"Blaire Cerise," The old headmaster of Haven Academy spoke while standing on a stage in the main building of the school. He eyed the young woman. Her long pink hair tied into a ponytail by a dark pink and black striped bandana with a cherry blossom on it. Her bangs split across her forehead with a black choker around her neck. White bindings wrapped around her chest as she wore a dark pink kimono with pink trimming. The right sleeve completely removed and showing off her collarbone and arm. Her entire right arm, from her forearm to bicep and part of her shoulder, was a beautiful spiral of cherry blossoms. A dark pink, light pink, and white striped corset was wrapped around her stomach, tied off by a slim brown rope. Silky black laced leggings rode up her legs, followed by a black leather skirt over them. Black split toe tabi boots with pink decals covering her feet. At her left side she had a long katana sheathed in a black and pink decorated sheath. Her left hand resting on the handle as her right pressed against her hip.
"Nero Grey," He then eyed a young man with short gray hair. Unlike the girl before him, his expression was much more cold and hardened. His face had been slightly weathered by the elements. Just by looking at him, it was clear he was from Vacuo and a long way from home being here in Mistral. He had on a long smoky colored jacket with silver buttons and a collar popped up. The bottom of it slightly torn with several holes. The jacket itself was unzipped, showing off a black hoodie underneath. His gray cargo pants with metal armor on the knees were tucked into a pair of black boots with gray laces. Two belts rested across his waist as a large handgun was holstered on his right hip. On his back, he had a wide and very large sword with a motorcycle handle for the hilt. The handle pointed over his left shoulder. Though, that wasn't what stood out most about him. What did was his three fingered rustic and metallic right arm.
"Rosalind Zafina Iris," He turned towards another young girl. Her thick dark brown hair was nearly black and in two pigtails tied with purple ribbons. Another ribbon was tied and keeping her bangs out of her face. Her skin was flawless and without any sort of blemish. She had on a white blouse that puffed out around her biceps. Different shades of purple fabric was wrapped around her abdomen, trailing down into a very long dress that barely showed her feet. She had a pair of sandals on, her toenails painted purple along with her fingernails. A long purple scarf around her neck and flowing behind her. She wore a pair of purple beaded bracelets that were outlined in gold. Matching ones around her ankles and a necklace that paired with them. A set of golden hoop earrings in her ears. Obviously a little more nervous than the others, she bit her lip while her hands fidgeted with each other. Her hands covered with a pair of purple gloves outlined in gold that only went through her middle finger and the back and palm of her hands. A horse tail wrapped around her waist, neatly combed and cleaned.
"William Moss," He finally looked at the last student on the stage. He was very muscular for a seventeen year old and fit beyond compare, clearly training since he was a young boy. He stood with pride, his shoulders squared and hands behind his back. His spine was straight, feet shoulder width apart. He wore a tight forest green muscle shirt, showing off every muscle on his torso while keeping his arms revealed. On both his upper biceps he had the Atlas symbol tattooed in blue. His shirt was tucked underneath a pair of camouflage pants that were held up by a dark green belt. The pants neatly tucked into a pair of black boots that were laced as symmetrically as possible. Around both his wrist he had bandages tightly wrapped and on his back attached to a leather strap was a regular standard issue military rifle. His dark green hair short with a wide and evenly cut flat top.
"You four have returned from initiations together." The headmaster continued. "From this day on, the four of you will be known as team RNBW, lead by..." He trailed off a bit, looking between the new students before smiling and eyeing the girl in purple. "Rosalind." He gave the Faunus a nod, motioning his hand.
"H-Huh?" The young girl's eyebrows rose as her shoulders rolled back. Her jewelry jingling.
"What?" The soldier boy quickly said, taking a step forward with a stern look.
In their new dorm room, the boy from Atlas quickly paced around. "This is ridiculous!" He threw his arms around. His weapon along with the others put away. "Actually, completely ridiculous! I have spent my entire life training for this moment! Blood, sweat and tears! Only to be told Atlas Academy is full and I have to attend this second best place and have a filthy Faunus put in charge of me!" He pointed towards the young girl with a horse tail and glared as she pulled back and looked away while rubbing her arm.
"How about you cool it." Blaire stepped towards him, left hand on her hip as her right hand poked his chest. "Because if you don't, I'm definitely going to shut your mouth for you."
"Come on, man." Nero leaned against a desk with her arms crossed. "Don't be one of those assholes. Give the girl a chance, Will."
"Don't call me Will." He growled back at him. "It's Moss to you. All of you. And if you or you," He looked between Blaire and Nero. "Become my friend, you can call me Wuile. It's Moss until then."
"Well whatever you'd like to be called," The pinkette nudged him again. "Don't go around blaming and yelling at someone just because you didn't get your entitled stuck up self's way." She huffed, her eyes narrowing.
"You think you're special, don't you? Just because your little semblance makes you invincible. Here's a tip." Wuile narrowed his eyes back while shoving her away. "You dress like a fucking whore and I could kick your ass any day."
She glanced down for a moment before looking back up at him. Her bangs falling across her eyes. "Really? Do you want to bet on that?" Her head tilted. "Because I'll go right now."
"Guys... come on. There's no reason to fight." Rosalind spoke up. "Blaire, it's fine. I've had to deal with discrimnation my whole life. It's alright."
"And you'll deal with it till you die, you freak." He snapped back at her before being shoved away.
"I told you to shut up!" Blaire glared. "If she won't stand up for herself, then I'll do it for her!"
"H-Hey! Guys!" The Faunus gritted her teeth before biting her lip. Her two teammates readying and preparing to strike the other. She took a deep breath. Her eyes and fingers gaining a faint purple glowing mist to them.
Raising and eyebrow, Nero tilted his head as he watched the slim girl move at almost inhuman speeds. He blinked, letting his arms fall as he watched her danced between the two others flawlessly while jabbing at specific pressure points on their bodies.
As she stepped away, Wuile immediately collapsed onto the floor unconscious as Blaire dropped to her hands and knees. Trembling, she closed one eye while trying to push herself up. "What... did you... how... did you..." She trailed off with a groan.
"I disrupted the flow of your aura and chakras with my own. My semblance allows me to see where one is weakest and most vulnerable for me to strike." The horse Faunus took a deep breath, letting her tail loosely sway as she let her arms relax. "Your body may be untouchable, but nothing can protect what can't be seen. Though, yours must be pretty strong if you're still conscious..."
"That... sucks... don't do that... again..." She groaned heavily, trailing off as she closed her eyes and went limp.
Rosalind exhaled, looking over at the gray haired boy. "Can you help me pick them up and put them into bed?" She smiled softly.
Nero blinked, staring at her for a moment before slowly giving off a devilish grin. "You know, if we stick their hands in water they'll wet themselves." The tone in his voice shifted, throwing her off her guard.
"Um, what?" She nearly stuttered while staring at him with a confused expression. "No... no!" She shook her head softly. "Just help me get them into bed. Hopefully they'll be calmer in the morning..." She trailed off a little before sighing as she knelt down to help Blaire into her bed.
He let out a sigh, gently shaking his head as he picked Wuile up. "You really think either of them will be calm after this?" He raised an eyebrow at her as he set his teammate down. Stretching him out so he'd be more comfortable, he smirked to himself. Grabbing the unconscious boy's hand, he closed it into a fist before extending the pointer finger. Slowly, he pushed said finger up his nose and left it.
"No... but I'm hopeful." She glanced up at him, smiling before tucking Blaire's blanket over her.
"Uh huh." He nodded while standing back up before crossing his arms. "You know, being too hopeful might get you hurt if you're not careful." His mechanical arm quietly squeaked.
"I know!" She smiled bright with a nod. "I don't care."
He blinked a little before faintly smiling. "You're very optimistic for someone who has had to deal with discrimination their whole life. I applaud your resolve. I hope things get easier for you and he learns to accept you." He smiled a little more.
Though, as the year went on, the bullying didn't subside. Wuile's taunting continued endlessly and relentlessly. His mockery lasted day in and day out, from the time he woke until he fell back asleep. And while Rosalind managed to keep any outburst from happening again, it was only a matter of time until something snapped.
Heading back to their dorm after dinner one night, the soldier boy was continuing on with another one of his never ending rants. "I'm just saying," He held out a hand while walking in the front of the group. "She's basically a wild animal. Or a pet none the less. She should eat her food off the floor."
"That still doesn't give you the right to throw her meal on the ground!" Blaire snapped, taking a quick step towards him before her tattooed arm was grabbed and pulled back.
"I told you not to sink to his level." Rosalind gripped her wrist tight as she reminded her teammate. "All he's doing is seeking attention from it. So don't give it to him. I already told you it really doesn't bother me."
"But he's being an asshole!" The pinkette glared back at her, shoulders squared with hands in tight fist. "Someone needs to wipe that damn smirk off his face!" She turned to narrow her eyes at the soldier boy who smiled back with a wink. His perfectly white teeth flickering in the light.
"Blaire." The Faunus calmly set as they stepped inside their dorm. "I've told you a thousand times already. It. Does. Not. Bother. Me."
"Well it should." Wuile snickered back at her. "You always try to act so confident and brave like it doesn't bother you around everyone but I know that's a lie. You stutter like someone's shocking your already dead brain cells."
Rosalind took a deep breath, crossing her arms. Behind her, Nero shut the door quietly before leaning again it. His hands in his pockets. "She's told you already, man. She's not shy or antisocial. She excels at talking with large groups and taking charge but one on one conversations makes her feel awkward. She always has a level head though, always thinking calmly no matter how much you make fun of her and make her act nervous. She has work to grow but she's-"
"Yeah, yeah, still the best option we could have for a leader. Whatever." He pointed to himself. "I'd still make a better one. The headmaster was wrong and stupid. And a fool..." He grumbled.
"I wouldn't even put you in charge of watching over a garden." Blaire let out a chuckled while sitting down on her bed. Her right hand resting on her knee. "You'd probably yell at the plants so much to grow faster Grimm would show up and trample the whole place."
Rosalind let out a small chuckled, walking over towards a desk. Her smile quickly faded as she felt the cold glare of the boy hailing from Atlas. "Sorry... not funny."
"Shut up." He spat back at her before he began to take off his boots. "God damn freak..." He muttered under his breath. "Might as well just cut off your tail so you'd at least be normal-" He was cut off, grunting and closing his eyes as his neck was grabbed. After being shoved against the wall, he grinned as he began to open his eyes. His expression changing as he saw not Blaire finally snapping on him, but Nero.
The gray haired boy was holding the other up with his mechanical arm. His stone cold and neutral expression changing to that of a raging fire behind his eyes. Rosalind jumped, quickly turning around to only take a step back. While a majority of the time Nero was emotionless and carefree, the only other side to him she had seen was the unruly prankster and mischievous side. Which was very strange to see considering his hardened exterior. This though, this was new even for him. Something wasn't right.
"Oh so you're going to yell at me when I go to attack that prick and break us up but when he does it, then it's fine?" Blaire stood up, raising an eyebrow before blinking as her leader raised a hand in her direction.
"Hold... hold on." She mumbled softly back, narrowing her eyes. She hated unnecessary conflict and fighting, but that wasn't what was happening here. Nero's aura and chakras were massively unbalanced with his soul. "Just wait a minute." She whispered over towards the pinkette before taking a small step towards the two boys. "Nero..." She trailed off.
He growled softly, his mechanical three fingers tightening though they weren't strangling the other. A visible dull blue aura around his left arm. His left hand tightly clenched in a fist and trembling. "That's it... that's enough you entitled, self righteous, self centered, ignorant, ugly, self absorbed, mowed lawn hair, sack of shit. You don't want to be here? That's fine by me." He snarled, the energy around his arm growing. "When we graduate, you can leave. I'm sure none of us will even care. We have plenty of others things we need to be more concerned about than you whining because you didn't get your way. So shut up about it." He raised his arm, poking at his chest. "And don't you EVER tell Rosalind to remove part of her. Because you know, that shit hurts. Not just physically, but mentally. Especially when they only do it out of spite because you're different from them." He let out a low growl, his right arm tightening more.
"You're... one of them?" Wuile let out in a small breath, pulling away slightly as his brow furrowed.
"Yes! I'm one of them!" He sharply snapped back. "Back in Vacuo I had a crab arm! I'd sit on the streets of the city and play a fiddle to make some extra money! Then a bunch of assholes JUST LIKE YOU decided it would be funny to rip it off!" He took several deep breaths, pulling his right arm away as he raised it. His middle finger extended. "FUCK YOU!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. The dull blue energy around exploding.
Blaire's eyebrows both raised as she remained where she was. Her outfit and hair fluttering slightly. Rosalind stepped back, both her hands up and covering her face. Blankets and pillows flying off their beds. The window cracking ever so slightly.
Nero stepped away, watching as Wuile slid down the wall with wide eyes. His knees bent with his arms draped over them. The grey hair boy scoffed, regaining his usual composer as he turned around and headed towards the door. "Whatever..." He mumbled as he left.
Rosalind blinked rapidly, looking between the two boys before quickly rushing out. Eyebrows still raised, Blaire glanced around for a few seconds before doing the same. Leaving the young boy from Atlas all alone in their dorm.
"What do you call it?" Rosalind asked, sitting on a bench next to Nero who was leaning back with his hands in his pockets in the school's courtyard.
"Grimm Trigger." He exhaled slowly with his shoulders lowering. "My semblance is like a bottle." He raised his left arm. "It takes all my negative emotions and keeps them locked away. Eventually, the bottle can't take it anymore and it explodes and manifest into physical and raw power. I can't really control it, kind of like Blaire with her invincible skin, it just happens on its own. Hence the name Grimm Trigger though, since an outburst usually attracts those beasts. We should be fine so far into the Kingdom though."
"Is that why you're always so... dead on the inside?" She softly asked. "Because your semblance takes your bad emotions and locks them away inside you?"
"Yep." He nodded before flashing a devilish grin. "Though it won't stop the fun of messing with people. My crazy uncle taught me a lot about being a trickster." He chuckled a bit before sighing. "But it's also because in Vacuo, only the strong survived. You had to look the part too so people wouldn't trample on you. It's instinct now to be like that. To act cold and like I don't care. And probably because of my father too. He never really cared about mom or I either."
She rolled her eyes, folding her hands together in her lap. "That isn't going to be good for your aura later on. Nor your chakras. Bottling things up in general is bad for you. It is very important to keep those in sync if you want to remain happy and healthy."
He rolled his eyes, shaking his head at her.
She rolled her eyes back before biting her lip. "So... you're a Faunus?" She quietly spoke up, her hands fidgeting.
"Yeah. What of it?" He raised and eyebrow while eyeing her.
"Nothing." She quickly said, moving her feet around as she glanced up at the sky. "Having two people with night vision may come in handy for later missions." She paused for a moment, rubbing her tail. "And I bet your crab arm looked pretty cool." She quickly spoke.
He stared at her for a moment, tiling his head before shaking his head with a scoff and a smirk. "Whatever you say. It made it super difficult to do normal day things."
"No, no- I mean- That's not what I meant!" She quickly waved her arms at him.
Watching from behind a tree, Blaire kept her distance as she watched the two talk. She breathed out through her nose, softly smiling. She then gave a nod, turning around with her hands behind her back and walked off. "That's nice." She mumbled to herself.
Several days passed since that day, and while the bullying had stopped, the sheer tension in the air between team RNBW was rather unnerving. Wuile had distanced himself from his teammates. Only brooding and glaring at them when they came into his line of sight.
Sitting in a history classroom, the boy from Atlas propped his head up while slouching forward. He let out a yawn, closing his eyes as the lecture continued. "Thirty-six years ago, the war finally came to an end on the small island of Vytal." The professor raised his hand while pointing at a chalkboard. "I remember this day just as if it was yesterday. I'm sure most of your parents fought in this war as well. How about a show of hands for whose parents did?" He glanced around, seeing several hands go up along with Blaire and Wuile's. He gave a nod before continuing. "The four Kingdoms finally decided to choose peace over bloodshed. Academies such as this one were built to train Huntsmen, new laws were made, and new traditions were created. Such as the Vytal Festival and the tournament that follows it. This year is the eighteenth celebration of the event which I do hope all of you choose to partake in to bring victory for our Kingdom!" He chuckled, holding up a fist.
As he went on, Nero let out a small yawn while leaning back. His arms resting behind his head. He glanced over, raising an eyebrow as he watched Rosalind quickly take down notes. He shook his head, rolling his eyes with a small smirk. He was about to say something before an alarm began to sound off. He blinked once slowly sitting up straight.
As a murmur broke out among the class, the professor gave a sigh while waving his arms. "Alright, alright. Quiet. It seems there was a small break in our defenses and some Grimm have gotten through. If you all would kindly remain seated, I'll be right back and we'll have this all under control in no time. Just-"
"Excuse me?" Blaire stood up, half smiling as she stretched out her shoulders. "You know we came to Haven to fight Grimm and learn to protect people, right? If you ask me, I'm sure this would be a wonderful learning experience." She flashed a grin. "Or possibly an extra credit assignment for whoever can slay the most of those monsters?" She held out her arms. "I'm sure the rest of the class would agree with me on this."
He let out a sigh, shaking his head before nodding and clapping his hands. "Alright, quickly then. Grab your weapons and lets get to work." He smiled softly, eyeing the eager pinkette as she was the first to leave the classroom.
At the boundaries of the academy, several Mistral soldiers were firing away at a swarm of incoming Manticore. As they began to back away from the Grimm pushing forward, they blinked and glanced back as a warrior cry came from behind them.
Launching herself over two of the soldiers, Blaire flashed a grin followed by a chuckle as she drew her katana blade. The sun reflecting off it in a flicker. As her feet collided with the ground, she brought her weapon downward. Watching as one of the beasts were decapitated, she quickly spun around, slicing her blade through the torso of another. Hearing her name being called behind her, she turned around before interlocking her fingers. She let out a soft grunt as Nero's foot pressed into her hands, tossing him up into the air.
Reaching down with his right hand, he drew his gun. He began to fire several rounds into a few flying Manticore before reloading and setting it back into his holster. With his left hand he reached back, grabbing the motorcycle handle sword and swinging it around as he fell. The blade cutting one of the Grimm in two. He then blinked, glancing behind him as another flying beast collided with him. The two both tumbling to the ground before hitting a tree with a thud.
"Nero!" Rosalind shouted, dodging between one of the Grimm before jabbing it with purple energy coating her hands. It stumbled, suddenly disappearing into a cloud of black smoke. She turned around, freezing for a moment.
Walking out of a cloud of smoke, Nero coughed a few times while waving the smoke out of his face. "Somebody call a Huntsman?" He half smiled, glancing around before quickly ducking under the talons of another Grimm.
She let out a heavy exhale, shaking her a little before jumping back from the stinger of a Manticore. She quickly stepped forward after, her clothing and tail swaying in sync as she jabbed at the beast. As she stepped away, it too succumbed to smoke.
With his standard issue rifle, Wuile gritted his teeth as he shot at both the flying and grounded Grimm. Despite his quick movements, each bullet seemed to pierce the white masks flawlessly. Striking down the beast as they collapsed and turned into a black mist. Seeing one of the Manticore charge at him, he took a side step, narrowing his eyes. Running forward, his slid down onto the ground and underneath the beast before seemingly firing a shot without even looking. He jumped up, glancing back as the creature fell.
"Let me guess," Nero joked while shooting a few bullets with his left hand before stepping to the side and slashing his sword with his left. "You semblance let's you auto hit targets so you never miss and look perfect?"
"No." He quickly shot back, jumping up and over another while firing. "I have an enhanced ability to observe and anticipate the movements of things I watch." He said sharply with a glare.
"Auto aim. Got it." The grey haired boy grinned with a chuckle as he rushed forward, holstering his gun as he grabbed his sword with both hands.
Wuile let out a low and irritated growl as he gripped his rifle tight. "Don't mock me..." He grumbled before hearing a screeching animalistic cry behind him. He turned around, seeing an Alpha Manticore flap its wings as it pushed itself into the air. "I'll show you just what auto aim can do." Reloading his rifle, he began to step forward while firing.
Glancing back, Rosalind's eyebrows raised. "Wuile! What are you doing!?"
"Showing all you losers what someone with real skill and training can do!" He shouted back, pushing forward. The creature using its wings to fly backwards a bit. With each bullet that struck it, it thrashed around while letting out a roar. Firing every round in his magazine, the boy from Atlas went to reload. As he retook aim, his eyes went wide as he froze. Flying much higher now, the Manticore had its head back and mouth open. A bright yellow orb charging inside its mouth. "Oh... shit." He muttered under his breath, shoulders dropping. He quickly turned around, sprinting away as fast as he could.
He glanced back, eyes widening as he saw the ball of fire being hurled at him. He stumbled, tripping over his own feet as he fell to the ground. Turning over, he sat up slightly, bracing his arms over his face as he closed his eyes. Though, as he slowly opened them he watched as the flames parted around his body. Shaken, he glanced up.
Standing in front of him, Blaire face him with a glare while gritting her teeth. Her back to the flames with her katana firmly held in front of her. As the fire dispersed, it left singe marks on her clothing. She glanced behind her, barely moving her head as she did so. Inhaling, she brought her blade around, slicing at the neck of the Alpha Grimm that dove towards the two and cutting it clean off. She exhaled slowly as black smoke wrapped around her. Turning around, her glare hardened at her teammate. "I knew you were stupid, but not that stupid."
Rather than insulting her back, Wuile stared up at her with wide eyes. "Holy shit... you weren't lying... you're... you're actually invincible."
She rolled her eyes, her feet quickly pushing herself off the ground as she darted away from him.
He took a few deep breaths as he remained sitting. Slowly, he turned around to glance at his teammates. He took a deep breath, groaning to himself before he slowly stood up. The four of them were all here for the same reason after all.
Later that night, as the team was getting ready for bed in their dorm, Blaire let out a large huff of air while collapsing onto her bed. "I can't believe this. We so deserve that extra credit. I definitely killed way more than anyone out there."
"Well apparently not." Nero said bluntly, oiling his mechanical arm as he slowly flexed the three fingers.
"You... shut up." She quickly said before moving her arms behind her head with a sigh.
"You know, you still continue to impress me each time I watch you fight." Rosalind smiled, combing the hair of her horse tail. "You're... amazing. I don't know how else to put it. I know we're still young and have a lot to learn, but I've never seen a Huntress as strong as you. Your overconfidence is not misplaced either. You're actually as strong as you think. Probably stronger. It's incredible. I don't know why the headmaster would choose me to be leader over you."
"Well strength and power isn't everything." She grunted as she sat up on her bed. "I prefer action over words, which doesn't really work when you're trying to get a group to work together." She let out a soft chuckle. "Ain't that right, Mr. Big Shot?" She glanced over to Wuile who was sitting on his bed and blinked. Her grin fading slowly as her head tilted.
The green haired boy slowly exhaled, his head sunk between his shoulders while his arms rested over his legs. His back slightly arched forwards as he stared at the floor. "I... may have been... incorrect." He mumbled very quietly while averting his eyes. "I... suppose since we have all passed the entrance exam we are all on par with each other... some higher than others... and that if we have to be together for the next four years... I guess I perhaps maybe attempt to try to pretend to set aside my opinions and... work together..." He let out a small groan. "If that's-" He blinked as he glanced up, his eyebrows raising.
Smiling in front of him, Rosalind had her hand extended towards him. "You could have just said sorry." She let out a small chuckle, her smile brightening.
"Really? Just like that we're forgiving him?" Blaire held out her arms before crossing them with a huff. "Whatever. She can. I'm not." She shook her head.
"It seems so..." Nero's eyes narrowed a bit towards the two as the boy from Atlas awkwardly shook the Faunus' hand before he let out a sigh and shook his head. "I guess we are."
For the next three and a half years, team RNBW may have spent most of their time arguing, but they also spent a lot of it growing and learning. Learning more about Nero's childhood and the hardships those in Vacuo had to endure. His mother who despite being human, cared for him more than his actual Faunus father. And of course his mother's brother. They learned about the peaceful beliefs of Rosalind and her family. Taught from a very young age that the horse was a sacred and majestic animal, she learned to accept her unique trait without fault and to not let others bring her down because of it. Wuile told endless stories that his parents had told him. Mainly about the two of them both fighting on the front lines of the Great War. And how once Mantle lost, depression struck the two. That was, until the city in the sky was built. With a new hope, they began anew while having him and his younger brother Reed. Blaire did the same, telling her teammates of her father who refused to use a gun while during the war. He refused to use any weapon at all actually. Despite such, he saved countless men until one day a sniper struck his left shoulder. Upon seeking treatment for his critical wound, he met a medical officer who would later become his wife after saving his life. They may have all been different, came from all sorts of places and lifestyles, believed in different things, but one thing was the same among them all. They were each here at Haven Academy, not to prove they were the best, but to prove to the world that they were good and strong enough to protect it. They were a team with an unbreakable bond forming even if they all didn't want to in the beginning.
"Wow... I can't believe this." Rosalind mumbled softly. She was now twenty-one along with the rest of her group. Walking down the sidewalk in Mistral, she held a plastic card with a firm grip in both hands. She stared at it, her tail and hair swaying back and forth against her clothes. "I'm... we're officially licensed Huntsmen and Huntresses now."
"It's slightly weird to think about..." Wuile spoke quietly back to her. His Atlas logo tattoos on his biceps had faded, both of them now the Vytal Festival tournament symbol. "I've worked towards this moment my whole life. But it... feels off. I thought it would have been more exciting and gone off with a bang. Not just in and out."
"Then let's make it interesting." Nero grinned, holding his card in his right three fingered hand. The arm itself was slightly shinier than when her first arrived and he was no longer wearing his long gray jacket but instead had a dark grey hoodie on. He eyed Rosalind with a small smile. "Make it memorable. Maybe go watch a movie or-"
"I know exactly where we can go now!" Blaire interrupted with a chuckle as she stepped between them while the two quickly stepped away from each other. "They can't tell me I can't now. We're all twenty-one and graduated! Come on!"
She quickly stepped ahead as Nero tilted his head. "Um, wait what?" Rosalind asked while quickly catching up with her friend. "Where are we going?"
Grinning back at her, the pinkette chuckled as she lead them to a remote area on the edge of the city. "A place I have been waiting to join since I learned about it." She mumbled, stepping between a few stones before sliding through a crack in the wall.
"We're... going caving?" Wuile asked with a confused expression. "I guess that's sort of romantic." He rubbed the back of his head.
"Romantic for you?" Rosalind blinked as she glanced back.
He huffed, shaking his head as he looked away.
Slowly, Nero approached were Blaire had went. "I... don't think so you two..." He trailed off as he disappeared into the opening between the rocks. The two others both glanced at each other before raising an eyebrow and follow.
The deeper they went, the colder it became. After several feet, a low rumble was heard before distinct shouting could be made out. Soon enough, Rosalind stepped out into an opening and froze. Her eyes went wide as the area was well lit up with seats carved into the rock itself. The seats descended into the middle in a circle. In the very middle, there was a chain linked fence and inside it was two men fighting. The seats filled with people drinking and eating as the cheered the fighters on. And of course, making bets.
"The Predators Arena!" Blaire held out her hands in a smile as she turned towards her team. "We may be Huntsmen now, but that isn't everything. Here, there is no weapons. No semblances. No Dust. No armor or any protection. And no rules. Down there it doesn't matter who you are. All that matters is your strength and your will to fight and win. Amity isn't the only place to have a friendly fight." She crossed her arms. "So what do you say? We don't have to fight, I mean I am and I'm going to get us some nice spending lien for our missions, but you guys don't have to fight." She glanced between them just as a loud uproar broke out among the crowd.
Shaking her head, Rosalind let out a small sigh. "I suppose if you really want us to we could." She glanced up. "But-" She stopped herself, seeing her friend already rush away. She shook her head again, smiling a bit. "Because this place is going to have significance some day." She rolled her eyes with a chuckle.
"Blaire... really does love testing her strengths and growing stronger." Nero mumbled, his arms crossed as his head tilted a bit.
"Yeah." Wuile smiled a bit. "Yeah she does."
Five more years came and went with a snap as they all grew closer to each other. Some closer than others. It was a beautiful day in the outskirts of Mistral. Now armed with more than just her katana, Blaire let her fingers trailed across one of her kunai as she led her team down a path. Sets of three strapped to each of her thighs. "Just a little farther and... here!" She smiled, a house appearing between the trees. Coming up to the front, she began to take off the straps on her thighs that held the knives. "Remember, my dad doesn't like weapons." She mumbled, setting the knives down next to concrete stairs followed by her katana blade. Next to them there was a shotgun and bow.
"Yeah, we know, we know." Nero mumbled, his hoodie unzipped to show a black shirt underneath. He reached down with his mechanical arm, taking his gun out of the holster while taking his sword off his back with his left hand.
"Well I don't use a weapon. I'm my own weapon." Rosalind chimed in with a smile.
"And that's why he likes you." Blaire pointed with a small chuckle as she walked up the steps.
"What about me?" Wuile asked as he set his rifle down. "Does he like me?"
"Oh please. He's going to hate you more when we tell them-" She stopped herself just as the door opened.
"Barentain!" Dossile Cerise shouted, his arms held outward as his voice came off thick with a heavy accent. His red hair with streaks of pink faded white in it. "Oh, it's so wonderful you could make it!" He quickly grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. "My birthday only comes once a year, you know."
"Dad, hey! Come on!" Blaire squirmed, blushing slightly in his grip.
"I still think that nickname is stupid." Wuile mumbled as he stepped inside and slid his shoes off by the door. "You don't even pronounce it correctly. It's Valentine not-"
"You shut up." He narrowed his eyes while pointing a finger at him. "It is a great nickname. And maybe if you weren't so brain dead, you would know that is what I'm saying."
"No, you're not." He held out his arms and gestured. "You are saying Barentain. Not Valentine."
"No!" He took a step towards him while pointing at himself. "I'm saying Barentain, not Barentain!"
"Oh my Oum..." Wuile reached up to grab his face. "You are not saying Valentine!" He shook his hands.
"Well," Rosalind blinked while leaning onto Nero a bit. "That lasted much longer than last time."
"They did start at it before we entered the house before." Nero added as the two took off their shoes.
"Yeah, I guess." Blaire sighed as she took off her two toed boots. "Just wish they'd get along..."
"Blaire! Is that you?" A woman shouted from the kitchen. "You brought your friends, didn't you? I made plenty of food for everyone!"
"Mooom." The pinkette rolled her head around as she stepped into the kitchen. "You always make way too much food when we visit and complain when we never eat it all." She smiled, wrapping her arms around a short woman with brown hair cooking over a stove.
"That's because you're all skin and bones." Shi Cerise smiled back while nudging her daughter's sides. "You are a Huntress. You need to eat more so you're big and strong. If you don't you'll end up short and stubby like me."
"Mom." She shook her head before holding her tighter. "I missed you too."
"Mhmm." She then blinked, eyeing a ring on her daughter's left hand. She blinked a little more before quickly poking it. "When did that happen?" She quickly turned around while grabbing her hands. "Is it that silly soldier boy of yours? You know your father doesn't like him."
"Mom, shut up." She chuckled with a smile. "It happened a few weeks ago. Nero and Rosalind are still taking their time. Even though it's completely inevitable. He's bound to ask her sooner than later. They make each other really happy."
"So when do you plan to tell your father?" She smiled while leaning forward.
"After... dinner." She mumbled softly while waving her hand. "So at least dinner can be peaceful. Well, as peaceful as it can be with those two."
"Mhmm. I see." She nodded before turning around as she suddenly started serving plates. "Dinner is done! Come eat now or it will get cold!"
"M-Mom!" Blaire stuttered with a red face.
"Dinner? Now?" Nero called out. "But it's not even dark out yet!"
"Don't care!" Shi called back. "Food is done now!"
"Oh my Oum... mom." The pinkette reach up, rubbing her face aggressively.
"Whaaat?" She chuckled softly back with a grin. She then jumped, her expression changing to shock and then concern as she tensed at the sound of gunfire in the distance.
Blinking, Blaire glanced around before placing her hands on her mother's shoulders. "Stay." The tone in her voice was drastically different. "I'll be right back. I love you." She leaned forward, pressing her lips against her cheek before she pulled back and quickly stepped out of the kitchen. "Roz! Is there any negative auras nearby?"
Rosalind quickly shook her head no, already putting her shoes back on. Nero doing the same next to her. "No. Everything feels normal and calm. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"It might be a Grimm encounter and whoever is fighting it isn't afraid." Wuile said as he pulled hard on the laces of his boots before standing up straight. "Sounded like a seven six two rifle. Semi-automatic. Whoever it is, they mean business."
"Well-" The horse Faunus started before being cut off by another wave of bullets echoing outside. She blinked, her tail quickly swaying as she glanced outside. "We better hurry. Someone might need help." She opened the door, quickly stepping outside.
"But the food is going to get cold." Nero whined softly as he walked out, snatching up his sword and sidearm. Wuile jumping out after him.
"Wait. Where are you four going?" Dossile asked while stepping towards the door. His arms slightly extended.
"Dad, hey." Blaire stepped in front of him, gently pushing his hands down. "We'll be right back. We're just going to go check out what's happening real quick. We won't be long. Don't worry. We'll have dinner as soon as we get back." She smiled, standing up on her toes while kissing the side of his face. "Love you." She smiled brightly, giving him a small salute before rushing out the doorway and closing it behind.
He blinked, watching a small glint appear from her left hand before she left. Glancing back, he eyed his wife. "Did you see that?" He pointed towards the door, his brows furrowed. "The ring?"
Outside, team RNBW made their way around the surrounding woods. The sound of bullets echoing in the distance. Slowly, the gunfire ceased. The group continuing their way forward. "Anything?" Rosalind asked, keeping herself in front of her friends with her arms raised.
"Your nine o'clock is clear." Wuile said on her left, his eyes narrowed while he kept his rifle raised.
"Nothing as far as I can tell." Nero mumbled quietly, his metallic arm holding his handgun.
"And we're not being tailed. No one's following us." Blaire mumbled, her katana blade drawn as she walked backwards with her back towards her team.
"Then what-" The Faunus started then was cut off. The sound of bullets rang through the air in the direction the group had come from. There was a moment of silence, the wind howling quietly between the trees. Rounds fired off again as everyone went still. "Wait... did that..."
"No..." Blaire's eyes widened as her shoulders dropped. She let out a small breath of air, sheathing her weapon and lunging forward in a single motion. She pushed off with her back foot, sprinting as fast as she could. Her two toed ninja boots heavily stomping against the ground in a rapid rhythm. The pace quickening with each second that passed. "No. No. No."
With her heart pounding inside her skull, she turned a sharp corner around a tree. Her feet kicking up dust as they slid. Catching her balance, she pushed off again. Her eyes locked on her parents house. Instead of taking the front door steps one by one, she jumped over all of them while sending herself through the open door. When she entered, she went stiff and froze.
In the very few minutes she had been gone, the entire place had been ransacked. She took several shallow breaths. The sound of her breathing echoing in the still and silent air. It took her a few moments before the shock past and she began to process what had happened. Upon realizing, her breath hitched as her eyes went wide. "Mom! Dad!" She shouted, rushing into the kitchen as she passed by a wall. A clock gear symbol drawn with crimson red on it.
Stumbling into the kitchen, Blaire began to breathe rapidly. Slowly, she fell to her knees with her hands over her mouth and wide eyes. Her hands began to tremble. The feeling traveling down her arms and straight into her core. Her stomach began to twist in knots. Her legs feeling like jelly. Just like the first room, this one was a mess as well. But more than that, the floor and walls were splattered with blood. The dinner table with plates and a cake in the center had been knocked over onto the floor. Her mother was laying face down in a pool of crimson. Her father, resting on his back with his arm over his chest. His shirt was stained in a very dark color.
Her eyes began to water before she shook her head at the soft sound of movement. She jerked upward, pushing herself upwards as she scattered over towards her father who shakily raised his hand. "Dad... dad!" She shouted, quickly grabbing his hand with both of hers. "Don't worry! It'll be alright! Roz can help boost your aura and Wuile can bandage you up enough so there's time-"
"...Barentain..." He let out a soft groan, very slowly shaking his head no. With one eye shut, he rolled his head over to face her. He weakly smiled, his fingers slowly tightening around her hand. He began to shake his head no again.
A rush of footsteps began to sound as Blaire's quickly made their way into the house. Nero quickly slowed down upon entering the kitchen. His square shoulders falling as he glanced around before looking away. A wave of absolute horror ran across Rosalind's face. Her eyes widening as she placed her hands over her mouth and nose and stepped back. Wuile froze for a second before he slowly stepped forward. His hand shakily raised as he spoke softly. "Blaire... is he... is there anything I..." He blinked, locking eyes with the old man. Slowly, he swallowed while stepping back. Dossile flashed him a very weak smile with a nod. The young man inhaling sharply before he looked away. His hands balling up into tight fists as his shoulders squared.
"Dad..." Blaire let out in a shaky voice, her vision blurring slightly. "Dad..."
He let out a breath of air, slowly reaching up with his other hand to pat hers. "Be strong... Baren... Baren..." He tried to finish the nickname he had given his daughter, only to trail off. Both his hands falling limp as he closed both his eyes.
Silence fell across the room before Rosalind took a very small step forward. "Blaire..." She quietly let out before flinching and stepping back.
The pinkette let out a vengeful cry, tears streaming down her face. Her invincible aura began to glow, gaining a physical and visible form. The power burning off her like flames as her clothes ruffled. Gripping her katana handle tight, she drew the blade and brought it down against a wall. Breathing heavily, she gritted her teeth while staring where she hat marked. Another gear symbol painted on the wall in blood. She blinked before quickly shouting as she pointed towards it. "What does that mean!?" She demanded. "Who are they!? And where can I find them!?"
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Her leader stepped towards her with her hands up. "Blaire. Take a deep breath and calm down. Alright?"
"Do NOT tell me to calm down!" She snapped, the tip of her katana blade suddenly pointing at her neck.
Exhaling, the Faunus sighed with her horse tail swaying. She closed her eyes, moving her hands behind her back. "I'm not afraid of you. So I'm going to ask you again to calm down. At least until you can think clearly again and your chakras are aligned properly once again."
Taking several deep breaths, Blaire's eyes swelled up with tears again. Her katana shaking in her grip before her fingers fell loose. The weapon clattering against the ground. She pulled back, trembling as she fell to her knees. Her hands covering her face as her back began to bounce.
"From what I know," Wuile spoke softly, sitting on the stairs to the house. The door closed behind him. "That symbol is that of a bandit tribe. They call themselves the Gearz with a Z for whatever reason. They're not very popular. Mainly just some small town thugs that are only making it because of the former Huntsmen in charge." He swallowed, his fingers fidgeting with each other.
Sitting on her knees with her ankles crossed, Blaire was quiet. Her eyes closed as her katana rest in front of her. "So where are they?"
"Where every other tribe is." Nero stood, arms crossed as he leaned against a tree. "Hidden in the middle of nowhere. Away from everyone so no one can tell them what to do. Or tell them what they can't do."
She exhaled, slowly standing up as she grabbed her weapon. Placing it at her side, she turned around and began to walk off towards the setting sun.
"Blaire?" Rosalind asked, quickly stepping forward. "What are you doing?"
"What do you think?" She glanced back at her. Her eyes still slightly red and puffy.
"Hey, listen." Wuile jumped to his feet. "You can't go off on your own and take on a whole bandit tribe by yourself."
"I'm not." Blaire narrowed her eyes slightly at her team. "Or am I?"
The other three each glanced at each other for a moment before the leader of team RNBW sighed. "Fine." She crossed her arms. "But no storming in head on like you usually do. This will require a very precise and careful plan." She flashed a faint smile. "We got your back."
"Remnant would probably be better off without those scumbags." Nero mumbled softly before stretching his neck.
The pinkette softly smiled, reaching up to rub her eyes before giving a small nod.
"Then let's get to tracking them down." Rosalind glanced around at her team.
Night soon fell, the stars and broken moon in the sky illuminating the shadows of the deadly forest. Both Grimm and wild animals howling in the distance as the trees whistled against the cool wind. When neither of those things were making noise, an eerie silence fell across the land. In a small cleared out opening, ten small tents were set in a row down either side of a much larger tent. Weapon racks standing by each makeshift home and three large bonfires in between.
The four biggest of the Gearz tribe were sitting at the fire closest to the largest tent. Each of them laughing, snickering like animals as they drank from glass bottle. Wicken smiles on each of their faces. In the distance, Blaire let out a low growl. Her fingers wrapping around the hilt of her katana tight enough her knuckles shown white.
"Blaire." Rosalind sharply hissed, glaring at her teammate.
"They're laughing. Mocking the lives they take. Acting like its all a joke..." She growled back.
"I know, I know. But I told you, you can't just rush in." She sighed back before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Wuile's scouting out their guard changes. It won't take him long to know it perfectly. And Nero is thinking of every terrible thing to unleash a huge wave that ill send swarms of Grimm in if things go south. You just have to be patent."
She heavily exhaled, slowly pulling away while keeping her head low. "I'm going to kill every last one of them... I swear." She snarled quietly.
"And we will." Wuile jumped down with a soft sound before he stood up straight. "Every three hours they swap out. There's ten guards posted at once. Three at the front, three behind their chiefs' tent, and two on either sides of their tents."
"We'll have to be the quietest behinds the chiefs' tent." Rosalind glanced around. "We don't want to wake them while they still have the advantage. I'll take them. Nero you take left, Wuile you take right." She looked over at the pinkette. "You take out the front three. Quietly and clean. We don't need someone seeing blood and alerting the others."
"Sounds easy enough." Nero stretched out his shoulders a bit before holding out his hand towards Wuile. "Silencer, please?"
The green haired boy rolled his eyes before reaching behind him. "You know you could just carry your own, right?"
"What's the fun in that?" He chuckled back.
"Everyone knows their job." Rosalind crossed her arms. "Be patient and wait. Don't try killing them without knowing for sure any of the others will have time to react. They can't even so much as scream. Got it? Once all the lackies are gone we'll meet back here and decide how to get rid of the chiefs."
Later on, after the four more gruesome bandits had gone to there tent for a couple hours, Blaire quietly hid amongst the bushes as she watched the three men in front. She let her breathing slow, rage boiling behind her eyes. After several more minutes, two kunai flung through the air as she darted out of her hiding spot. She ran past one, and before he could even process what had happened, the throwing knife struck his neck. The same happening to the second. The third turned around, raising and eyebrow before grunting as a blade pierced his chest.
"This... is for my parents." She leaned in, hissing softly before slowly pulling the blade out as he fell limp.
On either side of the camp, bullets that no one heard shot through the air. Only two on both sides. The silence was only met by the sounds of the night in the distance that masked carefully placed footsteps.
Behind the large tent, Rosalind danced between the three guards. Her feet moving silently like she wasn't even touching the ground. Her limbs moving like liquid as she jabbed their necks, forcing her aura through theirs. As she finished her dance between each of them, she exhaled, standing up straight with her hands held together in front of her self. She narrowed her eyes, watching as each of them very slowly fell to their knees before collapsing.
The entire night came and went, and just as the sky began to lighten in the distance, the team reformed back at their original meeting point. Each of them with a tired look in their eyes. But they could rest later. Their job was almost done.
"Alright." Rosalind let out a small yawn, stretching out her shoulders while tightening the ribbons in her hair. "Those four chiefs should be waking up soon. The sun is rising, the light from it is going to shine through their tent. They'll be hungry and walk out so they can make breakfast. We'll wait till they all leave their tent."
Blaire took several deep breaths, slowly wiping the blood off her katana while glaring down at it. "Let's just get this over with." She quietly mumbled.
Wuile blinked, glancing at her for a moment before softly sighing to himself. He reached up. Running his fingers through his hair before stepping beside her. "Hey," He flashed a very weak smile before it faded away. "I'm not going to tell you to calm down or relax, but... at least remember we'll always be here for you. Especially me. So no matter how broken inside you feel or how hopeless, remember I will always be here by your side fighting for you."
Her shoulders sunk a bit as she exhaled. Glancing over at him, her expression softened before she quickly looked away. "Let's just... get this done so I can go back home and send them off properly. With peace of mind that their murderers are gone and won't hurt anyone else."
He sighed again, reaching out to gently pat his shoulder. "Okay."
"Guys," Nero had his arms crossed as he glanced through a bush, spotting movement inside the camp. "It's time to roll."
Yawning, a very large and hairy man stepped out from the tent. He stretched his shoulders before going to rub his eyes. Behind him, another man and a woman walked side by side and behind them, a slightly slimmer man man with scars all over his body.
"Hey!" The large man called out as he glanced around at the still campsite around them. "Where is everyone?! I'm hungry over here-" He cut himself off as he saw a blur of purple dart in front of him faster than her could comprehend. He felt several jabs against his chest before a few struck his neck. His knees collapsing in on themselves.
The man with scars tensed, every nerve in his body going on edge as his hands balled into fist. He went to go into a defensive position before letting out a soft grunt. He blinked, glancing down. He coughed, spitting out blood as he stared down at a katana blade sticking out of his chest. As it slowly slid out, he too fell to the ground.
Two bullets rang through the air. The two bandits in the middle both blinked once before pressing their pointer fingers together. "Lavenza!" They both called out, their eyes flickering. Everything around the two immediately froze. Breathing softly, the female slowly narrowed her eye at a bullet inches from her face. "Cobalt..." She mumbled, keeping her finger pressed against his. She had long pale blue hair in a braid and an eyepatch over her left eye. Wearing black heels, she also had a matching skirt with metal armor resting over it and several straps and buckles. Her long sleeve dark blue shirt neatly tucked along with a black tie around the collar.
"I know, Indigo." The male sharply growled, staring at his own bullet a few inches from piercing his skull. He had on a pair of black dress shoes and pants. His light blue long sleeve shirt wrapped in armor and straps with gloves that had metal knuckles. His right eye covered by a patch while his hair was the same color as hers but cut short and with a blue baseball hat on. "It seems like these idiots got themselves killed."
"I told you we shouldn't have just picked up anyone." She quietly spoke back while they both stepped out of the way of the bullets in perfect sync.
"Quiet." He snapped at her, glancing around at their surroundings. "There only seems to be four of them. Easy enough." He exhaled. "Great. Now we're going to have to find more members."
"Shall we then?" She eyed him, raising her eyebrow.
"We shall." He smiled back, pulling his finger away from hers.
Everything began to move again as the two bullets frozen in air shot forward again. Both Nero and Wuile grunted as each of their bullets struck the other in the right shoulder. "Agh!" Wuile stumbled back while closing his eyes. He lowered his rifle, reaching up to grab his shoulder while his brow twitched. "What the hell... man..." Blinking, he trailed off as the two bandits they shot at were suddenly gone.
Nero stumbled back as well, his mechanical arm twitching until his three fingers were forced to drop his weapon. "I don't..." He glanced at his teammate for a moment before quickly looking around.
"Looking for us?" Cobalt smirked, flicking his wrist. Part of the armor around his forearms unfolding. Two blades folding out on the outside of his arms while a handle with a grip unfolded into his palm. He slid one foot back, readying himself.
"Well... that was definitely not part of the plan." Rosalind slowly stepped back between the two boys as Blaire narrowed her eyes behind her team.
"The plan to kill our entire tribe?" Indigo tilted her head while reaching towards her skirt. She pulled off a piece of metal, it unfolding into a circle as jagged blades stuck out around the edge. "Because that's very rude if that was your plan." Her eye narrowed as she flipped her braid over her shoulder.
"And a mistake that will cost you four your lives." Her brother flashed his teeth. "Who's first?"
Ignoring them, the Faunus rolled her eyes before glancing at her team. "You two good?"
"Never better." Wuile let out with a chuckle while giving her a faint two finger salute.
"I could be better though." Nero added. "I could use some coffee. Arm is going to need a tune up. But some coffee sounds really nice right now. Don't you think?"
"Oh lord..." She rubbed her face a bit before glancing back at Blaire. "Okay. You can attack head on now. You and Wuile take the woman. Nero and I will take him." She motioned towards the male bandit.
"Wonderful." She twirled her katana, flinging off the blood on it before darting forward.
"Oh." Indigo blinked, taking several quick steps back as she deflected the blade with the jagged edge of her shield. She jumped back, blocking several kunai along with bullets.
"You shouldn't retreat like a coward!" Wuile shouted, coming down from the air as he bashed his rifle against her shield. He then fired a round of gravity Dust, using the recoil to send him backwards as blaire slid underneath him. Her body raising as she brought her weapon around in an upwards slash along with a fierce cry.
Meanwhile, Cobalt kept the pressure on Nero. The bandit's quick movements causing the young Huntsman to struggle with his large sword. "What's wrong?" He teased, quickly slashing with both his arms.
Grunting as he was pushed back, he kept his weapon in a reverse grip as Rosalind shot between the two. Jabbing at his torso, the armor limiting the effects of her abilities. Though, it did still manage to make him stumble away with a low growl. He went for two quick swings as she dodged between them just as fast. She then retreated, Nero bringing his sword around. Cobalt heavily grunted, his feet sliding back as he blocked the weapon with his blades crossed.
Indigo let out a small huff of air, dodging effortlessly between kunai and bullets before tightly gripping her shield. With her jaw clenched, she used her free hand to spin the jagged blade on the outside of it around. She then pulled her arm back, tossing it forward with a grunt.
Blaire growled back, narrowing her eyes as she held up her right arm. She let out a soft grunt, catching the shield with the spinning blade. The blade eventually slowing down to a stop before she let out a large breath of air and tossed it straight back at the bandit.
She blinked once, ducking down underneath her own weapon that flew overhead before jumping to the side to narrowly miss a bash from Wuile's rifle. She tilted her head, her brow furrowing a bit before she held up her right arm. "Lavenza!" She called out.
Hearing the name, Cobalt immediately retreated. His weapons folding away and back into gauntlets as he jumped away in a backflip. Pushing off with his hands, he landed next to his sister while raising his left arm and pressing his finger against hers. "Lavenza!" He shouted back, both their pale blue eyes flickering in the light as everything around them went still. "What is it?" He asked harshly, glaring over towards her.
"That woman," She pointed towards Blaire. "No matter what I do to her, it doesn't affect her."
"So hit her harder." He hissed. "We can only stop time so much before it uses up our aura. We can't waste it for stupid things like this."
"No, you don't get it. I CAN'T harm her." She added extra emphasis, glaring at him.
"Really?" He let out a breath of air and shook his head. He began to step towards the frozen in time Blaire who was still in position of when she tossed the shield back with her right arm outstretched. Indigo stepping in time with him. He flicked his right arm, extending the blade. He slowly reached up, gliding the blade through Blaire's flesh like butter over her cheek. A dark red line taking its place as he pulled his weapon away. "Seems easily hurt to me."
"That's because we're not on the same plane of existence as them anymore. We are between time and space itself." She narrowed her eye up at him. "Everything is vulnerable when we step out of where they are and come here."
Cobalt rolled his eye, pressing his blade against Blaire's shoulder at the joint. "Whatever. I'll handle these two. Go deal freak one and freak two over there." He raised his arm, bringing it downward while clenching his jaw.
Seeing the blade come out and go down parallel to her side, Indigo pulled away from her brother while snatching up her shield. She exhaled, tossing it through the air straight towards Nero as everything began to move again.
Blaire blinked once, her head tilting slightly in confusion as she stared up at the bandit who was suddenly standing in front of her. "Wha-" She stopped herself, her eyes widening as he pupils dilated. An overwhelming amount of pain shot through her body like never before. Actually, she had never really felt pain before. And this, this was overwhelming.
She let out a blood curdling scream as every nerve in her body fired off. Collapsing to her knees, she let out another scream as she hunched over and closed her eyes, tears swelling in them. She took several deep breaths before once again crying out in pain, her entire body trembling.
"Blaire!" Wuile shouted in a panicked tone, his eyes widening at the sight of Blaire's tattoed right arm now laying on the ground a few feet from her. He then flinched, quickly looking over at his two other teammates.
"Nero!" Rosalind shouted at the top of her lungs with wide eyes. She watched as Nero stumbled back, his arms held outward as he stared at a giant gash on the left side of his abdomen. He coughed once, blood coming from his mouth before he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. She took a few deep breaths, trying to process what had just happened before sliding down on her knees next to him. Her hands going over his wound as he flinched.
"Ah... hah, hey... that hurts..." He closed one eye, both his hands starting to tremble. "I... I didn't see anything coming..." He heavily exhaled. It... it was just there..." He coughed again, groaning in pain.
"Of course you didn't see anything coming." Indigo smiled, wiping off some of the blood on the jagged blades of her shield. "Though it was suppose to cut you in half. I guess you moved just enough to where it didn't." She sighed a bit.
Rosalind gritted her teeth, glaring up at the bandit. She slowly stood up, hands trembling. "You..." She took several deep breaths, her nostrils flaring. Her purple aura around her fingers trailed up her arms slightly. Her left hand bigger than the other and taking the faint form of a demonic hand. She darted forward with her unnatural speed, Indigo struggling to dodge her strikes until eventual one of her jabs struck her body.
The bandit went to scream, yet no sounds escaped her mouth. Another jab sent the air out of her lungs while a third struck her spine. Her back bending as her legs turned numb. Two blows struck each of her shoulders as the feelings in both her arms disappeared. She dropped her shield, her body collapsing. She went to breathe in but couldn't as she was left silently gasping for air from another strike. And then a final one, which caused her vision to blur then fade to black until she felt nothing.
Watching her fall to the ground with a thud, Rosalind panted softly while dropping to one knee. Her purple aura fading away just before her entire aura was completely depleted. She shook her head, pushing herself to her feet as she quickly turned on her heels and ran back to Nero.
Watching the pinkette screaming endlessly below him, Cobalt chuckled softly while bending down closer towards her. "Your scream is wonderful, you know." He patted her cheek, smiling as she whimpered. He stood up, kicking her onto his back as he raised his arm. "But I can't have you drawing in Grimm." He went to strike, only to grunt as he was tackled to the ground.
"You damn bastard!" Wuile shouted, bashing him in the face multiple times with his rifle. He then rolled to the side, dodging the bandit's blade.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Is she your girlfriend? Was I rude?" He mocked, pushing himself up to his feet.
He growled back, narrowing his eyes while taking aim and firing several shots.
Cobalt jumped between them when he wasn't blocking them with his blades. Still smiling, he lunged forward with a downward slash.
Instead of jumping out of the way, Wuile let the blades sink deep into the metal of his rifle. Letting go, he reached out while grabbing the bandit's left gauntlet. With jaw clenched, he let out a small war cry as he tore it off. He then jumped back, barely missing the strike from the other blade.
"That wasn't very smart." He smirked, tossing the rifle and broken gauntlet to the side. "Now what are you going to do without a weapon?" He clenched his right hand into a fist while raising both arms.
"Kill you." He shot back, raising his arms while narrowing his eyes.
"Really now?" His head tilted. The blade on his right arm glimmering in the sunlight. The two stood still for a single moment before they both lunged towards each other. Trading heavy blows back and forth, Wuile made sure to either dodge or parry the blade carefully.
The two were rather balanced in hand to hand, but one factor still remained. Cobalt still had years on the young Huntsman. As the two fought back and forth, he brought his right arm back. He let out a fiecful war cry, throwing his arm forward along with the short sword strapped to it.
Wuile flashed his teeth, taking a step towards the side as he reached out to grab the weapon. If he could disarm him, he knew he could get the upper hand with his training from the Atlas military. Holding the blade in a very tight and firm grip, he went to tear it off only to freeze mid action.
"What's wrong, boy?" The bandit quietly chuckled while tilting his head.
He coughed a few times, shakily glancing down. With his jaw clenched, his eyes widened at the sight of Blaire's katana piercing the middle of his torso. His hands trembled, slowly releasing the bandit's weapon. He groaned, coughing up blood as he dug his heels into the ground.
"Heh." He scoffed, quickly jerking the blade out. Watching as he cried out and stumbled back, he quietly chuckled to himself. He used his sword, slashing at his chest before taking a step forward and slashing with Blaire's katana in his left hand.
The blow from the katana cutting his ball chain necklace. His Atlas issued military dog tags flying off his body as he stumbled back. He groaned heavily, closing one eye. With his knees bent, he slouched forward slightly while coughing up blood. "You... know... a katana... is a... two handed weapon..." He groaned more, trailing off as his head dipped. A shadow from his hair falling across his eyes. A very faint and small smiling forming.
"Shut up. No one cares." Cobalt snarled. He raised both weapons, darting forward as he crossed them. He pressed them both against the young Hunter's neck before bringing them both downward and outward.
Blaire watched with a blurred vision as two dark red lines appeared across his neck. She watched as he fell backwards, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. "...Wuile..." She very quietly spoke, her voice softly cracking. She tried to move, only to groan and fall back to the groaned. He face twisting in pain.
"You're next, sweetie." The bandit smiled at her, slowly stepping in her direction. He twirled her katana while retracting his own blade. "I think this is pretty poetic. Death by your own weapon that also killed Mr. Perfect." He chuckled, towering above her. He snickered, holding the katana in a reverse grip with both hands. He brought both arms down only to flinch slightly from an unnerving feeling in his soul and heart.
The blade pierced her body just below her belly button at an angle. The sharp edge just barely missing her spine as the tip dug into the ground. She cried out, her voice cracking in pain as her eyes shut. Tears swelled up in her eyes once again as her body began to shake again.
"What..." He trailed off, quickly looking around before eyeing his sister who collapsed to the ground a distance away. "Indigo..." He blinked before growling. He jerked on the katana, the top part of the blade in the ground breaking off with a snap. The action causing Blaire to scream again as he stepped away. His blade unfolding as he gripped the broken katana in his left hand.
"Nero! Nero!" Rosalind shouted, her hands pressing against the large gash in his side. "Don't fall asleep. You can't close your eyes. You can rest later." Her jaw flexed as she stared down at him.
"I... don't think my luck... is going to help this time..." He let out a quiet chuckle with a groan, rolling his head back. "This was... definitely not part of the plan..." He let out a sharp exhale.
"No, no. Don't say that." She took a few deep breaths, her eyes tearing up. "You can't. We'll... we still..." She trailed off, lowering her head.
"We still what...?" He softly chuckled before coughing. Grimacing, he forced himself to sit up. He flashed her a smile, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. He slowly reached up to grab her shoulder as his other arm rested across his bleeding torso. "Well fine..." He laughed a little more before closing one eye. "Rosalind Zafina Iris... we've known each other for... almost ten years I think..." He coughed a few times, spitting up blood. "I've been waiting for the right moment..."
Her eyes widened a bit as she took a sharp breath. She gritted her teeth, adding more pressure to his bleeding wound. "Stop... stop it. Not now."
He chuckled in response, gently patting her shoulder. "It's better now rather than never..." He took a deep breath and winced. He then smiled more. "I was wondering if... you'd do me the honor... of marrying me..." He locked eyes with her for a moment.
Rosalind took a few deep breaths, looking up at the sky for a moment before sniffling. "Yes... of course a thousand times yes." She bit her lip, tears falling down her face.
"Good..." He chuckled as his voice lowered, closing both his eyes. He moved his hand, patting her cheek. "One... last thing..." He muttered while inhaling. "...fuck you..." He barely let out, his finger tapping her cheep as a burst of power shot out across her face and blew her hair back. He smiled, slowly falling backwards onto the ground.
"Nero! Nero!" She shouted, shaking him slightly as her tears fell onto his clothes. "Nero!" She softly whimpered, lowering her head as her shoulders shook.
"What... did you do?" Cobalt asked, kneeling next to Indigo's body before growling as he stood up. "You..." He trailed off, growling deeply as he stepped towards Rosalind. "I'm going to make you suffer until your last breath!" He hissed sharply.
The Faunus inhaled softly, standing up and jumping away from him. She glanced over, seeing both Wuile and Blaire on the ground. She glanced down for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed. She had used all she had to stop Indigo. There wasn't anything left.
Hearing an echoing scream in the distance, Blaire's vision faded in and out. Her body felt numb. Every muscle in her body felt so weak. She never felt so helpless in her life. She had won and conquered every battle and opponent she had ever faced, and now she couldn't even sit up. As the screaming grew louder, she clenched her jaw. Pushing with her left arm, she let out a painful cry of agony as she moved. The tip of her blade that was stuck in the ground sliding out of her back. She collapsed onto her stomach, coughing heavily with both eyes shut. After a few moments, she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision swaying and blurring.
"...Roz..." She spoke, her voice cracking as she looked up. She softly groaned, watching as the bandit had her friend pinned to the ground and tearing away at her clothes."Roz... Roz!" She shouted, pushing her chest off the ground a few inches before collapsing back onto the ground while coughing in pain.
"Blaire..." With blood trailing down the side of her face, Rosalind glanced over at her friend. "Blaire! Listen to me!" She took a deep breath, choking back on her tears. "This was never meant to end well! It was our doomed fate as a team from the beginning!" She grunted, her face being shoved into the dirt. "I can't change fate! I'm not strong enough to do so! But you are! You are the strongest person I have ever met! You are strong enough to change fate! Don't die here! Keep fighting like you always do! Don't give up!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.
The pinkette stared back at her, groaning softly before laying the side of her face into the grass. She exhaled, her vision fading to black as all the sounds around her dispersed into silence.
Screaming soon overcame the silence. Cries of a male in pain actually. Groaning, Blaire opened her eyes slowly to see a pack of Beowolves attacking Cobalt. Breathing softly, she watched as their teeth sunk into his flesh, tearing bone from bone. The sun was beginning to set in the distance as she watched a shadow approached her. She groaned, shifting her head to see an Alpha Beowolf sniffing at her body. "...do it..." She mumbled softly before closing her eyes.
The beast sniffed her more, tilting its head slightly. It let out a snarl, watching as she didn't even flinch. He stared for a moment before huffing as it slowly pulled back and turned around. It let out a long and deep howl, tossing its head back before running off. The rest of the pack following behind it. Soon, their distant footsteps became silent. Leaving Blaire alone.
You are strong enough to change fate!
The words echoed in her mind. She groaned heavily, slowly opening her eyes again. Every nerve in her body ached. Yet every part of her body felt numb. Her eyes burned and were a dark red. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to exist. She didn't want to try any more. She wanted the feeling to go away. She didn't feel anything inside. She wanted to die.
Don't die here!
She took a very deep breath, her body trembling as she did so. Letting out a pained scream, she clenched her jaw as she forced herself to her knees. And then to hr feet. Her legs wobbled as she breathed heavily. Her eyes swelling back up with tears. Her left arm wrapped around her abdomen where she had been stabbed. She stood there for a moment, swallowing heavily before taking a small step forward. And then another.
Keep fighting like you always do!
She slowly made her way towards her broken katana. The blood stained blade lying on the ground. She took several deep breaths, letting out a cry as she reached down. Her fingers wrapped around it as she gripped the handle with her left hand. Slowly standing back up, she nearly collapsed. She swallowed again, her body trembling. She groaned, rolling her head back for a moment before she took a deep breath and began to walk again.
Don't give up!
She slowly made her way to one of the fire pits on the bandit campsite. She collapsed beside it, coughing several times. Upon catching her breath, she shakily reached over to a small wooden crate. Pulling out a Fire Dust crystal, she gulped. She took several deep breaths, pushing as much aura as she could into the crystal before tossing it onto a pile of wood. After a few minutes, a smoke rose as the wood burst into flames. She stared at it for a moment, her body relaxing slightly from the warmth. She thickly swallowed, glancing at where her right arm should have been and the bleeding mess left in its place. She nearly gagged, seeing her own bone. She coughed several times before reaching out and shakily grabbing her broken katana which as now more so the size of a ninjato. She exhaled, sticking the blade into the flames of the fire. She knew she had to stop the bleeding somehow or she wasn't going to make it. Inhaling, she pulled the now red blade out of the fire. Staring at it for a moment, she closed her eyes while slowly moving it towards where her limb had been cut off. Her hand trembling.
Don't give up!