Chapter 1, Prologue - Deal
The airship's cabin filled with a murky blue light, accompanied by a brief droning alarm. It was the only noise, save from the Bullheads engines and turbulence, made in the last few hours. The smell of sweat, dirt, gunpowder and dust still lingered through the air. It choked the already heavy air with the inescapable musk of battle.
Yatsuhashi Daichi sat in the far corner. The large, muscular man held his great sword in front of him by the handle. His furrowed brow resting on its pommel. He gripped the hilt and twisted absent mindedly, the leather strained and creaked from the tension.
Across from Yatsu was Fox Alistair. Fox held his head in the palms of his hands, elbows rested on his knees. His weapons tossed haphazardly on the seat beside him. He had not moved since the Bullhead embarked.
Velvet Scarlatina was sitting next to Fox. The Faunus pressed her knees to her chest with her arms wrapped around them, as if to curl into herself. Her long rabbit ears drooped, nearly obscuring the rest of her face.
Finally there was Coco Adel, the teams leader. Her leg crossed over her knee and her arms folded together. She faced the rear exit of the craft, not once turning to face her team.
Each of their lips pressed thin, waiting and wanting to speak out, but none wanting to be the first to break the silence.
The cabin door opened with a shrill creak that made Team CFVY collectively flinch. Professor Port emerged with a deep breath but immediately relaxed as the palpable tension hit him.
"-Ah.." Port said at the sight of the team "The pilot has informed me that we just entered Beacon airspace, it should not be much longer before we land."
CFVY remained silent. The stagnant silence of the cabin only grew colder. Port sighed and stepped fully into the bay.
"Please don't let this discourage you. You are all upset, I understa-"
"UPSET?!" Velvet's voice cut Port off as she sprang up out of her seat. Coco, Yatsuhashi, and Fox's attention shot towards her, their eyes wide and mouths agape.
"We couldn't save a SINGLE person and you think we're just 'upset'?" Velvet continued "We watched a city burn then a family die one by one."
Her voice quivered with every word.
"They trusted us and we failed them. If we couldn't save one person how can we expect to save anyone else?"
She wiped a hand across her eyes and turned away from the Professor, wrapping her arms around herself again. Her head hung low and her ears sunk lower, the tears she tried so hard to hold back finally running down her cheeks.
Port procured a handkerchief from his breast pocket and turned Velvet back towards him. He dried the tears from her cheek with soft, almost nurturing touch.
"My dear" he said, guiding Velvet back to her seat by her shoulder. "I believe you have all learned an unfortunate lesson that no teacher here or in the four kingdoms can ever fully prepare you for."
The Professor walked up and down the rows of seats, placing a hand on the shoulder of Coco as he passed by to the end of the cabin.
"The unfortunate fact is you will fail."
Port stood at the tail end of the bay and turned back around. Acknowledging the confusion in CFVY's collective gaze.
"It's not a matter of if, but when. It does not matter how skilled you or your team becomes. There will come a time when disaster strikes and you will be laid out on nothing but rock bottom. You four have been among the finest teams I have had the privilege to teach. So what do people see after your victories? A shining example of strength, unity, and courage." Port proclaimed as the cabin light shut off and a new red light took its place.
"So now, after your darkest hour. What will you show your peers, the teachers, and the citizens around you? Do you hang your heads in shame and spout venomous words at those who care for you?"
The Bullhead shuddered and rocked, jostling the occupants back and forth with one final 'thud' to signal their arrival. The red light faded and was replaced by a pleasant green one. It was quickly out-shone by the natural light that began to pour in from the cargo bay door directly behind Professor Port.
"Now, children. When you walk out these doors, what will you-?"
The students grabbed their gear and pushed past the Professor, avoiding any kind of eye contact with him. Except for Yatsu, who politely motioned for a little extra room to squeeze through.
"Very well, then." Port muttered to himself as he adjusted his tie and turned around, only for the five of them to be met by the paralyzing gaze of Professor Goodwitch.
"WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE?!" Goodwitch practically screamed as she bent her riding crop nearly to its breaking point. Hours of pent up frustration, worry, anger, and panic unleashed as the students disembarked. Adrenaline pushed her fervent pace as she rushed towards them.
"How do you turn a Seek and Destroy mission into such a disaster?!" Professor Goodwitch came within a few paces of CFVY, who was still frozen by her words. All except Coco, who had tossed her glasses aside and stomped up nearly toe to toe with the Professor in a heated snarl.
"Glynda, please." Port said, placing a hand on Coco's shoulder and stepping between the two.
"Don't you start, Peter. You are entirely too soft on your students." Professor Goodwitch snapped.
"Come now. No one could have predicted a herd of Grimm that size would stray so close to Lower Cairn. Don't place blame out of anger and worry."
Goodwitch folded her arms together and rubbed her eyes, taking a step back from the still fuming Coco.
"I… I suppose you're right." She sighed, making a quick gesture towards Coco's glasses which flew off the ground and into her hand.
"I apologize. Take the rest of today, and tomorrow off to rest and recuperate."
Professor Goodwitch offered Coco her glasses. Coco rolled her eyes and took them back, checking the lenses for damage before finally putting them back on. She sighed and forced a weak smile that faded almost immediately.
"Then if that's all, I need a shower." Coco said, turning to her team. She expected nods of agreement but found them wandering off to their own accord. She stifled a grimace and made her way to her dorm, praying that nothing else would keep her from hot and running water.
Coco pulled her Scroll from a pocket on her handbag. The device chimed to life as she thumbed over the screen.
****BEACON
^TEAMS ^
^2ND YEAR^
^MOCA ^
^STATUS ^
^DEPLOYED ^
"Ugh… asshole." Coco murmured, slipping the Scroll back into its pocket. She continued on her way, only slightly more annoyed when she started.
Coco silently thanked whoever designed Beacon for making the dorms a short walk from the landing platforms. Through receiving, across the promenade, past the courtyard and at last on the other side of the training facility and lockers. Many people came up to welcome her back. Very few got more than a nod for a response.
The dorm rooms themselves were sparse, wholly due to midday classes. Coco counted this as a blessing. Recognition is a fringe benefit to success, but a foul curse for those seeking solitude. She swiped her Scroll across the handle of her door, which beeped, clicked, and unlocked. Velvet, Fox, and Yatsu hadn't arrived yet. She counted that as another blessing, for now. Coco welcomed herself home and dropped her handbag/weapon, Gianduja, to the floor. It landed with a hefty 'thunk' that shook off a few layers of dirt. She made a mental note to give it an extra thorough cleaning later.
But first, shower.
Coco plucked her favorite white bathrobe, a few towels and a small shower bag filled with an assortment of care products from her side of the closet and made her way back towards the lockers. The shower stalls were nothing compared to that of her family home, but the modest accommodation made it almost cozy.
Intimate, even.
Coco shut the door and locked it, setting her robe on a hook and bag on the showers ledge while twisting the faucet.
She turned back to the mirror, taking her glasses and beret off. The heavy air still hung over her in a sickening haze. Coco stared at herself. Peering into her own dark brown eyes, searching for that missing spark she was known for. She wanted to throw up. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. But the emptiness was numbing, just a void in the pit of her stomach that kept swelling inside her. She kept locked eye to eye with herself until the steam fogged over her reflection breaking her out of this trance.
This was supposed to be her sanctuary.
A small daily ritual of unwinding.
Candles, incense, music, precise water temperatures, and body oils. A routine designed with the sole purpose to rejuvenate and realign.
One by one, Coco took off her accessories. Scarf, bracelets, necklace, belts, gloves, boots. Laying them on the porcelain countertop. Then finally her shirt, pants, top, and bottom.
Her designer clothes tossed unceremoniously into a laundry bag, along with anything else deemed 'dirty'.
Which was damn near everything.
Coco wiped the fog off the mirror and gazed face to face with herself once more, but she could only see the faces of the late Gray family. People she swore to protect, innocent blood.
She grimaced and stepped into the shower. Streams of water washed down her body, mixing with the sweat and dirt and blood. Coco scrubbed her body weakly, but the tingling feeling of something creeping under her skin wouldn't go away.
The shame, the guilt, the loss. Forever stained on her soul. She dropped the washrag and began scratching at her arm feverishly. A desperate, yet futile plea to tear her skin from flesh. She screamed in frustration as her nails dug into her skin, drawing thin streams of blood.
"FUCK!" Coco slammed her fist into the wall with a resounding thud that reverberated through the enclosure. She slumped onto the wall and curled into the corner.
"Fuck…" She said again in a hushed whisper as she pulled her legs into her chest.
Coco ran a hand over her face and through her hair, twirling her finger through the longer, dyed lock of hair along her bangs. She gave the faucet a soft kick to shut the water off.
The shower couldn't hide her tears anymore, nor could she hide from them.
The steam has long dissipated when Coco emerged from her shower stall. Wrapped in her robes and tote in hand, she strode into the locker room. She was not alone.
"Oh, hello Coco." Velvet said in a near whisper. She turned her head away, barely glancing at Coco. She was wrapped up in a brown towel that was slightly too big for her and was in the process of folding her hair into a second towel.
Coco straightened up a bit and put a hand on Velvet's shoulder.
"Let the boys know I'm calling a team meeting. Tomorrow noonish, main gate. OK?"
"Um, sure?" Velvet nodded
Coco walked past her, slipping a finger in between Velvet's towel and giving it a slight tug. The towel fell from Velvet's slender frame as she let out yelp, then a shriek as the decision paralysis between saving her hair or her modesty hit.
Neither won.
"COCO! That wasn't funny!" Velvet cried, shooting an angry glance at the giggling team leader.
Coco made damn sure to sashay for the blushing bunny girl as she walked away.
"Then why am I laughing, V?"
"You're late." Called out Fox, who was sitting on the backrest of a bench. Beside him sat Velvet, who was seated normally. And Yatsu, leaning on a lamppost with his arms folded in his usual calm stoicism.
"I said noon…" Coco looked at her watch.
12:45
"...ish."
"Ever fashionably late." Said Yatsu, walking over to the others.
"If so, that means everyone else is simply 'un'-fashionably early" Coco remarked with a grin.
Her expression become somber and her pace slowed down. She gripped her arm and shied away slightly.
"This mission, Lower Cairn. We failed. We failed hard." Coco's grip tightened. The all too familiar feeling of her nails digging into her skin shook the anxiety away, if only for a moment.
"But more importantly, " She continued, taking time to look each of her team in the eye.
"I failed." Coco took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"I failed as a teammate. I failed as a leader. And above all, I failed as a friend."
The sly grin returned to her face.
"So. I think Team CFVY needs a win, and we're going to do it the best way I know how." Coco procured three light red plastic cards from her pocket and handed one to each of them.
"By taking you shopping. 500 Lien a pop. My treat." Coco beamed and her team beamed back.
"So you're bribing our affection back, hm?" Fox smirked as he stood up. The team followed suit and headed off towards the plaza.
"Absolutely not." Coco said sharply. "How about 600 instead?"
"750 and your shades" Fox quipped coyly.
"500 and I touch your butt."
"Deal."
The team broke into a fit of giggles and jokes about the price of Fox's loyalty and the worth of Coco's sunglasses.
It's good to be back.
Within Team CFVY, There lies a simple dynamic.
If Velvet is sad, everyone else is sad.
If Velvet is angry, everyone else is angry.
If Velvet is happy, everyone else is happy.
Velvet has ice cream. Velvet is very happy.
Despite an arguably lengthy detour to Velvets favoring dessert Shoppe, the group was easily swayed by her offer to ALSO buy each of them a single scoop cone.
In fairness, what is usually a half-hour walk from Beacon's main gate to the plaza felt like only a few moments. Velvet took a bite out of her cone when suddenly her ears perked up.
"Did you feel that?" She asked, pausing and looking around at the sidewalk
"Hm?" Coco inquired with a mouthful of ice-cream
"It felt like a tremor or something"
Coco motioned around to the crowds hustling around the plaza. "Well, it's not like we're in the middle of a city or something."
"No. This was different, it was like-" Velvet stuttered as the ground shuddered "There it was again!"
"She's right." Fox interjected, "It's like the prelude to sinkholes in Vacuo." He stuffed the rest of his ice cream cone into his mouth and swallowed it down as he took a defensive stance. "I don't like this." He winced and pressed his palm against his temple "...brain freeze… ouch"
The ground quaked yet again, the force knocked some pedestrians to the ground and set off a few car alarms. People scurried to find shelter in whatever building they could find in the plaza.
Coco wiped a smudge of ice cream from her lip as she perched herself on top of an elevated outcropping in the plazas square. "Alright, fan out and stay alert. Make sure the civi-"
At that moment, a crackling flash of light followed by a thunderous boom erupted from behind Coco. The shockwave shredded through the concrete pathways, and stone walls that lined the area. Trees ripped from their roots and crashed out from the epicenter. Fragmented bits of debris screamed past Coco as shrapnel tore into her back Aura, knocking her flat on her face. Mountains of black smoke billowed out from the gaping hole that lay where the plaza center once was. Remains of the landscape fell from the sky like an earthen rain.
Coco's ears stung and throbbed, she groaned as the pain began to wash over her body. She could still feel the impact echoing through her bones. It made her fingers tingle and go numb. That feeling spread up her limbs before fading away and allowing the pain to resurface. The ringing resonated through her head like nails on a chalkboard. It drowned out everything else, even the now blaring city wide sirens. She couldn't make out what anybody was saying, but the sight of terror and panic was unmistakable. And too familiar.
Coco grunted and forced herself to stand up. She could see her team running towards her through the cloud of dust and smoke that had engulfed her.
"I'm… I'm alright." She coughed, mostly to comfort herself.
She gave them a reassuring wave. They didn't slow down. Fox was at a dead sprint, shouting something.
"I'm fine! Help the civvies." She reiterated, motioning to the crowds that were still fleeing.
A familiar voice shouted at her. The voice cut through the ringing and haziness.
It was Fox and his Semblance, telepathy.
He said only one one word, but it made the hairs on the back of Coco's neck stand on end. A cold sweat crept up her back, replacing the stinging pain of the welts with dreadful chill. She instinctively clenched her fists as every muscle in her body tensed up.
"Grimm"
Fox lunged full force at Coco, tackling her to the ground just moments before a ravenous pair of jaws snapped across her neckline. The Beowulf landed and faced the pair, baring its fangs with a vicious snarl. It's canine head hunched low between its power forelegs. Pin-prick red eyes burned like dying embers as it crept closer towards Fox and Coco. The beast reared back onto its hind legs and prepared to strike once more.
The creature stopped mid-attack, suspended in a half step. The beast seemed to share a brief moment of confusion with its prey as a pair of massive arms wrapped around its torso. It was then heaved into the air and over the shoulder of Yatsuhashi, who immediately straddled the Beowulf and began beating on it with his fists. The Beowulf spasmed and yelped with every impact until fading into a cloud of oily black mist as it died.
Fox and Coco scrambled to their feet and put some distance between themselves and the still shouldering hole.
Fox stared at Yatsuhashi with blank confusion mixed with a hint of awe.
"Damn, Yatsu... why do you even use a sword?" Fox was cut off by Coco, who stepped in front of him."
"Good hustle, Fox." Said Coco as she swatted Fox's butt with a playful grin. "Yatsu. Nice." She looked over her glasses and winked. Coco pulled out her Scroll and held down a bright red button labeled 'PANIC'. The screen lit up red and a timer began counting down.
"LOCKERS, NOW." Coco commanded through Fox's TeamSpeak. The team nodded and followed suit.
"ETA 2 minutes." Coco said while picking up a stray length of rebar. She swung low, the metal rod connecting with the chin of a Beowulf's head as it emerged from the chasm. A bestial howl echoed as it tumbled back down.
"So find something heavy and get to smashing…" Coco rested the rebar on her shoulder and sprinted towards her next target. "Unless you're Yatsu. You just keep punching things."
"Good advice Coco. You think Yatsu could punch THAT to death?" Said Fox as he leapt away from a gigantic scorpion's tail that crashed into the sidewalk. Fox ducked and rolled under the Grimms pincers and slid underneath it. He punched at its soft underbelly in a fruitless display of muscle memory.
"I would much rather not punch a Deathstalker. Thank you." Said Yatsuhashi, grappling yet another Beowulf.
"Oh come on Yatsu, I thought you enjoyed punching above your weight!" Velvet said playfully, while dodging a bear like Ursa, whose charge completely missed and caused it to run head first into a brick wall.
"I… I suppose I could try." Responded Yatsuhashi, who smashed the Beowulf's head into the ground, killing it.
"My money's on the big one!" Chimed Fox, still being chased by the monstrous scorpion.
"Do, and I can not stress this enough -NOT- try to punch out a Deathstalker." Said Coco, thwacking away at Velvets downed Ursa until it finally dissolved. "Understood?"
"Yes Coco." The team said in unison with a collective sigh.
"Good. Fox keep dodging. Yastu keep punching. Velvet keep Velveting."
Fox was half way through rolling his eyes when his Scroll chimed and interrupted his exasperation. He grinned and sidestepped the Deathstalkers lashing tail for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
"Heads up crew, lockers incoming! ADA has them tracked." Fox called out telepathically. "Coco, 5 meters rear in 15. Yatsu, 2 meters right in 10. V, 4 meters right in 5."
Fox sprung back from the rampaging beast and readied himself for the inevitable lunge. "As for me…" he said to himself. The Deathstalker let out a shrill screech and leapt at Fox, but he stood this ground this time. With a deafening crash the beast slammed to the ground, crushed by a metallic gray locker.
"Right on que." Quipped Fox with a smirk.
The Grimm shrieked and flailed in agony before finally evaporating into a black mist. Fox gave the keypad a quick couple of taps and opened the locker, revealing his weapons. His dual, bladed tonfa, Sharp Retribution, sat front and center.
Fox armed himself and began his hunt, properly this time.
The mighty blade of Fulcrum cleaved effortlessly through a horde of Grimm, swirling the air along its apex. Twisting wisps of dust and smoke danced along its arc. Yatsuhashi inhaled slowly and took a single step back, turning the blade over. His eyes darted back and forth across the battlefield, not at the next wave of Beowulves, but for his teammates. Coco had positioned herself on top of a platform of steps overlooking the plaza and was gleefully mowing down the hordes with her minigun.
Fox was dancing around another Deathstalker, attempting to slice its legs or tail.
And Velvet… was running away?
No. She was running towards Coco. But why?
There's nothing chasing her.
"Something must be wrong.
"I must help her!" He muttered
"No, stop. Velvet is a capable fighter." He said with a slight tinge of resignation. "I must trust in her strength."
Yatsu pushed the thoughts from his head and kept his eyes towards Coco and Velvet. Just in case.
With a forceful exhale he swung his weapon again, bisecting another swathe of Grimm in the process. He took a step back, inhaled, and repeated the motion.
Since the moment the street erupted behind her, the Grimm had not stopped pouring from it.
Since the moment her locker landed, Coco had not stopped grinning.
The pure adrenaline of shredding through wave after wave fed into her wicked smile. Brilliant flashes of gunfire traced over her sunglasses with every bullet fired. The rhythmic cadence of ordinance combined with the clinking of bullet casings created a symphony of beautiful death. Coco stood enamored, completely transfixed in the glorious catharsis of her carnage.
"Coco! COCO!" Shouted Velvet, bounding up inches from her ear. Coco snapped from her trance, her white knuckle grip of Gianduja's trigger did not relax.
"We have a problem!" Velvet said with a panicked urgency.
"We have several, V. Pick one and solve it." Coco remarked in a near cackle, shifting her fire towards a group of Deathstalkers.
"No, Coco. I'm out of dust. I never got a chance to restock after we got back."
"Hey, come on, you just spent all the semester building that up. Don't waste it here." Coco smirked
Velvet huffed. "I am not sitting this out, we're getting overrun."
She began patting down Coco along her waist, rummaging through her many pouches and belts. The chattering of her minigun subsided as Coco attempted to comprehend what her teammate was trying to accomplish.
"Velvet! At least buy me dinner first!" Coco exclaimed
Velvet popped back up, presenting a combat knife that had been sheathed securely between the hem of her pants and a bandolier.
" 'Always have a holdout.' " She quoted, turning back to the oncoming horde.
Velvet closed her eyes, only for a moment. She recalled a sparring session from Professor Goodwitch's combat class between Yatsuhashi and their peers. She remembered the snickers and giggles from the class as his opponent drew a simple tactical knife several factors smaller than Yatsu's great sword.
She also remembered the laughter cut to silence after the final blow was struck.
The memory of the fight was imprinted in her mind, every detail preserved perfectly. From the subtle shift in stance before an attack. To the positioning and flick of the fingers to reverse the grip of the knife. Right down to the changes in breath control.
Velvet replayed the mental register several times over. Slowing down, stopping, or reversing it entirely. She focused on every key moment and committed every swing, every dodge, every motion to memory.
Velvet woke herself up from her mental theater and took a deep breath, then burst into a dead sprint.
The blade tore through the throat of the first Beowulf, downing it before a single pained yelp could escape its jaws. Its viscous black blood spewed from the wound as it collapsed in its final death throes before fading into a dark mist.
This gave the next Beowulf enough time to raise its claws in attack, but Velvet kept low and pushed forward. She threw her arm back, tossing the creature over her shoulder. She met the next with the full force of her other arm, charging into its sternum, knocking both down from the impact.
Velvet landed on the beast's chest and scrambled over it while it's flailing claws tried in vain to grab her. A flick of her fingers switched her grip on the knife before she shoved the blade into the soft flesh below the Grimms mouth. The tip of the blade pierced through its head and out the bone like armor on top. The black wolf shuddered once then fell limp as Velvet twisted the knife and wrenched it from its head.
The howling hordes closed in around Velvet, encircling her in a pit of gnashing claws and teeth.
They roared with insatiable bloodthirst and matching ferocity, Velvet roared back.
Her war-cries echoed over the Grimm as she twisted around while rising to her feet, lashing her arm out and catching an Ursa through its eye. She yanked its head downward, pulling it along as she continued to spin. Using it's body as a writhing shield against the oncoming beasts. She wielded its momentum, throwing its weight against another group moments before it faded away. Yet the masses still managed to tear away at her with razor claws and jagged teeth. Velvet pushed the pain away and pressed the assault with another two Beowulves falling to her blade.
Another followed.
Then another.
They would continue to fall.
One by one.
Until the world was safe again.
A powerful blow landed across Velvet's back, nearly knocking her off balance and breaking her Aura. She reflexively spun around and counterattacked, digging her knife into the claw of a Deathstalker.
Velvet barely had time to process this new enemy before it swatted her away. It leapt with an ear-piercing shriek, landing almost directly on top of her. The force of the impact knocking all other Grimm aside. It's gaping maw chattered, oozing with the nauseating stench of rotting meat and viscera. She tried to crawl away but the beast slammed its pincer down on her leg, pinning it between its claws. She cried out in pain.
It's tail plunged forward, but it did not strike her. Instead it struggled against something else. Someone stood on top of the beasts carapace, a small blade lodged between the joint of the stinger. They pulled tail down and knelt on it, grabbing a section of the armor. A whoosh of his knife and the stinger severed the from its joint with a brilliant geyser of venom and blood. The Deathstalker bucked in pain, it's futile attempt to rid itself of the assailant. They drew a large revolver from a holster on their thigh and fired a single shot down at the beast.
The round shattered the plating above its head, penetrating through the body and blasting the ground beneath it in a shower of bone like chitin and oily black fluids. The Deathstalker dropped limp, dead.
"Imitation and flattery. Right Velvet?" The man said, revealing a coy smile as he drew his hood and cowl back.
His dusky leather shawl draped over his shoulders, ending just below his elbows. It's center clasp was undone, revealing a combat vest strapped with assorted pouches and padded layers.
Velvet pried herself from the pincer brushed herself off. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.
"Heh. Arsehole."