(Now onto something, a new chapter. And a new thing.)
Love and Violence
Lunch was pretty fine, except I felt a bit sad really. Looking at Silas and Blake together while sweet, just makes me with I was brave enough to actually tell Yang how I feel. I keep my mind off of it by toying around with my mashed potatoes.
"Hey. Axel?" Yang asks, my heart skips a beat and I look at the blonde brawler. She seems a bit concerned, "Yeah? What is it Yang?"
"Are...you ok? You seem distracted."
My chest hurts then, I look at her with a fake smile like Weiss and shake my head. "Oh no! I'm alright Yang no worries." I lie to her, she squints her eyes at me before nodding. "Allllright."
I hate lying at times, when it's just little white lies that doesn't hurt anyone then yeah I'm all for it. But sometimes lying isn't going to cut it.
"Anyone seen JNPR somewhere? They're not here." Uriah asks
"Apparently Jaune, Nora and Ren got caught up into trouble with Goodwitch." Silas says before taking a bite out of bacon-like strip of meat, "So Pyrrha is going to wait until the good professor is done lecturing them before coming to lunch." He finishes with his mouth full of meat...goddamn it why? Why did I say it like that?!
"Silas, don't talk with your mouth full alright?" Blake asks with Silas swallowing and nodding, "S-Sorry Blakey." He says in embarrassment
I go back to playing with my mashed potatoes. I'm back to feeling a bit sad again.
"Axel?"
"Hm?" I look to Uriah who's staring at me with a curious look and a wry smile on his face, "Come talk to me after lunch."
I squint my eyes at him, "Whhhyyyyy is that now?"
"Trust me, It'll be good."
I shrug after a minute passes.
Hardly going to be something good I'm guessing, but it is Uriah I'm going to be talking with. Maybe it won't be so bad.
After Lunch
Lunch is done now, didn't eat much save some chicken. I dump the contents of my tray into the garbage bin, someone starts to pull me by my coat and I start getting dragged off.
"WOAHWOAHWOAHWOAH!"
However I end up stopping in a corner of the hallway, looking to my dragger: it's Uriah. Smiling happily.
"Do you know I wasn't ready for that?" I ask plainly
"Nope."
"Is there a reason you brought me here?"
"Yup!"
"Is it about me?" I sigh out
"That it is." He says, "You like Yang?"
I snort, "Of course I do. Yang's a great friend an-"
"Not like that, I mean in the...other way." He says with a pause, and right then and there I start to sweat out bullets with my face heating up.
"Umm...where did you get that idea from buddy?"
"You spent most of your time looking at Blake and Silas then at Yang man." He states with a little laugh, I can only growl at him.
"Jerk."
"Hey. I want to just confirm my suspicion, not gonna ruin things for you." He says patting me on the shoulder, "Say. Wanna spar in Scale's room? Gotta ask him first."
"Sure, sounds fun." I reply
He nods and the two of us head to professor Scale's class, maybe we can find him there.
Somewhere Else, One Week Earlier
"So anyone want to hear about something I managed to come up with? Something to deal with the children." One raspy voiced man suggested, Donn Yell: mad scientist and utterly immoral, typically dressed in yellowish-brown colored clothing like a coat and slacks. However, over those he wears modified armor made out of people to help him to move around due to being crippled from the waist down at one point by his former assistant who...disagreed with the things he does.
The people are still alive and are aware of their situation: they have no mouth to scream with, be it in agony, terror or a cry for help. This caught the attention of the Gate, which gave him something in return for his service.
Why it choses to watch Donn Yell, is unknown.
"Wot kind 'o kooky stuff ya do dis time ya weak bodied git?" A mountainous man rumbled out. Roja Pecus, a twelve foot tall mass of muscle and someone who loves to fight. Also someone who's logic sometimes veers on to insanity. He's dressed in armor that looks like it was made from random scraps of parts and painted red, Roja himself is a brutish and scarred looking man with beady red eyes with black sclera, his mouth filled with sharp, jagged teeth, no hair at all save a soulpatch.
"Be quiet you gibbering slime." Donn hissed at his compatriot, "Like you would know anything about how to deal with them."
"'Course I do! Ya just take a rok, and smash dem in da 'ead ova and ova 'til dey's ded! Dere's pleny 'o wayz ta do it ya git!"
"Now now, settle down you two." Ash sighed out, the two always fought over even the most trivial of things much to his annoyance "What is it that you made Old Timer?"
Donn smiled as the door opened to show something: A gaunt humanoid thing that stands at five feet tall at the maximum and eyes lining it's body, lines that are where it's lips should be but it's are teeth hidden, the eyes on it's body and face bulging and red, the body black and with white spikes jutting out of it's shoulders and a white, segmented, blade-like tail...just like a Grimm. It also has long finger claws that are like swords
"I would like to present to you my latest attempt, and success at making a modification to a Creature of Grimm. The Changeling."
The thing waves, "What's up doc?" It sarcastically asks Donn, it has a scratchy and androgynous voice.
Ash smiles, "Care to hunt down some children? Possibly kill them?"
The Changeling smiles, it doesn't even have teeth: just a single mass of bone with lines forming to give the impression of shark-like teeth that drip a blood-colored ichor. "Just tell me already." It impatiently says
Ash gives a smile to the creature, an excellent tool to be used.
Beacon, Scale's Class Room, Today
Uriah and I came across professor Scale's class room, the door already opened up. "Huh. Maybe someone is already inside?" He asks, I shrug and we slowly open up the door. Sitting in the seats are Scale and Peach, side by side
"So how's your love life been over all Scale?" The pinkish haired professor asks
"You're the one asking me about this? I'm fine Amber, you don't need to baby me like this you know."
"I know Gray it's just that...well...you've only had one girlfriend and I don't want you to become a stalker over her ya know?"
"Jeez, way to make me feel better."
"She always was a little cold you know."
"Is that supposed to be a pun?"
The door shuts behind me and Uriah, "Shit." I whisper
The two teachers look to us and wave. "Ah. Mr. Lind and Mr. Greene, nice to see you two here." Scale says politely
"Yo." Peach simply says throwing up a hand
"Mind if the two of us spar in here sir?" Uriah asks, Scale shakes his head.
"Not at all."
The two of us nod and head up on the stage, Uriah on the opposite end of me. "Ready to get started boss?"
I grin and nod, "Just waiting on your go."
"I'm afraid that this match needs to wait." A new voice says, looking back at the door way stands professor Ozpin.
"Ah, professor Ozpin!" Scale says in surprise and stands up, "What are you doing here?"
"Relax Gray, I'm just here to collect these two." Ozpin turns his attention back to the two of us, "Come with me."
"Why?" I ask a bit curiously, either it's going to be good or bad: possibly bad if he found my plot to set off a bath bomb in his office.
"You'll learn soon enough." He says a tad bit ominously before walking out the door. I look at Uriah and shrug before following him, when the two of us are out the door Ozpin is standing with team RWBY along with Silas and Roy.
I give a little wave and my teammates and roommates give a wave of their own.
"So what's the big mystery professor?" Yang asks
"Well Ms. Xiao Long, I'm going to tell you." He says without even looking at her, "There have been some...startling rumors going around the past week or so. Something that has been taking people to who knows where: men, women, children, we haven't been able to properly track it down. Until a day ago when one Huntsman came across the creature dragging a man into a cave."
This is certainly interesting
"What about the Huntsman?" Weiss asks, Ozpin only sighs in response and shakes his head. "Lost contact with him, your teams will be sent out with two objectives: First is to rescue the Huntsman and the people if all possible, second is to eliminate this thing."
"When're we leaving?" I ask
"Right now. Gather your equipment and head out."
"We won't let you down professor Ozpin!" Ruby confidently states, Ozpin smiles at her
"I know you won't." He says before leaving us to ourselves
Time to hunt.
One Hour Later
Back into the woods, the eight of us keep close to one another as to prevent another thing like last time. "Alright, this area is the one where Ozpin lost contact with the Huntsman." Ruby states, "Just gotta where this cave is and find those people."
"And the thing." Yang adds in
"Alright, now to cover more ground let's split up into pairs. Who wants to go with who?" I ask
"I'll stick with Ruby." Weiss says
"Me and Roy'll be looking together." Uriah says patting his partner's shoulder
"Silas and I will go with each other." Blake adds in
"Guess that just leaves you and me Axey!" Yang happily says, calm down Axel. Calm down, you'll be fine...just gotta not spill your spaghetti.
"Well...what'd you know?" I ask probably sounding nervous
"Alright! Let's get looking." Ruby states, and everyone disperses save me and Yang who just stand there. In awkward silence.
"So...here we are." I say to break the silence
"Yeeeup. Here we are."
"So Yang, how've you been?"
"Been pretty good, how about yourself?"
"Same with me really." I chuckle out
"Glad to hear that...oh! Remember those letters we sent to one another?" She asks, Yang and I sent letters back and forth to one another. It was always something I was excited over, to get a letter from her in the mail
"I actually do remember that, yeah!" I whisper loudly
"I meant to sent a letter to you about me and Ruby enrolling at Beacon."
"Oh yeah? And now here we are again, standing around and just talking to one another." I plainly state
"Yeah. It's good though, nice to...catch up with you."
"S-Same here. Same here." I stutter out, another moment of silence comes up. I look at Yang...building my courage up it's time I tell her and get it over with.
"Hey Yang?"
"Hm?" She turns her head to me
"I want to let you know that, I-"
"We found it!" I hear Ruby call out
"Alright sis! Be over there in a bit!" Yang calls back to her before turning back to me, "You were saying something Axel?"
"N-Nevermind." I stutter out
"Alright then, come one. Let's get going." Yang then walks off to the direction where her sister is at. And I repeatedly smack myself in the head: "Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! You had one job and you fucked it up!" I hiss to myself before sighing and following Yang.
When we arrive soon enough, Weiss and Ruby are standing near the mouth of a cave that seems dark on the inside due to it being black from the looms of it.
"Anyone bring a flashlight?" I ask, Ruby nods and holds one high-powered flashlight out. "Come on, let's check inside." She says
"After you." Weiss states, and so the four of us head into the dark. Going through the spot it's damp with the sounds of water dripping every now and then filling the air with it's sound, and stalagmites and stalactites.
"Look at those stalagmites up there." I mutter, Weiss looks at me
"Those are stalactites Axel." She says
"What's the difference?" I ask
"Stalagmites are the ones on the ground, stalactites are the ones on the ceilings of a cave."
"That's what I said though!"
"No you didn't! You said stalagmites when the one's that are hanging above us are stalactites!"
"WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE THERE?!"
"Both of you quiet down!" Ruby whispers, "The thing Ozpin mentioned could probably still be in here."
We should keep quiet, that's for sure. So Weiss and I keep our mouths shut, a minute passes and we hear groaning and see a faint light. Also, not sure if the girls can smell it: but there's a horrible stink coming from where the light is
We all head to where the light is and see a young man with spiky brown hair and dressed in a white and gray combat uniform that's splattered with blood. The moment he comes into view we make a rush to him
"Are you hurt? What did this to you?" Ruby quickly asks him, the guy coughs up blood before weakly lifting his head up to meet our concerned gazes. "You four...ngh, gotta get out of here...not safe..." He groans out in pain
"Hold on. We can get you out of here." I tell him, "We have some more people near by, we can-"
"It's too late for me kid...whatever the thing was got me good, I can tell you this: it's a Grimm. But there's somethin' off about it...humanoid looking." He says before having another bloody coughing fit, "Please...get out while..." he sighs and his head goes limp and starts staring at the ground.
I lean down and put two fingers to his wrist and check for a pulse. Nothing.
"He's dead." I state without any emotion in my voice, I hold up his head. I close his eyes for him before standing back up.
"We should get going." Weiss suggests quietly, "It's...it's probably not safe here."
"I here ya." Yang softly mutters, Ruby giving a nod
"Oohhhh, you four aren't getting off that easily." A scratchy and androgynous sounding voice echos through the cave, I pull out Cerberus and keep a tight grip on the handle. Looking to the others they have their own weapons ready, "Back to back." I quietly say, "No chance for an ambush."
They nod and the four of us keep our backs to one another with us near stalag...mites, "Alright! Come on out!" I yell out, that's when I felt a clawed hand grab my leg. I was paralyzed by fear at the moment.
Taking a look I see one of the stalagmites has an arm sticking out of it, the hand of it the same one grabbing me by the leg. I swear I see the thing form a smile. "Gladly."
I quickly stab the arm to cut it off and there's a shriek of pain, we all look to see the stalagmite transform into a gaunt figure with bulging red eyes around it's body that glow in the dark. Missing an arm with it's wound gushing a blood-like ichor, the thing's face twisted into a scowl of utter rage showing a singular bone ridge instead of teeth.
"You fucker!" It hisses, "You cut off my arm! You utterly worthless bastard! How...HOW..." It then smiles, "How annoying." And at that moment it grows a vestigial arm in stump, and in a few seconds the arm is the same.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh shit.
"Weiss. Get out of here and go get the others." Ruby orders her partner, "Yang, Axel and I will try and hold this thing off as best we can 'til you and the others come back."
Weiss looks nervously at her before nodding begrudgingly, "Alright. Good luck." She says before making a run for the outside
"And now where do you think you're going?" The Grimm asks dangerously, it tries to pounce on to Weiss but get's a punch to the face by Yang sending it flying to another area. A larger area.
"Axel." Ruby says
"Yeah Rubes?"
"Wanna go two scythes for this?" She asks, I smile at her and nod. Twisting Cerberus' handle it transforms into it's scythe form.
"Alright. Let's go!" I say as I rush to the arena-like area with the sisters behind me, looking around there seems to be a glow coming from the Grimm due to it's eyes. But I see something else near it.
Bodies. Nothing but bodies. Corpses that are stained with blood: some with their throats cut open, their limbs ripped off, faces caved in, some I can't even describe. The stink soon hits afterwards, I have to fight to keep myself from vomiting. And stalactites are above the open area.
"Welcome to my humble abode." The thing says before skittering down, "Sorry 'bout the mess. Wasn't expecting I'd be getting guests."
"Can we get to fighting now you freak? I'd rather hurry up and kill you for all this you've pulled." I say in disgust and anger
"Oh! Don't get cocky now boyo, gonna be tough for you three to fight against me you know." It says smugly, I just want to shut this prick up.
I rush him with a rocket propelled strike, it get's parried by the thing's claws. It trips me up with it's tail, rolling out of the way just in time with Ruby coming in for an assist to fend of the Grimm. I get back up and join Ruby in fighting it.
The two of us making rapid strikes on the Grimm, Ruby going up front as I go for the back. The Grimm parrying our strikes before knocking the two of us back, Yang jumping into the fight with a battle cry and a flurry of punches.
The Grimm gets hit with several strikes before leaping to the side of the cave wall and let's out a hissing shriek. I can see Yang smirk and the fight soon devolves into a cat and mouse game with skirmishes breaking the chases from time to time.
I look to Ruby and see she has her eyes closed, I start to shake her to hopefully wake her up. "Ruby? Ruby?!" I desperately plead, looking back at the fight I see the Grimm hanging from a stalactite with Yang looking up at it, that's when I come up with an idea. Hope it works.
I transform Cerberus into it's rocket launcher form, "Yang move!" I bark out. She leaps backwards as I fire a rocket to the roof of the cave, the blast causes there to be a rumble and dust starts filling the room and there's a loud crash.
I hear Ruby groan, looking at her I see her eyes open up. "What happened?" She mutters out. I sigh in relief and shake my head, "The Grimm is dead." I happily tell her, Ruby smiles and nods "Good. Good..." she then moves her head and her eyes go wide, mouth opened up slightly...in horror.
"Ruby?...What's wrong?" I nervously ask her, I look over to where she is and my heart sinks like a rock.
I see Yang impaled through through the stomach with a stalactite.
"YANG!" Ruby and I cry out.
This isn't happening. This isn't happening!
(Well shit. Am I right? Keep around and you'll find out what happens next.)