Alright here is chapter 43, with a serious chapter, no laughs, no drama, just a chapter that shows GRAY's serious side. Let us begin. I own nothing except my ideas and OC's.
Ash leaned against a wall in a sterling silver hall, almost futuristic. He twirled Celestial's Will in his hand and snuck forward, keeping quiet. He heard a small rattling, his assurance that Yaron was nearby, with a small chain on his wrist, he rattled it as well and leaned near a door, and looked in. He saw a man who was working on some strange experiment, the room dropped to near sub-zero temperature as Ash slowly stepped in, Ash heard another rattle from above, he looked and saw Ryan perched on the rafters, pistols trained on the man. Ash turned and without needing to strain his eyes, saw George huddled near a crate on the other side of the room.
Ash nodded to them and walked forward, stabbing his sword into the ground, alerting the man. "Wha! Who are you"? He asks, his voice shaky. Ash cracked his knuckles absentmindedly, as if this was no problem. "Oh nothing, just that I got a mission stating right here". Ash began before pulling out a small document. "That a disturbance in temperature has occurred around this laboratory, and that someone should investigate". Ash says casually, as if talking about the weather. The man looked behind him quickly, but quickly enough that Ash noticed. He looked over the mans shoulder and saw a dust crystal, ice to be specific, which was glowing an ominous blue. "Interesting". Ash mutters. The man grabbed a nearby pipe and ran forward, trying to strike Ash down. Ash simply waved his hand, rattling the chain on his wrist.
The pipe was shot out of the man's hands, who recoiled, and was pounced on by Yaron. George walked out and slammed the blade of his axe near the mans neck, his voice dropping to a dark/cheeky voice. "Now then, would you mind telling us what you've been up to"? George interrogates. The man looked deathly afraid, yet refused to answer. "I'm doing you a favor, better me than those two". George says, pointing to Ash and Yaron. Ash sparked his hand with electricity while Yaron's daggers flashed with dark energy. The man paled. "A-alright I'll talk, the dust crystal is infused with energy, to strengthen it, so it never loses its power". The man says, while Ash approaches it. "Then what's so bad about it"? George asks. The man went tight lipped.
Ash held his hand out to it, only to recoil as a scream rang out, from the crystal. Ash held his hand out once more, which glowed with aura. Ash visibly paled, as he sensed what, no who was powering the crystal. Ash span around and grabbed the man from the ground, and lifted him up. "You maniac! You were using Faunus Aura as your 'Energy'"!? Ash snaps. The other members blinked in shock before looking at the crystal and paled. They immediately surrounded the man, who quivered in Ash's grasp. "It was the only thing that could work, besides, a few Faunus souls is nothing compared to a lifetime worth of-" The man began, only for Ash to began choking him with his Twilight infused arm. "How many"? Ash asks. "What"? The man croaks out. "HOW MANY"!? Ash roars. "...Enough". The man answers. Ash roared and threw him into a wall, where he collapsed on the spot. Ash turned to the papers that were scattered around the room and picked one up, and immediately paled. "Ash"? Ryan asks.
Ash's hat covered his expression, however, the way his hands burned the paper in mere seconds suggested something bad. "Ash...how many"? Yaron asks, his voice wary. "One...one hundred Faunus were stripped of their Aura, one hundred Faunus died in these halls, screaming". Ash mutters, his voice emotionless. The three paled and their arms went limp, their weapons being held in near loose grips. The man chuckled silently. "Why waste Human life when Faunus are much more expendable". The man chuckles. Ash's eyes glowed a bright red, as his hands ignited in fire.
The man watched as two fireballs appeared in Ash's hands, the three members stepping back, their eyes betraying nothing. Ash pointed his finger at the man, and the two fireballs surged forward, the man couldn't move and thought Ash was going to incinerate him and be done with it.
Oh how wrong he was.
The two fireballs surged into his eye sockets, burning his eyeballs away in mere seconds, the pain surged through his nervous system as they respond in nothing but pain, the worst part, it was restrained to just his eyes. The man reached to his eyes and tried to claw out the fire, only burning his hands in the process. "NO! STOP"! The man screeched, writhing on the ground in pain. "No, you will suffer the same way those Faunus did, now watch, as your life burns away, like you burned away theirs". Ash denies darkly, the man screamed as the fire ignited brighter than before.
The other three looked away, this was one of Ash's worst moments, he is decently controlled when it comes to murder, but when it comes to a horrible waste of life, the shackles are broken. Ash clenched his fist, further strengthening the fire. The man continued to scream, begging for it to stop. Yaron walked forward and palmed Ash's shoulder who turned to him with angry eyes. "Ash, that's enough". Yaron says firmly. "No...he needs to pay"! Ash snarls out. Yaron gave Ash a firm look. "I understand, if you weren't doing it now, I would put him through my worst as well, but enough is enough, lets do what we can". Yaron tries to calm. Ash turned to the man who was still rolling in pain. Ash roared before flexing his palm, the fire exploded, covering the man in fire for a brief second, before incinerating him into nothing but ash.
Ash turned around briskly to the dust crystal. He leaned in and instead of a scream, he heard a laugh, a child's laugh. Ash looked down in anger, the thought of a man killing children disgusting him. Ash grabbed the crystal, ignoring the ice, and held it there. "Leave". Ash orders. The three turned to him in confusion. "When I destroy this thing, the backlash will destroy the lab, I will survive, but you will not, so leave and head to Beacon, I will catch up". Ash orders. The three nodded and ran out, not bothering to step over the ashes of the murderer.
The three stepped into the bullhead, noticing how the pilot looked at them. "Just go, our leader will catch up on his own". George answers. The pilot shrugged and flew up, and flew off. The three turned to the lab, knowing it will be no more soon.
Ash growled angrily, before crushing the crystal in his hand.
BOOM!
The three covered their eyes as the laboratory blew up in a glorious display of ice, freezing the area in sub-zero ice. The pilot's jaw dropped as he watched the explosion. The explosion finished, and showed a horrific sight. Exactly one hundred images made of ice stood in the explosions wake, one hundred images of people reaching out, Faunus people reaching out. The three saw a light melt through the ice and walk out, freezing the path back. Ash turned to the ice statues that remained. "I'm sorry I could not stop him from his deed, but at least I have laid your souls to rest". Ash mutters before taking his hat off and pressing it over his chest in respect, before putting it back on and flying back to the bullhead. "Back to Beacon". Ash orders. The pilot nods briskly before hitting the gas and flying back to Beacon, the ice behind reminding people, of what monster live among people.
And there we are, a little look into GRAY's serious moments, and what Ash does when faced with a mass murder. I know this was...rather strange in terms of plot, but its a mission, one they chose to fulfill. Also if you pay attention, you will notice two references to two different shows in this chapter. R&R This is Oathkeeper0317 signing out.