Foresworn

HP/VS

XVIII: Can't Catch a Break

Carmine didn't spring her plan until a freak sandstorm started. Activating her semblance and acting quickly she detached her skiff containing the Caspians and Harry; she was surprised that Harry hadn't woken yet but inwardly she counted her lucky stars.

Carmine Esclados knew her strengths and weaknesses; she was confident that with Bertilak they'd be able to manage Team CFVY and possibly Harry. Velvet had been most helpful in saying that Harry possessed one hell of a temper, immense reserves and a drive that could borderline tunnel-vision. Velvet had left the finer details out, something Harry would use to his advantage, but Carmine considered herself confident in her abilities to take Harry down.

As the Sandstorm whipped in, Fox's head snapped in Carmine's direction "Son of a bitch."

"What is it Fox?"

"Velvet and Harry can't catch a break. Bertilak and Carmine are picking up stragglers to ferry people to their destination, that's true. But they're abducting people with powerful semblances…"

Velvet's eyes narrowed, she popped her neck "Well…as Harry would say, nothing like a bit of ultraviolence."

"I think you're meaning 'violence didn't hurt anybody'." Yatsuhashi stated.

Coco snorted "Anything to do with brutality when in defence of a loved one is applicable. But I think Harry's words here would be 'hit them, hit them until downed, keep hitting them. If in doubt hit them one last time.'"

The erratic Second-Year, second year candidate?, was always a practical one. "Velvet, Fox, Yatsu…Harry's gotten himself out of worse spots. I say we use his bad luck against him."

Velvet's eyes hardened at her old friend "V, I know you want nothing more than to jump his bones. I get it, Harry gets it as well. I don't want to do this but right now I'm not willing to risk our lives and the people we're protecting for one person; even though they're a huntsman. Harry would rather us be pragmatic about it; we're in a sandstorm, partially natural and possibly enhanced; we're at the disadvantage."

Velvet sighed "So we're gambling on my boyfriend to be him and destroy the people he's been taken to?"

"Yes."

"Velvet, I, as a friend and your teammate don't like this anymore than you do." Fox stated. Velvet turned and hugged the blind member of their team.

"Is this a friend hug? Won't Harry try and kill me for this?"

Velvet giggled "Harry has my heart; You, Yatsu and Coco are my team and my friends...besides Harry's a teddy bear."

"A teddy bear in the form of a cactus."

"He's not a prick! He's prickly there's a difference."

"Tomato, Tomayto...Velvet, Harry and all of us we've fought the worst that the world can throw at us, and survived. Yes, we can't save him right now...but nothing can stop us from having a go." Fox ordered as he began to try and pick up Harry's aura.

"Guys, my radar senses aren't picking him up…Didn't Bertilak mention something about the Caspians?""

"Yeah…Oh shit." With that Fox and Yatsuhashi took off, maneuvering their way over the tethered sand-skiffs; before crashing onto Bertilak.

Bertilak looked at the interlopers "I'm sorry kids, this isn't personal."

Fox and Yatsuhashi simultaneously charged the man. "Carmine, we have company; we'd best not attract anymore. We might as well call in the Boss and say we have something."

Carmine grunted. She was down in the hold with Caspians and Potter; Potter was still dead to the world; he was still breathing. "That attack must have drained him something awful…Plus the falling…"

"Wait…We have company…"

Carmine opened her scroll "Carmine to Control."

"Control to Carmine, be quick."

"Need an extraction...three, Amplification, Nullification and Dust Control."

There was a pause "Her Majesty's going to need some proof of that."

Carmine rolled her eyes "You'll get one. From him. So extraction?"

"This will be…"

"Bertilak will pay for it; we've got company. So extraction of the cargo would be great."

"Of course. Your pay for the two will be confirmed. The third when we get a demonstration."

Carmine nodded. She rushed up the stairs, to smoothly kick Yatsuhashi in the jaw. The gigantic teen rocked and quickly covered his face as grains of hot sand narrowly missed his face. Fox meanwhile had been able to under Bertilak's guard and utilising his aura landed a blow that not only sapped the older huntsmans shield but outright obliterated it.

"It might not be personal; we may be outmatched but we're going to try and get our colleague."

Bertilak snorted "Typical huntsman modus operandi. The world's a cruel, uncaring place and we need to do,what's needed, to keep ourselves alive."

The skiff rocked as an older looking Skiff ploughed into them. Emblazoned on the prow was a crown. Four people cleared the gap and vanished into the skiff. There was a sharp thud; Fox and Yatsu watched as the Caspians and Harry, the latter now sedated, got escorted off the skiff. "Get rid of them."

The Skiffs detached leaving Fox and Yatsu to contend with the renegade huntsmen. As Bertilak began to use his semblance to ignite the skiff, another with Sage on the prow crashed into them. "Team SSSN is here!" Yelled Sun WuKong as he launched himself into the fray.

(Velvet and Coco)

"Why is this happening?" Velvet moaned.

"Because your boyfriend is a trouble magnet. You managed to keep yourself together when he was off doing his mission. Hey, look on the bright side, Neville's back so imagine how much trouble HAND and NIKL are going to get into when they get back."

Velvet blushed "Has anyone called them yet? Wait, communication is down across the world."

Coco giggled "Internationally at least but once we get away from Vacuo we should be able to contact them. As their scrolls went off."

"Team CFVY, Sun WuKong of SSSN here, we're notifying you that your team is fighting two individuals wanted for questioning."

Coco's eyes widened, this was new.

(Harry)

Crash landings and fighting Grimm sucked. Being tranqued was even worse. "Take it easy mate, we don't want any accidents right now. You're twitching and twisting worse than a Blind-Worm."

"Considering I've fought them and been eaten by one; I can imagine. Now who are you? What do you want with me?"

There was a chuckle "Curious ain't cha. Understandable, you have to understand we can't remove the hood. Okay, who you're with right now are unimportant. You're being brought to The Royal Family because you're special. Special in terms of amount of Aura and your Semblance. You'll be offered the chance to serve and be rich in a new world order."

"I've been abducted and am currently being brought to be conscripted into an army."

"Yup."

"What do Carmine and Bertilak have to do with things?"

"They're recruiters and snatchers. They find and abduct potent individuals."

Harry sighed "Harry, keep it cool. Stay calm, you can work this to your advantage. Work with them, gain their trust and then you can ram the knife home and disembowel everyone. "

"I'm in."

"What's your angle? Generally people need more persuasion."

"I know my limits. I'm in no state to buck the trend. Bite the bullet etc."

"Welcome to the Vacuo Restoration Guild, better known as The Crown."

Harry gulped. He was really in it now. Salem on the move, the Nations in states of distrust… "Fuck my life. I can't catch a break."