"You're... saying we're going to help them? Or have them help us?" Thanaton asked, spreading peanut butter into two slices of bread at a table. "Wait, wait no," She shook her head some. "More so, there's a... Geist possessing you, Val? And how can we even trust those four?" The purple haired young woman looked around at her brother and woman who raised her with raised eyebrows.
"It's true, I just... I didn't know exactly how to tell either of you." Val gulped, her blue eyes sparkling in the light. "I had now clue how either of you would react. If you ran, she'd take over and kill you." She gulped, slowly pushing some of her pink hair behind her ear. "And I... I didn't want to kill... I didn't want to let her kill more than she already does." She slowly glanced up, biting her lip.
"It's not like either of us had anywhere to go." She mumbled back, spreading out some grape jelly into one of the prices of bread which already had peanut butter on it.
A moment of silence fell before the pinkette took a very deep and shaky breath, her hands fiddling together. "But in regards to trusting them enough to help... I do. Kagami... she's not like other people."
"No she isn't." Nihilus spoke up, leaning against the side of a wall next to a few cabinets. "But Thana, if she even has the slightest chance of splitting Val and Valentine, we at least need to try."
The purple haired young woman stared back, putting the other piece of bread with peanut butter on it over the one with jelly and peanut butter. She took a deep breath, glancing between the two in front of her before grabbing the jar of peanut butter and putting the lid on top. Val was the sole reason for his humanity, or at least the little bit there. Actually, she was the only reason the two actually cared for anything. And to have her freed from the monster who ruined their lives...
"Okay, say I'm on board." Thanaton leaned over the table a bit. "How exactly does this girl's semblance work?"
Nihilus paused, scratching the back of his head before sighing. "It's kinda like an anti-Grimm thing?" His right brow raised. "She believes she could stun Valentine and pull her out, separating the two."
"And then?" His sister tossed the peanut butter jar to him.
As he caught it, he sighed while shaking his head. "One hell of a fight." The corner of his mouth just barely peeked up into a smirk as he twirled the jar of peanut butter. As he did so, the lid flew straight off. He blinked once, catching the jar perfectly.
As Val softly giggled with her hand over her mouth, Thanaton chuckled with a wicked smirk. "Whoops. Guess I forgot to tighten it."
He groaned a bit, narrowing his eyes over at her. "Kinda like how you forgot to tell me that after I passed out during the attack on Vale I nearly died and Kagami saved my life?"
Blinking once, she slowly picked up her sandwich while staring back at him. "Yeah uuummm…" She looked around rapidly before skipping down the hall of the abandoned house. "Later bro!"
He sighed, rolling his eyes as he reached down to pick up the lid. "Damn girl..." He muttered.
Val giggled a bit more, it slowly trailing off as she looked up at Nihilus. "Do you... actually think Kagami would be able to separate the two of us? And do you guys think you could kill Valentine once she's out...?"
Giving a soft smile, he stepped up and gently placed a hand on her shoulder with a nod. "I know I'll die trying." He gave another reassuring nod. "Promise."
"Oh hell fu-" Kris started to speak as hardly as she could, arms crossed as Cheyenne moved a chair over, creating a large enough noise to block out the redhead's voice for a second. "-ing no." She glared back at her teammates. "There is no way in Oum's name I would ever!"
Kagami took a deep breath, sitting on a bed as he slowly ran her fingers through her hair. "Kris... come on. We could really need you. That Geist needs to be stopped."
"So?" She tossed her arms are, looking around with her mouth open a bit. "Have we not forgotten what those idiots have done to us! Bad enough we didn't even take Maya to the authorities... but now you're conspiring with the bad guys?"
"Who said they were the bad guys?" Elise quickly added, sitting on a top bed with her legs kicking. "You've heard what they've gone through. They're misguided. Not necessarily evil."
Kris shook her head, gesturing her arm to her whole team. "We've each been beaten to a bloody pulp because of them! Why would we help them?!"
"Because they need it." Cheyenne spoke up, sitting down in the chair she moved. "You forget I was living under what is basically a cult for a couple years. It's not like you have a choice. It's like brainwashing. You're programmed in a way."
"So you're siding with them?!" The redhead's eyes widened.
"Yes." The Faunus gave a nod. "Yes I think we should help Val. Isn't that a Huntress' job anyway? To help those who need it?"
"They tried to kill us!" Kris snapped, her breathing becoming heavier as she pointed towards the door. "They have killed countless! And we're not even Huntresses!"
"For the love of Oum..." Elise jumped down from the bed, stepping towards the younger girl. "What's your problem? I don't like it as much as you, but none of them were raised correctly."
Gritting her teeth, she glanced between her three teammates before turning on her heels. She threw her hands up, stomping towards the door. "Ridiculous!" She shouted, slamming it shut behind her as she stepped in.
Elise blinked once, jerking her arms outward. "What the hell, Kris?!" She snapped.
Cheyenne went to stand, only to stop as as Kagami stood up with a hand on the Faunus' shoulder. "Don't worry." She flashed a smile, brushing back her hair. "I'll talk to her and see what's up."
While she stepped towards the bathroom, the Faunus slowly looked over at Elise. "Is she okay? She looks paler than usual. Actually she looks kinda sick..."
"She probably is." The young farm girl sighed. "She's stressed out and not sleeping and sick." She shook her head, sitting down on a lower bed. "She's overworking herself."
In the bathroom, Kris splashed some water on her face only to groan as she heard the door open and shut softly. "What?" She grumbled.
"You need to explain what your problem is, alright?" Kagami asked calmly, leaning up against the door.
Growling a bit, she splashed more water on her face. "There's nothing to talk about. We're suppose to be heroes, not helping criminals."
"We are suppose to help those in need." She correct.
"Help people who have nearly killed us?" She shot back. "Beaten and kidnapped is?" She turned to look up at her, water dripping from her choppy red hair. "Actually killed Fid and Fif and countless others? Help THEM?"
Kagami gulped some, slowly glancing down. "You've heard what they been through. They're not different than Chey or Maya. They were mislead."
"Well they became monsters." Kris grumbled.
"So let's take the monster out of one of them." She gritted her teeth. "You haven't met Val. She's nothing like Valentine."
"I know they hurt people either way!" The redhead put a foot down. "People like you three! People like me!" Her breathing grew heavier.
Blinking slowly, the jadette let her crossed arms fall. "What do you-" Before she could finish, the younger girl caught her off.
"They did this!" Kris pushed her long trench coat back, pulling up her shirt just a bit. On her stomach were three punctured scars from the time Eri had stabbed her during the Fall of Beacon. "They did this..." She slid her shirt back down. "And there's three more on my back. They did this! And no one can fix it!" She started to tremble a bit, chewing on her lip. "And you expect me to help them?"
"Kris, I-" She started before being cut off again.
"Kris what?! Are you going to tell me you understand?! What the hell do you know about scars?!" The second the words escaped her mouth, the redhead immediately regretted it. She took a small step back, her eyes widening a bit. "K-Kagami I didn't mean..."
Taking a deep breath, the jadette stared at the floor for a moment before glancing up with a faint smile. "It's fine." She smiled just a bit more, taking a step forward. "But you know, if it's one thing I've learned from becoming friends with you and Chey and Elise, it's that I can't let any of those scars hold me back." She reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder with a smile and a nod. "I can't allow what happened in the past to hold me back any longer. If I was, I'd still be too edgy and not wanting to talk to anyone. And that would be awful character development." She smirked.
Kris blinked slowly, gulping some as she stared up at her leader. "But they won't go away..."
"They never do." She brought her arm down with a kind smile. "You learn to live with them and grow from them."
"But they did-" The redhead was cut off by a finger over her lips.
"They didn't. Only one person did. And I don't even know where that blonde she devil is." Kagami pulled her hand back. "Now please, those three need help. Or are you going to let something that happened months ago stop you from helping someone who really needs it?"
"I..." Kris trailed off, gulping some. "I don't..." She looked down before sighing. "How the hell are we even suppose to fight a Grimm that has a human mindset?"
"I dunno." The jadette smiled with a shrug. "I really have no clue." She chuckled.
"Of course you don't." She rolled her eyes, faintly smiling as she crossed her arms.
The next morning, after the two groups had gotten their fair shares of rest, team MACE walked up with their weapons locked and loaded towards the group of criminals.
"So this is the place we're going to do it?" Kagami asked, looking around the the empty out area of the Emerald Forest.
"Farthest clearing from the main city." Nihilus said with a nod. He glanced at Val, taking a deep breath. "You ready for this?"
With her heart racing, the pinkette gave a nod. Inside, her heart pounding in her ears as she took a shaky breath. "As... ready as I could ever be." She smiled. "I've wanted Valentine out for a long time."
"Alright then." He nodded back, taking a deep breath.
"Well let's do this." Thanaton smiled, juggling a pair of rocks around in one hand. "I want to fight this monster and finally win."
"Hopefully win..." Val muttered, stepping towards team MACE. "So?" She smiled gently down at Kagami. "Can you really...?"
"I'll do my best." Kagami smiled up. She glanced back at her teammates. "Y'all ready for this?"
"Got more darts than I can even carry." Elise smiled, patting her pockets as she cocked her air compressed rifle.
Cheyenne faintly smiled, giving a gentle nod. "Never felt more alive." Confidence gleamed in her eyes as she held up her weapon.
"Ready to kick some butt." Kris twirled her candy cane weapons before holding them like tonfas.
"Alright." Kagami looked up at Val, her eyes locking with the soft blue ones. "Now are you ready?"
Giving a slow nod, the older woman gulped. "Yes..."
"Okay then." She slowly lifted her left hand, placing it on her chest as it began to glow. The faint green fabric wrapping around her arm blowing off and shredding before falling to the ground.
Val gave off a small scream, one which made Nihilus tense and step forward. She tossed her head back, jerking her head around with stiff movements before head shot forward, her golden eyes glaring in anger with a snarl.
"Hell..." Elise tensed, gritting her teeth as she raised her gun.
"Hold off!" Kagami snapped, grimacing as she the woman before her took hold of her shoulders and gripped them right. She narrowed her eyes into the wicked golden ones, giving off a scream as the glow from her hand and arm grew stronger.
"You have no idea who you are messing with, girl!" Valentine roared, a hint of panic in her voice. "I'll kill you! Every one of you!"
Grinding her teeth together, the jadette brought her right hand up, grabbing her shoulder right to hold her in place. "I don't give a damn!" Her aura began to glow extremely bright, a green tint all across her body.
Valentine streaked again, jerking her head a bit as her hands tightened on her shoulders. "You wrench!" She shouted.
"And you witch!" Kagami shot back, sweat dripping down the side of her face as the pupils of her tea green eyes shrunk. When they began to grow larger again, they expanded into the symbol on the back of her hoodie, the seal of the Monomane Clan. "Not get the hell out of this body! It isn't yours!" She cried out, a swarm of light engulfing the two.
"Shit..." Thanaton shot to her feet, eyes wide as she gripped the stones in her hands.
Nihilus yelled, taking a step forward as the light began to dim.
"Oh hell!" Elise ran forward a bit, skidding to a stop which kicked up dust.
With Val on her knees, Kagami helped her stand with heavy breathing. She slowly looked up, seeing what could only be described as an Alpha Geist.
"Holy... fu-" Kagami's eyes widened, her voice being cut off by the monster's screeches. "-ing... shi-!" She was cut off by another screech, quickly pulling Val to her feet as they scrambled back.
"Oh hell, she's pissed." Cheyenne mumbled quietly while she quickly stepped towards the two, Elise and Kris following behind.
"Yeah, she gets pissed a lot." Thanaton muttered, gulping as she stepped over with her brother. "Especially when things don't go her way."
"Guess you're not bailing." Kagami flashed a smile over at Nihilus, breathing heavy as she drew her sword.
"You kept your end of the deal, now I'll keep mine." He pulled his katana handle out, pushing in a blue dust crystal to the hilt as an ice blade formed.
"Then let's hope none of us die. Or that thing gets away." Cheyenne gulped, raising her Atlas rifle up behind Nihilus.
Behind Kagami, Elise flashed a faint smile as she held up her own gun. "I'll have my dad buy us all whisky if we win."
"You know," Thanaton smirked, picking up two large stones in her hands behind Cheyenne. "Were both twenty-one. We can get our own." She wiggles her eyebrows.
Kris rolled her eyes, holding her weapons like tonfa she behind Elise. "If any of you drink, I'll kill you myself." She grumbled, eyes narrowing at the Geist.
With the six in a v shape, Val gulped while standing in between them. "It... this will be like fighting a god. A Grimm who's been in the mind of a human." She gulped again.
"Then may Lord Oum and Dark Oum have mercy on our souls..." Elise trailed off with a gulp.
Nihilus raised an eyebrow, looking back at her.
The brunet blinked once, tilting her head before she half pouted. "Atheist."
He stared back at her in silence for a moment before smirking as he looked away.
"Alright guys. Enough talking." Kagami gripped her sword with both hands, glaring up at the Alpha Geist flying above which let out a deadly cry. "Let's do this." As the creature of darkness let out another roar, the sun above began to shine down on the forest below, casting down over the group of seven people.