Last Time:
"Colys' outburst aside, that battle took more out of us than expected. However, we still need to get back to Professor Goodwitch by four, and have our sap with us." Rhydwyn stated, noticing that the aforementioned sap was nowhere to be found. "Wait a minute, where is the sap?"
"Sorry, put it under some ice to protect it in case of any attacks." The face down ice user stated, pointing to a mound of ice beneath a tree that soon was melted away to reveal the jars, safe from harm, albeit with a small amount of frost creeping on the glass.
"Well, that's a relief. We may want to tell Professor Goodwitch about our encounter, as this man may be a wanted criminal, or he may end up becoming one for assault." Sinikka stated, shocking some at the fact that she actually spoke up.
Now:
Vale, Airship Docks
11:00 AM...
"Remind me why we're in Vale again, Colys?" Rhydwyn asked of the ice user, sporting some bandages around his Torso as it still had yet to heal from the fight against Aria.
"We were going to restock our dust supplies as I need more Ice dust, and both Nuada and I need more Burn Dust. I'm surprised you haven't had to change Lament's Shock Dust Crystal yet, to be honest." Colys stated, motioning to the spear positioned on his friends back.
"Well, I rarely use it's laser function as I can typically get by using simple jabs and my Semblance, which allows the power supply on Lament to stay at a relatively full capacity. Anyway, which way was that one shop you said we could check?" The Spearman inquired, as the boxer pulled out his scroll and opened its map function.
"Well, it's supposedly is in downtown Vale, around the harbor, however we're currently around the Airship docks, here." Colys stated, pointing to the locations on the screen as he said them, before continuing. "Our best option is to take this street here, follow it until this intersection, and then we should get there by noon using this route."
"Well, an hour for travel isn't too bad, I guess. Though, if we took this route here," Rhydwyn started, pointing at another route available to them. "Wouldn't we get there faster?"
"... yeah we would." Colys responded after a brief pause, as they walked along the side roads that the brunette suggested.
"So, you still have the footage from a few weeks ago when we pranked CRDL?" Rhydwyn asked after a few minutes of walking, making some light conversation.
"What do you think? I'm just waiting for the proper time to spread it around." The ice user responded, showing the aforementioned video, before shutting it off prior to the start of the prank.
"Why'd you stop it all of a sudden? I didn't even get to see the result!" The sound user whined, not looking where he was going, causing him to bump into a random bystander.
"Sorry, wasn't looking where I was going." Was heard from just below the two, as the 'victim' stood back up, revealing them to be a slate gray haired female of average height.
"Heh, it's fine. I wasn't really paying attention either. I'm Rhydwyn, and this guy is Colys." Rhydwyn stated, pointing to himself before pulling Colys in by the shoulder, earning an indignant cry from the ice user.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Roxanne!" The suddenly cheery woman stated, slightly shocking Colys out of his normally frosty first impression.
"Well, we were heading downtown to restock our Team's Dust supply. You want to come with us?" Colys inquired of his newest companion, who shook her head in the negative with a bit of an apologetic look.
"I'd love to take you up on that offer, but I need to get to Beacon Academy and meet up with the rest of my Team." The monochromatic themed female responded, as Colys gained a disappointed look for a moment before perking back up.
"Oh! We could help you find your way there. Well, it would be more that we can lead you to the airship docks, which are the fastest way there." The still cheerful male informed her, as she shook her head again with another somewhat apologetic look.
"I would rather find my way there myself, but thanks for the offer. I hope to see you around!" Roxanne stated with a short wave before continuing on her path from before.
"... well, that was a different experience." Rhydwyn stated after a short pause, breaking Colys out of his slight stupor as the two continued on their way to their destination. "Anyway, think we'll see that girl again?"
"Most likely. If she's hanging around Beacon, we'll run into her one time or another, as long as she doesn't purposely avoid us or something." The team leader stated with a knowing look. After not long the two arrived at the Dust shop, only to see police tape and officers along with broken glass. "The hell?! I hoped this place would at least be safe for another week or two!"
"Wait, you KNEW this place would be robbed?" Rhydwyn asked his friend, who gave a deadpan stare.
"I figured that, based on the number of Dust robberies, it would only be a matter of time before this place was hit. I just hoped it would be later rather than sooner." Colys stated in a monotone, leaving minimal room for argument. "So, what do we do now? Our plans to restock our supplies is ruined, and I can't think of anything else to do for the da-" The ice user was interrupted from his musings as someone used his face as a springboard to reach the roof tops, leaving a visible red shoe print when they jumped.
"The hell was that?" Rhydwyn stated, as Colys regained a slight perception of reality after having his face used as a step to reach the roof tops.
"No, they got away!" The two heard a familiar voice from behind them as they turned around, noticing Team RWBY standing after chasing the guy who stepped on Colys' face, however after not long after said Ice user came back to reality, noticing a something off about Weiss' situation.
"Uh, Ice Queen? Pretty sure you're on top of someone over there." The Boxer stated, earning a glare from the Heiress at the title everyone calls her by as she stood back up, while the orange head beneath her spoke up.
"Sal-u-tations!"
"Uh, hello?" Rhydwyn stated, not knowing how to respond despite being used to social situations.
"You… ok there?" Colys asked the newcomer, who was still laying on the ground as if it was completely natural.
"I'm wonderful, thank you for asking." The orange haired female responded politely, as Yang posed a question of her own.
"Do you want to get up?" The blonde boxer asked with a slight bit of confusion as to why the newcomer hadn't stood up yet.
"Yes," The somewhat strange female started before flipping up to her feet. "My name is Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you!" At that, Colys and Rhydwyn walked over to the others so as to not be just standing in an awkward location for holding a conversation.
"Hi Penny, I'm Ruby." The youngest participant started as the others felt the need to introduce themselves.
"I'm Weiss." The white haired heiress stated with a slightly smug sound to her voice.
"Blake." The noirette told with her arms crossed under her chest as she attempted to determine if or not she should trust the newcomer.
"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Yang asked with a bit of a joking tone, causing Blake to elbow her in the stomach. "Oh I'm Yang."
"Name's Rhydwyn." The sound user stated with a hint of cheeriness to his voice and a slight wave.
"I am known as Colys." The dark eyed male stated, with a bit of his usual frost creeping into his voice.
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" The now named Penny repeated, causing a slight eye twitch from Colys at the level of annoyance he was feeling.
"You already said that." The ice user stated while gritting his teeth as he began walking away, Rhydwyn in tow.
"Well, take care, Friend." Ruby stated, before both herself and her Team followed Colys and Rhydwyn's examples.
"Well, that couldn't have been more irritating." The dark eyed male informed his friend while walking in the direction of the Airship Docks so as to head back to the Academy until Penny managed to run ahead of the group with a look of confusion, an action that managed to shock Weiss from the sheer speed in which it occurred.
"What did you call me?" The green eyed female asked, with Colys assuming she was referring to himself.
"Irritating?" The dark themed male inquired, with Penny shaking her head in the negative before making her way to Ruby.
"No, not you. You! You called me your friend. Am I really your friend?" The oddly intrusive woman asked, getting in Ruby face. Said dark haired girl looked to her companions for help, as her entire Team was making no motions with their hands, while Colys just shrugged as he continued walking away, dragging Rhydwyn with him as they heard the next bit of the conversation either way.
"Uhhh, yeah. Sure!" The young leader said as Blake Weiss and Yang face faulted, however neither Colys nor Rhydwyn noticed from the distance…
Team CRSN's Dorm, Beacon Academy
Later that evening…
"They still going at it?" Nuada asked of Rhydwyn as he managed to listen in to the argument coming from Team RWBY's room, amplifying it enough so the rest of the team could hear it. Said hammer user was laying on his bed playing with a paddle ball he retrieved from.. somewhere.
"Well, yeah. I don't understand what happened between when Colys and I left and when they got back, but it seems to involve the white fang in some way, shape, or form. Honestly it's calmed down from much earlier, but still, this is ridiculous." The laser spear user informed the other three, as Colys gave a seemingly wizened nod.
"I don't get all the racism towards the Faunus, or visa versa. To me it seems like a load of malarky, especially considering the greater threat of the Grimm. I'm kind of surprised we haven't had to deal with any radicals during our time at Signal, but it is a pleasant surprise." The Dark haired man stated as he managed to hear a door being flung open followed by rushed footsteps leading towards the stairwell. "Well, I'm going to take my usual night walks around the school. See you guys in a bit." Colys told to his team as he quietly made his way to the nearest window, at the end of the hall. Noting that it was, in fact, unlocked, the boxer almost silently opened the window and formed himself an ice platform to stand on. With that done, he then closed the window back up, this time from outside. As he then lowered his platform, he jumped off it around five or so feet from the ground, before making his way towards the center statue, when he noticed the vague outline of another person, although due to the time of night that was all he could truly make out, other than general body shape.
"Lovely evening for a walk, eh?" The leader of Team CRSN asked of his apparent companion, as they turned around in shock, not realizing that there may be others out at that point in time. However, before either parties made any more comments, a third person made themselves known.
"I knew you would look better without the bow." Was heard from a nearby tree, as both Colys and, to said boxer specifically, currently unknown individual turned in that direction as another male jumped down, with the main discernible features being his spiked blonde hair and accompanying prehensile tail. Realizing that it might be best for himself to be able to see, Colys created a holder of sorts for his scroll and turned on the flashlight function.
"That's better, I can actuall- YOU! Why would you use someone's face as a platform?" The raven haired individual yelled mid sentence, pointing at the monkey Faunus that he recognized from earlier the day as the one that jumped up to the roofs from his face.
"To be fair you weren't really paying much attention." The as of yet unnamed individual responded, earning a further growl from Colys as he rubbed his temples in frustration.
"You know what? Never mind. It's in the past, it's over with, and no permanent damage was done." The somewhat calm male stated, earning a nervous chuckle from the blonde in front of him.
"Well, why don't we start with introductions? Though I'm sure you already know the lovely lady here." The Faunus stated, motioning to the last person who had yet to state anything, while Colys immediately recognized them regardless.
"Blake? Sorry I didn't recognize you earlier, what with being unable to see in th-" The team leader apologized, but stopped mid sentence, blinking three or four times to make sure he was seeing things straight, as well as rubbing his eyes as well, before voicing the main question on his mind. "Wait, you're a Faunus? Who would have thought?"
"That's it? No verbal abuse or berating?" Blake asked of her fellow black haired individual in complete confusion, something that saddened him in that one would hide their appearance out of, what seemed to be, fear.
"Well, no. Not everyone is like Cardin in that respect. Besides, everyone is entitled to their own secrets, contrary to common belief. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." Colys informed his current companion with a look of determination. "In fact, seeing as I stumbled across one of your greatest secrets, I feel like I need to alert you of one of my own."
"I don't get what you're getting at, Colys. What do you mean 'one of your greatest secrets'?" The now revealed Cat Faunus inquired of the boxer, who sighed before looking back up with a serious look on his face.
"Look, none of this conversation leaves tonight, unless I say you can tell others, alright?" The scarily serious male asked, earning nods from the other two. "Good, because what I am about to tell you could, and most likely will, throw the world into chaos if knowledge of it gets in the wrong hands. I and all of Team CRSN for that matter aren't from this dimension."
At that silence reign supreme over the small group of three, before the third member burst out laughing.
"What, you don't believe me? Actually, I never got your name." The dimensional traveller asked of the chuckling male, who raised a finger for a moment as he composed himself.
"I'm Sun. Sun Wukong." At that, Colys nodded before continuing.
"Anyways, yes Team CRSN and I are from an alternate dimension. I know it seems unbelievable and honestly made up, but I'm dead serious. Do you remember the explosion in the Vacuo desert about two years back?" Colys inquired of the two, as Sun made a quick comment
"Well, yeah. It's the reason I moved to Mistral. My mom decided that the desert was too dangerous after that, so we left not long after."
"That was when we appeared here, with no recollection of how. For three days we wandered the desert with no food or water until a pair of Huntsmen found us and brought us to Patch where we ended up enrolling in Signal. The rest is history." The team leader finished, as the newfound friends talked through the night, ending up in Vale at one point…
Beacon Dorm Hallway
The Next morning…
"Hey Rhydwyn, did Colys ever come back last night?" Team CRSN's resident Hammer user asked of the unofficial second-in-command, who shook his head in the negative, as the remaining three members walked to the cafeteria for breakfast.
"No, at least not from what I can tell. I figured that you would know, what with being his partner and all." Rhydwyn informed his only other male friend, getting a sigh from Nuada in response.
"I was worried you would say that. I think we'll need to search the campus, and possibly even Vale for the fool, before he gets himself hurt. At least he has his gauntlets with him for protection." The rotund man stated, rubbing the back of his head in nervousness. At that point, Team RWBY, or most of them for that matter, ran over them, with Ruby looking especially nervous.
"Hey, have you guys seen Blake anywhere?" The young leader asked of the unofficial Team RSN, as Sinikka just sighed.
"No, we haven't. If you can't tell, we're kind of missing our leader as well." The normally quiet female responded to the relatively short female, who gained a slightly panicked look at learning that not one, but two of her friends have gone missing. However, before the panic truly set in, Nuada spoke up himself.
"Well, chances are that the two are together in some way or another, so we should not worry so much, as from my experience both are relatively skilled fighters." The brunette told the 5, slightly calming them, but not by much. "If anything, we were planning to head down to Vale to search for Colys, but I guess our query now also involves Blake, due to her also being, well, missing. We were also going to enlist Team DARK in our search party, simply because the four of them would then allow us to cover more ground. Though, it is odd that both would disappear like this." It was at this point that the aforementioned team walked up.
"Hey Rhydwyn, I got your message, what did you need? Though, judging by Colys' absence, I assume it has to do with him." Dakura inquired of the spear user, who gave a quick nod.
"Yeah, somehow during the night, Colys ended up leaving and he never came back to our Dorm, so we decided to head out into Vale to try and find him." Was the response of the sound user, as the group made their way to the cafeteria followed by the Airship docks to head into Vale…
Random Tea Shop, Vale
Around the same time…
"So, you want to know more about me?" The disguised Faunus asked of her two companions, as Sun paused mid drink while Colys just sat there with a bit of a care free attitude.
"Finally, she speaks! Nearly two days and all you've been giving me is small talk and weird looks." The resident blonde exclaimed, placing his cup back down with his tail, as both ravenheads gave him glares of varying degrees, when Colys spoke back up.
"Well, whatever it is that you want to tell us, it sounds relatively interesting." The dark themed male stated, his hands behind his head and his legs propped up on the chair opposite him as he sat at a nearby table, not particularly caring for the drink options himself.
"Are you two familiar with the White Fang?" Blake asked of the two with a hint of worry, as she was clearly uncomfortable with the subject.
"Of course. I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, Holier-than-thou freaks who use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks if you ask me." The somewhat boisterous blonde stated as Colys gave his own opinion.
"I just don't get the dual way racism being shown between the White Fang and others. They should probably realize that, regardless of the outcome of their 'war' with Humanity, there will always be an opposing force." The now serious male stated a hard look in his eyes.
"I was… once a member of the White Fang." Blake stated, causing Sun to spit out his tea and Colys to blink rapidly for a few seconds, as his mind processed that statement.
"Wait wait wait, you were a member of the White Fang?" Sun asked with an incredulous tone, after clearing his throat of the excess spittle.
"That's right. I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could say I was almost born into it." The Ex-terrorist confirmed, with Colys still trying to figure out what she had said.
"That's…. shocking." The resident Ice user stated, still trying to figure out how to deal with the situation at hand.
"Back when I first joined, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus. Of course, despite being promised equality the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. So, the White Fang rose up as a voice of our people." Blake began, as Colys' eyes began to regain focus in them. "And I was there. I stood at the front of every rally, I took part in every Boycott, And I thought it was working. But I was just a youthful optimist. Then, five years ago our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking. Soon, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We set fire to shops that wouldn't serve us, and we hijacked Cargo from companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part? It was actually working. We were being treated as equals, but out of fear, rather than respect." The Cat Faunus finished, as Colys was showing hints of slight anger towards an unknown source, but it wasn't either of his companions.
"That's… so stupid. To think that a once peaceful organization would need to resort to violence just to spread a message. It just shows how shallow Humanity can fall when they feel inferior, and scared." The black haired male angrily whispered, his head held low, until he whipped his head back up, a face of evident rage plastered across his visage, one that also showed sheer determination. "What I think we need to do is prove that they haven't committed all the crimes that many claim they have, and I have a good idea of how we can do just that."
"Well, don't leave me hanging!" Sun stated while Blake looked on with interest, wanting to believe that the White Fang was truly innocent.
"Simple, we go watch a shipment of Dust that, from my research, is coming in today. And when I sat a shipment, I mean enough to possibly supply a small platoon." The oddly passionate man replied, confusing the two at his odd knowledge of Dust shipment times.
"Uh, Colys? How do you know about this shipment, exactly?" Blake asked of her fellow black haired individual, who gave a bit of a chuckle at the question.
"Well, you see, my team has been running low on Dust, however most of the shops have been cleared out by the odd amount of robberies, so I decided to find out when the next shipment came in through the Dustnet, so as to allow me to visit the stores as soon as they were stocked." Colys answered of the interrogative question with a sheepish grin. "Anyway, as I was saying, what we do Is we go to the shipment, and NOT catch the White Fang there. Quite simple if you ask me." The team leader finished, as the group of three began leaving the small cafe they were in.
A Random Street, Vale
A few hours later…
"Blake!" Was heard being yelled in the streets of Vale by one Ruby Rose, as the remaining members of Team RWBY, as well as those of Team CRSN searched of the Cat Faunus, as well as Colys.
"Colys!" Rhydwyn screamed out, before thinking for a moment. "Frost Emperor!"
"Well, my beetles are coming up empty handed." Kaito told the others, before scowling. "It would be nice if a certain Ice Queen helped out, though."
"You know who might be able to help out? The police." The currently irate heiress suggested, as Dakura gave her a dead eyed stare.
"Weiss. Stop." The annoyed swordsman deadpanned, as Raiden groaned himself.
"Personally, this is getting annoying. The fact that my rival decided to, for unknown reason to possibly even himself, essentially go into hiding irritates me to no end." The purple themed male said with an air of complete annoyance, before bolting in a random direction.
"Where's sparky going off to?" Yang asked of the others, as the rest of Team DARK ran after him, with Dakura shouting over his shoulder.
"We're going to check in a different area. Splitting up our search party should help!" The crimson eyed male alerted the other six, before continuing on his way.
"Anyway, we really should hear the other side of the story before jumping to conclusions, considering that with Colys involved this could be a semi-elaborate prank." Nuada stated to the rest of the group noting the amount of tension-
"And I think that when we hear it, you'll all realize I was right." Which was built further by Weiss.
"I think Weiss's hair looks wonderful today!" was heard from behind the group, as both Nuada and Sinikka pulled out their weapons in slight shock.
"Ah! Penny, where did you come from?!" Ruby exclaimed at the ginger that popped up behind their group, prompting Nuada and Sinikka to put away their weaponry.
"Hey guys! What are you up to?" The curious female asked, not discouraged by Ruby questioning her origin.
"Oh, you know. Looking for our friends that decided to, presumably, hide from us." Nuada sarcastically replied, with a bit of an annoyed expression at the overall situation, as Rhydwyn further elaborated.
"Colys and Blake, to be specific." He informed Penny, who gave a look of recognition at the names.
"Oh, you mean the ice user and Faunus Girl." At that, the two incomplete teams gave a look of confusion.
"First of all, how did you figure out Colys' semblance? And two, Blake's a Faunus?" Rhydwyn asked of the green eyed female, who promptly complied.
"Well, Colys' personality is a bit frosty and one's semblance is said to correspond with it. Also, the cat ears."
"What cat ears? She wears a.. bow." Yang stated, trailing off in realization, as a tumbleweed rolled by.
"She does like tuna a lot." Ruby whispered out, realizing the signs.
"So, where are they?" The ginger asked of the six, with Sinikka of all people giving a deadpan stare of her own, growing annoyed with the encounter.
"Typically when searching for someone you don't know their exact location." The pale teenager responded, with Penny making an 'o' shape with her mouth.
"Well, worry not Ruby my friend! I won't rest until we find your friends." The energetic girl told her, seemingly, only friend, grasping her shoulders so as to show her determination. At that point, the other five decided that they could just search on their own, leaving Ruby to deal with Penny on her own...
Vale Docks
Approximately 20:00…
"Well, this is good. No signs of the White Fang and the Dust is all there and intact." Colys bluntly stated, putting down the night-vision binoculars he purchased earlier for this exact purpose.
"It seems that we don't have to really worry after all." Blake responded, as Sun jumped over to them, holding some apples.
"Did I miss anything?" The Blonde faunus asked of his current companions, as Colys sighed.
"No, not really. The most action was the crates being unloaded." The dark haired male stated, when he noticed the fruit in Sun's arms.
"Cool. I stole you some fo-" Sun was interrupted mid sentence as Colys rushed over, grabbing the outstretched apple that the Faunus was holding, muttering something about being the 'Fruit Mage' "Colys, you okay there buddy?" Sun inquired of the male, who was practically stuffing his mouth with the apple, prompting him to look up, grab more apples and stuff them in his sleeves, and stand up fully.
"Sorry about that, I have a bit of a… fruit obsession." Colys stated, a tad bit embarrassed of his impulses. At that point a Bullhead's light turned on above them, shining down on the crates that they were watching. Upon landing, a male in white armor and gray mask walked out and looked around, before motioning to those in the ship behind themselves.
"Oh no." Blake muttered out, noticing the red wolf head with three slash marks across it imprinted on the man's back.
"Is that them?" Sun asked of Blake, as Colys pulled his NVBs back out and focused on the armored man.
"Depends, is that there logo?" The dark haired male retorted, pointing at the image emblazoned on the man's back.
"Yes, it's them," Blake responded, ignoring Colys' comment as if he hadn't made it. Around this time another figure popped out from behind one of the crates, visible only due to the armor they were wearing. Upon seeing the glint of light, Colys changed his binoculars focus over to it, seeing a bizarre creature. On its head, shoulders and upper arms were what appeared to be armor, with a grate covering its lone, yellow and black eye. Its wide gaping mouth was held in a sort of grin, showing off its teeth. The strangest thing about this creature was its overall body coloration, that being a yellow not unlike its eye, with a pale red striped pattern on the arms and legs. It also was holding a steel cane, with some sort of black symbol on its handle, though it couldn't be made out from the distance.
"Guys, the White Fang isn't our only problem." The lone Human in his current group voiced, alerting the other two to the existence of the strange creature that Colys spotted. However, what happened next only further shocked the three, as a familiar voice rang from inside the Bullhead.
"Hey, what's the hold up? We're not the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment. So, why don't you animals pick up the pace?" It was at this moment that Roman Torchwick, of all people, walked out of the Bullhead, ordering around the White Fang grunts.
"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a human, especially not one like that." Blake told the other two, before standing up and drawing her sword, before rushing towards the crime lord.
"Well, we might need some backup now." Colys told Sun, already knowing who may be of assistance in this case.
"Yeah, that would be nice." The blonde Faunus stated, noting Colys already having sent a text out to two specific people.
"All that's left now is to get in there and take on as many grunts as we can!" The resident ice user yelled, activating his Gauntlets while Sun pulled out a Bō staff from behind his back, and jumped into the fray himself.
(A.N.: I Recommend DRACULA BATTLE II - PERFECT SELECTION - 10) Illusionary Dance)
Upon landing on the ground, Colys sent out an ice-based Shockwave, freezing as many of the grunts standing around in place, and then he ran towards the closest one, launching them backwards with a flying side kick, into one of the many crates that lay on the docks. Glancing around, the boxer noticed that he only managed to get about four or five grunts with his landing.
"Tch. Looks like I need to try a bit harder." He complained as the rest of the grunts noticed him standing there. However, they didn't notice the Burn Dust leaking from his left wrist, as he ran towards another grunt, with the corresponding fist pulled back for a left cross. Though they did manage to dodge to actual punch, what they didn't expect was the chain of explosions that followed due to him having ignited the cloud he made after ducking. It was at this point that the yellow… thing that he noticed made itself known, cackling in a voice that immediately got on the ice user's nerves.
"The lives of these humans, I wonder how many souls they are worth?" The evidently male creature inquired, as Colys began forming an ice talus behind himself in preparation for battle against the armored entity, when an explosion of dark energy occurred between the two, with the only light visible being two glowing crimson eyes.
"Ohoho, is this who I think it is?" The cane wielding creature inquired, as the remainder of the energy began to die down, until being swept away by a large sword swing, revealing Dakura standing in the center of the crater.
"It is! Erebus has returned!" The monster cackled, referring to Dakura as he jumped out of the crater next to Colys, glaring at their new found enemy.
"Franmalth. Of course one of you would have followed me here." He growled out at the now named Franmalth, forming some sort of attack in his hands. At around this time the sound of feet hitting the ground from some relatively large height was heard behind them, as Geod ran up behind his fellow Team leaders, nodding to Colys in passing.
"We got your message, and got here as fast as possible." The albino told the dark eyed male, earning a nod of appreciation from his fellow leader, as all three faced towards Franmalth, their respective weaponry prepared and aimed at the creature. Colys' Talus then lumbered forward, swinging its massive arm down on Franmalth, but only Dakura wasn't shocked when yellow spikes shot out of Franmalth's back, destroying the club-like arm before it hit him. Noticing this, Colys made the shards that resulted pelt the Demon, cutting into his arms and legs, trailing a black blood like substance.
"I wonder how much that will cost? 200, maybe 300 souls perhaps?" Franmalth chortled out, before sending his arm towards Colys, wrapping the Huntsman-in-training, when Dakura launched the attack he was building up, a Magic Circle forming in front of his outstretched palms.
"Dark Make: Dark Cannon!" He shouted, a beam of dark energy impacting the Demon's chest. However, much to the ire of the other three combatants, he came out unscathed. However, the attack also caused him to release Colys, said ice user looking none the worse for wear.
"Heyy Dakura, just out of curiosity, does this guy have any obvious weaknesses? Preferably one we could use?" Geod asked, before forming a lance using his semblance and throwing it at Franmalth, with no effect.
"All I can think of is preventing him from latching on with any of his limbs, as he is supposedly capable of absorbing souls." Dakura stated, with his fellow Team Leaders gaining looks of disbelief at the statement, before continuing to fire off attacks. Colys just gained a look of annoyance, noticing something odd.
"Guys, our attacks aren't doing much! Even the cuts to his body already healed. I'd recommend switching over to the more high powered attack if you have any!" The ice user stated, as his partners nodded. With the confirmation given, Colys began to form a cannon made from ice in front of himself, the muzzle beginning to glow with his signature color. Dakura was then covered in a black Aura, as he dashed towards Franmalth, assaulting him with punched, kicks, and slashes. Geod closed his eyes and gained a look of concentration, as his red and black Aura began to shine, his hair gaining a fiery look as it began blowing around wildly. Once his Aura became almost blindingly bright, a black shape began forming around him, almost like a head. Soon after, the shape began solidifying, forming an angular head, with short, stubby legs and disproportionately long arms. From the forehead area, a long, black horn began to shape, before stopping around 3 or so meters above the head. By the time the Mech finished forming, Dakura's Barrage had ended and the Aura around him faded.
"Alright, Dakura, move!" Colys shouted, as the energy built up in the cannon released, resulting in a blast of pure, concentrated, energy. When the blast died down, the Mech that formed around Geod ran forward, unleashing its own combination of punches and kicks, before flipping back next to the other two with the top opened, revealing Geod to be piloting the thing.
"Oh boy, you've done it now! The fact that you've pushed me this far may show potential, but I'm REALLY mad now!" Franmalth practically screamed, his normally cheerful demeanor gone, replaced with a visage of rage. However, before he could even begin to attempt to attack the trio of leaders, the four turned their heads at the sound of an explosion nearby, noticing two bullheads, cut in half, impacting the water nearby.
"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but it seems like I've absorbed more than I can handle. Tata!" The oddly, and suddenly, frantic Demon stated, rushing towards the open hatch of a relatively nearby and still intact bullhead, as it prepared to take off.
(A.N.: OST End.)
"Well. that was different." Colys stated, before walking towards where the rest of the group was sitting, reaching into his sleeves. The ice user was somewhat surprised to see both Ruby and Penny sitting there, along with Sun and Blake.
"Oh, hey guys!" Colys cheerfully yelled, earning the attention of the others, while pulling out one of the apples from earlier, biting it afterward. Noticing the slightly tense air, he swallowed his current bite with a bit of a confused look on his face at the amount of stares he was receiving. It was then that he traced their gazes, realizing it was Geod, or more specifically the Mech he created, they were looking at. As the other two leaders joined the group, Geod hopping out of the currently unnamed Mech, Weiss, Yang, and the rest of Team CRSN walked over to them, Colys getting an earful from Rhydwyn and Nuada for what he did that weekend.
"Geez, I said I was sorry. Look, I'll tell you why later, can we focus on the matter at hand? Namely the fact that what seemed to be a Demon is on the loose, and apparently Dakura has some sort of past with it?" The dark themed male stated, shocking the others present at the mention of "Demon", as well as causing Dakura to glare at the ice user, not wanting to deal with explaining his past more than need be.
"Demon? As in, red, horns, fire and brimstone? That kind of Demon?" Yang asked of Colys, who just shook his head.
"Naw, it was more yellow without the horns. As far as I can tell it had nothing to do with actual flames either. However, its eye had a black sclera, with a yellow iris." Colys told the others, confusing them as to its description due to the relatively bizarre nature of it, other than those that actually saw the thing.
"Infact, why don't I make a statue of 'Franmalth' as its name was." The team leader told them, forming a decent looking model of the eccentric demon, including the cane it held.
"Well, that certainly is... different." Weiss stated, after a bit of a pause fell over the group at the statue's appearance.
"Anyway, shouldn't we be getting back to Beacon?" Rhydwyn asked, bringing the others back to reality as Ruby noticed something.
"Wait. Where's Penny?"
Warehouse District, Vale Docks
Later…
As soon as the Bullhead landed, Franmalth tailed the orange haired male that got in, managing to remain concealed throughout the flight.
"Ohoho, I wonder how many souls this man is worth?" The Demon thought to itself, sticking to the shadows of the buildings as it continued to stalk its potential prey, when Roman stopped in front of a random warehouse, placing the case he held on the desk that lay there.
"Oh, I wonder what happens now?" Franmalth thought, before noticing an eerily powerful presence make itself known, walking from a nearby warehouse towards Roman.
"How very disappointing, Roman." A clearly feminine voice spoke, earning both the Demon and Roman's attention, as a raven haired female walked forward, giving him an annoyed glare.
"Woah, I didn't expect to see you so soon." The crime lord told the woman, unknowingly alerting Franmalth of two more, slightly less powerful presences behind the woman.
"I expected, more from you." The amber eyed female responded, with Roman giving a nervous chuckle.
"Hey, you were the one who suggested working with those stupid mutts from the White Fang." The feminine man jabbed back, gesturing somewhat grandly with his cane.
"And you will continue to do so," The now annoyed woman ordered Roman, sparking a literal fire in her hand, "We have big plans for you Roman. All we ask is, a little cooperation."
"Ohohoho! It seems you have a good thing going here!" Franmalth chortled out, Walking out from around the corner he stood behind as the four turned towards him, any weaponry they had aimed at the Demon.
"I Wouldn't do that if I were you! After all, we share similar goals." He continued, peaking the interest of the raven haired beauty.
"Oh? And what would those be, exactly?" She inquired, as Franmalth just gave out another laugh.
'
"Why would I need to say that when it is clearly obvious? World Domination! The eradication of the Human Race! What more is there to say?" The yellow Demon retorted, shocking the four at the bluntness of his statement as well as the overall scope they involve.
"It seems that you don't understand the broad scope that entails. Most would assume you to be a mad man, however it seems you know of what you speak of." The fire user stated, with Franmalth nodding along.
"Exactly! Now, it seems some introductions may be in order, eh?" The armored creature inquired, electing to go first. "I am Franmalth the Armored, one of the Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros."
"My Identity does not concern you, Demon. That is, if you truly are one of these, as you put it, 'Demon Gates'" The Ravenette stated, prompting Franmalth to just laugh again.
"Hah! Well, in due time I will learn of your name. In the meantime, I will rest." The cane user alerted the other four, walking his way into the warehouse so as to sleep.
"Cinder, are you sure that we can trust this Franmalth?" The dark skinned beauty asked of the now named Cinder, who gave a low, harsh laugh.
"If need be, we can eliminate him, Emerald. After all, you and Mercury would be perfect for the job." The dark haired woman stated, not realizing that Franmalth was listening in and plotting.
A.N.: Hey, everyone! Sorry for the slight delay on this chapter. But hey! We made it to over 7000 words! We got to see Franmalth in action this chapter, as well as Penny, come into play. Colys ended up revealing his, and the rest of Team CRSN's origin. Next chapter will be the official start of Vol. 2, so we'll have a lot more action, as well more sightings of the Mech that Geod made. Whoever can guess what it was based on gets a shout out the next chapter I post from then, so good luck! Honestly, I don't think it should be too hard, but I might be wrong. Also, Rage, if you're reading this, don't give away the answer. Both of us know exactly what it is, so please don't spoil it.
Kaito 1: Hey, Where's the next Chapter of Erza's Brother?
Blueghast900: Sorry, Rage and I haven't been able to contact each other to work on it in a while, so the story is on Hiatus for now, due to our inability to work on it together. Anyways, as always, Read, Rate, Review, and Favorite. Blueghast900, Signing off.