Enslaved To A Flame

Chapter 6

Worn Masks

Coco woke to the scent of cooking meat and a deep feeling of regret. Both of these senses were dulled considerably by the strong tanned arms wrapped around her waist. She hummed, lingering in her partner's grasp for a minute longer as her thoughts came together. She had slept peacefully the entire night. The tent's canvas was starting to lighten, and that could only mean that morning was coming.

She wriggled out of Fox's grasp, slipping out of the tent and standing up straight. The morning light shot through the canopy and the tree trunks, illuminating a sight she wasn't familiar with.

William lounged in front of the fire, idly waving his hand at the fire. Above him, he had constructed something akin to a jungle gym dome out of thin branches. His wires wove freely though it, tightened at joints and around the limbs in such a dizzying fashion that Coco had no hope of figuring out where the wires crossed or even if there was more than one wire.

She stretched, cracking her back as she staggered forward.

"You're awake." William commented, his tone without interest as he continued to stare at the fire, his hands gesturing like a conductor guiding an orchestra.

"You took all the shifts." Coco replied, dropping to the ground next to him.

Now she saw the point of the construct. William had balanced a cast iron skillet above the fire, using wires to anchor it, and another set to manipulate the meat that was sizzling in the pan. If she didn't know any better, she would have been willing to bet that it was bacon, but that couldn't be. No one packed raw meat on a trip.

"What is that? Rehydrated jerky or something?" She asked, leaning a little closer to examine the marbling of the meat, the way the fat and meat blended together.

"Killed a pig. Made bacon." William informed her.

A stray wire wrapped around her head, wrenching it to one side. It startled her, and if a collection of wires hadn't adjusted her shoulders and neck, then she might have broken her neck. A pig corpse was nearby, flies already setting to the body. It's stomach was sliced open, and it's organs and chunks of its meat were removed.

"Can't make jerky, so I settled for bacon." William explained casually, the wires redirecting her gaze back to the pan.

"Quit that." Coco snapped suddenly, aware how fragile her neck was, and how little error it took for William to pull a wire just a bit too hard. "I don't appreciate you handling me like that. And while I appreciate the breakfast, I don't appreciate how you served the entire night shift."

William glanced up at her, his sea green eyes heavy, but still alert somehow. "One night of no sleep will do me far more good than a series of nightmares and waking everyone else up with my screams."

His blunt reply shocked him, and it took her a moment to register the facts in his words. If his father had left those scars on his hands, it was extremely likely that William did have nightmares, and suffered from insomnia because of it.

She truly couldn't argue with it, but she wanted to. William needed his sleep, fitful though it may be, and even if he woke up screaming, it was still rest his body needed. She would have to press the issue tonight, and make sure he at least got a few hours of sleep.

Before she could speak further, and possibly press the issue, William threw something at her. Reflexes save her, and she caught it with both hands, a stunned expression on her face.

It was a saucer carved out of pine wood. The finish was smooth, and the surface slick, but not sticky in the slightest. She looked up at William to find he had three more in his hand, balanced between fingers like throwing stars.

"When did you….?" Coco trailed off, already knowing the answer as William moved the pan over to her.

Bacon was served onto her plate, and more strips added to the pan before it was moved back to the fire.

"When you're finished you can wake the others. I don't know if Velvet will eat meat though, I know some Faunus are vegetarians. The last Rabbit Faunus I knew was." William trailed off after his last sentence, furrowing his brow before he shivered, appearing to focus more at the task in front of him.

"Velvet is fine with it." Coco mentioned as she bit into the strip of bacon.

It was still hot, grease coming off it, but it was hot and fresh out of the pan. She hummed softly, even as her tongue was scalded a little. Fresh bacon was leagues better than hot or even heated rations.

William was a decent cook, either that or she was far hungrier than she had first thought. She watched him for a while, noticing he had added a few bones to the fire, as well as that he hadn't served or carved a plate for himself.

"Tell me little wolf," Coco started, setting her now empty plate by her foot. "Why do you care so much but feel so little?"

William froze, his fingers freezing, his wires shifting for a moment as they tightened with his will. He hummed, a flick of his wrists tying off the threads connecting to his fingers. Coco wasn't sure where he tied them off to, since the only thing he had to tie off to was his own body or the dirt.

"Why do you care to ask?" He replied. "I'm just a temporary teammate. I don't matter in the long run." A cruel smirk drifted across William's lips.

Coco hummed, clasping his hands in front of her, pressing her full lips against her thumbs. "Because you're part of my team now." She replied. "So enlighten me. Tell me why you are what you are, or I will dig deeper into you than you are willing to let me."

William considered it, weighing her words before he spoke. "And what are you looking to find? Some deep tragic past? My father was a heavy alcoholic and a mad drunk. Take a guess about my childhood. Take a guess how many scars that monster gave me, but don't you dare ask about the stories of them." He chuckled darkly. "Because you aren't ready for the nightmares that I live with every single night. And you're not strong enough to handle my demons ripping into your mind and seeping into your soul every time you look at me. There's not a person alive that can handle my pain." His voice had been dark, now it took to sorrow, a pitch black abyss that swallowed up the other emotions.

Coco felt a chill slip up her spine. She stood up abruptly wrapping her arms around herself as she stepped away. "That may be so, but I still want to know. Because you're part of my team right now, and I need to be able to know what I'm getting into when I accept you."
William hummed softly, returning back to working his cooking fire. "Should have thought about that before you invited me sweetheart."

Coco pursed her lips, then headed to the tents to wake up the rest of her team. Fox would be the first to wake, then she would get Yatsu and Velvet. They slept separate, unlike Coco and Fox, who were cuddle buddies. To say the least. Not that Coco would ever venture to anything as far as that but she and Fox left it as comfortable teasing and maybe playful touches.

Coco shook off the lingering chill that William had sent down her spine as she headed into her and Fox's shared tent. She smiled softly at the tanned skinned fighter curled up, a hand outstretched for her.

"Fox." She breathed into his ear, "Wake up my sweet."

He shifted, reacting to her voice as his hand searched the small area. His hand found her, his soft touch finding her thigh, brushing against it before trailing up the outside to her hip. Fox let out a small noise of disappointment as he opened his milky white eyes. They looked at her, never once seeing her soft warm brown eyes, but finding them anyway.

"Why do I smell fresh bacon and death?"Fox asked, slowly sitting up, his hand sliding up her side to cup her face. His touch just as gentle as it could be, feather-light and softer than silk. Coco leaned into it, closing her eyes to enjoy the feel of his callous fingers against her skin.

"William." She replied after a moment. "He's got more baggage than I originally thought, but I tink I can handle most of it. But…" She trailed off, looking behind her.

"It's like chipping away at granite. You think you're making progress, but you blow away the dust to check and you haven't done a damn thing. Or you don't realise how much you've uncovered and you aren't ready for the emotional flood." Fox yawned, stretching as he oriented himself and woke the rest of the way up.

"Just go get food when you wake up and get all the way dressed Fox. I've got to wake our local green giant and bunny."Coco said softly, watching him with a smile as he fumbled his way into his morning routine.

She slipped out, glancing over at William as she headed to the next tent. He was still sitting, two plates set near the fire, a handful of bacon on each. He was working on another batch it looked it, his fingers dancing , little slips of blue string hanging off each finger.

She slipped into Yatsuhashi's tent, shaking him slightly. "Wake up Yatsu. It's time for the mission. Get Velvet." Then she was out, heading back to the campfire.

William glanced at her, an easy smirk sliding across his lips. Coco realized at that moment she just had been played. William had shifted his tone and posture so completely that it left he utterly uncomfortable to even pursue the topic of his childhood, and totally stopped her from delving any deeper. And he had done it in an instant, and she had played with it.

She gritted her teeth, walking you next to him as he finished a final plate. "You just tricked me didn't you?'

"Perhaps. But you still don't want to dig into that particular topic." William replied casually as he leaned back. "It's much easier to close off a path of questioning than try to steer someone away from it. You won't like what you find if you look into my past. So don't. Just trust that I'll fight for you and that I will play by your rules. You don't need to look any further than that." William informed her.

Coco pursed her lips. "When you tell me that, it just makes me realize you have far more secrets than I first thought. And it makes me want to pry and see them, to see why you are the way you are. The reason why your risk yourself in combat, and attack so ferociously. There isn't a single being your age that would attack like that. Everyone fears death to some extent or another, but you don't. You're completely apathetic about it. And that isn't something you're born with, or something you can get with training, and certainly not on the streets of Vacuo."

"Perhaps you don't know Vacuo." William replied, quirking his eyebrows at her, an amused grin on his lips. His eyes were dark though, and his expression didn't reach or reflect in them. Coco was starting to realize that very few of his expressions did reach his eyes.

"Perhaps I don't know you." She countered as the others arrived.

They ate quickly before getting their battle gear ready. Fox lingered close to Coco, his posture and location not lost to William. Velvet gravitated to Yatsuhashi, checking in on the giant frequently and helping him adjust his armor. They packed rations, a quick snack that didn't' require heating or time to prepare it. William neglected it, already knowing the dangers of the wood from nightwatch.

The moment they set out beyond the boundary of their camp they encountered resistance. Coco snapped into action immediately, deploying her minigun.

"Standard formation! William with Fox! Keep his back clear! Support his sides!" Cococ instructed, already opening up on the pack of Ursa's that had charged out of the woods to them.

William shot out, Moonlight Sonata coming free of it's holster as Fox lined up with the large opponent. William's seagreen eyes soaked in every detail even as he advanced on Fox's flank, aiming to deflect and incapitate the Ursa that was coming in from the right.

Fox took a step, his moment completely sure. He dropped down, lowering his center of gravity as his foe closed. William's movements were completely instinctual, his eyes on fox as he sensed rather than saw the other Ursa's claws rise, swatting upward.

A blur of blades, Fox's forearms flashing up and down as the Ursa got into range. It was staggered, and Fox reoriented his body, planting his back foot and lashing out with both fists, Aura bursting from both of them and pumping into the Ursa. It expanded within his target.

William twisted around, Moonlight Sonata slicing into the Ursa's wrist and knocking the paw away as William wheeled behind it's body. He heard the beast explode, and then spikes slap into his own Ursa's body. The beast staggered, then collapsed behind William.

"Little warning next time monk." William stated, spinning Moonlight Sonata idly before he charged back into the fray.

"You handled it well enough." Fox replied, slipping around him to counter a Beowolf that had accompanied the group.

William's eyes shifted to glance at the blind man, but he shook his reply away, working Moonlight Sonata around and cleaving through the claws of another Ursa, jumping up and twisting around, his heels clapping around it's head. He threw the blade, planting it into the ground, wires attaching it to his hand, another set shooting out to the trees around them as William tightened them.

The muscles on his back and legs protested, straining as he felt the torque build in his body. Then suddenly it snapped free as William's lower body snapped around, the Ursa's head clasped firmly in his feet. The rest of the body fell away, fading away as William landed on his feet. He juggled the head up, before kicking it into the charging pack. It evaporated before it hit another Grimm but the effect was noticeable. They seemed more weary to engage William.

Coco noticed it as well, the savage way William had wretched its head off it's corpse, as well as the strength it would have required. Even if he used the tension of his wires and the anchor of his blade to supplement, William had to have a notable amount of strength to even consider that attack, much less execute it in close combat with an unknown enemy. A stray thought reminded her that no less than an hour ago, William could have done the same thing to her with a flick of his wrist and a sharp yank of a wire around her head.

The thought made her sick to her stomach.

"Two to Two." William stated as Fox's second Ursa hit the ground, fading rapidly. The pack had been finished, a fair amount of the work handled by William and Fox's forward position. Coco had worked the flanks, and taken one and weakened three others. Yatushashi and Velvet had taken those out.

Fox let a grim smile grace his lips, drawing William's eyes to the slim scar on his lip. Then the expression was gone. "Grimm are simply monsters waiting to be put down. There is not pride in making exterminating them a competition." There was a lengthy pause before Fox added, "And I got two and a half. I assisted on one of yours."

"Bullshit." William replied, rolling his eyes. "You didn't even see it coming at me."

Fox grinned. "Didn't see the others either if you want to bring that up."

William rolled his eyes, snorting at the blind brawler. "We'll tally tonight. Fair? Assists count for half."

They set off again, meeting larger and larger groups, until they were stuck in a fight that steadily swelled as sounds of battle echoed into the woods. They managed to make a front, with Yatushashi and Velvet acting as point, Fox and William running the flanks, and Coco supporting.

Beowulf's poured in, drawn by the call of an Alpha that Yatsuhashi had split in half a few minutes prior. A Deathstalker lingered on the fringes. It was larger, and Coco could only guess how old it was. Ursa were shocktroopers, and while there was only a dozen, it was wearing on them to take them out. One or two nevermore dotted the skies, but her minigun had insured that none would dare fly into range.

Yatsuhashi fought with Velvet, pairing her light attacks with his heavy sword strokes. Coco still hadn't given her permission to use her weapon, and the small tote was strapped securely on her back.

Fox was working independently on his own, occasionally supported by Coco's gunfire. He managed on his own, and more often than not, a stray blue wire would appear, redirecting him or delaying a Grimm for just a fraction of a second. Fox could only guess how William knew when to supply them, especially since he was wrapped up in his own battles, cleaving through Beowulf's faster than they could appear. William was working almost faster than Fox, his silver blade flashing about on either side of him, his head on a constant swivel as he sliced off fingers, hamstringing Beowulf's for an instant of reprieve before his sword would flick back, a brutal stab through the throat, or a slash across its eyes that dipped far enough into the skull to cleave out brain matter.

William was spinning out of control to Coco. As the battle grew thicker, and more Grimm faded into dark ash, William had fallen into a faster and faster rhythm, until she had lost track of his sword and whether or not his Aura was devoted to his semblance or his protection. Coco couldn't even tell how he moved around the battlefield any more, or if he was sticking to the formation.

He was a blur, shooting back and forth across the lines, Moonlight Sonata flashing left and right, slicing through limbs and delivering wicked fast blows that Coco hadn't realized William was capable of. A flash of his semblance, looped around a nearby tree or limb, and something was restrained, allowing one of the others to finish it off, or for a delay so that they could avoid the attack. It didn't matter that William wasn't looking, he just seemed to sense it all, feeling everybody around him.

Coco found out how a moment later, shifting her foot and feeling the hint of resistance around her foot. A slice of blue wire wrapped around her ankle, the faintest tension in it, linking her to William. Coco snorted, firing upon his position.

"Head down wolf!" She yelled.

William did the opposite, converting his charge into a flip, pivoting on his heels and backflipping, arching his back as the first volley of Aura bullets smashed into the line of Grimm, knocking most of them down, if not out right killing them. William had already marked his landing point, and the Ursa he had chosen hadn't staggered in the slightest.

He came down hard, steel plated heel swinging up, performing the same move he had on the Nevermore. His left foot landing on its shoulder, a moment before his right foot swung back down in an axe kick. The blow knocked it back, and pushed William forward, back towards Coco.

William hadn't finished though, and he thrusted out with his sword, spearing it through the beast's eye and out the back of it's head. William hit the ground, letting it out of his grip for as long as it took him to turn around. Then he was charging back, jumping and ripping it out the side of its head as he dove back into the fray, a wild look in his eye.

"William fall back! Reinforce Velvet!" Coco called, hoping that his scroll would relay it, even if her voice couldn't make it.

Coco had been worried that William wouldn't be able to function when it came to teamwork. She had seen him fight, and read what little had been in his file. It seemed Ozpin hadn't tried digging too deeply into him, which surprised her. He had uncovered every scrap about her, including her rocky relationship at home, and a few more personal issues that she had kept under wraps.

What she had not expected was to see William completely shut Velvet out of the fight.

He leapt over the mob, his hands working overtime as he spun and bounced across shoulders and heads, rotating around and over monsters as if they were still objects instead of blood-thirsty moving beings.

He swept Velvet off her feet, spinning out of the way of an approaching Boarbatusk and tossed her behind him a few feet. Then he was back into the fray, slashing out with deadly force and scary accuracy at the weak points of each and every foe that came within the reach of his blade.

He had picked up in intensity, a whirlwind of movement that Coco knew he shouldn't have been able to maintain or even reach. It was like he was operating solely on instinct as he fought. He ducked and slashed, dealing out out damage faster than even his multiple opponents could keep up with.

Velvet rushed back to support him, but William blocked her again, taking a pause to shove her back with his open hand, even though the move cost him valuable time. He took a hit, a claw cutting into his thigh. He didn't seem phased by it, and instead pivoted and thrust his sword up to the hilt into the offending Ursa's skull. It fell away, blood seeping out of William's calf.

"Clear." William stated simply, settling back into his own rhythm, with a slower pace and a lean on his injured thigh. "Velvet stick next to Yatsuhashi." He advised.

"Fox support William! He's taken a wound!" Coco called out.

"I'm fine!" William replied sharply, holding his position as the flow of Grimm ebbed and faded falling away until the last Grimm fell by Coco's gunfire.

William keep moving, going through the motions of attacks as he gradually slowed down. It was like he had be sprinting the entire battle, and chose only now to slow to a jo, and then down to a walk. He stopped a few paces from the others, idly spinning his sword before he suddenly flipped it around and slid it sharply into it's holster.

Coco sauntered up, her lips pursed as she examined him. "William. You're hurt, and that wasn't teamwork. I said support Velvet, not pull her out of the fight."

William glanced down callously at Coco, his seagreen eyes completely focused. Then his gaze lightened, the darkness in his eyes fading to a dull sheen before he finally sighed and shrugged.

"I'm a lone wolf fighter. What can I say." William replied with a shrug. "I don't work with a team. Not very well."

Coco pursed her lips. "Then we'll have to work on that." She replied sharply.

William marched her gaze for a moment, a burning look that made the hairs on the back of Coco's neck stand on end. Then it melted away, replaced by a soft and sorrowful gaze that spoke of hidden sorrows and ill fated secrets.

"I don't work well with teams. Haven't really had the chance to. At least not one that lasts." William reiterated. "But I can keep track of everyone, and manage as best I can with that. Don't ask for me. And don't ask for less, this is how I fight, and that's what you'll have to work with." He rolled his shoulders, squaring them up and stretching a little before he turned on his heels and started limping towards the others.

Coco pursed her lip, but Fox beat her to it, joining William in his walk, matching his pace even as William suddenly fixed his gait. He walked normally, a sharp flex in his injured leg the only sign that he was injured to any degree. Blood still pulsed out of the wound, but neither his expression nor mannerisms betrayed that.

William talked with Fox for a moment, before Fox handed over a roll of bandages, produced from one of his cargo pockets. William took it, binding his thigh tightly before handing it back. He flexed, stretching the leg several times before he nodded, apparently satisfied with its range of movement, through it if was hindered at all she couldn't tell.

Coco decided that was a matter that she would have to address later. There were too many problems that hid within William's seagreen eyes. Too much pain, and too many dangerous habits and tendencies. There was rage and regret and sorrow so strong in him that she wasn't sure most soldiers had stories that could match his. And yet that boy with a thousand yard stare was less than twenty, not even a portion of the way through his life.

"Alright team." Coco said, raising her voice so that it would carry through the field. "Let's check out equipment and then advance! We have a lot to get through to stay on schedule for the dance!"

CFVY advanced, with William in tow. It took some time, namely two more skirmishes, before Coco finally understood how to command and advise William. Though she couldn't really call it commanding him as much as directing him.

In a fight his mind was a steel trap, and nothing got in or out of it. Nothing escaped it either, as Coco noticed. The idea with William was less moving him around the battlefield, William operated at a far greater range than he should have been capable with his weapon choice and style, yet his range of combat could have comprised the entire battlefield. Using him required just as much concentration.

"William, adjust and center between Fox! Cover his flank!" Coco called, redirecting her fire to subdue the Ursa that had charged through Velvet and Yatsuhashi, advancing on William.

Her little wolf swept around it as if wasn't even there, Moonlight Sonata lashing out as he raced around it, slipping through its limbs. The Ursa collapsed, a gash missing in the back of it's leg. Fox pivoted, giving William his back as the pair fell into a rhythm they had managed to find between each other.

Coco had to admit, they worked well together, and it was rare that Fox found someone that could match his speed in a fight. William seemed to handle it just fine, and the two tore through fodder like a hot knife through butter. Even with the odds stacked against them, Coco felt sure her two forward melee fighters could handle the pressure.

Or that's what she thought until the Grimm stopped, and their leader stepped out.

Grimm never had a formal leader, its just the biggest and baddest one of them that everyone else listens to. It's never hard to figure out which one it is either. Coco had originally thought it was the Deathstalker from before, the only Grimm that had slid off into the woods before they could get to it. Now she saw otherwise.

The Beringel had been out of sight until now, lurking somewhere, watching. She never even saw it coming until it slid out of the woods and knocked Yatsuhashi aside like the giant weighed no more than a doll. Velvet took a step back, stunned, and the beast lashed out at her, a heavy handed fist, white plate on its knuckles.

A weave of wires yanked Velvet flat on her back on the ground, a moment later William had appeared, posed over her, Moonlight Sonata rammed into the gap between the monsters fingers.

"This one's mine!" William snarled, the wires around Velvet disappearing. His Aura pulsed around him, the wires spinning excitedly around his lithe frame.

"Fox secure the area! Velvet check the big guy! I'll support William!" Coco commanded, already knowing that her minigun would be all but ineffective against the Bergingel's thick hide. She would have to rely on blunt force trauma and William's sword until Yatsuhashi could return with his heavy blade.

She rushed to support William, her eyes scanning as he squared off against the massive gorilla shaped monster. William kept skirting to the left, forcing the beast to attack sideways, leaving it's side open.

"Flanking!" She shouted to him.

"Duck!" He yelled back, his tone flat and cold, no nonsense.

She reacted to his command, and found out a moment later why he had left that side open as Moonlight Sonata whipped by her head, a string laced around it's tip. She hit the dirt, following the swords arc as the wire twisted it around, redirecting the thrown weapon at the beast.

William tanked a blow from the beast, its massive fist blocked by his crossed forearms. He braced for it, digging in for the blow so his katana wouldn't be sent off target by the jagging impact. He still felt the force, and only training kept the attack on target as William was launched back, tumbling across the dirt and into a tree.

His shoulder it first, then his head. He snarled, shoving back to his feet even as a dizzy spell hit him. Concussion. Judgement impaired. He noted the injury, along with the effects it would have on his abilities. He could no longer trust his own depth perception, and would have to rely on touch rather than sight.

He charged in again. Moonlight Sonata had bit into its side, but the wound was shallow and superficial at best. He tugged the wire wrapped around it, pulling it free as he closed the distance. The beast jumped, both fists raised, clasping them together for a bigger impact.

William pushed forward, his eyes on the arc of its jump. At the last moment, he flung himself forward, a flip that was barely two feet off the ground, his legs ratcheting forward, extending his center of gravity as well as his jump. His left hand caught his sword, the blade clench tightly in his hand as he landed, wheeling around to attack again.

He identified Coco's back, her slender waist and sharp hips. An obstacle. Not an ally. He jumped over her, his gaze shifting to the Begingel's shoulders. They told him everything he needed to know. It also told him he should have looked past Coco's figure before he jumped.

The punch caught him in his exposed gut, and launched him back into the tree he just left. He righted himself before it, his steel reinforced heels crushing the delicate wooden trunk as he rebounded.

"Coco move!" He snarled, seeing the huntress move in the way again.

He flipped, driving Moonlight Sonata into the ground to slow and redirect his momentum as Coco parried and knocked aside two swipes of the Beringel's massive fists. He set his feet on the hilt of his sword as he slowed, letting the sword tear through the ground a moment longer before he sprung off, flipping over Coco's head and coming down hard on the Grimm's head, heel leading the way.

His other heel swung up, knocking its head back up a moment later. William hit the ground, crouching for just a moment before he dove between it's legs, his hands brushing against it's ankles just for a moment.

"I'm supposed to be supporting you!" Coco snapped as the monster recovered.

"Dont need it!" William replied as he adjusted his wires, extending the pair he'd wrapped around the beast's ankles to loop around two trees before he pulled on them, tightening them as quickly as he could.

It hit the ground with a ground shaking thump. It rolled, trapping William momentarily it his own wires as they tightened around him. He dissolved them instantly, but an instant was all the elder Grimm needed to attack. It snatched the boy up in its massive paw, smashing him into the ground. With its other hand it knocked Coco aside, sending the fashionista sliding on her back several feet away.

"Coco!" Fox yelled, taking notice of their struggle as his own battle with the remaining fodder came to a close.

William snarled sharply, twisting his arms around until his hand found his pocket, spinning an Aura Blade out and into his palm. It buzzed to life, slicing into the soft flesh of the Grimm's palm.

It jerked its attention back to William, but didn't release him like he had expected. Instead the monster threw him, hurling him hard into the woods. William collided with Moonlight Sonata, still planted in the ground. Together the assassin and his weapon flew into the woods, before a loud smack echoed back.

The Beringel snorted, taking a moment to thump its chest with pride before it turned back to the other members of the team. Coco had returned, her stance weary as she sized up the creature. Velvet was on her flank, and Yatsuhashi was cutting through the last two Beowulf's with Fox.

A silver blade came flipping out of the woods, spinning end over end before plunging into the gorilla's back. It howled, whirling on to face the attack.

William leaned against a tree on the edge of the clearing, his collar stained with blood that came from his previous head wound. A dark look lingered in his eyes as he sized up the Beringel again. He spit, his saliva thick with red.

"Seems I might have been playing around with you too much." He noted. He glanced at Coco and Velvet before he spoke again. "Back off. You'll just get in my way."

"William!" Velvet protested, but found that in the next moment she didn't have a chance.

Wires appeared, crossing the distance between William and the Grim in a moment, tightening in the same instant and sending William hurtling across the field. The beast was ready though, and it ducked it's head as William lined his feet up.

William hadn't been aiming to kick it though. As his feet touched its skull, he buckled his knees, rolling over it's back. His hand clasped the hilt of his sword, wrenching it out as he rolled off its broad back. He was spinning before he hit the ground, a silver flash as the blade carved away the flesh behind the knees and the ankles. William rolled back through it's legs, anticipating two heavy hands closing around him to crush him. Eight slashes, fast as lightning, and all blurs of silver, and the Beringel found that it's arms no longer moved.

Its palms pulsed black ash, and a crossed cut on its wrist severed the muscles to them, a final cut at the crook of its elbow that struck all the way to the bone left it useless entirely. William had given that special treatment to both of its arms. He righted his sword, drawing it up to eye level as he lined it up with the glowing red eyes, his free hand resting on the hilt of the weapon.

The Beringel lurched at him, swatting with both limp arms. William jumped, his focus never wavering as one foot caught behind its thick neck and the other smashed into its throat, crushing what should have been trachea. William hung there for a moment, his legs flexing as gravity pulled at him. The monster seemed stunned, its red eyes boring into his for a time, as if only now realizing that it had made a mistake.

Moonlight Sonata plunged into one of those eyes, the silver blade sliding out of the back of its skull. It twisted around, the blade facing towards the sky now. With a savage rip, William tore the weapon up through the rest of the skull. He dropped to the ground, stepping away from it as the body dissolved. He regarded Coco coldly for a moment before he dropped Moonlight Sonata to his side, ready, but at ease.

He hummed softly for a moment, his seagreen eyes seeming to swallow the dimming light of the day. "I don't work well with a team." He repeated, spinning Moonlight Sonata and dropping it back into its holster, the bare blade gleaming at his hip.

Coco gritted her teeth, and Fox took a step back from her as she advanced on William.

She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, swaying him back before bringing him forward hard enough to make him headbutt her. Neither moved, and his cold eyes bore into Coco's soft brown ones.

"What?" William snapped. Tension rippled down his back, his muscles flexing in anticipation before he restrained them. His fingers itched for his sword, but he calmed his nerves and steadied his mind.

"Don't you ever do that William!" Coco snarled, "I don't ever want to see you risk your life over a stupid Grim! It's one thing to hold it off until you can be reinforced, but you damn well better accept help in a team. Do you understand me! Now you're injured, and all over one dumb brute. Your capacity is cut in half, and we're no closer to finishing our objective. Do you have a deathwish?" Rage boiled off Coco, like steam off coffee. William breathed it in, his gaze never wavering as he listened to her.

"Grim is dead. I've worked with more. Nothing is broken. I don't want to hear it." William replied passively.

Coco's grip tightened, a savage snarl on her lips as she suddenly forced William back, stomping on his feet and pushing him to the ground. His head hit the ground, and a dark light lit up in his eye. A moment later Coco found herself pressed to the ground, Moonlight Sonata's blade pressed to her throat, a second blade buzzed above her eye, Fox's steady hand holding back William's wrist.

"Don't you move an inch closer." Fox warned.

"Don't touch me." William replied, his voice just as calm and level as it was before.

Coco took the time to steady her pulse, swallowing with some difficulty. Then she shoved up. The blade at her neck spun around, the blunt edge against her neck now, and the blade spun back, Fox unable to stop William as it disappeared back into his pocket.

"You can't kill me." Coco stated, meeting William's eye for a moment. "And I don't want you to get hurt any more. I don't care about the mission. I don't care about Grim or how many you've killed. All I care about is that you're safe and you make it back at the end of the day in one piece. Do you understand me William? I dont know what you've done up until this point to strip you of survival instincts, or whatever let's you charge into a fight like you do. But don't fight like that with a team. You better fight with us, or I will send you back to Beacon right now. I don't give a damn if it makes this mission three times longer. You won't be getting hurt again."

William was silent for a long time as Coco slid out from under him. She got to her feet, dusting herself off as the others slowly eased away, the tension fading from their shoulders. They started to walk away, Coco nodding towards a direction. Fox lingered by William for a moment as they marched to the next battlefield.

"Why do you care?" William asked finally, looking up to catch Coco's eye.

The leader of team CFVY shifted, setting her purse on her hip as she matched his gaze. "You can't tell?" She asked, his lips quirking in something like a frown and then a smirk. "It's cause I value you William. I see good in you. I think you just need a chance to see something other than whatever you have been seeing. You're not a bad person, I don't think you're cruel by design or because you mean to be. Velvet sees something in you that I can't imagine, and you have a darkness lingering behind you that can consume lesser men. And you manage to claw your way to the edge. I just want to be that helping hand to pull you out. You're not evil William. I think you're just in a tight spot."

She knew. No, she didn't. William's thoughts buzzed around, analyzing fragments of her words before he put the picture together. She wanted to save him. But she didn't have the whole picture. She thought he was an abused child, not a murderer. She didn't know that blood had soaked into his skin and his fate was tragedy and that death and sorrow followed him like a shadow. He smirked, a low chuckle creeping out of his lips as he spoke. "Care to prove a point?" He asked, his hand dipping into his pocket.

"Gladly."

He rushed the distance, slipping past Fox, his eyes focused on his target. His hand. Her throat. Her weight was negligible, he'd managed heavier. He pinned her back against a tree, Yatsuhashi over his left shoulder. The giant freed his sword, but William could end Coco before he even managed to bring the weapon to bear.

The Aura Blade buzzed in his hand, pressed not to her throat or eye, but against her chest, over her heart. Coco's gaze never waivered from William's.

"You going to stake your life on the fact that I'm not a monster?" William asked. "I'm sure Velvet's told you, and I'm sure you see something in me. But you have no idea what kind of demons chase me. You don't have a clue what nightmares await me when I close my eyes. And don't you dare try to guess."

"Let her go William." Yatsuhashi stated, his sword resting on William's shoulder.

"William…" Velvet pleaded. William didn't have to turn to know that her ears were pressed flat to her head, her hands pulled up to her chest, her eyes wide with fear. She was scared. All Rabbit Faunus seemed to do that.

Fox appeared to be the only one at ease, far more than William was, and he held the situation in his hands. Coco was anxious, William could read it in her eyes. She was nervous, but not because of William's blade. She was peering into his eyes, and he wasn't so sure that she was missing the emotions swirling around inside of them.

He couldn't lie to himself. He liked her. She was strong, and capable. She would make for a good leader or commander in a few years. She understood how to use people, and manage troops. But she could not handle the darkness that William brought with him to the battlefield.

Sweat trickled down her face, proof to her emotional state. William stayed steady, not a muscle moving as the blade rested against her chest. He knew the Aura Blade could plunge straight through her shirt, slice through a rib and slice into her aorta from this angle and position. He knew she'd bleed out in less than fifteen seconds if he severed it completely.

"You want to know don't you?" She said. Her words startled him, but he kept that reaction to himself, steely discipline keeping his body from jerking at her voice.

"You want to know what I see in you. You need to know, because all anyone has ever seen in you is a monster. And I think that includes Ozpin. You want to know why I don't treat you like that. And you're desperate to know why I can look into your eyes and see your demons and not be frightened or run. Why I can stand here with you in control of my life and never glance down at your knife. That's what you want to know." Coco reiterated for him, a smile slowly gracing her lips.

"You can't see my demons." The blade eased closer, the tip cutting through her shirt. Coco seemed to freeze, the smile fading.

"That's true." She admitted. "But you still want to know. You want to know why I don't want to see you hurt. You don't value it, that much is easy to see in how you fight, the way you'll tear your body apart just to meet a challenge. You can't make sense of it when I defend you, or when I beg you to take care of yourself. Why I see value in your life when you don't. That's what you want to know, what you need to see and understand."

William felt the wolfish grin sliding over his lips, the way his eyes shifted as the smile appeared. The way his lungs started shaking as a laugh slowly climbed out of his throat. It built at the back of his throat, a low chuckle before it became a deep, sorrowful laugh that resonated in the woods, bouncing off of trees and taunting him from every angle.

He laughed. William laughed because no matter what Coco saw in him, no matter what she couldn't see in his eyes and what she didn't know about him. She was right. So he laughed because he couldn't do a damn thing to her. He could threaten her and kill her, but that wouldn't change anything. He laughed because he had nothing to fight with. There wasn't anything he could do. He was helpless. So he laughed, because the only other thing he could do was cry.

His laughter died slowly, bleeding away like blood pumping out of an vein. When it finally did and William's breath came back he just said, "Well then, we'll just have to see won't we. Whether I turn out to be a man," he withdrew the knife, pushing away from her and walking off. "Or a beast." He cast those words behind him.

He had to walk away. He couldn't face Coco. Not when she had so easily broken his mask, shifting it just enough to grasp the edge and pry at it. He couldn't look at her smug smile.

Coco crossed her arms, her smirk accompanied by a bright look in her eyes, like she had finally seen progress in William. "No little wolf. I know exactly what you are. It's you who have to realize what you are."