I get to beat up Brendan Blaber in writing, what's YOUR greatest joy?
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Up in Atlas proper, Qrow Branwen looked up at the ceiling of his high-security cell. Medical equipment had been brought in just for him, stabilizing and "saving" him from Tyrian's venom. Somewhat, anyway. Most of the substance had been flushed from his system but some still lingered, leaving him bedridden for a time. All he could do was stare upward and listen to his cellmates.
"This is all your fault, you know that?" Robyn started, "All I wanted was to bring people together, give them a better life, but then you-!"
"Me?" Jacques gasped, "I'm as much a victim here as you two! I was duped! Used! Deceived!"
"Good for you, you know synonyms," Marrow rolled his eyes.
"While my hands may not be clean, at least I am not a traitor," Jacques glared daggers at Marrow. "Or a murderer." he looked over his shoulder at Qrow.
"He didn't kill anyone, you bastard. Unlike some people in this room," Robyn countered.
"If you're referring to me, I didn't actually succeed in my plan," Chiffon huffed, "The furball's right there, in case you missed him."
"Actually, I believe she was referring to me," Watts chimed in.
"Speak for yourself, I know the right people. I'm sure Whitley has reached out to my legal team and will have me out of here before you know it." Jacques said smugly. Robyn's response? She punched the hard light dust wall, startling Jacques.
"Then I better make sure your stay here is MEMORABLE." Robyn frowned. Suddenly, a buzzer sound was heard, getting the prisoners' attention. Qrow hid Clover's pin as a squad of Atlesian military soldiers and Harriet entered the room, disabled the hard-light Dust for Watts' cell and walked in.
"You already caught me." Watts frowned. The guard's response was to use his gun to bash Watts' head, knocking him out. The prisoners watched on as the soldiers dragged Watts away and out of the room.
Harriet walked over to Qrow's cell and frowned.
"The pin," the speedster ordered bluntly.
"Hm?" Qrow hummed.
"The pin. Give it over. You don't get to keep that." Harriet's voice was sharper than usual, as stern as ever but there seemed to be something else giving her words edge.
"I didn't kill him."
"You keep saying that, but it was YOUR weapon covered in his blood."
Qrow lowered his head and sighed. There was no good way to explain this entire situation.
"I wish you died instead of him. But no! You and your...stupid Semblance," the Ace-Op speedster hissed.
"Hey, Mohawk," Robyn called out, "If you wanna actually listen, why don't you open this cell and take my hand?"
"If I do, it won't be for a handshake, Hill," the Ace-Op replied without taking her eyes off of Qrow.
"Right, right, because you don't care about the truth, you just want someone to be mad at! Easier than taking a look at what side you're really on, huh?"
Harriet balled her hand into a fist and tapped in her security code, lowering the shield to Qrow's cell and walking in. Her gauntlets slid over her arms as she marched up to the still bedridden Huntsman.
"The. Pin," Harriet hissed.
"Really? Gonna hit a man still recovering from being poisoned?" Qrow scoffed.
Qrow was analyzing the scene intently. He didn't want to explode like this nor did he want Harriet to actually throw a punch. He was about to reach back into his pocket to pull out the pin, when Harriet got a beep on her Scroll.
Harriet frowned. "I'll be back. Looks like I have more important matters to attend to."
Harriet stormed out of the room after putting the field to Qrow's cell back up, as Robyn sighed. She walked over to her bed and lied down, arms behind her head.
"That was almost exciting." Robyn muttered.
Qrow went back to looking at the pin. It was the only thing keeping him from worrying about Ruby and Yang.
Wherever they were.
"What the hell..." Marrow sighed, taking a seat on his bed.
"Hey, she was literally about to-" Robyn started.
"Not...not talking about you. I mean Hare. She was always...strict, but this? It's never been this bad. Even when I first joined she was a bit stand-offish but..." the Ace-Op put a hand to his face, "I did the right thing here, yeah?"
"You did, kid. Don't beat yourself up." Qrow huffed.
"Always a nice day when a pawn doesn't act the way James wants it to on his chessboard. So satisfying..." Jacques sighed.
"Shut up, mustache wax." Robyn snapped.
Chiffon smirked. "Yeah. Shows you how out of your league you TRULY were."
"If there wasn't a shield between us right now..." Marrow growled.
"You'd what? Kill me? Add another list of crimes to your resume? Go on then! Prove my point further."
"You tried to kill me and the Outcasts by bombing the base!"
"I did it out of patriotism. My grudge was against you, Amin, but I am still loyal to Atlas!" Chiffon proclaimed proudly.
"...you're fucking insane," Marrow muttered.
"How crass," Chiffon and Jacques said in sync.
"Oh good, jackass in stereo," Robyn deadpanned.
"You betrayed your leader, Marrow. That's treason." Chiffon stated, "I would never even consider such a horrible act!"
"Yeah? You think so? What would you say if you heard the general has documents on EVERYONE in case we go rogue?" Marrow countered.
Qrow raised an eyebrow at that. "...what?"
"Yeah! No, he has an entire secret set of countermeasures on everyone! Me, Yang, Ruby, Min, Kevin, Ben, probably you too, Qrow! He even has them for his own kids! I don't know when they found out but they must've known for a while because once the penny dropped, they just went off on him!"
"A necessary precaution," Chiffon defended, "In a war such as this, trust is not an easy commodity. It takes effort to gain it, but it's lost so easily. You would be foolish not to have some kind of plan in place."
"For your allies?! For your daughters?!" Marrow yelled.
"Especially them, I should think."
Marrow slammed his fist against the barrier. "The hell?! You're seriously okay with that!? So, if YOU were in the crew, you'd just be fine with Ironwood knowing how to destroy you?"
"Look at the mutt, getting all riled up." Chiffon smirked. "Cute."
"I didn't think someone could get more brainwashed than Mohawk. Thanks for proving me wrong, asshole," Robyn said.
"Well of course I'm better than that unstable walking rage-bomb," Chiffon nodded.
"That was nooooot a compliment, kid..."
Marrow huffed. "Why the hell are you even in here?! I thought you'd be locked up somewhere else, somewhere more secure where we'd never have to hear about you again."
"...same, actually. I was transferred here recently, oddly enough." Chiffon said.
"Wait, what?"
"For once, I'm just as surprised as you. Standard protocol for one with my 'offenses' is a bit of a higher-security cell. This is...paltry, honestly. Perhaps it was a last minute decision, though why exactly, I couldn't say," Chiffon admitted.
"The hell are you up to, James?" Qrow asked.
In an Atlas medical facility, Vine, Elm, and Harriet stared at Clover Ebi's lifeless body lying on a morgue table before them. Elm was consumed by sadness, Vine maintained a stoic expression despite it all, and Harriet just simmered with anger, her previous conversation hadn't helped at all. Across the hall, Ironwood observed them through the window of Winter's patient room while Atlas technicians attended to her well-being.
Ironwood had also undergone a surgical procedure to replace his injured left arm with a prosthetic one. He gazed at his new left hand, flexing his artificial fingers. Instead of the shining silver of his other prosthetics, this one was jet black and made of black wires woven together to resemble artificial muscle. It was somewhat like his original prosthetic arm, just lacking the extra silver armor. Winter watched him, trying to maintain a neutral face, despite all of the anger that was bubbling under the surface. She just wanted to pick up her sword and stab him through the throat.
Not that she refused to, she could end him in a heartbeat with a precise thrust, but it was more like she was too spent on energy to act. Winter winced as one of the technicians made her bend her wrist back.
"...could you give us the room, please?" Ironwood asked the technicians.
"Yes sir," one of the technicians said, giving a salute.
"One moment, sir," the other said, "You're not cleared for duty yet, Specialist. Take it slow for now, there'll be a slight...pinching sensation whenever you move. It'll fade with time. Just know that it won't be the most, uh, comfortable right now."
"I...I will, thank you," Winter nodded, giving them a polite nod. Along with the standard light blue Atlesian hospital gown, the elder Schnee sister sported an almost armor-like medical brace, mainly black with red accents connected to a harness that crossed over her chest.
"Apologies, sir. Just needed to give some last minute advice," the second technician saluted before following her counterpart out of the room.
Winter and Ironwood were silent for a few moments before the latter took a deep breath.
"What happened with Fria?" the general asked, trying to remain calm.
Winter took a deep breath of her own to prepare, "Cinder Fall came in, and...tried to take the power herself. Then, Penny..."
"She stole the power. I see..." Ironwood sighed, "Surprising though, that she could even receive the power. Magic. Right when you think you understand it, it turns the rules on their heads. How are we to truly understand it?"
"I...would not know. But what I do know is that Penny…" Winter paused. "She's with Weiss."
"Then that means she won't come back so easily, if Weiss' words are anything to go by," Ironwood said. "Pietro escaped with them as well, so that's another reason for her not to return…"
"Sir...what happened?" Winter asked. She knew the words would be tinged with bias, but she still didn't have the entire story, nor did she have any details on why everything was so on edge. She could feel it in the air, even the technicians, despite their cordialness, were on edge.
"They looked in files they shouldn't have, and threatened to leak Atlas military secrets if I didn't comply." Ironwood was lying through his teeth and he couldn't be bothered to do it right. It was clear in his suddenly dark eyes.
"I see." Winter frowned, playing along with the deception.
"To make matters worse...she's here," Ironwood said, the light returning to his eyes, "A Grimm force is at our doorstep the likes of which I've- of which no one has ever seen. A Leviathan-class entity is in the middle of the horde, flanked by Tempests generating a storm, meaning our ships can't get a clean enough shot. Too much interference for their targeting."
"How do we fight something like that?"
"Thankfully, I've been working with some of the Plumbers down at the nearby base in case something like this ever occurred. Our front lines will be bolstered with updated robots and our soldiers' weapons will be enhanced with top notch tech." Ironwood reassured.
"You...planned for this scenario?"
"Or something similar."
"What are you planning to do, sir?" Winter asked.
Ironwood was about to answer before a commotion outside drew his attention.
"Councilors, you can't-" one of the technicians from earlier said.
"This is absurd. Let us through, immediately!" Sleet ordered.
"We're under strict-"
"We need to speak to the general now. He's the one who ordered martial law, isn't he?" Camilla asked.
"What I've always done, Winter," Ironwood finally answered, "Defend this Kingdom. No matter the cost." With that, the commander of Atlas' military walked out into the hallway.
"James! There you are!" Sleet said, pushing past the technicians, with Camilla close behind him, "Are you insane?! Did you forget the fact that two of your so-called fugitives saved my life?! They've fought for Atlas' security and safety for months now! You can't just-!"
BANG!
Winter didn't see the body hit the ground, but she heard it. And then she heard Camilla's horrified screams.
The trio of Ace-Ops in the other room spun around, shaken out of their mourning by the gunshot and stared out the general. Vine was again, impossible to read, his face seemingly unflinching, but Elm and even Harriet seemed shocked at the sudden execution.
"...any other questions?" Ironwood asked, voice almost robotic. Camilla must have been shaking her head no frantically, because Ironwood let her live. He took a deep breath, and walked back into the hospital room.
"By the way, I've appointed a new head of the Ace Ops," the general added.
"You have? But Clover-" Winter began.
"We don't have time to mourn. Salem's presence has removed such a luxury," Ironwood explained.
"...who is it? Harriet?"
"Not exactly." Ironwood said. "I've been making deals, Winter..."
"General."
"It's for the sake of this country." Ironwood deflected. "And he...he did give Jacques a good PR boost."
"You can't be serious," Winter deadpanned.
"You'll still outrank him, of course. And if he steps out of line, falls back into his usual...patterns? You have permission to execute him and take command," Ironwood said, as if that fixed everything.
Winter raised an eyebrow, but kept up the act. "...of course. Where is he?"
"Getting suited up," Ironwood answered, "You should be doing the same."
"Sir, my legs..."
"The arm brace serves two purposes, aids in your recovery but it's also fit for combat. I'll be having the rest of your 'power armor' delivered soon," Ironwood explained.
"Power armor?"
"It's an inaccurate description but...close enough."
Winter grimaced. "...yes, sir."
"Thank you, Specialist." Ironwood said, as he walked off. Winter could feel a pair of eyes looking at her. She looked up to see Harriet glaring daggers at her. Her shock must've quickly taken a back seat to her seemingly endless anger.
Winter raised a brow, silently telling the Ace-Op that if she had something to say, say it. The angry speedster scoffed and walked off after Ironwood, leaving Vine and Elm to their mourning.
Winter closed her eyes, all she could do was hope that Weiss was safe and sound.
("AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Weiss screamed, flying butt first up the pipe.)
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
He snapped his fingers, and tapped his foot to the beat of the song.
I feel free
He hummed to the lyrics a bit, as the helmet went over his head.
Feel when I dance with you
We move like the sea
You, you're all I want to know
The rest of his armor attached to his body, suiting him up- this armor was heavy duty, but also lightweight. Equipped with whatever his company could get their hands on, and some extra tech picked up from alien tech from around the galaxy. This was his finest suit, his 'Conduit' armor.
I feel free
Carl sighed, as the last piece of armor attached. "There we go."
The door to his personal armor station slid aside with a hydraulic hiss, revealing the general and Harriet.
"Nesmith," Ironwood announced his presence, walking forward. Now, the general may have had an air of respect about him when dealing with the would-be superhero, but Harriet was barely containing her anger. This was her new commander? THIS? This had to be a joke.
Nesmith pressed pause on his armor (yes, he built a soundsystem into it), and smiled. "Sorry. Just enjoying some good ol' classic rock, gets me pumped. Ever listen to Cream?"
"Yes, yes. Fitting piece." Ironwood rolled his eyes, "Just remember you're expendable."
"I figured as much," Nesmith scoffed, "Wouldn't pull a 'common criminal' out of his cell unless it benefitted you, right?"
"Hmm," Ironwood hummed. He didn't exactly answer, but that was all the confirmation Jacques' former campaign hero needed.
Nesmith noticed Harriet, seething behind Ironwood. "Ah, yes. One of my new teammates. Henrietta, right?" Nesmith asked, extending his hand.
Harriet did not return the handshake.
"Harriet," the speedster corrected.
"Right, right...I'll get it eventually," Nesmith shrugged, "So, what have I missed since I got 'arrested?'"
"Ben Tennyson and his allies have gone rogue, betraying my trust and that of this Kingdom for their own selfish agenda. They've stolen away the key to saving this city and I'm entrusting you and your new teammates to get it back," Ironwood briefed his newest Ace-Op.
"Tennyson? So he was a hypocrite in the end, eh?" Nesmith chuckled.
"It appears so. The six of you will remain on standby until we have a fix on their location."
"Six of us, sir?" Harriet asked.
"That reminds me. I got done with that 'wingsuit' you wanted me to revamp," Nesmith chimed in.
And Harriet's pupils shrunk. "You can't be serious."
Ironwood slowly turned to face Harriet. "Is there an issue?" He asked, voice cold.
"No...no, sir," Harriet relented.
"Good, then assemble the others. I'm going to formally introduce you all to your new teammates," Ironwood ordered.
Harriet wanted to say 'maybe don't have me and the guy who tried to blow someone up on the same team', but Ironwood was way too intense to approach right now. Besides...
She didn't want to end up on the other end of the barrel.
"We'll be ready in twenty, sir," the speedster said, ignoring her personal feelings once again and saluting the general. He only responded with a curt nod, dismissing her then and there. With that, she turned and walked out of Nesmisth's makeshift armory. Once she was out of earshot, the speedster Ace-Op slammed her balled fist into the nearest wall. If anyone should be put in charge of the Ace-Ops it should be HER, not some walking publicity-crazed Iron Man bootleg.
"Damn it. Why the hell did you have to die, Clover..." Harriet frowned. She never wanted to admit it, but Clover was the glue that held the Ace Ops together. Now, with him, Rex and Marrow gone, the dynamic had shifted significantly.
Vine seemed the same, sure, Elm seemed...the speedster wanted to describe her teammate as constantly depressed, and Harriet's anger had never been higher. It felt like she was constantly ready to unleash her Berserker Semblance, barely holding the energy back.
No, no. There was one source to blame for all these issues in the past 24 hours. Those damn brats.
"You want me to be a team player? Fine." Harriet growled. "As long as I get to punch those kid's faces in."
Yang and Oscar raced down the street on the yellow Rhino hoverbike, their speed proof that, even in such a dark time, that Ruby's older sister was still a speed demon. Even if Oscar wasn't. Of course, Yang's tendencies behind the wheel were the least of his concerns at the moment, as the farm boy's eyes were locked on their pursuer. A Teryx screeched as it flew after them, its reptilian wings flapping in the air to give it a boost towards its prey.
"Incoming!" Oscar said, about to reach for Ozpin's cane to deflect the oncoming slash.
"Not yet!" the brawler said, spying an upturned car that was perfect for her plan, "Might wanna hang on though!"
"Hang on? What do you mea-" Oscar shifted and looked over Yang's shoulder, seeing the car for himself. One of Ember Celica's gauntlets activated as Yang revved the engine and made a beeline for the car. Oscar's eyes widened and he held onto the driver's waist tightly and Yang drove the Rhino off the improvised ramp and along the nearest building face. She fired off her gauntlet and sent the Rhino spinning in mid-air, right as the Teryx took a swing at her and her passenger. The dinosaur-like Grimm screeched as it turned mid-air.
Unseen by them all, a black blur raced across the rooftops, keeping itself out of sight of its prey, but close enough to keep up the chase.
"Now!" Yang yelled. The Teryx tilted its head, before it was blind-sided by two Cereses. One rushed in from the left and punched its legs out from under it while the other, made of some kind of red energy, landed a devastating right hook to the monster's jaw, knocking some fangs right out of its head. The beast roared, rearing up on its hind legs and raising its wings for an extra bit of intimidation. An orange bolas wrapped around the wings and caught it off guard, stopping it from taking to the skies again. The engine on Yang's Rhino bike roared as it raced forward towards the Grimm.
"Alright Oscar! Your turn!" the blonde called out. Oscar shakily got to his feet, standing behind Yang on the bike, one hand on her shoulder.
"I wished we practiced this more!" Oscar said.
"Didn't have time!"
Oscar sighed and pulled his cane-holding arm back. Yang then slammed on the brakes and launched Oscar off the bike like a makeshift harpoon. Ozpin's trademark cane found its mark right between the Teryx's eyes and, at the speed Oscar was going, the impact shattered some of the bone plating and pierced into the black flesh beneath. Any screeching the Teryx made quickly died down as it fell back, Oscar still holding onto the cane when the beast's body slammed into the pavement and disintegrated.
"That...was crazy," Oscar said.
"Which means its on brand for us," Albedo said, walking out as Ultimate Ditto. An evolved Splixon wasn't that dissimilar from its basic counterpart. The color scheme was the same, black and a darker gray skin tone with, of course, dots of red to differentiate the form from Ben's. The myriad of "bolts" that dotted the Splixon's form were much larger and they were glowing brighter, accompanied by what could only be described as the sound an old film projector makes as it runs the reel.
Ceres and her doppelganger walked over to the others, the Archimedian checking out the duplicate as she did.
"Damn, I am stacked," Ceres muttered.
"You say that as if you were somehow unaware," Rook said.
"I know, I know, stating the obvious."
"I've never seen you use this form before," Oscar said, "Or Ben either, really."
"An Evolved Splixon. Usually this species can only clone itself, but in its evolved state, others are fair game. I can make up to thirty now, and I can morph their physical appearance at will," Albedo explained, "I can also recreate your physical weapons and fighting styles, but not your Semblances."
"God, that sounds perfect right now. How come you've never used it before?" Yang asked.
"Neo can never take me seriously. She adores Echo Echo, but to her, this is my...'plushie' alien, I believe her words were."
"Ohhh, makes sense," Yang said with a smirk. Albedo knew that look well, she was going to use this against them later.
The blonde then pressed two fingers to the ear-comm she had, ready to call it in.
"Okay Fiona, one more problem taken care of," Yang reported.
"Good!" Fiona chirped through the earpiece, "cuz we're getting reports of more Grimm coming in from the west."
"Okay," Yang said after a deep breath, "We're on our way."
"I will contact Kylie and the others," Rook said.
"It's all the lingering negativity," Oscar huffed, "Salem's army hasn't moved, but with all the stragglers from last night..."
"All the more reason to hurry on over," Ceres said.
"I wouldn't be so hasty," Albedo said, his gaze fixed further down the road. Three Beowolves were racing down the way, ready to devour whatever prey they happened upon.
"All right," Yang said, as she turned her hoverbike towards them, "Low-level guys. We take them down, then make our way we-"
The trio of Grimm had suddenly stopped in their tracks and tilted their heads, as if they had just heard something. A second later, they made a quick u-turn and ran away from the Outcasts as fast as they could.
"What just happened?" Ceres asked.
"...they ran." Rook said, staring in disbelief.
"I've never seen any Grimm do that before," Albedo admitted.
"So...what were they running fro-" Oscar never finished his sentence. Something fast tackled him to the ground, knocking Oscar away from the others and down the road. The shadow was faster than anyone could've imagined, flashing by them as a monochrome blur.
"OSCAR!" Albedo yelled. The hunter suddenly bit down on the boy's arm and started to thrash its prey around like a chew toy, slamming him into the pavement repeatedly.
The farm boy kicked at the beast in an attempt to do some sort of damage or create an opening, and yet, his efforts were useless. The beast grabbed Oscar's leg one last time, smashing him into the street before stomping on his chest with its front paws and breaking his dark green Aura.
The creature loomed over Oscar, baring its fangs that overlapped the jaws of its wide snout and growling at those before it. It looked like a massive dog of some kind, but standing at the full height of an average human. Its canine ears, one of which had a portion of it sliced off, were pressed against its skull, while it arched its back to show off the quill-like spines that ran the length of its spine.
Rook took aim with the Proto-Tool's rifle mode and fired off a barrage at the creature, but when the shots hit the monster's hide, they seemed to just sink into it. Each strike made a small "splash" of some sort of black goo as well. If anything, that just annoyed the beast.
But then things got worse.
The Grimm's body began to shift and crack, as it suddenly modified its form to go from quadrupedal to bipedal, forcing its bones to break and crack before they were forcibly reset. In this more lycanthrope-like form, it had a good three feet of extra height, even if its posture was more hunched over at the upper back.
"What...the FUCK is that!?" Yang yelled, looking at Albedo.
"I...I have no idea." Albedo said. "But it will be dispatched swiftly." Albedo made a myriad of clones and commanded them towards the disturbing Grimm. The Grimm howled before it started tearing its way through the clones with relative ease.
A slash, a bite, a backhand, all the clones were done away with as if they were nothing. Seeing that numbers wouldn't work, Yang revved the engine of her bike and charged the strange Grimm, ready to punch its jaw off. But then a look of panic spread across her face as the beast picked Oscar up by the shoulders, in one hand, and held his unconscious form out in front of it. Yang wavered, her bike drifting a bit to the side so as not to hit the farm boy. The Grimm grunted and grabbed Yang by the head with its free hand, pulling her off the bike and throwing her into the nearest window, shattering the glass.
"It's...it's intelligent." Albedo muttered, eyes wide with horror. "There's no way that a Grimm could formulate a plan like that..."
...right?
"Albedo." Salem said to him, sometime after the Psyphon incident. "What is 'evolution' to you?"
Albedo looked up from his book- they were in the study together. Salem had grown bored, and decided to reread an old book. "In a literal sense...learning from experiences, developing new skills, building meaningful relationships, and gaining a deeper understanding of oneself and the world..."
"Relationships? You believe that's a part of evolution?" the Grimm Queen asked, genuinely curious, "The first two make sense given your mind, as does the last point...but why relationships?"
"Across the course of history, various species have depended on social connections as a means of ensuring their survival, protection, and reproduction. As cognitive abilities progressed, social connections concurrently became more intricate, leading to the emergence of various relationship types. Therefore, it can be argued that relationships are a result of the development of social behavior over time." Albedo explained.
"Would you consider yourself a product of evolution as well?" Salem said.
"I...would, yes. Both as a Galvan and a person. Before I arrived on Earth and joined you, I visited a myriad of planets, attempting to do some good while I was there."
"And yet...that footage ended up in the hands of a certain rogue Plumber who used it to frame Tennyson," Salem pondered, "It was rather convincing as well, at least, it would've been for weaker minds."
"...how did you know that?"
"I thought we were past that question," Salem shook her head.
"I'm past that incident as well then…" Albedo took the hint.
"Would you say brutality is a natural part of evolution? There will always be conflict in every part of the universe." Salem proposed.
Albedo paused for a moment. "Although competition and conflict may emerge during the course of events, the use of violence is not always a requisite for survival and may, in fact, inflict harm upon the parties involved. Certain species have undergone evolutionary changes that have led them to engage in cooperative behavior and establish social connections as a means of enhancing their prospects of survival, as opposed to relying on aggressive tactics. Consequently, it can be argued that violence does not constitute an intrinsic aspect of the process of evolution, and that it remains feasible for species to undergo evolutionary changes without resorting to or employing violent behavior."
Salem hummed. "You may be one of the most tact and intelligent minds I have come across…."
"How...how did she..." Albedo muttered, before he snapped back to the problem at hand. He rotated the dial on the Ultimatrix and slapped down on it, turning into his version of Wildvine. The plant-like alien grew his claws into massive blades on one hand and launched it forward into the Grimm's chest. The creature just tilted its head before Albedo pulled himself over to it. At just the right moment, the beast bit through his arm before slamming Albedo aside, its arm elongating out like a whip and sending Albedo into a nearby chain-link fence.
Rook morphed the Proto-Tool into sword mode and Ceres was about to charge in with him, but the monster just held Oscar in front of it again, as if daring them to charge.
"Stop!" Yang called out from the window she was thrown through, before she jumped out, "It's using Oscar as a shield!"
"Grimm aren't that smart though!" Ceres yelled, still in complete disbelief at this...this living nightmare.
"GIVE HIM BACK!" Rook demanded.
The monster's body cracked and shifted as it pulled Oscar closer to it, almost shielding the farm boy from them as it put one arm in front of him.
"N O."
The group was left frozen in shock. That voice- that goddamned VOICE, holy shit, it sounded like pure nightmares.
"D...did it just..." Ceres said.
"She...she's found a way to make them sentient..." Albedo said, almost hyperventilating.
With the group so stunned, the hulking Grimm turned and just started walking away. It took a few thunderous steps before it gently set Oscar down in front of it and arched over him. Bones cracked and pained grunts and groans echoed out from the creature. Its claws dug into the pavement as the flesh by its shoulders squirmed and writhed. Ceres felt like she was going to throw up with the squelches, bone-breaking cracks, and almost human-like whimpers of pain coming from this nightmare.
With one last, culminating howl of pure agony, the beast's shoulders exploded in black sludge. A single drop dripped down onto Oscar's cheek like some macabre tear. The beast huffed from the transformation, as now, it sported two bat-like wings made of orange membrane with black veins snaking across its surface. It leaned down and gently picked up Oscar in its jaws before it bolted for and climbed the side of the nearest building.
Albedo was almost paralyzed with fear, but thankfully, the sounds of the others approaching broke him out of his daze.
"What the HELL is that!?" Rex yelled.
"It's got Oscar!" Yang yelled, racing back to her bike and hopping on.
"Kids, what's your status?" Fiona buzzed in over the earpiece, only to go unanswered.
"What?! But Grimm don't take people!" Kylie said.
"I know, but they don't talk either! That one did!" the blonde said, her voice shaky and panicked, but still determined to chase that abomination down.
"Kids, come in!" Fiona yelled, her concern growing.
"F-fiona! Sorry! Something came up! A Grimm- it talked and it nabbed Oscar, apparently!?" Kylie yelled.
"WHAT!?" Fiona yelled.
"Gotta rescue him! Sorry!" Kylie apologized.
"What do you mean a Grimm talked?! I don't mean to sound harsh, but did you hit your head out there?! Are you hallucinating or something?!"
"...I fucking wish," Yang said.
"Min, keep the bike!" Albedo slammed down on the Ultimatrix and morphed into Jetray, taking to the skies to chase after the Grimm. By now, it too had gone skyward, its black wings flapping over the industrialized city.
Oscar's body was limp within the Grimm's grasp. Albedo winced as he watched the boy's limbs sway in the wind.
"OSCAR!" Albedo yelled, flying faster and faster. "WAKE UP!"
The Grimm turned its head ever so slightly to "look" at the Aerophibian chasing it down. Even without eyes, Albedo felt this thing glare daggers at him before it gave one massive beat of its wings and propelled itself forward, leaving the Galvan human behind.
Salem...what did you brew in that primordial ooze?! Albedo thought, flying faster and faster. And why can't I catch up?! Don't tell me there's some alien basis in there.
The beast, with its immense speed, swiftly flew through the streets towards the borders of Mantle.