I did a stupid thing. Like, an actual stupid thing in terms of writing. I have misspelled a word for about 40 chapters now. I am... the big dumb. The big R word. You'll notice it, I'm sure, but this chapter going forward I will be correcting that. I WOULD go back and correct it on each and every chapter... and I will, in due time. I discovered this literally like a day before I finished this chapter. I hate myself.
Apologies from your handsome, stupid writer that gets by with looks. On to the show.
Chapter Fifty Two: Far Too Early
The spark of metal on metal lights both women's faces. Blair deflects the Midnight blade up with Fluorescent, then ducks the follow up from Cinder's left! The raven haired woman advances, using her dual weapons to double her attack pace in a spin. The stranger flourishes the back blade as the attacking one is deflected, keeping Blair's sights filled with movement.
Making the movement harder to track.
Blair remains calm, deflecting each attack while backing up for space. Pick your timing... She short hops back, straightening her posture with one leg slightly forward in her kendo stance. Her sword is longer, so she uses a thrust into a rising cut, forcing Cinder to dodge, then deflect.
The raven haired woman redirects Fluorescent up with both her swords, throwing a step kick at the blonde.
There.
Blair releases one hand from her sword, ducking and scooping to kick and throw Cinder back. As Cinder flips back to recover, Blair charges to attack before the woman is ready. The blonde swings broad, Cinder using both blades to static block at her side!
Cinder nearly buckles from the pressure, but slides one blade up, keeping the other defensive so she can counter. The raven haired woman swipes at the blonde's head!
The blonde ducks back just as the offending blade clips the woman's bangs. Sliced hair falls away as Blair activates Fluorescent's trigger. Ice dust in the hilt, the blade turns pale blue as she explodes the frost forward. Cinder barely has time to step back and block.
For her trouble, Cinder is thrown back off her feet, tumbling along the ground. A fog cloud blows out from the ice dust charge, Blair blitzing through the cloud at the downed woman! Cinder smirks, rolling up and drawing knives from a back pouch.
She throws the knives as she stumbles to her feet. Blair stops her charge, broad side blocking the thrown blades with Fluorescent.
Both women lunge in, clashing blades and locking them in another bind. Cinder smirks. " Very well done. If this were a serious bout, I would be in trouble."
Blair narrows her glare dangerously. "Whose to say I won't treat it seriously?" The blades spark off one another as Blair presses the attack, twirling the golden sword in a flourish for quick flicking slashes! Cinder is forced back, barely defending before leaping away for distance.
Landing, the raven haired woman's smirk is accompanied by a trickling sweat... This was the twin of one of Beacon's top Huntresses, not a run of the mill foolish hero hunter. Cinder observes Blair's light haze of violate aura radiate from her weapon as she charges. The thought briefly occurs that playing both sides MAY have been ill advised...
Just five minutes. Hold her off for five minutes, pretend to lose, and direct her and her allies towards Killa's hideout.
If Blair doesn't choose to kill her outright before then, that is.
. . .
Roman leans as another hole is blasted through the tree! He'd slid down to sit and was now almost sideways under a litany of torn holes in the bark! He scowls at the scroll in his hand. "Damn it all! Silver Streak is in the thick of it." He looks over to Neo's own cover, equally turned into wooden Swiss cheese. "Don't suppose you got any ideas?"
The mute frowns, recalling the last time she'd faced this sniper. His high tech scopes can see through her shatter illusions, much like Mary's back in Vale. From this far, she can't use any cover up illusions to trick the faunus like she had the woman.
The grimace that meets Roman lets him know the bad news. The girl sighs and shifts into a crouch and turns. All she can do is use Hush as a shield and charge ahead... And if her angle is off at all, the sniper will dome her with a charged shot of dust. Unpleasant and downright rude, in her opinion.
Roman nods, checking Velvet Valentine's gun mode before getting to his knees. "On your go. Deflect one shot, and I'll give cover fire."
They take a breath in unison... and break!
Neo bursts from behind the shredded tree, opening her parasol fully and directing it forward. Her full view of the mountain is blocked. The girl blind charges ahead, unaware if or when she may hit another spot of cover-
Boom!
The blast strikes Hush dead on, blowing dirt and dust around the barrier and waving past the girl. Neo's knees nearly buckle mid stride from the force, but she pushes forward! Behind her, Roman kicks out from cover, running behind the mute and aiming his gun over her towards the mountain.
Spray and pray, Roman fires at the mountain with no clue as to how high up it their opponent could be. At best, all he can hope for is to spook the shooter until he and Neo can find cover again.
Upon the ridge, some 400 yards off and a five hundred feet higher than our heroes, Kallen jolts under his camo cover. He wraps his head down with his off arm as fire dust shells splash along the mountain. No two shots hit within a figurative mile of another. Still, instinct tells him to hunker down.
Roman smirks as enough time passes. If he didn't at least spook the shooter, then he'd be shot by now. He spots an uneven rocky portion on the side of a creek. Just enough for the rocks to be good for cover. "Neo, right! 70 degrees!"
The girl breaks right, tucks, and rolls behind the rocks. Roman sliding next to her in the cover. The two share a look, Roman smirking first. She shares the sentiment. Neo readies herself to utilize Hush again. Her poor baby will have to endure some punishment as the two work their way up the mountain.
Neo's mind does briefly wonder. If the sniper is up the mountain, that means he is here... If someone attacked Carmine...
She hopes to whatever god will answer that possibility isn't the case. Unfortunately...
. . .
"With THIS HAND, BASTARD!"
Carmine aims Heulin Noon at the grinning reptilian faunus, Killian. The double shot fires dead on at the cocky man! Killa huffs a laugh as, almost as if time slows, he leans aside, letting the double blast punch through a tree far behind him. The wood blows out as the giant plant cracks and tumbles down!
Killa spares a glance at the tree before focus returns to the boy. Carmine's now leaping at the man, throwing an armored left hook! Killa jerks his arm up, using the plated wrist gun on his arm to bash the punch aside.
The scrape of metal sounds as Carmine lands, aiming his gun up now in his right hand. Switched? He pulls the trigger point blank! Killian's right hand clamps down on Carmine's wrist, jerking the gun enough.
The double shot blows out by Killa's hip, shredding a hole in his gray duster and into the ground behind! Killa pulls Carmine around, the boy's furious glare locked on his amused gaze. At least, until Carmine is jerked so his back is exposed to his opponent. "Ch!" The boy scoffs. In a flash, Heulin Noon returns to his left hand!
He aims back, directly behind his head at Killian's own dome. The faunus sucks in a surprised breath. Killa ducks back as another double shot blows out, just by his forehead, and into the wood line above!
Killian quickly snatches the boy's left wrist with his own left hand, then presses a knee into Carmine's back! Carmine winces as both his arms are pulled back, wide, and he's brought to his knees.
"Hoo! Whoa, kid! What's with the flashing now?" Killa chuckles. He gets a pained grunt from the boy as he stretches the arms back inches more. "Put a seizure warning on you. Got anything else?" He grins wide with barely contained glee.
A throat gargled growl escapes the boy's throat. Carmine snarls out. "Schneider!"
The armor flashes to his arms, blades jabbing out from his back wrists and elbows. The elbow blades jab Killa in his forearms, forcibly releasing the boy. Killa jolts back in a pained yelp. Carmine takes the instance to sweep slash around, his forward blades clipping grass into the air, missing.
Killa short jumps back, arms up defensively as he blinks and grins. "Me thinks someone is full of surprises-"
"AAAH!" Carmine cries and charges forward, crazed wide eyes as he slashes wildly at the faunus!
The faunus uses the plated guns under his sleeves to block. He deflects one slash, two, a thrust. Carmine twists into a spin, his first strike getting redirected as he whirls with the momentum. Killa dodges back, blinking surprised.
He ducks back from the wild brat, smirking. "Whoa now. You act like I've done you wrong." The taunt earns an immediate overreach, the boy's next lunge too far. Cackling, Killa twists, his tail whipping up from under his shredded duster!
The spines on the tail frill out as Killian lashes it up. The tail bashes Carmine's blades up, knocking the boy off balance! Killa grins mad and brings up fist. A hysterical cackle escapes as his fist smashes into Carmine's jaw.
Carmine's head whips back from the hit, his body following as he's launched. The teen grinds and tumbles along the ground like a rag doll. "Woo! Yeah! Let's work out those kinks. Come on. Let out the anger, boy!" He lilts the 'boy' like a redneck hick and whistles.
A pained whine sounds as Carmine stumbles to a knee. "Ugh..." He glares up, heat back. "Zero!" His armor flashes back to his chest and arm as he draws and snap reloads his gun. "Hn!" He grunts as he flashes away.
Recall.
The boy flashes into place... immediately in front of Killa! The faunus brings up both arms in a cross block as the boy aims. Double shot, the blast blows smoke in both their faces.
Silence lasts for only a second before the boy spooks. He barely gasps as both Killa's arms, wrist guns fully exposed, aim out from the smoke! A rattle of fire strikes the boy head on, blasting off his armor and aura shield. Just like before, the boy is blown back into a tumbling roll!
The smoke clears, revealing both Killa's arm sleeves shredded off from Carmine's shot. Small burn marks mar his uncovered biceps, but nothing serious. Killa growls as he exits the smoke. "Boy, you owe me a new jacket! Do you know how much these cost! This is Vacuan leather!"
Carmine winces and pulls himself up. Snarling again, he stumbles to his feet and gets back. He cradles his right arm as he steadies himself. Alright... get your shit together and tone down the god damned rage. It's not helping!
Killian snorts. "Now, now. Didn't your daddy teach you how to act?"
Complete silence, Carmine's wide, contracted eyes homed in on him. All senses excluded his surroundings, save for a high pitch ring and registering the words of the monster before him.
A look of realization comes as Killa blinks. "Oh, right. Guess he may not have had the time."
The high pitch ring clicks and shatters.
Carmine raises Heulin Noon in a snap motion. "Panzer~AH!" He throaty growl morphs into an predatory howl. His armor flashes away, forming around his gun. Plating forming as the large barreled cannon forms around his father's gun. The hum of dust whirls the air inside the barrel as it increases volume.
Killa flinches lightly, looking like a deer in headlights. He lightly widens his stance to be ready. "Whoa... Let's be civilized, now." Even before anything happens, his legs start to shift into shades of green and yellow, blending into the ground below him.
The boy supports the arm with his right hand, snarling loudly. "ENOUGH!" His aim centers on the faunus. Blood shot crazed eyes glare. "BURN IN HELL!"
BOOM! The loud tank shot blast rattles the ground around them as he fires the massive dust blast at the criminal.
Killa watches wide eyed as his body shifts entirely green and yellow like the autumn grasses. The light of the massive blast shines before him like the light of judgment himself... and he drops.
. . .
Kallen jolts like a spooked house cat, glancing around with fearful eyes. The loud blast accompanied by a large plume of dirt and smoke in the distance evidence of the explosion. He adjusts his golden beret, brow furrowed. "What bizarre weapon was that?" His attention is momentarily pulled as he uses his scope to view the far off area. "Killa said he'd be that way..."
Down the length of the mountain, Roman and Neo had made it to another set of trees. The both of them as well had their attention pulled to the blast. Roman grimaces. "That sounded like Silver Streak's new favorite toy."
Neo takes a breath, blinking a few times. Her eye colors swapping sides with every other blink. Grunting, she looks to Roman. He nods to the ridge. Faster they take out the sniper, the faster they can help Carmine.
They repeat the same strategy, but Roman smirks noticing that no returning fire was coming. "Let's leg it while the going's good." Neo closes Hush as both CRBN members sprint up the slope ahead.
. . .
The blast tears through three trees before exiting the more open area, disappearing into the shredding forest. Dirt and dust blows out in a large trailing cloud for hundred yards! The echoing cracks and smashing debris sound as Carmine lowers his gun arm.
His posture slacks left, pulled by the imbalanced hand cannon. His glare remains on the scar in the land before him. Though the darkening sky shades over all he can see. A choked breath comes out, the high of rage coming down with the cathartic release. Carmine takes a deep calming breath. His blue eyes scan the area through the darkness.
No blood. No remains. Was he vaporized? The feeling of a lead weight pulls in his gut as his eyes flick around. No. Killa's aura is comparable to grown hunters. Unless he dropped his full aura shield and let it hit. That's preposterous. "What?"
Killa's laugh echoes in the forest around him...
Carmine jolts, wide eyed, as he scans the area. His breathing hitches and chokes as he barely gets out. "Zero." His armor flashes from the heavy gun back to his chest and arm. He snap reloads and aims forward. To the side. He whirls around to aim behind.
The voice chuckles from another side, the boy twisting to aim in that direction. Only darkness meets his eye. "Well, well, well... That actually would have killed me. How shameful." His chuckle sounds from another side. The boy twists again and aims. "To have come so far, but to still come out the chump."
Directly behind him, a full figure rises, still colored green and yellow, matching the darkening grass in the entire clearing. Killian rises, his entire body shifting colors back to normal as he grins at the boy's back. He speaks low. "Boo."
Carmine whips around, jolting. The only thing that meets him as the metal plating of Killa's wrist gun. The plate strikes into the teen's jaw, cracking his head back from Killa's critical back hand! The strike launches Carmine off his feet.
The boy flails in the air and lands hard on his back. He chokes in pain, opening one eye to find his gun beside him. Instinctively, he reaches for it, only for a boot to stomp on his wrist. Crying in pain, he glares up at Killa standing over him.
"Hello there." Killa grins wide, aiming his right wrist gun at the boy. "Kid, I'm so proud of this great hero's journey you got going on. However!" The gun clicks, the man cocking his head ever slightly. "You're still light years away from where I'm at. Yet you try to play hero anyway."
He cackles, gleeful at the boy's expense. Carmine's teeth grind as he snarls. "Be careful with that ego. Far as I'm aware, every huntsmen you've taken had to be weakened by backup dancers, you dickless coward!"
That drops the grin from the faunus. A grimace replaces it. Killa cocks his head the other way and presses his foot down harder on the boy's wrist. It gets a weak cry, slightly satiating the man. "And you thought you would be the one, huh?" He lifts his foot for a millisecond and stomps on the wrist, the bones starting to pop! "Huh?!"
Carmine cries out in pain and brings his right hand up. "Schnei-"
Killa kicks up with his other foot, cracking Carmine's jaw up! The boy's head whips at the impact. Killa steps off the boy before pressing back down directly on the throat. Killa glares at the teen, the child. "You really thought, 'hey. I'm gonna be the one. I will be that special snowflake that grows into that great storm of justice!'"
The mocking is accompanied by the man proceeding to stomp the boy over and over and over. He ends by punt kicking Carmine in the gut, launching him. Blood spews out from the boy's mouth, red impact marks and injuries forming on his face and neck.
Carmine grunts in pain, sucking in frantic breathes as he wipes his face off and stands. The boy wobbles, as if standing on stilts. "Tch." Killa scoffs, then unleashes a stream of shots from both wrist machine guns!
The spew strikes the boy, the riddling shots striking the aura shield and breaking it! Carmine is thrown back into a tree, hitting back to bark with a loud cry. He staggers against the tree, but glares back at Killa. The heat still lit behind his eyes.
Killa grins, body flashing dark green and faded yellow as he falls forward into the grass. Using his semblance, he warps through the ground, swinging up onto his feet directly in front of the boy! His coloration returns to normal as he flashes his grin.
Carmine growls, throwing a punch! It's snatched by the powerful larger hand. Killa twists the arm with his hold on Carmine's hand, locking the boy's elbow. As the boy cries out, Killa jerks Carmine down... directly to knee the boy in the jaw. The strike pops Carmine back up, head cracked back.
The faunus lurches forward, slamming his forearm into the boy's throat to slam and pin him against the tree! Killian chuckles, waiting half a minute for the boy's response. Surely, the kid is out of it.
Yet, Carmine's heated glare slowly, agonizingly, meets the man.
"Impressive. You still look ready to go." Killa's grin falls with a thoughtful look as he takes in the disheveled boy. "Well, maybe go to the morgue." He grins at the wise crack. The boy looks half dead on his feet. Killa shifts his forearm over Carmine's throat, earning a wheeze. "You really don't care if you die, do you?"
Carmine clenches his weak fists. He reaches up weakly at the offending limb over his throat, trying and failing to remove it. "Not... til I... kill you!"
His hand flashes with aura, recalling Heulin Noon to his hand! Just aim and-
Killa's tail lashes up, striking the gun out of Carmine's hand. The faunus grins at the flailing boy. "Yes! That's the spirit." He chuckles lowly. Wickedly. "Nothing else matters, does it? My death and then what?" Killa giggles. "I die and then you have what? You accept death yourself?"
The laughter in the boy's face increases tenfold. The chameleon faunus eventually just leans in, close. Close for Carmine to smell the wretched stink of his breath. The man whispers loudly by Carmine's ear.
"It's far too early for that... In fact!" He pulls back, grinning. "Let's cancel those plans entirely. How should we end this?" His face lights with the most gleeful, nearly innocent look he'd ever done. "I have the perfect way!"
He pulls back, Carmine dropping to sit against the tree, gasping and fighting for air! Killa grins and waits for the boy to glare up. Slowly, he points his wrist gun directly at Carmine's head. Carmine already sees the man's sick poetry.
"I'll end it with this hand!" He taunts the boy. With a flex of the hand, he readies to fire-
BOOM!
An exploding shot ignites directly on the man's side! Killa finds himself getting launched off his feet, thrown painfully aside from the forward of the dust round! The faunus tumbles along the ground to a halt. He grips his side, feeling his scorched duster and burns on his side. "F~FFFUCK!" He draws out the curse in a long, contained whine.
Carmine turns to look at the source, spotting the smoking barrel of a long metal rifle with white glow peeking through several slots. Taylor steps forward, aiming the rifle up at the criminal faunus. His rifle, strap connecting it to his shoulder, is a cool gray metal with a wooden component stock.
The gun uses a level action motion, Taylor swiftly cocking the level up and back as the white glow spots on the side intensify. He unbuttons the strap, loosing the rifle as he aims at the downed faunus. "Weak hand, eh?" He glares at Carmine, raising his brow before returning his gaze to Killian. "Don't move."
Killa scowls at the newcomer. "Oh great. The sheriff is in town." He gives a cocky grin. "You gonna put me in the slammer, officer?"
"Or dome you in the skull if you speak another sentence, Killian Gonzola." Taylor steps closer until Carmine is at his side. The sheriff raises a brow, but keeps his steeled gaze on the criminal. "So, you ready to tell me what this is about, brat? Might have saved your face if you opened up."
Carmine winces as he fails to stand, stumbling and hitting the ground. "Ah!... Do you... always insult people you help?"
"The ones that earn it." Taylor glares at Killian. "Can you stand?"
Carmine groans. "Give me a minute." He closes his eyes. "R-recall." He warp rewinds back, getting deposited on the ground on the other side of Taylor. His face at least isn't bleeding anymore, right arm no longer mangled. However, the phantom pain of the injuries hits at once. "Ah! Frick!"
Taylor hums, letting the boy adjust. He steps forward. Killa grins wide from his crouching position. "Gonna read me my rig-"
BOOM!
Killa jerks right as the bright white blast fires from the Hunter's rifle, blasting the ground! Guy wasn't kidding! He wasn't gonna let Killa speak another sentence! The faunus shifts his skin to match the grasses again as he fazes into the ground.
Taylor lever charges the rifle and fires again! However, Killa is obscured in the shot as another hole is left in the ground. Thankfully, he hears the jerk in the darkness.
Killa blows out from the ground behind a tree for cover, a new burn on his chest and cheek. He glares daggers around, seething at the sudden interloper! Why? Again and again! He just can't finish things with this damned brat! It's his turn to snarl. "Right! Whatever, brat! Be saved once again."
With Carmine and Taylor, the sheriff eyes the darkness, carefully picking out details. The boy stumbles to stand, left hand retrieving Heulin Noon. Killa's voice echoes out. "We'll have to have another party some other time. Bring both yours and my friends. Have some blackjack. Bring in hookers. The whole shebang!"
The faunus growls away the anger and calms. His smile returns. "We'll be in touch." He begins to faze into the ground behind the tree. Time for a strategic retreat. "Bye~."
Taylor snaps his look to the side, aiming and firing! The shot tears through a tree in the distance shredding into the ground... Nothing. A piece of Killa's duster feather falls down. Shit. A near miss. Taylor relaxes and huffs. "Well, now my work load sky rocketed." He turns to Carmine, the boy pouting.
"Thanks..." Carmine mutters, looking away.
"Wanna tell me what's going on now?" Taylor urges with a cutting glare.
The boy winces, then shakes his head. "First, my team is fighting Killa's friends. We have to move!" He takes two steps, stumbling immediately. Taylor catches him with one arm and supports him.
"Tell me your name, and sure."
The boy grumbles. "Carmine. Carmine Uhlric. You happy?"
Taylor's eyes widen ever so slightly, taking the boy's likeness in. He shakes his head and nods. "Better. Come on."
. . .
Kallen scowls, seeing Killa retreat through the infrared. He then turns his attention back to the slope below. Roman and Neo have made it much closer than he was comfortable with. The snake faunus jolts up from his prone position. The camouflage tarp that had covered him before flaps off into the wind as he stands. "Curse my curiosity!"
No matter. If Killian is retreating, he can't expect himself not to follow suit. Besides! They have backup plans for stall tactics. Kallen steps to the edge, patting a light amount of dirt off his bright gold long coat.
Roman and Neo halt as the faunus leans over the edge to peer directly at them. Only about fifty yards away. The snake faunus sneers. He snarls into a booming, sudden announcement! "CRBN approaches!" Roman and Neo grind to a halt to prepare themselves. "Vengeance comes for you, young wench!" He pauses, Neo double taking. The man speaks in dramatic form. "For Menagerie..." He smiles and holds up a small trigger device.
Roman loses his luster, slacking sullen. "Thespian just gave a haiku. Now, I'm over today." He glances at Neo, the girl confused. "This who you expected."
Neo nods, scowling. The girl conjures a sign, holding it for the faunus to read. 'Haiku's are so lame. You're not artistic.' The girl smashes the sign and readies herself. She remembers fighting these guys in Menagerie. But why would he bring that up-
Kallen pulls the trigger. A string of explosions chain along the mountain ridge. A full line just a few yards under Kallen's ledge, as well as another line further down! The side of the mountain cracks and tumbles down towards the conman and girl.
Neo's eyes widen. Right... Blair's teammates dropped a rock slide on Killa's team in Menagerie...
Both CRBN members jolt back. A rock slide tumbles down towards them! The two turn tail and sprint the way they came downhill, a wave of crumbled rock and earth giving chase! Forget running for the hills, they run for the gods damned horizon. Spotting a tree, Neo signals to Roman. He nods.
The girl bee lines directly for the plant, leaping up and running up its side. She jumps as high as she can manage! Below, Roman does the same action, kicking off the tree to leap up. Neo opens Hush, allowing herself to float aloft like a dandelion seed. She stretches her leg down, allowing Roman to snatch her by the ankle.
The girl jerks down slightly, the two losing altitude. However, it works!
Neo watches as a sea of boulders tumble downhill under them! The stream of rocks grind out all other sound under the crashing impacts of the granite and stone. Smirking, she and Roman swing in the air before she kicks up, launching Roman at an angle up the mountain slope.
Kallen had turned away from the drop downhill, already confident his trap succeeded. It must have, because he set it! He smiles and adjusts his technological rifle. "A girl and man, crushed swift through darkened stone!" His speech stresses each second syllable, as if musing for creativity.
All for naught when Roman lands on the rocky ridge behind the snake faunus. The conman snorts. "Iambic Pentameter? I'd kill myself for hearing it, but then I'd be joining thousands of brats forced to read it."
Kallen snaps around in a flourishing twirl of his rifle and aims at the man. "You're ruining my golden moment, Thug." He almost hisses at the man. Roman is amused.
"Please. 4/10 at best. Zero nominations." Roman opens fire on the ground, blowing up a dirt cloud between the two.
Kallen smirks, eyes on the infrared screen on his rifle. Clearly, it shows Roman still standing there. The snake charges his rifle to fire-
Roman's semblance. A spark of flame ignites out of friction in the air, directly in front of the scope. Instantly, Kallen's entire screen glares a bright white and red, blinding the sights! Kallen is spooked off balance.
Through the cloud, Roman dashes out, Velvet Valentine back in cane form. He strikes the rifle barrel up as a shot fires into the sky! The faunus twirls his rifle, like a massively thick bo staff. He uses the weapon to block and attempt to counter Roman.
Roman deflects a strike with Velvet, then palms a blunt weapon strike up. He then pushes forward, ducking another swipe. Kallen steps back, attempting to whirl the weapon to keep Roman back. He wants to get to aim and fire again!
Roman instead shoulders forward, knocking the rifle barrel aside just before Kallen could set up the point blank shot! He hooks Velvet's pick side into the rifle's side. Roman swaps weapon grips and elbows, but Kallen blocks with his arm around his gun stock.
The snake is now position just enough to attempt to kick Roman's forward leg out! The conman answers, balancing forward and kicking his back foot forward. Not a full committed back kick, but enough for his kick to connect with Kallen's shin mid leg sweep.
Kallen retracts his leg, stumbling back. Roman breaks Velvet free of the rifle, breaking the two of them free, then twists and palm strike the faunus in the chest. Kallen is thrown back off his feet, tumbling on the ground.
The faunus tries to shift on the ground to aim his gun up! Too late. Roman strikes the barrel aside with the hammer side of Velvet. Kallen is left wide open on the ground with Roman simply stepping back.
Shatter
The air seems to break apart like a broken pane of glass. From nothing, the tricolor girl appears between the men! The tip of Hush's blade sticks from the parasol and stops at the snake's neck. Kallen's wide eyes peer back in shock.
Roman nods at Neo. "Good work. Now." He looms over Kallen. "Where's Gonzola's hideout?"
"I'll never tell you! Not even if you torture me!" He quips in a manly tough guy manner... Oh, it's an action movie cliché. Roman coughs as Neo presses her blade against the snake's throat. Suddenly, the man's entire demeanor changes. "Whoa now... Let's be reasonable. A deal can certainly be made."
Neo snorts, sending a look to Roman as if to say, 'this guy...'
"Yes, yes. I agree." Roman flippantly agrees with the flick of a hand. "Now-" Both CRBN members jolt back as dirt brown arms rise from the ground and wrap Kallen in a bear hug.
They watch as Kallen blinks, then smirks, his entire body shifting color to match the ground. The snake is pulled, fazing directly into the ground. Roman curses under his breath as he glances back. Neo follows his gaze and matches the grimace.
Killian smirks back at them, a short distance off, his whole body colored to match the rock and dirt. He pulls up, literally pulling Kallen up through the ground with his semblance. After getting the snake faunus up, Killa flashes a grin. "Roman! Long time no see."
The conman glares. "Since when can you warp people with your semblance, too? That's new."
"Well, Chump-, and Chumpette." He adds with a look to Neo. "-That is my own little secret. You'll find I'm far from aching for tricks." His semblance, Technicolor Transfer, is now able to shift other people through objects matching color? That may pose an issue, Roman things.
"I'm more concerns about how it makes everyone turn into unsettling, disgusting colors." Roman quips with a growing smirk. He takes in Killa's fresh burns and torn up duster. "And you already aren't looking great."
This heats the chameleon up. "Hey! Bite my glorious technicolor ass!" He huffs and collects himself. Placing a hand on Kallen's shoulder, both their colorations shift and match the ground once more. "We're moving to the second line. Numbers don't appear to be in our favor." He says conspiratorially. Almost like he's playing pretend. Still enjoying this.
Roman narrows his gaze. That means he still feels in control. "What's the matter? Why not end this all right now?" He smirks.
Rather than respond, the two faunus both start to sink into the ground below them. Killa grins. "Just wait. It'll be fun on a bun! HAHA!" His laughter cuts out as his head warps through the ground. The CRBN members are left alone.
The conman slouches. "Well, that's great." He looks to Neo, who is already producing her scroll. "Hey, we keep to the game plan." Neo pauses, setting Roman with a look. He nods his head down the mountain. "We'll grab Barbie and make sure she hasn't bit it, then meet up with Silver Streak."
Neo grimaces, glancing worried in the distance, but moves after Roman.
. . .
Blair and Cinder clash once more, but the older blonde locks Cinder's blades, having her pressed against the rock wall of the small ravine. Cinder mentally groans. How long is Killa going to make her wait! Surely, he hasn't gotten the better of the blonde's teammates while outnumbered! They should have fought the faunus back by now if they're worth anything.
As if on cue, Cinder spots Killa rising from the ground behind Blair. The raven haired girl smirks confident. She whispers impeccably low. "Behind you. Make this look good."
Blair scowls at being told what to do. No one besides Carmine tells her what to do, and that's only on missions! Still, in her best interest, Blair jerks back. Their swords spark as Blair whirls it and throws Cinder to the ground. At Cinder's acting, the blonde notes. That slash wouldn't incapacitate such a skilled fighter that easily.
In a wide whirl, Blair whips around, placing earth dust into the hilt of her sword. She slashes out in a burst of dust casting! Conjured earth washes out, blocking and countering the stream of fresh bullets fired by Killa. The chameleon leaps back as shattering rock smashes where he'd just stood!
Casting the remainder of the dust load, Blair slashes down in front of Cinder, the rocky earth forming around her in a restrictive wrap. The blonde then looks to Killa, who nearly explodes at the scene. "Oh, what kind of help are you!" He scowls at Blair, narrowing his gaze. "The wrong broads always gotta be the ones offering help."
Blair glares at the murderer before her. Maybe if she could bait him in, she could end him now. "Perhaps your head is not quite on right to choose partners correctly. I should apologize for that."
Fury burns across the man's face. The unsubtle nod to her nearly decapitating him in Menagerie earns a sneer. However, as quick as it flashes across his features, it's gone behind a mask of amusement. "Ah, I remember, Sexy Mama. How 'bout we schedule a second date some time?" With no more, his color washes brown as he warps down into the ground.
Blair grits her teeth, charging forward in a burst of speed. She attempts to land the strike, but the golden blade bites out the ground just after the sneering head disappears in the rock. The blonde grimaces. A quick scan of the area with her semblance... She catches the faint blip of the man's aura a distance away before it's gone again.
Short jumps with his semblance for quick travel, Blair deduces. She sheathes Fluorescent at her side and turns to Cinder. The raven haired woman still sits, cradled within the ground by rock. The teen opens her eyes and smirks.
"You seem awfully content after letting me hit you like that." Blair speaks first, reaching into a pouch pocket underneath her shirt collar for more earth dust.
"I am simply admiring good work from a hopeful asset." Cinder surprises Blair, her hand sticking up from the rock opening to show an earth dust vial from herself! Cinder casually casts the earth, crumbling the rock blanket engulfing her so she may stand. Patting herself off, the woman meets Blair's look. "Now, I can tell you where Killian went."
"Sounds like you could have done so the first time." Blair scowls. "Or, you could just fight and be done with them. You clearly dislike him if you're working with us."
The woman merely cocks her head slightly. "And should I require to be a liaison to another AZRL associate, the fact that I survived working with Killa without it being a total failure will make me more... wanted."
'Total failure'...
Ah, so she doesn't want Killian killed. If that happened, she might be seen as potentially responsible for an employer's death. Such things would impact her... undercover work, per say. Even if everyone wants Killian Killa Gonzola dead, it seems.
"Killian's hideout is in a cave due one more mile around the bend of the mountain, at the very base. It will be hidden under the shadow of a cracked naturally formed spire. The inner slope will angle down until you find torches and generator lighting."
"Shall I presume this plan he has involves the town mine?" Blair crosses her arms in a huff.
Cinder's smirk grows ever slightly... There's her answer before she even speaks. "Once inside, there will be a deep pit where one of Killian's men is tending to the man made Grimm horde. Nearby, his other man, the kangaroo faunus, has been using a semblance to dig out through the mountain. He will be opening a gateway into the mine so that the Grimm can pour inside, then out into the town in surprise."
Blair scowls. "Was this trap meant for us?" Cinder once more smiles. That's a yes. "What benefit do they have destroying the town?"
"You were not meant to locate them quickly." Cinder's smirk widens slightly. "I was supposed to inform them you came, then they would unleash the horde on the town with you inside. Then, his team would infiltrate and pick your teammates apart while you heroically attempt to hold off the Grimm."
"And now that none of us are in the town?" Blair doesn't need Cinder to elaborate, answering herself. "They'll use the Grimm anyway to draw us to the town after the Grimm are unleashed. They won't have us as predictably boxed in, but Killa expects the same result."
"Heroes are often easily predicted." Cinder mocks as she turns and begins to walk away.
Blair blinks in shock before scowling. So, that's all the teen plans to do. Despicable.
"I should say you have about three hours until the Grimm horde can get connected to the town." Cinder gives as she hums a laugh.
"Three hours to find a cave only one mile away?" Blair mutters.
"Trust me. They prepared. The animals have been prepping this forest for over a month." Cinder speaks one last time with a eerie wave. "Don't disappoint me. I'm counting on you." Within the second, her form has melded into the shadows of the darkening night.
Blair growls before grabbing her scroll and selecting group call with her whole team selected.
. . .
"You FOUGHT Killa?!" Blair's accusatory tone laces with venom and a throaty growl. "Alone?! Is your head up your ass for the WARMTH?!" The woman exploded after just explaining the faunus group's plan. All because both she and Roman commented on Killa's damaged attire, leading to a guilty Carmine mentioning his fight.
"Definitely messed up if Barbie is saying to hell with language." Roman mocks on the same call. Less than a second later he adds. "Yeah, I'm surprised he lived too."Ah, chiming in Neo's thoughts.
"Yes!" The exasperated tone answers. Carmine rolls his eyes. "Got my ass kicked. Kill me later. Point is, we've pushed them back, so we need a plan-... Uh..." Taylor is glaring at the boy, slowly reaching his hand for the scroll.
"Silver Streak?" Roman chimes in.
"I... am handing my scroll over under duress." The boy barely gets out before the hand held device is swiped right out of his hand. "Hey-!"
Taylor snatches the device, holding it to his ear. "This is Sheriff Taylor Cassidy. Am I correct that you four are Team CRBN?" Carmine freezes and pales paper white.
Well shit. That confirms he's in the know on Hunter information traffic...
A brief pause occupies the conversation before Roman's voice mocks. "Now, him surviving Gonzola makes sense." Brief pause. "Yes, he IS a fool." Shut up, Neo.
"... Unfortunately, yes." An unhappy Blair responded.
Taylor cuts a glance to Carmine. "Your team leader-" He starts, emphasizing the title. "-is too injured and low on aura to join you three in approaching their hideout. If this Grimm horde trap has three hours before triggering, I'll be escorting him back into town to recover as much aura as possible. I'm going to prepare the town and brace the mines."
"Wonderful. You get to yell orders to hapless fools. We get to storm the castle a disadvantage."
"Their mole informed me that at least two of them are preoccupied prepping the trap and containing the Grimm. However, should we stop the trap from triggering, then it will most definitely become an issue."
"It'd be much easier to say, 'screw the mine,' and collapse it. Would solve a lot of the issues."
Taylor immediately recoils from the scroll in offense. In unison, Carmine, Blair, and Taylor all three yell out. "And kill the town livelihood!"Taylor shakes his head. "But, it MAY be a fall back plan if the Grimm start breaking through."
"Lovely." This time, Carmine, Blair, and Roman all respond. Blair continues for them. "Very well. The three of us will regroup and proceed to the cave. It isn't far, but I was told they've prepped the area. I expect traps."
"Maintain contact if things go South. The four of you can consider yourselves temporarily deputized." Taylor hangs up the scroll before tossing it for Carmine. The boy catches it and scowls. "Come on."
"I'm sorry. I'm still processing you hijacking my team." Carmine winces and rubs his side, but maintains the scowl. "Are you the only officer in town?" He asks as he starts to follow the sheriff.
"Didn't you hear? I just got four deputies." Taylor snarks at the boy, earning a grumble from the teen. "Townsmen have guns for self defense, but people that can reliably kill larger Grimm? Gonna be just us with them." The sheriff quickens his pace, moving into a soft sprint as Carmine charges after him. Each stride earns a pained grunt, but they can't afford to waste any time.
. . .
Blair lands atop the branch of a tree. With night fully settled, the stars and moon were now allowed to shine brightly. Enough light to see everything tinged a dark and soft blue. On the ground a distance ahead, Roman has his hands on his hips, shaking his head.
Roman doesn't react as Blair leaps down. "Hit the nail on the head, Barbie. Forest is absolutely littered with tripwires, claymore explosives-" He huffs and pulls a small device from his pocket. "Dust charges are linked to most of the trip wires. Dibs on any charges we recover."
Blair huffs and takes in the image ahead...
Neo... one foot stretched wide forward with a trip wire behind her ankle. Another wire is directly in front of her back foot. A third is at hip level as she's bent back under it. The girl tilts her head, looking back at the adults in upside down vision as she sends a plea. 'Please help.' Her eyes scream.
"Get her out of there. We can't afford to waste time." Blair glances around the trees... Sure enough, a months worth of time to prepare this forest was clearly well done. Extremely faint, but she makes out lines above as well. If she had leapt one more tree...
"I take it a forest fire to clear the way is not allowed?" Roman ponders. At Blair's glare, he grumbles. "Yeah. We're on it." Neo narrowly contorts her way down and rotates before stepping cleanly next to a tree. She smiles back, relieved before setting about tracking the wires to their triggers to disarm them. Roman snorts as he does the same with the nearest wires. "She's aiming to take my job."
Blair crouches down and begins scanning for traps herself. "That would be a shame. We'd have to get rid of you."
Taking the quip, Roman snorts. "Oh please. Unless you find a pasty bear to take my spot, no one else would satisfy your company." The blonde narrows a scowl at him, but he doesn't meet it, smirking.
The clear pass and reference to her dating life brought back her irritation from the previous day. "Unless this is a stereotype about gingers, I highly doubt you can satisfy anyone."
"You know what they say about assuming. Also, thanks for letting me know the thought's come up." He side glances a smarmy smirk before he pulls up a disarmed wire trap connected to an ice dust vial. He pockets the dust and stands, moving to the next one.
The blonde gives a disgusted groan. That and the cheesy 'make an ass out of u and me' line. "I assure you, you were already an ass before I assumed anything." She sends a hot look at the man. "And such images have never occurred!"
She then glances up, finding Neo sending a sullen glower at the two. While Roman is turned to another trap trigger, Neo holds up three shatter signs.
The first just has 'JUST' in large bold letters. The second is a picture of two hands. One with a finger pointed, the other making an O, and an arrow directing the index finger to the hole. The last sign, matching the first, is 'ALREADY' in equally bold letters.
Blair freezes as her face actually colors. Neo shatters the signs and continues disarming her way forward. The blonde's eye twitches, offering no retort lest Roman catch onto Neo's teasing...
Gods, tonight couldn't end fast enough.
Ah. Carmine isn't quite ready to face Killa. Emotionally, I mean. Totally not just referring to him getting his face beaten into the dirt...
Some advancing fights, mini Grimm Horde, and Taylor showing his weapon off.
Reviews:
OzmaGale (Fanfiction) – I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for the complements. You wouldn't be the first to have been held up by the first ten chapters, so I can imagine a few reasons why you might have felt that way. I definitely appreciate you soldiering on and enjoying the experience. Thanks again!
Crimson_mist (AO3) – You've left a few comments, but I want to specifically respond to the last one with some tidbits related to the others. This story will have a very specific chapter that, depending on the reader, will be considered the end of the story. It will be a natural drop off point for anyone who wishes to consider the story finished at that point, and those who stop at that point can simply call this story a what if prequel to RWBY proper.
All readers who choose to read past that specific chapter and continue the story beyond will experience differences in this world's version of RWBY's events... but not exactly all of them. If that seems vague, it's intentionally so. I don't want to fully spoil it, but this story will have an "end" for those who don't want to get into RWBY events itself, and a continuation for those who do.
Join next time on chapter Fifty Three: Where You Came From.