Chapter Thirty Six: In Sheep's Clothing
Menagerie was truly a beautiful place. A tropical island getaway pops into mind as the group had traveled a full day through the forests and rising hills. A real lack of wildlife though... And much of the soils were hostile, only allowing plants that can survive hostile conditions. Despite an abundance of moisture, there were plenty parts of the terrain with only larger plants, not grasses or weed growth.
He never fancied himself as much of a farmer... Okay, farming is a terrible hell he shall have no part of, but maybe someone like Calhoun would know how to fix that. He was a nice older guy... Much more pleasant company than the person currently among them. Carmine's eye side glances over in annoyance.
Beside him, Roman likewise side glares, less annoyed... Beside him, Neo is the same, glaring to her right... then Blair... doing the same. Off to the side of them, Siegfried walks out from behind a tree, zipping up his pants.
The gruff man sniffs once before yawning obnoxiously. "Ugh. I hate the wilderness. The leaves itch." The gross declaration earn twitches from Neo and Blair. "Alright, we can continue."
"Oh, can we? Done marking your territory?" Roman sarcastically mocks.
"Yeah, for now." The man responds honestly... wait, he was actually..?
"Gross." Carmine grumbles. Neo shudders. The girl turns to the boy and points at Siegfried, a disgusted face mocking the faunus. Carmine can only sigh and shake his head. "Right?"
It was a full day since they'd gone out into the wilderness. Nothing but reverse tracking Grimm and killing any they come across. Then, tracking the Grimm's tracks backward after killing. Hopefully, they can find the Grimm pool soon. The group surpasses a high hill, spotting a littering of tracks in the rough dirt. Hog tracks. Except... no natural hogs, so that leaves the obvious.
"This our pig pen pals?" Carmine asks.
"Nah, not nearly enough prints for the full horde. Just a few straggling little piggies." Siegfried marches on, the CRBN members crossing through a mountain pass and coming to a stop over a ledge. The overlook shows a large mostly open path below curving around the next hill, sparse tree growth here and there. "Well, now we have the thick of it. This used to be fully forest."
The boy crouches and eyes the wide stretches and downed trees. "A game trail?"
The dog faunus perks up. "Yeah. Good eye."
Carmine shrugs the compliment off. "My dad was a fantastic hunter... Even Grimm based on herbivore species are carnivores by design... Carnivores hunt on game trails where prey is likely to cross..."
Blair and Roman share the same thought, a glance between them. The conman voices. "Great. They're so used to passing through, they wore the forest dry."
"But what were they even hunting to make the trail?" Blair asks. "We may be foreigners, but we know Menagerie doesn't have local land life save for the odd exotic bird. Only aquatic meat sources."
Neo raises a brow. The unspoken question clear. What could they hunt enough to make the trail to begin with? The girl sighs and steps up to Carmine. At his raised brow, she smirks... and hops off the edge. "Wha-Neo!"
The group watches as the girl opens Hush and lightly drifts further and further out. All until she softly lands in the center of the trail. The teen dusts herself off and looks around with blank curiosity. Nothing. A soft wind is the only sound. She glances up towards the four on the ledge, who watch curiously.
She smiles and waves. Turning, she waltzes down the trail... from one side to the other. Back and forth. To and fro.
"She's gonna die." Siegfried tiredly points out.
"That's the point." Blair answers. It pulls the man's attention back to the trail below.
Neo continues to prance until a shiver under her feet. The short teen freezes in place. The shiver turns to a rumble... She relaxes her stance and glances about, alert... and she caught sight of the first set of red eyes.
The first Boarbatusk leaps from the trees at the girl. She lunges to the side to dodge, the Grimm hitting and bouncing off the ground into a spin! The Boarbatusk signature attack. Like a destructive buzz saw, it roars towards the girl!
She leaps over to dodge the second. However, as soon as her feet touch the ground, she looks to see a second one! She dodges left. Two more! They leap at her, mouths open to chomp down. With two precise swats of her parasol, both are knocked aside... and she notices the issue.
Four more from one side of the trail. Five more from the other. Another seven appear further down, sprinting in. Four from the other end... more. And more. And more. Twenty, thirty, forty...
The Grimm horde all around as Neo finds herself wide eyed in the exact center. The hording mass of black, white, and red smashes in right on the poor girl-
SHATTER!
The group on the ledge watch curiously as the MASSIVE group of Boarbatusk swarming the trail. An up current of wind sweeps their hair as Neo, whole body hunched around Hush's handle, drifts upward. She lightly lands on the ledge, giving a slightly nervous smirk.
Roman huffs. "So, I assume we are going around then?"
. . .
Mistrali waters
The wash of the ocean sounds as the shifting balance under feet shifts. Qrow stares on at the clouds above as they shift about. His... team... was currently occupying themselves within their guest room on the ferry. This left the man plenty of time to stick alone to his thoughts.
If he's lucky, they can find Team CRBN and leave them be before anything significant can happen. But, let's be honest. When does anything in his life involve good luck?
He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. Ozpin asked him to be a part of this out of trust, so he wouldn't back out of it. However, a part of him had to admit to feeling off whenever thoughts of the kid come to mind.
Both kids, actually. One he met becoming a crying mess in Ozpin's office telling him he's responsible for Summer's death, no less. The other watched him execute her dad... right. Both being led about by an errant student that attempted to strong arm freaking Taiyang of all people... Why is the criminal mobster the only one he's not nervous to interact with?
Speaking of the past, the tricolor girl comes to mind... He really needs to put Misty Rhodes back on his watch list. Last he'd heard of her, she'd gone straight and narrow as far as Atlas allows. Although, that information is years out of date. He narrows his glare at the sky, a bubble of irritation within him.
Ever the bleeding heart.
The man rolls his eyes to the horizon, raising a brow at a ship in the distance... Wasn't this the only chartered boat on schedule?
A couple walks around the corner of the ferry deck, completely oblivious to the Huntsman... or rather, the black feather where he'd just been standing. A large black bird flies from the ferry, off into the distance.
. . .
The faunus kept his attention on a note pad as he scratches his stubble. On an open deck on the colorful yacht, Killian smirks to himself while Donatello glares at him impatiently. In fact, seeing the kangaroo man grumpy brought a giggle fit out of the chameleon. "There's no need to be grumpy, chum. Drink some beer or something. Call a broad and have fun! I don't judge."
The kangaroo huffs. "I'll be more chipper when we find our targets. Something you've yet to share, by the by."
Rolling his eyes, Killa groans. "Let the mastermind work, okay? You know me, so don't worry." He calls out loudly. "Hear that, Snake Eyes? Continue West!"
"Me knowing you if why I worry." Donatello plainly states. "The only places going this way are some backwater towns and Mena-" He pauses... then narrows his eyes again at the chameleon. "Now, you wouldn't be trying to start something with the Chief, now... Right?"
The leading man barks a laugh before leaning forward. "No, no... Well, I wouldn't mind-"
"Killian!" Donatello scolds.
The murderer pulls back and sighs. "Alright! Alright! No fighting with Ghira Belladonna! My hand to brother gods!" Killian pouts. "But, you're right. We're going there."
"Why? You're banned. The Fang has a kill on sight order for you."
"Yeah well-" Killa stops, confusion forming. "Wait, when did that get upgraded?" The order before was to provide other kingdoms with anonymous tips. When did it become a kill order?!
"Who knows with you. Going to Menagerie is a bee hive for you."
Killa waves him off. "Nah, come on. No one has the stones to try anything. I'll behave. We're not messing with the Fang... mostly." The kangaroo flinches before Killa raises his hand. "My employers have a large list of... business partners. Customers and allies not exactly part of their circle. We're visiting one of them."
Donatello narrows his gaze. "Define 'visiting'."
"This carbon group or whatever is after my client and their allies, so the best way to find them is to go where they will go." He grins wide, waiting for Donatello to take the bait... He doesn't. The man remains silent until Killa goes on with a sigh. "Look. My client lost track of potential targets that the wannabe hunters are targeting. We're going to one of them and gonna set a trap. Okay, Donnie?"
Donatello raises a brow and takes a huff from a cigar. "So, we go to this ally and sit, waiting for what? Days? Weeks? Months? Free loading off em?"
"Or take their shit." Killa flashes a smile and raises a finger. At Don's widening eyes, Killa goes on. "My- er, Our client has provided me certain... limitations in damaging their own outfit, but stated nothing about their, shall we say, business partners. We take their stuff, and we make noise. Noise attracts the moths to the flame, and..." He stops and mimes aiming a gun and firing. "Boom. Payment from my client, and whatever is left over from the shmuck we're going to."
"And making twice as many enemies than before we started." Donatello states. Killian merely smiles wider. "I'm all in until we mess with Sienna. She'll slaughter us if she catches wind of us."
Killian pauses in thought before smirking. "Oh, well... that brings another advantage to this player in the game..."
. . .
"Not even Sienna knows their dirty laundry..." Killa's voices finishes...
Menagerie
The party of five comes to a stop in the woods. Moving around the gaming trail a good quarter mile off. Carmine grimaces as the five see the blood spot... Nearby, a fleshy chunk and ripped fabric shows, next to a tree. Signs of a struggle... and not much of one. The Grimm clearly got to something... or someone.
Blair steps forward and examines the flesh. "So much for no life on Menagerie but Faunus." She sends a side glance at Siegfried, noticing no reaction. He isn't surprised.
"We should move on from the poor sod then. Sooner we finish, the sooner no others end up like him." He begins walking, leaving little else to the matter.
Roman and Blair meet gazes a second, the conman nodding. The same thought was occurring. Blair removes a small med kit and uses a pocket knife to remove a small piece of the bloody flesh. Putting it in a small pouch, she pockets it. Carmine shares a look with her as well before they continue on.
"Think we're any closer to the Grimm pool?"
"Absolutely, given..." Blair looks down, the torrent of tracks around them coming from two directions. Thousands of prints coming from the game trail. However, only a few trails come from a different direction altogether to the southeast. "A few stragglers joined the end of the chase. Newborns leaving the pool, perhaps."
Roman scoffs. "This is why I prefer cities. Already over this hike and tracking." He glances over to Neo. "If the Grimm start heading this way, use a shatter trick to lead 'em away." The girl nods, giving a mock salute and cocky grin.
The group makes their way southeast, following the lesser tracks for as far as they can. It takes them closer to the next slope, upward of a mountain. The tracks veer off from the incline and to the side of a stream.
Carmine scowls at the stream and makes sure to walk a few feet more from it. Neo smirks and giggles at it. "Hey, I'm not letting that nightmare happen again. Not in the mood to meet Chompsky Jr." He shudders, recalling the Termigator killed just a few days prior.
The group moves into the pass. Rock walls tower high on both sides as the area gets more narrow. Siegfried holds up a hand to stop. The group pauses with zero sound meeting their ears. That is until a single Boarbatusk rounds the next bend, snorting and chaffing. It's eyes meet them.
"No noise kill." The faunus leading them orders as he steps aside. Blair blitzes by as the Grimm snorts alert.
With blinding speed, the blonde slashes up, striking its tusks up. The front half of the boar is thrown up, exposing the soft belly. Blair spins in place, stepping into a harsh impaling stab through the gut. A fleshy slice sounds and echoes in the narrow pass and stream of water, and Blair pushes through and bisects the Grimm in two.
She sheaths her blade as the others walk up. "Underbelly shots for quick kills. Manipulate their fronts in any direction but down. Downward will give them leverage to begin their roll out."
Roman and Neo nod, Carmine muttering under his breath. "Schneider..." His armor flashes to his forearms with attached blades.
The next twenty minutes are spent slowly marching through the path, each of the CRBN members swapping places at the front. Each was given a chance to attack a Boarbatusk apiece at least. Roman and Blair each take down two, easily.
The group soon finds themselves at the mouth of a cave... None of them looking happy. "So, do you think the spooky hate monsters are coming from their demon pool in the dank dark cave?" Carmine asks aloud.
Neo signs for the group. "Taking on bets."
Blair rolls her eyes, almost accidentally happening upon a spot of blood...
She eyes the stain, looking behind some rocks at the mouth of the entrance... finding a bloodied severed arm. "Food, water, and shelter are needed to survive. This one I would assume picked the wrong shelter."
Roman leans towards Neo. "I'll take the bet. 15 Lien says this is our spot." He straightens up and notices that Siegfried is oddly silent at the found limb. Carmine is unsettled, glaring. No doubt struggling to find some pathetic reason this is his fault, he'd wager. Still, the Faunus not showing an ounce of empathy for finding a dead body ON HIS ISLAND is strange...
Taking a moment, Carmine sighs. "Blair, you got the white dust?" She nods. "No guns, so me and Roman will be lookouts outside the cave. You and Neo close in inside, find the pool, and destroy it."
All parties nod, save for Siegfried raising a brow. "Taking cues from the boy? You guys got a messed up system."
Feeling vindicated, Roman sends a smarmy smirk at Blair. "Yeah, Barbie. Messed up system."
Blair groans at Roman's jab, but looks at the dog faunus. "He's training leadership qualities. Deal with it. If he makes a bad call, that's what I'm for." The defense of the boy brings a small smile to him, one she returns. "Neo and I will be back."
Siegfried, looking far from please, scoffs. "Well, then I'll stay with the fearless leader outside. If you girls get the entrance collapsed, there's an exit about two miles due north. I've seen these caves before."
So, he knows the exact area and shows no surprise at dead bodies. Roman chalks up another mental red flag. Still, he nods at the blonde. "Happy hunting Barbie."
The girls nod, Blair popping out a cylinder of white dust. She inserts it into Fluorescent, lighting the blade in blinding white. She enters the cave with Neo in tow. Shouldn't take long, but it leaves Carmine bored.
His eyes trail over to the bloody limb by the rock. So, the Grimm ate all the limb lost its aura? That's how Blair said it, anyway. Just seeing the piece of flesh, bone sticking from the end, put a sick feeling in him. He wanted to throw up...
The boy swallows it down. If only, right? Figures the boy with a time semblance is always too late.
His eyes clamp shut at the thought, an image of white flickering to mind. He shakes the image away. So useless with other people. Like Blair demonstrated. Existing aura rejects his own, causing only a fast forward. So, no living beings can benefit from his power.
… But this one is already dead.
His brow furrows. The thought... isn't pleasant, but it's an interesting one as well. An object with aura will reject him outright. An object without will accept him wholesale. So... an object once filled with aura, but no longer?
What would that bring?
He scowls at the thought. Unless something horribly wrong happens, it's not like there's a lot to risk...
To Roman's surprise, Carmine marches towards the rock where the limb hangs. "What's going on in your head now?" But the boy ignores him...
. . .
Inside the cave, Blair and Neo descend into the depths with jagged sharp turns. The dark, dank cave is illuminated in white reflecting off the moist walls. It made it rather easy to make out the pitch black abyss as they round the corner with two Boarbatusk snorting at the light.
Blair was too quick, slicing the first's head clean off and sliding to a stop by the pool. The second leaps at her, only for the blonde to shatter. Blair falls into broken shards that disappear...
A sword pierces the Grimm's gut, eliciting a squeal of pain. Neo rips Hush from the beast, killing it. Blair appearing beside her. The little girl smiles at the attentive blonde before they turn to the Grimm pool.
With no hesitation, Blair rams Fluorescent into the pool and pulls the hilt trigger casting the white dust through the pool. In a bright flash, the contents of the pool vaporize, burning away to nothing. In its place sits a deep hole.
Blair nods. "Mission accomplished." Neo nods, ready to turn, but Blair stops her. At the look of confusion, Blair removes the bag containing the flesh found earlier. "Let Siegfried wait. I want to answer something." The scientist removes her analytical equipment, including a portable microscope.
Neo frowns, shifting her weight to one side impatiently. Bored, she pulls out her scroll, sending Roman a quick message... or she would if there was a signal. Damn it. She sends a sullen glare at Blair in complaint.
"Go into the settings and switch to FM radio frequencies. We can use our scrolls as radios." Without looking Neo's way, she explains. "Although, you won't be capable of sending direct messages. Scrolls can send text to voice over it, but any radio can pick it up, so not very covert."
Neo pouts, deciding the radio wasn't worth it. However, not much time goes by before Blair scowls at the flesh... "Just a bunch of monsters lying about what's out here. This flesh? The blood type is O."
The little girl cocks her head, confused.
"Faunus CAN'T have a blood type of O naturally." Blair states as if it's obvious. The girl is already zoning out, irritating the blonde to explain. "Blood type O is the universal donor, able to be compatible with anyone. Faunus are a radical spectrum of blood types suiting their dozens, potentially hundreds of sub species types. No faunus is a universal donor. So, if not a faunus, who was that killed outside?"
The girl rolls her eyes... then catches on. She blinks once, then twice.
. . .
The smell might be the worst part. You know... next to all of it. Okay, no part of seeing dead body parts is pleasant. Carmine scowls unpleasantly as he hunches down over the forearm. Ignore it. What is it that Blair says? Shut down feelings when doing science?
… Something like that. Maybe. Possibly. Theoretically. Potentially.
He shakes the focus on wording away and reaches out. Siegfried huffs a gruff laugh. "Really? Gonna poke the dead body? How callous of a so called huntsman." He ignores the man, softly placing his palm over top the back of the limb's hand.
Slowly... he feels his aura connecting to it. No different than his gun. No different than his armor. He isn't sure why, but this is the first time he's focused enough to actually feel a difference though. Recalling how it felt to flow his aura into Blair's hand inside the van just two weeks ago, there was no resistance. No... interplay.
Carmine shuts his eyes. "Recall..." A brief flash of aura around the arm sparks Siegfried's attention, Roman huffing to himself. And... a tugging sensation?
Nothing. No reaction. The limb is still there, to no surprise. Carmine grimaces, flinching his hand away and inspecting it. Roman sighs. "You can't bring back the dead, brat."
However, the boy grumbles back. "That's not what I-... Just hold on." What was that tug? He rests his hand on the limb again, infusing aura. "... Recall." Another flash... another tug against his aura. Yet again, nothing after. He grinds his teeth. Something is there for him, but what can he even try? Recall pulls the object backward, but has a limit to the point where his aura was introduced to begin with!
… but living beings react based on their own aura.
"You're a kind person. I hope you never change."
HER voice rings in his mind. One second he's looking at his hand reaching for the limb.
The next, it's on a bleeding torso...
He flinches, eyes coming closed. His heart beats against his rib cage, begging to be released as low chopping breaths come out. Roman sees this, raising a brow. "Silver Streak. Get away from the arm."
However, the boy grips the arm again and speaks. Not to Recall... but... "Rewind!" The flash occurs just as Roman roughly jerks the boy away. The severed arm shifts from its spot as Carmine's eyes lock onto it.
Roman groans and turns to glare at the boy. "When we're out in the field, you don't do crap that will give you a... panic... attack?" He trails off, confusion in his face as he studies the boy's face...
Carmine's eye color isn't the deep azure blue... they're burning gold. The orbs are flicking focus lightly, but directed at the arm and... where the arm was... His face pulls in confusion and muted curiosity, eyes wide. The gold seems to pulsate, quickly flicking back to blue for brief micro seconds before back to the strong gold.
"Kid?"
He jostles the boy, but gets no response.
As if life hadn't thrown enough at them, Siegfried grimaces, sniffing in the air as shadowed figures round the corner up the river. More Boarbatusk. "We got company. Great timing." He snidely asks. Roman curses under his breath, twirling Velvet Valentine ready to fight.
. . .
Vaguely, he was aware of Roman jerking him, but... that didn't matter anymore. The boy's eyes saw the limb on the ground, but... that wasn't the limb they were looking at before. Or was it? In his eyes, the arm was there, exactly where it had been before Roman had pulled him... but faded.
Faded as if see through.
But... he could SEE the physical arm there as well. He was aware that Roman and Siegfried were turning their attention towards Grimm. It was small Grimm, his mind told him. Roman can handle it. This... this demanded his focus.
He watched the faded image of the limb almost... rewind backward in time, back to behind the rock and sit there. Not the physical limb before him, no. It still sat there.
Still... he watched... He watched as the red that marred the limb became less dry... the sheen of wetness begins to show on the faded image. Further and further, the limb began to darken... Almost like there was no light source for it.
Night? Is he...
And as the bloodied mess became more and more fresh, he saw teeth. Just... teeth hovering into the air and ripping into the nub of the limb. The image arm whipped back and forth in the mouth as more appeared. Lips, black skin, a white mask.
The faded image began to widen as the head of a Boarbatusk was jerking the fresh limb within its mouth... He vague registered disgust, but his eyes were transfixed on the image playing out. It was... playing in reverse!
More mouths. More Grimm. More Boarbatusk were digging into a faint outline... as the first Grimm that had appeared rewinds back towards the outline... and lines up the arm to it. Carmine sucks in a breath... the owner of the arm... with four Boarbatusk savagely on top of them, biting, sucking at his essence.
The silhouette of the faded person begins to color in, as does the Grimm themselves. Red is everywhere... The person's clothes colored. Gray fabric. A rag like shirt, dark pants. Black hair. Their mouth was open, but nothing came.
They were dead, not responding to the savage consumption of their own flesh...
But Carmine sees their face... young. A child.
A human... No extra limbs. Not a single thing about them was animalistic in any way.
The pull against his aura strengthened... and began to resist... As it did, the environment around began to darken, more detailed as the present completely washed away from the boy. Human tracks showed in the soft dirt of the stream side.
The boy had walked there... from the East.
From the East... the unsettled harsh lands... Carmine's mind surged into overload, taking this information.
Until Carmine saw the light return to the young boy's eyes, face morphing in a pained scream. From that, the exact moment that life returned to the boy before his eyes... it all vanished.
. . .
Carmine flinches away, falling onto his back and choking for breath. His eyes were blue once more. He looks over, finding Siegfried leaning against the rocks, looking unimpressed with him. "Oh, look. He's back with us."
Carmine glances over to find Roman standing over four decaying Boarbatusk, grunting in annoyance. "Oh, lovely. Wouldn't been an easier time if man's best friend would've helped." The conman smirks as the comment actually irritates the dog faunus. Huh... So Siegfried really did have no intention of fighting alongside them.
Roman walks over to the boy, looking pissed as he goes on. "So, brat. Are you done with your heart attack, or are you going to explain what the bloody hell that was?" The boy nods, opening his mouth before they're interrupted... by a loud boom inside the cave.
A deep rumble sounds as the men look into the dark opening. "That sounded like..."
"A cave in. A collapse." Siegfried answered. A small jolt of panic fills the boy, but Roman seems more confused.
. . .
Blair sheaths her blade as it shifts from burning orange fire dust to its shining gold. Neo's scroll light shone the massive wall of rubble before them, smirking. "I think that will do, don't you?" The blonde looks back to Neo, raising a brow. "We'll wait about one minute before activating the radio functions and call for them. For now, take a picture of where the Grimm pool was."
Neo does so, a mischievous glint in her eyes. The camera flashes for the picture and the girl giddily skips off towards the other end that isn't collapsed. She signs back. "Dumb Dumb's gonna freak out."
"When doesn't he?" Blair remarks. "But he can deal with it." She pulls out her scroll, going through the settings. "Neo, would you mind striking me in the gut please?" Neo whips her head around, eyes wide. It was priceless, but Blair wasn't one for laughter. "Acting is a foolish job. A talent I do not possess. I need to sound out of breath, so strike directly into my stomach. Hard as you can, please."
The tricolor girl remains frozen in shock... then slowly her face splits into a gigantic grin.
. . .
Carmine shakes himself off as Roman walks over. "Let's head in there."
"Let's not? Sounds like their problem." Siegfried mouths off.
"Ignoring you." Carmine growls out just as his and Roman's scrolls crackle off involuntarily. The two raise their brows at one another as the sound of static sounds. Their scroll screens read off, 'emergency radio frequency detected'.
Roman scoffs. "So it comes to radios? Again, I prefer cities with actual development." He starts to turn the frequency with the onscreen command, Carmine scrunching his face at it and attempting to mimic the action.
Once turned, Roman's scroll rings out. "Carmine? Roman? Can either of you hear me?" Blair's voice comes out, out of breath with a wince. That alerts both men.
The conman taps the center of the scroll and speaks into it. He mocks a trucker voice. "Hear you, Barbie niner. How's it lookin' in there, over?"
"Not... funny." Blair groans back as Carmine gets the correct frequency.
"Are you okay? What happened in there? Did you find the Grimm pool?"
All three men listen as Blair's voice rings back. "We're fine. We... ran into a group of Weavers down here." The men all recoil at that. "We destroyed them, but they decided to try bringing down the ceiling. They collapsed the cave."
Siegfried scoffs. "Course they go and get into trouble."
Carmine glares at him before responding. "Can you get out? Or do we need to get you?"
"The other way isn't brought down, so we can use the other cave side Siegfried talked about. We'll be fine."
"We'll go around and meet up with you." Carmine starts as Siegfried double takes and groans.
"NO!" Carmine jolts at the force of the responds. "We didn't find the Grimm pool. It was not in the cave, and you still have the trail for it." Siegfried narrows his eyes at that, but says nothing. "Neo and I will find the exit and go west back towards Bomba. Without a guide, moving back towards you would be more dangerous, but you all must find the pool. Its trail should continue East. Whatever's wrong here will be there."
Roman's eyes hardened a second before his emotions are masked by a smarmy grin. "Ah, Barbie, calling it quits already? I suppose it does fall to the boys to do the girl's job." Carmine and Siegfried snap their gazes to him.
And it doesn't take two seconds. "Roman, I will kill you when I see you. Just stay alive til then."
Carmine smirks. "Neo alright? You sure everything is going to be fine?"
"Oh, I'm positive today won't end without more annoyances, but we will make it back okay." She responds. "Stay safe."
Carmine huffs a laugh. "You too. Out." The three share glances as Carmine shrugs. "Well... guess we move on."
. . .
With Blair and Neo, the blonde clutches her gut and sends a pointed glare at Neo. The small girl gives a proud look with her fist raised. "Remind me not to ask you to inflict pain again." The girl's grin grows wider. "Enjoy it while it lasts." Blair straightens herself.
Neo takes the lead as they march off. She gives a look to Blair's scroll still in hand, curious. She conjures a sign in hand, aimed back at Blair. It depicts herself and Blair going back to Master Ilan and receiving payment on one side. On the other, Carmine and Roman are in a shrouded darkness with eyes around them.
Blair sighs. "There isn't much else to it. We don't know the layout of the land, so us going to investigate won't matter. But we DO have proof that we destroyed the Grimm pool... We can collect our payment, and YOU can steal the information we need when we are doing so. While we do so..."
Neo brightens, then her sign changes to a new picture. One half shoes Roman and Carmine as gimmicky detectives in the stereotypical long coats, fedoras, and sunglasses. The next shows them both horrified at the word 'secret'.
The blonde feels her lip curl at it. "Yes, well... They shall hopefully discover what is going on. Why there are humans in this nation where humans do not travel. Hopefully... we won't have to fight our way out of Menagerie..."
The girl giggles, her sign once more changing to words. 'They get in trouble. We do the getaway?'
"Perhaps." Blair nods. "First... that exit..."
. . .
Mistral waters
Killa snickers at Don's sullen look. The perfect straight man for any routine needed. Killa sighs in satisfaction seeing acceptance in the man's face. Donatello flicks away his cigar and grumbles. "We better have a friendly to greet us in Menagerie. Last thing I need is a sudden face to face with the Chief."
"Aw, Ghira is a pushover. He's nothing." The criminal waves off the concern. "Now, Sienna Khan? Okay, slight concern, but I can butter her up."
"If you even attempt it, I'm out." Donatello narrows his gaze at the man, actually making Killa shrink lightly.
"Alright! Alright! I'll dial down from an 11 to a 7. You happy?"
"Mildly satisfied at best." The kangaroo admits.
Killa opens his mouth to retort, only to find a black bird feather on the table between the faunus. He grumbles before shouting out. "Aye! EZ! What you doing shedding feathers all over the place?"
Said 'dove' faunus peeks out from the door further into the yacht. "Man, I haven't been out here in five hours. I've been prepping everything down below!" Ezra ducks back into the yacht, only for one of his hair feathers to pluck off from the door shutting.
It fell as Killa grumbles. "Littering all over the place. How indecent can people be? What are we? A bunch of hobos?" He then picks up the feather from Ezra and rolling his eyes as he gets the feather from the table-
And he stops... The feathers aren't the same. One is substantially smaller and shaped differently with a curve. Like the feather from a wing. The man instantly glances about through the air. Donatello perks up. "What is it?"
"You seen any crows or ravens fly by out here? These feathers aren't the same. First didn't come from EZ."
"Crows... in the middle of the ocean?" Don says flat, clearly uncaring. However, he glances up and spots a speck of black among the clouds. The black was moving quickly. "Hmm... you don't see that every day. Wonder what brought it out here?"
Killa eyes the black speck as it moves towards a smoke stack of a travel ship far, FAR into the distance. He blinks once... twice... And smirks. "Hmm... me thinks someone is too curious for their own good. A kindred spirit... because now I'M curious." He flashes a grin Don's way.
Don narrows his gaze a moment before sighing. "I suppose we can use this as the knee capping equivalent of a team building exercise, then."
Killa's grin widens immediately. "Helmsman Slytherin! Head for the ship in the distance! We're having fun!"
. . .
On the travel ferry, Qrow's feet touch the ground as he immediately knocks on the door of the girls' room. He grimaces in anger, fist clenching. Of all the gods damned places to run into freaking Killian Gon-freaking-zola. He quells the anger, though... A short memory of a woman in white comes to mind.
He WAS the last person to fight her before she...
He scoffs to himself. Maybe this was luck..? Doubt it.
The door opens, finding Glynda staring at him. "What is the matter?" Rowa seems perked from one of the beds.
"We have a complication. Prepare for a fight. Rowa, inform the captain."
. . .
Menagerie
The threesome had moved on from the mountain pass, the paths finally opening into the forest once more. Unfortunately, the trio ran dry on Boarbatusk tracks. Siegfried sighs. "Alright. Let's spread just a bit to find some tracks. Call out if Grimm attack you."
As the man turns away, Carmine huffs. "What? Are you gonna come running to help?" The gruff man shrugs and walks away from the two. The boy pouts. "Wow, I really don't like him. Then again, he's your kind of person."
Roman snickers. "I'm so offended. Now..." The man's hard green eyes glare sharply down on him. "What happened back there? Discover some magical new place in your semblance?" He drawls sarcastically.
"Maybe..." Carmine grumbles, looking off where Siegfried disappeared. "I... can't really explain, but... the person that died?" He pauses, turning to Roman fully.
He raises a brow at the kid. "Yeah?"
"They were human." His eyes trail away, voice lowering. "HE was human."
Roman actually recoils lightly... then scowls. "Humans out here where no one can find them, eh? Taking on bets on the implications there. How do you-"
"Like I said." Carmine cuts him off forcefully. "I can't really explain it, but I saw it. It was a boy. He was on his own in the end." The short pause between them is unbearable before he continues. "Still look for Grimm tracks, but... I want to find tracks that he left if I can."
"We could say 'screw em'." At Carmine snapping glare at him, Roman rolls his eyes. "Right, cause you'll never rest til every wrong is undone." He sarcastically mocks as he marches off into the weeds himself. Carmine watches him go, scowling harshly. He shakes it off as he searches himself.
The boy continues on, searching through the soils and mud spots. Any disturbances are checked. Fallen branches, broken sticks. However, none were fresh enough with clear tracks. He moves on, finding a creek. Water meant wet dirt. Easier to see tracks. So, he looks along the creek line.
A few minutes pass, and his heart stops. He finds an imprint. A human foot print. He glances around, finding nothing around. Satisfied, he follows the reverse direction of the print. A few steps, and he finds the next print. Deeper, being closer to the water.
"Jager." The armor flashes as he uses the boost to hover just above the water. He glides across the water and allows himself to drift lightly down the stream. Eagle eyed, he scrutinizes the opposing creek side for prints.
And he finds it! Jackpot!
He continues to follow prints from the creek, furthering himself East. The tracks move through bushes ahead. So, he presses on through...
And finds Siegfried directly in front of him.
"WHA-!" Carmine jolts back, falling onto his back. His shock turns to irritation at the faunus. "Hey! No warning? I found tracks."
Siegfried narrows his eyes. "Not Grimm tracks." He takes a step out from the bushes, looming over the boy. "Master Ilan thought you guys would be useful, but alls I see is a bunch of nosy punks sticking chasing after shadows. We're out here for Grimm. You were HIRED to destroy the Grimm pool."
Uh oh... Carmine gulps, sending a glare up at the man. "... I understand that fully. I think you're the one that doesn't get something." Siegfried allows confusion to appear. Carmine grimaces as he stands up. He only reaches the man's shoulder in height. Still, that doesn't stop him from jabbing a finger out. "YOU told US that the Eastern side of Menagerie was unsettled. So, explain to me why the dead boy we found has tracks coming from the East."
He can feel a chill in his spine as the dog faunus glares down at him. "I don't recall outsiders being entitled to know our fucking business, brat. Huntsman or wannabe, you don't have the right to march in here like you-"
"Right of humanity." Carmine snidely cuts in. Siegfried cocks his head.
"What?"
Carmine snaps, left hand swiping Heulin Noon from its holster and taking aim at the faunus. "By right of humanity, as a huntsman in training, I have the right to defend ANYBODY, human OR faunus, from unjust harm in the face of cruelty." His thumb cocks the top hammer of the revolver. "You get one chance. Explain why a human child came from the Eastern side of this island barefoot without food and shelter!"
THAT finally got shock on the faunus' face. Siegfried's eyes shot wide. For that moment, the two of them square off at an impasse.
Slowly, the man's shock gives way to a hard glare. His fists clench, tightly enough to sound like tightening leather...
BOOM!
Carmine's eyes widen in shock... he didn't fire. A prick sticks into his neck hard enough he staggers left. Even Siegfried looks shocked, and Carmine feels a numbness surge through him...
Recall... recall. Recall NOW!
He flashes from view, flickering back to the creek side. He touches down, exhaling in panic and whipping his gun around-
CRACK!
Siegfried's elbow smashes into the base of Carmine's head. Taking advantage of the boy's distraction, the teen is knocked hard to the base of a nearby tree. His vision darkens a second, but he looks to see the large man standing over him.
"My. That was close, brother Siegfried."
Carmine groggily looks past the faunus, finding the red cloaked individual from the caravan... He's holding a dart rifle. The fired dart that had just pierced Carmine now on the ground with tranquilizer. Siegfried rolls his eyes, glancing over his shoulder at him. "Why are you interfering with Ilan's business, messenger?"
With the cloaked man are five more men... all wearing white and black operative gear... White Fang members. All masked. The red cloaked man huffs. "Master Ilan is not all knowing. We've been tracking these ones since the caravan. In case you hadn't noticed..." the cloaked man raises a crooked finger at the downed boy. "These are humans you have hired."
Siegfried spares Carmine a glance, noticing that, indeed, Carmine's right prosthetic dog ear was torn clean off from the previous impact. The boy's eyes widen as his mind catches up.
"Now that they have been discovered, we shall take these infiltrators to Sienna Khan. She will decide their fate." The five men with the cloaked stranger begin stepping forward, stopping when Siegfried stands between them.
"Fun as that is, we got a job out here to do first." The canine man snorts. "Besides, I HATE winning a fight with a cheap shot." He flashes his teeth as claws show from his fingers.
The cloaked man recoils back, turning to the other white fang members. "He's impeding us. Kill him! Kill him now!"
The five men charge, drawing swords and spreading out before closing in on the faunus guide. Carmine's eyes widen as white aura shines out from Siegfried as he lets the blades strike...
Then all he sees is blood.
. . .
BOOM!
Mistral waters
A blast breaks the water surface by the travel ferry. A great large plume of splashing mist splashes over the boat, the civilian passengers shrieking in terror. Away from the ship, Kallen's yacht speeds along the waters. A large electrical gun powers down off its side. The snake faunus opens the back, locking in dust cartridges inside.
"One part, earth. One part lightning. One part wind." He rattles off as if it's merely a grocery list, not deadly weapons aimed at civilians. Donatello helps him load it as the snake ponders. "Lightning plus earth creates a magnetic implosion on impact. Wind adds velocity and power and... away!"
At the main control, Ezra takes aim and fires the large cannon at the ship. The bright, crackling white warps out and strikes the civilian vessel in a massive crash! The crackling energy crunches the metal of the civilian ship in as the left side constricts and balls up. Pulled inward by the magnetism before the force dissipates!
The faunus cheer, faces lit with glee until Donatello speaks again. "Alright. They're softened up. Let's sink em. Show them not to poke their noses in others business."
Kallen smirks. "Simple then." He unlocks the cartridges of the cannon. "Fire plus Fire plus Wind! Light. It. UP!"
As he loads the cartridges, Donatello huffs. "Since when did you become a dust expert?"
The snake flaunts a hand wave. "Oh, when I got the part of Doctor-"
"DON'T CARE! FIRE!" Killa shouts out, grinning like a mad man atop the yacht. The faunus below follow the order and shoot the cannon blast, a bright hot flash towards the civilian boat!
In answer, the damaged metals of the travel ship suddenly flash violet a single second before ripping free from the boat. All the metals whine as they constrict into a giant shield... taking the full impact!
A bright explosion rocks the water and shakes both ships. Only for the smoke to clear as all the metal shavings and pieces continue to float in the sky. The pieces whine as they form together in different sections, forming seven platforms between the two vessels.
… And Glynda Goodwitch lands on the top most one, glaring down at the faunus yacht with her right hand gripping her riding crop. Rowa lands next to her, Qrow on the opposite side.
Killa blinks at the scene above him. "Hmm... Me thinks we may have picked a bad fight." Suddenly, his worried visage is replaced with glee. "But no one is gonna call me a coward! Ready, boys?" Cackling like a mad man, the faunus pulls his sleeves up, revealing his forearm mounted machine guns and firing up at the Hunters...
. . .
An unsettling wind blows through the forest, swaying Blair's hair as she whips around. Herself and Neo stand just outside the cave exit, the girl patting herself off. The little girl glances up at her, looking into the same direction. Dissatisfied, the teen raises an alert brow. (Soft melody echoes.)
The blonde shakes her head. "Just... a feeling." She finally allows her gaze to drift from the distance. Neo scrunches her face, which Blair allows a small smile. "Yes, well. I am not typically spiritual. Yet, I cannot help but feel we've run into yet another complication." (Drums and bass enter, strengthening melody into verse.)
Neo considers it for a second, but knocks the blonde in the arm to pull her into the moment. She nods her head into the distance, asking the unspoken question. ("Cheap smoke... Rising like the spirit in the...")
Blair seems hesitant. "I'm not sure how much Carmine and Roman will find, but... I trust they'll be fine?" Her tone lifts, betraying her own doubts. The look held up less strong than even that. ("Soft glow of the New York street. No glamour or garb can hide-")
The teen frowns, thoughts back to the... argument days before their journey to Menagerie. Neo sends another glower and makes a sign. 'Trust because of... Roman?' ("-the animal heart inside of me.")
A groan answers her. Blair narrows her gaze at nothing in particular. "Unfortunately, yes. Roman..." She growls. "He SHOULD be able to keep Carmine from doing something foolish." ("Lost faith. Martyrs with an ax to grind. Old hatreds are tired and tame.")
"Come." Blair nods at Neo before setting out. Neo stops for a moment, hairs on her neck standing on end... Blair was right. Something didn't feel right. But, she moves on after. She can only hope the morons stay safe. ("Chasing the faintest trail. Solemn companion pale protects me from my names-")
. . .
So. Much. Blood. Carmine's eyes were impossibly wide, breath chopping out. His hand shook at the sight of the red dripping onto the soil. The White Fang members are scattered... unmoving... the whites of their uniforms stained with red. One is gored open at the gut, another missing an arm. (Music dips low, quieter... "Cold reflections... they tell no lies. The eyes just scratch the surface..." Beat rapidly raises into chorus)
A mass of white with wisping mist stands. Before it, the man in the red cloak struggles, gasping for air. "P-please! We- We're on the same si- AHHH!" The sound of bones snapping and flesh ripping wet sounds out. A large wolf like mouth locks around the man's head and center chest... A white Beowolf head. (Chorus begins loudly. "Don't shake me! Don't make me bear my teeth... You really don't wanna meet that guy...")
The red cloaked body cracks limp, the white Beowolf crunches off his head whole, releasing the body and dropping it. It hits the ground, fully in Carmine's focus. The boy can barely remind himself to look at the white spiritual beast in front of him... ("Don't wake me! Don't let it off the leash!.. There's a monster livin' under this hide~")
On the beast's back is a spot of black. Not a spot, no... Numbering. The number '615' are printed boldly on the back of the white Beowolf. Suddenly, the wisping white begins to shrink inward, the white aura fading off as a man's shape forms darkly inside. (Music repeats melody. "Well it's a... A Dog's Life!")
The white spiritual form dissipates entirely. The white aura disappearing to reveal... Siegfried, jacket gone with only the white tank top. The black bold numbering is visible at the base of the neck. '615'. He turns, glaring directly at the boy with blood dripping from his hands. In the blink of an eye, he blitzes Carmine, the last thing he sees being the coming clawed fist. ("... A Dog's Life.")
To Be Continued.
Alright, so our main boys and main girls are separated. Our girls can get into Ilan's supplies and figure out more of what's going on. That's good! Our boys are in the wilderness with a successful AZRL sale. That's bad... Our Vale hunters are facing Killa's squad. That's good! Killa's squad is planning wise ahead of them in tracking CRBN's movements, albeit for different reasons. That's bad...
But all fun times for us?
References:
Song this time was A Dog's Life by Miracle of Sound.
Master Ilan is based on, of all things, a Zoids character. Hiltz, one of the main two bad guys of Zoids: Guardian Force. His mecha in that series was a giant scorpion mech, hence Ilan's faunus species.
Siegfried is, in connection to AZRL, based once more on a character from Soul Eater, Free. The character of Free debuted in Volume 3 of Soul Eater, which released in English on June 15, 2010. Hence, his Black Series number is 615 for the month and day, a good twenty to thirty years older than Roman.
Review:
Guest (FF chapter 32) – More like Mary is developing one. Roman IS the sole reason she's alive, so... drama! Also, good to hear investment in those around Carmine. Thanks for the read!
Join us next time in Chapter Thirty Seven: Awkward Meetings.