MARZ Rising

by FandomPariah

It's been thirty years since Ruby Rose saved Remnant from Salem and almost a decade since it was saved again. Salem is gone yet the Creatures of Grimm remain and now a new generation of Hunters are ready to begin their story... By enrolling at the Breaktide Academy of Menagerie where they'll be trained by legends including Team CFVY and Ruby Rose herself. Part 5 of the Spiral-Verse

35. Hulk Buster

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

Chapter 35: Hulk Buster

"Sounds like it's getting lively out there" Rowan noted, the conversational tone little more than a thin veneer to mask the nerves and tension beneath it as the sound of screaming monsters, explosions and other sounds of a battle being waged out in the air and sea beyond her their view reached the redhead and her companions.

"Ignore it and focus" Carmesi's usual belligerence was present in his deep, rumbling response yet was directed elsewhere; his hellish red eyes narrowed in concentration as he held 'Retribution' the larger of his two weapons in its' shotgun form at his waist, ready to fire low so that it would rip through the skull and torso of any of the Wretches currently skulking the corridors of the ships collected by the Dread-Hulk if they presented themselves. Beside Carmesi was Major Grapeshot, the older man clutching Magnificent Ivory in its' oversized and overpowered rifle form and wearing an expression that suggested he was immensely happy to be able to fight without being denied the use of his weapon and Semblance once again; remaining silent and hesitating for only the briefest moment as she paused to take in a slow, steadying breath Rowan quickly turned her focus away from the pair of rogue Hunters and back to the task at hand.

Though she wore a twisted, sneering grin as she did so.

With the knowledge that Hunters had deployed onto the Dread-Hulk and had almost certainly landed on the deck of the uppermost vessel which was the trios' own goal Grapeshot had insisted that they take another route to avoid undue conflict, something which Rowan had been mildly surprised to hear Carmesi Hueso agree with; proving that there was more to the Komodo Dragon Faunus than his bottomless well of rage and vitriol.

In service of this plan Rowan had led the way onto the crushed and rusted remains of the lowest ship on the behemoth crustaceans' heap of morbid trophies, only to find that scurrying upwards through the various destroyed cargo ships would more difficult than anticipated owing to both the Dread-Hulk's own enormous bone shell piercing through their hulls along with the corruption and packs of lesser monsters that this had resulted in; metal was corroded and warped beyond recognition whilst midnight black flesh, stretched to a translucent and visceral red in places creeped along walls and floors like some cancerous growth from which Wretches were birthed and released into the ships to seek out anything that might intrude. Yet finally, after dozens of skirmishes and pitched battles the trio had found themselves within reach of their goal; lodged between the open upper deck of one ship and the punctured, broken hull of the ship which their prize had been aboard, the two wrecks held close together by the spire of the Grimm's shell bursting up through them whilst one of its' many offshoots tore through the deck close by, being the current object of Carmesi and Grapeshot's watchful eyes.

The plan was a simple one, Rowan was to create an opening in the hull of the cargo ship some distance away from where the shell of the Dread Hulk had pierced armoured steel and from there the three of them would make their into the ship, from there Grapeshot and Rowan would scour the cargo holds for the Grimm containment unit that would provide them with the means to finally capture the monstrous thing that the escaped Alpha Geist had become whilst at the same time Carmesi would find and secure a way back to the safety of the shore.

It was a plan that Rowan was growing tired of paying lip service to.

The shadowy Benefactor, whoever they might be had already proven that they had the means to secure or produce more of the devices and whilst they would certainly be displeased that their efforts had been undermined yet again, given the unexpected circumstances the redhead criminal found herself almost wholly assured that they would be understanding. Rowan understood that with her former backers jailed or in hiding, all with their assets frozen following the capture of the robot they had provided her some weeks ago that her plans to take control of Menagerie's criminal underworld would need the Benefactor she had been so easily to rid herself of and so she had adjusted her strategy accordingly, using the time she had spent under Grapeshot and Carmesi's scrutiny to form the outline of a plan that had now solidified and crystallised in her mind.

Her needs were twofold, firstly she needed to free herself from the rogue Hunters currently acting as glorified jailers for herself and her underlings and secondly she needed information, anything that might allow her to tip the balance of power between herself and the Benefactor even slightly before their next negotiations so that she might be able to proceed as a partner or trusted right hand rather than a simple lackey. The black-clad and scarlet haired rogue expected that she would find the latter in whatever remained of the ships' bridge, if its' computers were operational in any way at all she could have those more experienced than herself begin pillaging them for useful or incriminating data.

The key to the former lay only a short distance away.

"By Jove old chap, she's done it I say!" Grapeshot exclaimed almost merrily as Rowan flung a severed plate of Atlesian Steel, wider across than her own athletic shoulders onto the floor with a resounding clang; prompting the pair of Hunters to turn their attention away from the colossal bone spike sprouting from the shell of the Dread-Hulk which dripped sporadically with nightmarish and primordial ooze and find their criminal ally already reaching up into the newly severed hull of the cargo ship for a handhold with which to pull herself up.

"Good show, Capital" Grapeshot nodded appreciatively "Steady on now, we work as a unit, don't get too far-"

"Grimm forming!" Rowan hissed with a sense of urgency as she began hoisting herself upwards, already readying Insolence in its' shotgun form in the other hand; acting on instinct alone the pair of Hunters turned around only to find that nothing had changed about their surroundings in the moment their backs had been turned however the mere moments of distraction were all Rowan needed and both Grapeshot and Carmesi were sent toppling to the ground as she swung from the torn hull of the ship above them and kicked both of them in the back before aiming over their heads and firing Insolence into the nearby mass of ooze-filled bone.

Causing it to erupt in a spray of darkness which spattered onto the rusted surroundings and immediately begin to congeal and take shape.

"Stand and deliver you cur!" Grapeshot barked as he sprung to his feet and used his weapon and Semblance in tandem, the single projectile being multiplied into a veritable barrage which tore into the hull of the cargo ship yet it was too late; Rowan had already thrown up an illusion with her Semblance and disappeared into the ship with the only clues as to her goals or direction being the clanging cacophony of her jamming doors shut and creating other impromptu barricades as she ran.

"DAMN IT ALL!" Carmesi roared "YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME KILL HER!" Grapeshot winced at the untamed hate in the younger man's voice which manifested itself us wanton bloodlust as he shifted Retribution into its' sword form and drew Vindication along with it, scaly and bearded features morphing into a mask of unspeakable fury as he regarded the newly spawned Wretches now beginning to skulk towards the pair, hissing and snarling as they came. For his part Grapeshot merely sighed, it was clear to him now that he had been far too lenient to the criminal in his care, that he had tried to act as an officer and a gentleman and that such niceties were simply incompatible with the path he had chosen and the life he now led.

However such introspection would have to come at a later date.

"Slim pickings at best old chap" he huffed as he levelled his weapon at the Grimm "And our mission hasn't changed….What say we attend to these beasts and then sally forth, let's be about our business"

Carmesi merely let out a wordless roar before unleashing himself on the nearest target in an explosion of violence.

---

"I think I heard something" Athena-Jade fought to keep the deep-seated sense of dread she felt from causing her voice to tremble and betray her as she, her brother and their respective partners' slowly, cautiously made their way through drenched and darkened corridors that were painfully reminiscent of the ruined airship in which Team MARZ and Team WULF had faced one another in a training mission, the memory of being so thoroughly pummelled and everything that had come with it being painfully close to the surface of her mind.

"Yeah….sounded pretty far away though, might have been the fight outside" Arctus murmured in response.

"So as long as no fighters crash into the pile of ships were at the top of we should be fine" Zirconia quipped from behind the pair of Bear Faunus; her dry tone and deadpan delivery enough to leave a small smile tugging at the corners of Athena-Jade's mouth despite herself and providing the final push forward that she needed in order to swallow her fear and continue her task of leading the way for three of the people she respected the most; the question of just when exactly her partner had reached equal footing with her brother and his wife in the snowy haired girls' mind going unanswered as duty took precedence.

The four of them, two students whose relative inexperience now felt so undeniable as to make their earlier confidence feel laughable and two seasoned veterans of one of the most renowned teams of Hunters in history had ventured into the depths of the recently sunken and captured cargo ship in search of its' cargo hold, part of which could be partitioned off and rendered airtight in order to create a sealed and secure vault replete with the necessary supplies to withstand the attentions of seafaring monsters; as she and her brother led the way, their keen eyes straining, hands twitching in preparation to throw up a wall of glyphs at any moment and the low thrum of their weapons' lasers idling sounding almost treacherously loud in their ears Athena could only hope that the secured crash vault was robust enough to withstand this particular onslaught.

"Up ahead" Arctus breathed out, nudging his sister slightly to ensure he had her attention "That ladder should drop us into the cargo hold a few dozen feet in front of where the crash vault is"

"I see it" Athena nodded whilst swallowing thickly at the sight of the opening in the floor near the end of the corridor ahead of her where the upper rung of a ladder could be seen.

"Normally I'd take point" Diamond noted from behind the pair of Bear Faunus "It's likely flooded down there and my Semblance gets around it but I can't see well enough to aim reliably-"

"I've got it" Athena breathed out, pushing her doubts back and suddenly finding herself eager to prove herself in the eyes of those whose opinion meant so much to her.

"I'll cover you" Zirconia offered, only to be silenced as Arctus raised a hand.

"No, I will….AJ, go ahead I'll be right behind you

"Okay" with that the younger of the Slate Siblings rushed forwards, the sound of her armour-plated sneakers against the metallic floor ringing out as she charged towards the ladder and, with bated breath and her heart hammering in her chest, leapt into the unknown.

What greeted her was ruination.

Lights and other electricals destroyed by containers and other objects of considerable weight as they were hurled about by momentous impacts and the rushing currents of seawater flooding in and out of the cargo hold with the Dread-Hulk's movements flickered and sparked, providing some light to the gloom whilst the containers themselves, mangled remains of robotic loaders and other detritus was strewn about; either submerged or floating in seawater that would have reached Athena-Jade's muscular thighs had she not used her Semblance to keep herself aloft. Despite the bleakness and destruction however there was a sliver of hope as Athena-Jade turned her focus ahead and felt something stir within herself at the sight of the barrier which differentiated the crash vault from the rest of the cargo hold, unbroken and holding firm against the abuse it had suffered.

"Well it looks like we've got a chance" Arctus murmured as he took a position beside his sister, hovering several feet in the air on a glyph of his own "Lemme help the others down here, then we get that vault open and see if anyone inside it"

"Sure" Athena said simply, unwilling to turn her attention away from her task even as she noted the same rising sense of hope along with a slew of other emotions that she was feeling in her brothers' voice. As Arctus moved into position and began conjuring my glowing platforms for Zirconia and Diamond to leap down onto the younger Faunus continued to scan the foamy, unnaturally and prematurely stagnant water below her until her sapphire eyes narrowed at the sight of something flitting through the murk, her thoughts being refined and honed to a single point as the first low and menacing hiss reached her ears.

"Wretches!" she snapped, aiming Mould-Breaker in its' laser cannon form and firing from the hip without hesitation; illuminating the cargo hold with ephemeral jade green light against which the void-black silhouettes of monsters were stark contrast as they burst upwards by the dozen.

'Hard-light! Gravity!' the sound of Sunriser Cain's synthetic voice announced Zirconia coming to her partners' aid an instant before Athena-Jade realised that she might need it; one of the wretches had leapt up from the water directly beneath her with the intent to break through the glyph she was balanced on and likely drag her into the darkness, yet before it could do so a spear-tip of solidified and tangible light lanced through its' neck and left the abhorrent amphibian suspended by its' own gullet until both it and the beam that had snuffed it out faded away in tandem.

From there the remainder of the brief battle was a mere formality as Athena-Jade, Diamond and Zirconia opened fire, picking of lurking monsters to the best of their ability until Arctus simply allowed himself to mentally distance himself for the situation before showcasing exactly what the Schnee family Semblance that he and his sister shared was capable of by summoning and then unleashing a shoal of some aquatic Grimm that he had faced at some point in his career into the water where they promptly laid waste to the Wretches in mere moments.

"I've….Never seen you do that" Zirconia noted, mismatched eyes darting from Athena-Jade to her brother.

"I don't use it that way" Athena mumbled simply, suddenly looking almost bashful as she shifted her weight self-consciously on her own glyph until the brief distraction was swallowed by the enormity and importance of the mission at hand; both Athena and Zirconia turning their attention downward by the sound of splashing water when Arctus leapt into the flooded cargo hold and strode toward the door of the crash vault.

"Controls are shot" he announced with a resigned sigh "Gonna have to brute force it" without another word needing to be said Diamond leapt into place behind her husband and aimed Lex Talionis in its' sniper rifle mode to cover him; leaving Athena-Jade to conjure a fresh glyph for her partner and ensure that Zirconia's mechanical legs were kept away from the filthy water and for the partners to watch as Arctus first used a Schnee glyph with a sharpened edge that rotated at frightening speed as a saw blade to create a small opening and then from there use the blade of his great-sword to prise open the door of the crash vault.

"We're Hunters!" he boomed out, loud and clear as water flooded into previously sealed space and elicited a chorus of panicked and surprised gasps from those within; the sound causing Athena-Jade and Zirconia to openly cheer with joy in spite of themselves as it served as undeniable proof that their efforts were not in vain and that there were indeed survivors.

"We're gonna get everyone out of here, don't worry!" Athena beamed brightly, following her brothers' lead as she and Zirconia leapt into the now shallower waters; seeing that the crash vault amounted to a sizeable area and was filled with several dozen men and women surrounded by shelves, crates and pallets of cargo and other supplies that had kept them safe and alive thus far, all of them with exhausted, drawn and petrified faces which were quickly beginning to show the first signs of hope breaking through the haze of fear and disbelief yet despite this wondrous display there was something else that caught the attention of the four Hunters.

The sealed entrance at the opposite side of the vault had also been opened, as if a second rescue mission had been launched and standing just within that doorway; as though he had arrived only moments prior was Carmesi Hueso.

"Zirconia, it's good to see you" the Komodo Dragon Faunus declared, arms splaying wide "Athena likewise….I see you brought reinforcements"

"What are you doing here Hueso?" Arctus asked, eyes narrowed in a display that confused the freshman students almost to the point of objecting until the elder Faunus's next words sent chills of something close to terror through them as they rang true "We both know it's not to rescue anybody….You didn't answer the summons for perimeter defence"

"And I offer my apologies for that" Carmesi rumbled, bowing his head in a display of contrition "Truly….But, given your connections and the fact that your sister saw it first-hand, I trust you know of the Alpha Geist and the criminals trying to recapture it"

"We do" Arctus nodded, speaking slowly whilst behind him Diamond silently gestured for the civilians to stand clear; an order that they hurriedly complied with, fearful muttering beginning to pass through them as the realisation that their rescue might not be so simple dawned on them.

"The criminals being led by Rowan Oralie, who escaped from you in Port Alistair" Arctus added, making no effort to disguise the open accusation in his voice "Poor performance from one of the best trackers on Remnant….You've found people believed to be dead before"

"Arctus what the hell?" Athena-Jade demanded "She had an illusion Semblance, Felix and Astra both saw it!"

"Your sister is right" Carmesi once again looked apologetic "And again I offer my apologies, Rowan Oralie is here, on this ship….I followed her here, I don't know what she wants but to risk sneaking aboard a Grimm of this size; it must be serious"

"Then should we perhaps split up and look for her?" Zirconia offered, seemingly willing to consider the words of the reptilian Faunus before them though her face remained hidden and unreadable as ever.

"Not yet" Diamond gave a wave of her cybernetic left arm "This vault was sealed. You've as good as admitted that you're not here to rescue any of these people….So what're you doing in here?"

"Looking for whatever the criminal scum hopes to find" Carmesi growled out "Hoping to head her off"

"Fair" the silver haired sniper nodded, the faintest of silent exchanged between her and her husband being conducted entirely through body language and going unseen by all except Athena-Jade simply because the younger Slate sibling knew what to look for.

"So then you saw the defences in place to deal with the Dread-Hulk?" Diamond asked, cherry red eyes narrowing a fraction "You informed the Hunter overseeing the operation of you presence and intentions when you came aboard?"

"Of course, standard protocol" Carmesi grunted, though his eyes darted away by the merest fraction and his usual gruff rumbling had an almost hollow note as he added "Ruby knows I'm here"

Only to be forced to draw his weapons and leap into cover as Arctus and Diamond took aim, with Athena following their lead a moment later as it became clear that the Komodo Dragon Faunus was lying to them.

"Professor Rose isn't the Hunter overseeing this operation!" the younger Bear Faunus yelled "You're lying to us!"

"What are you really doing here Hueso?" Diamond called out, slowly fanning out and preparing to flank her opponent; only to caught by surprise by the fact that he had already slipped out from behind the pallet of supplies he had ducked behind and was now nowhere to be seen.

"Something that will help build a better Remnant….Something that I wish you understood, but I know that you never will" Carmesi's voice echoed from all directions and sent waves of fearful yells and mutters through the crowd of rescued sailors still huddled in the crash vault for fear of what lay beyond.

"Throw your weapons out and come out with your hands up!" Arctus demanded.

"Let's not be hasty" Zirconia murmured, acting as a voice of reason "There are civilians here"

"That was never an option Slate" Carmesi's voice still reverberated and provided no clue as to his location "I will leave here with what I came for….And if you truly want to save these people you will let me; I don't want to hurt the innocent but if the future requires sacrifices then so be it"

At that point Athena-Jade saw red.

The same haze of bloody crimson that had filled her vision during the attack on Faunus Pride began to set in once again, though now rather than a repressed trauma it was filled by a white hot and fathomless righteous fury that a Hunter; one of the same men who had led Team MARZ on their very first mission could not only betray their oaths to instead work for monsters who had used the deaths of Hunters for sport but also to fall so far from their ideals that they would think to use hostages or collateral damage as a threat. In an instant Mould-Breaker was in its' hammer form, the rocket booster in its' head thrumming as it charged to full power whilst Athena herself sprang forwards, bursting through the defensive line that Arctus and Diamond were forming to leap into the air and use a glyph to give herself a higher vantage point whilst bellowed her challenge.

"CARMESI YOU FUCKING TRAITOR! GET OUT HERE SO I CAN KICK YOUR ASS!"

---

Far from the cargo hold of ruined freight ship the steady drip of water punctuated the splashing of booted footfalls on sodden metallic floors and walkways, adding a further layer of menacing and foreboding ambiance to the surroundings as emergency lightning powered by one of the still functioning secondary systems cast the bowels of the vessel in a deep crimson glow that flashed and flickered as if in warning as sudden lurching motions from below, indicating that the Dread-Hulk was now actively participating in combat to some extent filled the air with dangerous sounding creaks and groans of tortured metal.

Despite their environment seemingly doing everything in its' power to sap them of their courage and willpower however Regalia Russet, who had promised both Astra and Felix before departure that she would not fail and the far more experienced and equally determined Eagle Arc pushed onwards.

"Do you think we'll find 'em in time?" Regalia asked quietly, the Racoon Faunus's usual chipper optimism wavering as she paused to once again lower her goggles over worry-filled amethyst eyes and activate her Semblance; finding that Look-See, whilst reacting to her simple desire of 'Other people', an urge uncomplicated enough that her Semblance could act on it, had found results somewhere in the distance though in the claustrophobic confines of the ship where there were few if any vantage points to be found it was hard to discern anything beyond a general direction and Look-See, useful as it was did not deal in specifics or give any real information.

"Your Semblance is reacting to something….that's more than we had to go on before" Eagle answered, shifting her weight and adjusting her grip on her sword as she shifted into a stance more suited to another of the many styles of fighting she was adept at whilst positioning herself where she would be able to cover Regalia if needs be but also not obstruct her already limited view. The older woman was privately immensely glad of her young charges' Semblance as, whilst its' were currently limited they did prove beyond any doubt that there were still living people aboard the cargo ship somewhere other than the crash vault and that information was enough to keep the freckled and burly blonde woman searching each and every place that a frightened yet determined soul might hide to escape the rushing waters and the Grimm that swam through them; watching Regalia release her Semblance and raise her goggles so that she could see better whilst twirling her weapon in its' close combat mode almost habitually; her striped and fluffy tail standing erect behind her and brushing against the cracked and weathered leather of her jacket with each twitching movement that betrayed her nerves Eagle promised herself there and then that she would let no harm come to the student in her care and that she would see to it that the nomad kept the sense of hope that had somehow survived a childhood in the wastelands.

"This way" Regalia whispered, setting off and gesturing for Eagle to follow; the pair skulked forward no more than a few dozen paces before she spoke again with a slight smile "It's quiet….Too quiet, heh"

"Movie buff huh?" Eagle's freckled cheeks dimpled with her smile at the familiar line "Of course you should know better than to say that somewhere like this"

"Movies were one of my favourite things about trading with settlements when I was with my people" Regalia answered earnestly "Since the first time I met a Hunter I wanted to know everything about them and the Kingdoms….Is it true that they're making a movie about Team FADE?"

"Kinda" Eagle couldn't help snort at that despite the situation before catching herself and continuing in more hushed tones "It's more about Team NEON, the studio is being really loose with the facts….But hey, we all got a laugh out of it. If you like those kind of stories you should try comics….That's actually helped my wife learn to read and write in common; the tribe her and Carcharodon are from have their own alphabet"

"Aww that's sweet" Regalia beamed, her own smile splitting her face as she considered the thought of such a gesture; falling into a contemplative silence as she continued to lead the way which Eagle, after a while interpreted as the younger woman's worries beginning to take hold.

"Hey" she murmured with a reassuring look "You're doing fine, this isn't like the Marble place….you're not on your own"

"Thanks" Regalia shrugged "I still wish I was working with Astra though, we're partners and sometimes it doesn't feel like it-"

"Don't worry, I'm sure-"

"Listen" Regalia hissed, her entire demeanour shifting in an instant as muscles coiled and tensed whilst her weight shifted into a stance which would allow the Faunus to spring forth and attack whilst Eagle slowly, cautiously readied herself whilst straining her senses until finally she heard the source of Regalia's alarm; the sound of something slithering through the water somewhere close by, seemingly around the next corner and to the right. Weighing up her options Eagle lowered her sword a fraction and motioned for Regalia to be still as the older woman unslung her shield from her back where it had been kept to save space.

"I'll send sentinel" she whispered, only for the quiet to be shattered a moment later when she flung the shield forward and caused it to unfurl and transform; the characterful and animated droid named Sentinel revealing itself with a cacophony of clanking and whirring parts punctuated by robotic beeps and chirps.

"So cool" Regalia mouthed quietly, awestruck as ever by the automaton which put the robots used by Clan Aiktishaf to shame; she had little chance to observe though as Sentinel surged forwards and around the corner, guns and electrically charged claws at the ready and in the next instant the unseen corridor was bathed in the light of booming gunfire and crackling lightning arcing across the seawater which soaked it; all the while the sound of thrashing and struggling Grimm filled the air.

"Now!" Eagle yelled.

"For tonight, we dine in hell!" Regalia almost cheered as she readied Apex Scavenger and followed her senior Hunter into the fray, yet before either of the women could reach the corridor where Sentinel had begun the skirmish without them the entire affair was brought to an end by a refined and imperious voice calling out.

"Stand clear!" Eagle managed to recall Sentinel to herself in the last possible instant, the droid perching on her arm and collapsing back in shield mode just as the corridor that she and Regalia had been about to enter was simply, utterly torn apart and anything that might have resided there was snuffed out in a single shot that was transformed into a devastating volley. As her ears began to stop ringing Regalia, filled with a sudden curiosity that demanded satisfaction along with a suspicion slipped under Eagle's arm and rounded the corner.

Where she was confronted with the familiar form of Major Grapeshot, adjusting his neckerchief and safari hat as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Major!" the Racoon Faunus exclaimed happily, expression brightening at the sight of the first Hunter Team MARZ had been trusted to follow as she snapped off a passable attempt at a Mistrali salute, remembering the gesture from several movies made in the Kingdom.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here" Eagle noted as she moved into position beside Regalia "Coco couldn't get in touch with you" Regalia's eyes darted from one veteran Hunter whom she respected to another and she found herself suddenly uncertain about what would come next as Eagle's eyes locked on the older man; her gaze steely and tense in light of the apparent transgression.

"Blasted Scroll" Grapeshot huffed, his answer good natured despite the tension now filling the air and giving it an uncomfortable weight "Back in my day the things didn't need an update every few weeks and had actual buttons….Though I wasn't expecting to see you here either Missus Arc"

"Then you didn't follow channels, Carcharodon would have told you that we're looking for survivors" Eagle's tone became icy and Regalia watched as her grip tightened ever so slightly around her sword, the Racoon Faunus swallowing thickly as it occurred to her exactly what was going unsaid between the pair of veterans. Regalia, after a life spent in the lawless wastes was optimistic yet far from naive or oblivious and understood when something was amiss, even if what the sudden plummeting of her stomach suggested was entirely unthinkable to her.

"The perks of no longer being a military man" Grapeshot guffawed, though his voice wavered and betrayed him "I'm a man of action Missus Arc, something more than a few members of your family can attest to; when I see those who need the aid of a Huntsman I simply sally forth and let fly at the Grimm-"

"So you're here to rescue possible survivors too?" Regalia chimed in, suddenly unable to be a passive bystander in what it was becoming painfully clear was unfolding.

"Why of course" Grapeshot answered "What else would I be doing?"

"I don't know….but you're nowhere near the crash-vault and you must be the person I picked up with my Semblance, you were heading the wrong way" the Racoon Faunus answered, fingers trembling around her weapon as she locked eyes with the Major; despite the hot sting that the sense of betrayal of not only herself, but of everything she had held dear as a child and the life she had dreamed of brought to her own eyes.

"Well, see here-"

"Regalia, contact Arctus" Eagle's words were harsh, the blonde bristling with barely contained anger "If the Major's here then it must be because his partner was heading for the vault….Tell him to expect Carmesi at any time; if this is a misunderstanding then they can clear it up-"

"I daresay that there's no need for all that" Grapeshot huffed, commanding tone making an almost impressive attempt of masking sudden fear beneath indignity "Come now-"

"I daresay there's a need" Eagle glowered, shifting her weight and raising her shield as she braced herself; the older Hunter's attempt to dissuade her serving as damning evidence in her mind "You're working for the people we came her to catch aren't you, that's why you stayed clear of Port Alistair….Who are they….what did they promise you for this?"

"You're really working for them?" Regalia's voice cracked, appalled, disgusted and heartbroken as Grapeshot offered no answer "The people we worked together to stop….Why?"

"Regalia make the call, now" Eagle ordered "Warn the others"

"Okay" Regalia forced herself to push passed her swirling maelstrom of emotions and produced her scroll, yet she never managed to open the device as before she could do so the Faunus was tackled into the wall by Eagle who flung her shield up to protect them both; the sound of the scroll clattering off of the sodden ground lost beneath a storm of explosion and ringing metal as Major Grapeshot raised Magnificent Ivory and fired.

"I simply cannot allow that I'm afraid….But I must stress that I take no pleasure in what I must do-"

"I don't give a tuppeny fuck about your moral conundrum you meat-headed shit sack" Regalia bit the curse out with venom and pure hatred dripping from each syllable, her scroll forgotten and she strained to slip free of Eagle's protection and close the distance with the man who had sullied everything it meant to be a Hunter in the young Faunus's mind.

"I can't say I expected a more dignified retort from one of the natives" the Major sighed as he shifted his weapon into its' cane form and prepared to charge with far greater speed than one might suspect given his age.

"Well then….Tally ho!"

---

The coastline of Port Alistair had effectively been under siege from the moment the Dread-Hulk emerged from the sea.

As the sun had begun to steadily retreat towards the horizon the display of colours it left streaking across the sky was partially obstructed by flocks of countless Creatures of Grimm; the monsters coming in their thousands to swarm and gather around the titanic form of the Dread-Hulk as though its' sheer size had drawn them into its' orbit and at the same time the sea had also been filled with nightmares that slithered and swam whilst land-dwelling Grimm slipped through any cracks and gaps in the vast net cast by the defenders that they could find. The city had not gone undefended however and as evacuations of the most immediately threatened areas were begun Port Alistair's defences were raise; several sections of its' hard-light shields were in need of repair and maintenance however those that functioned were brought online, casting incomprehensibly large walls of glowing, semi-solid and yet impassable light outwards; rather than the total and complete barrier that was intended the result had been a series of choke-points into which the Creatures of Grimm could be funnelled and whilst coastal artillery batteries opened fire and tore through the monsters several battleships in service of the Kingdom of Menagerie had been positioned at the mouths of these choke-points and bottlenecks in order to launch torpedoes into the water and endless volleys of rockets and shells into the sky.

Even with the sizeable defence that had been mounted the Kingdoms' forces had been insufficient to prevent the tide of living darkness from breaking through its' lines in places; with their sheer weight of numbers and their ability to weave and flit around the ships, airship and smaller aircraft which waged war against them, moving as a single protean entity which reshaped itself at will the horde of Grimm had managed to reach dry land, destroying or disabling the coastal shields in a handful of places to do so. There advance had not gone unhindered however as with each and every step forward they took the monsters found themselves cut down by the score as they were countered by the Hunters of Menagerie who had positioned themselves on the cities' perimeter wall.

Such were the state of affairs as Carcharodon unleashed a hailstorm of fire and steel into a flock of squawking Scree from the broadside guns of the Nemesis Kharybdis.

Upon assuming overall command of the battle, citing his titles, ranks and peerless experience in the field of naval combat the Shark Faunus, rightful air to and master of of the Frost River Tribe of Anima had donned the crown of his people; an ornament that was more helmet and mask than simple jewellery, inlaid with baroque and hauntingly beautiful imagery whilst five, fin-like spires rested atop it. Most who knew the stoic and stern tribal warrior would have assumed that being deprived of the chance to engage the Grimm in person would have rankled and ignited the fury that lurked beneath his dark eyes and were the circumstances different those assumptions might have been correct; Carcharodon however had lamented only that he was the only representative of his tribe present for this battle before committing himself wholly and joyously to his part in it.

He was the lord and master of a tribe of seafaring marauders and whilst the thrill of the specific form of combat which followed a boarding action was something to be treasured, in Carcharodon's mind there was no place on Remnant for him that was more proper than at the head of a ship, commanding a small fleet and unleashing salvo after salvo of cannon-fire into his foes at sea.

That his current adversary was the kind of beast he could proudly face his ancestors after fighting only made the exhilaration which charged his blood and spurred him onwards even greater.

"GIA TI-FYILI! GIA TI-NIKI!" his rasping voice, normally little more than a whisper was raised to a terrifying bellow as he let out a war cry in the mother tongue of his people, a language he had far too little use of of late whilst throwing his cloak aside to reveal his tribal markings; as if to show the Grimm he faced exactly whom it had made the mistake of crossing. Following his proud and fiery declaration Carcharodon's hands danced across the controls which surrounded him within the command bridge, his tall and gaunt form flitting between several stations as he unleashed countless streams of destruction into the monsters that filled the sky.

Until finally the Dread-Hulk reacted and joined the battle.

The colossal crustacean had remained largely stationary, as if biding its' time and waiting for the opportune moment to strike and put its' behemoth mass to use; finding its' opening as it rose one of its' claws, an appendage equal in size to the Nemesis Kharybdis and used it to block one of Carcharodon's volleys before it could find its' mark and, with a chattering scream that sounded lie a mountain being ground to dust within the mandibles of the beast the Dread-Hulk followed up this act of defiance by swinging that same pincer in a wide, upwards arc which saw it tear through a wing of half a dozen fighter craft with horrifying speed and force; leaving fireballs blossoming out in the darkening sky and shrapnel raining down into the murky depths below.

"For that" Carcharodon rasped out, voice dropping to its' usual rasp as he bared rows of sharp teeth "You perish"

The Dread-Hulk took a single step forward, its' armoured and enormous limbs sending tremors through the ground which rendered the fact that the thing had drawn so close whilst remaining undetected almost offensive and as the giant Grimm drew closer Carcharodon was beset by pleas for advice and a deluge of eager, yet inexperienced voices all-but begging for vengeance as the comm channels of his bridge were overwhelmed.

"We need to pull back! Hunter Gore, evacuate the coastal defences and regroup on the wall"

"Negative, If we charge now we can hold it at bay! Captain Gore order the charge-"

"This is the airship 'Guidance', the Grimm are scaling the wall in places….We need to pull back-"

"Captain I have thirty fighters with missiles primed, we're ready to engage on your command-"

"ENOUGH!" Carcharodon roared, raising his voice to deafening volumes to silence those who mistakenly sought permission rather than counsel or unfaltering orders from one such as himself.

"I am not accustomed to having my orders questioned, nor do I wish to become accustomed to it" liquid black eyes narrowed as the comm channels fell silent "Airships, you have permission to fall back and aid defenders on the wall as you see fit; everyone else is to show some spine and hold their nerve and their position unless they are ordered to do otherwise. The Dread-Hulk will fall….I promise this and swear it on my honour; am I understood?"

"Aye Captain!" the chorus came from all quarters and beneath the helmet that served as his crown Carcharodon's face morphed into a rictus grin of dagger-teeth as he prepared to make good on his promise.

By priming the main weapon of the Nemesis Kharybdis.

Team FADE and Team MARZ had both been made painfully aware of the realities of the situation they found themselves in and yet the tribal leader still found himself hesitating; whilst he wasn't certain that even his most powerful assault would fell this titanic enemy in a single blow he was still not willing to potentially throw away the lives of those he saw as family by killing the Grimm and leaving the mountain of wreckage it carried to collapse under its' own weight with the Hunters and anyone they might rescue still trapped inside and so he calculated his wrath carefully and adjusted him aim.

The main weapon of the Nemesis Kharybdis was its' prow mounted rail-gun; the same weapon which had deployed the Hunters though that particular shot had been nothing at all compared to what it was truly capable of unleashing.

"You hear that, monster? That is your death approaching, rage against and face it head on" Carcharodon rasped, stern expression becoming more lively that it was often seen as he splayed his arms wide and allowed the thrill of the moment to wash over him; taking in the dozens of warning alarms and notifications that preceded a full-power shot, though if he had not been so singularly focused he might have noted that there was a series of warnings that he had not seen before.

As it was Carcharodon fired and the air itself was torn asunder, rippling outwards before rushing back into the void that had been left in the wake of the shell which had been fired into the Dread-Hulk at blinding speed; the sonic boom of the discharge being followed instantly by an explosion of shattered bone, metal and viscera and a deafening scream of pain from the Grimm as its' right eye-stalk was simply unmade and a furrow was carved into the armoured carapace of its' skull before the shell continued its' path and tore into the shell of the monster to rupture several hundred feet of tissue and inflict horrendous damage before tearing from the back of the Dread-Hulk and rocking the several ships that had been impaled upon its' enormous shell.

The Grimm thrashed and screamed, waving its' pincers menacingly but ultimately; came no closer.

"Know that you are beaten and flee!" Carcharodon challenged, expression almost wild beneath his masked crown until, with several laboured breaths he forced himself into an approximation of his usual stoic and commanding presence, falling into the roll of a leader that those around him could take strength from and finally noting that several readings from the various posts at his ships' bridge were amiss, though the specifics of what was entailed eluded the Faunus often delegated the wrangling of machines to those more adept. Carcharodon let out a hiss of annoyance but found that there was no time to investigate further as not only was the battle of unshakeable wills between himself and the Dread-Hulk still underway there was another incoming communication, this being delivered on an instantly recognised secure channel identifying it as belonging to one of the very few people he would repeat himself for.

"Rose" he intoned, bowing his head despite being unseen "How goes your war?"

"I'm jumping between the coastal defences, keeping the Grimm off while the crews keep firing; there's some nasty Grimm in the water that we need to keep at bay" Ruby Rose, Huntress of renown and Silver Eyed Warrior of legend answered.

"How may I be of assistance?" Carcharodon asked, the promise of an even greater battle lighting a fresh fire within him.

"It was more about me helping you" Ruby sounded almost abashed at that "I saw you shoot the big crab….it's not down, do you need my help? I can use my Silver Eye….I should still have enough power left to take that thing down but it might be all I can do for-"

"Your scythe will be sufficient for this battle and your skills, welcome as they are would be better spent on defending others" Carcharodon answered respectfully, giving the Aunt of his shipmates and fellow warrior the credit she deserved despite the venom he had once reserved for Hunters.

"If you're certain?"

"Rest assured that was a warning shot….A level of mercy I am unused to showing the Grimm" Carcharodon scoffed, deciding to give information where it was fair; though still keeping an aura of cryptic mystery and control about himself "Team FADE are operating aboard the ships on the Dread-Hulk's shell, I wouldn't wan to interfere with their plans….As for destroying the beast, I assure you that Felix has that under control"

---

Whilst their friends, family and team-mates had delved into the bowels of the recently taken cargo ship Astra Mars and Felix Xiao Long, half-siblings and fellow leaders had departed in the other direction; making their way steadily upwards in search of a clear route to the command bridge of the ruined vessel.

The pair had encountered very little resistance thus far, the Creatures of Grimm seemingly having not ventured into this particular section of the ship even whilst the Dread-Hulk had carried it below the sea, likely due to a simple lack of anything to hunt; which in turn implied that there were indeed survivors aboard elsewhere and that the rest of Teams MARZ and FADE would not search in vain. What few skulking aberrations Astra and Felix had encountered had been put down with almost laughable ease, the pair wordlessly agreeing to forego the use of their weapons so that their approach would remain at least somewhat stealthy and still dominating their inhuman foes with flurries of attacks that blended seamlessly into one another as the younger sibling found themselves falling into familiar techniques and rhythms alongside the older brother who had taught them despite the seeming metaphorical distance that had appeared between them somewhere along the way.

In an almost instinctive attempt to counteract this new unfamiliarity, whilst also keeping their undeniable nerves regarding the situation at bay the two of them had found themselves engaging in an activity common to all siblings; namely teasing and bickering.

"I'm just saying" Felix splayed his arms, mechanical right arm supporting the weight of his oversized weapon with ease "I definitely get the whole 'no touching the hair' thing….But that Mohawk doesn't fit in my car"

"Should have got a convertible then" Astra snorted, the attempt at nonchalance being offset somewhat by the way the Deer Faunus absently brushed at the spot where shaven peach fuzz gave way to the dyed fiery-red and swept forward points that their hair was styled into as they trailed a few steps behind their older brother; the two of them having been forced to ignore the most obvious routes toward the goal by both the remaining defences of the ship and the extensive damage to it making those paths impassible and now wandering slowly and carefully through darkened hallways that thundered and trembled with each exchange between the Dread-Hulk itself and those who sought to keep it at bay, Carcharodon almost certainly included judging by the ferocity of the attacks; the impacts and tremors making the task more difficult that it already was as senses that were already strained in the oppressive shadows were jolted again and again.

"Posers drive convertibles" Felix snorted, cybernetic tail swaying behind him as he smiled; being able to discuss something as mundane cars with his half-sibling a welcome return to a more simple relationship "What's the point in armour plating when you've got a soft roof….I'll be perfectly preserved from the waist down if something happens"

"Fair" Astra sighed, making the gesture as dramatic and overblown as possible as the pair continued onwards without interruption, sea-green eyes filling with sly mischief as they added "But then at least nobody finding you would know how short you are"

"Okay first of all" Felix huffed, good-naturedly but with equal theatricality as he slipped under Astra's antler and drove his shoulder into their side to gently nudge them into the nearest wall "Nobody with a license but no car can criticise what I'm driving….Secondly, we're practically the same height if we don't include your hair; is that it's for, compensating?"

"Yeah well, not everyone has parents who can just give them a vintage muscle car….dick" Astra grumbled, trying to mask just how much the comment had irked him given that Felix knew exactly how different their upbringings had been, pushing the irritation aside as much as possible and following up "You're bringing my hair a lot for someone who can't even tie theirs up properly"

"We both know your curls are just as bad as mine without all the gel in it" the Lion Faunus smirked, at least having the decency to look apologetic for the previous jibe before adding "Besides, don't think I've forgotten all the phases you went through trying to find a look for yourself….Remember when you had the-"

"We don't talk about it" Astra interjected, looking dead ahead and refusing to meet their brother's gaze; utterly aghast at the memory of stylistic choices that they had made on the journey of self realisation "Besides, remember the videos of you at the karaoke with Qrow the night before Arctus and Diamond's wedding?"

"Great Uncle Qrow's idea" Felix shrugged, utterly unashamed "Shame you were too young to join us….Pretty sure there were some Whitney Spearmint songs on the playlist, I remember you being a fan of her"

"Whitney Spearmint is an icon and a queen" Astra replied in an utterly deadpan voice, dismissing their brothers' attempt at teasing entirely even though the response garnered a muffled bout of laughter from Felix, who did at least concede that the Deer Faunus had a point; prompting Astra to give a genuine smile that quickly hidden behind a cocky smirk. The two siblings continued onwards, rounding corners ensuring that they were clear of Grimm as they ascended the massive structure which led towards the control tower; the only sound beyond the exterior booming and howling of the ongoing battle coming when Astra began to hum the melody of a Whitney Spearmint song under his breath, threatening to crack whatever resolve Felix had.

Only for the light-hearted moment to be brought to an abrupt end and the dirty-blonde Lion Faunus to hold out an arm and stop his sibling in their tracks.

"This is where we need to be" he murmured, deep blue eyes narrowing as his brow furrowed "That damage looks intentional though" Astra turned their attention ahead to see what their brother was so concerned about and found that in place of stairs or a ladder the only way up onto the command bridge itself, which was directly above them was through the use of an elevator which should have been directly ahead however what the two instead saw in its' place was an empty shaft where doors had been prised open and cables deliberate severed in order to send the elevator crashing downwards and render the bridge unreachable.

"Maybe someone tried to stop Grimm getting onto the bridge?" Astra offered "You wanna see if we can find an access point somewhere else?….I know a guy who can hack into an airships' controls without using the bridge, I can call him and-"

"No" Felix shook his head "There's something else we need to do….Something I need the bridge for-"

"Are you serious?" Astra demanded hotly "After acting like an ass-hole 'cos I said there was definitely more to the mission, you pull a secret mission out of the-"

"Be quiet, listen and focus" Felix snapped, raising his voice more than he intended and running a hand through his blonde curls with a sigh of exasperation before continuing "The orders I gave everyone were the main priorities, find and rescue survivors then get information; this is an extra"

"Then what is it?" Astra insisted, tapping a foot impatiently in a display that tested their brothers' patience.

"I'm gonna try and set the ship to self destruct; set off a chain reaction and take out the Dread-Hulk from here" he answered "Carcharodon could take the Grimm down with air support, but that's a fight that we don't need to have and people we don't need to risk"

"Then what're we waiting for?" Astra demanded, not bothering to wait for a reply before hurtling forwards.

"Astra wait-" Felix's words fell on deaf ears and the Deer Faunus launched into the empty elevator shaft, leaving their brother littler choice but to follow after them as they impacted against the rear wall and sprung upwards, bouncing from one metallic surface to the next as they climbed to the open and waiting doors of the command bridge.

Only for a shotgun blast to rip through the air around them and cause their vivid red Aura to visibly ripple.

"DOWN!" Felix barked as he followed Astra onto the bridge and tackled them to the floor, all but flinging them behind one of the many stations denoted by a sizeable touchscreen mounted into a desk whilst any seat that once been present was lost amidst the detritus strewn around. Astra and Felix shared annoyed glances at one another before risking peering around the corners of the workstation to take in their surroundings; the command was far larger than that of the Nemesis Kharybdis, almost comparable to one of Breaktide Academies' classrooms in size and with an almost panoramic viewscreen although that was currently useless as part of the ships' defences included thick and highly resistant panels of Atlesian steel sliding over them.

The half-siblings however found their attention wholly directed at the figure who had shot at them, currently standing atop what must have been the Captains' station with her weapon in hand.

"Hey there spikes….Haven't seen you since I stomped you into the pavement, didn't think you'd come back for more. You looked scared" the familiar and mocking sneer of Rowan Oralie declared as the scarlet haired mercenary unfastened the upper half of her black boiler suit to reveal the muscled physique below in preparation for a fight.

Astra's reaction to that was predictable.

"Stay down!" Felix hissed through clenched teeth as his siblings' enraged attempt to leap to their feet and retaliate was met with another gunshot ripping through the upper edge of the desk the moment their hair and antlers rose above it. Gesturing for Astra to be still and silent the Lion Faunus pounced and rolled to the right, hoping that he had gone unnoticed as he stayed low to the ground and began the task of flanking the enemy.

"What's the matter Oralie, can only pick on kids?" Felix called out, responding with sneering taunts of his own so that the redhead criminal might ignore Astra for long enough for them to move into position "I mean you've always been a penny ante scumbag so it's not even a surprise but your current employers though?….Doing that to Hunters Oralie, what would your teacher think?"

Only silence answered.

Felix frowned, he had hoped that he could provoke Rowan into charging at him yet chancing another glance around the edge of his current hiding spot he saw that she had remained exactly where she was; in full view with her weapon ready but making no effort to aim or fire.

And then Felix cursed himself for being an idiot.

Upon remembering exactly who his adversary was and what she was capable of the Lion Faunus closed his eyes and strained his keen hearing and sense of smell, searching for even the faintest trace of an out of place movement of the air itself and finally being rewarded with the mere ghost of an exhalation which sent him launching forwards. Felix flung himself out of his crouch with a motion that had clearly inspired many of Astra's own techniques but was delivered with far greater speed and force, a spinning motion which culminated in a roundhouse kick thrown from the left leg in a kick-boxing style wherein the knee was kept angled.

It would have been devastating if it had landed.

"FUCK!" Rowan exclaimed as the impact broke her focus and shattered the illusion of her Semblance; the air warped and ripped to reveal an almost identical image beneath it, the only difference being that Rowan herself was now visible, arms trembling with the force of Felix's blow after she had used the shaft of Insolence in its' naginata form to block; she had been attempting to sneak between the pair of Hunters undetected only for the roundhouse kick to send her sliding backwards over a dozen feet with a resounding clang. Navy blue eyes locked with deep emerald green and Felix, realising that he would never be able to draw his sword before Rowan could attack dropped into a fighting stance and prepared to trade blows whilst the scarlet haired criminal twirled her blade and prepared to rush at him.

Making a single step forward before her world exploded into pain.

"IT'S WHITNEY, BITCH!" Astra yelled, features filled with manic glee as they leapt onto a control panel and used its' smooth surface to leap into the air and deliver an acrobatic spinning kick that struck Rowan square in the face and sent her sailing back with blood pouring from her nose.

"Not exactly the flanking manoeuvre I had in mind" Felix noted.

"You were trying to flank an illusionist?" Astra scoffed back, the half-siblings continuing to forego their weapons; each independently realising that if their goals required the use of the command bridges' controls then machine guns, blades and chainsaws would be largely counterproductive; Rowan Oralie however rose to her feet, face hateful and thunderous as she readied her own weapon with no such hesitance.

Leaving Astra and Felix no option but to fight side by side and bring the criminal to justice through a display of superior skill.

Just as Astra had wanted since the moment they had been introduced to their long-lost half-sibling as a child.

---

The fight between Regalia Russet, Eagle Arc and Major Grapeshot had waged on for far longer than it had any business to in the participants' minds.

Regalia Russet fought through a haze of stinging tears that blurred her vision and righteous incandescent fury; raining blows down upon the rogue Huntsman before her in an effort to make him answer for a betrayal whose scope she could not put into words, only to find herself denied at every turn as Grapeshot moved with speed and skill far beyond what she could equal.

"BASTARD!" the Racoon Faunus raged as lunged forwards yet again, with the Major taking another step back as he avoided her onslaught; Regalia began with a swing of the pickaxe blade of Apex Scavenger, tearing through the walls of the corridor in an explosion of sparks and screaming metal before carrying the motion into a spinning sidekick, far less graceful than those performed by her partner and instead a blunt implement meant to crush ribs and when it to was avoided the enraged nomad thrust the harpoon tip which formed the base of her weapon forward in a frantic stabbing motion before finally bringing Apex Scavenger up for and overhand swing; her weapon rising and hurtling downwards only for the sound of metal on metal to fill the air and Regalia's arms to shudder as pain lanced through them when Major Grapeshot blocked the blow with ease, holding Magnificent Ivory aloft at a horizontal angle.

"Uncouth" he sighed dispassionately, before parrying the attack by turning at the waist so that he could kick at Regalia's legs and twist his weapon so that she was thrown off balance in the same motion, leaving the younger fighters' back and flank exposed to him.

"Undisciplined" he continued before driving his elbow into Regalia's cheek and eye socket with a resounding crack then, as she staggered forward spinning behind and passed her whilst thrusting his cane forcefully into her back, its' base striking her spine and tearing a pained yell from the Faunus and the once he was on her opposite side swinging the weapon in a two-handed grip at her face as though it were a sword Regalia frantically managed to block the blow with her forearm yet her Aura still rippled around her in pale amethyst as she was slammed back into the wall behind her with a dull thud.

"And unsatisfactory" Grapeshot concluded, shifting Magnificent Ivory into its' rifle form and aiming at Regalia's torso; eye beginning to glow subtly as he prepared to use his Semblance and once again turn a single round into an entire volley.

"CAW!"

The sound of the weapons' discharge was almost lost beneath an avian shriek as Eagle Arc returned to the fray and interrupted the battle with gusto and showmanship; returning to her true form in a flash of pure white Aura and slamming her shield into the older Hunters' chest to send his attack off target; it was only partly successful however as Regalia was still flung backwards and sent crashing to the ground several meters further along the corridor, her Aura rippling and in a state of flux rather than broken whilst the metallic floor beneath them had bee shredded and buckled where the Faunus stood, creating an area which threatened to collapse into the deck below at any moment.

"It's over Grapeshot" Eagle declared, brandishing the black bladed gladius that her wife had given to her during her time as a student "You're surrounded!"

"Oh jolly good show, that Arc spirit and conviction is truly something to see" the Major guffawed, seemingly genuine in his praise despite the situation "Though I'm not in such a sticky wicket as you might imagine old sport"

Incensed at both the dismissal and the way a student in her care had been harmed Eagle charged forward.

The crimson-eyed master of swordplay swung her shield onto her back, realising that whilst Regalia was positioned behind Grapeshot and whilst the area in which they fought was so perilous there was little to be gained by unleashing Sentinel; the droids' weapons would likely have unintended consequences for them all and so instead she held her sword in a two handed grip whilst Grapeshot returned his weapon to its' cane form and mirrored the motion, the pair charging and colliding with a booming impact which warped the air around them in an explosion of force and bent metal panels out of shape with a serious of nerve-rattling creaks.

"Positively capital!" Grapeshot declared spiritedly as he blocked and parried Eagle's barrage of attacks, though the strain in his voice made it abundantly clear that the task was now taking a far greater amount of effort and concentration. Eagle's downward blow at his neck and left shoulder was blocked as he turned and raised his cane high before responding by swinging the weapon down in a low arc at a point of her midsection which her armoured breastplate did not cover; seeing this Eagle brought her sword down, its' blade carving into the floor as she blocked before thrusting the tip forward like spear as she sprung towards her adversary and forced him backwards, not content to stop here however the blonde woman switched seamlessly into a single, right-handed grip on her weapon and flung her arm upwards to elbow Grapeshot in the chin with a painful crack and then lash out with her empty left hand to seize his skull and simply smash his head against the twisted metal of the nearest wall, leaving him reeling whilst his safari hat fell to the floor.

"Hardly sporting!" the retried and treacherous Hunter spat as he attempted to reorient himself before Eagle fell upon him again, this time with her ornate and admittedly beautiful weapon held in a reverse grip in a savage attempt to drag its' blade across Grapeshot's face; the Major huffed in disdain for the blow, something he would expect from a simple ruffian rather than a proud member of the Arc family and promptly defended himself by taking the ends of Magnificent Ivory in his hands and turning at the waist to both block the attack and deliver a punishing kick to Eagle's midsection; her armour reverberating loudly as it was dented and she was forced back, her momentum halted for the briefest of moments.

The two of them rushed at one another again and this time their movements reached a level of fluid speed and graceful skill that could only be described as art of the most lethal kind; weapons flashed out at speeds that rendered them nigh-invisible whilst every lapse in the cacophony of crashing steel was filled with a flash of rippling light as Aura absorbed blows that would have crushed bone or shredded flesh. As the golden haired and freckled warrior before him unleashed a maelstrom of slashes and chops from all angles, attacks a masterful blending of multiple styles and disciplines only for her to then deliver a powerful front kick that Grapeshot was too preoccupied to counter it became clear to the ageing veteran that Eagle was simply the better of the two of them and as he was sent skidding backwards across the ground in a crouch, pained and exhausted gasps escaping him it was clear that he would need to formulate a plan in the next few moments if he wished to escape this encounter.

An opening provided itself in due course.

"REGALIA STAND BACK!" Eagle cried out in warning as she skidded to a halt mid-charge, announcing the nomadic Faunus's return to the fray a moment before her wordless howl of anger split the air.

Grapeshot reacted swiftly and threw himself to his feet whilst turning to face this new attacker, swinging his cane like a club into the knee of a leg poised to kick at the back of his skull; this was followed with a twirling flourish as he brought his weapon overhead for a downward blow which Regalia blocked with the shaft of Apex Scavenger, only to be forced to her knees as her freshly injured leg buckled under her the impact and from there the Major drove his knee into the young woman's nose with all the force he could muster sending her somersaulting backwards to land face down on the sodden and slowly buckling floor.

Eagle was charging him again in an instant.

"Blast" he snarled through gritted teeth as he whirled around to block Eagle's charging stab, feet sliding backwards as sparks flew from the point where their weapons met and it took him all he had to not be manhandled by the incredibly strong woman currently glaring at him from behind her blade.

Regalia was on her feet again a moment later and charged at Grapeshot with gusto and fury but also a clear absence of a plan; the Racoon Faunus was consumed by her own emotions and as skilled as Eagle Arc was the fact remained that she was simply not Astra Mars and did not have the history of working alongside Regalia to plan and execute spur of the moment strategies that her own partner possessed; as such when Regalia simply leapt onto the Major's back and wrapped an arm around the traitors' neck Eagle was forced to freeze I place rather than risk the consequences of continuing to fight.

"I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold!" Regalia snarled as she shifted Apex Scavenger into its' pistol gripped and short barrelled shotgun form and prepared to level the weapon at her enemy's head only for Major Grapeshot to reply with a mirthful chuckle that caused his moustache to twitch.

"I'm afraid not girl" the answer was almost good natured and came a moment before the veteran performed three actions in almost perfect unison; firstly his skull rocked back and smashed into Regalia's face and secondly he grasped her wrist to begin redirecting her shotgun and finally he shifted Magnificent Ivory into its' rifle form, holding the weapon in an admittedly awkward position as he aimed under his own arm and behind himself.

"REGALIA MOVE!" Eagle yelled, yet it was too late and Grapeshot's semblance flared into life as he opened fire; Regalia's eyes widening with naked, bone-chilling terror as she realised what would come next a moment before her Aura was visibly and painfully shattered by the deafening blast. The Racoon Faunus was flung back yet Grapeshot kept hold of her wrist and in a single motion pivoted around so that he was holding Regalia aloft by her own arm before using his Semblance once again, but this time on Apex Scavenger as he redirected his opponents' weapon downward and forced Regalia to fire into the already damaged floor.

Metal was shattered entirely and as Grapeshot released his grip Regalia plummeted into the darkness below with a series of echoing crashes.

"BACK I SAY!" Grapeshot yelled fiercely as he levelled his rifle at Eagle's chest, halting her attempt to charge at him as he backed away slowly before reaching the hole he had created and promptly leaping across it; weapon never lowering and gaze never breaking away from that of the woman currently trembling with barely contained rage.

"I have no intention of killing a child Missus Arc" the Major informed her, some trace of the man he had once been breaking through the cold tone he used "She is alive, if inconvenienced by that fall….Now you must make a choice, is my capture worth more to you than her safety….and I must bid you farewell"

With that Grapeshot turned and fled out of view.

"DAMN IT!" Eagle's scream shook the air and her fist collided with cold steel before she focused her self, ripping her shield free of her back so that she could deploy Sentinel; a moment later the blonde woman had leapt down into the seawater filled ruins of the deck below and had pulled Regalia's dazed and barely conscious form out of the murk, holding her carefully to ensure any injuries she might have sustained were not jostled.

"I'm getting you off of this ship" she murmured quietly "You've done enough" with that she glanced up at the hole above her and with a silent single had her avian and hovering droid deploy retractable cables from its' feet which began to hoist the pair to relative safety.

---

The battle within the cargo hold was utter chaos; a terrifying state of affairs made more precarious by the fact that so many of the civilians which Team FADE and Team MARZ had intended to rescue were huddled, screaming fearfully in corners, behind any obstruction they could find or simply against walls as the fight against Carmesi Hueso waged on; fearing for their lives too much to risk being caught in the crossfire if they attempted to leave.

Something the Komodo Dragon Faunus actively exacerbated.

Athena-Jade Slate and Zirconia Shadowmoon came charging at Carmesi from opposite sides the moment he was forced out in an open space, the burly and powerful man letting out a wordless snarl as he saw the Grasshopper Faunus sprinting along the length of a trail of glyphs that led upwards and behind him so that she might attack from behind whilst her partner launched a head-on charge. Sinking his weapons into the reinforced steel floor of the cargo holds' crash vault Carmesi waited until Zirconia leapt, cybernetic legs coiling with a mechanical hiss and whirring sound before she sprung into the air to deliver a truly impressive flying kick; only for the attack to rendered useless as her opponent seized her by a joint analogous to an ankle and ripped her from the air.

Hellish red eyes narrowed and teeth were bared with time seeming to slow to a crawl as Carmesi turned to see Athena-Jade closing he distance between them, Mould-Breaker shifted into its' laser cannon form in an effort to fire at point blank range which the reptilian countered by simply swinging Zirconia around as though she weighed nothing at all and slamming her body into the body of the weapon.

"HOPS!" Athena yelled out, panic obvious even as the force of the impact caused her to spin and sent the beam of ethereal, pale green light intended for Carmesi streaking into heavily armoured walls to leave them glowing a molten red under the assault; the Bear Faunus quickly disabled her own weapon before it could inadvertently injure the very people she had hoped to save yet the moment of distraction allowed her opponent to land a powerful kick between her shoulder-blades as he ripped his weapons free of the floor and swung vindication, the forward curved machete in an arc that left jade-green light, somehow almost soapy in its' tone shimmering around Athena's back as he slashed at her.

An Ursa comprised of shimmering and incandescent light smashed into Carmesi's body before he could press the advantage.

The summoned and incorporeal Grimm thundered forwards, leaving its' foes' Aura visibly rippling around its' claws and fangs as it dragged, carried and ultimately threw him away only to be unmade and reduced to glowing embers as Carmesi levelled Retribution in its' shotgun form at the constructs' face and fired.

Allowing Arctus Slate himself to charge into battle with his sword at the ready.

"I didn't come here to kill Hunters or civilians Slate, I want you to know that!" Carmesi snarled as he dragged himself to his feet and locked blades with the legendary Hunter, using his machete to parry the oversized and matte black great-sword, grunting with effort as it became clear who the stronger of the pair was.

"But this is for the good of Remnant and I will make sacrifices" with that the reptilian waved his shotgun in a wild swing and began firing blindly, indiscriminately into the largest mass of gathered sailors; forcing Arctus to break his concentration in order to fling up a series of layered and interlocked glyphs to keep the people he had intended to save from harm. Seizing his opening Carmesi shifted retribution back into its' melee configuration as swung the broad and flat bladed implement, more club than sword and lined serrated spikes at the Bear Faunus and leaving him staggering away as it smashed into his face with an impact than rang out through the spacious crash vault, pale blue Aura rippling from the point of impact even as Carmesi carried the motion into a spinning leg sweep which sent a dazed and stunned Arctus toppling to the ground and leaving prone and unprotected as his vicious adversary readied his machete for a killing blow aimed at his throat.

Only for Carmesi to blasted from his feet and sent sailing several dozen feet backward through the air by an explosive round fired from a sniper rifle.

"Respectable, but predictable" the rogue spat, mastering himself and fighting the urge to massage bone and muscle that had almost certainly been damaged even through his Aura by Diamond Sustrai, whom Carmesi simply bowed his head to in acknowledgement of her effort to protect a loved one. The silver haired Sniper was exactly where he suspected she would be, using her vantage point to perch on high a wall and open fire from above; the two glared at one another for a moment that seemed to stretch out indefinitely, both knowing what the other intended at yet Diamond was still unable to halt Carmesi as he flung Vindication at another group of survivors, the blade unfurling into its' three-bladed form and rotating as it ripped through the air; instead her cherry red eyes widened and sprinted across the wall towards where screaming targets of the attack were trapped and began shifting Lex Talionis into its' glaive form so that she might deflect the incoming blade.

Only to blasted from the wall and sent crashing down into a pile of upended containers and wreckage as Carmesi fired Retribution while she was distracted, watching Vindication arc through the air dangerously close to the sailors before returning to his hand and leaving them unharmed.

Exactly as intended.

"You will not hurt them!" the low rasp, muffled by fabric yet still clear and refined was filled with a seething anger and Carmesi turned around frantically; the instinctive side-step hat accompanied the motion being the only thing keeping him from being incapacitated by a blow to the base of the spine courtesy of Zirconia Shadowmoon.

"Not unless I have to" the older Faunus answered quietly before swinging his machete, curved blade resembling a claw, at the cylindrical blade of Sunriser Cain and forcing the Grasshopper Faunus's arm downward before he followed with a dramatic spinning backhand which saw his larger weapon come tearing through the air only for Zirconia to expertly weave under it as though she had known the blow was coming. The two faced each other again, circling one another slowly and guardedly with hellish red boring into mismatched pale pink and orange with frightening intensity from the two combatants until, upon seeing Diamond Sustrai slowly rising from the wreckage she had been cast into Carmesi let out a sound of annoyance and charged towards Zirconia who adjusted the rotating Dust cylinders of her weapon and responded in kind.

'Ice!' Sunriser Cain's synthetic voice declared and the tip of the weapon which was not truly a sword began to glow with the light of volatile Dust crystals being activated; time one again seeming to lose all meaning and move at a delayed pace as Carmesi met Zirconia and forced her to a halt with a leaping knee strike to the chest which left her gasping for air before simply wrapping his arms around the teen and spinning her around so that the beam of freezing air her weapon unleashed was directed elsewhere.

Striking Diamond's mechanical arm and leaving her trapped in place as it was frozen to her surroundings.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Carmesi was forcefully removed from Zirconia by a literal hammer-blow as Athena-Jade rejoined the battle, igniting the Dust-powered booster of Mould Breaker to transform her blow to a streaking comet with a jade coloured tail which sent the agonised Faunus flying; Carmesi was sent hurtling into and subsequently through dozens of containers and small heaps of displaced goods and detritus to leave a swathe of obliteration in his wake yet registered almost none of it as his senses were entirely robbed from him by waves of pain that subsumed all else as his arterial-red Aura wavered around his limp form.

"Arctus, go help Diamond! We can take this from here!" the proud declaration, confidence steadily taking the place of the mixture of rage and deep, visceral terror that had preceded it brought Carmesi back to his senses and allowed him to take stock of the situation. Firstly the once loyal and upright Hunter saw that the elder Slate sibling was indeed rushing to his wife's side with Dust crystals at the ready; trusting his sister and her partner to hold their opponent at bay in a display of trust and assurance. Secondly Athena-Jade Slate and Zirconia stood side by side and weapons as the ready, the Bear Faunus subtly positioning herself in front of her partner and using her shorter but broader and more sturdy bulk as a shield in a protective motion.

Most important to Carmesi however was the mass of glowing glyphs manifested directly above him, pinning him down and keeping him from rising.

"You should've surrendered when you had the chance" Athena growled, black claws extending from her fingertips and scratching the shaft of her weapon as anger seeped into every syllable. Carmesi ignored her for a moment, speaking only once he had found what he sought; the specific crate which contained the sole reason he had ventured aboard the Dread-Hulk and the ships it carried.

"You should have stayed in Atlas, where Mummy and Daddy can keep you safe from the realities of this life" the scathing comment was enough for Athena to take a single step forward, which Zirconia brought to a stop by seizing her partner by the wrist; clutching at her in a way that was almost holding hands but yet not quite.

And in the moment of distraction Carmesi acted.

The Komodo Dragon Faunus gritted his teeth and hissed in pain, the coppery tang of his own blood filling his nostrils whilst the sound of tearing fabric was muffled by the whirring mechanism of his own weapon as he shifted Vindication into its' three-bladed and rotating form and placed it against the glyphs that held him; the claustrophobic conditions of his impromptu prison meaning that his Aura rippled around him and he tore into the scales and flesh of his own chest before finally breaking free.

Athena-Jade no longer looked proud or confident.

"Think we can take him?" the snowy haired girl asked her partner, doubt beginning to set in "What if you use your Semblance?"

"Phantasmagoria isn't a wall, it's a veil" Zirconia rasped quietly "It won't stop him shooting into the civilians and we won't be able to see who he's shooting at"

"Okay….New plan" Athena gulped, taking a single shaky breath before shifting her weight and uttering words that seemed laughable coming from anyone other than Astra "Rush him and keep him distracted!"

Athena charged forward, Zirconia hesitating before springing after her and preparing to attack from a different angle yet before the two of them could reach their opponent they were flung to the ground Aura's rippling as a volley gunfire, issued from a single point tore into them.

"Major" Carmesi allowed himself a weak smile

"Come now old chap" the older man exclaimed, clearly startled by the sight of his comrade's bloodied appearance and the damage around him "No time for us to be dallying around, do you have what we came for?"

"I will in a moment" the Komodo Dragon Faunus answered, rushing forward and delivering a shotgun blast to Athena-Jade's chest as she tried to rise; shattering her Aura and sending her rolling back across the floor sputtering and gasping for air as Zirconia frantically rushed to tend to her. With his opposition removed Carmesi sheathed his weapons and hefted the crate containing his prize before sprinting towards Major Grapeshot who in turn made for the nearest exit from the crash-vault and into the larger cargo hold. A glyph manifested in front them, revealing that Arctus had returned to the fray yet it was unmade with a single Semblance powered barrage from Grapeshot who then turned and began firing at the Faunus himself, forcing Arctus to take cover whilst the Major retreated slowly and allowed Carmesi to rush by him until the pair were out of view.

"We've gotta go after him!" Athena-Jade yelled as she dragged herself to her feet, only to sway and almost collapse into Zirconia's arms as her partner caught her.

"You can't" the taller girl shook her head, holding Athena in place "Your Aura's broken….and some of your ribs might be, you can barely-"

"Don't worry about me!" Athena's voice was close to cracking with the sheer weight of her emotions "You can do it, I know you can!"

"AJ….No" it was Arctus that spoke this time, he and Diamond wearing almost mournful and yet somehow relieved expressions as the two of them took over the task of keeping the younger Bear Faunus from collapsing.

"We've gotta-"

"We will tell Coco about what happened here" Arctus interrupted firmly "She and Qrow and the others will form a plan and we will act on it, what we are not going to do is rush into a trap"

"You heard Carmesi….Rowan's on this ship somewhere and it's obvious that they're working together now" Diamond added, fury at the earlier deception colouring her words and features "Trying to chase after someone with her Semblance on a ship this size is a waste of time; it's not what we came for"

"She's right" Zirconia murmured, hoping that she sounded like the voice of reason to her partner and broke through Athena's single-minded focus "We came here to find the survivors"

"And we have" Arctus gave an approving nod to Zirconia before gesturing to the frightened souls still cowering around the periphery of the crash vault "I'll contact Carcharodon and Penny, between the two of them we'll be able to get these people out of here and to safety….We achieved what we set out to do, you helped save lives today. This is a win"

Athena-Jade felt bile rise in her throat at that, victory had never felt so mockingly hollow before.

---

Wiring, microchips and other delicate components were strewn outwards in an explosion of force as Astra's latest attempt to deliver another leaping kick to the face of their opponent was swiftly counteracted and the Deer Faunus's legs swept from beneath them by the blade of Insolence, allowing Rowan Oralie to seize their already falling form and slam them through the featureless touchscreen of one of the remaining workstations that filled the cargo ships' bridge.

"Okay, that does it!" Astra raged, engaging the Hard-light shields of Buckshot Ares to utterly destroy what remained of the workstation and free himself from the mangled debris before leaping to their feet and assuming a savage, almost predator gait and stance as the blades of their weapons slid out of their housing and reached beyond the teens' fists in a display that would appear frightening had Rowan been paying enough mind to the younger of her opponents' to properly witness it; as it was the scarlet haired mercenary, whose blood-splotched eyes and unwillingness to use her Semblance again suggested that she might in fact be tiring had turned her attention to Felix Xiao Long the moment Astra had been safely disposed for a moment so that she could focus on the more severe threat.

Which only angered the already furious Astra even further; though as Felix and Rowan fought they realised it would be senseless to deny their brothers' skill.

Felix had unsheathed Overkill and kept the oversized weapon in its' sword form, though he had elected to keep its' chainsaw blade still and silent as, whilst Rowan fought with a lack of restraint which indicated that her own goals had already been achieved the Lion Faunus still needed to use the controls of the bridge and as he and Rowan fought Felix moved with a speed, precision and raw, dynamic and explosive power that gave weight to the mystique that had risen around him.

"Had enough?" he asked with a confident smile as Rowan feinted with the elongated shaft of her weapon before slashing at Felix's face only to be blocked and parried by an almost effortless swing of his sword, held in his mechanical and gold coloured right arm which redirected the blow downwards to leave her almost doubled over and in no position to defend herself as Felix simply punched her in the face with his free hand. Rowan offered no verbal reply to the taunt and simply allowed herself to be sent staggering backwards, twirling Insolence around herself in a blur of motion to both create a barrier and also to mask the transformation of the weapon into its' ranged form before she levelled it at Felix's face and prepared to fire the shotgun.

"Don't worry, I know you absorb heat through your Semblance" she sneered "I brought something special for-"

Her words, a pale ghost of her former controlling and unassailable demeanour; ruined by her obviously fraying willpower was interrupted as a firestorm of bullets shredded everything around her and left the would be crime-lords' Aura rippling as Astra, seeing the space between Rowan and their brother as an opening simply aimed the compact Gatling guns of Buckshot Ares and fired, using the assault to provide cover fire for their own charge.

"ASTRA NO!" Felix barked out in warning, to no avail.

"Don't worry, I've got-" their almost gleeful confidence was robbed from then when Rowan, enduring the onslaught through gritted teeth and rippling Aura; her bloodstained face a mask of white-hot and focused anger aimed Insolence and fired at Astra, revealing her weapon to be loaded with a mix of Gravity and Ice Dust ammunition, almost certainly a unique and likely personally made blend which sent shards of dense, freezing and jagged crystal ripping into Astra's Aura like a blizzard of tiny daggers. Astra came skidding to a halt, the thought of charging heroically into battle stripped from their mind as they hastily flung their shields in front of their face, only to be sent toppling to the ground as Rowan closed the distance between them and immediately delivered a savage kick to the Faunus's knee.

Rowan loomed over her downed opponent and aimed her weapon, to which Astra hurriedly responded in kind; a state of affairs which prompted the scarlet haired and bloodied woman to smirk cruelly as she leapt aside in the exact instant that her inexperienced adversary unleashed another volley.

Right as Felix made to tackle her to the ground, only to be sent staggering back as he was inadvertently shot at by his sibling.

"Oh shit! Are you okay?" Astra gasped out in naked panic as they leapt to their feet and hastily collapsed their weapons' guns; mortified at their brothers' magma coloured Aura flickering around him for a moment as a result of their own actions.

"I'm fine, now focus!" Felix snapped, deep blue eyes scanning the now battle-scarred bridge of the ruined ship; feeling a small amount of relief at the fact that Rowan had simply taken cover, conserving what energy she had left rather than attempting subterfuge through her Semblance.

"Astra, fall back to elevator shaft" Felix continued, giving Astra a stern glance before adding quietly "We still need these controls, we can't risk you shooting them….Besides, we can pin her down if you cover the exit"

"Go ahead spikes!" Rowan called out from her current hiding place behind one of the foremost workstations, goading the younger Faunus "Fall back, let someone capable do the work….Go find your Clan-rat friend while you're at it and hide behind her"

"Fuck this" Astra spat vehemently, turning to Felix expectantly "Come on, we can take her down! What are you holding back for? Let's do this!"

And with Felix's yelled order to wait being lost beneath the sound of their own blood thundering in their ears Astra charged into battle.

The Deer Faunus expected Rowan to meet them head on in a collision of bone-shattering force, this desire for violence of the most base kind was denied to them however as Rowan instead vaulted over the desk she had cowered behind and delivered a high, arcing kick from an almost inverted position which was easily blocked and then quickly revealed to be a ruse as she then managed to carry her momentum into a flip which saw her land behind Astra which she capitalised on by landing punishing blows on both of their kidneys, following up with another kick to their already pained leg and finally seizing the back of their head to plough their face into the pristine silver surface of the workstation, minimalist sleekness being stained with blood and warped by the force of the impact.

Unwilling to be beaten Astra whirled around, blades raking through the air only for Rowan; showing once again that she had been trained by a Hunter and was far beyond the simple lowlife crook she had been mistaken for, to avoid the haphazard slashing attack by leaning backward to allow Astra's arm to sail over her before delivering a sharp kick to one of the teens' biceps which left their left arm hanging limp as she produced her weapon once again and fired a trio of the specialised Ice Dust rounds she had used earlier, sending Astra stumbling backwards over the workstation; their fiery red Aura, the same shade as their dyed Mohawk visibly shattering around them.

Felix Xiao Long came hurtling at her like a golden comet yet Rowan was prepared, underhanded tactics were after all a fact of life in the devious world she inhabited.

"STAY BACK!" she yelled, commanding and sneering tone returning to her words as she brandished insolence at the Lion Faunus; the weapon transforming into its' Naginata form as she slowly retreated back around the workstation, eyes never leaving Felix whose own gaze was now filled with loathing surpassed only by the panic now etched into his features.

"The little idiots' Aura's broken" Rowan declared "Bodies are worth less than hostages….So let's make a deal"

"You don't want to do this" Felix spoke slowly, mind racing in a desperate bid to find options and ideas whilst his words were delivered with a measured cadence that sought to mask the pleading edge to them.

"You have no idea how long the list of things I want is kitten, let's see if you've got anything on the list to trade" she sneered, every word dripping with contempt as she gestured towards where Astra lay with her blade to make implicit the unspoken threat.

"Whoever you're working for….we'll find them" Felix said simply, stating it as though it were simple fact "This isn't the kind of crime you're in the business for and we both know it Oralie….This is a chance for you to walk away"

"Almost tempting….Almost" Rowan snorted, the mask of aloof disdain going some way to mask the slight shift of her features as she seemed to give the offer a modicum of genuine consideration before discarding it and tightening her grip on Insolence; Felix's breath came faster and shallower as he sought out another answer.

Only for one to come unbidden, from the unlikely source of the Dread-Hulk itself as the colossal beast roared and thrashed under the might of another salvo of shots; sending those aboard the bridge stumbling.

Astra, revealing that they had been conscious and biding their time to deliver a decisive blow despite their lack of Aura sprung to their feet before Rowan could recover and, in a risky and horrendously underhanded display drove one of their antlers into the rogues' eye; sending her staggering back and clutching her face whilst her weapon clattered to the ground.

From there Felix took the initiative.

The air shimmered with heat as his Semblance, dubbed 'Brimstone' was unleashed and his body took on the appearance of molten, blackened rock laced with veins that glowed like magma whilst his eyes and hair were consumed by golden fire. In his Balrog state, as this form was known the Lion Faunus was simply an unstoppable force, temporarily invulnerable and capable of simply powering through any resistance which was why when Felix charged forward and simply plucked Rowan from the ground and slammed her into the panoramic window of the bridge the Atlesian steel shielding beyond it, a previously impassable barrier, was simply smashed aside.

"Rowan Oralie!" Felix snarled, body returning to normal as he held the criminal out of the now forcefully opened window by the fabric of her tank-top, her dazed attempts to kick and struggle seeming feeble "You're under arrest for murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, smuggling, extortion and crimes that I'm not even sure we have names for yet you twisted bitch" with that Felix hauled Rowan back into the command bridge and promptly hefted her overhead and slammed her forcefully onto the floor with an echoing boom, her Aura shattering as it failed her and she lost consciousness.

"So….we got her" Astra chuckled, wincing slightly as they limped toward their brother "Bonus mission accomplished….Now let's do what we came-"

"Don't stand there and talk like you just won something!" Felix snapped, the fury in his words silencing any biting comeback Astra might have hoped to offer.

"I just-"

"No!" Felix cut them off again "We're going to prime the self-destruct. We're going to contact the others and find out if they managed to find survivors. We're going to contact Carcharodon and coordinate with him so we can make sure this Grimm is nowhere near the city or any ships when we blow it up and then you are going back to the academy….We'll talk about what happened here when we get there"

Astra couldn't help but gulp audibly at that as they realised that they could not remember seeing Felix quite so angry before, certainly not with the anger directed at themselves.

The sense of triumph quickly fizzled away.

Author's Notes:

Okay, this was the penultimate chapter of Vol.2 and we have one chapter left to wrap things up.
Now this one doesn't have the feel of my typical season finales and in a way it's kinda like canon Vol.2, insofar as the heroes, Team MARZ specifically actually got pretty much clattered all round despite it being a technical win for them.
Wonder how that's gonna shape relationships and interactions moving forwards.

But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
So, the villains are making their way up towards the ship that Teams MARZ and FADE are searching in a straight line and finally the time for a villain on villain back-stab has come.
I feel like anything that's stuck on a Grimm for that long is gonna start showing signs of corruption as Grimm tissue grows into it, in my head it's very much like the game prototype, or a nasty fleshy fungus.
So Rowan's fluid loyalties and ever-adapting plan has changed again, she knows she can't beat the benefactor and she knows that she's pretty much screwed in Carmesi stays around; so instead it's case of killing off the Benefactor's rogue Hunters and damaging his plan enough that he still needs her around.
She really did use the "Look behind you" trick and it worked.
So, I think we both know that Carmesi and Rowan need to face off properly now.
What AJ heard was absolutely the sound of the villains somewhere under them all.
AJ and Arctus being the pair to take point is the only thing that makes sense.
I could have spent more time giving the ship an "Alien" or "Space Hulk" vibe but honestly there wouldn't have been a point, the Grimm were never the main threat here.
The ruined and flooded cargo hold looked pretty cinematic in my head, or perhaps like something from the Warhammer 40k or Dune school of sci-fi, and the fact that parts of it were flooded after it had been towed under by the Dread-Hulk makes sense.
Of course there were Grimm in the water and of course I used it as a chance for Zirconia to be cool, I haven't shown her weapon off enough lately.
AJ actually doesn't use the Schnee Semblance to anything close to full capability, likely just her wanting to be unique and be more than just the family name….We've never seen her summon but I do have plans for how she's going to develop her own unique style later on in the story, probably not until second year.
AJ keeping Zirconia's legs dry, a cute little touch.
Okay, so even with the fact that the rogues were heading up whilst the Hunters were heading down toward them I'll admit it was a little convenient for Carmesi to be there so soon; I could have put another scene between this scene and the last scene but it just didn't flow right.
This is why I made a point of saying that Team FADE know Carmesi and Grapeshot shouldn't be here, so we can have a tense stand-off in a cargo hold full of survivors when they get suspicious.
Carmesi and Grapeshot obviously changed their plan off screen and yeah, lizard boy definitely came here to kill Rowan.
Assuming Ruby would be the one in charge was sensible, but ultimately the mistake that gave the game away….And now AJ is beyond pissed.
So Look-See continues to be useful, but not so OP that it makes Team MARZ impossible to beat and I feel like the limitations on it all make sense.
Eagle absolutely sees some of herself in Regalia.
"It's quiet….to quiet"
The comics thing is a callback to FADE: Legacy.
Oof, Astra and Regalia really need to sit down and have a good long, honest talk but that's only gonna get harder to do as Astra picks up more of Wolfram's problems.
Come on now, you knew Grapeshot was gonna fight these two.
Grapeshot's excuses don't feel out of character, of course he can't use a Scroll and of course he thinks too highly of himself to call in with Carcharodon.
You think AJ was mad? Regalia left her people to be a Hunter and just found out that the first Hunter she ever worked alongside is a traitor….There are no words for how upset she's gonna be now; her childhood dream just got run over by reality.
There was no need for the call to be made, the others already know but stopping Regalia from making it was the last bit of evidence.
The Bill the Butcher quote was perfect for this.
Not the first time Grapeshot has called Regalia "One of the natives" he's a different kind of bigot to Rowan, but definitely a bigot.
And now we cut to what's going on outside….Let's be real, for such a small Kingdom Menagerie is well protected; the Capital of any of the other Kingdoms would have buckled and had their lines overrun by that attack with such little notice; not one Grimm made it into the city here.
You know shit is going down when Carcharodon puts the crown on.
Yeah Car might love facing his opponents head on, but ship based combat is something that brings him closer to the family he lost….Also, what he said there that wasn't in English was "For the tribe, for victory!"
The Dread-Hulk is a big ol' beast, it literally has a stack of ships bigger than the Nemesis Kharybdis just on its' back; the thing is orders of magnitude bigger.
….But Carcharodon still shot one of its' eye-stalks off; funny how he avoided braining the thing though, as much as he's dedicated to the job his loyalty to his people will always come first and he isn't going to sacrifice any of the people currently on the Dread-Hulk.
The comment about something being wrong/different about the displays and alarms will definitely come back around later; the question is who has had access to those controls.
Carcharodon's respect for Ruby was honestly interesting and fun to write.
That little talk was just to answer the obvious question of "Why not just Silver Eyes it", Ruby was needed elsewhere and unless the Dread-Hulk actually stepped onto land it wasn't the priority.
We already knew how this scene was going to go but it was still fun to get there.
Felix and Astra still being able to fight as a pair, at least against Grimm was nice; but also should have served as a warning that I was drawing attention to it for a reason.
Sibling banter, it will never change.
So, fun little note Astra; like their brother got their driving license at the earliest opportunity, the difference is that whilst Astra's Dad is a mechanic he does not have money to help Astra out financially the way Blake and Yang did for Fluffy….So yeah that was a bit of a cheap shot.
What haircut did Astra have that they refuse to talk about?
Whitney Spearmint was obviously there solely for the "It's Whitney, Bitch" line later on and yet I can't bring myself to call it a bad joke.
So Rowan obviously cut the elevator cable to stop Carmesi following her.
Astra is annoyed at the fact that there is a "Secret mission" after what was said earlier, but Felix wasn't intentionally keeping it from them.
Astra used to be the smart one and make plans….Now they're dating Wolfram they're trying to act like him and do the whole berserk charge thing; even more so than they did back in Vale in Chapter 01.
The fact that Rowan is such a bitch doesn't help matters either.
Felix's attempt to push her buttons back might have worked, if he wasn't being played….Why would the illusionist stand out in the open? Because it's a distraction.
And she would have gotten away with it to, if it wasn't for the Muai Thai roundhouse kick.
Astra really thought this was gonna be the moment they proved themselves.
If she was thinking straight Regalia might have been able to overpower Grapeshot, she's one of the stronger students.
As it is, she was outmatched from the get go.
Nice save from Eagle and even nicer fighting, but yeah I did have to come up with a reason for her to not use Sentinel in this fight or there would have been too much going on in such a cramped space and one scene of fighting.
"You're surrounded" while Regalia on the floor is admittedly funny.
I really wish I could draw and/or animate because the fight between Eagle and the Major was amazing in my head and I would love to show you all what I'm imagining.
Regalia can wrestle, of course she just jumped on his back.
I don't care what anyone says, the Mandolorian line was perfect here.
Astra and Regalia….The partners that didn't work together somehow being the two members of their team to get their Auras broken and be beaten in shockingly similar ways; honestly poetic.
The cargo hold fight took me forever to figure out, it was a scene I was puzzling out for over a week before I got to it.
Carmesi's advantage came from forcing his opponents to fight him one at a time or have their numbers turned against them; exhibit A) Beating a mother-fucker with another mother-fucker.
….And also the fact that he will just casually shoot into a crowd of civilians to create a distraction.
This might be Arctus and Diamond's worst performance in a fight and yet, they still did the job they came to do.
I want you to take note of the interactions between Carmesi and Zirconia, he was far less ruthless with her and she was the fist person he acknowledged when the Hunters showed up.
AJ absolutely knocked the piss out of him with that one; to the point where Arctus honestly wasn't that dumb for letting her handle it for a sec, he should've been down for the count.
And here we see just how determined Carmesi actually is...He literally sawed his own chest open.
I wonder if Phantasmagoria would have actually helped?
Okay so AJ got her Aura broken as well as Astra and Regalia, but it feels different somehow; she didn't lose, Grapeshot's appearance changed the game.
More importantly however, Grapeshot and Carmesi just got what they came for, which means that the Benefactor now has the means to capture the Hell-Hound….And the Hunters, understandably didn't got after them.
You know it's gonna be fun when we start with someone getting slammed through a table.
Let's be clear, Rowan could not possibly have beaten Felix in a one on one fight and the fact she could use Astra against him is what gave her a chance.
Astra, I get your angry….but Gatling guns in an enclosed area filled with equipment you need to use was just dumb.
The Ice/Gravity shells are absolutely something that exists in universe even if we haven't seen them; basically a nail-bomb in a shell, a terror weapon.
Even if she lost Rowan was on form this chapter, she managed to play the siblings off each other beautifully with just goading and timing.
Taking the younger hero as a hostage….Basically Astra was Hot Rod in the '86 Transformers movie.
Rowan almost considered the offer, important?
Okay I know the Dread-Hulk moving and shaking the whole ship was a little convenient but at the same time it had been mentioned before that point and given what's going on outside it's not unreasonable.
Astra was just nasty for that.
And THAT is Felix when he's on point, just ploughed her through solid Atlesian Steel blast door before giving out an iconic line.
Astra really thought they were gonna laugh that off and have a moment….Hell no, Felix is gonna go full Mufasa, Mufasa on Simba after he didn't listen to the "Everything the light touches" speech.

Thank you to SumoSnipe Lurkweed, and MajorBrony95 for their reviews on the last chapter.
Oh there was definitely some eye rolling going on, but Arctus and Diamond have agreed that they're going to let those two figure it out in their own time.
You're damn right I had fun with it….Jesus Christ Regalia meeting that thing is going to be amazing.
I mean "Nuke from orbit" was never really an option and neither was retreating, they were in a transport not a dedicated fighter craft so it would never have held up against the Hell-Hound; if anything Yatsu created an opening big enough for them all to charge out of instead of having to split up for the side hatches and at the same time denied a small amount of resources to the Grimm.
Laser's Semblance will be given some more discussion next chapter and then the specifics will be discussed in Vol.03 as they become important to the plot; though whether or not he'd be able to copy Mercury's Semblance is questionable he obviously wouldn't be able to give Merc his Semblance back.
The ship does indeed have some pretty hefty guns, it's managed to take on Grimm Gamera before and we'll call it's fight with Jormungandr as draw...It's been upgraded since then and then there's the fact that its' main gun can be configured to fire "Fracture" rounds, the ones that disrupt the Primordial tissue of Grimm Spawning Pits, like what the inside of the Dread-Hulk would have been made of since it was producing its' own Grimm...I could have gone into depth with all of that but honestly it wouldn't have served a purpose here.
I've actually never seen Moana before, I blame the amount of Crab memes on the internet.
It wasn't even Bonfire night that changed the schedule, it was the fact that I did all of my Christmas Shopping in one fell swoop on the saturday.
I did actually announce that I was going to be posting a day early on social media, follow me on Tumblr and Twitter, it's the same username "FandomPariah"

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.