacked. Only three tunnels weren't caved in; the one we just came from, the main tunnel leading out, and the tunnel Professor Goodwitch had led the miners down.

Russel and Dove waited in the tunnel, catching their breath.

With a growl, Professor Goodwitch dove toward us and let the ceiling fall.

Dust and stone rained down with a titanic crash that sounded like muted explosions.

Eventually, the ground around us settled, and there were only the sounds of some rocks subtly shifting and panting breaths from all of us.

Professor Goodwitch put her hands on her knees from the exertion, panting heavily, before standing with a grimace.

Her face flashed a look of deep concern as she studied us for wounds before it shifted to relief, then back to her usual stern demeanor. Back to business.

"Report," she stated.

I waited for Cardin to say something. Sitreps were his responsibility as team leader for these situations.

"Holy shit," he eventually got out. Eloquent.

"After Dove, Russel, and I got separated, we made our way through the tunnels and came across the cavern that the Grimm had come out of. Cardin soon came running with that mutated Creep on his heels. We were able to get it into the cavern before causing an explosion to bury it and the other Grimm," I stated.

Professor Goodwitch frowned but nodded. "I see. That's unfortunate… And the Bukavac?"

"Bukavac?"

"They are Grimm with the ability to absorb other Grimm into itself to form larger and more powerful variants."

"Dead or buried."

"Good. I haven't encountered one before, but Professor Port has mentioned them in one of his… many stories. They are quite dangerous depending on which Grimm they integrate with," she said. "For now, let's get back to the surface. We have to inform the town of the damage to the mine and tell them to avoid the area where the Bukavac is buried in case it survived."

I winced. The damage was seriously detrimental to Twin Seams' economy, on top of the loss of nearly a dozen the miners—around half of their trained workers. Twin Seams didn't have any other major businesses going for it besides Dust mining, and that was probably dwindling thanks to the overwhelming presence of the SDC.

"How are the miners?" I asked.

"The ones with me are safe. After Cardin started to get chased by the Bukavac, we followed a series of side-tunnels and joined up with the path back to the surface. Sky is there now defending against any pursuing Grimm, but I do not think there are many left."

She must have taken out most of the Grimm then, and she still had enough energy to slow down the roof collapsing. The strength of her telekinesis is ridiculous. Beyond impressive. Huntsmen and Huntresses are really on another level.

"You guys good?" Cardin asked between pants to Russel and Dove.

Russel gave a thumbs up while Dove grunted. A happy grunt? I was still parsing my way through Dove's wordless replies.

"We will rest, then dispose of any remaining Grimm," Professor Goodwitch stated. "I will commend you all. Unexpected circumstances are something that will appear, but not usually to this extent. You adapted to the situation the best you could."

All of us glanced around and met each other's eyes. There was an unspoken bond, not one of friendship, but one of survival. The same way some of the heroes and villains looked at each other after an Endbringer attack, though to a much lesser degree.

I knew it changed how we would be treating one another in the future, but not in any way that really mattered. They were still thugs, and I was still… well, me.

Our trek back was a gallery of all the damage to the mine that my bugs hadn't picked up on.

The mega-Creep had wrecked a good portion of the mine just from trying to wedge its huge size through the corridors. Broken support beams marked where the Grimm had gone, and occasionally, the heavy wood would groan slightly, causing us all to tense. Cracked ground and stone spears marked where Professor Goodwitch had killed Grimm.

Some of the side tunnels were untouched, but compared to what was lost, it was a pitiful victory.

We only found three Grimm, which were quickly dispatched. After another two checks through the mine, we headed for the surface.

Sky was stationed at the main tunnel in case any Grimm tried to leave the mine. He looked worse for wear but alive.

I had the remnants of my swarm, a sliver of what I had brought, funnel back into my trunk just in time for it to come into view, where I promptly grabbed it as we passed and pulled it along its wheels behind me.

"What was the purpose of that container, Taylor?" Professor Goodwitch asked.

I guess the mission sparked her interest, or maybe she was annoyed that I left some kind of resource behind that could have helped us.

"A pack to re-supply if needed," I half-lied. There was some extra Dust and ammo in it, just in case, but it was mostly for storing bugs.

"Not a terrible idea," Cardin remarked, not looking at me. A compliment felt weird from him. Out of place.

The smell and sound of rain finally greeted us along with the melancholy light of a stormy evening.

Hours had passed, walking and fighting the entire time. Exhaustion was weighing down on all of us, but the worst part was next.

Judging from everyone's faces, only Professor Goodwitch was aware of what was coming.

We weren't given a Semblance umbrella as we walked into the rain this time. I guessed Professor Goodwitch didn't want to exert anymore than she had to.

Holding up two cave-ins had probably taken more out of her than she was letting on.

The townsfolk had gathered back at the mouth of the mine, ignoring the rain to reunite with the surviving miners that had been led to the surface.

Professor Goodwitch took a sweeping inspection over everyone, then walked over to a makeshift cover the villagers had used to watch if either we or the Grimm emerged from the mine.

Sitting in a chair was the leader of the village, who was giving a cheery smile to the kids that had joined her shelter from the rain, but her eyes lit with sympathy. She knew the fates of those that didn't arrive with us.

"So, I guess we did it?" Sky asked.

"Of course we did. Not like some Grimm are gonna get one over on us," Cardin stated, but his tone failed to match his usual bluster.

I watched him and the rest of Team CRDL continue their conversation; it was like they were trying to convince themselves that what happened should be considered a victory.

In a way, I envied their naivete. The world was better when I could look away from the terrible reality of it.

But we were training to be Huntsmen, and rose-colored glasses would only blind them.

I gave Cardin a cold, flat look. "Come with me. There's one more thing we have to do before we leave," I said softly.

"Ugh. What now?"

I just motioned for him to follow before I made steady steps toward a gathering of families that had stepped apart from the ones that were reuniting with the miners. The rest of Team CRDL followed behind Cardin.

Kids clung to their parent's legs, looking confused and fidgety. The parents not celebrating were waiting with dread; they knew what to expect.

Cardin and I stopped just in front of the group, with the others a bit behind us. "I'm sorry," I said to all of them.

I watched faces crumble, some openly sobbing, many hugging one another for comfort.

Cardin stared, transfixed with shock.

Following his gaze, I saw a young girl, no more than six or seven years old. Floppy dog ears of a warm brown were peeking out from her hood as she returned the hug of an older woman with dark hair and darker dog ears, presumably her mother, that had knelt down to embrace the little girl.

The girl's look of bewilderment left me cold.

I put a hand on Cardin's shoulder and whispered, "This is why we have to do better, Cardin," before walking off.

This was a harsh lesson for Team CRDL, one I hoped they would never forget.

For me, it was a painful reminder of how life could be.

We stayed the night at the only inn in the town. It was too late for a ship to pick us up. The rooms were only big enough for two people each, and I ended up sharing one with Professor Goodwitch.

"Professor, how bad was the damage to the mine?" I asked as we settled in our small room.

"Based on what Mayor Melia said, I don't know if the town will be able to recover," she stated with a frown.

"I see."

Neither of us said anything after that, both too exhausted to do anything but sleep.

Despite my fatigue, my mind kept going over what had happened.

Did things turn out this way because of what I did to Team CRDL?

Maybe if I had tried to build a rapport with them instead of just trying to stop their behavior with my fists, we would have coordinated better. We might have been able to trap that Grimm, or maybe even kill it, without destroying the town's primary source of income.

I didn't feel guilty for what I did to them, but maybe I should have taken the time to think of another way to go about it.

I had thought that there wasn't a way to compromise with Cardin and his team's behavior. I still didn't think there was, but just because I didn't see one didn't mean I shouldn't have tried to find one.

But that didn't change the fact that the trouble between me and Team CRDL stopped us from working together properly, and the people of Twin Seams were the ones to pay for it.

The doubts lingered through the night, and despite my exhaustion, I couldn't sleep.

'We have to do better'; my own words felt empty. They were just as much for me as they had been for Cardin.

I have to do better.

Chapter 13 End


Author Notes:

Praise be to Juff, Breakingamber, ccstat, Rakkis157, Orbital Oracle, Majigah, and Scott La Forge. I shall name one child after each of you.

Russel isn't Dove's partner (Not like that… Or maybe?) for Beacon but they are closer to each other compared to the rest of their team.

When I started this fic, I decided that I wanted to give some time to expand some of the minor characters. Now that I'm editing the story, I can see that idea was probably a mistake. Well, maybe. I did it for the sole purpose of giving them some spotlight rather than giving them a part to play in the story. Hopefully, I can squeeze in some more stuff for Team CRDL to make these chapters… not pointless.