As a little side-note to everyone, I'll be updating my two stories with alternating chapters so expect a bit slower update schedule and I'm a bit swamped with work right now so I can't do much on the stories...

Just replying to 'a fan', I don't think I'll be able to do another story right now as I can barely handle two at once, but I might be able to do it a bit later...

As for the story... well we're just about to get to the depress-fest that is the later episodes of Season 3... fun for everyone... well except for the people who die... obviously

Naughtbeast

Chapter 33:

The day after, it was the Angels turn to fight in the first round of the tournament, with Demon still not having returned. To say that the match for the Angels didn't go well would be an understatement… it went just about as good as an ice-cream in the middle of the desert... even if they did end up winning. They were pitted against team RWBY, people they could have handled with all their years of combat… but the Angels only really had 3 people fighting. Tempest was a tad distracted during the fight, his thoughts being focused elsewhere… or more specifically on Yang. No one really knew why, but he had woken up early in the morning and when he was at breakfast he left the second Yang arrived. He had stayed training for the fight most of the day but when it began, he didn't seem to care anymore.

The Angels started the fight well, Jaeger immediately running up to the top of a mountain that was in the terrain behind them while Josh and Markus began distracting them so that Jaeger could get a shot in… but when Tempest began running, he went off after Jaeger, rendering his weapons completely useless.

"What the hell?" Jaeger exclaimed, not stopping as he lied low and set up the bipod on his DMR and began firing at the other team, their members being distracted enough so that he could continuously land shots.

"I need to ask you something…" Tempest began, not bothering to even contribute to the fighting "Yang said something and I have no idea what it means…"

"What? You're asking this now!"

"Well… It's been bothering me for a while and I think you're probably the most informed on the subject, being a lady's man and all"

"Dude… have you seen me? I barely even look at women at all… but if you need to talk then fine, but not now!" Jaeger replied, casually reloading his DMR after running through his first clip. Tempest just ignored him and continued anyway.

"She said that she wanted to continue the relationship… and I have no idea what the hell that means"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Jaeger shouted, reloading once again and beginning to fire even more furiously.

"Well do you have any idea?"

"NO! GET INTO THE DAMN FIGHT!"

Two buzzers sounded, both being for Markus and Josh.

"SHIT!" Jaeger shouted, flipping up the bipod and jumping away just as a hailstorm of bullets from Gambol Shroud and Crescent Rose peppered the rocks where he stood. Tempest didn't even seem to care as he ran through the bullets and dove behind the rock Jaeger was behind.

"Well who do you think I should ask?"

"JUST ASK HER YOU DUMBASS!"

"Hmm… that might actually work"

Tempest jumped out from behind the rock and sprinted down the mountainside, giving Jaeger the opportunity to fire upon their opponents and distract them long enough so that Tempest could get within earshot of the blazing dragon.

"YANG! What did you mean by what you said last night!" he shouted over the din of the gunfire, Yang still firing concussion shells at him.

"What? What do you mean?"

"You said you wanted to continue the relationship but I don't know what you mean!" shouted Tempest, diving behind a rock to avoid Gambol Shroud being shot towards him.

"I MEANT I WANTED TO GO ON ANOTHER DATE YOU DUMBASS!" she practically screamed, turning a bit red.

"OH!" he replied, finally realising… "Well in this case I hope this doesn't ruin the mood"

Tempest jumped out of cover with renewed vigour and fire off two archer missiles, RWBY nearly dying of shock. Ruby quickly dashed out of the way, Yang diving away, although Blake chose a different course of action. She sliced in a diagonal line in front of her and the rockets were cut in half, detonating a fair distance away from them. Tempest didn't stop and began firing his two shotguns at Ruby, the girl having a hard time to dodge the shots, although they were interrupted by a charging Yang. Tempest began firing beside her, trying to distract her but not activate her semblance. He was slightly distracted to see Blake jumping up the side of the mountain.

"JAEGER! WATCH OUT! BLAKE IS COMING UP THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN!"

"Pfft… it's fine… they're only women"

And then… the entire stadium stopped. Yang immediately stopped literally an inch away from punching Tempest, her head turning 180 degrees to look directly at Jaeger.

"Tempest… you don't mind if I kill him do you?"

"Go ahead…" he replied, Yang shouting a command to Blake and she threw down Gambol Shroud on a rope, Yang grabbing onto it and being thrown up the mountainside straight towards Jaeger. He didn't even bother moving, knowing there was no point to even try… and then he was launched right out of the arena… after Yang punched him in the groin.

Every man in the audience cringed, while every woman just cheered. The buzzer sounded and Yang landed on the top of the mountain, hair glowing with anger. Ruby took the distraction, being a bit too innocent for her own good and not understanding why everyone was cringing, and sliced diagonally at the back of his knees, knocking them from beneath him and following up with another cut across his chest. The final buzzer sounded as Tempest's aura went below 15 and the crowd cheered, celebrating RWBY's victory.

The Angels hesitantly walked off stage, massaging their various body parts, except for Jaeger who was carried off by Tempest. JNPR, Kira and Rosaline met the two teams at the entrance and they began chatting. Josh was sharpening his hand-and-a-half sword when Rosaline came up to him.

"Josh, do you have any idea where Demon's been?"

"Sorry but I haven't seen him since the fight yesterday…"

Ruby overheard the conversation and jumped over to interupt.

"He's staying in the forest after he got a bit overwhelmed by finding out his semblance… I don't know why he hasn't returned yet"

Josh then nearly lost himself when he realised what it was about.

"Ohh… I think I know why he's down there… it's nothing to worry about but I should probably go down and get him"

"How will you find him?" Ruby asked.

"Well… looking in the place where everything else isn't is usually the best plan of action" he replied before walking off, heading to the landing pads to get down to the Emerald Forest.

[Back down with our badass protagonist]

Well… this is awkward…

Demon was currently in the middle of an intense staring session with a beowolf that was laying down next to him on the ground. The beowolf was only just a pup, it wouldn't even be perhaps a month old, nothing that would actually prove a threat at all… but it was still the strangest thing Demon had ever seen… apart from whenever Kalazar took control. It made no indications that it was going to attack, but didn't seem phased in the slightest with Demon staring at it. As he continued to sit there staring, waiting for something to happen… it did something that would have made him feint if he didn't know better… it licked his mask and then closed its eyes and went back to sleep next to him.

What… the hell… is going on!

Demon then took the chance to look around… and immediately felt a LOT more unsafe where he was… he was surrounded by Grimm. There was an entire pack of beowolves that were, Ursai and a large, elder Deathstalker covered in moss and thick armour that was laying around the clearing… with Demon being in the centre. He stopped breathing, fearing that if he did then they would immediately begin mauling him to death. His heart sped up to a million miles an hour and he tried to think of an answer to the question of why they were doing this.

KALAZAR! GET HERE NOW!

"Grrr… what do you want? I was in the middle of a nice dream of drowning the entire town… what do you want?"

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT DO I WANT! LOOK WHERE WE ARE!

"Oh… meh, what's the problem?"

YOU CAN'T SEE A SINGLE PROBLEM WITH THIS!

"Umm… no? They aren't going to do anything…"

I pray that you would enlighten me as to how you know this!

"You don't remember what happened in the forest the last time?"

Yea… you saved me and Yang… OH! Now I get it… aren't these the guys that you told to piss off?

"More or less… I guess they still think I'm the alpha, although I don't know why they aren't attack you… maybe they can sense we are linked?"

You never make sense… well will they follow if I leave?

"How should I know? I just know that they listen to whatever you say…"

They can understand me?

"Well not you exactly… give me a second…"

What are you doing?

"Just talk ok!"

Demon grumbled and cleared his throat, talking as he would normally… only his voice wasn't human. It sounded the same as if a Beowulf was growling or yipping, his voice sounding warped and weird.

"Umm hello?" he had said, nearly having a heart attack when the pup seemed to understand him. The beowolf that was lying next to him yipped and licked his ear, jumping a few feet away and sitting on its hind legs, tongue lolling out the side of its mouth. The others seemed to be warier and approached with mute curiosity, wondering how they could understand this human. The Deathstalker on the other side of the clearing seemed to be the only other Grimm that had heard him and scuttled over so that it was right behind the pup and was staring at Demon through 12 beady, red eyes. Next, it spoke through its mandibles, strange little clicking sounds coming as they rasped against the chitin of its carapace, the voice produced sounding almost feminine and motherly.

"Human… your appearance leaves much to be desired in the eyes of the pack, yet your soul and voice prove to be one that is more than fit to lead us… which should we believe in… the false visage of your frail body, or the strong soul which we can sense throughout you… speak now or you will be deemed a false pack lord and will die by my claw!"

Demon was a bit taken back by the idea that he could actually understand them, yet he continued on anyway.

"I cannot say that I am fit to lead you, nor can I say that I wouldn't be fit… I have no sense as to how I came to become the Alpha of your pack and I do not know why you would not kill me outright… I wish to know why I would be your Alpha"

The Deathstalker seemed to be vexed by his words, clicking its mandibles together a few times in thought before responding.

"Your soul… it is not meant for that of your kind, the essence is all wrong… I sense it to be corrupted from that of its original form, being tainted with the darkness like that of daemon-kind, like my kin... you bested our previous Alpha in combat, although we did not notice your link to our kind until you spoke to us and informed us of your protection over the human kin… we left you by your own wishes and sensed you in our territory again, thinking you had wished to return to your command, although you seemed to be in deep sleep so we left you to your thoughts…"

"Ok then… I still don't see as to why you are thinking I am your alpha"

The Deathstalker seemed to be continuously getting more and more frustrated with each passing moment and spat back a reply.

"Your besting of our previous Alpha by right made you our Alpha, but we wish to know if you would be worthy given your relation to those that we feed upon… do you find our kind in the hatred of your mind like those of your species?"

"Well… umm… I guess not… you haven't eaten me yet so I guess I should give you a chance… so what would I have to do as the Alpha?" asked Demon, sounding a bit like this was a job interview.

"The pack grows wrestles without leadership, refusing to follow my orders as I am only the Beta…" she reached towards Demon and grabbed him in her pincers and pulling him towards her "I am asking as the dying wishes of this pack of which I have been the very instigator of… your soul is more powerful than any of my own kind and with your power at our helm, we could once again be at our true glory"

"If becoming your Alpha means leading you against humans then I must decline… I refuse to murder innocents"

The Deathstalker growled low, tightening her grip on Demon.

"You mistake our incentives human… we are not all the mindless animals that your kind thinks of us to be… we are not all touched by the will of She Who Corrupts... we simply need a leader or I fear that my pack will turn to her as their leading purpose and destroy all that I have worked to build"

"So you don't want to kill people?"

"We attacked you and your friend because we saw the slaughter of our kin by the female in gold and our Alpha called an attack on her… we obeyed blindly and that is when you killed one of our elders and he changed focus to you, through the last seconds of his life"

"Let me get this straight… you want me to be your Alpha just so the idiots will listen to me so that they will listen to you, all because you just want to be better than the other Grimm?"

"I do not see why it has taken you so long to find the point of this but yes… that is what I wish for you to do"

"Ummm… ok then? I just want to let you know that I probably won't be able to keep you safe if other humans come your way and I can't stay with you for long"

"We just wish for a purpose your majesty"

Hmm… I like the sound of that… Kalazar, what do you think?

"Well… having a force at your side could prove useful in the future… it would be easy to keep them out of sight from the others as you already seem to spend most of your time away from them and they don't seem to want to kill you… plus she's hot"

DUDE! THAT'S DISGUSTING!

"Pfft… I've never complained about your relationship with that ugly girl so why are you complaining when I comment on how someone looks"

Just… eww… never talk about this again…

"Ok then… I accept"

The Deathstalker clicked her mandibles in glee and released him, putting her stinger right down on the ground and telling him to get onto it. He hesitantly stood on the appendage and was lifted high into the air. He nearly lost his balance, having to kneel down and hold on and steady himself before standing up again.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked the Deathstalker.

"You are the Alpha… prove it"

Demon smiled… he knew exactly what to do. He pulled out his wingman and pulled the trigger once, laughing at how just about every Grimm jumped and nearly shit themselves as their attention was immediately set on Demon.

"OI! You may remember me from before but if you don't then I'm your new Alpha… I may not look like the part but I'm the best you've got and I know how we can make this pack the best in the whole damn continent! First order of business is that I want you to avoid any contact with humans or faunus until I say so…"

Most of the Grimm just began roaring angrily at Demon, smashing they fists into the ground in protest, the more zealous waiting for a reason.

"The only reason I'm doing this is because we aren't exactly the biggest pack out there right now… so we're going to change that… starting soon we are going to go around and get some more for the ranks… and until then I don't want anyone dying for an unnecessary cause"

There were still a few that were protesting, although they were silenced by the biggest Ursa in the pack slamming its fist into the ground and roaring, earning a fearful look from just about every other Grimm.

"Keep talking human…" it spoke, still eyeing off the ones that were causing a racket.

"So… I know you may still be pissed that I am human but I can assure you that I have no grudge against you and unless you give me a reason then I won't… for now I want you to move North until you come to the sheer cliff and stay near there, making sure not to be in sight of any hunters… I will meet with you soon but until then…" he turned and whispered to the Deathstalker "what's your name?"

"I am Araksa Narru'ul"

He turned back to the whole pack.

"Araksa here will take charge and if you have a problem with that, then I'll let you have a little talk with muscle and spikes over there" he finished, gesturing over to the Ursa who growled in agreement. With that done, Demon was let down by Araksa and he brushed himself off, glad with how it went down. The entire pack had clumped together, Demon seeing that it couldn't really be anywhere over 100 here… something that he would change soon enough. Araksa moved off, ordering around the pack so that they were ready to move, although the Ursa from before moved over to Demon. He was about a head taller than most other Ursai and he had spikes with red tips that were protruding from the bone-white armour that covered most of his body.

"Human… I am Rea'ksh and I served under the last Alpha as his enforcer… to tell the truth, I am hesitant for you to accept command, but your soul speaks leagues about you and I am so-far impressed… I will stand by your side and ensure your commands are followed to the letter…"

"Great to hear coming from you… look after Araksa would you? I don't trust the others to follow her orders enough so that my plans will go through"

"Your will is mine your majesty…"

Their talk was interrupted by beowolf sprinting into the clearing and howling loudly, causing the other Grimm to immediately stop what they were doing. Araksa clicked her mandibles together and the rest of the pack sprinting off into the tree-line heading North. She called over to Rea'ksh and he followed as well, Araksa staying behind to shout at Demon.

"My majesty, a human flyer is coming this way so we must leave… I thank you for everything you have done and wish you luck… farewell!"

Araksa quickly turned around and scuttled off into the trees just as a Bullhead came into view and began to land on the ground. Before it even touched the ground, Demon saw the Angels jump out and sprint towards him, looking warily at where the Deathstalker had ran off to.

"You alright?" asked Josh, walking up to Demon as he pointed his Carbine into the trees, finger hovering over the trigger. Demon felt something change within him just before he tried to talk, happy to find that when he did it was back to normal.

"I'm fine… we should get going" Demon quickly answered, ignoring him and walking to where the Bullhead was and waiting for it to land, the Angels following while still holding their weapons ready. Demon just casually waited until it landed and was a bit hesitant to step in when he saw Kira and Rosaline sitting in the seats near the cockpit. He did so anyway, ensuring to sit as close to the door as the Angels got in, Demon being happy that Tempest had sat next to him.

"What happened?" Tempest asked as Josh radioed the pilot to begin the lift-off, the Bullhead beginning its slow ascent.

"Umm… nothing too note-worthy" Demon replied, looking out the cargo-bay door and smiling as he saw the flashes of gold from the stinger of Araksa… "Nothing at all…"

This… is going to be awesome…