Wind Path.
Like the rest of Mistral, it's architecture was a sight of beauty, but unlike most settlements of the Kingdom it had few modern buildings within like Mantle and Vale. And like the rest of Mistral, it was good for any business.
To Corsac and Fennec, it's location was good because they didn't have any need to hide who they were. So they wore their usual red hooded robes instead of some disguises like they- including Sienna and Adam -had done in previous negotiations to avoid being any problems. They had a lot of enemies. It helped that it wasn't a getup most people associated with the White Fang.
With this settlement being far from the capital, no one felt the need to report known members of the White Fang to the authorities- if there were any for that matter that weren't corrupt enough or cared about upholding the law. But even if the law was not a problem, the people could be, with the Kingdom being as discriminatory as Atlas.
Uncaring of the people making a wide berth- including some faunus -around them as if they were a plague, the twins kept walking, going ahead towards the meeting point. There was important business to attend to.
Arms dealing would usually be handled by those who supported them by other means like info and resources, or by higher ranked members that were disposable in case of a trap. But this man had proven to be trustworthy enough to deal with in person. Being resourceful and eager to do business with them helped with making him their main source for weapons and ammo more often than not. He did offer more services, but they didn't need them. For now.
Not as satisfying as taking them from our enemies in a raid, but just as needed for the cause.
A sigh from his right brought him back from his thoughts. His brother never liked coming to Mistral, and liked less to be seen in it, even when it was dark.
When Corsac did these kind of things in this Kingdom, Fennec stuck to the rooftops, trees, or anything high enough to be unseen. Always out of view, but nothing out of his.
Showed how much his younger brother trusted his judgment.
"We're almost there." Corsac reassured his brother.
Fennec simply gave a slight nod, keeping his eyes forward to see the neon lights increasing the shadows around of the establishment they would soon enter. A club.
Trying not to let the obnoxiously loud music from the stage bother him, Fennec followed his brother inside. The smell of smoke, sweat, and alcohol hit their nostrils, almost making them grimace if it wasn't for their training. They headed to the left side of the room, to avoid the people dancing, wanting to reach one of the stairs to the VIP section to leave the noise and flashing lights behind them.
Once they reached the second floor that had candle-like lighting, allowed them to see the red walls and white and black decor of the fancier and spacious room compared to the pink and purple of the .
Another faunus was present, sitting in the corner of the room with his boots on the table, closest to the stairs.
His ears those of a wolf. His hair was black from the roots and became silver at the tips, spiked and cut at the sides. A few scars could've seen on his face, and were made more apparent by his stubble.
His clothes consisted of a sleeveless black and gray combat shirt. Black leather wraps on his wrist that reached up to his elbows, a leather belt with what must be his emblem was the buckle- a wolf's abstract angular steely face. His pants were similar to those of an atlesian soldier, and he had common combat boots.
However odd it was the fact that he clearly just threw some food under the table, seeing as his hand came back with an empty plate, they would spare some time to talk with him. Odd manners aside, he looked like he had Huntsman training, but that clearly didn't seem like it was his job.
And they were currently the only people here, so they might as well do something while they waited for their associate.
"Excuse us," started Corsac, getting two cold blue eyes to settle on him and his brother. "We represent an organization that-"
"Fuck off." Was the rude reply, and it caught both Albains by surprise.
"Excuse us," said Fennec, "but you didn't even heard what we wanted to discuss-?"
"Because I don't need too." He interrupted again, "I know what you want from me; to fight for the faunus in the name of the White Fang. The answer is no, so fuck off."
How disappointing that a capable faunus would so callously ignore the call for justice and retribution. Expected from non-fighters, but a shame when it came from those that could fight against the Human System's best weapons.
"Thank you for your time." Said Fennec, ears leaning back. "We'll leave you to your devices." He began guiding his older brother by the shoulder, who's jaw was clenched in restrained anger.
While heading to their table, they saw their associate come out of the bathroom in the right corner of the room, without his bodyguards.
How peculiar...
He was a young man from Atlas named Nyesti Kamyen. His gray suit made him look fat- which he was-, but hides the muscles of his huntsman training, making him appear as a non-threatening human. It was something that earned their respect, since they knew the value of having the element of surprise. Even though, he's human.
"If it isn't Corsac and Fennec!" Greeted their associate, smiling with open arms. "It's good to see you two." He sat down, hands on the table. The Albains doing the same soon after
"Likewise, Mr. Kamyen." Replied Corsac, no longer feeling angry from the failed recruitment of the wolf faunus in the corner of the room. "Today's been a stressful day, so if you wouldn't mind-"
"Sorry to interrupt you Corsac, but there's a very important thing I need to inform you." Nyesti waited for a response, getting a nod after a second. "So word spread fast about your presence here, and one of my men caught someone mentioning a hit on you."
The two Albains processed the news quietly. They knew there could've some troubles in Mistral, but they didn't expect it to be so soon.
"What else do you know?" Asked Fennec.
"Nothing more." Replied the brunette. "I've got my friends" -his bodyguards- "Watching the perimeter, since I expect an Assassin to come for you. So all I can say it's to watch your backs comrades once we're finished."
"Hello sirs." A waitress came out of nowhere to take their orders.
After a tense dinner, and putting the news aside, they talked with the entrepreneur about where the weapons should've delivered, when, and whom would be involved.
It was night by the time they finished and went their separate ways.
"Brother, do you believe they missed us?" Asked Fennec, seeing as they where close to the outskirts of Wind Path.
"I do not know, Brother."
Fennec gazed ahead, feeling on edge. He was trained for this, just like his brother was. So why couldn't he stop feeling worried? He should be confident on their skill to take on a single Assassin so feeling like this was ridiculous.
He halted when Corsac grabbed his shoulder, holding him in place. He looked at him, asking without making a sound. His answer was a tilt of the head towards a dark alley between two abandoned mistrali houses on their right.
If it wasn't for his ears, he wouldn't have heard the sound of breathing and would've thought the figure inside was just a trash bag or something of similar nature. The fact that Corsac noticed before him made him feel embarrassed about how deep in thought he was, but he put it aside for now.
"It's probably just a beggar, nothing to worry about Brother."
But they were.
They started walking again, after Corsac nodded after a moment, but they were ready for any kind of surprise.
And Fennec heard a sudden rush of wind from above them. He pushed Corsac to the side at the same time he jumped to the side, both whirling around to face their attacker.
The foot aimed at one of their heads stomped the ground, kicking up the dirt. Their adversary stood up right, throwing off the brown old cloak and looking relaxed in his stance. Letting the dirt settle down.
"You're the faunus that brushed us off." Stated Fennec, taking out a Cyclone from his robes.
Corsac's glared, doing as his brother and pointing Inferno at the wolf. "So what is this about?" He snarled at the older faunus. "Some misguided attempt at revenge? We assure you, any faunus live lost is a sad occasion, but one of the many unavoidable sacrifices for the cause."
Glistening icy eyes met his glare, and a hoarse laugh was his answer. The older twin's glare hardened.
"Oh no, this is nothing personal." He raised his fist, showing his weapons, a pair of neko-te gauntlets with Dust crystals in the back of the hand. "It's just business." He slashed their ways, releasing a strong gust of wind with icicles.
Fennec jumped back and made a whirlwind to push the icicles back and nullifying the gust headed his way. At the same time, Corsac shoot a fire wave at the gust melting the icicles before they reached him.
Now grinning, the Assassin grabbed grenades from his pouch and jumped high in the air, throwing several down around their battleground which exploded after making contact.
Luckily for the brothers, they were steam Dust grenades, but their faunus eyes won't help them with this obstacle. So their guard was up, their ears focused, and their weapons charged and ready.
Fennec saw the light-blue glow at his left, so he stepped out of the way of an icicle. He got a kick in the head, making him stumble into the icicle, and it broke on his face, blinding him for more sudden attacks.
Meanwhile, Corsac was shooting fireballs at the direction of their attacker's voice.
"You know? I think I should feel disappointed." Taunted the rough voice. "How could I not when facing the sons of the Death Hound? But sadly, most contracts come from money, and the people that pay usually are boring."
Corsac unleashed a fire wave to his left, hoping to get a hit.
He didn't.
"The lover of their husband or wife, a crook that aimed too high, a reporter that knew too much…" He was behind him. "People I can kill with my ring finger and thumb aren't as fun as people that can actually fight."
Corsac aimed his elbow to his face, and the Assassin caught it with is hand. "So keep making this fun, will ya?" The tailed faunus crouched, doing a swept with his right leg to make him fall.
The wolf jumped before his leg hit, and in turn the fox got a kick in the face. The other man jumped back. "I'm a professional, so if you can't, this will end soon."
They rushed to the other, Corsac took another Inferno out to deflect the claws and try to stab his opponent. Both men standing their ground, with the smell of ice and fire between them, attacking relentlessly at each other to draw blood.
While both men were on more equal terms, Fennec was taking a beating while getting ice out of his eyes.
My ears! I have to focus on my hearing to hear what I can't see…
His fox ears stood in attention, waiting for his attacker to come at him, and even enhancing them with his aura to boost their capabilities.
He heard running, steps coming fast behind him until suddenly there were none.
Got you!
He turned around and grabbed the small foot headed for his head, and slammed over him downward, cracking the ground.
Wait… Small?
The ice around his eyes finally melted, and he opened his eyes to see who his attacker was.
...What?
He saw a small girl, wolf ears atop her head with black and silver hair. She wore a big gray shirt held by a leather belt around her midsection, with black jeans and atlesian boots meant for an adult. She looked to be nine or twelve years old.
Instead of shame from getting a hard time from a little kid, he was shocked. He knew he was not the best fighter in the White Fang, but he still had a lot of training, and proved himself on some missions before leading alongside Corsac in Menagerie.
For this little girl to be so capable…
And in his surprise, she went from groaning in the ground to roll backwards to get up and face him, ready to attack at any moment.
Fennec couldn't help but feel conflicted about this fight. But reluctantly, he pointed Cyclone at the girl, ready as he could be in this moment.
Corsac received a claw to the face and on his hands, quick and precise attacks powered with ice that shredded and shattered his hood.
His opponent got punished too, getting stabbed in several places, weakening his aura slowly but surely. It wasn't until he shoot a fireball at his face that he started to do real damage.
With his enemy blinded and coughing, he delivered a kick to the gut while charging a powerful fireball that he released point blank at his chest, launching him against one of the abandoned houses and breaking in through the wall.
He waited for the Assassin to get up, but then he heard his brother fighting. He turned around, ready to rush in and support him.
Big mistake.
Two balls united with wire wrapped around him- bolas he realized, similar to those used by atlesian Specialists. But unlike those, these didn't contain gravity Dust within, they carried lighting Dust.
"AAAAAAH!"
His scream of pain alerted his brother. Fennec didn't turn his back to his opponent however, he waited for her to pounce on him and he used her momentum against her to pin her small frame into the ground.
And that's when he saw him twitching and squirming in the ground from the pain. But more corcening, he saw the Assassin approach to his currently weakening brother. "While gravity is good for restraining, it's not as painful as electricity coursing through one's system." The wolf said, while getting closer. "It's why I got these, it's more fun than hearing people's pitiful threats or begging for mercy." He finished, unfazed by Corsac's agony.
Before the Assassin could deliver a killing while his brother's aura was draining, Fennec thought quickly and got up strangling and restraining the girl to rush towards them. And once he was close enough, he spun around and threw the girl at the wolf, knocking them in the ground, giving him the chance to run and save his brother.
Once he got to him, he stabbed his dagger-wand into the balls, breaking them and leaving the Dust useless and his brother free.
Once Corsac was up, the two Albains stood side by side, pointing Inferno and Cyclone at the Assassin's back that was slowly getting up.
"Dad!"
The shout alerted the man, who looked behind him to see a fire tornado closing in on him fast. He embraced his daughter and concentrated his aura around her.
The Dust attack engulfed them and pushed them inside the house again, breaking it down and setting it on fire.
Fennec looked down in regret, while Corsac had looked in at their deed seemingly unfazed.
"Let's go."
He put a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, putting on a strong face and leading him towards their previous path and leave Wind Path behind.
"You… bastards…!"
They stopped on their tracks, turning to the voice in surprise.
There he stood, their would-be killer, heavily damaged clothing and with second degree burns, letting go of his mostly undamaged daughter and pushing her away.
"You don't know… what you've done…!" He snarled, teeth grinding and veins bulging.
"D-dad?"
"GO!"
The little girl ran to the forest, scared and worried. They couldn't see her anymore after she did got further into the forest.
"Stupid... Semblance." He said under his heavy breathing, Fennec barely catching it trough the sound of the fire raging behind the wolf faunus.
"Okay, what's going on here?" Slurred someone. A graying Huntsman, carrying a long mecha-shift sword on his back under a tattered cloak, holding a bottle in one hand and pushing his black bangs back with the other. The Albains recognized this renown Huntsman.
Qrow Branwen.
His response was a savage howl from the now fully red-eye Assassin.
"Okay…" he took a long sip. "I see my day just got worse, like usual." He threw the bottle away and took out his sword.
The now mindless Assassin just threw himself at him, clawing like a Beowulf would at the Huntsman.
The Albains took this opportunity to escape. They where in no condition to fight against the blood lusted Assassin AND an active member of team STRQ, one of the best teams Beacon produced.
They already finished their business here, and put on a good fight with no major injuries, so it wasn't the worst day of their lives.
But it certainly came close.
After some fighting, and destruction of the public property and fauna, Qrow shifted Harbinger into it's scythe form and slashed the madman's aura to nothing. With a final upward slash, he made a deep cut from the stomach all the way to the chest.
"Dammit!" Cursed the dusty Huntsman.
His opponent fell, losing blood fast on the ground. Qrow shook his head and close his eyes. He didn't mean to kill the man, he needed to know what the Hell was happening.
He saw two other figures close by, but they ran once the fight broke out, and they surely were far by now.
If only his bird form came with night vision.
He heard the authorities coming soon after the fact in those big ol' flying vehicles that the mistralian used, ready to take more of his time on his already busy day.
"I won't make it in time… Hope I can make it up to them in the Winter Holidays." He cursed his luck while waiting for the officer in charge to come in and ask for his testimony, while trying not to feel too-guilty about disappointing his nieces and about more blood on his hands.
And failing.
Merry- late -Christmas and happy Nondescript Winter Holiday (and whatever other festivity you partake in these days)!
It's been a long time since I last updated this, and I do feel pretty bad about that. Hope to get back on track soon. But just in case, there won't be a date set, so as to not make you wait for something that might not arrive in time (and I hate coming out like a liar).
So hopefully you guys liked this chapter, I certainly did (but if you looked at the first draft, I think anyone would've liked this). Hope the time out didn't take away from what little skill I was getting from the previous ones.
And fun fact? That Qrow line is a meta joke, since this chapter was meant to release in Halloween.
Anyway, thanks for reading, leave a review if you want and follow this fic if you like (or not, it's your choice after all). Until next time.