(July 17, 2016)

Chapter 16. The Blazing Demon

Team BRNZ along with Pearl and Thistle spent the afternoon drinking tea and eating cookies at Lilium Terrace. It was a really fun time for Nicandra, and even the usually rather distant Pearl was quite outgoing. Of course, their time at the teahouse didn't go without an accident: Bruin accidentally poured tea on the floor and was furiously apologizing to the waitress and had gone into the bathroom to cool down from the weight of embarrassment. Zelony even went after him after around ten minutes and spend another five convincing him that people make mistakes and it wasn't a really big deal. Thistle spent that time listening to girls' talking about a variety of things: teachers, their plans, and upcoming semester exams. Well, Rouge did try to change a subject a few times, but without success.

"Hey!" Rouge caught their attention as they were passing the docks. "What's with the festive look?"
"Don't you know? The Vytal Festival is held in Vale this year," Pearl answered.
"Oh!"
"Rouge, could you please be more up-to-date with current events?" Zelony sighed.
"Like this?" she pointed at a store, covered with yellow police tape.
"A Dust store?" Bruin asked.

Pearl got suddenly serious. She quickly approached the two police officers and asked them a few questions, but only earned a scornful glare. She spent a few moments around the crime scene and returned to her friends.

"From the looks of it, the police wasn't keen on talking with you, I take it?" Bruin was first to talk.
"You have eyes, don't you?" she snarked. "But yes. Well, I was able to get a bit of info nonetheless," she remarked. "I sniffed around a bit and there were Faunus in there not too long ago. Around a dozen, I think."
"Wow, that's an amazing skill, Pearl!" Thistle complimented her.
"Good smell is a trait every Faunus has. Nothing special," she brushed his comment. "Well, I'm going to investigate it. I can't stand doing nothing while my kin are acting like the monsters people think we are. I need to get to the bottom of it," and she darted off.
"Please, wait for me!" Thistle followed her.
"And now we're square," said Bruin with a big smile and everyone groaned.
"That wasn't fitting at all," complained Zelony.
"Like hell it wasn't! Square has four points and there are four of us now," Team BRNZ's leader pouted.
"That still makes it unfitting," Nicandra commented.
"He provided an explanation and you shoot it down like a nevermore. What a killjoy," moaned Rouge.

Then they decided to go to a club and carouse. On their way they noticed Team RWBY running after some monkey Faunus, Weiss appearing to be the most determined one in the act. Team BRNZ tried to catch up with them, but the chase was interrupted by a rather awkward orange-haired girl and the team continued on with their plan.

As they closed on the club, Zelony suddenly turned behind himself. He stood like that for a few moments, but not noticing anything out of the ordinary he returned to his team.

"What's up?" Bruin asked him.
"Nothing."

Then they continued. Bruin felt that his partner was hiding something, but decided to keep it to himself and ask Zelony after they get back to Beacon. No reason to worry Nicandra on their fun day.

A quarter later when they just turned around the corner they heard screams. They rushed towards them and found themselves on a plaza where a great deal of bodies laid splattered in blood, many people still alive crying in pain. The victims were humans and Faunus alike, it appeared that terrorists didn't care who was killed as long as their life was brought to a painful end.

Suddenly Nicandra drew her pen from her pocket and conjured an ice wall. It shattered when explosion appeared out of nowhere near them.

"Good reflex, Nic!" Rouge complimented.
"Quick! Let's call our lockers here!" Bruin commanded. "Nic, shield us for the time being."

Few moments later three lockers landed on the plaza and under the blue-haired girl's cover, the rest of her teammates recovered their weapons.

"Now we're talking!" Rouge cheered.
"But who's attacking these poor people?" Bruin wondered.
"I guess the White Fang. They're mighty active nowadays," Zelony commented.
"But there doesn't appear too be many attackers," their leader provided.
"Bruin, your orders?" Nicandra asked.
"Rouge, Nic, get people to safety. Zel, you come with me and search for the terrorists."

Not a moment later and the plaza was cut off from the connecting streets with walls of fire, many people died when they suddenly appeared in their close proximity.

"NO!" Bruin screamed.

More flames appeared and killed other people on the plaza, leaving only Team BRNZ to miraculously survive it.

"Wait, I know these flames!" Zelony suddenly exclaimed.
"You do?" Nicandra asked confused.
"I know them damn too well," he said under his breath.

Then flames suddenly died and a dark figure appeared high on a tall building. He leaped, performing a variety of flips and quite insane tricks and landed on the ground, the fall amortized by the flames they created on it.

"Hello, cousin," the figure spoke in a sickeningly sweet male voice.
"Erm… 'Cousin'?" Bruin was confused.

It was a tall man, with fiery red, flame-shaped haircut and orange eyes. He wore a skintight dark red leather suit with a largely exposed chest. On the heart he had a large round gold object, with a red image of a sun with fires replacing sunrays, mounted directly to his body.

"I would have killed you all right here and now if not for my baby cousin," the man said.
"What are you doing here?" Zelony asked, his glare angry.
"Can't you see? I'm doing humans a favor and purging them from the blight."
"Killing innocent people you call a cure!?" the green-haired man yelled.
"The world is meant for humans. Faunus have no right to it, nor their sympathizers," the other man replied. "Let the scoundrels live and they make our lives hell. I say we stop them while we can."
"You're no different than the White Fang, you're an extremist like them," Nicandra spoke. "I will not tolerate your superiority complex any longer. Surrender now or I won't hesitate to use force to bring you to authorities," and after a moment of silence added, "scoundrel."
"Nicandra, this is my fight. I don't won't to involve any of you," Zelony looked at his teammates, his eyes stopping for a longer moment on Bruin.
"I'm not letting you do it alone. We're in this together, whether you like it or not," Bruin drew his weapon in spear mode and pointed it at Zelony's cousin.
"This one looks tough. Challenge accepted!" exclaimed Rouge and smacked with her weapon in whip mode.
"As a duty of a future Huntress, I feel obliged to bring this man to authorities so he can atone for his actions. This is also my proof of friendship with you, Zelony," Nicandra added. "So don't back out on us. We need you."
"T-thanks, guys."
"Oh, how sickeningly sweet," the man cooed. "My Faunus-loving baby cousin and his even more idiotic friends think they are some kind of divine justice from the heavens. Let me tell you one thing before I'll burn you to ashes: don't mess with a reaper."

He then performed two kicks, bullets shooting out of his boots. The team managed to deflect his shots. Bruin took a closer look on Zelony's cousin and noticed he had guns mounted to his low-heel boots. Then the man took out two more guns out of his back and assumed a battle-ready pose, pointing his pistols at them.

"Let's dance."

The man launched himself at Bruin, a flurry of shots from his hand and leg guns flying at him. He had to take on defensive, but the rest of his team went with more offensive strategy. Nicandra conjured a dark sphere from which lightning bolts struck her enemy, Rouge struck her opponent with her whip, and Zelony was throw-sliding his yoyo with its blades ejected and cutting at his foe. However, the man quickly leaped out from the assault and the team's attacks collided. He shot a smug grin and conjured a fiery scythe out of the object on his chest. Now he rushed at Rouge, twirling his weapon around him and scoring a few solid hits on his opponent, also deflecting others' attacks. He then changed his weapon into a giant hammer and widely swept with it, throwing his enemies back.

"Still think you can be Huntsmen?" he mocked them.
"What do we do, Zel?" Bruin asked his partner. "You know him, right?"
"His pyrokinesis is top notch. I don't think we can defeat him with our current skills."
"So his elemental affinity is fire?" Nicandra asked. "Rouge, focus on using Undine. I'll cool him off."
"What about us?" their leader wondered.
"Fight from distance," Zelony said. "He's gonna drown in his own blood," and he inserted few water Dust crystals into his yoyos.

Then they began their assault. Rouge summoned Undine who sprayed water out of her hands onto their enemy, while Nicandra conjured a blizzard around the battlefield. Bruin switched his weapon into crossbow mode and started to shoot at his target. The red-clad man then conjured a katana and began his onslaught, first delivering few quick slashes to Nicandra, then followed it with wide strikes at Bruin and Rouge. Zelony then leaped at his cousin and with few uppercuts from his yoyos conjured few small water waves which pushed back his opponent a bit. Then the red-haired man dispersed his katana and began to spin around on a leg shooting around himself as Team BRNZ attacked him. They had to back off, however, and had to go defensive once again.

The man then conjured a bow and shoot upwards. Rouge considered it to be a bad move from him and charged at her opponent only for the arrows to descend on her in spiraling motion and exploding on touch with her.

"Rouge!" Bruin shouted and quickly run for her.

Their opponent was about to shoot Bruin down as he rushed at his friend's side, but was quickly covered by Nicandra's icy wall. Zelony then charged at his cousin and furiously slashed him with his yoyos' razors. His opponent dispersed his bow and defended himself with guns, occasionally throwing some shots in-between.

Bruin switched his weapon into staff mode and impaled it into the ground, a large light blue ornamented circle forming around it and healing the two. The man then stood up and coated his staff in light and charged at their opponent. As he waved his weapon at him, waves of light shot out from it and struck him a few times, display of Bruin's abilities surprising his opponent a bit.

"Oh, that's a rare Semblance," he commented. "Too bad it's nothing against mine." He then conjured four fiery whirlwind circling around Bruin, slowly closing on him. "Well, you lot are quite entertaining, but I have placed to go, people to purge." Then around Rouge, Nicandra, and Zelony appeared four fiery whirlwinds circling around and closing on them. "Have a terrible time in hell," he said and waved to them as he was walking away from the plaza.
"Not so fast, you pyromaniac!" came a familiar voice. "Spread!" and a column of water appeared on the red-clad man and shot him into the air and the fiery tornados he conjured died.

Then four familiar figures appeared: it was Team PLTM. Thistle quickly approached Bruin, while Larimar went for Zelony. Pearl got to Nicandra and Maize went for Rouge. They gave the weakened members some small rejuvenating food.

"H-how did you find us?" Bruin started.
"This plaza is on the news," Pearl replied. "As soon as I saw that fire man in this pool of bodies and you fighting him I called for an emergency with Larimar and Maize."
"Are you all right? Does anything hurt?" Thistle asked worriedly.
"Thanks for the save, guys," Zelony said.
"We're not out of danger yet," Larimar coldly stated.

Then from an alley Zelony's cousin emerged, his whole body burning. He readied his guns and pointed them at the group.

"You kids… are driving... me mad!" and began to shot at them like crazy.

Maize conjured a wall from his cards, Nicandra soon joining him by conjuring a magmatic wall. Then Thistle loaded ice Dust into his shotstaff and began to shoot at their enemy, Bruin and Larimar joining him in the effort. Pearl, Rouge, and Zelony charged at their opponent head on. The red-haired man then conjured a bow and began to shoot at his three close-combat enemies, occasionally packing a shot-kick once in a while, completely forgetting about the other five opponents.

"We need to cool him down," Bruin said. "Nic, Thistle, seal all the exits to streets with as high ice walls as you can. Larimar, you focus on putting out the fires, they're gonna be trouble for us if we get in contact with them." The three people went off to their assignments, even Larimar did so without grumbling.
"What about us?" Maize asked.
"Ranged support. You should focus on protecting Zel, Rouge, and Pearl with a card shield if the enemy's attack might be a lethal one and they can't for whatever reason minimize the damage. I'll be mainly on healing."
"But what about your Aura? Won't it dry quickly?"
"Then let us hope our blazing demon will fall quickly. Let's go!"

The two then joined their comrades. Zelony was currently striking with his yoyos from above, while Rouge performed an icy uppercut with her weapon in the sword mode, followed with a downward slash. They were accompanied by Pearl's wild cuts, but Zelony's cousin was deflecting most of the attacks with his guns, occasionally throwing a hammer blow in between. Then Bruin and Maize shot several projectiles at the unsuspecting enemy who got hit. He looked at them, growled angrily, and charged at them, now wielding a large katana. He performed a quick, wide slash followed with a fiery whirlwind, but the other two evaded it, and Zelony came flying with a punch at his cousin but was knocked back. Pearl and Rouge leaped at the red-clad man: the Faunus girl with her leg stretched, heel ready to sink into the man's body, while the human girl with her sword coated with lightning, ready for a powerful thrust. But the attacks where once again blocked by the man, or to be more precise, the giant knuckles he conjured on his hands. He then punched the ground beneath him and a powerful fiery blast blew his opponents several meters away from him.

Seeing their comrades knocked out, Nicandra, Larimar, and Thistle quickly stopped their assignments and hurried to their friends' side. However, the red-clad man shot a mad volley of bullets at them pushing them back and conjured several red circles which imploded and shot fireballs at all of his targets, except one.

He slowly approached Bruin and measured him, his orange eyes glowing eerily with fire. He lifted the boy by his neck and faced his cousin, a grin of content on his face. Bruin wriggled, trying to release from the man's grip, but only yelped in pain as his abductor tightened his grip.

"I see you care for this brat," he said. "It would be sad..." Bruin's cry of pain, probably caused by the other man's Semblance, "if something bad..." the brown-haired man's shout of distress, "were to happen..." another scream, "to him," the boy yelled in agony.
"Leave… him… alone..." Zelony tried to stand up, but his cousin's attacks and fury has bested him once again.
"Or what?" he taunted his cousin and Bruin once again screamed in pain. "A beautiful aria, wouldn't you agree?"

Then the red-clad man was shot from the back and froze in ice. He turned behind and saw Thistle aiming at him, his breath heavy.
"No one… hurts… my friend!"
"Why you little—" the man growled and tossed Bruin aside. Then conjured bow and shot it at the ground near his target, arrow exploding on contact with the surface. "That should silence you. Now where were we? Ah! The boy dearly treasured by my demented baby cousin."

Just as he was about to pick Bruin up, he got shot with a series of icicles and spirals of water. The attack was followed with a series of cards and waterfall pouring down on him. Nicandra, Larimar, Maize, and Rouge all joined their attacks to defend their friend.

"How much life… does few children have… in their fragile bodies!?" he yelled and conjured a whip which he smacked at the opposing people, sending fire projectiles at them.
"Just enough… to protect one of our own!" yelled Pearl and leaped at him, scratching his right arm. The man was a bit wore down from the ongoing assault and barely knocked her away.
"I'll kill you… even if it's the last thing I'll do..." said Zelony.
"Think you really can?" his cousin asked. "Your Aura is at a very low level, you know. You won't be able to even use that Semblance of yours on a fly."
"Never… underestimate… your... opponent..."

Zelony then started to focus, a light green aura emanating from him. His cousin then charged at him with his guns pointed at him, but when he was about to unload a series of shots he glowed with purple aura and froze. However, it was brief and the red-clad man started to slowly break out of his opponent's Semblance's effect. With each passing moment, Zelony's Aura drastically lowered, yet he tried his best in keeping his opponent immobile.

However the quickly drained Aura caused him to faint. His cousin, certain of triumph, decided to change his plan and approached the green-haired man.

"You fought so brilliantly… for an empty cause. Now burn in hell!"
"NOOO~!" screamed Bruin.

Just as the man was about to shoot Zelony in the head, a figure in white appeared and interrupted his attack, then followed with a strong kick knocking back the aggressor.

After a brief moment of having his eyes closed in terror, Bruin opened them and noticed a middle-aged woman standing between Zelony and his cousin. She had short, white hair with silver tips, and wore a silver-blue outfit. She had silver gauntlet on her right hand, mounted with a disc-shaped object composed of two white wings in a spiral manner.

"Carmin, you've done enough today," she said, clearly angry with him.
"Gull?! What are you doing here!?" he asked her, his tone mad.
"Making sure you're not overdoing it, but as always you're a drama queen," she replied with an annoyed sigh.
"'Queen'? Don't insult me."
"Enough," and she punched him. "You're a brilliant fighter, but you're also a few screws loose." She then turned to Bruin, the only person still awake among those who survived, "Consider yourself lucky. But know this: the next time you meet Claret, me, or, even worse, both of us, you won't see another day."
"B-but why—?" he was about to ask a question, but the woman picked Carmin up and strutted away from the plaza, then disappearing into the night.

He fought with his fatigue, but soon he passed out as well.

Author's Notes

That was something.

I might have probably gone a bit mad about how powerful Carmin is but there is a reason why he is so strong.

Teams BRNZ and PLTM are gonna have hard time putting themselves together after this event; I think I went especially hardcore on Bruin, a bit less on Zelony, the rest had it actually easy.

This is not the end of this season as there is going to be a chapter detailing the party's thoughts and decisions and stuff. Plus, I think about putting semester exams: I think it's weird that CRWBY haven't shown any exams apart of the initiation.

As always, I'd be thrilled to hear any feedback on my story, characters, and other things pertaining to the show.