" FUCK ! I hate snow ! " Orion yelled angrily as he, Mercury, Sun, Neptune, and teams JNPR and RWBY trudged through the snow-clad mountain trails of Atlas.
Unfortunately for them, it was during a seasonal blizzard so that made travel by vehicle near impossible.
Orion was literally leaving flaming footsteps in his wake, having to use his semblance to make a suitable pathway through the snow as they all trekked further up the mountainous path.
" Oh big deal, it's just a little snow."
" Shut up Ice Queen, I was born in the desert. This freaking snow is like anti-sand ! "
" Did you just call me Ice Queen ! "
" Calm down you two, we have to work together but I'm with hot-head, I prefer the sand." Sun intervened, trying to play devil's advocate, despite his hatred for Orion.
" Hold up ! Ruby, how you feeling ? " Yang asked her sister, who was shivering with cold before nearly collapsing. Yang caught her at the last second. " Rubes ! "
" Is she ok ? " Weiss questioned nervously as everyone but Orion gathered around her.
" Soo...cold.."
" Hey, come on Ruby it's ok ! Just focus on big sis' voice."
" Move." Orion said as he cut through everyone and stopped in front of Ruby and Yang. " I was hoping that you wouldn't slow me down, but I suppose you're as much my problem as the others."
Orion looked at Ruby and then to Yang several times before creating a ring of blue flames around them, " This should help. Hey Ice Queen, why don't you and the rest of the lackeys set up camp, might as well not go anywhere for a while."
Despite hating his guts, Weiss complied as everyone set up tents for a break Blake gathered snow to melt for water. Mercury, casually walked next to Orion, who was focused keeping the ring of Novafire warm enough to give Ruby warmth but cool enough to not burn her alive.
" Come on Rubes, just focus on getting warm. Big-sis is right here.."
" Acting overly doting isn't going to help her. How did she even get this far if-"
" YOU SHUT UP ! "
" Oh don't get all pissed off at me because Red over here can't take the cold."
" I SAID SHUT UP ! "
Mercury nudged Orion in his sides to get his attention, " Dial it back a bit, and save it for later. Trust me, she'll be a better fight when she's not emotionally destroyed." Mercury said low enough for only Orion to hear before walking away.
Orion smirked to himself as his flames changed from blue to golden as Jaune appeared with a warmed rag that he tossed to Yang, " Here, this should help."
" Thanks Jaune." Yang said gratefully as she the rag on the shivering Ruby's forehead, " It's alright Ruby, focus on my voice.."
Golden flames trailed up Ruby's arms and legs as well as melt the surrounding snow around her and melt any that fell to close.
" A little rag isn't going to help Red. Just move, you're making my flames divide attention." Orion said to Yang, who stared him down before pulling her sister into a tight huh.
" Either you help or don't. She's my baby sister and I won't leave her alone ! "
" Fine whatever. You put her in the tent, the flames won't burn her but they'll stop frost-bite. Wouldn't want her to lose a limb now."
Yang angrily glared at Orion before gently picking her sister and walked over to more pleasant company as Orion watched his breathe form a mist in the air.
After a few hours, Ruby made a decent recovery, bested only by a slight cold but during that time the sun had set, leaving the surrounding areas too dim and dangerous to be able to travel effectively. So they resorted to camping out, having each team sleep in their own tents.
That left Orion out in the snow, having decided to keep watch on his on accord. Mercury trudged through the snow and sat down next to him, " Sup loner."
" Nothing much, just waiting. Can you do me a favor ? "
" "Hellfire Orion" asking me for a favor ? Wonder what it could be."
" I'll tell you later. Just make sure the blondes don't get killed, I got a few scores to settle with them."
Mercury could only silently chuckle before falling back into the snow, " Sure, you just don't get killed, no point on holding a grudge if you can't deliver on it. Speaking of blondes, that Yang reminds me of you."
" How ? "
" Fire, red-eyes, temper, and doesn't back down from anyone even when you know you're out-matched."
" When was I ever out-matched ? "
" When you first fought Team RWBY, I seem to remember them beating you to hell to point where you had to use your Hellfire."
" Oh whatever, as it stands now, I'm leagues above them."
" Uh huh, but for how long ? "
As the sun began to rise, all the teams, along with Orion and Mercury were already travelling, luckily the blizzard had let up and the sunlight was unfettered by clouds so there was a clear path on where to go.
" Hey look down there...Well fuck..." Orion said as the group finally met him at the clearing as they saw two things that divided the whole of their attention.
The first was the massive, evil yet elegant and magnificent castle that undoubtedly was Elias was. The second was the mass of soldiers, Paladins and Knights supplied by Atlas for the invasion of said castle.
" Alright I'm calling bullshit ! You mean to tell me NO ONE noticed this giant fucking castle here ?! I DON'T EVEN...JUST... THE FUCK ?! " Orion began, going on a long rant, followed copious amounts of swearing to the point where Yang had covered Ruby's ears to prevent her from hearing the worse terms, even for her.
It got to the point where Mercury simply kicked Orion in the back of the head to shut him up before they proceeded to an impressive field camp where they were greeted by Team CFVY mid-way there.
" Oh Coco, I didn't expect for your team to be here ! " Ruby said in surprise, as Orion silently gauged the team himself.
" Well since we're hardly at Beacon these days, we decided to join the assault. You all can follow Velvet, and she'll fill you in."
Everyone but Orion and Mercury followed Velvet as Coco, and Fox separated them from the group.
" I heard a lot about you, "Hellfire" Orion. I might not have been at Beacon at the time of the attack, but I promise you this, if I so much as suspect you're up to ANYTHING, the Atleasian Army will be the least of your concern." Coco threatened with a hint of killing intent that seeped through her words.
" You two combined, are worse than Grimm. I'll be watching you." Fox said to both of them.
" Like I said to the tools, I'll say to you. We're leagues above you all, so good luck. Be glad our interest align." Orion said smugly as he and Mercury tried to shove past Fox and Coco but Fox grabbed them both by their arms and gripped tightly.
" I never got wounded by running away. I don't care if your leagues above me or not, I'll kill you both if I need to." He said darkly before Mercury and Orion broke his hold on them and continued on their way.
When they were a decent distant away from them, Orion came to a stop at the edge of the camp. " Just inside there, the bastard that hurt Emerald is in there. I don't remember his name but I know what he looks like. Wanna race to see who gets the kill ? "
" It'll be me Orion, you always lose your bets. Which reminds me, do you still that book you stole, I have a feeling you'll need it."
" Yeah I have it, The Book of Oblivion. I actually have no idea how it works, but it works like a prison. I recommend you NEVER open it, if I lose it. EVER. Unless you wanna meet Chaos."
" Chaos ? " Mercury questioned curiously.
" Imagine the source of all darkness, and multiply it by the worse thing you can think of. Surprisingly, he...It, wasn't what I expected, it actually wanted my help. Talk about ironic."
" You do have a way of attracting unwanted attention, suppose even a demon noticed." Mercury said as he brushed snow of his clothes. After a quick good-bye, Orion waited 'til he was alone, and double-checked to be sure. He stealthily exited the war camp, trudged through the snow until he was out of sight, before getting the Book of Oblivion from his pack as he began to try and decipher it's contents to no avail. Having been written in a language from long ago, only few had the skill to decipher it, and he simply wasn't one of them. He gave up in defeat as he placed the book back into his bag.
Orion sighed in frustration, as he sat in the snow in annoyance as the patch of white around him began to melt. Soon he had a comfortable patch of ground to lie down on as he stared blankly into the sky. He turned his head to look at the dark castle before sitting up and cracking his neck.
" I really hate waiting." He said to himself with a smirk as golden flames ran up his arms before turning into golden wings. Orion quickly took to the sky and soared through the air and was headed straight for the castle before he descended to the ground halfway between the assault camp and the castle.
Several people with mask, similar to those from the attack on Beacon stood in his way. The only difference being that they didn't carry blades, instead a single dark tendril emerged from under all five of their cloaks.
" We cannot let you pass, turn back or die. Lord Elias Arc wishes not to be disturbed."
" Wait, Arc...oh Jaune is going to freak out," Orion said to himself with his a chuckle before returning his attention back to the five in front of him, " If want to die so badly, let me oblige you ! "
Three tendrils emerged from his waist as they did before. Four mask wearers in front of him backed away step-by-step but the last one's tendril pierced the ground in front of Orion, causing him to stop.
" I won't ask a third time, leave or die," he said as his tendril returned back underneath his cloak as his other four followers retreated through pools of shadows that appeared beneath them.
" Pretty big talk there seeing as how you're alone now." Orion taunted as his three tendrils aimlessly trailed through the snow.
" They'd serve no purpose but get in the way. If you will not leave then I must kill you, tell me your name."
" Orion. What's yours ? "
" I have no name, but I am referred to as Amon. Orion, the one who killed Uriel, struck Lord Elias, and defeated Umbra before she turned against us, I have been eager to test my skill against yours. I suppose I should thank you."
Orion looked at Amon in confusion, " Thank me for what ? "
" Killing Uriel, she was too arrogant for her own good and it became her undoing. Many of us thought that Umbra or I would kill her first, but you saved us the trouble. However, you an enemy, and I eliminate Lord Elias' enemies, without remorse." Amon stated as ice formed around, distracting Orion as Amon's tendril appeared out of the snow as it impaled Orion through his stomach and flung him into the snow before a sharpened pillar of ice shot from the ground, and exited out the front of Orion's chest, leaving him impaled above the ground.
" Hmm, I seemed to have overestimated you. Sauriel said that you were a worthy fighter but it appears not." Amon said from behind his mask as he turned to leave but stopped as he heard the sound of ice cracking as glistening shards went flying overhead and Orion landed on the ground as the wounds healed by golden flames.
" No, if anything you underestimated me, " Orion mocked as his arms turned from bone and flesh to burning flames as Amon's arm changed to arms of ice, " Fire against ice huh."
Orion smiled as his flames clashed with Amon's ice, creating massive amounts of smoke and steam.
Though it wasn't visible, Amon was smiling behind his mask along with Orion, " It appears that you're abilities were not just exaggeration. Lets' see who's power is stronger, my ice or your fire.
" If you wanna get burned then bring it ! "
Coco relaxed on her bed, sitting casually reading a book until she heard commotion going on outside. She already knew what was going on before she saw the large pillars of fire, the shattering columns of ice or the overpowering steam coming from near the castle.
Within minutes, all the troops of Atlas, along with the teams from Beacon, Mercury, Sun and Neptune.
Mercury stretched his legs out as Coco gave the order and everyone charged.
" Orion, you hot-headed idiot."