Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Ruby or anything else I may reference. I have some claim to my OCs.

Chapter 6

The air was filled with howling for a moment. All of us stoped.

Beowolves. I hate Beowolves. Not the toughest of Grimm, but according to what I've read about them since arriving on Remnant is any indication, underestimating them is a bad idea.

…I have scars that confirm that.

Daniela spoke up. "Harriet?"

"That way." She pointed back the way we came from. "There's…eleven of them. One of them is larger than the others."

I frowned. "An alpha. That's potentially…no, that is a problem."

Art looked at me. "You said earlier that alphas tend to be smarter."

I was about to reply when Harriet interrupted. "Wait. Four of them just split off. They look like they're circling around."

"That's why they're a problem. Alphas aren't just tougher, they're smarter. They have a sort of base cunning. When a Beowolf pack is lead by an alpha they can use rudimentary strategy. Like say, surrounding us and having the ones behind us attacking after we've been engaged by the others."

Daniela frowned. "We should just go, we don't have to fight them."

"Not an option. They aren't as tough as say, an Ursa, but they are faster. We run they'll catch up."

Daniela was all business now. "Right. Might as well stand and fight here if it makes no difference. Harriet warned us about the ones circling behind us so we won't be taken by surprise. Harriet, what are they doing?"

Harriet looked confused. "They're just waiting."

Daniela turned to me and raised an eyebrow.

I thought for a moment. "We're upwind. They'll know their pack mates are ready when they can smell them too."

Daniela nodded and turned to Harriet. "The moment they move to attack you let us know. When the other four attack Arthur and I will focus on the rest while you and Sam take out the failed ambush. Take them out as fast as you can, then help us with the rest." She turned to me. "Sam, what happens if we take out the alpha?"

"Uh, I don't know for sure, but I assume that the rest of the pack will just attack. But without the alpha they'll be less coordinated."

She nodded. "Think you can make the shot?"

'Can I?'

I swallowed nervously and nodded.

She nodded back. "Okay, Arthur and I are in front, you and Harri are behind us."

As plans got it's not complicated. But this isn't really a situation that required complicated.

After a moment Harriet spoke up. "The main group's moving."

It didn't take long for us to see them. As they got closer they started to sow down. The group of seven Beowolves stopped maybe 50 meters away. Front and centre of the group was the alpha, I'd been staring at it through my scope since we saw the group. On its chest was a noticeable gash.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." Judging from Arts' muttered comment he noticed it too.

Vectors, trajectory, whatever it is I'm seeing, after a second or two I can practically see a line starting at the end of my rifle and ending on the alphas' head. There are several variable to consider when taking a shot, the line started out indistinct, and gets more 'solid' with each second.

I could have got a basic headshot by now, but I need to be sure it will die I don't know for sure how strong that bone mask is. Ideally I'd put a bullet right through the alphas' eye. But one sudden movement from it means I could miss. If the alpha doesn't die, the whole lot attacks with the added coordination the alpha brings.

Then the alpha raises its head and howls.

Perfect.

I squeeze the trigger once, twice.

Both shots slammed into the alphas' throat.

From there everything started moving quickly.

When the alpha collapsed choking, the other Beowolves broke out into snarls and growls. I took the opportunity to feed one of them a bullet, and then they charged.

I switched to full-auto, and all four of us focused on the lead Beowolf. Between me firing bursts, Daniela blasting lightning, Art firing shotgun blasts from the top of his axe, and Harriet firing her gauntlet (which aparantly has the fire rate of an SMG), the Beowolf practically exploded.

I was about to fire on another one when Harriet started yelling. "Behind!"

I spun around, the group of four was charging. Harriet was already firing on one and I joined her. With Art and Daniela focused on the main group it didn't go down as fast. When it did go down Daniela promptly charged the remaining three.

She ducked under the first strike and unleashed a flurry of strikes on the Beowolf, culminating in her slashing its throat, and then stabbing her machete through the bottom of its jaw into its brain, while firing her gauntlet at another one.

With a big grin on her face.

The third one came after me. I tried levelling my rifle on it, but it was too close I tried to avoid its strike, and I mostly succeeded. It hit my rifle. It didn't damage it and I still had a hold on it with my right hand on the trigger, but it would take me too long to bring it back up. I moved forward, ducked under the Beowolfs arm, and drew my combat knife with my left hand. I held the knife backhanded and slashed at its throat. I blinked as a spray of blood hit my face. The Beowolf collapsed.

A quick look showed that Harriet had finished off hers, so I turned back to Art and Daniela.

There were eleven Beowolves to start with, including the alpha. I killed the alpha and another Beowolf, the four of us ventilated a third, and then Harriet and I took down the four that circle behind. That left four to go.

When I turned to Daniela and Art there were only two left. Art let loose a concussive blast, stunning his. Then he slashed it across the chest, the axe swung round and rested along the back of his shoulders, and he fired a shotgun blast directly into the Beowolfs face. Its head exploded like an egg in a microwave.

Daniela meanwhile stunned hers with a bolt, and then she stabbed her spear into the Beowolf and proceeded to unleash lightning directly into it using her spear as a conductor. It died quickly.

The whole thing took two minutes.

Maximum.

We stood there in silence for a moment.

It was me that broke it. "So…is that it?"

Daniela answered. "Looks like. Harriet?"

"That's it, they're all gone."

"Oh…It just feels…anticlimactic somehow." I said.

"Well, that's how it can be. We were prepared, they attacked, and we won. It could have been worse. If the alpha hadn't been taken out quickly, if it had given the rest of the pack some coordination, it could have been harder. If Harriet hadn't known about the four circling around, if they'd hit us from behind, it could have been so much worse. As it was, we had warning, and we had a plan. Anyway, climactic fights tend to end with more injury, so I'll take this and be happy with it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Yep, we are awesome." Art chimed in, his smirk back. "We should get going, don't want to be late."

Daniela straightened up. "Alright everyone, let's go."

It had been a while since the fight.

We'd walked in silence for a while until Daniela decided to start questioning Art about just what he was capable of. Then she started brainstorming.

"So would it be possible to use concussive blasts for propulsion. Like blasting forward, or for extra height in a jump?"

"Uh, I don't know, I've never tried before." Art, for his part, just seemed like he was trying to keep up with the rapid suggestions.

"We'll have to test that. What about concentrating the force into a smaller area…"

"Did she do something like this to you?" I asked Harriet.

She nodded. "Yep. She has some good ideas, and I'd be happy to test them out later. But the problem is she doesn't seem to care if you want her to shut up now."

"Right, so she'll probably start on me in a moment, I suppose."

Daniela seemed to overhear. "Oh I have plenty of ideas for yours, I'll probably need more time to fully consider the implications though."

I didn't like the sound of that.

"Besides, we're nearly out of the forest, it can wait until later."

She turned back to Art but he interrupted. "Wait…do you hear that?"

We all stoped and listened. We heard the unmistakable sounds of combat in the distance up ahead.

We exchanged a glance, and ran towards the noise.

We didn't have to go far before we came out the edge of the trees… and promptly stopped dead.

Apparently we'd reached the edge of the forest just in time to see Ruby drag the Nevermore all the way up the cliff, immediately followed by its decapitation.

The others were wide eyed and slack jawed, and so was I.

I saw it in the show…But seeing it in person, even from a distance…

"Holy shit."

'Got that right Harriet.' "Yeah."