Chapter 21
Ashe was not having a good time. Then again, that's been a common theme lately.
The dumpster hiding her from view was quickly demolished by a Manriki. The scowl upon her face was threatening to become permanent. Ashe lost track of time. This pursuit has been going on for a while, and no doubt she's made considerable distance from Miyako. No matter what she does, her pursuer was hot on her heels, not giving a moment to catch her breath.
Her steps were light and silent, Ashe's bell hardly made a sound. Even her semblance wasn't helping. It was infuriating. Rounding a corner, she barged through an apartment complex. Rushing up the nearest stairway, the door shatters from the complex entrance. Her assailant didn't care for being subtle. Gritting her teeth, Ashe kicked through a random door with an outside view. She ignored the feminine cry of a muscular male in a magical girl outfit. Shattering through the window, Ashe used her one good arm to grapple her dagger and propel herself to the nearest building, vaulting over the edge to continue a sprint across the tops.
A ping echoed through her ears. It sends a shiver across her skin. Peering over her shoulder, she finds her pursuer hot on her heels once more. Growling in frustration, Ashe lunges off the edge, the lack of rooftops within her path made her deeply frown. Instead she found herself running through a massive refinery. Multiple silos and vehicles parked within the flat cement. The lack of personal wasn't very forth coming, but she chalked it up to the recent curfew.
The hooded and masked figure landed behind her within the open field, chasing after her calmly. "You can't escape, —"
Like hell she can't. Ashe still has plenty of tricks up her sleeves. She just needs to figure out his method of tracking her down. How he is able to find her position so accurately every time? There was only two people that she could never escape from. One left the tribe when she was still there, and the other-
"Traitor."
Ashe's heart suddenly lurches from within her chest, body going cold into shock. Ashe's legs feel heavy and weak, turning into wobbly jelly at the title. A sudden weight bore down upon her small figure, making her body come to a stop. She couldn't help the shaking over her small form with the widening of her eyes. Denial comes to the forefront of her mind. To say that she misheard, but she knew. No amount of denial would amount to what she heard.
She made a mistake.
Ashe knew all along what she was doing, but she turned a blind eye to it, infatuated with the life that she was developing. The chance to enjoy what was taken from her by the gods. A chance to be normal. At least, normal by a huntsman's standards. Elder was correct. The one crucial mistake that Ashe made…
She stayed too long.
Steeling her expressions, she cannot afford to show weakness. Ashe slowly turns. He also came to a stop; his hood was removed from his head. Exposing wide, leathery ears on his head. There was no need to get a closer look, Ashe already knew they were of a dark shade of plum. He was a bat faunus, using echolocation to always find her position. His hand reaches up and removes the white mask.
Ashe knew what to expect when he removed his white mask. She saw his face every day during her time in the Fang. There was no need to be shocked or panicked. She knew what was under it. A black cloth covered his blind eyes. It was the symbol upon it that made her body tremble.
A three-claw crimson slash. The Primal Fang.
The pieces begin to align.
They were the ones who created havoc within the underworld. Primals were to only align with themselves. To rely upon outsiders was to be considered weakness. They were expected to eliminate those who fought back, abducting anyone who knew of their alias, and then torturing them for what information they wanted before discarding their uselessness.
Ashe grit her teeth. "Ploom." Her former teammate and squad member. He was much older than her, just like the rest of her old team, around the same age of her stepbrother, Adam. Which reminds her, if he's here, then the rest are not far behind. "Why are you here?"
He scowled in annoyance, circling his weapon aggressively. "Don't be stupid. You know why I'm here. You're nothing but a traitorous scum, Ashe."
She flinched at the title. It was an atrocious act that she committed against her tribe. "I did what I had to do." It is something that she will live with for the rest of her life.
Ploom crashed his weapon into the cement, shattering the hard cement in pure fury. "You caused the collapse of our tribe! We were on the rise! The world was finally giving us the respect that Faunus deserved!" She could feel the hate emitting from his body in an avalanche of rage. It made her skin crawl. "You ruined EVERYTHING!"
Ashe bit the bottom of her lip; her body was in a plight. She could not find it in herself to defend against his accusation. What could she say? Everything was true. At the time, her tribe, her comrades…They meant nothing to her. She selfishly casted them aside for her own personal morality. He was not done tearing into her soul.
Ploom took an aggressive step forward, "He took you in, Ashe. You were nothing but trash, scum of the earth. Destined to rot and die, a child." Her lower lip quivered. "He put clothes on your frail and dirty body, fed you before you succumbed to hunger, gave you training so you could grow strong and become a proud warrior for the Faunus!" Ploom closes the distance, "What did you do in return?!"
Her breath hitched; it was stuck. Ashe couldn't meet his gaze. Static was roaring through her mind, but she can vividly remember everything about that night. Something that she refuses to acknowledge and wishes to forget. The red was so vivid upon her daggers. Ashe couldn't stand to look at them anymore, so she abandoned them. Just like her past.
'You know what we did.' Fairy spoke within her head. Ashe couldn't feel what emotion Fairy was feeling.
The words were chained within her chest, and no amount of effort would bring them out. Ashe shook her head, 'I don't want to remember.'
'Don't run from it. I will make you remember.'
Ashe clenched onto the middle of her chest. Frantically shaking her head, wishing with all her might to make Fairy shut up. 'I can't! I betrayed his trust. Their trust. I don't want to remember. Don't make me remember.' Fairy frowned within.
"Coward! Death is too good for you!" Ploom recklessly charges forward, his chains rattle in his wake. "Your blood will not wash your sin, Traitorous Monster!" He held the weights within his fists.
Her heart thumped within her chest, nearly rupturing out. Already, sweat was glistening along her paling skin. She's not a monster. Ashe instinctively grabs onto her dagger with her one good hand and raises it up defensively. Like a puppet on autopilot, she weaves around his jabs. The chain dictating the length of his punches.
The skin of his fingers graze along her cheek. Ashe was able to avoid the initial blow, taking a step back in response. Ploom pressed on aggressively. Each heavy fist being avoided by the narrowest of margins. Keeping him within her sight was not too difficult, but her body was sluggish. The fever was still present, the medication made her lag behind, and the shock of being found by her past made her body quiver.
Even though Ploom was blind, he constantly clicked out a ping from his mouth. Letting his Echolocation lead his senses and assault. Lashing out in a leg sweep, Ashe jumped over it. Retaliating with a snap kick, she smacked away his punch. Quick as a viper, Ploom's chain lashes out in a whip. Her dagger easily deflects the heavy weight of the chain.
Old memories of their ruthless spars guided her instincts. The chain wrapped around her wrist. Ploom did not even grin when he pulled, fully intent on ripping out her one good arm. Using her toes, Ashe kicks off the ground and rotates with his twist. Grunting in effort, Ashe lashes out viciously with the trailing leg toward his elbow. Ploom dodges the blow easily enough, only for a dagger to sail toward his neck. Leaning out of the way, the slack created gave Ashe enough wiggle room to get loose. She retreated a few steps, giving herself more room to maneuver. The red around her wrist was too close for comfort.
'Sloppy.'
Ashe grit her teeth, 'Shut up.'
"Heh, so the rumors are true." Ashe glared in Ploom's direction. He was eyeing her dagger with keen interest. "You threw away your fangs. After all the effort he went through. That we went through." His lips twist down into a snarl, "Trash. You are nothing but trash." Raging toward her, he begins a relentless assault. Normally, Ashe is faster than Ploom. She takes pride in her evasiveness and agility. Weaving through his punches and whips was not difficult.
But today was different from the norm.
Ashe's body is hot, and she is crippled. If this keeps up, she will tire out before him. It does not take a genius to figure out he is corralling her somewhere. When she tries to scramble away, his Manriki whips out ruthlessly, slicing through the air dangerously. "I don't know why he chose you. She was a much better candidate." A flicker of female faunus with blue hair passes through her mind. "Now we will erase your stain from the tribe." Ashe perks at his wording, only for Ploom to grin and lash out in a drop kick. Blocking it with her forearm, she's is thrown back into cracked cement.
Her toes touch down easily enough, only for the ground to rupture and explode in debris. Gasping into shock, her body is heavily pelted in sharp shrapnel. A large shadow looming over her small frame. Peeking through one eye, Ashe grits her teeth. A familiar tanned person is baring down upon her. Before she could react, a large shovel slammed into her side and injured arm.
Blinding and fiery pain ruptures through her body. A cry of torment escaping from her lips that sent her reeling through the air. Rolling along the ground, an aggressive cough escapes from her mouth with unshed tears at the corners. It hurt.
'Don't lose focus!' With her teeth clenched, Ashe rolls away. Narrowly avoiding the shovel shattering the ground where she once laid. Her hair stands on end to her left with the movement of shadows. Quickly turning in that direction, black spots swirl around her vision. Her body is still recoiling from the devastating blow.
Now, Ashe is much slower. Dodging under a thunderous round house kick, the wind whips across her head. Leaning away from the follow up snap kick, the Manriki thunders toward her face. With a grit, Ashe parries the weight with her blade. She saw the punch coming, but she couldn't react. The knuckles pound into her cheek bone.
Pain once more throbbed from her face, throwing her back. With a last-ditch effort, Ashe forces her body to twist and land on her good side, skidding along the rough cement and earning a few scratches. Ashe was struggling to keep her eyes open through the searing pain. Flopping onto her chest with a strained cry, she squirmed and struggled onto her knees.
Weak, so weak.
'Pathetic.'
"How the mighty have fallen." Ashe coughed and clenched her hand into a weak fist. His condescending tone and smug attitude. She hated it. He's looking down on her again. Just like the rest of the tribe did. "You were the pride of the clan. One of the strongest at such a young age. Why he chose you, to inherit his will…It baffles me." Ploom looked down upon her with disgust, his partner beside him.
"Should we…really be teaming up against her like this?" He was a tall Faunus. Just a dark green open vest on his tanned chest. He was more on the heavy side, scratching at his belly in concern. A large shovel rested over his shoulder that looked more like a drill. He also had brown cloth pants with a maroon sash tied around his waist. He also had short, messy hair with two tiny gopher ears upon his head. "Grouping against someone is frowned upon."
Ploom frowned, "I'll make an exception for her. She deserves it."
The heavy-set male looked down at Ashe with a frown of his own. "Yea…But you remember what she told us, don't you? That Ashe is—"
"Shut up!" Ploom barked out in frustration and anger. "I know what she said, Terran. It won't matter if she doesn't know. Azura may be the strongest of us, but she's not the only one with a bone to pick." Spinning his Manriki, Ploom begins to pace in Ashe's direction. "She's just not going to get a turn."
Ashe struggles onto her feet, swaying to-and-fro, but holds her dagger firmly in hand. She can already feel her cheek swelling up from the harsh blow. Though she could not hear what they are talking about, everything was dulled. Most of her senses are throbbing. Why is everything going wrong? Her past has finally caught up to her, but why? They should be living their own lives. There's no need to pursue this endeavor. Does their revenge and hatred run that deep?
Life isn't fair.
'I am taking over. You can't handle this.'
Ashe bit onto her lower lip in frustration. Why does Fairy always say she can't handle it? 'I can handle this. I don't need you to constantly butt into my affairs. You have your own problems to deal with in here.'
'No, you can't. You are still holding back. Even now when we are cornered and crippled, you still subconsciously hold back. Why? Why are you so weak? Go for the kill.'
Agitation and frustration were bubbling within. She hates this side of Fairy. Always calling her weak, demanding her to do what she says. Aggravating. Ashe is not weak; she can fight on her own. They each have their own battles to deal with. Ashe can feel Fairy about to snatch the reigns away, but she forces her back. 'I said, I can handle this!'
Ashe knows she's pissed Fairy off. She can feel the anger swelling within. 'You reject me? Don't you dare forget who—'
'SHUT UP!'
She did not want to hear it.
Though her body was weighed down and throbbing in pain, Ashe recklessly charges forward in frustration, forcing her body to work at the demanding pace. Even though her vision was swimming, Ashe pressed on. With a flick of her dagger, it sung through the air toward Ploom's face. Catching him by surprise before he could use his Echolocation. It was easily parried by a large shovel.
She expected it.
Ashe was already in striking distance when Ploom clicked his tongue. Recoiling her dagger, she lowered down and swept out her leg. Swiping the bat faunus off his feet, his chain whips out. With a loud clank, Ashe parried and twisted her body into a spiral. Terran's shovel whooshing where her head once was. Spiraling in an upside-down cartwheel, Ashe's leg snaps out and kicks Terran across the face.
His head buckles to the side, but the burley male hardly moves. Ploom's back barely touched the cement, before he kicked himself back up onto his feet with no hands. Upside down, Ashe's one good hand and dagger plants upon the ground. Spinning her leg out of Terran's out-stretched hand, Ashe lashed out in a series of kicks, the metal plates upon her boots and shin deflect the heavy chain blows.
Each hit struck deep from Ploom's power. Heavy bruises already forming upon her shins and feet, but she presses onward. Having enough, Terran thrusts toward her arm sustaining herself. Forcing Ashe's body up into the air in a spiral, the ground below shatters in debris, leaving only ruin for a misstep. Ashe found herself exposed to retaliation. A smug smirk formed upon Ploom's lips and a thunderous blow whipped at her fragile body.
Ashe won't be able to move her entire arm to parry the blow successfully. With a last-ditch effort of self-preservation, Ashe flicks her dagger. It is easily smacked away, but at least reduced some of the power. Not a moment later, the Manriki slams into her thin stomach. Ashe crashes into the concrete from the thunderous blow. Her world turning in static from the pain. Ashe was not given a moment of respite. A large hand wrapped around her ankle for a spin, throwing her across the ground into a spiral of torment.
Tumbling against the rough surface, the pommel of her weapon laid beside her fingers. Once more, Ashe found herself laying face first upon the rough, cold surface. Coughing and wheezing against the ground, spit and blood splattered onto the ground. Fingers twitched and lifelessly grasped for anything to relieve her pain. Ashe's lungs were struggling to stabilize her breathing. Her aura was practically gone, only the tiniest of a fragile shell remained for protection.
A sneeze will shatter it.
Ashe could barely sense the two presences above her body, but they felt different. That or her senses were completely ruined. There is a high chance of that in the amount of hurt she's in. Struggling to grasp her weapon, a cold boot presses into her sensitive stomach and roughly flips her over without a care. Ashe whimpered out in pain at the sensitive body part. Her stomach and arm cried in torment. The fiery burn eating away at her mentality. Cradling her stomach, she attempts to crack her eyes opens.
Everything was a blur, two shadows stood side-by-side. It was difficult to make out their physical features, she was seeing double and triples of everything with random black swirls of static. Ashe at least noticed one figure was mostly black and gray. The other was brown and a shade of teal or mint.
"Well, well, what do we have going on over here? You guys barreled through our apartment complex and decided to have a little party. Why weren't we invited? I'm offended." That was definitely a male voice against her throbbing ears.
The second figure crouched down to get a closer look toward Ashe. Indeed, it was a blob of mint upon her head with bright red eyes. It looked feminine and dark-skinned. "Really laid it thick onto her, huh? No idea how Torchwick is going to feel about this. He's the one with a beef with her. I like her vest."
"Eh, I say we just kill her now. I don't feel like doing any more of that idiot's stupid schemes. It's a waste of my talents. We have bigger things to deal with."
The female pokes into Ashe's swollen cheek, making her whine and lean away. "Yea, well, Mr. Flamboyant won't exactly be thrilled about that."
"Do you care, Em?"
"No. Besides, we have some personal business to deal with. Don't we, Merc?"
Merc grins and rolls his shoulder, stepping over Ashe's body. "Yea, we owe you guys an ass kicking. Didn't think you'd get away with that stunt earlier, did you?"
Terran tilts his head and hooks a finger to his lips in thought. "Um, do I know you guys?"
Ploom grunted with a shake of his head, "They aren't talking to you, lug nut. You weren't there. They looked to have a lead on Ashe, so Azura and I had some fun before the boss showed up. Turns out we were right, and these weak humans provided some entertainment for the night."
"Woah, woah? Who are you calling weak?" Merc rolled his neck before jabbing his thumb toward Em. "She's weak—"
"Asshole."
"I am grade A material and a complete bad ass."
Ploom smirked and crossed his arms over his chest with chain in hand. "Oh-ho? Really? Thank god I'm blind, because I would have saw that pitiful sight of you running away after that ass kicking. Now run along pup, before I hurt you again."
Merc snarled, "Funny. I don't remember fighting you during that commotion. Where's the blue haired bitch? We have a score to settle." Shifting his head toward Em, his arm extends out. "Forget the girl for now. We are killing them first."
Em rolls her eyes, "Yea, whatever." Looking back toward Ashe, she mockingly pats her cheek. "Hear that, honey? Now be a good girl and stay out of our way. We will deal with you later." Ashe finally clutches her dagger back into hand while squirming away. Only for a foot to hook under her back and punt her off toward the side.
With her back crashing into the tire of a truck, she lays upon her side at the scene before her. Lifeless and dull eyes watching. There was a loud ringing sound within her ears. She barely registered when the two sides violently clash. Ashe's mouth was dry with eyes heavy. She could not fight against the inevitable. They slowly close and surround her world in darkness.
Opening them once more, she finds herself back within the void. The sound of a water droplet in the distance, ticking away at her sanity. Unlike last time, Ashe did not need to wait for the other presence. Fairy stood before her, eyes fierce and partially red. Ashe made to open her mouth to speak, but a tiny fist slammed into her sensitive stomach. Doubling her over before the same hand grasped the back of her head and rammed it down into a fierce knee.
"Weak. You're so weak! I've trusted you to handle our survival and look at what you've done!" Tackling Ashe to the ground, Fairy straddles her by the waist and glares down angrily. "I don't understand! We are one in the same. My strength is yours. Yet you keep screwing up! Why would you recklessly charge into a fight like that?! You Know full well that we are not meant to brawl!"
Raising a fist, Fairy crashes it down into Ashe's face. Repeatedly and annunciating every word she speaks. "Survival is our priority! We want to live! To enjoy this newfound freedom! But we need to survive till I find a way to remove this blight within us! AND YOU'RE RUINING EVERYTHING!"
Grasping Ashe by the vest, Fairy pulls her up and forces her to gaze at the glassy sky. The stained glass further cracked and shattered. "Look. It's getting closer and closer to breaking free. Every time I have to split my attention to cover your ass, it gets closer to breaking free and consuming us." Fairy releases Ashe and takes a few steps away, staring up into the glassy sky. "I need to focus. I need a solution. I need more time."
Though she took a beating, Ashe was physically fine. The pain was fully mental, but it was still there and real. Everything hurt, but at the same time, nothing did. Instead, she too stared up into the condemned fragments. Biting the corner of her cheek, Ashe's haunted gaze turns to glance at Fairy's small back. "I don't understand…Nothing is making any sense to me. There are so many blank pages within my memories." It is a difficult pill to swallow, because this is a topic that Ashe hates to bring up. But she needs answers. Fairy is leaving her in the dark and she doesn't know why. "Why…Why didn't you give me all of our memories? Everything is so fragmented. A jumbled mess of memories that don't fit together. I don't understand. What is going on, Fairy? What exactly is in there?"
Fairy was silent.
The silence caused anger to swell within Ashe. "Why won't you tell me?! You know what's in there. Don't you?"
"Yes."
"You know how it got inside us."
"…Yes."
Reaching up, Ashe clenched her hand around the bright and silver bell in frustration. "Why won't you tell me?! I'm so confused. You always tell me that its consuming us and driving you mad, but never what it is. How can you just expect me to listen and do everything at your pace?" It was driving her mad. To know that there was something locked away inside. Eating away at her soul and driving them insane. Yet, Fairy forced her to remain oblivious to the cause of their plight.
"Because…" Slowly lowering her head down, Fairy silently turned to half glance back toward Ashe. The corner of her eye infected with honey and red. "Because when I created you…I was forced to split my emotions into two halves. Positive and negative. You hold all of my positive emotions."
Clenching her teeth, Ashe tightened her grasp of the silver bell. She hates when Fairy reminds her. That she is just a clone, a stand-in. That she does not exist in this world. It hurts, to know Fairy can whisk her away when she wants. The unshed tears don't fall. "That does not tell me anything. I already know that. You told me long ago, but I still don't understand. What does that have to do with what's in there?"
With a slow and understanding blink, Fairy turns back up to the ceiling. "Because the thing that's in there, feeds on negative emotions. Senses it. Devours it." Though Ashe couldn't see, Fairy bit her bottom lip. "I can not let it consume what positive emotions we have. If it taints that as well…Then it will have truly devoured us. We'll become the Monster that everyone was afraid of." The tiny fist clenches and quivers. "So, I will become the focus of its ire. Drawing its attention to me and only me. This way, it only infects half of me."
Ashe scrunched her face up in confusion. She wasn't sure what to make of that. Twitching her nose in thought, she begins to work out the puzzle. Something within them that is attracted to negative emotions. That almost sounds like…Eyes widen in realization, her fingers going slack around the bell before falling to her side. "Its…It's a Grimm…Isn't it? There's a Grimm inside of us."
Fairy quietly huffs with a drop of the shoulders, "Yes…and no. It is a Grimm in every sense of the word. But…It's different. Unique. Mutated." Fairy turned around with a blank expression and slowly paced toward Ashe in silent steps.
What is she talking about? A Grimm, but it isn't a Grimm? That's illogical. It either is a Grimm, or it is not a Grimm. That does not make sense. "I don't understand. Stop speaking in riddles. How can it be different? Grimm are all the same. They may look different and have different abilities, but they are all Grimm."
Stopping next to Ashe, the wavy bob of a hair cut shadows her eyes. Fairy was silent in her thoughts before her lips barely moved into a whisper. "It isn't red." Fairy didn't need to glance and know Ashe was making a confused expression. She knows what her other half was thinking and feeling. But she cannot allow her positive emotions to feel anything negative. It will only attract the Grimm onto Ashe instead. Something she cannot afford. "Stay out of the way. I will get us out of this mess." With her last piece said, Fairy vanishes from the void.
When Fairy next opens her eyes, they are slow and heavy. Pain is racing through her body, but with a grunt of effort, she shakes away the pain. Thankfully, she has a small amount of personal aura. It might be miniscule, but it helps dull the pain to manageable levels. Slowly sitting up in a crawl, Fairy can feel the ground before her quaking. With her back against the tire, she huffs and checks her surroundings.
A battle was taking place before her. It seems not too much time has passed in the outside world. Most of the concrete was destroyed by Terran. She remembers him fairy well. Kind of slow on the uptake, but he worked hard and did what he was told. His semblance was being able to easily traverse dirt. It explains why he uses a drill type shovel. He needs to break through concrete, rocks, and any other substance within the dirt.
Ploom? Yea, he was a narcist dick, but he would watch your back. Similar to a gargoyle overlooking a keep. Ugly to look at, but got the job done. Shaking her head, she doesn't know the other two. Must be someone they stepped over to dig up information on her. From Ashe's memories, they referred to each other as Merc and Em.
Nicknames, most likely.
Her chest suddenly throbs, set ablaze from within. Fairy clutches it tightly and breathes through her teeth. It knows she's distracted. She hoped it was later, but that just means she has less time. With what strength she has left, Fairy pulls herself up to her feet, using the vehicle as a crutch. Looking around at her surroundings, Fairy finds that they were at a refinery. Fuel trucks and silos were everywhere.
By the looks of it, the brawlers knew this as well. Making sure to stay away from the volatile material. One small spark could ignite and set off a massive explosion. They were cautious and sane enough not to cause a disaster. Chivalry or a sense of justice? Who knows? A plan begins to form within her brutal mind. Fairy's thin lips slowly twist upward into a crazed smirk.
She had no such qualms. Fairy will do whatever it takes to survive. Regardless of how many people she must kill, or property she must destroy. All of it for her survival.
Finding herself against a fuel truck, Fairy trails along the side of the trailer to find the outtake valve. She made sure to keep the dagger in her good hand and at the ready. Leaning against the trailer with her handicapped arm. Finding the outtake flow, she quickly pries it open with her blade. Making sure to stay away to avoid any fuel from spilling onto her.
The first to notice her successful stunt was Ploom. His echolocation once more proving the bane of her existence. "What the hell are you doing?!" That got everyone's attention pointed in her direction. What an ass. Charging in her direction, he was worse for wear. Blood leaked from a cut on his forehead and his clothes were torn.
Though he wasn't alone. Merc was hot on his heels. He too was roughed up with blood dripping down from the corner of his lips. Pants now having holes ripped through from a blunt force. "Hey buddy! Where you heading off to? We aren't done yet!"
Ploom growled in agitation. "I don't have time for your stupidity!" Spinning on his heel to confront Merc, a series of kicks rain down upon him. Acting on instinct, he snaps his chain straight up and thrusts the offending leg skyward, just as an explosive gunshot echoes out. "Are you insane?! I'm blind and even I can tell, that's not water coming out of the truck!"
Merc puckered up in confusion before looking at the source of the liquid sound. There, he finds the fuel truck gushing out flammable liquid while Fairy hobbles away. "Wait…That's fuel? You released a fuel tank?! Are you insane?!"
With a maniacal grin, Fairy chuckles and reaches for her bell. "I never said I was sane to begin with! I'll do whatever it takes to survive in this world. Even if I have to see it burn all around me!" Though she hates to do it, it needs to be done. Even if a dearest treasure must be lost, she will do what it takes for her survival. Ashe may not know what her semblance truly does because it will only bring her negative thoughts. Fairy on the other hand is fully aware.
Ploom was the first to break from his shock and charge toward her, "We have to stop her! She's crazy enough to do it!"
Merc snarled and clenched his first before reluctantly following along. The idea of getting blown to bits did not sit well with him. He's too good-looking to die in his eyes. At least not till he gets a girlfriend for the deed. "Once she's dealt with, I'm killing you next, Bud."
Though it pained her, Fairy ripped away the bell and tossed it to the ground in the distance. The lovely chime she grew accustomed to now gone. Though she told Ashe her semblance was passive, that was only a half-truth. Yes, it was passive, but it was also an active. Closing her aura in on herself, Fairy activates her cursed semblance.
She keeps her eyes trained on her charging assailants. Making her presence smaller, she notices it taking effect. Merc begins to blink with his eyes twitching in confusion. Ploom was also showing signs of hesitance before they turn to one another. Merc lashes out in a confused kick, creating distance between the two. "What are you doing?!"
"Me?! You're the one that released the fuel, jackass!" Ploom charged toward Merc, a flurry of punches rained down upon Merc. Weaving and stepping back, he bats away a fist before retaliating.
"I wasn't the one who did it! It was you; I'm not dumb enough to set off a chain reaction at a fuel refinery." Wrapping his arm around Ploom's, he locks it into place. A barrage of side-kicks rain upon Ploom's body.
Snarling, Ploom wraps his chain around his hand and wrist, deflecting most of the kicks with a grunt of effort. "It sure as hell wasn't me. We are the only two here. If it wasn't me, and it wasn't you. Then who the hell was it, genius?"
A sharp pain pings through both of their heads, but it was quick and over with. Thinking nothing of it, Merc snarls, "Casper for all I give a shit. What I do know, is that I'm killing you here and now." Flipping backwards, Merc lashes out in a bicycle kick. Ploom dodges back and avoids the blow with the window of opportunity.
A smirk appears upon Merc's lips. The sound of a gunshot erupts from the heel of his foot. Spiraling him once more into a flash kick. It was instantaneous. His boot catch's Ploom by the chin in surprise. Snapping his head back violently.
Blood spits out and flows from the corner of his lips. Gritting his teeth, Ploom fights through the pain and forces his body to react. Whipping out his Manriki, it wraps around Merc's leg. Catching the man by surprise. Tugging forward, he pulls himself forward and his foe downward. Landing up Merc's chest, he slams them both into the ground. With his one free hand, Ploom returns the blow with his own. Swinging a haymaker onto his temple.
Disoriented, Ploom rolls off and staggers onto his knees. His head a complete jumble of a mess. Merc was in a similar state. Rolling over and holding his head, he swore unspeakable violence while slowly working his way back up. "Tenacious bastard. Why won't you stay down?"
Spitting off to the side in a glob of red, Ploom wipes away at his lips. The vertigo was mostly gone due to his aura. Thankfully, he could care less about his sight, he's blind. All he needs is his hearing for the most part. "Ask your mommy, I'm always up for her."
Merc clenched his fist with a snarl, "Seriously? Momma jokes? C'mon man."
Ploom chuckles with a mocking manner, "Sorry, should I stick to daddy jokes then? Or would those walk out on you?"
"I'm going to murder you!" Kicking off in a fiery blaze, the ruined ground shatters further at the gunshots from Merc's boots.
With a smug grin, Ploom assumes a defensive stance. "Oo~ Touch a nerve, did I? Looks like you are quite the daddy's boy." Merc was nearly a blur in rage. Digging his feet, Ploom clicks his tongue for his echolocation. His eyes widen in a sudden shock. There was a blob figure directly behind him. He had no time to react with his aura.
A blade pierced through his chest.
Ripping it back out, a small body coils around his slumping figure. Merc's was confused. His opponent suddenly had a blade run him through, but how? They were the only ones fighting. Oh well, he's not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He couldn't stop his acceleration in time anyways. Two legs suddenly wrap around his neck and violently twist his body in the air. Instincts save his literal neck. The mysterious assailant attempted to snap his neck like a twig, but he matches the twist in a spiral. Merc was unable to avoid the small figure from slamming the back of his head into the ground mercilessly. Eyes bugging out, the shine of a blade descends upon his forehead.
"Die."
A bullet pings against the impending doom. Altering the course of the blade to slice into Merc's cheek. With the click of a tongue, the figure tumbles aside. Merc feels his wrist being grabbed by a familiar acquaintance. "What the hell are you doing?! Never let your guard down in a three-way fight."
Grabbing onto his throbbing head, he leans onto Em's shoulder. "What are you talking about? We weren't in a three-way fight. It's just me and that bat asshole."
Em bat her eyes in flabbergasting. "Are you an idiot? That Fairy chick woke up and spilled fuel all over the ground. The one you and that faunus went to stop. Fairy, you know, the one Torchwick is having a temper tantrum about?"
Merc just gave her a confused look. "Who the hell is Fairy?"
Gritting her teeth, she shook her partner roughly. "If this is a joke, it's not fucking funny." Something slithers behind her. Whirling around with one hand holding up Merc, her revolver-sickle lashes out in defense. Erupting into sparks from an attempted assassination. "What did you do?" Retreating away, Em catches the gaze of her assassin.
Fairy softly chuckled in a whisper. Crimson fully coating her eyes. "No one is leaving alive." The girl who was once at death's door, lashes out in a mad fury. Assaulting Em in a series of lethal one-handed swipes.
The initial strikes were not a problem for Em. They were easy enough for her to handle one-handed. The problem came later. Constantly being pushed back, Fairy changed her target. Instead, she focused on Merc in his dazed state. The force she slammed the back of his head into the ground leaves anyone a jumbled mess. "Get your ass up already! I can't keep babysitting your egotistical ass!"
Cackling out, Fairy roughly parries upward in a surprising amount of force. Throwing up Em's defensive arm. "You kids have fun~" With a twist and leap, her leg thrusts out in a back kick. Slamming into Em's shoulder after she twisted to defend against it.
Though it didn't hurt, Em found herself in a new predicament. Glancing over her shoulder, she finds herself on a collision course toward the burly Faunus. The large male held the bat faunus carefully in his arms. Em curses her luck. This was not how she expected her night to go. They've already had a rough week. Everything's happening too fast for her to weave an illusion within their minds. The more complicated and intricate, the more time is required to weave it.
Terran carefully throws Ploom over his large shoulder and arms his shovel-drill. He had multiple cuts along his body, but nothing deep. Finding the humans on a collision course, he hunkers down and flexes. Before he could bat them away, a gunshot sings through the air. Chains and a sickle wrap around his forearm and tug.
Propelling herself forward, Em shifts and slams both feet into Terran's arm. Gritting his teeth, he doesn't budge. Swinging out with a roar, Terran throws them back with raw strength. "Back off little girl, I have bigger things to worry about now."
Em skid to a halt, "You forget, this little girl kicked your ass. I'd watch what you say."
Terran looked around the area, not paying her a lick of attention. "Shut up, before we all die. Ashe used her semblance. Without Ploom, I won't know where she is."
Merc shook her head, slowly coming around with a groan of pain. "Don't know where who is? Em, what's going on?"
Clenching her teeth in a grit, Em turned back to Terran. Slowly letting Merc stand on his own but taking a defensive stance. "What did she do? What's her semblance?"
Staring at her from the corner of his eye, Terran snarls. "I'm not telling an outsider. Let alone a human. I'll just warn you. Ashe turns into a monster when she uses her semblance." Em perked a brow and made to question further, but she was interrupted.
"Monster." The voice was soft and difficult to pin-point. "That's all how any of you ever saw me, Terran. Some freak of nature."
"Because you are!" A growl reverberated from his throat, "You are a monster even by our standards. Our methods are extreme, but you…You took it to a whole new level. It even gave Azusa pause at times."
"I did what I had to!" A shadow was ghosting behind the vehicles, sticking to the shadows. "All anyone ever did was look down on me! Just a small toy to vent their frustration and anger. What would you know about that? You were one of them!"
Good, he needs to keep her talking. Less of a chance for him to completely forget about her. He doesn't know when she used her semblance or if he's in range when she activates it. "That doesn't mean you go to their families and hold them hostage! You brought back my daughter's stuffed animal. A gift that I sent for her birthday and conveyed her schedule at school. Told me what a shame it would be if an 'accident' fell upon her." Anger swelled within Terran. "What kind of Monster takes a preschooler hostage!"
Em slowly surveys around in bafflement, "This…seems kind of personal."
The once calm voice was vicious and furious. "What would you know?! I did what I had to for survival! Every day and night were torture for me. There was no rest, no pause from the violence. Made to fight, and fight, and fight! I was a child as well! Did you hold back?! No! You also beat me in the name of training, saying I had to toughen up. Hypocrite!"
"You were different! One of us! Not some helpless child back home!"
"I WAS A CHILD TOO!" Em flinched at the tone, tightening her lips in thought. "You only remember that when it's convenient for you…Fine…I've had enough talking." Slowly, a presence begins to tickle onto Em's senses. Turning toward the source, she finds Fairy standing near a tunnel Terran made.
"What are you doing?!" She roared in a panic. Down at Fairy's feet was an empty red fuel canister. A trail of the liquid connected with the massive pool of flammable liquid from the trailer. Fairy held burn dust between her gloved fingers. Enough to ignite a small fire.
Hardening her eyes, Fairy locks gaze with Terran and Em. "I'll show you. Just how much of a Monster I can be." Releasing the dust, a sparkle of red flutters down before igniting into flames. "Burn." The fuel at her feet ignites. Em notices that what was once honey, were now a full crimson. Fairy vanishes down into the tunnel.
Em finds a body roughly thrown into her direction in the form of Ploom. "HOLD HIM OR WE DIE!" Not knowing what to do, she does as instructed. The cement before her erupts violently. Terran drills into the ground while the flame trail quickly consumes toward the parked fuel trucks and silos. Grabbing Em by the wrist, he throws her into the tunnel with Ploom. He only chose to save her, because Em was holding Ploom while he dug. "Run!" He didn't care about the other human.
Merc for his part, at least has the common sense to figure out what's about to happen. He retreats into the tunnel after Em. Terran was the last to follow through. Quickly collapsing the tunnel behind him before a massive explosion tears through the night.
Fairy continued to race within the tunnel she invaded. Her faunus traits allowed her to see within its dark corridors. She knew it led out of the area, because Terran was no where around when she first engaged Ploom. He must have come from outside the refinery.
A violent earthquake roared within the tunnels. Rocks pelt down upon her with chunks of earth. Gritting her teeth, Fairy presses on before it could fully collapse upon her. Light shines down from a hole ahead. Leaping out of the confined depths, Fairy finds herself within an empty parking lot. The sky was a bright orange in the dead of night. Flames erupted in the distance with the sound of explosions rocking the night.
Crimson aura slowly swirls around her feet, giving her the boost, she needed in her weakened state. It was a two-way street. Though the Grimm ate away at her soul, Fairy could steal some of its strength. The only drawback…
Pain stabs into her chest. Forcing out a cry of unbearable pain. It increased the rate at which it consumed her. Fairy staggered into the distance. 'Fight it.' Torment pierces through her mind. She can feel it targeting her negative motions. Drawing its ire to her persona. 'Don't…give in…'
The pain was unbearable. Fairy could do no more than cry into the night. Her aura was low. She used too much of its powers. The balance is off. She needed to burn it off; find equilibrium once more. Before it can conquer a foothold within her mindset. "Must…quench this thirst." Slowly, Fairy hobbles away into the shadows. Softly cackling to herself in a whisper, only for it to continue to grow. 'Before it's too late.'
( A/N )
Sorry for the delay! There's so much going on right now, especially with the holidays and such. There just hasn't been much down time for me, but I managed to get it done! It's a smaller chapter than usual, but I thought it was a fitting place to stop. Leave any comments and reviews about your thoughts and such. Its always fun to see what everyone thinks.
Darth