A/N: Chapter 37 of REKT. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or teams of RWBY, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. What I do own are the characters and teams of my OCs and their teams: REKT, GTSY, KACE and DAZE.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 37: Vytal Tournament Start!
Somewhere...
The sun was shinning really well and the air swirled around the swaying golden reeds. It gave the setting an almost autumn tone. On top of a hill that over looked the forest a solitary huntress stood in silence, hands pressed together as a stream of rose petals scattered out behind her with the warm breeze.
"Hi Mom, sorry I haven't come by in awhile." Ruby finally spoke as she looked at the stone plaque, removing the red hood that covered her head in respect. The wind blew lightly across her skin, making her shiver slightly but she smiled nonetheless. "We got kinda busy...and I actually got a small hole in my cloak accidentally but Yang patched it up for me so...yeah there's that."
Summer Rose
Thus Kindly I Scatter
"Oh! Dad's here as well! He's, you know...dad." She chuckled, shrugging her shoulders as she tried to formulate a very descriptive explanation of what and how her father was doing. "He's still teaching at Signal, but he told me he's going to going on some mission soon. I think he misses adventuring with you...and I miss you too. On a brighter note I haven't been kicked out of Beacon yet and I've met a lot of friends! Being on a team with Yang helps I think and I keep her in line. You know how she is, a big flame goofball. But she's actually a really great fighter, you can tell she's learned a lot from dad!"
"So are Weiss and Blake. Oh! They're my teammates and together, we form Team RWBY." Ruby's voice was full of excitement as she spilled everything. Talking to Summer's grave brought some comfort but also a tinge of sadness, knowing that her mother wouldn't be able to experience the things or watch her daughter. "And yes, before you ask, that does cause a lot of confusion...Along with my new friends I've also meet...odd teachers. And we stopped some bad guys, too! I guess it's like they say: Like mother, like daughter."
"I still wonder why Ozpin let me into the school early. But uh, I guess he'll tell me one day. You know, the more I get to know him, the more he starts sounding like Uncle Qrow." Ruby giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. "Not like its a bad thing, you know?"
"Arf! Arf!"
"Oh!" Looking over her shoulder she noticed Zwei sitting by the heels of a yellow-haired male. The corgi's little stump of a tail was wagging with excitement while the male was smiling slightly. Sporting her own smile she turned her attention back to her mother's gravestone and slowly drew her hood up over her head. "Look's like Dad's here. I gotta go! He's dropping me at Beacon for the tournament match before his next mission! Wish me luck!"
"All set there, kiddo?" The male questioned, watching her trot towards him. Lifting his eyes he noticed a group of birds that fluttered away, their small frames illuminated by the radiating sun.
"Yup!" She chirped before looking back over her shoulder and pulled her hood up so it covered her head, whispering, "It was good to talk." Following her father to a waiting transportation she knelt and picked Zwei up, holding the corgi in her arms. On the way back to Beacon she got almost two months worth of corgi kisses.
"I know you're gonna kick butt out there but try to have fun okay? You'll have your first taste of fighting opponents you've never met before so learn a thing or two during your fights."
"Don't worry Dad!" The huntress hopped off the ride, turning to address her dad with Zwei by her side. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as she noticed people she's never seen before wander around, grabbing merchandise and other stuff before heading towards the battle arena floating in the air. "Team RWBY will be okay as long as I'm team leader!"
"And keep your firecracker of a sister in check okay? Knowing her she's bound to make things...interesting."
"I'll try but Yang can take care of herself!"
"I don't doubt that." He smiled, proud of how far his youngest daughter had become in pursuing her dream of being a huntress. If only you could see her now Summer, she reminds me so so much of you. "I'll watch the tournament from home and cheer you girls on."
"Thanks Dad, have a safe trip!" Stepping back she looked up as the transport took off in the sky, flying in the direction of home. Once it turned into a black speck she quickly dropped Zwei off in the room before running towards the fighting arena.
"Ready to go?" I asked as Ruby walked up to stand by my side, noting the light panting that escaped her lips. The rest of our teams were waiting inside the waiting rooms but it wasn't just them. Teams from Vacuo and even from Mistral were with us as well and we could tell that these opponents were no pushovers. "The tournament is about to start. I think professors Oobleck and Port just finished off their speeches."
"Yup, I'm ready as I'll ever be! Hey Reina, don't be too upset if we end up kicking your butts." Ruby teased and I couldn't help but crack a smile of my own and playfully slapped her arm. "I'm being serious. Just because we're friends I want you to come at me with everything you got! Don't pull any punches."
"I feel the exact same way Ruby...I really do." I replied and dipped my head in agreement. "Let's do our best, no hard feelings."
"Aren't you excited Ren?! Holy cow I can barely stay in my own seat!" Nora asked as she bounded around, ogling anything and everything she deemed as new and fascinating. "I'm filled with so much energy! Allow me to break their legs!"
"I'm really happy for your enthusiasm Nora but I need to calm myself down...this tournament's gonna become a nightmare." Ren replied as he surveyed the competition with a tight lip. "There are many good teams out here that we've never met before so caution is a must on the battlefield."
"Okay everyone hands in." Weiss ordered, placing her hand out and we placed our hands over hers. Sun and Neptune disappeared to get their team ready so they didn't get to join. "I don't do this very often since I'm not one for such antics but I assure you that this would be our first and last time...for this hand huddle business."
"Quit being so melodramatic Ice Queen, you know you love it." Yang spoke up, getting snickers from the rest of us. "You couldn't stop chatting away about prepping for the last-minute pep talk."
"That Ruby was supposed to handle since she's technically leader..." The Schnee heiress mumbled before clearing her throat, "As I was saying...good luck out there. We're friends no matter what happens and if one of us loses then the other must cheer, no exceptions!"
"Of course! That's what sportsmanship is all about!" Timber nodded his head in agreement, drumming his fingers lightly on the counter. "It's not about fame and glory, and definitely not bashing your opponents' skulls into the cement."
"We won't let some friendly competition ruin our friendship!" Efram grinned, looking around at our smiling faces. "If we did that then what kind of people are we? The bad kind that's what!"
"And we get to cheer on the other competitors from the other schools from the stands when we aren't fighting!" Ruby glanced up at one of the giant monitors, her eyes watching the massive amount of students sitting in the audience chairs eager to watch. "This is a golden opportunity to learn about a variety of fighting styles!"
"Now you're thinking Ruby, I'm so proud of you." Weiss smiled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Reading our opponents could give us a leg up in our matches."
"Let's get this show on the road...with a Yang!"
"God damn it!"
"There she goes again...with a pun no less..."
"Just how long were you holding that comment in for?"
"Only you would say something as corny as that." Blake shook her head at her goofy partner while we laughed. Since there was still time every single team mingled with one another, making new friends or scouting out the competition. Suddenly the announcement board flashed, catching her attention immediately. Walking over to Yang who was laughing alongside Efram – probably over a little pun – she quickly whispered something in her ear. The blonde nodded her head in response and quickly exchanged some words with the huntsman.
"Wish us luck Reina!" Ruby told me as Yang followed Blake to the double doors, stretching out her arms and warming up the muscles. Something told me that her team was called for the beginning match. Weiss was busy bidding Pyrrha and Timber farewell because sauntering over to the both of us. "See you in a few!"
"Have fun out there!" I called after them, waving my arm in farewell.
"Let's go and snag ourselves some good seats!" Nora called as she dragged Ren behind her by the sleeve, the boy's expression remaining neutral. He was absolutely comfortable with his partner's antics. "Sure there's the other students who paid for their tickets and passes but we have a section just for contenders! And I will not let anyone else get in the way of blocking my view!"
"Knowing you I'm sure nobody would want to get into your way for long." I laughed as we made our way to the stands and prepared to watch the opening matches of the Vytal tournament.
Inside the fairground...
The few couple of matches that kick started the event were exciting and heart-pumping, each team trying their damn hardest to win and move on to the next round. Ruby's team squared off against Team ANBR, a group from Atlas and it really ended off with a Yang...quite literally. The blonde brawler unleashed a devastating punch thanks to an assist from Blake that knocked out her opponents. The screaming of the audience was deafening, especially Nora who roared her lungs out with excitement as the girls on the field smiled in response.
Ugh my ears are still ringing...I hope it goes away soon. Nora has quite the pair of lungs within her that's for sure! Detaching myself from the others who stayed behind to finish watching the match up between KACE and another team, I excused myself to the ladies room. Other female students as well as some potential opponents who greeted me when I walked in so I greeted them in turn. Finishing up my business I splashed some water on my face before glancing up at the mirror. Naturally my own reflection stared back at me but something within me worried that my other self would show, reminding me of its presence.
Strange, it doesn't seem to want to show itself...we're in a public area anyway...But anything could happen...Drying off my hands I casually strolled out, making sure I was presentable. Throwing my hair over my shoulder so it wasn't trapped between the back of my neck and my scarf I began to trek back to the entrance. I need to keep an eye out for that...
"So we meet again, fair maiden. Shooba-doo-wa."
"Oh! Hey Grimsley." I said pleasantly and turned to address the team leader. It surprised me that he happened to be walking past just as I stepped out of the restroom, talk about coincidence. Since the second set of team matches didn't start until the afternoon I decided to stay a bit and chat, leaning against the wall to get comfortable. "How was your vacation to Mistral with your team?"
"It was really great I had a fun time with my team." He told me with a pleasant smile upon his face, sweeping his hair back with a hand. "I enjoyed watching your team fight that other team from Vacuo, the flow and timing of attacks...just amazing. Aside for your teams, Team RWBY and JNPR are also phenomenal and I do hope that we get a chance to fight a round."
"Well there's the double matches coming up." I replied, leaning against the wall since I figured this talk will take awhile. "Do you know who you'll choose to represent your team?"
"Naturally yours truly, shooba-doo-wa." Grimsley swept his hair back and smiled. "And perhaps one of the other boys or perhaps our only female, I haven't decided yet. Have you?"
"Kairos and Timber, they've been eager to do a team battle so I decided that they should go and have fun. We almost got into a pinch during our match so watching our Aura levels is a must." I smiled, recalling how elated they were to be picked as representatives of Team REKT in the double matches. "But I have full confidence in them and I know they will win their match without a hitch."
"As their leader it's natural that you will have unwavering feelings for your teammates."
"Even if I wasn't the leader I would still have faith in them." I told him, noticing the ever-so-slight twitch in his eyebrow. "I wouldn't want to place my belief in anyone else other than my team."
"And if they lose?"
"...they won't..."
"That remains to be seen fair maiden. Well I'll be off, got a couple of errands to run before our match time." He bowed and walked off, his cape fluttering out behind him. "I look forward to seeing you later, shooba-doo-wa."
If memory serves me right I believe his team will be on the field after the intermission...right after Jaune's team and before team DAZE. It's been awhile since I've seen those guys either...I thought about it while standing in the middle of the hallway. Shaking my head I turned on my heels and exited the lounge, passing other students as well as potential opponents. I shouldn't get too caught up, the excitement and momentum could get into my head and I would make mistakes. And our opponents will feed off mistakes like moth to a flame...
"You sure took your sweet time."
"How long have you been waiting for?" I asked, waiting for Kairos to saunter up to my side with her hands in her pockets. "Didn't I tell you you and the boys could wander off without me?"
"About 15 minutes so lets get going, I'm starving like a massive Beowolf."
At the noodle shop...
"It's okay Weiss, I forget about the fairgrounds too."
"I was being facetious."
"Wh-Wh-Well, if you were hungry, why didn't you say anything?!"
"You know the more you argue the more it looks like you're flirting." Efram commented with humor laced in his voice, propping an arm up and leaning his head against it. He got a withering look from Weiss and a flustered look from Ruby, her face a tint of red. "It does!"
"C'mon guys, lighten up. I bet a nice meal will hit the spot just right!"
"You big oaf, only you would get excited about eating." Weiss teased, getting a smile to tug on the corner of Yang's mouth. The brawler feigned hurt, placing a hand over her chest.
"Hearing such a cold statement could only come from Weiss." I chuckled, sliding in beside Blake who dipped her head in greeting. We were looking for a place to eat during the intermission before the sound of squabbling reached our ears. Turning the corner we noticed team RWBY as well as the boys sitting around a noodle shop and decided to join them. "So, from what I hear, Yang and Weiss are moving on to the double round? That's some fire and ice duo you got going on there."
"You bet it is!" The blonde brawler smiled broadly as their food was coming out from the back room. They decided to wait so their meal could cool down a bit as well as give us time to figure out what we want. "Ice Queen and I will mop up the competition!"
"That goes without saying!" Weiss agreed before something vibrated in her pocket. Taking out her scroll she looked at the caller ID and her mouth formed a frown. Rolling her eyes she canceled the call and placed her device back in her pocket with a huff, not noticing the questioning look from Ruby.
"We'll see if you two can beat us." Kairos jabbed her thumb to Timber who just chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck with a hand. "We're aiming at nothing but the top of this competition."
"You can't be serious. You're teaming up with Bow boy?" The blonde brawler stated teasingly, looking at her skeptically before turning her attention to me. "You don't want in on this Reina? Color me surprise!"
"I'm pretty confident with those two so I guess I'll sit this one out. Just because Kairos is my partner we aren't necessarily attached to the hip all the time." I replied, folding my arms and resting them above the counter.
"Could've fooled me. But hey, if we do end up fighting each other I want it to be a clean fight!" The brawler jostled, getting pumped up expressions from her potential opponents.
"What!? How can my card be declined?" Weiss' voice caught our attention and the Schnee was fuming, a permanent scowl on her face once her card had been swiped by the shopkeeper at the register. The old shopkeeper was shaking his head with a mild frown upon his face. She huffed and tucked the card back into her wallet. "How could this be?! Someone's not going to be happy about this...and I was barely into my monthly allowance."
"Noooooo..." Blake whined sadly as her meal was taken away from her, lying her head down on the counter with the saddest expression she could muster. Her eyes slightly teared up and sad noises were coming from her mouth. "My fish..."
"Maybe I can help?" We all turned to see Pyrrha and the rest of Team JNPR walking up, their arms raised in greeting.
"What's up guys? Wow, I'm surprise that this will be a full house!" Nora exclaimed with a huge grin stretched across her face, taking a seat on one of the vacant spots. "That means this place is delicious and we're gonna have some too!"
"Aw, you don't have to!" Yang said out of modesty.
"But she could!" Blake interrupted quickly, pleading with her eyes and her ears perked up from behind the bow. She didn't want to be separated from the meal as well as the delicious fish delicately laid on top as an extra dressing. Even Weiss could smell the desperation when the Faunus leaned far into her personal space.
"Well, I think you all earned it after that battled. What about you guys?" The spartan looked at us since we sat on the other side.
"Thanks for the offer but we'll pay for our meals." I replied once we finished our orders and the owner went over to get the newly arrived team's order. Once they had finished ordering the owner disappeared into the back. We soon heard the stoves roar to live and a good smelling aroma wafted through the air, making our stomachs rumbled in response. "I would feel bad if you offered to treat all of us."
"It's alright, I really don't mind paying for the meal." She smiled politely and I couldn't help but cave in, knowing that once she made up her mind she won't back down willingly. Making a mental note of finding a way to pay her back our food came out and we all dug in. Not much talking occurred since all of us were stuffing their faces.
"Oh man...that really hit the spot." Blake patted her stomach with a smile on her face. "The fish was the best part."
"I don't think I'll be able to eat anything else." Weiss pulled a face before pushing her bowl away. "And I probably wouldn't be able to eat this stuff until like another 2 years or so..."
"Are you sure it's wise to have eaten before a fight?" Ren asked as he looked at his team who were also groaning after filling up their bodies with food.
"Of course! It will give us energy and strength!" Pyrrha replied as the owner quickly took the empty bowels away and went into the back. "We couldn't possibly fight on an empty stomach."
BUUURRRRRRRRRRRP!
"Very ladylike Nora."
"I feel like I'm gonna explode...and Reina hasn't even finished hers yet!" All heads turned to where I was still slurping on the remaining noodles and the broth.
"Ughhh, if I barf I'm blaming you." Jaune placed his forehead on the counter and closed his eyes. He underestimated the portion served and his stomach churned slightly to digest it all. "I really shouldn't have tried to finish it all..."
"Oh! Aim it at the enemy!" growled Nora as she slammed her hands down, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "They wouldn't know what hit them until it does!"
"Nora!" Ren frowned while Pyrrha sported an amused look on her face. "That's disgusting. But if you do feel the urge..."
"I'll keep it in mind." The blond weakly gave his teammate a thumbs up. "Lets just hope for their sake I can settle this food down by then..."
"Are you guys ready for your match?" asked Ruby.
"You know it! We've got a world-renowned fighter," Nora gestured to Pyrrha, "what's basically a ninja," gestures to Ren, "I can bench five of me," gestures to herself before pointing to Jaune. "...and Jaune. We've trained all year, our weapons are awesome, Glynda barely yells at us anymore, and uh...Jaune!"
"Are you gonna take that?" Ren asked as the three of them looked at their leader who was still suffering from over eating.
"She's not wrong..."
"I'm kidding! He knows I'm kidding. Don't be so nervous! The worst that could happen is we lose! Then it's just a few more years of walking around school with everyone knowing we're failures, our friends will slowly abandon us to preserve their social status, we won't be able to show our faces in class, no one will sit with us in the cafeteria, Ren and I have no parents, we have no home left to go to, we'll be officially renamed Team LOSE-iper. Aha ha ha ha!"
"...wow, that got dark really fast." The rest of us looked at her with very strange expressions. It was the very first time the orange-haired huntress had a dramatic meltdown.
"We're feeling pretty good." said Ren after a moment.
"Don't fret, and do take some breath in between before you pass out Nora. We don't want you to miss out on our team match." Pyrrha placed her hands on their backs, letting them know that she was supportive of her teammates. "If anything, we should be looking forward to a fight with actual guidelines and not...well, murderers."
"Yeah, don't sweat it! We've all faced way worse before." chuckled Yang, amused by the situation. Her spirit was at a pretty high level and she was rearing for her next match. "Really! There's absolutely nothing we can't handle!"
"Let's see: Grimm invasions, violent extremists, a destructive sociopath." Blake counted down on her fingers, her mouth curving up into a smirk. "Yeah definitely the worst things we could ever encounter up til now."
"And that's all while we were still in training! Oh, imagine what it'll be like when we graduate!"
"Maybe then I'll be able to pay for a meal..." grumbled Weiss despite Ruby's excited demeanor to boost her team's morale, still upset over her card decline. "Honestly, things couldn't have gotten worse..." No sooner had she said that a red and black blur came rocketing towards us, red eyes flashing from behind a mask.
"Who–?"
"Watch out!" Just as I was about to finish my meal – I felt like savoring the flavors and who knows when the next meal will be, there didn't seem to be anymore breaks once the afternoon matches started – I was shoved harshly to the side and everyone took cover as the stand was sliced apart. Groaning I found myself covered with noodles, the bowl hanging haphazardly off my head. The shopkeeper ducked underneath what remains of the counter with his hands over his head, trembling slightly.
"That's...?!" Kairos gasped when she recognized the attacker, rolling into a crouch with a hand on the hilt of her weapon. "She's from back then when we were in Mt. Glenn!"
"You!" Yang snarled, her red eyes burning with fury as she stared at the masked warrior. The anger and fury that was radiating from the blonde scared everyone, even Blake looked fearful. The Faunus was torn between trying to calm her partner down or staying out of her way. "I've been looking for you...all this time!"
"Yang." Raven spoke in response, gazing at the brawler with gleaming eyes. There wasn't an ounce of kindness in her voice. Turning her head she laid eyes on Team JNPR and tightened her grip on her sword.
"She's after Jaune's team, we have to prevent her from getting towards them!" Timber shouted, summoning his bow and took aim, the tip of the energy bolt going right towards the head. "We can't have them sustaining injuries before their fight!" He released the bolt, watching as the woman sliced it in half without batting an eyelash.
"With pleasure." Wasting no time Yang threw herself at her opponent, her eyes burning red. Blake was right on her heels with a calculative gaze, planning her course of action that could assist Yang in the most effective way possible. Raven wasn't at all fazed by the approaching girls, turning so that she gave them her full attention.
The next chain of explosions rattled the fairgrounds as students and other visitors tried to avoid getting into the crossfire. Nearby shops were also subjected to the attacks or flying bodies, crumbling to the ground as splinters and dust. Individuals who received minimal damage rushed off to get a higher up or attempted to cease the fighting, however it just caused more casualties.
"Pyrrha, don't stay here with your team! Hurry and get to your match!" Ruby was shouting, taking cover behind a stall to avoid getting hit, Weiss crouching not too far from her with her weapon already drawn. "Leave everything here to us! You need to be your best if you want to win!"
"But-"
"Get going! Don't look back!" Nodding her head in understanding Pyrrha quickly led her team away, Nora took the longest to convince since she really wanted to hit Raven at least once with her hammer. They also spread the word for those who were about to wander into the danger zone.
"Do you know her?" I asked Kairos, noticing how her nose scrunched up when she realized I was smelling like lunch. "Yeah I know, I'll have to throw my clothes into the laundry once this is over. Lucky for me I don't have any matches left for today. You and Timber shouldn't exert too much since you guys have a match."
"We know but she's not making this any easier. To answer your question she's the one who saved Yang and I on the train back then at Mount. Glenn." The Faunus whispered to me, her eyes never leaving her opponent. "I'm surprised to see her make an appearance on this occasion."
"How come she showed up now? What's her motive for being here?"
"No idea, but don't expect to get an answer out of her." Kairos answered, changing her weapon into its gun form and prepared to fire. "It's obvious she isn't one for small talk." Darting out she fired a round, not letting out even when Raven deflected all the shots and returned with a very quick sword slice. The Faunus managed to change her weapon back into its sword form to deflect the blow but she was still pushed back.
"Ruby do you honestly think we can beat her?" Weiss whispered from where she knelt, eying the enemy's back just as another explosion sent their friends scrambling for cover. "She's clearly on a whole new level from us."
"Honestly no." came the answer but Ruby smiled nonetheless. "As long as Jaune and his team manage to get to their match then that's all we need to do." She leaned over the heiress and said softly, her breath tickling the heiress' ear. "And besides, you being here by my side helps me keep calm."
"Y-Y-You dolt..." The Schnee felt her skin burn up at the words and scowled at the smirking leader. She really needed to learn how to not let Ruby's sweet talk get underneath her skin at inappropriate times. "Why would you say that at a time like this?!"
"Nothing like the present!" Ruby chirped, changing Crescent Rose into its sniper form and took a shot. Sensing the bullet Raven dodged it and turned to focus on the young leader.
"You..." Something flashed within the red orbs, a sense of warm that was soon smothered out like fire kindle and replaced with the eyes of a killer.
"She's quite the sneaky one isn't she?"
"Not sneaky, she has more experience fighting. We're nowhere near her level of strength, to her we're just babies!" Weiss pressed and used a speed glyph to move Ruby back. The leader performed a back flip, landing a few feet away with Crescent Rose at the ready. "And don't just rush in before analyzing your opponent!"
"Halt! Cease your fighting this instance!" Voices reached our ears and we all turned to see Atlas soldiers rushing to the scene, their weapons drawn. "By the orders of General Ironwood we ask you to drop your weapons and come with us peacefully! You're under arrest and asked to comply with our questions!"
"Oh shit...we can't possibly stay here if the military is involved." Weiss whispered as I made my way to her side, eyes flickering to where Blake was holding Yang back. The blonde had blood dribbling down the side of her face and her eyes still hadn't gone back to their normal lilac color. Yang's gotten hurt so that's not good for our double match...she shouldn't take anymore hits...
"We're also participants of the tournament, there must have been a rule against fights outside the area." I replied, noticing that the others were looking at one another. "What do we do Weiss?"
"My guess is that we should just comply with what they want. The least they can do is slap our wrists and allow us to get back into the tournament...hopefully. I'm sure Ozpin could vouch for us if needed." Nodding my head in agreement I motioned to the others who understood and lowered their weapons. Blake for her part began to whisper words to Yang. The brawler's eyes shifted between her partner, Raven and the soldiers. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions and she was struggling internally.
"Yang...please." She felt hands on her face and she turned to see Blake looking at her, pleading for her to come back to her senses. Something within the golden orbs that were staring into her managed to get through to her. Taking a deep breath Yang stood down and her eyes slowly returned to lilac. The Faunus wrapped her arms around her partner in a warm embrace as a way of saying 'thank you'.
"Hmph." Flicking her sword Raven created her signature red and black portal and jumped in, fleeing from the scene. Shouting from the military soldiers filled the air as they circled the perimeter where the woman disappeared, keeping curious civilians at bay with their guns.
"You kids, follow me." One of the soldiers spoke, mentioning with a finger when he noticed the teams of huntsmen and huntresses. "We're gonna need your story on what happened and who that mysterious woman was."
