Alright, back here again. Got no more words here. Beginning short though, sorry.
(T-L-G)
As Adam and Ares go to the barn, Cyrin and Asoar go back to their house and pick up a few things.
Cyrin goes to her room upstairs to her mess of a room. She picks up her backpack and looks around for essentials. "Let's see." She goes to her table, littered with papers and sketches, "Pencils, pens, erasers, Beowolf carving?" She looks at it with confusion. She throws it away, "Don't need that. Now where is it?" She searches around her room for one specific item. She looks on the shelves, the floor. She found naught but under her bed is when her eyes shine, "Found ya! now for a change of clothes."
Asoar goes into her kitchen and takes out a pack, tying numerous things on it, "Ok. I'll need a frying pan, a lighter, grill pan and some other things. Cyrin would kill me if she couldn't eat anything." She searches and collects several things and tie them to her pack.
The two sisters meet back at the entrance of their house. "You got everything, Cyrin?"
"The essentials anyways."
"Let's go." The two sisters head out of their family home, leaving all they had to follow a Grimm.
(To the Barn)
Adam and I go up the ladder, once they get to the second floor, he moves the plank away and they head into his room. "Alright, my uniform should be here somewhere."
"Somewhere?" I question.
"It's been 5 years." Adam looks around his room. "It's here somewhere." He opens his closet and closes it. He checks on his table and sees something.
My vessel walks to Adam's side, "Is there a problem?" The vessel's vision sees why. His sword. Looking at his expression, I sense Adam's emotions, rejection, guilt, hesitation, resentment. You have a hatred for this weapon, despite its inanimate status.
"Yeah. I thought this would be easy. I've killed so many Humans, I can't remember all of them but my first kill, I remember his face too well. He and another appear sometimes in my dreams."
"Who is the other?"
"A comrade. Sienna Khan."
"Another Faunus."
I see his eyes and they hold regret, "You've killed this Sienna Khan."
"Yes. I've also hurt someone with it. A friend. Though she may see me differently." He goes to grab it but his right hand freeze and shakes. Why cannot he take the sword? Feeling impatient, I grip it instead. Looking at it, it hasn't been taken care of, the red blade has lost its vibrancy, dust clings to it. My vision goes to Adam who's holding the sword holder. "Here. You hold on to Wilt and Blush."
Taking what I can assume is Blush, I slide Wilt back in and offer it back to Adam, "If you can't use your right, use your left." Hesitation fills him as he eyes the grip but once reaching out with his left hand, it doesn't shake around. Holding Blush with his right and gripping Wilt with his left. "I sense you're more comfortable without the blade."
"Yes."
Then get your attire on, the world awaits for balance.
(To the Mistral Branch of the White Fang)
Inside the White Fang HQ, on the twelfth floor is a collection of Faunus and Human staff, working on their station. Outside into the hallway is Chief Ilia, walking down in a white shirt with exposed armpits and elbows, a open sleeveless light blue bomber jacket with two white tails bearing the White Fang symbol, pale blue jeans with elbows showing and black boots. She walks with a Dog eared Faunus, who's looking at his giant Scroll, "Does any Eared Faunus managed to locate where the howl came from?"
"Not yet, Chief. But it appears that it may have originated from a nearby village called Padma." He uses his Scroll and triangulates the location of Padma, "Do you wish for a squad to be sent, Chief?"
"We're still on thin ice here with the Mistralie citizens and I don't want to cause any more trouble since Incident 4. But Blake requested the Mistral Branch to investigate. Send a 5-man squad in a truck."
"On it, Chief." They make it to her office door which she opens, "Chief, there's also a interview with-" Ilia closes it on him, releasing a small gasp.
Taking off her bomber jacket and putting it on a rack, she heads to her desk and falls onto the chair, mentally exhausted, "That was the 8th request for a interview."
"And you're still not taking it, even though it would help our reputation with the people?" Neptune says, sitting from the adjacent desk. Even with the half-decade time he's had, the only thing that changed on his person is that there is a White Fang badge on his jacket. Letting out a groan, Ilia hits her forehead on her desk, "Don't do that too much, the cost for us being here is already high by 7%." Neptune says.
"Incident 4 cost us this Branch its reputation." Ilia says.
Neptune gets off his chair and leans on her desk, "Stop caring about that. You had no idea that lady was a suicide bomber."
"But we've should've. It was my responsibility to keep the peace."
"Look, no matter what happens, you can always trust me. Plus, you get some discouraging shots of my face."
Feeling somewhat elated, Ilia smiles at him, "Thanks for being here."
"I'm a staff of this organization. You know what makes me happy? Going to the shooting range."
"We have batons and stun guns." Ilia reminds him, assumingly. "We also don't have a shooting range in the building."
"Who's says it was a officially certified shooting range?" Neptune gives her. She starts to laugh at him, "Hey, it was a attempt!"
"3 years and you're still trying?" Ilia recounts.
He shrugs in response, "Eh. It's a habit."
Ilia gives him a short burst, "Sometimes I'm glad you're a friend instead of being just a staff. And sometimes, I want to throw you in a pool to see you squirm."
Neptune gets chills and goes back to his desk with haste, "Please stop saying that."
(Outside of Padma)
My vision looks back at his new and fresh companions as they take a final glance at their hometown. "It's hard to leave a place you've knew." I say. The three of them look at my vessel and eyes with slight sense of something I can't pin. "Come on, our goal doesn't waste on the negative." My legs take me to the path leading out, I hear three more pair following me.
"Well, this is exciting." Cyrin says. "I got my dream job early."
What? "Dream job?" I ask with the primitive vocals.
"Dream job. You know, a occupation that you want for a long time. I guess being Grimm is difficult."
"Oh." That's what she means, "To be truthful, I'd hoped to have a twin to become a Taijitu for as long as I'd have vessels. Is that the same as a 'dream job?'"
"Close enough."
Looking down at my body, and peering into Adam's mind, I get knowledge of the minuet things Venators care about. Such as clothing. Clinging onto my vessel's torso is a black furred long coat, dark grey trousers with leather chaps, white and red cowboy boots and I see my skin. The vessel's skin. It's so bright and vibrant. I feel sick looking at it. On top of my head is a dark brown and yellow gambler hat, holding my trousers along with the chaps is a belt with two holsters. They're holding yellow extendable staffs that are in storage mode.
Adam's outfit is something new, but by the God of Light, why are there so many metal mouths? But that object of his intrigues me. Cyrin hasn't changed to what is 'appropriate' clothing from Adam's memories. Asoar's however, the only thing that changed for her is that the dress length is shortened and two cloth are tied around her waist, connected to a larger cloth covering her backside. They both have packs strapped by their shoulders. "So Ares." I hear from Cyrin. "What is our plan to give 'balance' to Remnant? Besides putting blood in people's mouths."
"No need to hide it, I understand your doubt. But with Adam's mere existence, I can create more Grimm." I say. Perhaps, a hypothetical question comes to me. "Is there anyone opposing this new regime of imbalance?" They all look at me with confusion, hmm, best reconsider my words, "Any criminals that have popped up in the last half decade?" Cyrin and Asoar, and humiliatingly, me stare at Red.
Wow. "I'm truly offended." Red says. "It's because Adam was in the White Fang, and was a admittedly chaotic Faun-person to the White Fang."
He is correct, "I apologize, Red. I shouldn't have done so." I speak strangely. Apologize? What sort of word did I say?
"Sorry man." Cyrin says. Asoar nods in agreement. Then, as if a needle pierce my ear, a loud sound enters my ears.
"A vehicle is coming." I alert. Coming over the far small hill is a truck, bearing the White Fang sigil, only its blue instead of red. Unfamiliar instincts take over, as my arm waves out to them. They begin to slow down, Red seems uncomfortable. Is this going to be a problem, Red?
Maybe. They might recognize me by my mask and hair. Reacting quickly, I grab a handful of dirt and spill it onto his hair. "Aah! What was that for?!" It has somehow covered some red parts successfully. I grab another handful and spit into it. Squishing it in my hand, it comes somewhat solid. He realizes what's going to happening, "My hair is one thing, but the mask stays-" I cut him off as I smear the wet dirt onto his mask. I can sense anger for a object.
My mask is important to me.
Even-
Yes, even now.
The truck finally stops and the driver puts the glass away from us, "Hello there, sirs. Ladies." His tone is professional and his emotion is quite calm.
Feeling a sense of want, I put both my hands onto my belt, holding it on a angle, "Hello back. Name's Dougal. Aries Dougal. Now mind telling me who you are?"
"Well, I'm Sky." He answers.
Red seems shaken, "Is there a reason you're driving to Padma?" He asks.
"Well, it's pointless to hide it. A unnatural animal howl was heard by Faunus with ears. Even some in Vacuo, Atlas and Vale heard it." Sky answers. They heard me.
Well, the ones with ears heard it.
Once Red thoughts of that, my ears pick up 12 pairs of footsteps coming from the left. They sound heavy and unnatural. "What's with the blue sigil? Isn't it suppose to be-"
"Red? That's the sigil of the old White Fang." The footsteps sound closer. "Now it's being used by the Reds."
"Reds?" I question. A shot whistles through the air, and grazes my cheek. "Ah!"
Asoar and I looks backs and sees red and black masked Faunus with rifles, "Reds! Everyone behind the trucks!" She shouts. 4 other White Fang members come out of the truck and runs to the other side, same with my companions. But I need to get a better glance at them. All of them are wearing a dark red sleeveless hooded tunic and upper face masks. A shot is heading directly at my head. My hand leads itself to one of the extendable staffs stored in my holster. It disrupts the laser in time. "Mr. Dougal, get back here! You'll get killed!"
"Kill the traitors!" I hear from behind.
They shoot rapidly and randomly at the truck. "Alright!" I yell. My body takes me to the other side, seeing 5 members with small guns and batons. "Why are you equipped with much small things!?" I yell to Sky.
"Ever since Incident 4, the Mistral Branch redacted all rifles from being used!"
What! "Who's in charge of this Branch!" Red yells.
"Chief Amitola!"
"Ilia?" He mutters. "She's a leader?" His thoughts are interrupted by the shots coming at us. "I'll go take them out."
"Sir! It's too dangerous! Let us-" Sky seems bewildered by something. Staring back to Red, he has smeared the mud off, showing some of the markings. "You're... You're..."
"I know."
He goes to run out but I stop him by grabbing his wrist. We both stare at each other for a moment. "Hold with your right-"
"Use my left." Loosening my grip, he takes off his object and runs out.
(Third Person View)
You can do this. Remember to use the hilt, sheath and fists. No blood, no deaths. He repeats this in his head as Red runs to the rogue cells. This feels too familiar. "Over there!" One of them shouts. He redirects his aim at Red, bursting three rounds. He holds Blush as he pulls out Wilt to absorb the shots. Using the momentum he has, closing in onto his target he twirls himself while whacking the Faunus with the end of Blush, then the bottom of Wilt to knock out him out.
Another barrage of shots comes at him, blocking most shots coming at his person. He sheathes back Wilt and fires it at another member, who uses his salvaged rifle to stop Wilt's flight. Once he'd stopped it, he snaps his grip straight and pulls out the barrel to reveal a blade. Red shoots it out of his hand, "Not going to make that mistake again." His enemy goes to charge him but he throws Blush at his face, partially breaking his mask and rendering him out cold. He picks them up and runs to two more.
Red thrust at one with Wilt and Blush but he puts his salvaged rifle between them. The second one hits Red on the back with the butt of her rifle, he elbows the second and swings Blush's end to the first Red's jaw. He fires Wilt out to the second Red, but she catches it tries to turn it against him. He gut kicks the first Red and grabs the wrist of the second, snapping it and forcing her to drop Wilt. "Aaah!" He punches her, flying down on her back. Redirecting his attention to the first, Red begins using Blush as a improvised weapon.
He swings it with his right upward, reverse grip style, the Red deflects it with his rifle. Adam goes for a kick in the knees but the Red steps back and tries to fire his rifle. Adam slashes the magazine right out, forcing the Red to shove the barrel into the mutated Faunus' face. He hooks his boot behind the Red's and trips him, falling onto his back. Adam slams Blush down onto the downed Red's face. "Four down, eight more."
Meanwhile at the truck, it is getting shredded by the laser and ballistic shots. "He's not going to take them all out!" Sky gets away from the truck. "I'll go-" Three shots hits his Aura then another pierces his shoulder. Reacting immediately, Aries move out and he drag him by his shirt back to the truck. "Damn! Ah!" One of the White Fang members goes to him and pushes his wound. Feeling a sense more familiar, Aries run out to kill the enemy, but remembering Adam is there, he opts for his extendable staffs in his holsters. Running to a Red, the masked Faunus shoots at him, getting seven shots through his chest.
The Grimm continues as if he wasn't injured and slides the staffs out, leaning them to the left as he closes the distance. They automatically shorten and extended for Aries' momentum and hand position, getting a hit on the Red by the back of the head with his left, then the stomach with his right and ending it by delivering a blow by pulling up and another back hit.
He takes a moment to look at his new weapons, "Surprising. Adam's memories were correct in using these." He sling them back in before hearing a quiet snap behind him, Aries uses his left elbow to strike behind him and a Red grabs it and stabs his left eye. Aries' face turns to his more Grimm form, "Rrraaahhh!"
"Aaaaahhh!" The Red releases his grip on his knife and falls back, "What the-" Aries quickly silences him with a kick to the face, returning back to his more humanoid shape, taking out the knife with no hesitation and begins regenerating.
"Aries!" He hears. Switching to his right side, Adam is being pinned a Red against the tree who is brandishing a knife, trying to slice his throat open. The now torn clothed Grimm runs to him and shoulder bashes the Red off and punches her lights out. "Thank you."
"Not required. You still need to fight." Adam takes a brief moment before reeling back up. "Ready for the last ones?"
"Yeah."
"There they are!" One of the last Reds shout. They all bundle up together. Tipping his hat, Aries and Adam run at they begin firing, weapons unsheathed. Adam and Aries blocks 3 shots separately before getting to the first two. Adam whacks the rifle out of the first one's hand while Aries smashes the second's rifle with his fists. The Reds opts for their knives and slashes at them, the former leader swipes left upward, the Dog Faunus Red dodge under it and goes for a gut stab but gets his hand kicked by Aries, with a knife in his shoulder.
He then breaks the Cat Faunus Red's mask with a smoking black elbow, showing his Grimm forearms to them. He reverts them quickly and punches him into unconsciousness. Adam hits his target's stomach with the end of Blush, kneeling down and firing Wilt above him to the Red's chin, slightly getting some air and kicks them on her back, making them roll on the ground. "Three left!" Adam counts.
Moving with haste, the two go to their last targets. Aries runs at the front to take the brunt of the shots, having no hindrance. He slows down and throws a fist at the Red. She blocks it and tries to stock-whip his neck, he takes hold of the rifle and throws it away, opting to grab the fabric of her jacket, tossing her behind him, leading to Adam to clothesline her with Blush. He charges at Aries and launches himself up to Aries' Grimm hands, boosting him high up. The Grimm-blooded Bull starts to fire at the last two coming down, all the shots missed, they both look up to aim to him but Aries body slams one. The last one runs away into the forest.
Adam comes back down, with a sense of familiar joy. He quickly stops this.
(Back to Aries)
Adam and I make their way back to the now shot up truck, which all except Sky are inside, "Well, I didn't expect the Reds at this route, that means they're based somewhere."
"I think you've found your howl." I say. "It must've been some signal frequency that accidentally reverb to other CCT."
How did you know-
Do you honestly not think I'd not attacked bases and outposts before?
... Fair point.
"Could be a potential possibility. We'll search around-" My ears pick up a whistle as Adam' mask suddenly breaks.
"Ah!" Adam exclaims. Turning my head around, it's that last 'Red' who ran.
That no-good self-righteous Faunus! I'll kill that lizard-skinned bitch! He tries to fire Wilt at her. But a large blade suddenly breaks her Aura and is sticking out of her torso, blood spraying over the ground. Adam quickly recoils to his state, "No no no no!"
"Who's holding the sword!?"
"That is seriously messed up!" Cyrin kneels down to Adam and tries to get him back.
The 'Red' corpse is pushed toward me, I don't want this as I throw it away. And there I see him. The Knight. Description of my collective memories still holds. Long, tied up blond hair, a metallic headband, rusted and battered white and gold armor over his torn up hooded tunic. The stare of the cold dead eyes of ocean and the running scar from the bridge of his nose. The blade is covered in the blood of the Red, pointing it downward. "The Blood Knight." Sky mutters.
"Don't you even try." The Knight says to him. He then turns to me? Why? "Nice work, you and him." He points to Adam, who seems more calm now. "Made my work easier."
"You've killed them." I answer.
"They were in the way." The Knight turns away from us, heading to the forest.
"Where are you going?" Adam asks.
"A military base." Before I can more answers from him, he starts running further more into the forest. Futile now with the speed he's going.
(A couple minutes later)
Asoar and Cyrin and I wait for Adam, who's more or less in his state. Asoar pats my back, moving me forward. I take the hint, sitting on the grass, I feel a off-putting compulsion to comfort. You alright, Adam?
Yes. I'm ok. Adam holds his now broken mask in both hands, seeping with relief and remorse. This was a pivotal piece of the original Adam.
Now it's gone.
This mask has been with Adam for a long time. Now it's broken by a gunshot.
Back there, you suddenly screamed in the thought pool. You'd thought-
I know. It was... Uncalled for.
Do you want to talk about it?
Let's just say... I don't have a lot of love for Faunus.
You identify as a Human?
I have not a lot of love for both. I am a person, not defined by my blood, horns or appearance.
When did you start thinking like this?
2 years after I was found floating around. A random person saw me by chance. When my body was healthy enough, I asked for a ticket to Mistral, to take a attempt to farming. She kinda looked like that guy who... killed...
We can stop if you want.
Yes, I'd like that.
"Hey." Looking up, it's Sky, holding a item in his hand and looking at Adam. "I wanted to give you something."
"What is it?"
"Uh... It's uh, something I'd made and moded-"
"Give it here." I have no patience, taking it out of his... "It's a mask. Your mask, Adam."
"What?" Adam gets back up and takes hold of the mask. "It's... a exact replica. Except the markings are-"
"Blue. It was in my pocket. Listen, I want to say, it's... nice to meet the Faunus who gave us the masks."
"Person. I'm a person, not a Faunus." Adam says with conviction.
Sky nods in agreement, "Well, me and the team should find the Red' base."
"See you in time, Sky." I hold out his object to him, "Come Red, we must get going."
He takes it and has it hanging from his shoulder, "Right."
(T-L-G)
Yeah, I have nothing to say but to say I have Writer's Block, though the word counter should say something. The fight is the most largest amount out of everything I'd done.
Review/s
merendinoemilano: Well, maybe a bit of Whiterose. And it won't be just creatures affecting a system.
Lord of Memory: She really didn't, unfortunately. And I think I'll do more of the Canon characters Post-Grimm lives. Like Chief Ilia and Neptune.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, review and have a nice day Reading.