Setting: Mountainside

"Argh!"

"RWAAAARRR!"

Swords clashed with bone-plated claws as Remus and the one-eyed Wendigo butted heads. Romulus in dual swords form had the energy flowing through to increase its sharpness and it proved to be an effective tactic. Remus was able to slice through two clawed digits on the Grimm's left hand and land in the snow behind it. He had to balance himself carefully since he was on the side of a mountain. One false step and he could slip and fall. This meant Remus couldn't run as fast as he usually could without a mistake, but the conditions weren't the same for his enemy. The sharp claws on the Wendigo's hands and feet kept it gripped to the ground, giving it a better foundation and the advantage.

The Grimm turned around and chased Remus down the slope. Remus ran up the mountain to cut it at the neck. They were right in front of each other and the Wendigo reeled its left arm back to crush Remus on the spot, but Remus used Checkpoint to teleport out of its sight. The Wendigo was different from the ordinary Grimm most Huntsmen encounter. It has survived long enough to learn and adapt to its prey and it remembered Remus using his semblance the first time. In a single motion, it swung its right arm around its backside where Remus teleported and smacked the young Cobalt out of the air.

A common and predictable tactic for those with semblances like Remus was to attack from behind.

He landed in the snow higher up the slope and his face held a serious look. As the Wendigo repeated its bestial approach to Remus, he used the time to pull out a fire dust crystal and place it in the middle of his arm bracer. He used Checkpoint again but using his semblance in conjunction with the fire dust crystal, Remus disappeared in a burst of flames instead of blue smoke. This time, instead of teleporting behind the Grimm's back, he reappeared again at its legs. The small explosion of his semblance did hit the Wendigo's right leg, damaging the Grimm a little, but not enough to faze it. Remus planned to kill this thing quickly and mercilessly so he swung both his swords at its legs to prevent it from moving properly and running away. With both swords in hand, he swung at the Wendigo's right leg but his blades only struck Atlas's cold air. To his surprise, the Wendigo's reflexes were faster than its movement speed as it jumped in the air before Romulus could even touch it. The Grimm's movements didn't end there as it already had its left arm stretched out and aimed toward Remus who tried to parry it but was too late to stop the attack. The Wendigo landed an aerial uppercut against Remus and he was sent flying in the air then tumbling down the mountainside.

Remus began rolling down the slope with feelings of frustration and rage. During the flip-flop, the small cloth covering his eye socket untied itself and flew off into the air. He slammed both his swords through the snow, piercing the ground to slow and stop his tumbling and use Romulus to keep him balanced now that he was further down the cliff where it was dangerously steep. If he wasn't careful, Remus could fall right off the mountain. He stood there, breathing deeply while keeping his eye socket closed to protect it from the damaging cold. He was irritated that he couldn't end this battle as quickly as he thought, but it was also fueling Remus to keep at till he got his desired outcome.

The Wendigo howled triumphantly, viewing its battle with Remus being in its favor, until it heard the sound of a small cannon. It turned its head around to see three volleys of cannon fire heading in its direction with Tigress sprinting toward it with Flying Eagle in two sections in her hands. The Grimm swatted away the first blast with its disfigured hand, but the other two hit it in the chest and it staggered for a very short time, but Tigress was able to run past the Wendigo in that small period to head toward Remus.

Thinking it was better for him to be close to her location than vice versa, Remus used Checkpoint and exploded a few feet in front of Tigress, not wanting to teleport too close and get her caught in a burst of fire. He used up the last of the dust crystal and it shattered in his bracer. He looked at her and she looked at him with disappointment. No words needed to be said in the heat of battle. Remus knew Tigress was upset with his recklessness and he needed to compose himself. The others were fighting the Beowolves on the road and the Wendigo rushed straight for the duo, so Remus and Tigress had to continue the fight against the feral Grimm.

The Blue Flicker and Tigress charged up the mountain and the Wendigo did the same. The first to strike was Tigress when she removed the spearhead from her weapon and aimed the body of Flying Eagle at the Grimm. She pressed on the spearhead and the multi-sectioned staff fired its cannon fire, traveling directly toward the monster who blocked it with its left hand. When the smoke from the cannon blast cleared, the Wendigo saw Tigress still coming after it, but not Remus and a second later, it felt its torso being ripped apart. Leaping from the ground in front of the Wendigo in a puff of blue smoke was Remus, slashing at its chest as well as slicing of the rib bones sticking out of it.

Remus didn't let up as he impaled the Grimm in the shoulder with both his swords. The Wendigo howled in pain, but did its best to grab the Cobalt, but Tigress was able to move in close thanks to Remus's assault and she intervened. She jumped up and kicked the Grimm in the chin, giving it a strong uppercut as a form of revenge against it giving Remus an uppercut earlier. The Wendigo's head jerked back from the force and Remus used this small opening to try and deliver the final blow, but Tigress's attack wasn't enough to make it stagger they way they wanted it. It was still reaching for Remus and it grabbed him off its shoulder then hurled him down the mountain in an attempt to throw him to his death.

Tigress landed in the snow after her kick and didn't look back at Remus being thrown aside, thinking he'd be alright and she didn't want to end her assault. The Wendigo tried to crush her by slamming both its fist on top of her, but Tigress used Gemini to separate into the Tigress Twins as a way to avoid the attack and fight on two sides. The black twin stabbed the Wendigo in the back of its knee, forcing it to go down, while the orange twin impaled its chest when the Grimm fell to its knee. The battle was gradually wearing the Wendigo down.

While this was going on, Remus was still flying through the air until he used Checkpoint to teleport to the only thing he could see; the Wendigo. He teleported to the monster's backside and grabbed on when it was distracted by the Tigress Twins. He planned on getting back his swords that were still lodged in the Wendigo's shoulder, but he didn't expect the reaction the Wendigo gave when the Tigress Twins began to repeatedly stab it with their spears. The wounded Wendigo jumped backwards in the air to create some distance between itself and the Tigress Twins. Remus held onto the Grimm tightly, but didn't expect the Wendigo to purposely crash into the ground, crushing Remus against itself and the mountainside, showing it was aware Remus was on its body.

The impact knocked the wind out of the young Cobalt and diminished what remained of his aura. He failed to pull Romulus out of the Wendigo who turned around and was prepared to devour the boy. Before the Grimm could reach out and pick him up, it was hit with several shots of explosive gunfire, forcing it to cover its face for protection. Back on the road was Silver with Fenrir in sniper rifle form coupled with Zelts and Azura. They eliminated the last of the Beowolves on the road and were ready to aid their comrades.

"Ready for another rumble?" Silver asked Zelts and Azura.

Neither of them answered Silver. The two fighters only jumped over the road and down the slope to where the Grimm and Remus were. Azura used the dust circlets on her ankles to coat her feet in ice and used them as skis to swiftly slide down the mountain while Zelts placed his half shield in the snow and stood on top of it, riding it like a sled, an unexpected method to get down to the battle. Silver remained where he was to provide sniper support. The Wendigo saw the two of them coming but kept its attention on the enemy before it; Remus.

His aura may no longer be protecting him as well as being unable to use Checkpoint, but neither of those things would be enough to stop the Blue Flicker from battle. Romulus was still lodged in the Wendigo's shoulder and he couldn't think of besting the Grimm in physical strength, so Remus got up from the snow and glared at the Grimm, knowing what was coming next. The Wendigo slammed its palm down to crush Remus only to miss when Remus dashed out of the way then ran to the Grimm's backside. The beast was ready to crush him again but its head was suddenly electrocuted, causing it to be temporarily stunned. Silver provided covering fire for his friend as well as stall the Wendigo with his lightning dust bullets for everyone to prepare.

Tigress remained where she was, further down the slope and out of the battle, and she separated Flying Eagle into its separate segments and planted them in the snow, all aimed at the Wendigo. Zelts saw the Grimm recover from the electric shot and grabbed the handle of his shield. He jumped off his weapon and swung at the ground beneath him, creating a blast of wind to propel and launch him toward the Grimm. The Wendigo recovered from the shock while Remus climbed up its back to reach Romulus and Zelts aimed his wingblade at the Grimm, running it through the monster's chest. It shrieked in pain though the wound wasn't fatal and it tried to slash Zelts with its claws but was blindsided by Azura. She hurled several fireballs at the Grimm as she slid down the mountain. The small burning projectiles damaged the Wendigo and forced it to raise its arms to defend its face. Zelts pulled his large blade out of the monster's chest and fell to the ground. Azura jumped up from behind Zelts, landed on his broad shoulder and used him as a foothold to land on top of the Wendigo's bone covered head. Remus finally reached the beast's shoulder and viciously yanked his dual blades out and Azura slammed both her palms on the Wendigo's head while activating her lightning dust to electrocute it. Both Cobalts damaged the Grimm severely. Their rematch with the Wendigo was in their favor.

After taking so much damage in this battle with VRSZ, the Wendigo was feeling overwhelmed and agitated. It started to move around in a frenzy, jerking movements that looked unnatural and slightly painful. The harsh movements forced Azura and Remus to leap off the Grimm to the safety of the ground though the enraged monster was ready to attack them and Zelts as well. It pulled back its left arm, preparing to smack them off the mountain and Zelts moved to stand before the attack and stood in front of Remus, ready to serve his role as the team's shield regardless of losing half his weapon. The attack was about to follow through until Silver fired another shot, an ice dust bullet, that hit the Wendigo in the face and covering half of its head in a thick layer of ice, stunning the Grimm. Now that the Grimm was in a state of shock, Zelts took this opportunity to swing his wingblade at the monster to create a gale of wind to hit the Wendigo point-blank. The force of the wind combined with the Grimm's staggering and uneven footing, made it fall into the snow. It was falling down the slope and struggling to get on its feet until it found its bearings. After getting on all fours, the Wendigo began to move around the area like a confused feral animal until it smashed the ice on its face with its fists.

The Wendigo came to a harsh realization; it was going to lose and be killed in this battle. With the experience it has accumulated in its many years of survival, the Grimm knew its best course of action was to flee. Going down the mountain was certain death and climbing over them was also suicide because the kingdom of Atlas was there, ready to kill any Grimm on site, leaving the Wendigo with running along the road until it was off the mountain.

Further below the mountainside was Tigress who waited for the Wendigo to be lured to the best position so she could fire her cannon sections without fear of hitting her friends and this was the best chance. She pressed the button that was her spearhead and each of the five sections of Flying Eagle fired cannon blasts of fire dust just when the Wendigo sprinted up the mountain, running in serpentine to avoid the five blasts Tigress fired. When it reached the three warriors, the beast jumped high in the air to avoid them, landing higher up on the slope and running straight for the road. Seeing the Grimm getting closer quickly, Silver separated his Fenrir from its sniper form to dual handguns and fired a barrage of gunfire at the Grimm. Each shot was damaging it and the volley of bullets showering its body was a horrid punishment, gradually injuring its entire body, but the Wendigo endured it all as it jumped over Silver and latched onto the side of the mountain above him. It planned to scale the mountain sideways to run away using its claws to dig into the stone and ice.

No one on the team wanted the Wendigo to escape this battle because they all knew their luck sucked. The chances of facing this same Grimm a third time was obviously going to happen and none of them wanted to do this again. Tigress took the initiative to end this fight by aiming her sections at the mountain. She fired from all five of her sections and they headed straight for where the Wendigo was moving with three blowing up the mountain around it and the other two hitting the Grimm in the back. After all the injuries it had endured, the Wendigo was reaching its limit. With no more energy, the Wendigo let go of the mountainside and fell to the road. Silver jumped off the road and sled to the others to avoid getting crushed by the falling Grimm whose impact shook the area.

The Wendigo was dead. Its body began to slowly disintegrate into black smoke. The battle came to an end. The team was glad that the powerful monster was finally dead, especially Remus and Lily. He was glad to finally fell but their troubles weren't over.

The mountain above the road began to rumble then tons ice and snow began to fall off of it. It didn't take any of them long to figure out their battle caused an avalanche and with their current condition, there wasn't much they could do to avoid or stop it. Silver couldn't affect this many people at once with Gravity and Remus couldn't use Checkpoint because his aura was completely depleted. Some of them believed this was as far as they could go to reach Violet, feeling this was their journey's end, but Zelts remained stalwart before the incoming tidal wave of snow. The shield of VRSZ had an idea in mind, though it was more of a massive gamble. He activated Conversion, absorbing all the dust woven into his attire and winter clothes till he was full then firmly gripped his sole wingblade. With eyes shining gold and all his muscles boosted from the absorbed energy, Zelts swung his blade to unleash an extremely powerful tempest of golden wind to collide with the avalanche. The strong windstorm blocked the snow coming from the team's front, but the large mass from the sides still fell through and began to eclipse Zelts and the rest of the team.

Setting: Penthouse

Residing inside the luxurious room at the top of the hotel was Blood. He was in the kitchen where he poured himself something to drink while thinking about two things; Clair's well being and Ebony's motives. The bat faunus was still perplexed by his new liege. She tactics were erratic, her desire to be a diplomat was unusual, and her endgame was a complete unknown. Despite Ebony's mysterious and fascinating, Blood truly didn't know anything about her. Even now, he didn't know why Ebony invited Zinnia Underland to their quarters to continue whatever conversation they had.

Outside on the small terrace were Ebony and Zinnia. The two of them sat at their high vantage point, either looking down at the kingdom denizens below or at the destroyed moon above. Zinnia's gaze was up at the moon until she glanced at Ebony whose eyes were on the kingdom and the people. The Paragon had no clue what she charming Vantablack was thinking. Even back when Ebony asked Zinnia if she would accompany her if she could bypass the closing of borders policy. The question was left unanswered as Ebony escorted Zinnia back to her hotel room and it has still remained unanswered.

Zinnia felt conflicted about her answer would be. She hasn't thought it out yet because she'd like to leave, but it meant going against the council she respected. It was an internal struggle between one's dream and their duty which was putting a massive mental strain on her. Zinnia, the stalwart and dutiful Underland, had no idea how to answer Ebony's question.

"Calm yourself, Zinnia," Ebony said suddenly, snapping Zinnia out of her mental dilemma. "I didn't think this question would bother you so much. I'm sorry. How about we put that particular question on hold. We'll cross that bridge when I make it a reality, okay?"

Zinnia looked at Ebony with slight bewilderment, taking a close note how Ebony said when she makes it a reality, as if she had the power to do it and the confidence to back up her claim. The charming Vantablack really was a mystery to everyone around her.

It was very late in the night and it was time for Zinnia to return to her quarters. She saw herself out, leaving Ebony to sit in the living room with Blood drinking a glass of wine. The Vantablack smiled with how events were still moving in the direction she wanted them to move. One event in particular, she was getting prepared for. She had two suits ready for her and Blood to wear for the SDC Charity Concert.

Setting: Mountainside

The area where Team VRSZ's battle took placed was completely covered in a thick blanket of snow thanks to the avalanche. Not even the road the smugglers used was safe from the ton of snow that ran down the mountain. There was no sound except the howling wind that filled the area and no signs of life. The road, the Grimm, the abandoned vehicles, and Team VRSZ, everything that was previously on the mountainside vanished without a trace.