If everything went well, Alicia knew they wouldn't even have to leave the airship,
And she was fine with that. In theory.
Everyone else in the young Hunter's attack force had the luxury to rise out of the pit of anxiety and pre battle jitters they had sat with on the long flight to Vacuo on waves of adrenaline. As they jumped into the ravaged city ahead of her partner and team leader Kad.
Shielded as they called on their soul fires to ward them…
The time had come to answer those questions every warrior had to find within them when they took up their weapon and stepped a path knowing it could lead to their death.
If not there, then where?
If not now, then when?
If not me, then who?
But the answers the rest of team APRC had to find, lay where the three of them had stayed behind to coordinate their efforts. Co'Balt gazed solemnly at the tactical map. Arms crossed and hands neatly tucked by his elbows, harness and ax on his back. Ready to offer any strategic insights he had to the rest of his team or the other Hunters Co'Balt took reports from. Just as Alicia had been doing. Behind him on a metal shelf and simple wooden stand, was fallen Jaxon's rifle spear. Both Co'Balt and Alicia determined that today the painful memories it still carried would be washed away in black blood as they fought for the future their friend would not see.
Penny meanwhile diligently worked the controls on her scroll updating the positions of teams and sightings of larger creatures and Grimm packs on the board which danced with blue light projections.
Alicia had been proud to take this post. Coordinating teams from all across the world in this city turning into a warzone the likes of which she knew had never been seen on Remnant before. A warzone that would decide the fate of their entire planet.
But she found herself unable to keep ignoring the growing sense of unease that crept upon her as the Huntress stared vacantly at the hollolithic display table on the great Vytan airliner the Sanus Express that served as their little army's flagship.
Unable to put into words just what was wrong.
She found this was a familiar unpleasant sensation. Remembering the days of her childhood spent sitting around campfires with her parents and grandfather. Darkness inching closer and closer to her back as she was regaled with tales of all the nightmares their world had to offer. Holding fast and determined to not turn and face what she knew was nothing.
And yet just couldn't help but think might be something.
Tens of thousands had perished beneath the sea of claws. Power had been taken from each death, and a fraction of that to weave a Shroud.
The best estimates Kad gave them on how much time they would have un-accosted by the full force of flying Grimm was not much. Half an hour if they were extremely lucky. No more than ten minutes if they weren't. Vacuo was a large city, and the air force held safety in their foes' disorganization.
Speed was the key. Dive in, drop teams, regroup, lure in and blow up as many Grimm possible then get out.
That was the idea.
Alicia knew her partner had been right in his calculations. So far the Sanus Express had not been attacked by anything their close escorts or recently hull mounted guns couldn't handle as they sped through the clouds. A large portion of the fleet's sole purpose to guard this vessel, their flying fortress and its explosive cargo. Some debate had taken place on if it was wiser to store their bombs in many separate craft. But their team leader did not doubt their strength, as well as enough of their force to solidify that decision to protect the devices in a singular location.
If anyone had thought to ask her how long it had been since or if anyone said that time window started, Alicia honestly couldn't answer them.
The knowledge was not in her mind.
She tried to focus. Locking her hazel eyes on the ever shifting display. Convinced that there was something, somewhere that she had missed.
That the thing in the dark was approaching.
A new call was coming through on her scroll. Alicia answered it immediately.
"Yes?" She spoke to the yet to be identified.
"Hey, it's Sun," A certain monkey Faunus said, "We've spotted four Goliaths outside of the skyport. Where's Kad?"
Alicia studied the display. "He should be close, I'll try and direct him your way."
She shutdown the call, shot a quick message and a string of coordinates to the giant. Then took a moment to scan the room attempting to clear her head.
"Co'Balt, Penny," The Huntress called the names of her two companions, "Can you manage without me for a second?"
Co'Balt looked over asking, "What's wrong?"
"…I don't know."
Almost trance like Alicia turned away from the table. Co'Balt and Penny shared a concerned look but a flurry of new radio reports drew their attention back to the board.
She was trying to find a way out.
The only one outside of the battle to notice the Shroud.
Even if she did not know it.
The faint sounds of gunfire, and still the distant blood lusting howls of all the Grimm reverberated through the hull while Alicia made her way towards the bridge.
Vale tended to more restrained design ideologies in their machines. This civilian control center was nowhere near as grand as any Atlesian command citadel. Banks of control stations and data displays lined the flanks with blue lights dancing in the shadows being manned by volunteers from the Vale air fleet. At the head behind sloping panoramic viewports lay the pilot's and copilot's blocky chairs. Behind them was the captain's command seat, all three occupied by Atlesian soldiers.
Major Holz sat in the command chair, reading data reports on his scroll. He swiveled back to see who had intruded into their work space.
"Miss Redstone," He said upon recognizing the Huntress. "What is it?"
She did not respond.
The Major continued, slowly as if he were to be interrupted at any second, "We've just received command from Mister Amaranth to descend. The Hunters are expected to meet us at rally point Alpha shortly…"
She knew of the predetermined position in the city of which he spoke, the central skyport where it would be easiest to re-embark. They would set and deploy the bombs from the airships once the Grimm were firmly in the trap.
But again, Alicia said nothing.
Curiosity flickered for a brief moment before Holz turned back to the workings of the ship. Calling out orders to the pilots. "Lieutenant, confirm heading and take us down another hundred meters. Radar, do you have any significant contact?"
A young lady in a green uniform to Alicia's right simply replied, "Negative."
This was a lie, an unknowing lie but a lie nonetheless.
In the barest fraction of a second, a shadow crossed in front of the airship. At the precise moment no mortal eye of the bridge crew was looking out to the horizon and beyond in the thickening clouds. Except for hazel eyed Alicia,
Not supposed to be there.
When the Daemons conjured themselves right on top of the ship.
"Give me that!"
Co'Balt raised his voice, again Penny had become too sidetracked for his taste.
Almost immediately after Alicia had left. Kad called in and gave them new orders to relay. Move forward to the skyport, which was all that mattered. Anything else said was a waste of time.
The Faunus moved to seize the little scroll. Penny did attempt to stop Co'Balt, striking out her left hand towards his chest. She was fast enough, until Co'Balt pulsed his semblance blurred under her guard and snatched the device out of her other hand. Ending the call he dropped the little device back on the table.
"They got the message," The Faunus began,
To be immediately interrupted by Penny, "Positive reinforcement is a valuable psychological tool."
He ignored her, taking his place back on the other side of the hololithic table, "Prompt communications are a more vital thing, in a battle."
Silence fell at his rebuke. Not for the first time Penny studied her teammate. The Faunus was a peculiar person to Penny, all her life she had been surrounded by kind and caring people. Even Ruby, the first person she met outside of her cloistered life had been friendly with her. Co'Balt had been the first to do otherwise,
"You do not agree?" Penny asked him, "On the benefits of encouragement?"
"I didn't say that." Co'Balt replied. Gazing down towards his own scroll.
Unconvinced she studied the map table for another few moments. Eyes on the display but not really looking. "Then may I ask you something?"
The Huntsman gave her a sidelong glance. Penny took that as permission, "Why do you fight?"
The ginger girl's words slipped through a crack in his hardened heart, Co'Balt's rising ire faded along with his scowl, the Faunus answered, "…Because I believe."
"Believe what?"
He took a moment to breathe a deep sigh, "Something for myself for once. Sort of... I believed I had talent, but I guess everyone does. My parents believed that too, but that's their problem. It's why I went to Beacon instead of following in their footsteps with the metal shop. Everybody thought they believed in how the world should work. About a place we had in it, or deserved… Me too I guess."
Co'Balt finally met Penny's emerald gaze, "But until I met Kad… I didn't know how to believe. Not like he does. And I'm trying to honor that with even some shred of justice…"
A distant sound of rending metal violently shook the ship.
Alicia's fugue was swept away on a spike of fear while her stomach dropped in realization. She counted at least five giant Nevermores coming through the clouds right at them.
She drew breath to warn the Atlesians,
Only managing to get out a single word of warning before the monsters struck.
"Major!" Alicia screamed and pointed to the incoming threat far too late.
One glass pane shattered, light glinted off ten thousand shards breaking away from the piercing beak of the lead Nevermore that crashed head first into the cockpit. Darkening the room as it blocked the view port. The ivory protrusion sank straight through the chest and bulky chair of the portside pilot. Parting the man and chair in two when the Nevermore opened its beak and shrieked with all its unnatural might, blood flecking onto its black tongue. A veritable rain splattered crimson across the bridge. Sparks flew away from everything the howl ruptured in the sensitive electronics.
Alicia's own scream of pain was drowned out as she shut her eyes, clamped both hands to her ears and fell to her knees. The crew with her in similar states. Not even Atlas's most advanced head gear could protect its wearers from this devastating blast of sonic power.
One hand to his head the Major drew his pistol and fired almost point blank into the face of the Grimm. The energy shots did little harm. Multiple heavy impacts shook the ship with a cacophony of rending metal as the giant bird's brethren elsewhere impacted the hull and began to attack.
And from its open maw the Nevermore gave a horrendous retching sound, going suddenly rigid as the twin red eyes closed. Pools of shadows spilled out from deep within that ravenous pit.
Shadows which soon took forms.
More Grimm, delivered directly unto them. Low long and heavily armored with more legs than one could count with a pair of snapping pincers beneath an array of eyes.
Centinels
Some part of Alicia's mind identified the Grimm, in spite of the feeling like her own skin would crawl off her very bones in disgust. She dove forward, drawing and pulling her Dust knife right handed through one of the insectoid necks relieving it of a head.
More energy bolts flashed past her, hammering into bone white armor or sparking against metal as they missed. Its' task not done but no longer wishing to weather the assault upon it any longer, the Nevermore thrashed its head trying to break free. The Huntress sought to assist it. Curling the fingers of her empty left hand Alicia drew on aura and conjured a red glyph. Slamming it hard against the snapping beak. The Grimm squawked in frustrated and fiercely denied rage. Quickly breaking itself free to seek another avenue of attack as feathers were torn from its neck and faded to wisps of smoke which were sucked out in the screaming gale that came in the void left behind. An escort bullhead screamed past already on its tail.
Not before another Centinel sank its fangs into the last pilot's neck. His scream of struggle choked off by the pincers. The knife Detergeo flashed down, the Dust cylinder cycling to one of the many chambers filled with Burn. Igniting a flaming line through the midst of the Centinel pack. The Grimm retreated from their assault to snap at the fires eating their flesh.
Now distracted, quick shots and deft blade work finished off the last of the bug Grimm.
Still Alicia felt her stomach lurch and seemingly rise to her throat as the ground began to fill the shattered view port.
The ship was going down.
The major unbuckled himself from the command chair, sliding towards the unmanned pilot seats. Brusquely pushing the pair of severed legs out of his way to sit down and begin to fight for altitude.
The radar officer gave a shout of warning, "We've got mass radar contacts!"
Unable to keep his composure the Major yelled out in fury, "Where the fuck did they come from?! Where are our escorts?!"
"They've been engaged!"
More curses flowed from the Atlesian officer's mouth.
"Keep the ship up as long as possible!" Alicia shouted to Holz and nimbly jumped on the tips of her boots across the now very steep floor to the base of the command chair. Soon to leap back into the corridor, and start her escape to the war room.
Penny had a moment to gasp before more impacts hit the Sanus Express and the floor began to angle downwards. Both she and Co'Balt gripped the hololithic table for support as their feet struggled to retain purchase on the smooth metal beneath them. Loose objects and the weapon behind Co'Balt all sliding away in the free fall they found themselves in. The high pitched screeches of tortured metal drew closer and closer.
Cutting right through the ship.
"We're under attack!" Co'Balt shouted, as if any more warning was needed.
"And you say I state the obvious friend!" Penny called back.
The Faunus snagged one of the errant scrolls sliding past him, looking for his team leader's contact every device had. Quickly opening a link to the giant, he managed to get out a few words.
"Kad! We're in shit up here! I don't know,"
Before a sudden jolt rocked the room and a new source of light replaced the harsh electric lamps bulbs over their heads. Sunlight came in scattered beams down through the hole around the leathery wings folded back around the Alpha Ravager that was tearing itself to pieces trying to get further down.
Penny vaulted up onto the table fanning out her array of swords which she viciously swiped across the bat Grimm's skull mask. A sharp crack of bone echoed and the creature hissed in annoyance before letting out an ear piercing sonic howl.
Rushing forward into the gap it saw in the android's defenses the Grimm sought to engulf her in teeth. Penny struck out her hands and caught the tip of its snout and jaw in her unyielding grip. Its tongue flicking saliva on her porcelain features.
Until the broad blade of Co'Balt's ax swung up from beneath where the hinge of bone met the muscled neck. The Grimm choked on a pained cry sent back down its gullet, another noise soon silenced when Co'Balt's backswing came and buried the stout blade up to the trigger guard across its twin red eyes.
The Grimm burst into its death cloud. Letting Penny see and target the many more flying creatures attempting to follow in the Ravager's wake. Her senses detecting more monsters fighting through the ship. Emerald light flashed as beams from her swords went back up the rift. Piercing wind howled down into the room, sweeping every loose object up in a gale. Stinging any bit of exposed skin it could find with renegade sand particles.
Co'Balt looked back to the table, power was out and their map was dead. All their scrolls piling up on the doorway's wall below. He swore mightily beneath his breath trying to put together pieces of this mystery he did not have. Thoroughly discouraged by the Android's energy weapons the flying Grimm broke off seeking an easier venue into the guts of the Express.
The engines roared again with life renewed struggling to keep the metal behemoth up and level. But neither of the two young Hunters succumbed to this illusion of safety as the floor partially rebalanced. Each knew how quickly the Daemons could bring down an airship, the damage had more than likely already been done. Locked in indecision, the two held onto whatever they could as the ship still fell and rattled like a can of loose coins. Trapped in the age old fight or flight with nothing to fight and nowhere to run.
Soon enough their keen hearing, naturally and mechanically gifted heard a familiar pair of boots running down the hallway towards the war room. Alicia almost skidded past but managed to latch on and propel herself through the portal.
"The damn Grimm came out of nowhere!" She shouted at her teammates.
Penny looked over her shoulder for a moment, "Is it bad?"
"It's bad." Alicia confirmed, taking a moment to collect Jaxon's rifle spear from where it had slid next to the door and sling it on her back. "Did anyone tell Kad? Do you think he knows?"
"He's got eyes," Co'Balt retorted, "He can look up!"
A violent impact sent the three of them hard across the room to slam into another wall, Penny leaving a noticeable impression in the metal where she struck. Another Ravager bat slumped through the hole in the ceiling to try its luck.
Only to be killed when Penny leapt and came down stomping on its head with a wet crunch. New flashes of pulsing light threw some illumination into the dark room through the metal rift. And a familiar telling sound of thunder rolled across the sky.
Their team leader hurling nature itself against the Daemon horde bringing down the ship.
But Penny knew it wouldn't be enough.
So she gathered her strength, retracted her swords.
And jumped outside.
"What the fuck?!" Co'Balt yelled into the wind. Raising his right arm up to guard his eyes trying to comprehend if he had truly just witnessed what he did.
Warning klaxons blared across the ship again.
Too little too late, Alicia thought to herself. Before the voice of Major Holz replaced the droning noise.
"- Can't do anymore! Brace for impact! Brace,"
The rest of his warning call died along with the last dregs of the airship's power. Alicia shouted, "Co'Balt!" Reaching out for her teammate. Conjuring a massive red glyph in the other hoping it would protect them.
And just as the tips of their fingers interlocked at the extreme edge of their reach. The explosive noise of the Sanus Express striking Remnant at full speed smacked into the two of them along with the rising deck plates. Sending both into the senseless black.
Taking to the roof tops had bought them some time.
Arms and legs pumped in unison and haggard breaths came from each member of team JNPR as they leapt from rooftop to rooftop racing to make it to the Bullhead.
Running to get to the new battlefront brewing in the city center where the Sanus Express had gone down. Running from the vanguard tendrils of the horde outside the walls. The trickle slowly building into a river of monsters, still only a fraction of the ocean that awaited their chance to hunt.
Running from the screaming Daemon that wove through the streets and alleyways hunting them down.
Broken off from the column it was leading as it sensed the sweet dread that permeated the souls of some that had escaped them many years past.
Jaune barely caught glimpses of the thing. Claws dragging off corners of buildings. Flashes of eyes glowing red in the shadows like a cat eyeing birds before it slunk away. Jaune's dearest wish at this moment was to not see any more of the thing.
The thing hunting them.
His scroll on the inside of his drawn shield blinked with an incoming alert. And the voice of the approaching pilot flowed into his ear through the comm bead within.
"We see you, hang tight."
The Huntsman allowed himself a moment to believe they had lost that particular Grimm. That they would soon be able to take a rest on one craft from the fleet of dropships dispatched to rally their force. He could see the airship now, coming down through the clouds.
The returned sound of giant hooves pounded in a menacing rhythm from behind the young Hunters. Shattering any perception of safety beneath the dreadful rhythmic beats. Preceding the awful and familiar crash of destruction as the building below them shuddered.
The clatter soon over taking them.
And passing by.
The Bullhead drew close, hovering at the edge of the last structure which the Beacon team had just jumped on the far edge of. Straddling an edge of another large plaza with a dead fountain in the middle of it. Two young Hunters, a boy and a girl both in the common combat styles of Atlas Hunters. Neither of whom JNPR recognized stood in the passenger compartment beckoning the other youths to make haste.
Two black streaks erupted from the building like geysers in a spurt of detritus, grabbing hold of opposite ends of the airship's crew bay. JNPR saw long skeletal hands grip and crumple metal like it was tissue paper. A few of the gangly left fingers wrapped around the Huntsman's torso. Ripples of blue light from a breaking aura flew before a spray of blood as he cried out in pain. And the Grimm arms flexed apart and tore the Bullhead in two.
The uneven halves were tossed away. And thoroughly gutted the building below them began to collapse.
Jaune, Pyrrha and Nora's feet skidded trying to find purchase as they fell. Ren turned and stabbed the blades of Storm Flower down trying to stop his own fall. Succeeding only to watch the rest of his team disappear into the growing dust cloud.
The sundered parts of the Bullhead exploded when they struck the ground. The pilots were killed instantly along with the Hunter boy, while the Huntress managed to only just roll to safety. Bright yellow flames threw a wave of heat over team JNPR and brought a silhouette standing in the mire into sharper focus.
The body of a Horse.
And a Rider on its back.
So Jaune thought until he hit the ground in a far from graceful landing. Unlike his teammates, but as quickly as he could Jaune rolled forward and rose to face the Grimm.
Beholding something far more bizarre.
And much more terrifying.
The rider and mount were one.
A humanoid torso with long gangly limbs, merging into the equine body where its stomach met the back. Long white teeth so large they did not even fit within the confines of its perpetually open mouth. With two curve horns sat on its head above hate filled red eyes. Armored ribs ran down the skin of the lower creature. Articulated claws built for ripping instead of hooves adorned its forelegs, and powerful crushing slabs of ivory adorned the rear. Its muzzle another bone clad instrument of death with sharp cutting incisors dripping saliva.
Both let out a twin roar that shook Jaune to his bones and stole his hearing in a white sheet of ringing noise. A hungry battle cry robbing any more chance of flight.
Ren leapt from the collapsing building and landed behind the upper body. The keen edge of his gun blades bit deep as he hacked down. One angled up under the Rider's chin. The other down to the bulky beast beneath. Bullets rocked the mouth full of teeth and impacted behind the ears of the Horse. Jaune saw his teammate's own mouth open in a wordless scream of rage.
The blond Huntsman ran forward, readying his shield to take the full force of the thing's fury so his team could maneuver and shoot from range. Nora and Pyrrha turned and readied weapons but caution stayed their trigger fingers with Ren in the line of fire.
The Atlesian Huntress however reacted in blind panic. Finding herself seemingly alone before the monster.
She threw two keen edged boomerangs up. Their blades dragged through skin letting smoke flow free. The wounds closed themselves shortly thereafter. The beast rushed forward at Jaune and the other young girl from the Bullhead. The force of its claws smacked against Jaune's shield like a truck. Bowling the two of them over backwards. Flickering green light spasmed over the girl's body
Yet the Grimm's upper half flailed backwards as if in disagreement with their course. Hit by the momentum of its other half breaking into a run in a circuit around the plaza.
With what sounded like many breaking bones, the humanoid back twisted and thrashed at Ren spinning an unnatural degree completely backwards to face the young Hunter. Regardless of the damage Storm Flower did digging through black flesh. The monster caught Ren in the chest with a violent strike from one of its flailing arms.
The grasping limb cracked with more gruesome noise and stretched extending well past what its reach ended at like rubber, smashing Ren into the ground and pinning him there.
The free arm flew at the two girls of JNPR, like swatting flies. First Pyrrha slid and dodged beneath, letting the blade of Milo' drag a cutting line through the rubbery flesh. Nora planted her feet and smashed Magnhild' down on the hand as it clawed for her. Mustering all her strength to pin the appendage in place.
Failing to do so as the bulkier equine monster galloped forward. The pinned arm reeled in abrading flesh as it went, along with its opposite dragging a still shouting Ren through the treacherous ground filled with bricks and sharp edges battering his aura.
Neither spirit within the entity agreeing with the other. Team JNPR having some safety in that unseen conflict.
Jaune stood shakily, using his sword for the last painful stretch as the Grimm returned upon them. Rearing up on its hind legs, twin sickle shaped claws slashed down striking for each Hunter before it. Jaune raised his shield. The blow slamming into the broad slab sent him to his knees, gouging the ancestral metal.
The Huntress tried to roll away forgetting about catching her blades. The bone claws struck on her stomach. Shattering aura, drawing blood and a cry of pain from her. And the beast came onwards like an unstoppable juggernaut. Swinging its armored muzzle down against the shield of Crocea Mors, sending Jaune flying like a ragdoll.
With teeth bared the Grimm swung back, mouth engulfing the head of the young Huntress with a single bite. Then spun far more nimbly than it had any right to, bucking like a bull to fling the Atlesian high in the air. The girl had a moment to scream in terror before the incisors bit deep and decapitated her.
Blood spray landed next to Pyrrha when she dove stabbing at the hand around Ren. Milo' as a spear pierced the wrist through and through. Barely avoiding impaling Ren, but freeing the boy as the massive fingers flexed in shock. They could still make the creature feel pain.
The beast turned and the rear hooves lashed out at Jaune in a mule's kick. Knocked aside as Nora jumped forward bringing her hammer round again protecting her prone leader. Bone shards flew like shrapnel from this hammer blow. But just like all the other wounds they inflicted. The hooves appeared whole again, not even a heartbeat later.
The torso Rider shrieked in annoyance. A harsh ear splitting sound like nails on a chalkboard. Long hands wrapping around the face of its' lower half trying to focus their attention.
"Circle!" Jaune shouted out, coming to his feet. His prodigious aura reserves serving him well. Already breaking into a clockwise run, trying to think of a way they could beat the healing factor. "Keep it distracted!"
Bullets ballooned out against thick black skin. The crack of fire echoing. Grenades launched by Nora rocked the body, vaporizing large meaty chunks. Only serving to annoy both creatures. The Rider opened its red maw wide and let out another unearthly roar, going into a spin of its own.
Long black limbs again stretched and swiped at the circling young Hunters. One hand with fingers splayed wide swung for Jaune's face. Without breaking stride he chopped down hard in the most basic of strikes. Cutting free the index and middle fingers of the black hand. A pain filled cry echoed out. And the Grimm immediately pulled back the wounded limb.
The other found its mark.
Below Pyrrha's shield as she laid the rifle counterpart down on the bronze rim and fired bullet after futile bullet at the monster. Gripping her legs, rending the bronze plates and sucking away her aura under the immense crushing pressure. She had a moment to cry out before being swung like a bat up into the air and then down on the ground. Red shades danced across her body as the claws retreated. Her head filled with pain and her eyes swam in colorful blurs.
Jaune's eyes went wide as he rounded the monster again and saw his mentor, partner and most cherished person on Remnant fall.
His view of the world disappearing into a void as his mind drifted back to the Vytal festival. And Pyrrha's defeat therein. And how he had been helpless to do anything.
Sensing weakness, both forms of the Daemon moved. The torso arms slashing again at Ren and Nora keeping them at bay.
Pyrrha regained enough of her senses flat on her back just in time to see a running figure come between her and the charging monstrosity. Death's own shadow looming nigh.
Jaune with blade in hand. Screaming like the sky was falling down on him.
Making the exact same mistake as when he faced the Ursa Major alone in Forever Fall.
In a backhanded stroke the ancient sword cleaved once again. The broad chest of the Grimm was a target no swordsman could miss.
Two things happened in a flash.
The Grimm was fast, faster than Jaune by far. It reared up and lashed out with the brutal claws on its right foreleg. Perfectly timed to strike in the gap left by the out of place shield. About to rip Jaune wide open from clavicle to groin.
If that had been its intent.
The claws carved through the air heading for Jaune's sword hand. Torment on its mind, attacking to disarm. And when the dreadful bone claws met his fist wrapped around the blue hilt of his sword.
Light erupted from the impact.
And the Huntsman's semblance unleashed.
With a thunderous sound of tearing meat Daemon flesh split from the bones buried within. Pure force fracturing skin and sending eruptions of blood and bone back out of its body as all the power in the blow was turned back.
Jaune's wild strike carried on, cutting a shallow gash across the Horse chest letting smoke and blood drip free.
The Mistrali Huntress blinked the shock away, "Jaune?! What did?"
Just as shocked as any of his team. The swordsman seized his senses and ran forward taking this opportunity while his team regrouped around Pyrrha who quickly jackknifed to her feet. The beast went down to the hard unyielding cobbled stones. Struggling to support its bulk with one good leg, and the ethereal aftermath of such a powerful aura based strike.
Jaune lunged and sank Crocea Mors up to the hilt in the Horses neck.
A gurgling warble of pain spilled from both mouths joined in symbiotic suffering. Jaune reached up with his shield hand grabbing the razor metal of his sword and with all his not inconsiderable strength wrestled the equine head down. His skin crawled at the close proximity of the evil flesh to his own skin in a parody of a hug separated only by the cloth on his arms and his chestplate. Pinning the Daemon in place at an ugly angle against the street as the smooth flesh bucked and fought to break loose, a battle that Jaune knew he could not win for long.
He looked up and yelled to his comrades, "Kill the other one!"
A mechanical symphony echoed from Nora bringing forth her grenade launcher again. Firing everything but one final round at the Grimm's upper form. Buffeting both beast and her leader in shockwaves of pink, knocking the Rider senseless.
"Ren!" Pyrrha called out, tapping her blade against Akouo'. He understood and in a well-practiced maneuver Pyrrha braced as Ren jumped to the angled shield. Both drew on their auras simultaneously throwing and jumping straight at the Grimm.
After which the disc Pyrrha dropped, focused her own semblance and maneuvered her shield to float between herself and Nora. With a deft flip planting her own high heeled combat boots against the metal disc. Launching after Ren with the explosive assistance of Nora who swung her hammer and last grenade against it having reversed Magnhild' back once again.
Ren made the first backhanded cut as he spun through the air. The green pistol in his right hand parting Daemon flesh with ease.
Then coming in like a rocket Pyrrha struck with all her strength in a mighty two handed blow. All the finesse of her tutelage forgotten. The red blade carved deep and clean through the Grimm's thick spine. Allowing Ren to bring the weapon in his other hand around as he spun and pushed it deep into what bowels were left.
But not deep enough.
Again the monster roared in pain. Only a few strands of flesh still bound it together. The awful sucking and cracking sound of flesh knitting back together already growing prominent in the ambiance of battle.
With a final violent flick of its armored head the Horse broke from Jaune's desperate hold rising up with a rage filled howl. The sword in its neck slid free with a smooth hiss. Still clasped in the death grip of Jaune's gloved hand
Four red eyes turned to the figure rushing close.
Nora jumped first to the moving Horse, two pink boots almost dancing from between the horns. And when it jerked back in surprise she put that inertia to work. Springing away.
She swung with all her strength and a berserk yell.
The flat face of Magnhild' struck square in the chest of the rider.
Hard enough to tear it free at last.
The Grimm squealed in surprise, sailing through the air and slamming on down into the house it had collapsed not so long ago. It soon pushed itself up, seemingly no the worse for all team JNPR had hit it with.
The Daemon eyes lost their hard pose of hatred.
The now separated creatures both looked to the place on their shared body where they were once joined into one. Flicking back and forth across the wound like they could not believe what they beheld. Forgetting about their assailants, the youths now just as stunned as their giant foes.
Rearing to its hind legs the equine figure gave a jubilant shriek. Slamming back down and breaking into as fast of a run that its intact legs could manage.
The Rider as well flipped itself over, hissing as it made to crawl away in the exact opposite direction through the hole torn in the building it had smashed through.
Jaune was not one to usually thank any higher powers for his fortunes, but he muttered a few silent thankful words to no god in particular as he waved for his team to fall in line. Under no delusions on just how much this minor victory cost them in ammunition and aura.
"Let's go!" He shouted breaking into a run. The sounds of more approaching Grimm were too close for comfort.
However Ren did not pursue the blonde swordsman as the two Huntresses did. He closed his eyes for a heartbeat, listening to the Grimm calls.
Finding two of them in distress.
Again Ren saw the equine Grimm.
Stumbling back into the square.
The beast straining with all its might to carry on the direction it had sprinted off to once separated from its other half. Huffing and blowing neighs of torment gouging the ground in vain.
Being drawn back.
By nothing.
Obviously against its will as it appeared to his lilac eyes. Some invisible thing forced the Grimm from its flight to safety. The ties that bound not so easily overcome by something so simple as a blade.
A sharper shriek answered in its own desperate sounds.
The Rider, it too being dragged back by an unseen force to its unwilling mount slid from the shadows. Clawing deep into the earth to no avail. Flicking its head back between where it wished to be. Anywhere but where it was returning to, and where it was having no choice in going…
"Ren!"
Finally tearing himself free of this morbid curiosity, Ren looked to where Nora called out his name. He did not wait for her to try and persuade him away. Ren finally joined in his team's run to hopefully safety.
But hope was a thing rapidly draining in supply this day.
He could not help himself.
Ignoring Nora's gaze of a thousand silent words, Ren cast his lilac eyes back over his shoulder as they ran. And the last thing he saw of the sundered halves of the monster that had taken everything from him but the girl at his side was the two beasts begin to fight each other.
In her metal bones Penny felt more than heard the airliner crash.
The ripples of the immense shock wave battered her aura. Even as she grappled and turned the Nevermore Grimm she danced with in the air to block the worst. The creature lanced through and through with ten different swords in every possible killing way her archival memory could conjure.
With a final mighty kick from her piston driven legs she dashed the feathered thing against the ground as hard as she could. The black bulk smashing through a tiled roof in the eclectic collection of Vacuon architecture still many meters below her where it finally died upon impact.
The dreadful sound of the airliner's ruination caught up with the blast seconds afterward. Penny flipped herself back over mid-air and landed hard down beside the gaping void billowing with Grimm smoke. Knees bent to soften the robust landing.
And when she rose, the girl immediately began cycling through her modes of vision trying to get a clearer picture of the calamity that had befallen their airship. She hadn't been able to accomplish as much as she hoped to, taking the fight to the flying Grimm on their hull. Buying a few more precious bloody moments of flight for the metal behemoth. And saved herself from the fates that had befallen everyone else on board. Each of which Penny lamented that she knew she wouldn't be able to save.
Above her other craft wove and screamed through the air trying to regroup or escape while still hounded by the flying beasts. She quickly put together a mental picture of that fight, understanding that she still could not do much to sway the outcome of battle. Facts burning a deep harsh pit in her gut that ate away her very soul.
Her emerald eyes quickly found the wreckage of the Express.
Crumpled like a child's carelessly battered toy against the side of a great building her perfect memory recalled was the Iron Hill Museum of Natural History. Named for the mineral rich locale that had helped give rise to the kingdom many centuries ago.
A bulky uncolorful thing, part of the few publicly funded institutions in a centralized district. The airship had impacted on the northern wall. That zone savaged like the rest of the city had been. The Sanus Express had scattered pulverized bricks and rebar studded mortar in its wake and before its' bulky prow.
Thermal imaging told her fires were already spreading. She could see some movement indicating either survivors or just settling debris. The circling Grimm above seemed to suggest survivors. Now as helpless as mice in an open field. More importantly Penny realized, the evil Grimms' goal undoubtedly had to have been the bombs.
The creatures were far more cunning than she had thought to give them credit for, Penny thought to herself.
She wondered how they could possibly have known,
But all in all she judged that the situation could have been worse. The majority of the horde was still some ways away. She was close enough to the crash to get there in a timely manner. Other help could not be far behind.
Things were fine really she considered.
And the realization Penny had thought those thoughts hit her like a bucket of ice water.
Clear of mind she gasped a small breath of air as her inner systems raced, responding to the not so slight panic building in her. Any plans they had once held had now shifted onto that crash site. The site of their final confrontation had just been decided by the enemy.
Far from anything and everyone else scattered about the city moving towards the skyport as planned.
They were already at a disadvantage. A step too far on the way to a catastrophe
If the Grimm destroyed those explosives then all would be for naught this day.
Getting a running start, Penny leapt as high as she could. Plotting a course across the rooftops to the crash site. Her comrades, her teammates, her friends, her planet itself needed her.
She would not leave any of them wanting this day…