Nothing like adding three chapters in one go right? Of course, I have to update each with a random AN. Or not. I don't know if I want to, but since I'm writing this, might as well go through with it.
Disclaimer: Blah blah blah ownership not mine yadda yadda belongs to owners lalala don't sue me.
The retrieval of the Void Key was a major boon that the Tenno would begin to implement into its agenda. The very nature of the object was already beneficial in contacting its kin, but without the proper tools to refine and redirect the collapse of space in order to enter the Void could end with an uncontrollable chain reaction that may or may not destroy a chunk of land in order to follow the (lackthereof) physics of the dimension. The resulting collapse could not only destroy, but infect with the series of potent energies within. Warped landscapes to grotesque animals and people could run rampant within the planet.
The worst case would be complete annihilation. The Void was fickle and unpredictable, especially to the uneducated and naive. The laws within that baffled the Tenno's former handlers and masters would only drive them insane. Or worse, seek answers and be part of the cycle of intruders that have tried in the past. Regardless, it would not end well for the denizens of this world.
Trying to move forward from the thoughts, the icy warrior tore through the concrete and steel, Orokin craftsmanship proving to be superior to these pseudo human. Dozens have been cut down, the black blood that coursed through these robots spilled across the walls, yet never staining the pristine white blade of the reaper. It moved like a winter blizzard, effortlessly yet brutally mangling those caught in the storm of steel.
The utilization of the Lex pistol came with its advantages, given the enemy's lack of proper countermeasure against corrosive acid. Three rounds exploded from the barrel, modded for full penetration and corrosion, and punched through several robotics and human bodies. Power behind the diminutive pistol was often a surprise for other opponents, at least until the hypersonic bullet tears through them and turns their skull into a large stain on a wall. It showed results as the approaching squad fell in a single burst.
Crossing the distance towards its secondary objective, the air froze instantly around the unfortunate soul that tried to blindside the Tenno with its inferior blade. The instant the weapon touched its shields, lashing Void retaliated ten fold as it brutally enveloped the body. Microscopic spears punctured pores and spread the frozen energies to organs and nerves, completely submerging the attacker in a perpetual prison of ice and pain until the frozen virus reached its brain.
The scythe gave the soul mercy as it came at a second sweep to reap the harvest. The warrior was no monster. It would give these men and women, even their robotics a swift death. A mercy to those that opposed this warrior god unlike those that earned its ire.
The weapons were holstered and the handles of the double doors froze as its hand gripped hard. A means to reinforce and weaken the materials of this world. For these primitives, Void clad ice was a near impossibility to damage, much less penetrate. But for the frame, it was a fragile substance, easily broken with a swing of the fist. Unfortunate for the enemy indeed.
Tearing the doors from their hinges, the warframe rushed with its makeshift shields into a hail of gunfire. Hundreds of bullets pelted the reinforced doors to no avail as the aggressor closed the distance in an instant. The weight and momentum of the door were taken into account as it began to change its stance. Skidding with the left foot, the door grasped with its right hand was thrown, curling the arm to promote a lethal spin. Circling completely as the left door was dragged and pushed as an impromptu ram, it rushed the same direction of the flung piece of metal.
Their desperate attempts of shooting were silenced by slabs of metal that rushed down their squad of twelve. The thrown slab had bisected their comrades instantly before embedding itself into the walls, its dull gray edges stained with blood and chips of bone. There was little time to react as the second slab slammed against their bodies, a force comparable to a truck that sent them flying back as their sight was filled with a frozen wall of metal closed in.
Those that survived the initial charge poured every bullet, every magazine, into the few enemy, taking advantage of its sudden stillness. Shimmering blue ripples pulsed as each round smashed against the shields, slowly whittling it down. One digit after another it fell, but the Tenno moved again with a vengeance. Twin maws bellowed as bladed pellets spun out, bisecting the offending soldiers. Their eyes betrayed them as the enemy disappeared, only for a bone white blade to carve through their torsos and the echoing roars of a shotgun.
In the end, one solder remained. The man stood at the center of the bloodshed, the bodies of his squad shredded apart. He discarded the weapon and fell to his knees. The hellish sight of a single person tear through the best guards of the Schnee company had torn his will and awaited the executioners blow.
It never came. Those bloodied eyes only stared at the empty control room, the massive room getting hazier by the second. After that, he fell asleep as the nightmares showed him blood and ice.
The Tenno walked past the unconscious man and towards the large screens of the control room. Schnee's entire security system was mostly unscathed from the skirmish, only bits of wiring hanging from the ceiling and walls. The main controls were at least intact.
Hacking something so large would be considered impossible given it was a Schnee product, but considering the intruder's capability, it turned to be merely child's play. The security was hilariously fragile as the code was extracted and opened to show the numerous security cameras and sensors the entire lower facility had. All well and good, but information regarding everything the company did was a far better prize than staring at the movements of soldiers.
Moving forward to the main data server, its main systems began extracting the files, going again for less organization and putting effort in downloading everything. The amount of data was massive, so information would be limited, but certainly not lacking. Encrypted files were the first to be taken, followed by trade routes and facilities, and finally weaponry.
The data would not be purged like the Faunus outpost. With such a steady stream of information, it would hamper the progress of leaving the planet. Intead, it would be its informant. Creating a virus was not a difficult task for the warframe. its ability to purposely corrupting an insignificant part of its systems to monitor and replace information, acting more as a medium between the Tenno's systems and their servers.
Furthermore, the access of a wide public network throughout the facility gave it a remote access to it all. Tracking the entire populous in not just Vale, but the other Kingdoms would make targeting key individuals a much easier task, possibly even locating ancient Orokin artifacts if luck would smile to its favor. It would be a waste to not take this opportunity.
The virus was deployed and sent into their servers. It would take a few hours before the bug settled to a part of their system to begin filtering information between frame and server. Enough to let the warrior escape without anymore bloodshed.
The Tenno had disappeared for three days, but with what the news said about the Schnee ruckus, she could guess where it was at the moment. Its determination to search for information was one she identified as relentless. Multiple deaths, no traces of the killer, and every camera and sensor having been erased. The only witness was a man that was found unconscious in the attacked server room. The details haven't been leaked yet, so figuring out who it was had everyone on edge.
The sudden appearance of someone who would actually attack the heart of the Schnee company, succeed and not leave a trace was frightening. Could it have been part of the White Fang? An attack to prove a point that no fortress the Dust company made was impenetrable?
For others, maybe. She could chuckle dryly as she knew the true intention. Turning off her scroll, she listened to a ruckus happening downstairs. She instinctually grabbed her pistol and holstered it. The shop was at the edge of the industrial sector, so occasional ruffians would come and try to make a quick buck. Nothing too new, so someone with a gun should scare them away easily.
It could have just been instinct, maybe even reflexes to escape from the phantom grip of death that her savior instilled to her those days ago, but when Layla walked downstairs and found her mother at gunpoint by the same thugs she saw in Junior's club, her mind went into overdrive. Her muscles tightened and eyes dilated into a deranged animal. Adrenaline coursed through her body as she moved into the cover of shelves. The bastard fucking exposed them
"Now ma'am, we'd like to ask you to let us speak with your daughter. A small talk really, just to tell her about job opportunities." The voice said, filled with confidence and condescension enough to make her unholster the pistol strapped to her thigh.
"Flank, move silently. Your eyes and ears are superior to theirs, abuse that advantage. Listen, observe, and execute." The words of her instructor rung within her head, letting it guide her movements. Adequate movement and concealment under the cover of the store's dimmed lights, she approached with light steps.
There stood seven people. Six thugs and a man in a white coat and hat, holding a cane at her mother's chest, an open barrel exposed. For her, that was enough of a reason to attack and kill. It wasn't her first time, nor would it be her last. Baring her fangs, the enraged rabbit moved with trained agility.
"Not good enough Brimstark! Again! Use those legs to close the distance faster!" The words screamed again, their bark getting louder and louder. "Faster rabbit, faster!"
'He wants fast? I'll give him fast.' She rushed the closest enemy, slamming her heel to the back of his knee and forced him to kneel. A pained groan was cut short as a deft turn of the neck silenced his voice. Raising her pistol, Faunus enhanced eyesight snapped and aimed at the cane before she pulled the trigger, slamming the bullet against its black shaft. The weapon flew out of the enemy's hand and behind the counter.
The bark of gunfire had their attention immediately, turning and attacking with their blades. Crimson metal slashed at her torso, finding only air as she retreated into the darkened store as two bullets retaliated, slamming against two chests. Rolling over to the side, she leapt onto the shelves and moved from above as their lights began searching.
Another shot rang at the orange haired man that attempted to go for the cane and her mother. No hit, but the warning was ever present as she dropped down onto another thug. The neck was a vulnerable spot her heel stepped against. A bit of pressure crushed the windpipe.
"Found y-" A bullet through the leg was the response the Faunus closed the distance in seconds. Her foot slammed against the new wound, eliciting a cry from the man before she pushed the barrel into his open mouth. The skull was quickly excavated of its contents.
Footsteps echoed as the last person ran to her direction with sword gleaming. Her stance shifted as the blade was swung down. Locking the sword between barrel and trigger guard, the blade was guided away from her body before driving a crushing elbow to the cheek. His head snapped to the left, disoriented before slamming her knee into his solar plexus. He fell kneeling, clutching his stomach as she she pressed the gun to his head and fired.
The adrenaline was still pumping and she moved towards the counter, finding the person she needed to see running to the back alleys outside her home. A glance to see that her mother was still breathing, shaking in a corner, she gave chase to Torchwick.
Muscles pumped with energy as she skidded and followed the criminal that led the White Fang. Discarding the magazine, she slipped a new one quickly and fired. Rounds flew back and forth as they ran through the lightly snowed alley. Torchwick's rounds far exceeded the size of her ordinary bullets, sometimes grazing as she ducked and leapt from the attacks.
"Torchwick!" She screamed from her lungs. "Attack the store, steal from it, but nobody fucking goes after my mother!" She fired again and again, letting rounds fly out of their mark from her rage.
She was given a smirk from the criminal and met a explosive round to the stomach, sending her flying. The agile Faunus' recovery was sloppy as she skidded on her back, failing to roll as another round slammed against her leg, forcing her to scream as it was broken and scorched.
"What's this, a rabbit with a bite? That's something you don't see everyday." He smirked, twirling his cane as he leisurely approached Layla. "You don't look like a huntress, considering you just went for plain and simple kill moves, plus you can't even use your aura. No custom weapon and you're using one of my pistols as well. Looks to me like you're a perfect candidate to be part of the White Fang. Maybe even part of the assassination division."
She bared her teeth and aimed the gun, only to find it knocked out of her hand and her head gaining a noticeable ache. Another strike from the cane sent her flying back again, her head already bruised and bleeding.
"No need to point dangerous things to your boss. I'm helping you here, you know? With you added, you could be part of making the Faunus the dominant race in Remnant and support your poor mother's shop. You get power, security, and the feeling of being superior to others. Not a bad deal right? All you have to join m-" He stopped and looked forward, a slight worry flashing in his eyes before that nasty confidence of his returned. "Looks like you've got a few friends with you bunny. Remember my offer okay? Wouldn't want something to happen to your dear old mother. Cheers."
Roman Torchwick fired one last bullet, a shining red orb that exploded into a searing white flash, blinding everyone in the small alley. By the time it had receded, the man escaped. Not a single footprint or sound remained that betrayed his position.
Layla fell onto her back and looked at the four that stood behind her. Four girls roughly her age with their weapons out. Exotic weaponry no normal agent of the police or White Fang had.
"Oh, Huntresses. Wonderful." She said dryly as she settled back to looking at the sky.
"So I'm guessing you knew who that was?" The blonde girl asked as she helped the Faunus back into the shop.
"I doubt anyone wouldn't. Conspirator with the White Fang, known terrorist across Vale, and overall douchebag. Yeah, its Torchwick." She replied, her usual timidness being overpowered by the residual rage of having her mother attacked. "Anyway, I should thank you guys. I doubt I could have really beat him without help."
"No problem. We heard some gunshots, so it was pretty natural we would come and check it out."
"You said that you doubt you could beat him, but what about all these guys? They aren't just knocked out." The platinum haired princess said as she kneeled down to look at one of her latest kills. "They're pretty dead considering what I can see from the bullet marks."
"I wasn't exactly holding back. They just robbed the wrong flower shop." Layla nudged her chin to a shelf as she looked at her leg and stomach. Second degree burns by what she could see. A trip to the hospital would be needed, but she had to check on her mom. "Ugh, can you check on my mom? She's behind the counter, I think."
The petite girl walked over behind the counter and disappeared. A second later, she popped back up and gave the thumbs up. She had the face of relief by the looks Layla could point out. "She's fine, just unconscious." Her reddish black hair bobbing slightly as she nodded.
A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she leaned against the shelf. "Good. One less thing to worry about."
"What's your name? I'd like to know the person who managed to hold of Torchwick and his men after all." A fellow Faunus. The subtle features for it were there, more specifically towards cats. Slanted eyes, golden irises. Well, that and the bow did twitch once in a while. Pretty shoddy disguise if she had anything to say about it.
"Layla. Layla Brimstark. Employee of the Rising Bud flower shop." She replied.
"Nice to meet you Layla. I'm Blake." The cat Faunus gave a short nod.
"I'm Yang and the short one over there is my sister Ruby." She jabbed a thumb at the aforementioned person, gaining an irate response of denial.
"Yang! I'm not that short! I've been drinking my milk you know!"
"Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that."
"Ahem, my name is-"
"No, I know who you are." Layla interjected. "You're the heiress of the Schnee company. Weiss Schnee. Rich, talented, and an upcoming huntress from Beacon Academy." She bit back the hate rising from her voice. To think the heiress would deign the lower dredges of Vale her presence was almost an impossibility. Considering of what she's heard about her, the huntress-in-training was just a spoiled brat.
Weiss blinked and sagged, her introduction cut short, before puffing her chest proudly at the short synopsis of her talents.
"See Ruby? She knows who I am. I'm famous." She kept her regal happiness as she snickered at her team leader.
"Oh shut up Weiss. Of course she'd known who you are, your face is basically pasted into every billboard. But at least I'm still team leader!" Ruby stuck out her tongue in response, the petite redhead walking over to continue the action to her face.
"Why you little-"
The rest devolved into childish bickering and argument of who was better at something. Again. A normal sight to the team and one that eased the tension well enough.
"Are they always like that?"
"'Fraid so." Yang and Blake shook their heads while they let the pair bicker, turning their attention to her wounds. "Yikes, we need to get those looked at by a doctor. Why didn't you activate your Aura when you fought Torchwick? You're a huntress too right?"
She shook her head. "I'm just an employee at this shop."
"And you managed to kill six guys and survived against one of the most dangerous people in Vale? What kind of flower shop employee is that lethal?"
"I'm a very dedicated flower shop employee."
Yang stuttered out from the answer and just stared. Oh, she looked back at Blake, but all the raven haired girl did was cast an amused smile at the blonde before she returned and stared. "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"You're fucking with me."
"I'm not into girls."
"Ha! I like her already." A statement that earned an elbow to the side by her partner.
"I'd very much like to know the actual reason as well." The sound of their headmaster echoed through the shop, his cane clacking as he walked in with his classic coffee mug, the liquid within still piping hot. How he managed to keep it like that even during the winter months remains a mystery for everyone in Beacon. Regardless, it was unimportant at the moment.
"Professor Ozpin? What are you doing here?" The girls asked in unison.
"Well, this is where I get my flowers for my office. I often go here to pick up my orders. Nice little shop with quality products." He scanned the room before resting on the wounded Layla. "Though it seems the shop has received some...unsavory visitors."
"Yes, its unfortunate. I'm sorry for the delay on your order Mr. Ozpin, but with what just happened tonight, I'm afraid neither I or my mother will be able to get you your order right now."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure my flowers will still be here later on. You, on the other hand, should be getting some medical attention right now. Miss Xiao Long, Miss Belladonna, would you kindly help Ms. Brimstark up? Miss Rose and Schnee, her mother please. Second degree burns are by no means life threatening, but after what I've seen concerning Mr. Torchwick's weapon, it's capable enough to inflict severe pain."
"Where do you want us to take her sir?" Blake asked, kneeling down to handle a side while her partner handled the other.
"Just my room is fine." Layla said quickly, looking at her unconscious mother's direction. Now that Torchwick knew what they looked like, they weren't safe from the Fang now. She needed to stay next to her to make this doesn't happen again. "I have some basic first aid equipment in the bathroom. We can stay here and treat it."
"Is it because of your mother?" The professor asked.
"Yes. I don't wanna leave her alone. Chances are that they may come back and just burn the store down. If anything, I just want to keep her safe."
"I suppose that makes sense. Still, just the results alone shows you're quite trained in fighting. From what I hear, you're not a huntress?"
"No sir. I've only received basic training in fighting. I'm no where near as good as a huntress. I haven't applied to any battle school either. It'd just mean I have to leave my mother alone."
"Perhaps you should join Beacon then. Potential like yours can always flourish in our school, with the direction we give, you may just become a formidable huntress. We can also give you and your mother a place to stay there, if necessary to help your enrollment."
"But isn't it in the middle of the school year?"
"Its still early in the semester. Catching up to your peers would be no problem."
Layla went into silence. The offer was everything she needed. A place to hone her skills given by the White Fang and a place for her mother to stay safe. It'd be foolish to say no at this point.
"I...guess that'd be fine. I mean, if its for my mom, I can at least do this much."
Ozpin gave a nod and walked out the door. "I'll be expecting you there then Ms. Brimstark. Have a good night."
"So that just happened." Yang's ever helpful observations were indeed spot on. "Guess that means we got ourselves a new classmate right?"
"Really, to think Professor Ozpin would just recruit random people off the streets into Beacon is really annoying. What about all the other people who had to work hard to get in?" Weiss huffed in irritation.
"Bet you're just jealous Ruby got in because she did the same thing Layla did." Yang playfully jabbed. "Don't be a sore loser Weiss, just chill out."
"I am chilled out! I'm just saying its weird. This is Beacon we're talking about here. Prestigious school for hunters and huntresses with a background of a prerequisite battle school. Ruby's got the background, so of course she can get in, but Layla doesn't even have that experience. Nothing related to hunting Grimm or even her own weapon."
"Jaune managed to get in though and he's..." Ruby trailed off.
"Bad?" Weiss suggested.
"A punching bag?" Yang quipped.
"Undertrained." Blake sighed out.
"Yeah that! I mean, he's the leader of his team, so the professor must see something in him, so I'm sure someone like Layla could handle her own against Grimm." Ruby squeaked out.
"Err, thanks for the vote confidence, I suppose." Layla said tiredly. "Look, I just want to fix myself up before I start cleaning. Dead bodies are bad for business."
"Gets robbed and she talks about cleaning the dead bodies. Something you don't hear everyday." Yang commented, grunting slightly as she lifted the Faunus up the stairs.
"Does this happen a lot? You seem pretty used to it." Blake looked at her with a tinge of concern. A fellow Faunus looking after another? Well, the rabbit wasn't going to deny the worry.
"The shop is at the edge of the industrial sector. Its pretty common for some mean looking guys to try and make a quick buck. Its a tiring thing to keep them away, but we manage."
The girls gathered into the room after Layla's instructions to where to put her mother before telling Ruby to fetch the medical supplies in the bathroom. Answering other questions were still tiring, even as the supplies came back and she began her self treatment.
"So, how'd you take 'em all down? You obviously used a gun, but what kind was it?" Blake continued with her question. If the weapon was anything like her Gambol Shroud, then it would make sense how she managed to take six people at once.
"Pretty simple. I used a pistol." She bit the gauze and wrapped the wound on her leg. "I mean if you want something better, you can just look at the security feed. Third door on the left. Go watch it, I'll be here when you get back anyway."
The team left, leaving the her with the hidden individual residing outside of the fire escape. A purposeful silence that alerted her of the Tenno's presence as her ears instinctively twitched to its direction.
"Oh, uh, you're back. How'd everything go on your end?"
"Fruitful." It replied simply, "The store is compromised. A new base will be needed."
"Uhm, yeah. Beacon Academy should be alright. I just got an invitation there so I'm planning to move there with my mom. Big place, so there should be places you can stay hidden."
There was a grunt of approval, the shadow bathed in moonlight giving a quick nod. "I will be providing reconnaissance." It paused, before continuing, "Four anomalies in your home. Armed. Faint traces of energy exuding from bodies."
"D-don't kill them. They're huntresses from Beacon. They saved me from Torchwick."
It didn't take the chance of unknown individuals being this close with weapons. As per usual, they were scanned and assigned a mark of execution should they step out of line.
"Leads? Torchwick will be a high priority target for information." It replied simply.
"Sorry, I don't have any. All I did was fight him. You can pretty much guess how that turned out." She wrapped the remaining gauze around her abdomen, biting it again to finish the knot. "I'm pretty sure Junior told him about me. How he managed go find my store probably means he's got a good enough network to track me."
"Tailing you will be the main priority. You have gained his attention, so occasional patrols around Vale will be necessary to lure him out. I will watch and attack when given the chance. Act as you do for now."
Her ears twitched again. Silence once more reigned as the Tenno disappeared without notice while the girls' footsteps echoed in the hall.
"Dude, that was pretty sick." The blonde praised her immediately. "Like holy crap, you were looking so badass with those flips and being all ninja."
"Yeah! She was like 'whoosh' and 'bang bang' and did that all with a pistol! Can you show me your weapon, please?!" Ruby clasped both of Layla's hands with the biggest smile on her face.
"Uhh...?" She looked to the others, whom gave a shrug before she took out the standard White Fang pistol. "I mean, its just a pistol though."
The weapon fanatic immediately snatched it and almost drooled over the simple weapon. "What ammunition does it use? Red dust? Blue? White?"
"Err, pretty sure most bullets are red dust propelled. I'm not too knowledgeable about weapons. I just point and shoot y'know?" Layla scratched her head in embarrassment. She never did enjoy knowing the ins and outs of a weapon, just that if she could use it and taught how to use it, it'd be fine and let the maintenance crew do the work. Of course, being a good soldier meant being able to understand the parts of your weapon to repair it when needed. Well, its kind of why she was never a good soldier.
"Is that so? Well, its just your average pist-" Ruby stopped and looked at the blood red insignia emblazoned to the side of the barrel. "White Fang?"
Layla noticed Blake bristle slightly at the mention of the words. An agent then? She took advantage of that reaction by probing. "Yeah. Not mine, someone else dropped it during one of their shootouts with Schnee and Atlas."
"You're not part of the White Fang then?" Blake almost blurted out the question, reeling it enough to still sound normal.
"I was recruited by Torchwick earlier by threatening my mom's life." The statement was true enough to stop the suspicion of her background. "I rejected the offer of course." She nudged her chin to the wound on her leg.
"I see... Thanks for clearing that up."
"Do any of you have any problems with the White Fang? I'm just curious about your thoughts."
"Um, I kinda liked them better when they didn't start doing all the terrorist thing. I mean, they just want equal rights. I kinda support them, but with how they're doing things right now, I don't know." Ruby's bumbling answer did little to help her choose a side. The girl was a bit indecisive when it came to current events huh?
"What she said." Yang waved off the question immediately.
"Well, I don't like them. It's pretty much a given that I don't. They attack my family, our business, and all hell breaks loose whenever they want to screw with the rest of our stores. The people they've killed with their bombings and assassinations pretty much puts them at the top of my hate list. A group of scum, like the rest of the Faunus." The Schnee heiress replied with venom.
"Weiss, that's a bit much don't you think?" Ruby squeaked out.
"Yeah, you should probably calm down about that." The older sister added.
"It doesn't change the fact what they're doing is still wrong."
"They're just misguided faunus." Blake finally said.
"They want to wipe humanity from the face of the planet!"
"Really misguided faunus."
"Whatever. This and that are different, considering she isn't affiliated with them."
Layla made a subtle frown as she stood up and walked to her mother's room, finding her unharmed and asleep. Her only family left, she was determined to keep her safe after tonight. Tomorrow was Sunday and the only time for her to start packing before they head to Beacon. Hopefully the place will be a whole lot safer than here.
She closed the door and turned to her guests. "You guys should head back to Beacon. There shouldn't be anyone else coming tonight."
"You sure? We can stay here in case something happens. You're technically our classmate now." Ruby's worried voice certainly made her chest feel at ease, but it would just put them in harm's way due to her mistakes.
"Don't worry. I'm more than able to handle a few more people."
They were hesitant but compliant with her wishes. The team of huntresses left to head back to Beacon as she locked the store and turned off the rest of the lights.
As per usual, review and give back some feedback. Getting back to the swing of things is weird, so I appreciate any comments.