Shade's New Blood

by Firetoast312

The Kingdom of Vacuo is seldom thought of as 'strong'. The others have their heroes, their technology, and their arts and commerce, but the desert kingdom has long been all but forgotten. For one team forced to be stuck together, they'll have a long way to go to get anywhere. They'll need to work together, struggle together, and perhaps learn more about each other.

10. Chapter 10

Shade's New Blood – Chapter #10

She could feel the crisp, cold air around her as the wind blew across her ear. Gently rocking back and forth, Maron felt herself sway side to side with the rhythm of footsteps, left to right then left again. Her eyes were still watery with the lingering sting of smoke and her nose wasn't much better with choking, burning breaths as well as the inclusion of the faint, metallic scent of blood underneath it all. Thankful the cold air that rushed in with every shallow, careful breath was much fresher. Cracking open her dry eyes just enough to see through the stinging pain, Maron could spot the dwindling fires behind her, their embers dancing in the air above smoldering ruins like little spirits gently making their way up toward the stars.

Being carried by off by someone didn't concern her, Maron hadn't the strength to care for where she was being taken now. Exhausted, her heart heavy, the feeling of apathy and emptiness had made home of her very core. That was all there was now. That and the sharp pain of her fresh, stinging wounds. So, she rested her weary head down onto the shoulder of another, hearing the quiet pulse of a heartbeat and ragged breath in her ear. Her eyes could stay open no longer, the cold breeze across her wounds and bruises had proven too much for her to endure. Maron felt her grip slowly slip free and just as it did, the desert world around her went dark…

Jolting awake, Maron's hand reached for her own terrified heart which had quickened in panic. It took a good few seconds and fast breaths before she could register where she was: Back in her dorm once again. However, she still felt a lingering sense of hollowness as she vaguely remembered what her dream was about. Odd that it wasn't one she had before, that said, she gathered both a familiar feeling from it and a feeling that the dream was missing something from it. Unfortunately, every detail of her dream was quick to fade from memory by the minute until all she could remember was that it happened.

After having let out a quiet sigh, Maron picked herself up and rested her back against the wall, throwing off the covers of her bedroll and losing herself to thought to past the time; just as she had always done. Her thoughts fell upon Flaye's answer to her question from the other day. It took time to get it, but the woman did give her one after all. It was a shame that it was a discouraging one, 'Not all Kingdoms handle it the same, but in Vacuo's case, I'm confident you could find something of that sort at Shade. However, it'd likely be restricted to a student like you, even then, I doubt they will be of use to you.' Echoed Flaye's voice in Maron's head with a logical point. If that were the case though, then what was the point in enrolling here at Shade? Her trail had reached its dead end before it even started.

Maron shook that defeatist thought out of her head. No, she wouldn't start questioning her own purpose. She knew what she had to do: hunt down the one who had taken her life from her. Whatever it took, even if it meant living amongst those she now despised, working beside them while they're none-the-wiser, training for the day she could enact her retribution. That was her purpose.

A subtle, rustling noise from the other end of the room caught Maron's attention. Her sights drifted over toward the other three members of her team who were fast asleep; all but one: Trya. The Faunus appeared to have pulled her covers tighter around herself, still with a slight shiver across her form. The girl's flattened ears on her head told Maron that she too wasn't the only one having a rough night. Now, what was she going to do about those three? They'd been kind-enough—mostly—to her, and she wouldn't feel right to just turn her back on them, she wasn't like the Huntsmen they mistakenly aspired to be. But she wasn't here to join them either; this academy was their goal, not hers. She was just using the school itself to her own advantage, mainly to train her to fight the Huntsman she was after. And, speaking of training, there was one more matter to attend to: Steele.

Maron quietly rose to her feet, careful not to wake the others as she got herself ready for yet another trek outside. She dressed in her usual attire and made sure not to forget her quiver and staff, it's not like there was anywhere else to secure them anyways. Regardless, Maron slowly pulled the door open to keep it quiet as she could and with a bit of effort, she squeezed herself outside into the bright halls of Shade, closing the door behind her again just as carefully as she opened it. Once outside, she let out a breath of relief, now all she had to do was make way for the one place she had grown accustomed to.

The halls Maron traversed were still as dull as the first day she had arrived, probably more so as in the first month, Shade at least attempted to put up some decorations to welcome the passing initiates, no matter how minor and ignorable they were. Yet when she thought about it, after all this time, there still wasn't much she had done aside from the standard school work. Outside of combat practice, there hadn't been much in the way of preparing for work as a Huntsman. Huh, maybe Flaye was right in that regard. The most she's done so far would be studying Grimm species and watching other classmates fight them—in a controlled environment. But maybe that was just to get students more acquainted with combat first.

She had brought herself in front of an all too familiar place, one she had grown used to visiting during these late hours. Heading through the entrance, Maron then stood at the foot of the sandy floor of Shade's arena. There at the center of the clearing was sat a single soul, just as she had expected. Because of course he was. She narrowed her gaze, a hint of irritation stirring within her when she remembered what Steele hadn't told her: That he was working for Flaye, that he too was a Huntsman. Just thinking about it longer made her blood boil with fury at his betrayal of her trust. So, demanding answers, she took the first few steps forward, her boots being cushioned by the sand beneath them as she closed the distance between herself and the Huntsman ahead of her.

Steele was sat on his knees with his back toward Maron and his weapon resting in his lap. Apparently, he had yet to notice her, something Maron remedied with a quick 'ahem' to get his attention. He turned his ear toward her, barely spotting her from the corner of his eye. "Maron?" He asked with slight surprise in his voice, "I'm surprised you're not asleep, isn't the raid—"

"I'm not a child." Maron spat, interrupting him, "And likewise, I could ask you that same question, among others." She told him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I suppose not." Steele quietly replied, "As for me," He continued, "Lately, it's been difficult to find any meaningful sleep. Too many restless nights are starting to wear me down."

Well, that made the two of them. "No practice then?" Maron asked, "And here I thought you said it helped, but I'm not here for that." She stated. Steele didn't bother to respond, leaving Maron to continue her line of questioning. "So, when were you planning to tell me you were part of her team?" She demanded to know. "All this time and you said nothing about being a Huntsman?" She finished off and waited for an explanation knowing she wouldn't accept whatever excuse he may come up with.

"You mean Flaye? You met her?" He asked in return.

"The one who tried to kill me during my initiation? Yeah, I met her." Maron confirmed with a disgruntled tone, "And plenty more times after that. Now answer me, Steele."

"I doubt she really tried to kill you, that aside, I wasn't exactly told that it was your team she took an interest in." He defended himself, "Plus, you never bothered to ask in the first place, so I don't see why I'm—"

"You couldn't have told me sooner?" Maron cut him off.

"Is that all you came here for?" Steele questioned, his voice still calm and somewhat monotone.

"I—" Maron stopped herself from answering. She took a deep breath and relaxed herself, "Look, I'd much prefer to know who I'm dealing with first. Haven't had the best of luck with people who claim to want to 'help me'."

"Huntsmen?" Steele correctly guessed, catching Maron off guard. "I thought so," He began again after seeing the girl's reaction, "I think I can understand, at least a little."

"I doubt you do." Maron returned to with a more aggressive tone and posture.

"What is it then?" He turned his attention forward, away from Maron's gaze, "A hungering greed for money? A selfish desire turned obsession? Betrayal?" he started listing off, "We're in Vacuo, Maron. Its people are… 'pragmatic' to put it kindly. Idealists… are a 'rarity'…" He trailed off into an inaudible whisper. Maron saw him hang his head a little lower before straightening himself up with a deep breath of his own, "Anyways, what else do you need?" He was quick to change topics, standing to his feet and turning around to face her with more renewed, casual look.

Having expected more, Maron seemed to have lost the fiery anger in her. She had expected some deflection, some denial, arguments, something to challenge her, but she got none of that. Maybe… Maybe she was being a bit too overzealous here. But she wasn't going to let the topic change that easily, "Do you consider yourself a 'Huntsman' then?" She asked Steele, who's expression promptly fell back into a small, disheartened frown.

Steele opened he mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He adverted his sights elsewhere and let out another sigh, "I… I like to think I still uphold those old ideals, like I've told you before. But, with that same expectation, I'm not so sure if I deserve such a title." He answered. Flaye had mentioned something like that too, hadn't she? Yet only Steele had given her a proper answer. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Maybe she still could trust Steele—at arm's length for now. Steele spoke up again, "Why don't we do a little training? Might help burn off the new energy we have, unless you're ready to call it a night." He asked. It was then that Maron figured that he still had his uses.

With a sly smirk, Maron grabbed her staff from her back, "I think I can manage a bit more." She said to him. If nothing else, she could use Shade and him to help herself and prepare for her own quest. She put up a false, small smile and pointed her staff toward Steele who returned the favor with his rifle-turned-glaive. With a light tap together, their weapons met to signal their readiness toward one another. Maron wasn't going to forget what drove her here to a Huntsman's Academy, a place she otherwise would have avoided had it not been for her own circumstances. She had lost her old life in the span of hours, minutes even, then lost whatever she had left in the following years. Maron was alone in this world now, and she certainly wasn't going to forget the reason why, nor who was to blame.

- - o - -

The sun had risen up to its peak by the time the girls of Amethyst and their Huntress chaperone had arrived at their intended destination. Its light was as blinding as the heat was overbearing. It bore down on Vacuo, boiling and roasting that which was left outside and unprotected. In other words, it was a fairly common day for the desert kingdom, one it had experienced many times over. Still, most people kept to the shade or to the indoors where the luxuries of technology fought hard against the impressive power of the temperature. The four students and Huntsman stood at the outskirts of the modified warehouse which sat close to a fairly populated residential district, hiding in plain sight with the cover of crowds concealing the goods and personnel that would reside within it.

"Of all the days, why'd today choose to be miserable?" Toma whined as she rested her upper half on the small, circular table in front of her. Her team and Flaye rested at an outdoor seating area with a large parasol being the only thing protecting them from the villainous sun above. The other three girls of Amethyst silently sided with her as they each did their best to endure the heat.

"Because today hates us." Shae, who was slouched back in her chair, had jokingly suggested with a straight face while lightly tugging on her top. "How stupid of me to wear dark…" She then muttered.

"Yeah, 'cause who would've guessed a desert kingdom would be hot?" Maron snidely remarked.

"Shut up, Maron." Shae retorted with a sharp glare toward the blonde.

"Hey, girls? Let's not kill each other before finishing the mission." Toma said to ease the tension. Quick to steer the conversation elsewhere, Toma looked over to a tired Faunus, yawning and sitting quietly as she fought to keep her eyes open, "How you're you holding up, Trya?" She asked her.

"Tired and miserable." Trya answered in her usual, quiet tone.

Seconds later, Flaye had arrived carrying a set of four small glasses of water with some ice, the glasses already tearing up before even being set down on the table. Yet, Flaye seemed the most normal out the bunch, "Here, drink up, and quick, we'll have to move fast before losing this chance." She said as the four students gladly grabbed a glass for themselves.

"Yeah, cause that's our biggest worry." Maron replied.

"That should go without saying. The last thing I want is one of you being captured because of this weather."

Having noticed the Huntress's calm and lack of response to the weather, Toma questioned her about it, "How come you're not bothered by this heat?"

"I have a 'tolerance' for heat." She flatly answered without further explanation. "So, today's the day, are we clear on our roles and plan?" She moved on and asked the girls. Team Amethyst, meanwhile, was busy relishing in the cool refreshers they had been given, but didn't hold onto the relief for too long. They had a task to complete after all. Over the last few days, they had been taught what was important, who they were after, what items they might find, what gear their foes might be armed with, and so on. To say they were 'ready' would be correct, but putting paper to action was easier said than done, and the girls knew that. No matter how weary from the heat and wary of themselves they were though, the four of them thought themselves ready to proceed, each giving Flaye a confirmation. "Very good." She started, "Now, there's no shame in making a mistake while you're in there. But I must remind you that this is an important target to take down, and I will not tolerate carelessness."

"Any last changes or advice?" Toma asked the woman.

"None, I have faith you four will do your part. But I'll update you via Scroll should something change. Await my signal, you'll know it when you see it." Flaye told them before turning away and starting for the warehouse they had been watching. She joined the traversing crowds along the stone pathway and started to head to the opposite side of the building, leaving the four students to wait as they'd been told.

The girls were quiet with anticipation, the seconds ticking by as they waited for whatever big signal Flaye had in store for them. Minutes later they noticed a small trail of smoke rising into the air, a trail that grew and grew until even passersby started to notice. Rumors and suggestions of its source varied from witness to witness, but Amethyst knew.

"Looks like our cue," Maron spoke up, "Toma, you're up first." She instructed as the other girl eagerly got up. "And try not to get too caught up in a fight." Maron added.

"No promises!" Toma, with a smirk, snapped her fingers toward Maron with an added wink before quickly heading away.

"I'm serious, Toma—ugh." Maron shouted her only to drop the attempt with an annoyed sigh. "One of these days..." Maron said to herself. She then moved on, "Shae, do you think you can handle it?"

"And what's that supposed to mean, Maron?" She questioned.

"Nothing," Maron nonchalantly answered, "But you're not exactly strong—"

"I can do my job, Maron!"She snapped, slamming her fist down on the metallic table between them which startling Trya in the process, "And when it comes to being a Huntress, you're the last person I want to hear from."She finished; uttering swears under her breath as she stormed off.

Maron's narrowed gaze watch Shae walk away, "What's her problem?" She asked no one in particular.

"D-Did something happen?" Trya asked, still tense from the sudden bang on the table.

Maron shrugged, "Not that I'm aware of." She answered, "But you better get going while you have the chance." Maron told the Faunus, "We don't want to be left behind."

"A-Are you going?" Trya asked after standing up and noticing Maron still sat in her seat.

"I'm going to stay out a little longer and watch the outdoors, make sure no stragglers move in to flank any of you before I myself go inside."

"Oh… O-Ok…" Trya finished before starting for the same building the other three went to.

Once she was alone, Maron leaned back into her chair as she overlooked the compound not far from her. Its owners had evidently made many changes and additions to the standard layout, with extra rooms, structures, walkways, and whatever else they decided to build into it. All of which were still connected to the original structure itself. Glancing behind it as best she could Maron thought she could see it connect to even a few residential buildings behind it. Even from the outside, she could tell that the building's internals would be an absolute mess, much like Vacuo's own layout, except around ever corner could be a new enemy or some other problem. After a few stretched out seconds though, Maron thought it best that she should get moving as well, letting out a sigh as she started to get up.

"The day is a tough one, isn't it?" Said a woman's voice from behind Maron. Startled, she turned around to find Viri who walked up to her and took a seat in the chair next to her. "Compared to back home, it's absolutely scorching hot! I wouldn't be surprised if something caught fire over there." She said with a look toward the smoke from the other end of the warehouse, "I'm amazed the people here can tolerate this heat."

"V-Viri? What're you doing here?" Maron asked upon seeing her. Viri carried with her a duffle bag which she set down in the adjacent, empty chair away from Maron, "Also what's with the bag?" She added another question.

"Oh this?" She patted the bag, "Just some stuff for our next showing." She answered with a cheerful smile, "I was on my way there when I just so happen to see you all by your lonesome. Again."

"I was… I actually have to do something… 'school related'." She lied.

"Careful around that warehouse, I've heard lots of problem people stem from it."

"You… know about it?" Maron asked in surprise.

"I learned who they were when we first moved into the city." Viri began, "In fact, I think just about every business in the entertainment district knows about them, but what can we do?"

"They haven't tried anything against you, have they?"

"Oh, of course not! The businesses try to stay out of their way, and they'll often leave us alone. Hah, even if they tried, I do teach my girls self-defense. Doesn't take a well-trained Huntsman to play defensive I've learned!" She chuckled, "Is that… where you're headed then?" Viri's tone flipped to concern.

Maron came clean, "Yeah, we're taking them down, actually." She admitted.

"Oh, well that's great! I hope it's not too much for you, but, immoral people like them will get what they deserve, that I'm sure of." She said with a content smile.

"Yeah..." Maron mindlessly agreed, "I better get going, my team is already inside and I shouldn't fall too far behind."

"Even more exciting! Maybe I can tag along and see how it ends."

"That's not a good idea!" Maron was quick to decline, "They're rather well armed thanks to some connections or whatnot. E-Either way, you should probably stay away and safe."

"Ah, I'll be fine, besides, you can use an extra pair of eyes out here. At least until you make it indoors." Viri finished.

Unfortunately, Maron didn't have the time to argue and reluctantly allowed Viri to join her. Viri then grabbed her bag again, and the two stepped onto the wide and rough flagstone path and made their way across it. By now, people were starting to stay clear of the building which was smoking, keeping to the other side of the paths as a precaution, but generally didn't pay too much mind save for staying aware of it.

It wasn't long before the pair found themselves behind the warehouse from where they started, but instead of a clean-cut corner where the building should have ended, it stretched on with connections and additions to another pair of storehouses, though smaller, and adobe structures which looked to have been repurposed from their original design intention some time ago. "Hogging all the space they can? Well, that's just a flat annoyance." Viri commented before striking up more casual conversation, "So, how're things going at Shade? I heard the Vytal Festival's coming up."

"Can't say I'm that interested in it." Maron answered, "I… have more important things to do." She hesitated to say, reminding herself of her real goal.

"Really?" Viri began, "You truly are a different kind of spirit."

"'Different' how?" Maron looked over to the woman with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, it's fun to watch the matches and learn a thing or two about how Huntsmen are trained—how distinct each Academy's students fight—but besides that, I've come to see the festival more as a glorified 'bragging rights' competition." She answered, "I'd assume you feel the same way, but I think all those resources should be put to better use, maybe helping out some of the more… we'll say 'vulnerable' people. A bit of an obvious example, but there're plenty of villages who suffer at the hands of bandits and Grimm, you know?" She finished with a small smile to Maron.

"Yeah." Maron answered softly, remembering her own home, "I know."

The two eventually found themselves down what looked to be a junk alley littered with trash, old boxes, and what looked to be a broken-down drink vending machine. "So much for going around." Maron muttered, "Now where am I supposed to get inside?"

"You're the star of this show, you tell me." Viri kindly smirked, leaning with her arm against one of the crates which was stacked in a small tower next to the vending machine.

"I'm serious, I really need to get—" Then came a crash. Viri had stumbled and tripped, the wooden crate she had been resting on was dislodged and behind revealed an old, rusted door, "—inside." Maron finished.

"Ow," Viri lightly wiped off her hands. She appeared to be somewhat upset, though that expression didn't last long. Viri readjusted her bag over her shoulder, and looked back at what she had uncovered. "Oh, well, lucky you!" She said to Maron.

"Right, well I guess I'll be seeing—" Maron tried for the door, but the handle was refused to turn. "Grr, dammit!" Maron swore, "Of course, it's locked. Fine, l guess I'll have to regroup with the others." She stated, but before she could return back the way they came, she was stopped by Viri who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hold on, now, let me take a stab at it." Viri said, shoving aside the second box with her foot. She set her bag aside and kneeled next to the door's handle. "Let's see what we've got today." She said to herself as she plucked a pin and a small, flattened piece of metal from one of her pouches. Silently, Viri slid both items into the little slot for the key.

"What… What are you doing?"

"Oh, you pick up a few things in Mantle. This is one of them." She began to explain, "Useful for the rougher parts of town or when needing a roof over your head during a snowstorm. You be surprised how many abandoned buildings there are just sitting around rotting." There was a small click from the door, "Ah, there we go." Viri said as she stood up, putting away her tools and opening up the door with a high-pitched creak from its hinges.

"Um, thanks." Maron said to Viri, stepping past her and taking a look inside the dim halls. She was stopped once again by Viri who placed both hands on her shoulders this time

"I'd say 'be careful', Maron, but I think you'll do wonderfully." Viri smiled before giving Maron a gentle nudge forward, "I'll be around, but until then, be seeing you!" She said her farewell with her three-fingered salute. It was only seconds, but then Viri was gone and Maron was left alone in the cooler interior of the building.

The interior was illuminated by dim, blue-green, florescent lights that were easy on the eyes compared to the blinding sun outside. Maron shut the door behind her and moved forward, pressing her back against the walls and followed them deeper into the roughly made complex. Wherever she was, it was empty, likely due to Flaye and probably her team causing the distractions which emptied this section of the building. She strained her ears to listen for anything that could be a sign of a hostile. Footsteps against the stone flooring, talks and whispers, whatever it may be, but fortunately—or unfortunately depending how one were to view it—there was nothing but silence and the annoying buzzing of the lights above her.

She then came across a wide-open door to a small storeroom which had looked to have been emptied out with its interior replaced with rows upon rows of planter boxes and makeshift water towers. Along the sides of the room were more jugs of water and bags of filled some kind of plant matter, each labeled and organized into different stacks. Inspecting the dirt-filled evenly spaced-out boxes in the center of the room yielded a string of small plants just poking their heads out of the surface. Maron wasn't sure what they were, but she made a guess that it probably wasn't anything good, she had her doubts that these little plants were any more innocent than the ones growing them.

Nevertheless, Maron left the room and moved on to the next door she found. The next room she found was crammed with crates lining the walls and tools hanging above a workstation which had just enough room to fit a chair. One of the larger, person-sized crates had been cracked open and caught Maron's curiosity. She drew closer to investigate.

Peering inside, Maron came face-to-face with a set of four, metallic, humanoid features that were dark-grey in color, standing and packed in a neat two-by-two formation. Their heads were slightly hunched over, but still loomed over her by an inch. Fortunately, they seemed as lifeless as the metal they were made from. She could see their internals through the joints, nooks, and gaps in their armor plating though, a mess of wires and components she had no clue about. They were machines, obviously, but she wasn't exactly sure what they were supposed to be used for aside from that. Robotic servants perhaps? But if so, then why and how would they end up all the way here in Vacuo?

Moving her attention to the worktable opposite the opened crate, Maron found plenty of odd items littering it. A packet or two of berries and seeds freshly opened and used was swept off to the edge of the table. There were also measurement tools, vials both empty and filled with a strange, greenish, glowing liquid, electrical equipment, screws, and many other things of those natures. Someone had been busy packing these into tiny, wooden cases if Maron wasn't mistaken. However, the most peculiar case was she saw was one made of metal and polished to give itself more of a silvery shine. It appeared rounder, sleeker, and much more modern compared to the handmade wooden ones. Scattered about and branded on its side was a logo of a stylized 'M' sitting inside a hexagon. Next to it was a sticky-note which read: 'These are EXPENSIVE! Install CAREFULLY!' with the larger words underlined twice for emphasis. Tossing the note to the side, Maron opened up the metal crate and with the hopes of figuring out what it was these criminals were shipping out from here. Its locks were already opened, which she was fortunate for Maron, but inside was empty, nothing but the soft packing foam lining its sides and protecting whatever was supposed to be inside. Maron was annoyed, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Whoever was working here certainly left in a hurry, but the best she could do now is contact the others and inform them of what she had found. Maron drew out her Scroll and went through her short list of contacts, typing up a message to send out to all the others. Unfortunately, she received a little notification tell her that there was 'No Signal' along with the accompanying icon for it. Now she was getting frustrated. They were in the middle of the city yet she was left in the dark? She switched around to her camera to record and capture whatever she could with pictures. At least that still worked…

All of the sudden, Maron felt a robotic grab her by the scruff of her neck. before being pulled back. Wide-eyed with shock, Maron's face was an inch away from the glowing red visor of one of the machines from earlier. "Intruder d-detected." Its mechanical voice stuttered, head twitching to the side erratically as it did so. Maron grit her teeth together as the machine slammed her through the table, shattering it into pieces before picking her up again and slamming her into the wall. She held up, but before she could defend herself, a punch came her way, crashing against her chest and crushing her through the wall at her back.

Maron tumbled along the ground, bits and pieces of rock and concrete dancing around her as she skidded to a stop. Dazed, Maron dizzily looked up from the ground, seeing the robotic figure step through the newly made hole in the wall and into the greenhouse she had explored earlier. She pocketed her Scroll, which her hand was still miraculously clung to despite the sudden attack. Picking herself up, Maron snapped herself to attention to her new foe, grabbing her staff from her back.

"For-Foreign component detected." The machine begun sputtering, as if fighting its own programming, unfortunately, whatever was trying to fight back had failed, "Unauthorized—Override accepted." It finished, finally settling its erratic behavior down. "Suspect armed. Target: Non-compliant. Engaging." It stated in its gruff and deep growl of a voice. The robot then unsheathed two long blades from either wrist one after the other in a threatening matter while Maron put herself in a more defensive posture, ready for the coming battle before her.

So much for Plan 'A'. The machine then charged at her, blades at the ready and it brought one of them down at a surprising speed, easily enough to match her own. However, Maron was more than adept enough to block it with ease, but the machine's free hand drove forward for a stab. Maron spun herself with a twist of her hips evading the attacks by pulling her staff close and allowing either of the blades to pass either side of her. She then shot her leg out behind her in a back kick, launching her robotic foe backwards.

The machine drove its blades into the ground, tearing up the concrete as it stopped itself. By that time, Maron had already drew an arrow and snapped her staff into its bow form. She strung the arrow and fired. The projectile had hit its park, its tip piercing the metal plating of the machine's torso with a metallic 'ting', unfortunately for the archer, the arrow did nothing to stop her mechanical opponent.

In another quick charge, the machine lunged forward and slashed at Maron's stomach before she could dodge. He could take the hit, but the force of the attack alone sent her stumbling back, crushing through one of the planter boxes under a strong heel which allowed her to regain her balance. Her arrows weren't going to do much if anything at all, leaving her only the prospect of a melee battle her only reliable option. Charging at her once again, the robot went for a stab, but Maron dashed to the side to avoid it, following up with a counter by swinging the end of her staff into the machine's torso. Skidding across the ground, the machine ended up destroying more of the boxes, scattering dirt all across the floor as it stopped itself.

Pressing the advantage, Maron went on the offensive and charged at her foe. Maron dodged a low swipe at her legs by vaulting over the blades with the help of her staff, allowing her to then drive both her feet into the machine, sending it staggering back into a wall. However, it was quick to retaliate, stabbing at the ground where Maron's feet landed, but barely missing its intended target. Maron too had narrowly avoided it, but in doing so had slightly lost her footing. Fortunately for her, the machine's blade had been too deeply impaled into the ground and it was now stuck.

After she adjusted herself, Maron took advantage of the opportunity presented to her and charged at the immobilized machine jumping over a pitiful swing of its free arm before landing on the other. She stomped on its wrist with all the strength she could manage, and with considerable effort, she broke off the blade, dislodging its user in the process. Unfortunately, the machine was quick to recalibrate and with its now freed hand, grabbed her by the ankle.

The machine pulled on Maron's leg, tripping her before slamming the girl back into the same wall behind it and hard. A crack formed as tiny pieces crumbled from the impact, but the machine didn't let go, following through by throwing Maron over its shoulder and slamming her front-first into the ground.

Maron was dazed and groaned with pain until she barely remembered where she was. Acting quickly, she rolled away, narrowly missing the second blade which stabbed the ground where she once was. Grabbing her fallen weapon from the ground, Maron hastily jumped to her feet and managed to get behind her foe. Wielding her staff like a club, she repeatedly brought it down on the machine's head with as much might as she could muster. Again and again, she struck the robot, watching it grow weaker until finally it ceased, the vibrant red lights along its body flickering before dying out.

Left panting, Maron kept a close eye on the mechanical warrior, wiping her forehead with the back of her fist while taking the chance to catch her breath. She wasn't sure whether it was one of the small dents she had made or if something inside it finally broke, but whatever the case, it was defeated and she could move on—

"Detecting 'Atlas Knight' unit destruction." Started another mechanical voice, same as the first at her feet. Maron turned her sights over the source of the second voice's owner. Through the hole in the wall was another one of these 'Knights', stepping into the room she was in. "Reporting loss to central command—Error, network unreachable, requesting assistance from local units." The second Atlesian Knight reported.

Maron, dropping her shoulders a little, watched as two more of these 'Knights' joined at either side of the second one. She wondered just where these people got the resources to import weapons like these, but thought it better not to ponder just how far their influence might reach. Either way, she had an overwhelming battle to win.

Two of the Atlesian Knights dropped into a combat-ready stance, circling on opposite sides of Maron in an attempt to pincer her. Taking a deep breath, Maron steadied herself, clutching her staff in both hands as the flanking knights unsheathed their own set of blades. They charged her, but she drove her shoulder into one of the machines, driving it back before promptly jabbing the second Knight once, twice, then a third time to the body, neck, and head respectively. She ducked gracefully under a swinging blade from behind her before driving a side kick into its owner. A stab came at her, grazing her chest, but a quick spin and she struck the other Knight with her staff.

The two machines were quick to retreat, giving Maron some space much to her dismay, but that moment of confusion came to a quick in when the third one, still standing by the hold in the wall, spoke up, "Target threat level: Elevated. Adjusting engagement." The Knight growled, holding up its arms, both of which had formed into three barrels each which in turn started rotating.

"Oh, you've got to be joking—" Maron started before diving into a roll just as the Knight fired upon her. Though the bullets rained down in short bursts, the machine was still careful not to destroy its own allies whom in turn tried to corner Maron. She was stuck between a hell of bullets and blades. For Maron, it was difficult to do much more than evade, block, and roll to avoid the relentless, bloodthirsty machines. However, one of the Knights had gotten lucky by grabbing Maron by the shirt and throwing her at the exit door.

Maron smashed through the metal door with enough force to tear it off its old, flimsy hinges. She had crashed into another wall, falling to her knees as the now dented door fell upon her back. She looked ahead, seeing the two bladed Knights continue their methodical pursuit. 'Remember what I said about beating your head against a wall?' Steele's voice came to the front of her mind, echoing the words he had told her. With the weight of the door still resting on her, an idea popped to mind.

Dropping her staff, Maron grabbed either side of the beaten-up door and shoved it against the broken frame, propping it up as a makeshift shield and blocking the two Knights' advances. She struggled to hold it in place as her robotic foes pushed against her, but she needed to wait for the right moment. The first stab came that missed her, then came the second that also missed, then the third which narrowly stabbed her head, a finger's breadth from her ear. She was almost ready, but Maron could feel the strain on her arms and legs as the combined weight of the door combined with the robotic Knights pressed down on her. Grinding her teeth together, Maron was forced to one knee. She wanted to let out an agonized scream of pain as her body was slowly being overpowered, but she held it in and instead, let out one stalwart shout as she pushed off her legs with every ounce of might she had. Just barely, she managed to shove away the door, staggering the knights behind it just as the fourth blade stabbed through exactly where her stomach would have been.

There was no time to rest. Maron picked up her staff once more and, jumping up, kicked off the wall behind her, slamming the two pinned Atlesian Knights to the ground as slid off the door and forced her way back into the room. The third Knight looked to her in alarm, putting up its hands to fire upon her again, but Maron was faster on the draw. Sliding off the door and onto the ground, Maron let loose an arrow that stuck into the machine's shoulder. Another arrow hit the Knight's opposite shoulder, but Maron didn't stop there. As fast as her dexterous hands could manage, she grabbed arrow after arrow, firing them into her opponent's chassis one after the other. The repeated impacts staggered the robot as Maron got to her feet and closed the distance until, finally, she stood before it. One last shot through its weakened armor put out its red lights and the machine fell back through the hole its predecessor had made.

Maron let out a huge sigh of relief as she retrieved her arrows. Her body ached, but she still needed to regroup with the others if at all possible. She had already wasted too much time here as it was and the last thing she wanted, was to be responsible for their failure. But behind her was the sound of metal being twisted and torn. Maron, turned back to see the two remaining Knights tear apart the door she had used against them before they started flipping over with surprising agility. Unfortunately, her battle wasn't over.

The two Knights rose to their feet, unfazed and still battle-ready unlike her. Like monstrous, relentless Grimm, they charged at her, swiping and stabbing their blades at Maron who was once again forced on the defensive. A stab came her way, and though she dodged it, she ended up in the path of a second blade that slashed across her side with a sharp, stinging pain that was slow to sooth itself. Her Aura was weakened, she could feel it now, but that wouldn't stop her mechanical foes from going for the kill.

With one final effort, Maron pushed forward once more to fight the two Knights. The first of the pair stabbed at her, but Maron deflected it into the wall beside her which bought her enough time to smash dash forward and swing her staff overhead at the second Atlesian Knight who blocked it in a cross-like guard of its blades. She shoved its arms to the ground, and, just like the first Knight, she drove her heel down on its wrists to break off its blade, but she only managed one of them. Her stamina was waning, but Maron managed to strike under the machine's chin with her staff before throwing it across the room with a well-placed swing.

Then came the previous knight which tackled her to the ground just as she turned to face it. She slid across the ground, yanking out an arrow from her quiver and, with a rapid shot, fired it into the Knight's would-be face. It staggered, allowing her the chance to kick it off of her. However, just as she got back up, the second Knight returned.

The second Knight kicked Maron's back, shoving her forward into a second kick from its ally that went straight to her stomach. She could no longer hold on, and her staff fell to the side. However, the two Knights working in unison continued. The second Knight caught her by the neck, slamming Maron into the ground. It ran forward, dragging its human foe across the rough floor before throwing her against the wall, displacing bits of dust from the ceiling. Dazed once more, Maron was barely in time to dodge a stab that impaled the wall behind her. Seeing as its first attack failed, the Knight's free hand grabbed Maron by the throat, and rose her to her feet. It took all the strength she could must to latch onto the sword-arm to keep the blade in place, while her other arm pried at the fingers around her neck, giving her enough room for weak breaths, but that was all she could do now. Her ruby eyes gazed into the soulless abyss of the Machine's glowing-red visor. Behind it was its last companion, slowly and menacingly stepping closer, drawing its blades as it closed the distance to finish off its target.

The edges of her vision darkened as it became harder to breath, her fingers were losing grasp on the metal limbs of the machine. But as the remainder of her vision faded to darkness, the last thing she saw was a dagger, flying in from the side, and impaling the head of the approaching Atlesian knight.

---

A.N.:

As always, enjoy!

~Firetoast312