It took team MACE a couple days to find where Malachi worked. He was the president of Kingdom One, a bank located in the southwest part of Vacuo. He had countless hired guns around him and his clients but there was a pair who were always by his side.
Juhong and Juhwang. Two brothers. Two more cultists.
The former was the older sibling. He was heavy and built like a tank. He always had a red and black shotgun strapped to his chest. According to Elise, his ammunition was slugs. It was going to take two of them to take him. He liked to talk.
The latter was a much slimmer fella and slightly taller than his younger brother. He had glasses and long orange hair that was tied into a low ponytail. He was always thinking which made him come off as the quiet type but Kagami could see the sense of awareness he had. On his right hip he had a saber. Instead of a sharp tip, it was rounded off.
Malachi was a different kind of man altogether. He hid himself behind a long dark green coat. He always had a smile while talking to his clients but as soon as they turned away it disappeared. By the looks of it, he had a severe compulsive disorder. He had to touch everything or at the very least, his fingers had to graze it.
Team MACE just needed to wait for them to split up. They couldn't stay together forever.
One night, after a long day of hefty deposits, Malachi counted through the lien before waving off the two brothers to take it to the back safe. Once they were gone, he started to pace around the lobby to stretch his legs. It was quiet. Half the lights were out so it was dimly lit. A peaceful and calm place compared to the wide awake nighttime Kingdom on the other side of the walls.
The soft sound of shoes landing on the floor suddenly broke the silence.
"You're a really annoying guy to track down, you know." Kris straightened her spine while rolling her shoulders back. She had her leader's green hood up. The shadows from it hid her face. She held her dual candy canes like tonfas and gave them a single spin before narrowing her eyes. "Malachi."
He blinked a few times before eyeing her. His head slowly tilted. "You're the one who killed Jay, aren't you?" He gave her a curious look while licking the inside of his teeth. "A man like him doesn't just disappear."
"What about a man like you?" Elise asked with a silent step out of the darkness.
"Hm." Malachi crossed his arms and flashed a toothy grin. "A pair of Huntresses attacking the Order. No, there's more of you, isn't there? I bet I'd be on even better terms with him if I brought in your heads!" He flicked his shoulders and let his coat fall off. Underneath her had boxy sheaths strapped to both of his hips with a dozen swords in them.
Kris and Elise both readied themselves.
With a low chuckle, he reached down and grabbed a pair of blades before quickly drawing them. "Time to die, unholy scum-!"
Three shots cut him off and echoed throughout the quiet lobby. With a groan, Malachi blinked before falling forward and collapsing. Dark red stained the back of his shirt.
Juhong stood behind him with his shotgun raised. With a smile, he quickly lowered it down and stepped over. With a shout, he slapped his hands together above the downed man. Red lightning sparked from his fingertips before a bolt shot through his body making him scream.
Juhwang quickly stepped out from behind. He let out a small and delicate grunt of effort before kneeling down and slapping his hands against Malachi's back. A shockwave was sent out and the sound of bones cracking echoed. Malachi's arm trembled and it brushed against Juhwang's saber before falling limp. Juhwang then calmly stood up and moved his hands behind his back. "Good job, brother."
"Um, what?" Kagami choked on her words as she dropped down from the ceiling.
"Wh-What?!" Cheyenne landed beside her with wide eyes.
"What just happened?!" Kris held out her hands.
Elise was silent with her mouth hanging open.
"Heh." Juhong brushed his thumb across his nose and stepped towards the group of girls. "It was very rude of you four to ambush Jay and Malachi and kill them both. Not gonna let that disrespect slide. The Brothers will be so pleased by the tale he tells them of our deeds." He glanced around. "So who wants to die first- Hng!"
"The gods will be pleased with the story of how I avenged my friends and brother." Juhwang spoke quietly while barely peeking around him. The tip of his saber was pressed against his back and glowing blue.
Ice began to grow and encase his older brother's chest.
Stepping back, the younger brother diligently stood with his arm bent. He sharply exhaled. The tip of his saber turned red as he slashed downward with it.
The attack left a glowing red line throughout Juhong's frozen chest. He let out a weak breath before his torso shifted and slid an inch and he fell forward with a thud.
Everyone on team MACE was at a loss for words. None of them could even utter a single sound.
"Now, for your four." Juhwang flashed a tooth smile. He spun his saber around and chuckled. Madness flashed in his eyes and he held out his arms. "The Gods will feel the power of thunder and tremble before me! And you will be the first to bear witness to the birth of a king-hng!" He grunted and stumbled.
With shaky hands, he looked down at the blade sticking out of his chest. A second one suddenly pushed through and he grunted again. His grip grew weak and his fingers uncurled. His saber fell from his grasp just as he choked on his breath.
Malachi slowly pulled himself over his shoulder and snarled with blood in his teeth. "Arrogant... prick..." He hissed. He held out his hand which sparkled. Juhwang's saber, which Malachi had touched earlier, sparkled as well. Suddenly, the saber appeared in Malachi's grasp with the blade sticking through Juhwang's neck.
Juhwang collapsed with a thud and Malachi fell on top of him. Both of them slowly breathed in and out a few times before the both fell still.
Team MACE stood in silence. They stood there for several minutes before Elise lowered her rifle and shoulders. "Did that just..."
"I don't..." Kris dropped her arms loosely at her side.
"But..." Kagami took a few breaths before exhaling and letting her body relax.
With her eye twitching, Cheyenne let out a sharp breath. "What the fu-"
Up on the roof looking down through the skylight, a man shrouded in a dark torn black cloak pulled away before the Faunus could finish speaking. "Hm." He exhaled while walking across the roof. He pulled down his hood and narrowed his eyes. He had a mask over his face. The light of the moon glinted off his soulless eyes before he moved his foot into a shadow and disappeared inside it.
Elsewhere in the kingdom, a man with shaggy blonde hair and pale robes ran through the streets. He was panting heavily and kept looking back over his shoulders. He was suddenly tripped by a bo staff and was sent face first into the dusty ground.
"So you're the man they call Pynap." Jayde scoffed as she paced around him. She held herself different. This wasn't a game like when she wanted to fight Jordyn. This was different. Her shoulders were square and her chest was pushed out. Her eyes were narrowed and as sharp as daggers while every hair on her body stood.
Pushing himself to his hands and knees, he glanced up at her. "You are a foolish woman, you know. You know my name yet still came at me in the night. You still attack in an attempt at what? What foolish desires could someone who dresses like a whore have?"
She blinked. "Um, what?" Her breath then hitched as she saw him shift.
Pynap reached under his robe and pulled out a book with the Two Brothers on it. He opened it and placed a hand on a page before tearing it out and throwing it at her. It hardened like steel and glowed blue for a moment before ice encased it.
Jayde stepped out of the way just in time. The ice looked sharp. It would have taken her head clean off.
"Do not back away now, woman!" He shot to his feet while flipping through the pages of his book. "We are just getting started!" He tore a page out before tossing it at her. This time, it flashed red. "You know my name but you have no idea who you decided to attack! I am the man of five thousand words! I have heard all and read all! There is no knowledge that evades me!"
"Oh I can think of a few..." She rolled her eyes while spinning her staff around. The paper hit it and fire and smoke burst to life in front of her. She took a step back and waited.
Jumping through the flames, Pynap let out a shout. With his book closed, he swung it around.
She held up her weapon and blocked it with a small grunt. Her feet skidded just slightly across the sand. He was strong. She could give him that at least.
"You think you can make fun of me and make me angry but you are wrong." He bared his teeth and spun around before going in for another swing. "I will not be silenced. I know my worth because of the Gods and only they can tell me when to be quiet!" He stopped his swing mid attack and quickly brought his book to his chest to block a jab from Jayde's staff.
"You're going to die regardless, but please shut up before I kill you." She shoved him back and brought her staff around her body in a twirl before bringing it around and up against his head.
"Ack!" He stumbled away with his head low. "How dare you..." He shook his head before standing up right. "Who do you think you are? You arrogant, pompous, self righteous, prancing, mindless piece of wannabe eye candy?" He tore two pages from his book before tossing them at her.
"No one." She swiped the pages with her staff and winced as electricity danced up her arm. She shook it off. "I'm a shadow of nothing. An emerald ghost that haunts the nightmares of men. I am the Grimm under the bed and hiding in the closet. I am no one." She spun her staff around and held it close to her body behind her. "How's that for words?"
Pynap blinked a few times before narrowing his eyes. "Who sent you?" He started flipping through his book for the right page.
"Myself." She bluntly stated. "I listened to the whispers and they led me to you." She nodded.
"Well they led you to your death." He ran his fingers across a page and tore it out. It glowed purple. "You may know my name but you do not know me! You do not know the greatness I will be granted for my devotion! I am-" He was cut off as a sai went into the side of his neck.
"He talks too much." Melony hissed while pulling her weapon free and kicking him towards her friend.
"Yeah. He did." She scoffed and crouched down beside the body. She patted it down and took Pynap's scroll along with his book. Perhaps she could learn more about what The Order is exactly from inside of. "Come on." She gestured. "Kasune is waiting for us."
With his head shifting out of the shadows of a wall, the shrouded man who watched team MACE watched the two assassins as they disposed of the body. "Hmm." He silently breathed out before slipping back into the darkness.
The Order's numbers were cut in half, but now they knew why.
Y'all. It's been a rough one... like... the back to back news... *exhales* But I'm still here. Still existing. Still creating. And I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
So despite everything, remember to smile today.
Realized I didn't put Malachi's semblance in here. So I edited it real quick. My bad.