As the Grimm turned to smoke, Baren slowly stepped through the dark cloud. Gripping her ninjato tight in her left hand, she slowly flexed the fingers of her prosthetic arm. With narrowed eyes, she eyed Kagami. "Get back behind the sandbags." She breathed out. "Take a moment to catch your breath. You too." She locked her gaze on Fleck. "Bandage your wounds." She turned her right hand into a tight fist. The wood creaked as she did such.
Immediately noticing her authority, the commander inhaled sharply before nodding. "Yes, ma'am."
"Baren!" Kagami pushed herself up. "I know you're you but-"
"I'm not alone." Twirling her blade, she eyed her. Shifting her body, she tossed her right hand out again. The wooden fingers latched around Kagami's sword and jerked. Pulling it back towards her, the old warrior caught it and gripped it tight. Sliding a foot back, she readied herself.
"I'm also here!!" Hisato hummed as he handed out small warm cups of tea to very confused soldiers. "And I brought my bingo friends!"
"Bingo friends?" Kris gave a confused look as she shot down a Sobki. "How the hell are old bingo players going to help us?!"
"Who are you calling old?" A woman with short curly gray hair strutted by her. Despite her age, she had on a full face of makeup. "I wait all week to go play bingo with all the older men in this town and this week, this week it's interrupted."
"Huh...?" The small redhead squeaked in bewilderment. "W-Wait, hold on!" She held out her hand.
"I will not." Reaching up, she pulled a pearl necklace off with a jerk. "The faster we get rid of these pests, the faster I can go back to doing what I do best." She popped off a pearl as she moved out of the way of a Sobki. Tossing it into its mouth, its body suddenly bloated. As it let out a burp, smoke trailed from its mouth. With its body falling to the ground, it dispersed into smoke.
"Only in your dreams, Granyte." Another old woman stepped between the Grimm. As she sent punches, her bracelets shocked the creatures with enough volts to turn them to dust. "That's the only way you'd ever be able to get another guy."
"Don't you dare make fun of me, Leadly!" She snapped back while throwing several more pearls.
"Both of you be quiet!" A third elderly woman ran through a swarm. Swinging a purse around, she smacked back "Nobody wants to listen to it!" With a frown, she eyed her purse. "Dacitie! I don't remember how to open it again!" She pouted before backhanding a Grimm with it.
"Nickie. I can't believe you. How am I supposed to know how to use your weapon?" A short woman calmly walked forward. Reaching up, she adjusted her earrings which sent out lasers.
"Wh... what the... what?" Kris was at a loss for words as she watched the four golden aged women slaying creatures of darkness alongside Baren and dozens of other soldiers.
Despite her age, Nickie bounced around fluidly as she swung her purse around. Sliding up beside the redhead, she smiled and waved. "Hello."
"Um..." She blinked. "What exactly is inside your purse?"
"You know, I don't remember." She tilted her head while looking at it. "I haven't opened it in so long. I forgot."
Exhaling, Kris held out a hand. "Can I see it?"
"Sure." She held it out to her.
Grabbing it, the short girl suddenly grunted as her body was pulled down to the ground by the sheer weight from the purse. With wide eyes, she went to open it up. Once she did, it suddenly began to unfold into a heavy duty machine gun. "I-" She stared.
"Oooh, that's what it is!" Nickie nodded with a smile. Reaching over, she snatched it up effortlessly. "Thank you!" She waved before skipping ahead and endlessly firing away at the Sobki.
"Who... are they?" Kagami asked as the frontline of Grimm was finally being pushed back.
"I don't care who the hell they are!" Fleck winced as an eyepatch with bandages were placed over where his right eye used to be. "They could be Faunus for all I care! They're helping and that's all I care about!"
"Right..." She nodded while looking back over to watch Baren.
The pinkette was already indomitable with one arm. Seeing her fight with both and with a blade in each hand was something else. Kagami could barely keep up with her movement speeds. Each step she took wasn't wasted. Every movement had a purpose whether it was to attack or to set up an attack, everything had a reason. It's not like the Sobki could injure her anyway. Those that were foolish enough to bite down on her leg were stomped to smoke while the ones that bit her left arm were thrown into oblivion.
Pushing away the medic, Commander Fleck sat up straight. Rubbing his head a little, he suddenly blinked. Pressing against his comms, he stood up. "Hold on, repeat that." After a moment, he nodded with a growing smile. "Bring it to me." He ordered.
"What was that about?" Kagami glanced at him.
"Our coup de grâce." Taking a few deep breaths, he stood up straight. "Find a rifle. You're going to be with me."
Blinking a few times, she nodded back. "Yes, sir."
Reloading her crossbow, Eleanor took aim. With a sharp exhale, she fired the bolt through the body of one and into the head of a second Sobki. As she ducked down to reload, Elise looked over the sandbags wall. Holding her breath, she fired six quick shots before moving back down to swap out the clip on her rifle.
Still on the rooftop, Cheyenne fired blasts of Dust over and over. The barrel of her weapon was beginning to turn red from overuse. Looking into the distance, she lowered her weapon slightly. "Hey Aero! Something's coming!"
"What do you mean something is coming?" The Huntress turned around. With arrows drawn in the air using hard light Dust, she waved her hand and sent them forward.
"I don't know!" She swallowed a bit as she went to look through her scope. "The Grimm in the back are parting for something that's moving faster than the rest of them. It... it might be an alpha." Concern filled her voice.
"Alright." Taking a deep breath, Aero spun her paintbrush around. "I'll handle it. Don't-" Cutting herself off, she watched as a thirty foot long Sobki emerged from the horde. "Oh..." Her shoulders lowered. It could easily swallow her whole. Quickly drawing a large battle axe in the air, she threw it at it. Though the hard light Dust it was shattered as it struck the creature's armor.
"Um..." She blinked. Swiping up red Dust paint, she drew several bombs. Turning around, she began to run back towards cover. "Someone better have something bigger!" She shouted. The bombs she made simply annoyed the Grimm as it ran at her.
Ran faster than her.
Seeing this, Gurin handed off the belt of ammunition and took a step away. Taking a deep breath, she teleported beside Aero. Grabbing her hand, she went to teleport the both of them away but instead her aura fizzled from the massive overuse of her semblance. Stumbling a bit, her eyes went wide. "Oh shit!"
Looking down at her with wide eyes, Aero's breath hitched. Pulling her closer, she braced herself as the Alpha Sobki swung its tail around and struck her. As the two of them were sent flying, the Huntress turned her body around and held onto the little girl tighter. With her back hitting the ground, she let out a quiet shout. Her aura fizzled away.
As the two of them tumbled across the street, the Huntress lost her grip and the two of them were sent in separate directions. She was sent into the side of a building, the impact leaving her dazed, while Gurin hit the side of a car with a pained shout.
The Alpha Sobki had its sights set on the small girl.
Rubbing her face harshly, Gurin brought her knees up. Her head felt like it was throbbing. She sniffled a few times before slowly looking up and freezing.
Glancing up, Aero pushed herself to her hands and feet. "Gurin..." She quietly let out as she saw the Grimm moving towards her. Gritting her teeth, she went to stand only to fall back down. Her head was spinning too much. "D-Damn it...!"
With panicked breathing, the little girl pushed herself harder up against the car. Reaching back, she scrambled for one of her mother's katanas but she couldn't feel them. They barely stayed on her anyway so they must have fallen off in her tumble. That left her without an aura, without a semblance and without a weapon. With a very quiet whimper, she closed her eyes. Tears immediately swelled and began to trail down her cheeks.
She expected something from death. Anything actually. A rush of pain or a numbness that overwhelmed her. But nothing happened. Fear and terror continued to eat away at her insides. That was it. With raspy breaths, she shakily looked up. When she did, her eyes went wide and glazed over.
Towering over her, the Alpha Sobki stood up on its back legs. Its body was hunched forward and its mouth was gaping open. Its giant jagged teeth looked ready to tear her apart. But instead of its usual dark color scheme, it was pale and tinted blue. It was frozen solid. The only color that remained was its glowing red eyes.
With one leg bent and one leg straight, Midori tightly gripped one of her katanas with both hands. The weapon was in the position of a downward slash with the hilt at her hip. The glowing snowflakes on the blade trailed off it and through the air towards the Grimm.
With a shaky exhale, she let go of her katana with her left hand and changed to a reverse grip in her right. Pulling her left arm all the way back, she balled her hand into a fist. Slowly inhaling, her eyes changed from tea green to a dark brown. Baring her teeth, a blue light flickered over them. Pushing her nails deep into her palm, the body of a blue translucent dragon formed around her arm with the head around her hand. With a sharp cry, she twisted her body around and sent her fist forward.
The second it made contact with the frozen Sobki, the Grimm shattered. There wasn't even any smoke. There were just small pieces of ice that scattered around like snow.
She took several deep breaths with her hands visibly shaking. Sharply exhaling, she whipped her head around and narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "What did you say?"
"...hu...huh?" Gurin barely managed out.
Pointing away with her katana, the former Huntress glared. "What did you say before you were hit?"
"Wh... what?" She took a few short breaths. "What?" She jumped up to her feet while holding out her arms. "I just almost died and you're worried about me saying a bad word?!" She sniffled a little before reaching up and rubbing her eyes.
Seeing this, Midori's eyes widened. Dropping her katana, she let her shoulders drop. "N-No. Gurin, no. I didn't mean..." She quickly stepped over. Breathing heavily again, she knelt down and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Gurin..." She lowered her voice.
Glancing up, the little girl smiled a bit. Rolling her eyes, she moved her hands and grabbed onto her mother's arms. "You're dumb for someone who just destroyed a giant Grimm." She sniffled again as she composed herself.
Exhaling, she lowered her head. "Gurin..." She mumbled quietly. Glancing back up, she reached up and wiped her face dry. "Let's get your back somewhere safe, okay?"
"Um, yeah..." Swallowing, she nodded slowly. "I'd like that."