Bah! I've been sick for the last two weeks! I've barely been able to get anything down thanks to it! I'm still sick now and it's awful. I don't want to leave you any longer without a chapter so here it is. sorry I'm not saying more but right now I just want to get some rest. Maybe I'll be better for the next one and I'll have plenty to go on about then.

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Vale's forests were as dense as they were plentiful, great swathes of green on horizons for the kingdoms wildlife to inhabit.

For the most part, either due to the fact that organisations were intent on their desire to protect nature, or the fact that Humans barely had a real substantial presence outside their main cities, it was left untouched.

Thick undergrowth was common in such places, so much so that usually creatures beneath were nearly invisible to predators from above.

That made it a great tool to use for two Huntsmen stalking their target.

A monkey tail swished against the long grass as it's owner crept at a hurried pace, back and shoulder hunched, head down but eyes forward, scanning its surroundings. In their hand, a long staff, primed with dust and one end tipped silver.

Sun kept his breathing even and steady. Stealth right now was key. He needed to approach the target, but not engage it. If it was too strong for him, it might be too late by the time he found out for sure.

His companion came to a stop beside him. Bright blue hair wasn't exactly great when it came to camouflage as they'd realised a long while ago, so Neptune had stitched a hood to his jacket, which right now was coming in handy.

"So?" Sun whispered. "How close are we?"

"Not far… can you hear it?"

"Huh?"

"That…" Neptune paused, tilting his head to listen. "Snoring I think."

"So it's sleeping…" Sun mumbled. "You think that's a good thing?"

"You don't?"

"I dunno. Seems to me like it'll be pretty mad once we wake It up."

Neptune hesitated at that. "Yeah… I guess you're right. Yang's still on her way right?"

"Yeah. She was meditating when we left. Should be a few minutes behind us."

"Right. Then we should scout it out." Neptune said. "See what it looks like."

"Lead the way."

The blue haired teen did so, staying low as he moved, gun held close to his chest as he followed a noise that grew with every step.

It was heavy and rattling, to the point that both of them felt their bones shake a little. They shared a look. No point in stopping though. They needed to make sure the cost was clear.

They just had to be careful.

It was slow going at their pace, but eventually the two of them came upon the edge of a small clearing, where trees had been pushed aside and grass trampled.

And in the centre, from where they could see in their undergrowth, was a massive figure.

Mismatched, rotting, Grimm-black skin, gnarled fingernails and bursting pustules lined its flesh. It was huge, at least twice as tall as Sun and even from where they were crouched they could see how it's bulbous muscles rippled grotesque underneath.

It had a human-like face in the most far-reaching of terms; stretched skin, elongated fangs and a fat, pig looking face. It had a crooked nose, in package with filthy looking wards and hair practically soaked in grease and sweat.

It was disgusting.

And that odour.

"Crap." Sun gagged, covering his mouth as if to force himself not to vomit. "What even is that smell?"

"People, probably." Neptune answered, already rapping a scarf around the lower half of his face, and pulling down his goggles. Sun wished it had some at that moment. It would've helped with the burning sensation in his eyes.

"You think so?"

"Considering the mess we say in the village… yeah."

"So… we know what it is exactly?" Sun asked. He'd hedged his bets on it being one of two, but even up close he couldn't really tell… this would be his first time seeing either.

Neptune sighed. "yeah, you were right. It's an ogre."

"How can you tell?"

"From that." The teen said, pointing to the trees, and the light pouring through the leaves.

"If it was a Troll it would have turned to stone as soon as the light touched it."

Sun hummed in understanding. He's missed that at first, but yeah, Ogres could move around during the day as well as night. Trolls were stuck being nocturnal all the time except the winter months. "You don't sound too happy about it. How come?"

"Ogres suit their name." he said. "If it was a troll we might have been able to reason with it. They're smarter, they can make deals with people according to Yang. Ogres just like violence and eating."

The Faunus winced. "Yeah… guess that sucks. Still, wouldn't we have had to fight the thing if it were a Troll anyway? It killed someone."

"Not if it was self-defence." Neptune argued quietly. "I mean, people out hear see everything that isn't themselves as Grimm. Not like they don't have reason to, but if creatura's have to defend themselves then we can't blame them. Remember that Dryad?"

He did. Two weeks back they'd been investigating a death on a woodsman living on the outskirts of one of the towns on the inner edges of the frontier. They'd been prepared for a fight with some dangerous monster. Instead they'd found a peaceful creatura. A dryad, weeping at the destruction of its home and how it had been forced to defend itself when the woodsman had seen it and panicked.

It had been… a sobering experience for them all.

Yang decided to let the Dryad go and neither of them had disagreed. They weren't too sure how thing were with the town now, but they didn't think they'd experience problems from that creatura at least.

In a way Sun understood what his partner was saying. A Troll was supposed to be an old, but wise creature, if dangerous.

But even if it had been Sun wasn't sure. They body they'd found had been…. Bloody.

He sighed. "I get it…. But we can be sad about it later. Right now we need to deal with it. You got what you need?"

"Of course." He nodded. "we just need to wait until-"

He was cut off as a grunt of wind washed over them. They stilled as the big thing shifted.

"Shit," Sun hissed. "It's waking up."

"Do we move?"

Sun felt his teeth ground together even as he watched the monster rise. It out a guttural groan as it woke, tilting its head side to side for a moment before sniffing the air. The Faunus stiffened.

Could it smell them?

The answer was apparently no, as the Ogre turned away from them grumbling deeply as it walked away. Neptune sucked in a breath. "It's going towards the village."

Sun's eyes widened. It was going to attack? Now?

It was hungry, or looking for a kill.

Well then.

"Neptune," he whispered. "Get ready."

"We're doing this?"

"Yeah."

The Mistrilian nodded, raising his rifle.

And firing.

A beam of dust blasted into the back of the Ogre with a bang, taking the thing by surprise.

But when it turned to ace them, teeth bared and growling, Sun thought that probably wasn't a good thing.

"Move!"

It was the only warning he could throw out in time as the Ogre roared, slamming a boulder-sized fist down on the place he'd just been standing. The Faunas swore as he rolled, leaping to his feet.

Fast. Way too fast for the size of the thing, for the build.

He'd barely been able to register its speed right away, it'd been too much of a surprise.

He didn't have time to complain though, because he was already moving back, ducking under a swipe that would have taken his head off. Damn it, its arms were the size of tree trunks!

He stepped to the side as another hand reached out to grab him. He brought up the butt of his staff, smashing it against the Ogre's fingers. The silver connected with its skin.

The monster roared in rage and pain as its skin fizzled as if burned.

"Neptune!"

"I'm on it!"

Sun batted away another swipe for him. As his partner reached into one of his many pouches. Neptune cast out a cloud of grey and white shavings that clung to the Ogres skin, making it sizzle and forcing the beasts' attention to Neptune with a made growl.

Silver, Iron and Salt. For some reason, these three substances had some sort of special effect against the majority of Creatura. Why? Sun didn't know, but it sure as Hel was useful against big things like this.

Neptune's gun shifted into a glace as he swiped at the Ogre's legs.

Sun was quick to copy him.

Usually, a staff couldn't do much surface damage. It couldn't cut or slice, instead focusing on breaking and bludgeoning.

The silver casing changed that though and as Sun battered its legs, aiming for its joints – knees, ankles and hips specifically – it was almost like he was carving away its flesh with fire.

He stepped forward, pushing down hard as flesh burned beneath his weapon and pulled back at the last second as a fist clobbered down in front of him.

From the other side or the Ogre Sun could see blood spurt out in a wide arc.

Again, the Ogre turned to face Neptune.

Sun grinned. Yang's info had held up; Ogre's were huge, monstrously strong and savage.

But they were stupid.

Their strategy wasn't anything amazing, basically just making sure that no matter when they hit the thing it would have to turn away from one of them to face the other. A back and forth. As long as they could rely on its lack of intelligence they wouldn't have a problem.

No point in getting cocky though.

Sun clapped his hands together flared up his aura. Motes of light shot from his body and clones of light came into existence.

It had taken him a while, days filled with exhaustion, bruises and beatings but his Semblance had gotten a boost because of it. Four clones capable of full-scale combat alongside him was no small feat in his own eyes, and thanks to a boatload of practice it was just that.

His foursome of clones rushed the Ogre, crashing into the back of its legs with a force that would have been painful for Sun himself. They followed through with a flurry of blows. Spinning and twirling madly with their sold light staffs battering down on the Ogres legs mercilessly

The beast stumbled forward right into Neptune's blade and oared as the teen sliced open it's leg. Again blood splashed out but this time kept going.

"I think I hit an artery!" Neptune yelled out. "Whoa!" only to have to dive low as the Ogre swung at him. The fact that when he stood up again he was forced on the retreat as it chased him down.

"I think I made him angry."

"I got it." Sun called back, pulling out a wickedly serrated hook on an iron chain. "Okay," he muttered. "time to try you out."

The Faunus rushed forward, hopping on the shoulders of his clones as they tossed him forward, into the air just above the Creatura as Neptune ducked and weaved out of its grasp. With a cry out his own Sun swung the hook as hard as he could.

It sailed through the air in a high arc, over the ogre's shoulders.

As soon as it dipped Sun yanked it back and braced himself as it sank into the flesh, all the way until it hit something solid.

The monkey Faunus was ripped off his feet as soon as the monster registered the pain.

He'd hit something alright. It must have caught, on a rip or shoulder from the looks of it, and the chain, pulled tight burned skin as well as fire could have.

That left one problem though.

"Oh crap!" Sun cried out as he was thrown through the air, holding on to the chain in a death grip less he get splattered on a tree.

"Sun! what are you doing?!"

"Trying not to get squashed!"

The Ogre roared angrily, arms twisting as it tried to reach the blonde teen hanging off it's back.

"Shoot it, shoot it, shoot it!"

Neptune obliged, beams of energy striking the monsters head hard enough to stun him slightly, or at least catch his attention.

"Get off of him already!"

"I need to do something about his arms first."

"What?!"

Sun didn't answer, planting a foot on the Ogres back and kicking off – and – over its shoulder. He swung with his momentum and pulled the chain hard, wrapping it all the way around its arm. Smoke was coming from its flesh now, and it growled as it tried to pull the chain off.

It gave Sun enough time to get his feet on the ground and tighten the chain even harder.

He pulled.

And sliced off the Ogres arm like a guillotine.

This time when it roared, it was filled with a shrill beast-like agony.

Mad eyes burned as they whipped to Sun, the Ogre shaking madly as it barrelled suddenly towards him.

"I think you just pissed him off."

"I did more than that!" Sun cried, stumbling back as the Ogre managed to clip him with his one good limb. It sent him spiralling away a little and he just barely managed to get his feet under himself in time to dodge the follow-up. "I cut off his fucking arm! What else am I supposed to do?!"

"I dunno, something tells me we need to use brute force." Neptune paused as he heard something approach loudly from behind them.

"And speaking of brute force."

"RRRRAAAGGGHH!"

A human ball of fire crashed into the house-sized monster with a force so crushingly overwhelming and fast it tore the thing off its feet and through half-a-dozen trees.

Yang landed a moment laughter and rolled her shoulders.

"Sorry I'm late." She said. "I've got what we need to know to deal with this punk."

"About time," Sun scowled, brushing himself off as he came to stand beside his fellow blonde. "You know we've been dealing with this guy fine by ourselves for the most part… did you even find anything useful in that head of yours that we haven't already done?"

"Maybe a few things," Yang shrugged. "But you're right, you guys are doing pretty good. Cutting off the arm was a nice touch."

"You think so? I think I just made him angry."

"I did, but that makes things easier for me."

"You sure?"

Yang nodded as the Ogre finally managed to pick itself up again. Its eyes found her in an instant and it growled.

"Yeah. Ogre's don't do great against the cold. You still got some ice dust?"

"yeah."

"then use it. I'll deal with it head on and you two back me up."

"As usual." Neptune sighed. "You know, one of these days we're going to deal with something you can't punch."

"Phfft please, I can punch ghosts, what on Remnant would fit that description?"

"Your anger problems of homicidal rage? I'm pretty sure that's not healthy."

"You still can't swim Nep, don't make me throw you into a river."

"Nah you wouldn't do that, you like time too much."

"Guys!" the Faunus groaned. "Can we deal with this first please?"

Sun's point was further emphasised as the lumbering beast smashed down over them, caving in the ground beneath as they jumped back.

"Okay then," Yang said. "Let's get this over with."

And then she switched.

All at once, Yang let out a retching howl of rage.

Her eyes flashed crimson as her hair burst into flames, heat building up around her and pulsating, so hot the earth began to steam, the air warped around her and the leaves on the trees shrivelled up.

There was a crack as she pushed off the ground and rocketed forward so fast the air screamed out.

Yang crashed into the Orge again, slamming it back with a grunt.

She ducked under its arm as it swung and fired her fist into its gut.

A right jab.

A left hook.

An uppercut.

Again and again, more and more Yang pushed forward relentlessly, pushing the monster back with a pained cry to reward her every step.

Every time the Ogre tried to attack, tried to block or counter, Dust rounds peppered its sides, it's limbs and body freezing only to melt away, steam and burn in the next moment. The three Mercenaries were quite literally boiling the beast alive.

And there was nothing it could do about it.

Yang's fists were a blur. She didn't have to worry about accuracy, about missing. The thing was just too big for that. She swung with a reckless rage and power, every hit a heavy one. She didn't have to worry about defending or dodging either, Sun and Neptune had her covered.

So she hit the Ogre again.

And again.

And again and again and again and again

And again and again and again and again and again

And again and again and again!

Flesh ruptured, muscles tore, bones cracked and splintered.

And it was all music to Yang's ears.

Every punch force it back.

When it tried to retaliate she punched so hard it flinched and spasmed.

When a tree blocked the way, Yang punched it so hard it went through it.

And eventually, it couldn't take anymore, and when Yang's obsidian fist crashed into its leg it met no resistance, carving through and blowing out its kneecap in a shower of gore.

"Yang, finish it off!"

She did so happily.

As it fell to her level the magi reached out with her black hand. Her fingers lit up in flames as she pushed forward.

Into its eye.

And through.

The Ogre let out a shrill scream as Yang's hand melted through its skull and into its brain.

And then it stopped, as Yang's fist closed and she wrenched out the organ through its socket.

And it fell to the ground dead.

Everything went quiet, except for the crackling of Yang's flames which she quickly extinguished a moment later.

"Whoa Yang," Sun whistled, eyeing her warily for a moment, before shaking his head and stepping up beside her to look down at the creatura. "That was more brutal than you usually are."

"Not brutal enough," she spat. "Didn't find much else on how to kill it, but found plenty on its diet. Turns out they have a sweet tooth for children, if you know what I mean, like the soft flesh."

Sun looked her, then back at the dead Ogre. "Oh." He sounded a lot more understanding now.

"So what should we do with it?" Neptune asked. "Burn it?"

"No," she shook her head. "It's got nothing poisonous about it so it would really be a problem for people leaving close. I say we just leave it for the scavengers… they'll probably find some use for it."

There was a pause.

"So… you ready to go get paid?"

…

…

They were totally ready to get paid,.

After a fight like that wasn't exactly taxing for Yang, she knew how Sun and Neptune enjoyed the relaxation afterwards.

The villagers had been more than happy to hear that their problem had been dealt with and – thankfully – had kept their end of the deal to pay them in the full amount.

The Lien was always nice, and since the current job and been a well-paying one it left them with an important question.

What to spend it on?

Tonight though, it was an easy one.

Some good food, and better drink.

"Ah that's better." Yang sighed as she wiped the ale foam from her lips, kicking her feet up and resting them on the table as she leaned back. "There's nothing like a party after a job."

And it was a party. The people around them had been thankful for what they'd done, but that would soon fade when they knew they'd had to spend a great deal of Lien to do it.

Money was tight now more than ever after all.

That might bring Grimm, something Yang wasn't exactly I the mood for.

So, what better way to 'give back' than to let everybody have a few drinks on the house?

"I think you should relax on the alcohol," Sun advised, stuffing his face with food even as he did so. "Last time you got drunk me and Nep had to carry you to your room. You know you're a happy drunk right? The very clinging kind?"

She laughed. "Sure do, it's half the fun. But yeah, sure I'll ease up a little, at least until the two of you decide to join me in my drunk antics."

Neptune rolled his eyes. "I'd rather not thanks. Not exactly sure what I'd be like as a drunk. I could be all angry and violent for all I know."

"Yeah… about that."

"What is it?"

"I'm just curious," Yang shrugged. "Why do you think I have anger issues?"

The blue haired teen frowned. "Is this a trap? Like, a trick question or something."

She sighed. "No, Nep, I'm serious. I mean, you said it earlier when we were fighting the thing… I'm just wondering why you think it's that bad. What were the words you used? Homicidal rage?"

"Well… yeah… I mean, the screaming and the yelling and the way you literally light yourself on fire when you fight and… pretty much everything else. You know?"

There was a moment where neither of them said anything.

And then, whatever Neptune had been expecting, it wasn't for Yang to laugh.

"That's what you're talking about?"

"Well… yes! What else would I mean?"

"Oh nothing, nothing." She waved. "I was worried I was being an ass or something all the time. Nah, listen, when I fight I'm angry yeah, but that's on purpose. I switch to it."

Sun blinked. "Switch? As in… what exactly?"

"Um…" Yang tilted her head to the side, tapping her finger against the table lightly as she thought. "How do I explain this exactly… it's… like a persona, I think."

"You think?"

"Well, it's not exactly but close enough. Like, it's focusing on a specific set of emotions or feeling to help you fight. You know how a soldier deals with stuff like that? How they can adjust to society again after war?"

"I guess so." Neptune nodded. "You mean like how they can hold say, a knife on the battlefield and know they need to use it to stab someone?"

"Yeah, but like, when they go home and hold say, a knife for eating they don't immediately think to stab the person sitting next to them you know?"

"You know, some people are specifically not like that."

Yang nodded. "Yeah, but that's the point. Those guys, who can't adjust back to the civilian life don't have those personas, they got too mixed up in it all. My 'switch' isn't exactly the same but it's close… have you seen Ruby do it?"

"You sis?"

"Yeah, I mean, you've seen her fight Sun, once or twice right? Like at the docs ages ago."

"Um, yeah, yeah I do." The Faunus nodded, straightening up a little. "She was like, all cold and stuff. Focused. Is it like that?"

"Yeah." Yang said, grinning a little. "Ruby's got this little switch of hers she manages between. I remember her using it for fights yeah, but also when she was dealing with Ozpin and stuff. Heh… Weiss thought she was the only one who noticed, but I did too. I thought it was weird at first, but after I learnt about all the magic stuff it started it make sense. I couldn't understand it, but it made sense."

"But you do now." Sun guessed.

"I think so at least." Yang hummed, taking a swing to give her time to think. "Mine isn't exactly the same obviously, but I kind of latch on to the angry parts of my psyche, since it's a lot more… you know, relevant I guess. I mean, my semblance basically needs me to be angry… like a temper tantrum I guess."

And wasn't that embarrassing to admit? The great Yang Xiao-long now turned Branwen relied on the same feeling a bratty little toddler had to deal with.

"So… it's not the same as just being angry then?" Neptune asked again.

"I don't think so at least. Like I said it's a switch. Whenever I need to do rein in my other feelings or focus on just what I'm doing I act like that. It's still me though obviously, you know that, since I've never actually been like that to either of you, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Sun smiled. "It's not like an actual persona then, just something you do."

"Eh," Yang shrugged. "Who knows? That's what it feels like that least but I'm not a psychologist… not like I trust those guys to look around in my head. The last shrink I went to misdiagnosed my ability to see and hear spirits as schizophrenia."

"Don't like doctors?"

"I have a love-hate relationship with them." She grinned. "Now a scientist, that's where it's at. I guess some of them technically still go by doctor, like Oobleck did but he was more of a historian." Or Merlot, she didn't say. "Who knows, maybe I'll retire one day and take up that job. I think I'd be good at it."

"You, a scientist?" Neptune laughed.

"What, you don't think I could?" Yang challenged in mock anger."

He shrugged. "Just don't feel like that would be your thing. Wouldn't it be too boring for you?"

"Yeah, if it was regular mundane science maybe. I'm talkin' about magic science. Looking at ancient countries and all that stuff would be awesome don't you think?"

"…Yeah," he said after a moment. "yeah that sounds like it would be fun… that's a long way off though don't you think? I mean, with all the stuff we're dealing with now. I think Remnant would have to pull itself together and go back to being safe for people first."

"Hey, nothing wrong with looking toward the future you know?"

She chuckled to herself. Yeah… nothing wrong with looking forward, but who was she kidding really? That sort of life wasn't something she would have, not realistically.

"Um, excuse me?" a voice came, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned her held a little enough to see a man standing at the end of their table.

"Yeah?" she asked. "what is it, something wrong?"

"No," he shook his head. "it's just to asked for us to let you know if we had any more contracts for you."

She raised an eyebrow. "And you do already?"

"Well, no, but our mayor just received this. He wanted me to give it to you…. It's a request from somewhere else."

Yang grunted. "Sure, thanks. Sun take a look at it will ya?"

"Uh-huh," the Faunus nodded, thanking the man as he left them. The blond's eyes scan the page as Yang took a swig.

And then she noticed how he stopped.

And stared.

And blinked.

And rubbed his eyes.

And then squinted.

"Come on Sun you're killing me here, what is it?"

"I'm… not sure… I'm trying to think," he looked up at her with a pure look of disbelief. "Do you think Belladonna is a common name… for Faunus?"

Yang's face twisted. What type of- "Why?"

"Uh… take a look."

He handed her the page, and Yang's eyes found the name immediately. Right there, at the bottom of the page.

Ghira Belladonna.

"Yang? Yang? Branwen? Miss Branwen?"

…

…

"Miss Branwen?"

Yang blinked suddenly as if she was waking from a dream, and realised it wasn't too far off. She wasn't at an inn taking a drink or partying. She was in Menagerie, she was on the job.

"Miss Branwen?"

"Huh?" she breathed, looking up at the tall Faunus beside her. He was the chieftain of Menagerie…. Blake's father.

"I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Uh, sure, go on ahead." Honestly it might help dispel the awkward mood between them.

Not that she couldn't understand why it was there. She'd all but snapped at his daughter. That wasn't exactly something that would put a person on anyone's good side.

She hadn't meant to though. She'd just seen Blake and froze up. She'd panicked, and in a desperate attempt not to look weak she'd reached for an anchor. Her anger.

And it had been there waiting for her, oh it had been there. It had been hot, wild and ready to be directed onto the girl.

But she'd managed to reign her own emotions in, if only a little.

Everything was confusing now. Here he was, hired by her former partner's dad to deal with some kind of spree of disappearances and Yang wasn't sure if she should feel happy or anger or like she should break down and cry.

It was all so stupid and complicated.

No. she could focus on the task at hand. Right now this was supposedly a serious issue. She could talk about it with Sun and Nep later when everything was calmed down a little.

To do that though, it meant being hospitable as she could to this guy, Ghira Belladonna, no matter who he shared a last name with.

"I was wondering…. Why did you decide to become a mercenary?"

"Looking to judge my calibre?"

He blinked. "I… yes, actually. Is it that obvious?"

"You? Nah, the question on the other hand… kinda." She shot him a grin. "Listen there's not much to tell, not much that isn't private anyway. It was a way to help people out the way most people couldn't. It was a bonus that I got paid well for it."

"Don't Huntsmen have that same opportunity."

"Yeah but I'm not a qualified Huntress. I mean, Beacon fell before I even got to finish my first full year. This was the closest I was able to get to that."

Ghira winced. "My apologies, I didn't mean to hit a sore spot."

"There is no sore spot. I'm doing what I want to do for my own reasons, this is just a temporary thing."

"Well," he said. "I suppose that's good then. Still, it is impressive how well known you are. The Berserker?"

Yang heard the amusement in his voice and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, yeah. Believe me, the name wasn't my idea. People love to make up stories when the worlds going through hel right now, lots of mistrust after what happened with the Fang recently too. If they make me some kind of figure to make themselves feel better that's fine by me."

Ghira frowned. "I'm sorry, did you say hel?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Believe me it's hard for a lot of people, but they manage. We're not the only ones helping but we do our part. People are learning to toughen up I guess-"

"What do you mean by that?"

Yang stopped, blinking. "I… what do I mean by what?"

"You said the world was like hel. I doubt you mean it literally."

"You… don't know?"

"The CCT towers affected everywhere I'm afraid, even here. We don't get much news from the outside. Has something happened."

"I-"

Yang was cut off by a horrified scream that ripped through the streets.

The chieftain's head snapped up. "What was what?" whether he expected an answer or not he realised he wasn't about to get one, as Yang took off towards the sound. A moment later he followed, running after her as she weaved through crowds of people beginning to gather towards it too.

When he caught up to her, the situation had suddenly changed however.

"Don't move."

Yang frowned, glancing down at the blade that tickled her chest. "Seriously?"

"Quiet human." The Faunus snarled. He was one of the Menagerie guards. Dressed in the belladonna's purple colours. Ghira wasn't sure if he had been part of Sienna' White Fang or not, and that was a concerning thought.

"Listen, I'm not here for a fight."

The Faunus didn't answer her, instead barking an order to his comrades, who drew their weapons and surrounded the blonde. She looked unimpressed by the display, if anything more irritated that wary, but it rose haled through Ghira.

"There has just been an attack, and we find you near the scene, a human. The fact that your kind has no business on Menagerie is suspicious enough, but for you to be near it when it happens."

Ghira bristled taking a step forward to intervene when the brawler drawled. "Wow, looks like racism is a two-way street. What's this count as, racial profiling? You getting the irony here or is it just me?"

"You-"

This wasn't going well. A crowd was gathering around them, swallowing Ghira up. The people of Menagerie didn't trust outsiders of their own kind. To see a human here, right at this moment of all times was enough to draw their ire. But this woman was a fighter, and if things escalated, someone would get hurt. He got ready to move.

When something surprising happened.

Yang let out a long sigh. Stuffing her hands into the pockets of her coat and shaking her head. "Listen, you not likening me, that's fine, okay? It's not like you know me, and considering everything that's happening in the world would don't need to like me… but I'm here to help, specifically to help with people going missing. What you need is to trust me, if only for this."

She raised her hands in surrender. "You can watch me if you want, if that makes you feel safer that's fine. But you have to at least put the weapon down for me to do anything."

"And what if I don't?" the guard asked disdainfully. "Are you going to preach some kind of understanding and love?"

"No, I'll beat you down until you can't hold your weapons anymore."

The crowd stirred.

"Listen bud, I want to help, it's what I'm getting paid to do, so don't think this is pure altruism, but if you try for me I'll defend myself no problem. We can go down that road if you want, or we can go down the one where I find out what's happening to these people. It's you're call."

"I-"

"You can help?"

Yang blinked, long over the shoulder of the guard as he turned around. A small woman with ram horns looked to her with desperate eyes.

The blonde nodded. "it's what I'm here to do.""

The woman straightened up, pushing past the other Faunus as he reluctantly lowered his weapon, and the others did too.

"Come with me, please."

Yang did so, letting the older woman drag her along. Ghira watched as the crowd began to mutter among themselves. Some followed to see what was happening to sate their curiosity, most broke up the source of agitation suddenly having moved on.

The guards saw the Chieftain as the others parted.

"Chieftain Belladonna sir! We, there was a human here and…"

He stopped him with a raised hand. "I know, I watched. She is her under my request."

The Faunus paled, suddenly looking in the direction Yan had gone nervously. "So… she is here to help."

"Whether she can I don't know, but yes, that is correct." He watched the man, studying his expression. "You're not sure she can be trusted."

"I… have bad experiences with humans' sir."

"Well, why don't you come with me then?"

"Sir?"

"Bring some of the other men too. I don't expect her to get answers right away but she might need the manpower for something."

"Sir!" he saluted, calling out to the other men and ordering them to follow. With that done, Ghira followed the trail Yang had been dragged down. It didn't take long for him to reach the next destination, but he decided to stay back from what he saw.

There was blood, a lot of it, splattered across the ground and up the side of a wall of a house. The ram-horned woman's house by the look of it. She was kneeled beside the mercenary, who in tern was crouched on the ground, hands hovering over the bloodstain in thought.

He could hear the conversation fine though.

"So you say your son left the house suddenly?"

"yes," the lady nodded rapidly. "Mata, he- he said he heard someone calling for him outside. He said it sounding like me and it confused the both of us, so he went to take a look." She sniffled. "then… there was a crash and I heard him screaming. I ran out of the house but he was gone and.. there w… s-so much blood."

The woman broke into a sob suddenly, and Yang rested a hand on her shoulder gently. "I'm sorry… but I need to focus for me alright? Was there anything else you remember? Did you see or hear anything? What about your neighbours?"

She hesitated. "I… don't know." She admitted. "There was some scratching like an animal and heavy footsteps right before the crash… I- I think? You boy sounded t-terrified. I don't know where he is it happened so fast. The-the screams stopped so suddenly."

Yang hummed, glancing back at the Fauns guards beside Ghira. "Hey, can you guys do me a favour? Collect witness statements while I take a look at this."

The men shared a look. They… really didn't have a reason to say no.

They spread amongst the crowd and after a second to think, Ghira walked over to stand beside Yang as her attention focused now on the walls. She had a small notebook in one hand and was sketching something into it lightly.

"Do you mind telling me if you're son had claws?"

The mother blinked. "I… no. He was a ram Faunus, just like me. He had horns but no claws."

"I see…. So he couldn't have made this could he?"

Ghira's eyes followed Yang's and as she gestured to the wall again.

And the four long claw marks carved into the stone. What was that?

"N-no." the woman gasped, eyes wide as she stared at the markings "No my Mata couldn't have done that."

"I didn't think so," she nodded. "Had to make sure though, just in case. It's not a man-made mark, that's for sure." She looked to the woman. "Listen, I'll do my best to learn what I can and find out what happened to your son but…"

The woman swallowed fearfully. "But?"

Yang managed a smile. "But there's no point in you worrying yourself about this. I know it can't be helped, but you should try to relax as much as possible. Go inside, get some rest of something to calm you down if you can, okay? I'll do my best."

"I… o-okay." She sagged. "I… I understand."

"Thank you.

Ghira watched as the woman retreated back into her home, away from the prying eyes of those around her. When she had, Ghira stop beside the human woman.

"How big would you say they are?"

He frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"The claw marks." She nodded. "How big do big would you say they are? How long? How deep in the stone?"

Not sure what this was going to do to help but not exactly willing to be a nuisance, he glanced at it carefully.

"I can't say for certain but… perhaps a foot and a half? Maybe two?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'd say you're closer with your first guess. Maybe nineteen or twenty inches thereabouts. Looked about four or five inches deep, kind of like whatever it was skimmed the stone as it did… something."

Ghira looked to her nervously. "Is it Grimm then?"

"If it was that lady would have come out to see the thing eating her son. I can bet everybody else in a mile radius would have known exactly what was up if that was the case… no, this was something else. Something a lot smarter. There's blood but no body and no body parts. It took her son and dragged him away somewhere… done." She said, Ghira got a look at her notebook for one moment – enough to realise she had been drawing a sketch of the markings along with the measurements themselves – before it snapped closed.

At that moment one of the Faunus guards approached them.

"And, what'd you find?" Yang prompted.

"Not much," he sighed. "The neighbours were in their homes when it happened. They heard the crash and screaming too, but by the time they came out to see what was going on all they saw was the boy's mother."

"Nothing else?"

"Well… a few of them did say they heard the mothers voice outside before the noises started."

"Which matches up." Yang nodded. "I'll make a note of it, thanks. Can you do me a favour again? Make sure nobody leaves their homes tonight okay?"

"I don' think I can do that without-"

"Do it." Ghira sighed. "If it will help I think it would be best to do as Miss Branwen says."

He saluted. "Yes sir!" before jogging away.

"Thanks." she said.

"As I said. If it will help I see no reason not to… do you have any clue what might have happened, what it was?"

"Some." She whispered. "But I want to make sure… one more thing to do first."

Before his eyes, Ghira watched as the human reached out with her black hand and ran a finger across the wall, spreading blood onto her finger.

And ran that finger across her tongue.

His eyes widened. "What are you-"

"Quiet." She shushed, face contemplative. It was like she was testing it, running it across her lips for something . breathing in it's sent, examining its flavour.

"I'm done."

Ghira crossed his arms uncomfortably. "Was that necessary?"

"Well I've got more of a clue as to what's going on… I looked around earlier…. You have a food shortage right?"

"We do, unfortunately."

"Then I've got some good news and I've got some bad news."

"You do?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah. The good news is that the kid, Mata, he's alive."

"How do you- no, that's wonderful!".

"That's where we get to the bad news." She winced. "if we don't hurry. That won't last much longer."

He stiffened "What do you mean?"

She shook her head, "Come on. We should get back to your home so I can fill in Sun and Neptune. If I'm right, we'll move out tonight."

…

…

"Penny, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" the machine asked, looking up from the chess board as she finished moving her pawn. She and Weiss had been playing for a while now. It was one of the ways she had offered to help Weiss alleviate the boredom.

They were on their fourth game now. When Weiss was young, she used to think that learning to play chess was more than what it really was. In fiction, chess was like a metaphor more than an actual activity. It was a tool used to show the intelligence of a person, a commander or schemer perhaps.

It was meant to show their brilliant minds and cunning intellect.

In reality, it was a game of pieced moving on a board. Yes there was strategy but it was more down to learning what pieces could perform specific moves, how to recognise a pattern and react to an opponents moves.

Truthfully, there was nothing so amazing about it that great minds would be on display.

It was still fun though.

"I was wondering… do you know why your predecessor was built in the first place? Why they needed a robot that looked like a young girl. The Grimm surely can't tell the difference."

"I am not sure to be honest." Penny admitted to the white-haired girl as she moved her knight, taking the robots bishop. "I don't have the same databank of memories as the previous Penny so I can not know for sure but I have a few theories on it."

"And they are?" Weiss asked, frowning when Penny's rook took her knight.

"The most practical would be infiltration. As dark as it may seem, disguising a machine as a young girl would be an excellent way to place troops in other kingdoms. However the flaw with that is that I do not believe general Ironwood would do such a thing, nor that my father would allow my creation for that purpose."

"Any other theories?"

"A few, but they range from that to more and more unlikely. Perhaps they wanted a machine that looked more comforting to humans so that Atlas might be able to integrate machines into all aspects of life, but that seems highly impractical and costly considering I have Aura. The other that might be possible is that it was just for curiosity sake… maybe my predecessor was just an experiment."

"Not impossible but yes, those feel like they're missing something important."

"What like?" Penny asked, moving her rook forward. That was check. Weiss was doing surprisingly good considering she was essentially against an advanced AI.

"I'm not sure. Maybe- " whatever Weiss was about to say was cut off as she chocked, spasming wildly and knowing the chess board to the floor as she clutched at her heart.

"Weiss are you alright!? What's wrong?

She tried to speak, tried to gasp for air as it vanished from her lungs or just force out some semblance of a sound.

But there was nothing, and suddenly, Weiss felt her body burn.

Crystals writhed and grew beneath her skin, pushing, pushing, forcing it's way up to the surface. Along her arms and fingertips, she could see it appearing; the black dust.

What? Why now? How?

"Weiss?"

She stiffened. What would happen if Penny saw it? Would she kill her before she even got the chance to explain herself?

She forced back a cry. Her chest felt like it was about to explode.

Weiss grit her teeth. Something, a feeling, a thing, an emotion or something alive writhed in her core.

no.

please.

Not now.

Please.

…in Ordnung.

And then, just like that, it was gone.

Weiss almost collapsed right then and there, of it wasn't for Penny grasping her shoulder.

The Dust receded before Penny could see it, leaving only tiny cuts where they had sprouted from, already being healed by her Aura.

"Are you alright Weiss?"

"I," she panted. "Yes… yes I'm fine. I don't know what came over me. I think I need some rest now."

The machine watched her for a second before letting out a sigh.

And action no automaton had a need for.

"Alright. I will leave you be. Should you need anything please let me know."

"I will."

Penny nodded, helping Weiss to her feet and bowing, before leaving through the door as it hissed shut behind her.

The android leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

The Dust had surfaced.

She'd seen it, just for a moment.

It had been enough. Her program had initiated its extermination protocol, she'd been fully ready to initiate it.

But then she'd heard something.

A voice, a single word uttered as a command.

No.

That was all it had taken to give her pause and instead rush to Weiss' side.

She'd… disobeyed her directive.

Why?

Penny shook her head. She didn't know. Perhaps another look at her predecessor's memory banks would help?

She was about halfway through them now.

Surely they held the answers to her questions.

...

…

Not much to say cuz I'm just really craving to go to bed right now, sorry.

Just for reference in case people are wondering, creature is simple Latin for creature. since these aren't Grimm but still really old I'd thought it was better to gave a shorter description than 'magical creature' every time I needed to refer to them. Since Latin is supposed to be the first full human language I feel like it fit.