Battlehunger
"A person who will not die for something is not fit to live." - Martin Luther King Jr.
Optional Music - Red like Roses I+II
"Calling to all members of the Garrison; fall back!" Commander Buzan shouted into his scroll. "Follow the escape routes and regroup at the third barricade! I repeat, fall back!"
He was hunched over a holographic tactical map of Atlas. Nearly half of the city was marked with a faint red glow, which represents the extent of Grimm invasion into the seat of Remnant's military power. Most of the remaining area were marked yellow, with a few specks of blue scattered haphazardly across the map.
Behind him, a certain figure cloaked in red leaned against the wall pensively, a bloodied bandage wrapped around her eye. She looked out the command tower and to the western city districts. Overrun by various Grimm, the three thousand strong defenders of the Garrison are out there somewhere, strewn across the mess of ruins and smoking rubble, making their way back to the next line of defense or die trying.
"Commander, how can I help?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the ice within them overwhelmed all other sources of noise. The Commander temporarily stopped bellowing orders and considered the Huntress before him. He was an experienced man, capable of leading even the most unruly crowd, but the girl before him was an eerie exception. Her aura was exuding like a mist, but instead of the bright red he saw this morning this time it was a thicker and darker hue of crimson. Something happened that evening when he assigned her to the evacuation of quadrant nineteen.. something even he was loathe to ask.
"Are you sure, Ms. Rose? You should recuperate from your wounds. To be honest, in your state you shouldn't even be standing-"
"I know my limits, Commander." she snapped. "And I promise you I am still capable of combat."
The general paused, taken aback.
"Very well. Quadrant twenty two, a supply depot. I counted it lost but with your skills we should be able to take it back with a company from the Garrison. Let's see.. CHARLIE COMPANY!" he shouted into his scroll. "Stop the evacuation and plot a route back to Q22!"
"Commander?" a captain appeared on the hologram map. "With all due respect, that's suicide!"
"I'm sending you some backup."
"We need a whole dust damn battalion to take the depot back, and from what I understand you don't have a lot of people to spare. How many are coming?"
"Just one."
".. General?" The captain asked with incredulity.
"A hunter, Captain Jarr." Buzan elaborated. He looked back only to find fading rose petals drifting slowly to the ground. He frowned.
"And a pretty damned good one, too."
"-by? Ruby?" a familiar voice roused her from her slumber. She opened her silver eyes blearily.
".. Just a minute, Yang.." she mumbled, adjusting her cloak around her once again.
She gasped in surprise when she felt an ice cold blade touching her cheeks. A burst of semblance later, she was at her feet, clutching Crescent Rose and ready to face her assailant. She sighed in relief when she saw a smirking Mauve holding a blue-glowing Nivalis.
"You scared the crap out of me." Ruby said.
Mauve's amusement disappeared, replaced by worry.
"There's a patrol coming this way. You got a nice nap but we gotta move."
"Got any idea where to go?" Ruby asked, stretching her body taut in preparation for a run.
"I've got a hideout south of the city. Follow me." Mauve said, gesturing at a nearby alleyway.
They broke into a light jog, moving at a relatively slow pace for the sake of caution. Their weapons were sheathed but their hands were on the hilts, ready to deploy them at any moment. The looming buildings of the Sanctuary casts menacing shadows across the slums. Ruby could barely see - the city truly was built for Faunus. They would have no problem seeing in this darkness, but it served only to hinder her progress. The only sources of light were old street lights, and even those are few and far inbetween the empty roads.
Not entire empty, that is. There were a few faunus here and there, sitting contentedly under the shadows.
"It's the slums. The homeless can't stay in the center of the city." Mauve explained.
"Sounds harsh." Ruby said empathically.
"I was actually one of them, back in the day." Mauve chuckled. "Trust me, we're fine the way we are. There are several shelters around the slums and even if they're not full, they still hand out food to the rest."
"Why is that better than living IN the city?" Ruby asked, confused.
"Oh, we don't want to live anywhere close to the Faunus elite." Mauve said with disdain. "They're a bunch of self-absorbed bastards. The lower ranked have it better with each other."
".. The faunus have ranks?" Ruby asked timidly.
".. Are you sure you're a Huntress? Or are you really that clueless?" Mauve said with a disapproving expression on her face.
"Hey, I haven't been out in the real world for seven years!" she protested.
"It's been there since the Faunus War." Mauve said.
Ruby sputtered, trying to find a valid excuse for her ignorance. Eventually she gave up and relented.
"My bad, I guess."
"The way things are, major faunus tends to hold the power." Mauve elaborated. "They would be the 'strong" ones - bears, big cats, birds of prey. Minor faunus are often disregarded and used for labor - they would be rabbits, rodents and insects."
"Insect faunus exist?" Ruby said disbelievingly.
"I have no idea how you managed to survive on so little knowledge for so long." Mauve joked.
Ruby made a face and poked at her companion.
"Just get us there."
Mauve complied and they set off once more into the shadows.
"Damn it." Mauve swore.
"What is it?" Ruby asked, concerned.
They were crouched on a rooftop of an apartment building overlooking the slums. The rooftop was covered with dust and spider webs, but Mauve insisted that it was the best vantage point in this part of the city. They were looking down on rows of small houses in a run down neighborhood. A twenty-strong squad of Sentinels were combing the area, violently ripping doors and, from the sound of the commotion, rudely searching inside the premises. Minor faunus were tossed out of their homes while the Sentinels ravaged them. They seemed to be looking for something.
"They're here."
"What's here?"
"My hideout, you dummy! I told you that's why we're here in the first place!"
For some reason, instead of feeling bad, the Huntress smiled at the rebuke.
"What's so funny?" Mauve asked, confuse.
"That's the exact thing Weiss would tell me in this situation." she smiled, but now that Mauve took a closer look at her expression she found it tinged with sadness.
"Right." Mauve said. "In any case, I need to get some things from the houses. I've got some high caliber ammunition I'm sure you could use as well."
"How are we gonna get there, though?" Ruby inquired.
"I've.. prepared an escape route. We can use it to get inside."
"Where is this escape route?"
"Ugh. Ah. Ew." Ruby cringed. The moment her foot entered the filthy muck, she squealed.
"Cut it out." Mauve said, rolling her eyes. She dropped into the murky waters without a care in the world. "You're a Huntress, you've had worse, right?"
"Look, I've disemboweled my fair share of Grimm but I've never had to walk in this.. gunk."
"It's a concoction of mining sewage, mineral washing water and human-"
"Don't tell me." Ruby moaned, stopping the purple haired girl from continuing.
The city's sewers are pretty filthy. It seemed that hygiene wasn't very high on the list when it comes to survival and priorities. The red cloaked woman thanked her stars that her boots were water-proof or her feet would be soaked in sludge by now.
Above the two of them, the city was bustling with activity. It was six in the morning and most of Sanctuary's inhabitants are already up. There were chores to tend to, dust to mine and Grimm to kill. Ruby could sympathize - she spent most of her life doing the same. It saddened her to think that some of the children born in the city would spend all their lives struggling to survive. Mauve had mentioned that schooling were practically nonexistent within the underground city - children were either home schooled or taught important skills and craft the moment they learn to walk. It was a necessity, however - the discipline and consistency of the faunus lifestyle had kept them alive all these years and if things go well it should do so for a long time.
"In any case, it's a great escape route. No one would ever voluntarily go in here, much less the honorable Sentinels." Mauve said, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
"Couldn't you have made a different escape route? You know, somewhere less.. dirty?" Ruby complained.
"Sure. It's called a door, but it's a little occupied with big bad faunus right now." Mauve mocked.
"Hilarious. You're worse than Yang." Ruby said.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Mauve replied smugly. "Now shush. We're almost there."
They arrived below a small hatch on the ceiling. Mauve tugged it open once or twice and it creaked as it was violently pushed upwards.
A purple head peeked out of the trapdoor, looking around the room.
"Clear." Mauve confirmed.
Ruby rose (getting old?) up the escape hole and proceeded to check out the place. It was a humble home, absolutely perfunctory and wasting no space. There was an old scroll sitting on a wooden desk, a single bed tucked in a corner of the room, an open wardrobe full of messy clothing, a door Ruby presumed leads to the bathroom, a really cozy fireplace and a giant treasure chest at the foot of the bed.
"Neat." Ruby complimented.
"Thanks." Mauve said, beaming.
Ruby sighed contentedly and crashed on the floor of the house. She smeared sewer sludge on the floor, much to Mauve's annoyance.
"Can you stop that?" Mauve said.
"Why should I? Like you said, you're already busted." Ruby said stubbornly.
".. Fine. Which reminds me, we should hurry before they get to this one. The shouting is getting close."
Mauve scrounged around her treasure chest and tossed a belt of sniper
"Where on Remnant did you get a bunch of military grade, high caliber sniper ammunition?"
"We were just there."
"The SEWERS?!" Ruby asked disbelievingly.
"Hey, people throw out all sorts of things."
"NOT THESE!" she said, cooing the sniper rounds in her arms. "There you go, you're safe now. Mommy's got you."
Mauve unconsciously took a step back from the eccentric Huntress.
Filling her magazines with the newfound munitions, Ruby sat down on the bed. Mauve busied herself with replacing parts of Nivalis and reloading the dust cartridges she had spent in the fight the previous evening.
Deep down, Ruby smiled. It felt like home again, as if they were students at Beacon preparing for a demonstration match. No, with someone like Mauve against her, it felt more like the Vytal Tournament remade.
Mauve saw her smile and returned it with a faint one. She handed Ruby some accelerant attachments and the crimson cloaked woman accepted them gratefully.
"Why did you stay here, anyway?" Ruby asked. "You don't seem to have a lot of attachments. You're human and the slums isn't much of a place to live in."
"I may not look very social but I have friends, you know!" Mauve said, offended. "I can't leave them just like that. Besides, it's home."
"I guess."
"Why are YOU here?" Mauve turned the question back on her. "As far as I know, you're a former Huntress and recluse way up north. What made you come to the Sanctuary?"
"A couple of fr-acquaintances." Ruby murmured. "They've been uh.. captured. By Wyvern."
"Humans?"
Ruby shook her head.
"Faunus."
"Who are they?"
"Travis and Malcolm."
Mauve's eyes bulged.
"Travis?! As in Overseer Ronald's sibling? The second of the Wulf brothers?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Damn. I would've thought Roy sent him a warning when that winged bastard took over."
"They were caught by surprise."
"How'd you get away?" Mauve asked suspiciously.
"I was sleeping on top of a pine tree."
".. Forget I asked. Let me see." Mauve turned on her scroll and opened a network page. Her eyes narrowed as she mouthed the words she read.
"What is it?" Ruby asked.
"Bad news." Mauve said, handing Ruby the scroll. "Public Execution of Travis Wulf tomorrow night. All inner city citizens are obligated to come and witness the end of a major threat to faunus freedom everywhere. What a load of shit."
Ruby tensed.
"I'm going." she said, taking out Crescent Rose, walking towards the door.
"Wait! Don't be stupid!" Mauve hissed, grabbing hold of her arm.
"He's my friend! I have to help!" Ruby said, anger burning in her silver eyes.
"Then let me help you help him!"
Ruby stopped struggling.
"I can't ask you to do that."
"You don't have too, idiot. I'm volunteering myself for the job."
"But it's going to be dangerous
"You saved my life, Ruby. I have a debt to pay. Or are you telling me I'm incapable of taking down some half-assed prison guards?" Mauve raised her eyebrows, daring the stubborn woman to continue. She placed her hand on the hilt of Nivalis for good measure.
"No, that's not it.. I'm just.. I'm.." Ruby stammered.
Ruby let out an exasperated shout and relented, sitting on the ground, defeated.
"Believe me, we will save him." Mauve promised, placing a hand on the Huntress's shoulder. "It's just that it's easier with the help of a few friends."
"What friends-"
The door exploded into shards as a hulking bear faunus barged into the room, armed with a small battering ram attached to his meaty arm. His eyes narrowed at the two women in the house; one wielding a giant scythe and the other with a hand on a rapier.
"THEY'RE HERE!"
Apparently, the battering ram attached to the Sentinel's arm were equipped with.. unique modifications. Ruby was delighted, of course, but her companion was less than amused.
"This is bad!" Mauve said, dodging an incendiary round. The bear faunus fired two more, demolishing the remains of her humble abode, before reloading the arm cannons and resuming his barrage. His fellow Sentinels stood behind him, brandishing their respective weapons, waiting for a chance to strike at their prey.
Apparently, things were different in Ruby's head. She sliced a round in mid-air and fired a scopeless shot at the gathering Sentinels, killing one with a headshot. The rest of them growled in anger and charged into the fray, ready to avenge their fallen comrade. Waves of gunfire and explosives went her way, but they were nothing to her lightning fast semblance. She evaded every round, going so far as to hit one with the blunt side of her scythe, sending the burning casing into one of the Sentinel's eyes. She whooped as the lion faunus dropped his weapon and clutched at his melting face.
"This is awesome!" Ruby shouted gleefully, the murderous passion glowing in her silver eyes. She fired an accelerant round to boost her way into the Sentinels' ranks and twirled Crescent Rose like the flower it was named after - beautiful and elegant, yet deadly and thorned. Three faunus fell dead in the wake of her assault; the rest were astonished at the masterful display of the scythe and unwittingly backed away from the woman.
"Disgraceful." a new voice appeared.
A tall deer faunus appeared from their midst, brandishing twin javelins. His weapons were tipped with serrated blades and ends with a hook - made for ripping apart muscle and bone.
"Malcolm?" Ruby said, tilting her head in confusion.
"I see you have mistaken me for my weaker sibling." the faunus said. "You are an admirable warrior. What is your name?"
"Ruby. And yours?"
The deer faunus smiled maliciously, raising his javelins in a battle stance.
"Remember the name Vaughn on your way to hell, girl!"
"They say there can't be beauty in the world if there's no ugliness!" Ruby shouted back. She did an impromptu bow towards the deer faunus's direction. "So I thank you for your sacrifice!"
"Scum!" Vaughn roared.
They swung their weapons and clashed in a spark of gunfire and steel.
In the mean time, Mauve held her own against the quartet of Sentinels in her way. They were exceptionally skilled - she recognized them from her days clearing the city's tunnels of Grimm in the Sanctuary's early years.
"Good to see you again, Mauve." a horse faunus smiled. "I see you've grown, in more ways than one."
He licked his mouth at the sight of the younger girl, brandishing a pair of tonfa guns. His companions murmured in agreement.
"As disgusting as ever, Fenzer." Mauve retorted. "Do you really think you can beat me in a fair fight?"
"I'm hurt, deary. I thought we had something." Fenzer faked a heartache. "Besides, who said it was going to be a fair one?"
Too late, Mauve realized a fifth opponent was sneaking up behind her. Whirling around to meet the hidden opposition, she stared into cold barrel of a heavy assault rifle.
The rat faunus holding the weapon smiled.
And fired.
A/N:
Oh, cliffhangers. Aren't they wonderful?
Sweet! Three thousand views! Domo arigato! [Mr. Roboto]
Review on! What do you think of the Sentinels? The faunus hierarchy? The upcoming execution? The action? Hair tinglingly good? Okay? Bad? Eye-rippingly horrible? Tell me about it, people!
Have a great day!
-Deathwhisperer.