Chapter 35 — Taken

"There are humans that hunt, and humans who are hunted."

— Nezumi,

No. 6

She was doing it again.

Serena growled as her annoyance with herself grew by the second. Sitting outside her cave, legs folded under her and arms resting on her knees, she could feel her mind wander off, back to Adam. Again she found herself wishing for his presence, her mind replaying the memories she had of him.

This was getting ridiculous. Never had she been one to cling to people, especially not males. Even back in her old life, she could be apart from people for an extended period of time without a problem — she actually relished those moments when it was only her and no one else. She hadn't been this clingy when she'd dated Thomas, and even after they had broken up, she didn't mind being single again.

But Adam… There was just something about him that would not allow her mind to shut up. No matter what she did — either take a bath, or train, or take a walk with either Ajax or Loki — he would always pop into her head. Random memories would spring up and it, quite frankly, annoyed the hell out of her.

She was not some love-sick schoolgirl that ran after the guy she admired. Yes, she had feelings for the Faunus, and, yes, they were more than those of friendship. But it had been several days now, and still her mind would not leave her alone. Not even the meditation helped!

Grumbling once more, Serena stood up, patting her shorts clear of dust before heading back inside. It was only midday, and she felt like she needed to do something, only she did not know what. There was a strange feeling of emptiness — different from the one before — in her. She would start one task, then lose interest and be back to square one.

The rays of sunlight that filtered in from the cavern's mouth reflected on her bow, and she was filled with a sense of purpose. Hunt. She would go out and hunt something. She needed new rations anyway, and a stroll through the forest might help clear her mind.

Picking up the bow and quiver full of arrows, she headed outside, both items securely strapped across her torso. She had gotten not ten feet away when Loki suddenly pocked his head out of a bush, tongue lolling out happily. Laughing at the adorable Grimm, Serena gave the Beowolf a head-rub before attempting to move on.

Noticing that he followed her, she told him, "Sorry, Loki, but you'll have to stay here. I'm just gonna be away for a short while, and you'd just chase off all the animals." At the Grimm's disappointed whine, she added, "I'll cook your favourite meal tonight, okay? How does that sound?"

She felt like she was bargaining with a child, but Loki was one of the younger Grimm, so of course he would need a different method of convincing. Ajax would have understood and probably headed to the cave, but Loki was persistent. So, unless he was offered something in return, she was pretty sure he would follow her, orders or not.

However, at the prospect of dried berries with roasted meat, the Beowolf licked its snout in anticipation before pressing his cold nose to her chest and heading off to god-knows-where. Shaking her head at the Grimm and his sweet-tooth — Loki loved the taste of fresh, juicy berries — she continued on.

Forever Fall forest was always a sight to behold, and the human felt her being relax as she picked her way through trees and bushes. Whereas most people would only dare enter the forest with weapons, Serena felt so at home here that she sometimes took nightly strolls, if only to tire out her body. There was just something about this place that set her at complete ease.

Her quiet walk, however, was interrupted when she heard the sound of several voices from behind her. Stopping dead in her tracks, she strained her ears to pick up on the sound. They were hushed, low, but she could still identify them as male. If she had to guess, then she would say that there were probably three of them.

Remaining cautious, the girl skilfully scaled the bark of a tree, nestling in one of its branches as she continued listening to the approaching voices. One of them was louder now, apparently barking at the other two. The back of her neck pricked and Serena got the feeling that these men were not just some hitchhikers out for a walk.

Not moving an inch, she waited until they finally stepped into her field of vision. She knew those uniforms. All three men were dressed in the white and black garbs of the White Fang, Grimm masks obstructing their eyes. They looked like they were searching for something with the way their heads turned this way and that, inspecting their surroundings intently.

They continued heading towards her, and she took the time to look them over and come up with a plan. Something told her that they were looking for her, and that they were no fans of her simply out to get an autograph.

The tallest was a broad shouldered man, skin tanned and muscles bulging, he appeared to be the party's leader. His black hair was cut short and his Grimm mask covered his entire face, instead of just his eyes. He was barking at the other two again, clearly annoyed.

"It can't be that hard to find a cave in this damned forest!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but this area is full of them. It will take us some time to find the right one," the Faunus to the leader's right side explained meekly. His head was obstructed by the black hoodie he wore, but the tips of his deer horns could still be seen poking out from beneath the fabric.

"Then look harder! The leader wants to have her found by tonight. Either you do that, or you explain to him why we returned empty-handed."

The threat made the third and final member sigh with frustration, his red tail twitching nervously.

She could take them.

Or, at least that was what she wanted to say until she spotted their weapons. The leader had what looked like a chainsaw strapped to his back. Henchman number one and two were seemingly weaponless, but Serena was pretty sure that they had them somewhere on their person. Had it only been the two smaller Faunus, the girl was confident she would emerge victorious. Adam's training had paid off wonderfully.

There I go again, thinking about him.

Waiting patiently on her branch, she watched them pass under her, heads swivelling as they looked for what she could only presume to be her home. Unless, she had new neighbours she didn't know about.

She was not prepared when one of the three kicked a pebble in frustration, the stone flying through the air and scratching her along the cheek. She gave a quiet yelp at the sudden stinging, noting too late that it had been a grave mistake. Heads snapping up, the three men scanned the trees before their eyes simultaneously landed on her.

"Up there!" the fox Faunus exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her.

Cursing herself, Serena jumped into the next tree before dropping down to the ground, fleeing as soon as she hit ground. Heart racing, she dodged tree after tree as the trio chased after her, yelling at her to stop. It was only now that she realized that she had wandered off quite a ways, her home still a good fifteen minutes away. But, even then, her cave would not help her. It was open, granting her no protection against her pursuers.

Realizing with anxiety that her only option would be to fight them, the girl changed direction, leading them to the edge of the forest. Faced with an imposing stone cliff, she stopped and turned around, waiting for her pursuers to show up. They were quick to appear, all three men panting lightly from the run.

The leader stepped forward, one arm pulling the chainsaw off his back as he approached her. "Finally. Give it up, girl; there is nowhere left for you to run. We can either do this the easy way or the hard way."

Shooting the man a defiant glare, a shiver raced down her spine at his dark chuckle.

"Very well, the hard way then. I have orders not to kill you, but Spike said nothing about roughing you up a little."

Serena suddenly realized that this had been a very bad idea. What had she been thinking? There was no way she could take on these men by herself! I am such an idiot sometimes!

All further self-criticism was abandoned as the leader raced at her, chainsaw roaring to life. He heaved the machine heavenwards before slicing down, the girl avoiding the hit that was meant for her stomach by jumping to the side. Tucking into a roll, she evaded the following blow before regaining her feet, dancing away from the burly man. The fox Faunus decided to attack, his fist aiming at her face. The girl firmly grasped the hand before turning around and flipping him over her shoulder, adrenaline granting her additional strength. The Faunus gave a groan as his body hit the floor.

The sound of an arrow being let loose reached her ears, and she ducked to avoid the projectile that was aiming for her back. The deer Faunus prepared to fire another two arrows, the human performing cartwheels to avoid them.

She was starting to doubt they wanted her alive, after all.

The leader attempted to attack her again, running up from behind. Deciding to make the first move instead, Serena jumped up and lashed her leg out in a fierce round house kick. To her shock, the man simply caught her leg in his large hand before tossing her body to the side. Realizing that she was headed straight towards the bark of a tree, the raven-head twisted mid-air, body aligning with the tree. Feet connecting with the sturdy plant, she pushed off and jumped into the tree opposite her.

This might be slower, but at least she had the high ground advantage, as well as additional cover provided by the leaves and branches. For a moment, she dared to think that she had actually outmanoeuvred the Faunus. Unfortunately, a second later, a hand wrapped around her ankle and she was yanked down.

Her body protested as she made rough contact with the ground, lips parting to let out a groan. Collecting her bearings, she looked up, eyes widening, before rolling away from the foot that would have crushed her ribs. Glaring at the fox Faunus, she remained low as one leg shot out in an arc, catching the male across his cheek. He tumbled to the ground, the girl jumping atop him as soon as he did before she sucker punched him.

Serena cradled her bruised hand as the Faunus beneath her slumped. One out, two more to go, she thought, standing up to face said remaining enemies.

The deer Faunus had his crossbow at the ready, and she realized that, at the moment, he posed the greater threat. Running up to him, she dodged the two arrows sent her way, knees sliding along the ground as she dodged the third. Stopping directly in front of the male, she grabbed the front of the weapon and yanked it upwards, ensuring he could not shoot her at such close proximity.

Grabbing her own bow, she rammed the blunt end of it into his stomach, receiving a pained gasp at the action. Surprisingly though, the blow was not enough to incapacitate him, and she jumped to the side as another arrow headed her way, this one managing to graze her neck. The cut was thin, but it made her heart stutter in terror.

She had almost been hit. Too close! her mind screamed at her, one hand delicately running long the thin line where blood started appearing. The crossbow would have to go, or she was toast.

Opting to change tactics, she retreated into the forest, body hidden by trees and shadows. She watched as the Faunus cautiously approached, eyes roaming the trees for her. What he did not expect was for her to come flying from up above. Having scaled a tree, the girl had let loose an arrow of her own, aiming for his leg. It barely grazed the man, but his startled response granted her enough time to jump down and land a heavy kick on his back, knocking him down. The resulting hit to his head dealt the finishing blow.

Serena panted heavily as she looked at the two unconscious Faunus, blood rushing in her ears and heart beating furiously. Adrenaline gave way to panic when she noticed the absence of the chainsaw-wielding Faunus. Willing her eyes to see through the shadows she had been hiding in moments before, she frantically searched for the man.

The only thing she caught was a snap of a branch behind her, for as soon as she turned around, a fist collided with the side of her face. Crashing to the ground, her vision blurred as stars danced in front of her.

"Finally! That was too much trouble for such a weak girl. Hey! Get up!"

The rest of the leader's words were lost as she lost consciousness, fingers growing still as she finished drawing two letters into the ground.

EDITED 24/01/2019

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. All I do own are my OC and the idea and plot of the non-canon parts of the story.