"I heard people"
"I heard their heartbeats, aura, and their voices"
"I heard it all but I couldn't move"
"I just needed a push, just one lit–"
*Crack*
"Wait.. That was"
*Crack*
"That means.. I can.."
...
The Ace Ops and Winter held their breath as they stared at the man before them who was in the ice just moments before
The man took a deep breath as the cold air left his mouth. His eyes remaining closed for the moment
"Where am I.."
The Ace Ops had their weapons out, suspecting combat. Everyone except Winter look at Clover for orders
"Um.. Excuse me" Clover spoke out to the man who stands before them
The man remained silent as his eyes remained closed
Harriet's patience waned "Hey buddy!" she called out louder
Silence filled the cave once more, until the man's eyes finally opened. They noticed his eye color changing before changing back to blue
"Who are they.."
The man lifted his head up at them, as he did so they began to notice his features. He's tall, probably the tallest here. His hair is black, his eye color turning to blue. His clothing is made for battle or was made for. His body is built, presumably results of training not to their knowledge.
The man looks up from the floor, meeting their gaze. However his gaze falls on Winter for the moment
"W-where.."
"Where am I.." The man asks as his voice trails off
The Ace Ops and Winter look at each other for ideas until Winter spoke
"Outside of Mantle, Coldrock"
As soon as the man heard that word. His eyes opened more as if he finally remembered something.
"Coldrock.. Coldrock.."
"The village!" He suddenly shout as he looks around, the group flinches
"U-um it's up above" Marrow nervously spoke as because of the man's sudden outburst
The man looks around until he looks up at the ice ceiling. Then out of nowhere he jumps towards the ceiling, shattering it as he breaks through with no effort. Shaking the whole cave as he does so. The Ace Ops and Winter are in shock at such strength
"Hey! Come back!" Elm shouts as the man disappears
"He's heading towards the village" Vine spoke as he jumped out of the newly fresh hole
The Ace Ops and Winter jump out of the hole and quickly head towards the village. They make it towards the main lodge where they see the man standing inside. They all come to a halt as they begin to slowly walk inside as quietly as possible.
They see the man standing still once again, but they notice something different.
He was shaking, not because of the cold. But out of guilt
"N-no.." The man says as he bends down at one of the frozen corpses
"How did this happen.."
He then begins looking around at shockingly fast speeds, examining every corpse as if he was looking for a specific person. The Ace Ops and Winter play it quietly as if they were stalking a creature
"Oz.."
The man comes to a halt after searching the corpses. He then speaks out to the group watching him without even turning.
"Where's Oz?"
The Ace Ops and Winter eyes widen at his senses, he knew they were there despite playing it quietly
"W-who?" Marrow questions as he first speaks
The man turns around to meet them again
"Where.. Is.. Oz.."
The Ace Ops and Winter look at each other, the name sounds familiar but they don't want to assume
"Hey listen pal, we have our own questions too" Elm speaks back
"I don't care.."
The man remains unfazed as he asks again
"Where's Oz"
Harriet begins to seem frustrated by his bluntness
"Okay listen I–" Harriet gets caught off by Clover who puts a hand on Harriet's shoulder
"We don't know who you mean.." Winter speaks as some ideas come to her mind
"Where is Oz.." The man speaks again as he tenses up
"Where is my friend.."
"Okay.." Clover says as he tries to diffuse the situation "Look, how about you come with us and we'll figure out who your friend is"
The man takes another deep breath and calmly says
"No.."
Harriet finally says "Not like you got much of a choice, we got you out of there. You're coming with us"
"They're scared. I can feel it, I can hear it.."
The man moves his gaze to each of them and promptly says "You're scared.."
The Ace Ops and Winter are shocked by his observation, how does he know?
"We don't wish for any harm, we just want you to cooperate.." Vine speaks now trying to not provoke anything
…..
"No.." the man says once again
The Ace Ops tense up again expecting hostility until Winter speaks
"Who are you.." a simple question asked by winter
The man eases up slightly as he sense no hostility from her, the same can't be said for the Ace Ops
"M-my name.."
"Kai.." The man finally speaks his name
"Alright. I'm–"
"She's Winter.. Winter Schnee.."
"You're Winter.." Kai says as he remains stoic
The group is taken aback by his comment, He knows her name. They haven't even met before.
"How do yo–" Winter asks as she can't but shake out of slight concern
"I see it" Kai bluntly speaks as he seems slightly confused by this new discovery
"It must be working.."
He can tell who you are? Just what can this guy do?
Winter calms herself down as she clears her throat "O-okay Kai.. listen, please come with us. I'm sure the general can give you all the answers you need"
Kai looks at Winter, he can't help keeping his gaze on her. As if she was the only one there. He senses no hostility from her, he senses..
Sympathy?
"She feels sorry for me.."
Silence fills the room as they await his answer
….
Kai finally eases as he nods slowly
"Ok.."
The group sigh to themselves out of relief, Winter smiles softly at his compliance
"Thank you Kai.. Please follow us" Winter asks as the group begins to walk out of the main lodge
As Kai begins to follow, he turns around to look into the main lodge once more.
"I'm sorry.. Everyone.."
…
He sighs to himself before turning to follow the group
...
As the group walks Marrow nudges Winter
"How did you know what to do?" Marrow whispers to Winter
"I can tell he felt hostility from us. I just didn't show any" Winter replied as she smile slightly again
"Who wouldn't?" Harriet quietly interrupted, "He knew your name! You haven't even met before!"
"I know" Winter nods "But he seemed just as confused as us"
"The important thing is that you got him to cooperate with us. Good work Winter" Clover congratulated Winter as he smiles
Winter nods in acknowledgement as she turns her head around to look at Kai who seems to in deep thought
"What day is it.. Where did they come from.."
Kai continues to think as he looks around the cave as they keep ascending to the surface
They finally made it out of the cave as they are greeted by the same cold air as always and sun
The Ace Ops and Winter turn around to look at Kai who seems to be staring at the sun, somehow unfazed
"Is he even cold?" Elm questions seeing how ragged his clothes are
Clover called out to Kai to ask "Hey, you cold?"
Kai turns his attention towards the group as he shakes his head
"Not for a long time.."
The Ace Ops and Winter look at each other with a confused look. Any normal person who was trapped in ice should be cold beyond comparison
As the group continue to look at each they feel the ground shake, this time they knew who it is
"Grimm!" Marrow called as he saw a large horde of Grimm in the very distance, all varying in sizes. Including some air borne as well
"Knew this wasn't going to be easy" Harriet spoke as she readies Fast Knuckles
"There's a lot, prepare yourself" Clover spoke as the group readies their weapons
Kai notices the horde, then his expression intensifies. the ground beneath shakes more but not because of the Grimm
"Grimm.. Kill them all.."
Kai takes one step forward as the group prepares themselves
However something is different
Everything around Kai slowed..
And he instantly standing in front of the horde that were in the very distance.. A Grimm exploding in slow motion as he ran into it
Kai looks around him as the Grimm appear in slow motion, seemingly not processing Kai standing before them
Kai moved so fast, everything to Kai slowed..
"Kill them all.."
Then Kai begins
He grabs a Beowulf Grimm and throws it to another Grimm, tearing its arm off as it remains in Kai's hand
Kai uses said severed arm to bash a Boarbatusk in the face, stabbing the severed arm into the Boarbatusk armored head like it was nothing
As the Boarbatusk slowly gets into the process of dying, Kai picks it up with one arm effortlessly. Regardless of its weight Kai throws it towards the air borne Grimm, leaving a powerful shockwave in the process
"Destroy.."
Left and right all the Grimm fall, by a single blow each. Leaving shockwaves as their echoes..
Kai punches a hole through the last Grimm, a Gollaith Grimm. It leaves a large hole through the Grimm as the shockwave slowly echoes..
"Fall.."
….
In their eyes it seemed like a battle was going to start..
Then a large breeze and a loud boom passes the group as the hold themselves
Then they see it..
Large shockwaves, left and right.. All in the very large horde they were supposed to fight. Happening in an instant..
They were in disbelief..
Who could have so much power, so much strength, so much speed?
Then they saw it
The one responsible for the horde's slaughter, the once responsible for the large crater in the distance, and that unbelievable speed and shockwaves..
It was..
Kai..
The group is left in shock by the sheer display of power, and what shocked them the most..
He was instantly standing in front of them, and he didn't even look the slightest bit tired..
They couldn't even process the fact that he was instantly standing in front of them despite the vast distance between them and what's left of the horde..
That's when they fully realized..
That Kai..
Is a lot more different than they thought..