Hello again! Sorry for being a bit off-schedule, this one's a long one.
As usual, I'd like to thank everyone for supporting the fic! I'm happy that everyone's still enjoying it, and once again, thank you!
Now, onto Summer's first appearance.
Enjoy!
The combat room was empty today, save for their team alone. To Tai, this made sense. After all, this was a Sunday. What kind of team trained on a Sunday?! It was the only day when they could sleep in!
Well, Team STRQ, apparently. All under the orders of Summer, who had far too much energy than humanly possible.
Those thoughts kept running through Tai's head as he stayed in a knee, gasping for breath. Raven and Qrow were in similar states of fatigue, all the while Summer was still hopping in place, moving in her fighting stance.
Summer smiled as she kept herself warmed up. "C'mon, guys! That can't be it!"
"Unreal…" Raven whispered out.
"You could say that again, sis." Qrow bit out.
"Come on, Summer… give us a little break, why don't you?" Tai looked at Summer and grinned weakly. "We're all-" Tai huffed. "-pretty tired, Sum!"
"Aw, but this was only round fifteen!"
"Round fifteen!"
"Wha? Usually I go to a hundred!" Summer tilted her head. "Don't tell me you guys want to stop now? The wild's gonna be much harsher!"
"Lemme tell you, it doesn't usually get this hard, girl…" Qrow tried to stand up. He wobbled in place, struggling to even stand straight. "I mean, we used to live in the wilds, but damn…!" Qrow popped his back into place. "What kind of stamina have you got?!"
"Qrow's right." Raven stood up too. "I want to know as well… how did you get such a high stamina, Summer?"
"Oh, um… well, I just kept training even while I was tired." Summer shrugged. "Usually it was from noon 'till just after midnight, so I don't really feel a lot of fatigue."
Tai got up too, surprised. "That's more than 6 hours!"
"Eh, you get used to it."
"Why that much?"
Summer turned to Raven.
"We used to-" Raven coughed into a fist. "We used to live in the wilds, but still, we couldn't dedicate that much time in our daily hours. How could you- still keep going?"
"'Cause no one knows what's gonna happen out there, duh!" Summer chuckled. Raven noted it came out much too quick and forced. "Who knows how long we have to survive if we were stranded. I'm sure you get this, Raven, Qrow. Who knows if we had to eat some weird stuff, or go through the rain…" Summer trailed off.
Qrow and Raven looked at each other, silently discussing. Being the offpsrings of bandits, they both knew the harsh world of the wildlands intimately. Being the future leaders of the Branwen Tribe especially, they knew how tough it could get. Wild Grimm, food shortages, harsh weather, mutiny…
But still, they never prepared the way Summer had. Her drive to be the best Huntress possible was almost shocking. Both Qrow and Raven had to admit they didn't have it in them, at least not to Summer's degree. After all, they'd all go back to the Branwen tribe, right?
The way Summer was painting it was like someone who's never been out of the walls before. Overly paranoid, but then, they couldn't deny it did well for her stamina. Her drive was simply unmatched.
While for Tai, he figured there must be something bigger to Summer's motivation…
Summer shook herself off. "Anyway! Dust it off, guys! We're going to have to survive out there, and since you're all my responsibility, I'm not having you die because you can't hold on!"
Tai groaned, followed by Qrow and Raven.
Summer leaned forwards, hands on her hips. "Come on, guys~! Round sixteen! Let's go! We've still got three hours to go!"
Knowing they wouldn't be able to convince Summer otherwise, Tai, Raven, and Qrow all relented. "Yes, Summer." They all said in a chorus.
"Ah-ah! That's not the tone I want to hear~!"
"Yes, Summer!"
"Alright!" Summer jumped up with a smile. "C'mon, let's get going again! Round sixteen, START!"
The Night after Raiden's Negotiation…
The medical wing in Beacon wasn't that much different than the one in Haven. Same white and sterile walls, same smells of medicine, the only thing that was different was the view he was seeing from the window to the outside. Hell, he could even say the same for the hospital back in Cyprus, but that was neither here nor there.
Venom sat on a chair next to the a patient located at the very edge of the wing, looking out the window showing the rising sun. After they had finalised their deal with the Arc family, Raiden set out to find Jaune in their apartment. The ninja wanted to inform Jaune of the newest developments personally. Tanner Arc let them go without much hassle, with a promise that they'd be discussing things futher come tomorrow morning. It was the first 'break day' of the Vytal Tournament, and they had to utilise that time efficiently.
Venom, meanwhile, took on a different route than Raiden. With nothing else to do, he used his personal Bullhead and crew to head back to Beacon near-midnight. He still had that promise to keep with Ironwood's specialist, not to mention breaking the news to to Tai's daughters. But since they wouldn't be awake in midnight, Venom decided to just go to the medical wing and stake it out there. He had Tai's handiwork to analyse, after all.
He then turned his gaze from the window to the patient, one who was unconscious and unknown when would wake up. Raven Branwen, or what was left of her.
He had heard all of what happened that time from the students at Haven, not to mention Raiden and Tai's own accounts. It rang too close to Skull Face's own fate to him. But he understood why it had to be that way.
Pragmatically, this was a way that made it easier to track the Spring Maiden. One that was effectively neutralised, easy to handle and manipulate. Getting rid of a Maiden without the hassle of finding out how their powers transfer and dealing with all of that.
And from the emotion side of things, Venom could also see Tai's dilemma. Raven and Summer were once big parts of his life, and yet one of them also betrayed them and killed countless people. Tai had to let go of revenge, but that's easier said than done when countless victims were turning to you for your judgement.
Venom looked at Raven's state once more. What's done was done. Not much they could change, not when the other past was taunting them still.
Venom heard his CODEC ring. Making sure no one else was around, he pressed a finger to his earpice. "Tai?"
"Venom". Tai spoke from the other end. "I've finally found it. I'm here."
Venom nodded. "Good. Set up a video feed, and I'll give you support from here."
In Vacuo…
"On it."
Tai discreetly placed his Scroll in his chest pocket, an earpiece connected. With that done, he took another good look at the scene.
He stood atop a desert cliff, still sitting on his horse. Down below, he could see a village with immense Grimm population. Moreover, the people there seemed to have coexisted with the Grimm, walking past the creatures with no caution at all. Add to that some of the pitch-Grimm-black traces he could see on some of the residents, and he had no doubt at all. Looks like their intellegence was right on the money.
This was the village where they made Venom, the village where they were holding Summer.
Tai pressed a finger to his ear. "What time is it now?"
"In Beacon? Should break dawn in a few minutes."
"That means it's gonna be night time here." Tai looked to the sun. Sure enough, it was beginning to set. He turned back to the village, their numbers lessening in accordance to the time. "What do you think, V?"
"How and when you approach are up to you, Tai." Venom spoke. "But you might have an easier time during the night. Depends on the village's situation, really, but darkness should make it easier for you to move around."
Tai nodded and pulled out a pair of binoculars. "I think they're switching out 'human' guards for the Grimm for night duty. Thoughts?"
"Darkness won't affect them nearly as much as humans, but they're a lot more predictable. But you still need to meet at least one guard, remember?"
"Yeah, 'cause I don't know where Summer is exactly." Tai sighed. "I can't exactly bust down every door in there either, can I?"
"Not if you want to get out of there. Contact should always be kept at a minimum."
"Right, right…" Tai put down his binoculars and got off his horse. "Fine then. I'll just go in right now while they're changing shifts. Best of both worlds."
"But also the most crowded. Be careful, try to snag someone who doesn't stand out."
"Gothca." Tai approached the edge of the cliff, seeing the village down below. The humans were changing shifts with the Grimm, and the sun was casting evening orange rays of light. In about thirty minutes, this 'golden time' would be over.
Tai rolled his shoulders and prepped himself. Time to get to work.
"Sentry guards. Stay alert."
Tai hid behind a pile of rocks, a good distance away from the front entrance of the village. He could see two guards stationed atop tower posts next to the village'swodden gate. Aside from that, he could spot several Grimm hidden on the sides.
"You're still a good distance away, they won't spot you here. Try to find a weak spot, they're bound to have one."
Tai nodded. Wodden gate, cobblestone walls… looked like the front entrance was impenetrable for stealth. Abandoning it, Tai snuck away and started to look around the village's sides, hiding behind bushes, rocks, and spikes in terrain.
Tai smiled to himself. Ah, looked like there weren't many other people here, just the Grimm. And the weakness of cobblestone walls, the wall's cracks could easily be scaled.
"You got an idea?"
"I could climb the walls on these sides." Tai said. 'Grimm shouldn't be much of a problem."
"I'll leave you to that. As long as you don't alert the guards."
Tai grunted and prepared himself, hiding behind a spike in terrain. Two Ursa Minors, guarding near a crack on the cobblestone wall. He can't just rush them lest they alert the guards. He had to get their attention somehow, do this quickly before the sun set and he lost this golden time-!
Tai peered over the terrain and saw the Grimm looking at him but not recognising him as a threat yet. Oh right, negative emotions and all that.
Tai smirked, picking up a rock. With force, he threw it straight at an Ursa's head. The Grimm flinched. Then, it growled menancingly as it look at the terrain it came from.
It bared it teeth when it found no one. Along with its comrade, it rushed towards the terrain rise. It looked around and grew frustrated by the second. No one was there! It felt that negativity, felt that human!
It felt sudden hands grip around its neck. What-?!
Tai roared and snapped the Ursa's neck from behind. He quickly turned to the other of the pair. Before this one could move, Tai lunged and punched it across its face. As it stumbled back, Tai deployed LimitBreak and slammed his fist inside its jaw. As the Ursa howled in pain, Tai activated his weapon and let it explode inside the Ursa's head.
Thankfully, the boom was muted from the meat of the Ursa. Quickly avoiding the spilling guts, Tai looked around once more. Good, no one had noticed just yet. He looked at the sky, the sun sinking even more.
He guessed he had around seventeen minutes left.
Tai turned to the wall and started to scale it. Carefully and silently, he made his way up without any of the guards knowing. He reached the top of the cobblestone wall and went into a crouch, looking around the perimeter.
The descent of the sun was making it harder to see. Tai could still make out the guards from before, some of them bringing out search lights. He cursed beneath his breath. That would make things a lot trickier…
The normal 'civilians' of the village were turning in too, Tai noted. Once they were inside their homes, it would be much harder to single them out and interrogate. But that also meant the ones outside weren't expected to come back until sunrise. He just had to make the right pick.
Tai looked to the guards again. Ah, looked like they were switching shifts, just as he hoped. Tai stuck to the shadows and went prone, hoping he could blend in just enough. The guards were bound to go past this section of the wall, and he had to hide the best he could. He just hoped this was enough-!
'On second thought…' Tai smiled as an idea came to him.
Hiding while he was atop the wall posed a high risk of detection. It had minimal walking space and even smaller amounts of cover. However, if he were to go back to the crack he climbed before and waited until someone went over…
Tai acted quickly with this idea. As the guards talked while switching shifts, he scaled back the wall and hung just at the edge, waiting patiently for one of the guards to walk past. As he did so, he strained his ears to pick up any kind of intel.
It was the sound of two pairs of footsteps that reached him first, along with conversations from its owners.
"Is the prisoner locked up well?" Tai heard the first guard say.
"Yeah, but you shouldn't worry. We've been doing this for years, remember? We've got her locked down to a tee."
They were getting closer, and Tai's eyes narrowed with every single word. 'Her'… there couldn't be anyone else. He patience strained. No, not just yet… they hadn't passed him, and there was still more info he could extract.
"But we've got no leader now. You're sure we'd be okay?"
"Relax, once the thing in Vale's done we'd have all the time in the world. Besides, she's already sent another to guard us while she's gone. We're not defenseless here, y'know?"
"Must be that other Grimm Hybrid I couldn't remember." Venom spoke from Tai's earpiece. "Or it could be Quiet…"
Tai stayed silent. They were right on top of it now, Tai waited with bated breath…
And they walked past him without a care in the world, lost in their own conversation.
"I get you, the building's right next to the sheriff's office. No one's getting through.. but still, without the leader here-."
"She told us to believe in what we're fighting for. We have to be enough. It's not like anyone's actually insane enough to infiltrate alone!"
"Yeah, yeah…"
They continued their small talk, going past Tai and their voices drifting away. Tai let out his breath as soon as it was finally safe, and climbed back over the wall. Just in case, he stayed in a crouch as he mulled his options.
He needed to get to the sheriff's office. But with a sprawling village like this, how could he spot which one was which?
Tai looked around once more. The sun had finally set, making telling the buildings apart much more complicated. At least he was able to look at the entire village from up these walls. Now if he could just transfer that advantage…
Tai turned his gaze to the guards, some patrolling and some manning search lights. They had the high ground advantage on the walls, same as him. He couldn't stick around long, lest he kept repeating the pattern over and over again.
But maybe, he could use those search lights.
"You could use those lights to search for the sheriff's office, Tai. Just act natural once you've got it and you should pass just fine."
"What about the guard we need to deal with?"
"Dump the body over the wall. Shouldn't notice if we're quick enough."
"Hmm… alright then." Tai crouch-walked to the nearest guard manning the search lights. He was in a post with a roof over his head, surrounded by walls like a typical guard post. Tai stuck to the shadows and hugged the wall blocking him and the guard. With caution, he peeked over the edge and looked at the guard.
The guard had his back to Tai, using his search lights to scan the inside of his village. It seemed he didn't notice Tai at all.
Tai took this chance quickly. He burst from his cover silently and took the guard by the head.
"HEY-Mmmf!"
Tai quickly shut the guards mouth with his hands. The man made to panic. Before he could do so, Tai intensified his grip and slammed the guard's head on the lamp.
Clunk!
"Mmmf! Mmmf-!"
Tai slammed the guard's head repeatedly.
Clunk!
Clunk!
Clunk!
"M-mmf…." The guard's conciousness receded and he fell to the floor with an outstretched hand. Tai grunted and lifted the body over his shoulder. He moved silently and went back out the post, sticking to the shadows with no one there, and threw the body over to the outside of the wall.
Tai let out a breath and hurriedly went back to the post. Good, no one had noticed yet. He did, however, note a small bloodstain on the search light. He shook his head. 'Oh well. It'll have to do.'
Tai held the search light and began to look for the sheriff's office, pretending from afar to be just a normal guard. From the corner of his vision, he noted some guards preparing to move over to his side. He kept calm. Just a little bit more..
Venom took a sharp intake of breath. "There, Tai!"
"I see it." Tai whispered. He let the the search light hover just a moment over a building that had the words 'Sheriff's Office' printed on its walls. The building next to it was desolate, almost abandoned. However, the small amount of guards standing before its entrance made it a dead giveway that there was something more going on.
That had to be where they were keeping Summer.
Tai kept the search light going again, careful not to drop his cover. He noted that the other guards were coming closer and closer. Closer and closer…
Tai aimed the search light to the sky, using it as a makeshift beacon. Just before the guards arrived, he leapt from the post and hung from its balcony. He shimmied along its edges, transitioning to the cobblestone wall, more and more until he was atop a place soft enough to absorb his fall. Tai looked down and almost groaned. A dumpster in a back alley, just great.
He took a look once more at the search light he used. The guards around it were beginning to move around. They took note of the strange behaviour, of the missing guard, of the bloodstain.
Tai let go and landed on the dumpster. He climbed out and approached the nearest wall post-haste, slamming his back next to it. He followed the wall until he reached the edge, though he was careful not to go past it. He took a peek to the world outside the alley.
Several guards were starting to move. Their footsteps were synchronised, their postures straight and their weapons ready. They went past Tai's alley, going with some haste to the search light he had just abandoned.
"They know something's up." Venom said. "We don't have much time left. Get to her quickly!"
"Yeah, loud and clear." Tai glanced left and right, up and down. No more guards in this sector. Tai hastily crossed the street, going behind another building and taking cover. He peered over this one's edge, then took another look to the beacon he used. They were going to lower it, he realised, and soon he won't have a point of reference anymore.
Tai grit his teeth. Throwing almost all caution to the wind, he quickened his pace and went through the fastest route to Summer. No back alleys, no rat roads. If the main road was clear, he took it without hesitation.
It seemed the guards were focusing on that lamp anyway. With that, the roads became much, much clearer. Tai was almost free to run as he pleased.
After a few minutes, Tai finally reached the building next to the sheriff's office, just in time as they lowered his beacon. Two guards were standing before the abandon building, Tai saw from behind a building near his destination.
"The rest are gonna come back here soon." Venom said. "You need to act now, Tai."
Tai rolled his neck. 'Well then.' He pulled out HF Dragonsbreath. "Hope no one hears this."
He was in the thick of it now. If he didn't manage an escape, then he could forget about leaving this village alive, let alone Summer.
And if it came down to it, forgiving someone he didn't know, who had participated in Summer's agony and allied himself to Salem, it was hard to feel merciful. Moreso with his current circumstances.
Tai burst from his cover, standing tall before the building and against the two guards.
The guards immediately snapped into Alert, 99.9. "Hey, you! INTRUDE-!"
BANG!
"No! Why you-! "
BANG!
Tai's gun aimed straight, barrel smoking as the two guards slumped dead. He glanced around once more. No one in the immediate vicinity, but that was bound to have attracted attention. He hastily holstered his gun and ran inside the abandoned building.
Tai burst from the doors. No one greeted him, no guards and no civilians. The room was dusty, dark, eerie, filled with junk, and overall set him on edge. His eyes scanned wide. There were several doorless rooms from the lobby, some obscured by the junk of the village. Which one was Summer located at…
"Make a choice quick. They're gonna be at your doorstep in a few moments."
"Fuck. Yeah, I'll try every single one."
And so Tai did. The first one was full of weapons and ammo, with some weapons he noted were once owned by Hunters and Huntresses. Tai growled. "Those bastards…"
"Focus, Tai."
Tai's eyes were drawn to another weapon. One that he once saw day in and day out. Summer's pair of machetes, each blade broken from its hilt. Its mechashift components were rusty too, parts which a long time ago transformed into a high-calibre sniper rifle.
Tai growled, but relented nonetheless. Those bastards. "Fine." Tai shook his head and quickly went into the next room. Nothing, just a stockpile of broken technology and some long out-of-date food.
Tai left the room and quickly tried the third one. This one was blocked by a lot of junk, and if he didn't know any better it seemed like a mountain of trash fell over and blocked the door.
Tai approached the place. Could this be it? Or could it be the next one? He had to make a choice.
Tai herad footsteps begin to approach.
"They know something's up. I give it fifteen minutes tops, Tai. Make your choice."
A bead of sweat went down his brow. Dammit, of all the things to happen! How could he chose now, under this pressure?!
"Take a listen to the door. Maybe you can hear something from the other side."
"Alright." Tai did as he was suggested and pressed his ear to the junk blocking the door. He strained his ears, trying to hear something behind it.
He heard a small, almost inaudible groan from the other side. Short breaths and pained moans.
Tai closed his eyes. Alright, this was it. He had to prepare himself. Quickly, he moved the junk over while staying silent. The footsteps were getting closer, probably around ten minutes away. He finished moving the last of the blockade and grabbed the handle to the door.
"Ngh… Not yet…"
Tai closed his eyes, hearing Summer's groans. 'I'm sorry, Sum…. Let's get you out of here.'
Tai opened the door.
He saw Summer Rose chained to the wall by her right arm, her left arm and right leg cut off completely. He gulped when he saw the state she was in. Her head was covered by a sack, her arms thin and malnourished. Dried bloodstains covered her area of the floor, creeping into her cuffs and her sack.
"Ngh… No…"
Summer began to move about. She struggled from side to side, her movements weak and slow. Tai's hand shot out reflexively, him slowly moving closer to Summer. As he got approached, her movements grew more erratic.
"No! You're not breaking me…!"
She moved in place desperately, trying to stop whatever it was. Tai finally reached her, her movements now frantic and desperate.
"Ah…" Summer lost all of her energy. She slumped back against the wall, groaning once more and breaths short. "Can't give up…"
Tai took a deep breath. He grabbed Summer's sack and pulled it from her face.
Summer flinched from the light, and Tai saw her face for the first time in seventeen years. Summer grit her teeth. "You're not gonna break me…"
Tai inhaled his breah sharply. Her left eye was gouged out, scratches and bloodstains marking that area. Something black was beginning to grow from her right ear, either it was the Grimm or just the extent of her wounds, he didn't know.
Summer shifted in place. That breath… she never heard that one before in all her time here. But still, she growled. "I'm not telling you anything. So you can fuck off and give it your best shot-!"
"Sum… it's me."
W-what?
It couldn't be…
Not after all this time…
She felt her face grabbed by strong and familiar hands. Then, she felt her head being moved and her eyes directed to the man she loved, the man she gave everything for.
"Sum, it's me." She saw Tai give her a broken smile. "I'm here to get you out."
"T-Tai…?"
He let her go, let her gather her own strength back. He looked at her with so many emotions, one she sent back right at him. Pain, sadness, longing, love… His eyes shot to her left eye. "They gouged it out, didn't they?"
Summer chuckled, hollow and broken and slightly manic. "But they- they haven't broken me just yet~!"
Tai took a step back. With a clenched fist, he punched the chain holding her down and broke it. Summer felt her right hand fall down, wrists burning from capture and had no energy. She groaned as she sunk deeper into the ground, eyes looking to the floor. How was she gonna get out of here with him…? They were bound to already be on alert.
She heard the sound of rustling from Tai. Then, before she could realise, she felt one of his hands push her up. The other had a cloak in its grip and threw it over her shoulder.
She gasped when she felt the familiar fabric. Her old white cloak over her shoulders, and the familiar scent of roses near their home in Patch.
A ghost of a smile graced her face, and she leaned on his hands as he helped her hands. She looked at him dead in the eye, no doubt her right eye's hole clear to see. "What took you so long?"
Tai chuckled, broken. "I'll fill you in once we're safe."
Summer nodded. She felt herself being lifted, then carried atop Tai's shoulders. Her ear was right beside Tai's own, the one with his earpice.
"...Good. You've got Summer. Now it's time to get out of there. I've got a feeling it'll be harder getting out."
"Who's that?" Summer said. "Doesn't sound like Qrow…"
"A lot's happened." Tai said absent-mindedly. He took a look outside the building. No one here just yet… He quickly snuck out of it and went into an alley. "Point is, we're stopping Salem."
"So you know…"
Tai almost stopped in his tracks. He shook of his shock and ran to another safe spot. Then to another, then to another. Slowly and surely, they were making their way out of the village. "Yeah. My team's doing their best to stop her, but we're on a time limit here. We could-." Tai stopped, taking a sharp intake of breath.
"Tai?" Her voice filled his ears. It's been so long… "What's the matter?"
Tai shuddered. "I- I could use your help, Sum. I don't know what I'm doing…"
"It'll all be alright." Summer attempted to soothe her husband. "Eveyrthing's gonna be alright…"
"I'm the one supposed to be saving you…"
"We're supposed to be saving each other. Don't worry too much." Summer's voice gained an edge at the end. Something came back to her, Tai realised. Something important?
She spoke with certainty in her tone. "We're getting out of here. Take a left after this right, there should be a shortcut alley we can take."
"Alright." Tai did as he was told, ducking to the shortcut just as several guards went past where he was. With the coast clear, he ran as fast as he could down the straight shortcut. Summer gripped tight on her husband's sleeve as they tore through the tracks. Eventually, they reached the end of the shortcut alley, the exit right before their eyes.
They skid to a stop just before the shadow of the alley stopped covering them. Before the exit were two guards guarding the gate, heavily armed and ready for an encounter.
"You'll have to take them out. There's no other way."
Tai's hand drifted to his holstered HF Dragonsbreath. He pulled it out slowly with his right hand, metal sliding out of leather. He felt his hands shake slightly from the tension as he took aim. If he did this then there'd be massive alert, and they'd have to book it out of there as fast as they could.
So much was at stake. He didn't know if he could see another day, so many people were counting on him-!
Tai felt another hand wrap around his own. Summer gave him a comfort he missed so much. As one, they aimed at the two guards from the shadows with burning eyes. One silver, two blue.
They squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
The first shot landed on the first guards' head. The second stumbled back, surprised. He looked wide as he slowly inched to an alert button. He screamed to his friends. "HEY! THEY'RE OVER HERE-!"
BANG!
The second shot landed on this guard's heart. He took several steps back, stumbling as the life left his eyes. Then, as he fell down, his hand outstretched and slammed against the alert button.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"Get going, Tai! You've got to lose them!"
"On it!" Tai grit his teeth and quickly went to the gate. He fumbled around, looking for a way out. Dammit, where's the switch?!
He felt Summer tug at his sleeve. "Over there!" She pointed to the gate's open lever, located inside a guard post and seen through its windows.
Tai turned and went to the guard post's door. He laid his hand on the knob. Before he could open it, he felt the door slam on his face.
"Agh!" Tai fell to the ground, losing his grip on HF Dragonsbreath. Summer tumbled to his side, and Tai looked up at his assailant standing above him.
He gave Tai a cruel grin, chainsaw in hand and raised high. He revved it multiple times. "DIE, HUMAN!"
BANG!
A shot went through his head. Blood sprayed from his hole and to Tai's clothes, before the man fell to Tai's side dead.
Summer groaned, her only hand aiming the smoking HF Dragonsbreath. "Take that…"
"Summer." Tai brushed himself off and went to his wife, Summer dropping the gun on the floor. He picked her up again, slung her over his shoulder, and picked up HF Dragonsbreath. He briefly checked the screen on his gun.
HF - ZERO ROUNDS
"Reload…" He had to do that later. Tai holstered his gun and went inside the now empty guard post. He pulled the lever hard, and the gate began to open.
Tai heard footsteps approach fast. He guessed the entire village were on their tail now. Ah shit…
"Tai, we've gotta go!" Summer urged. With a nod, Tai quickly left the gate, then exited the village altogether. He hadn't even took more than a step out of it before he heard the sounds of the villagers once more.
"DON"T LET THOSE HUMANS ESCAPE!"
"RUN, TAI!" Summer screamed. "GO!"
Tai growled and nodded, increasing his pace. He ran with all he could, the sounds of footsteps coming faster than him.
Those Grimm enhancements… they're making them faster!
"Get the horse, Tai! They're just like the VOIDs!"
Tai whistled for his horse as he continued to run. Moments later, the horse came to him, running side-by-side. Tai channelled Aura to his feet and jumped to his horse, landing right on its back. Summer groaned just a bit from Tai's shoulders.
The horse continued to run, the footsteps growing closer and closer. Tai risked a look back and sharply took a breath. He went into shock for almost a full second.
The entire village were hot on their heels, chasing them with Grimm-black appendages turned into weapons and chalk white skin shining bright in the night.
"GET HIM!"
"DON'T LET THE SILVER-EYED WARRIOR ESCAPE!"
"VOYEVODAAAAA!"
"Voyevoda…?"Venom muttered. That sounded oddly familiar, like a ghost in the back of his head….
Tai ignored Venom's last last remark and fumbled for HF Dragonsbreath. He managed to pull it out, but growled when he realised it had no ammo. Hastily, he reloaded it and aimed it at the villagers.
His hands shook from the variables around him. Summer's weight and bounce, the horse's rushing steps… he can't get a lock on!
"Tai!" Summer pulled at his sleeve. "Give me the gun! Focus on riding and get us out of here!"
Without a second thought, Tai gave Summer the gun and turned his attention back to the front. With both hands, he grabbed the horse's leads and whipped it strong. "HYAH!"
"NEIGHHH!" The horse increased its speed, kicking dust behind and now on equal pace with the villagers. Meanwhile, Summer took aim at the villagers with HF Dragonsbreath. Think of this as just a smaller sniper rifle. Steady, steady…
BANG!
She fired the first shot. It hit one of the villagers dead in the head. The rest roared in anger and increased their pace, Grimm powers intensifying.
Summer smirked. She's still got it. STRQ sniper aim.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
More of the villagers dropped dead. Summer pressed the trigger again, but the gun clicked empty of rounds. "WHERE ARE THE MAGS?!" Summer yelled to her husband.
"POCKET! BACK, LEFT CHEEK!"
Summer put HF Dragonsbreath in her mouth and took a new mag from Tai. With her hand and her teeth, she reloaded the gun and started firing once more.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
As she fired, the villagers started started to adapt. They splintered, making it harder for Summer to aim. She growled and kept on firing. Then, some of them started to gain a sudden increase in speed.
Summer narrowed her eyes. "We've got incoming!"
The 'sprinters' of the villagers started to change. Grimm-black began to dominate their skin, letting out dark particles around their feet. They changed from running to leaping forwards, making distinctive sounds with each of their steps. In only a second, they already caught up with the horse.
"SHIT!" Tai looked around him. Left, right, and front, they were surrounded by the sprinters. Tai deployed LimitBreak and spoke to his wife. "Hold on, Sum!"
Tai slowed down the horse suddenly. As they fell back, Tai held out his right hand and smashed LimitBreak to the sprinter on the right. His fist hit the sprinter's face and he fell to the ground head first.
Tai increased the speed again. Now catching up, with a roar, he smashed the back of the left sprinter's head. He added an explosion just in case, and the left sprinter was sent flying from the damage.
Tai turned to the front when he heard a blood-curling scream. "GRAAAA!" The one on the front turned to him face him eye to eye, running backwards. With murdering eyes, the final sprinter growled and lunged right for Tai's face.
Tai put both of LimitBreak in front of him and loaded an explosion. The sprinter got closer and closer, claws inching to his face.
Tai fired an explosion dead-on at the sprinter's chest.
BOOOOMMMM!
Fire and sand kicked up, blood sprouting from the sprinter's new gaping hole. He flew back far, leaving a trail of guts and blood that thankfully stayed off of them both. Tai lowered LimitBreak and then retracted it. He whipped his horse faster, quick to gain the lead again. "Status update, Sum!"
"Manage to take some of them down, but we've still got a ways to go!" Summer 'tsked and reloaded another magazine. "They're not giving up!"
"Damn it!" Tai looked desperately for a way out. They needed to exit fast, and at these conditions, getting on a Bullhead would be a nightmare. And yet, the nearest place where they could help, Shade Academy, was still who-knows-how-long away!
"Tai. I think I've got so-e-thi-g-"
"V?" Tai spoke again. "Venom, respond!"
"S-ndst-rm, T-i! I'-e c-ll-d Bery- f-r extr-ti-n! L-s- th-m NOW!"
Tai growled. Dammit, of all the times-!
Tai stopped that train of thought when he felt the wind pick up. At first it was just a slight breeze, nothing unusual.
Then it grew to a mild wind, and finally…
It grew again to a tremendous storm.
Thick sand dust obstructed their vision, preventing any kind of long-range combat. The dust stuck to their clothes, the wind hitting their bodies full force and the noise of the storm muting almost everything they heard before.
"SANDSTORM!" Summer shouted, trying to huddle her cloak close. "DAMMIT, SHOULD'VE EXPECTED THIS!"
"ARE THEY STILL FOLLOWING US?!" Tai asked his wife.
"I CAN'T SEE THEM! FOOTSTEPS AREN'T AUDIBLE EITHER!"
"THEN WE SHOULD KEEP GOING! WHO KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE!" Tai shouted back. He reached for his earpiece, trying to contact Venom again. "V! RESPOND!"
Static.
"SHIT!" Tai returned his focus to the road ahead, what he could see of it at least. They kept on riding through the storm, Tai focused on the front and Summer ready for anything on the rear. They continued for what felt like hours lost with no sight, before Tai's short vision caught something that could help them.
A cave to their left, one they could hide under until both the storm and the villagers had passed.
"Look! You think we can use that?!" Tai shouted to Summer.
Summer took a look herself, and felt her lips tug upwards. "Yeah! Sounds good!"
Tai nodded and slowed down his horse. He turned them to the cave and, after taking a first glance inside that nothing was there, entered alongside Summer and the horse.
Tai led them deeper into the cave, one where no one could see them from the outside, then got off his horse. "Hold on." He said to Summer. When his wife nodded briefly, Tai took that as his go-ahead then just a tad closer to the entrance than Summer and the horse.
He peeked outside, his head just barely visible to anyone outside the cave. He saw the storm still raging strong, winds blowing past their cane and some sand blowing inside. Tai kept patient, waiting for the villagers…
"Keep running! We can't let them get away!"
"The Rose must be stopped! We need those Silver Eyes!"
"Get them! Go!"
The villagers finally rushed past their cave, not even looking to them. Tai breathed a sigh of relief, going back deeper into the cave and slumping against the wall. "We've lost them…"
"Yeah." Summer responded. She too laid on the horse with relief. "Lucky us…"
A moment of silence stretched on between them, and Summer took a moment to reflect on her situation.
After seventeen years, she was finally rescued. It only took most of her life, her limbs, her eye, and every ounce of her drive as a Huntress, but she pulled through.
Seventeen years… the times she lost with her daughters…
They had to pay. They had to pay! She didn't mean Ozpin, no, loathe as she was with the man after her mission. No, Salem had to be stopped. And now, with the easy assumption that her daughters were in Beacon as well, and right in the line of crossfire, she couldn't stand back and let nothing be done!
Like it or not they were embroiled in the war against the Queen now. And who put them in that in the first place? Why must her family continue to fight so much?!
You know what, scratch that thing with Ozpin. It's about time she taught him a lesson of her own.
"Summer."
He broke the promise he made to her. When she took that accursed mission he promised her that he'd take care of her family. Seventeen years she sacrificed, when she was prepared to give it all and die right then and there. No, what they gave her was much worse. Torture, interrogation, experiments…
Everything she did, she did it to keep Tai and the girls out, and now look where they are! Knee deep against the Queen. Beacon was going to be destroyed, and her holding on all this time was going to mean nothing! NOTHING AT ALL!
"Summer!"
In fact, why was she entertaining the thought of fighting anymore?! Ozpin was the one who screwed her over, broke his promise and dragged Tai and Yang and Ruby-!
"SUMMER!"
"WHAT?!"
Summer turned to her husband, growling with narrowed eyes and clenching her left hand to a fist. Can't he see?! This was all because they took up their weapons-!
Tai took a step back, his eyes wide. "N-no…"
Summer paused. Then, something struck her. She was clenching her left hand? But they cut that off a long time ago!
She turned her head to look at where her left had ought to be. What greted her was a black Grimm arm sprouting from her shoulder, bony and scary and like a monster.
"W-what..?" Summer gasped, barely above a whisper. She felt her face with her right hand, tracing from her right ear. The black thing from before was now larger, creeping into her Silver Eye and then trailing down like tear marks. Summer pulled her right hand back in shock but it wasn't over. As her vision switched to her right hand, she saw that her skin was slowly changing to chalk white, creeping from her arm then to her fingers.
Summer did one last check. She guided her Grimm left arm to her throat and traced it around that spot. She took a sharp intake of breath when she felt her hand hit a rough blot, unlike normal human skin but so much like a Grimm's.
"Calm down, Sum…" Tai took a step forwards, a calming hand outstretched.
Summer stumbled back, falling of her horse. Her breaths turned frantic, eye wide and hurriedly scooting back. "No! Stay back!"
"Summer, please…" Tai pleaded. She was slowly inching closer to the exit of the cave. No, she can't get away! He can't lose her again!
He'll push through, no matter what it takes!
Suddenly, Summer stopped. She cast her look to the ground and let out a broken chuckle. "Heh, so it's all for nothing in the end, huh~?"
"Sum…"
In less than a second, Summer got up and ran outside the cave, greeting the sandstorm head-on.
"SUMMER!" Tai followed suit without a second thought. Through the sandstorm, he followed Summer's signature white cloak as best he could. It kept mocking him, he could follow it from afar but could never seem to catch up.
"Summer! Slow down!" Tai shouted, arm covering parts of his face against the wind. He kept on running, matching Summer's speed with all he had. He knew if that she truly tried, he wouldn't stand a chance.
Eventually, the sandstorm started to clear. However that didn't slow Summer down. She kept running with Tai following, until eventually the storm finally stopped.
"Sum, please! Stop!" Tai pleaded. "Don't leave me…!"
Somehow, for some reason, Summer actually stopped.
"Sum.." Tai huffed a breath. Slowly and exhaustedly, he approached Summer who was standing still. "Just- we'll figure it out…"
Summer stayed quiet and still. Tai noted something off and moved to lay a hand on her shoulder.
Summer shivered and Tai pulled it back once more. Something's wrong, why was she standing still, what's up-?!
It was then that Tai noticed it. A laser pointer aimed right at her skull. Then, it quickly shifted to his own.
Venom shouted from the CODEC. "TAI! SNIPER!"
Tai heeded Venom's words and ducked. A loud bang sounded from the sniper's weapon, and Tai noted from his peripheral vision that Summer too ducked down. They scrambled for cover, and the two just managed to crawl to two rocks next to each other with a bit of separation between them.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah, just barely." Tai said, some relief that their communications were clear once more. He looked over to Summer, pinned to her rocks just like him. HF Dragonsbreath was still with her, he was defenseless against this sniper on long range combat. But on the other hand, it seemed Summer couldn't go anywhere else either.
"V, you got any tips?" Tai spoke to his Scroll. Silence answered him, and Tai spoke again with a hint of concern. "Venom?"
"This is her, Tai."
"You mean-."
"Yeah. Quiet." Venom spoke with certainty. He spoke again before Tai could. "You're going to have to work with Summer on this one. Get close, attack, and then she'll disappear again. Stay calm and don't let her wear you out."
"Alright. We'll try. How long until extraction comes here?"
"No, you can't rely on air support. She head-shot a jet pilot right out of the sky when we first met, there's no chance that the Bullhead could land here. You need to beat her first."
Tai let out a sigh. "Out of options huh? Okay then."
"Oh, and Tai?"
"Yeah?"
"...Bring her back for me."
Tai nodded mutely. He looked up from his cover and could just trace the sniper's laser sight. It came from right in front of them, hidden between a rock and a desert tree atop a rocky hill around 800 metres away.
Tai narrowed his eyes. If he could just make Quiet out from here…
The laser sight shifted to him.
Tai's eyes widened and he quickly ducked under his cover again.
BANG!
The shot hit his rock and blew a chunk of it off. Tai scrambled back with short breaths, hugging his back to the precious piece of cover.
He calmed himself, then spoke to Summer next from safety. "Sum, we need a distraction."
When Summer didn't respond, Tai spoke again. Had he- had he already lost her? "Summer?"
Summer turned her head to look at him. Tai noted with panic that the Grimm process was almost finished now. Only small patches of her normal skin remained, with just a bit remaining around her Silver Eye. But it seemed that Summer recognised his concern. She gave him a short nod, indicating that she was still herself even through all the control. Her eye was narrowed with focus, some sweat trailing down her face. It was taking all she had to fight this.
But for her family she'd do anything.
Summer relaxed, her cloak wrapped around her. She jumped up over her cover, body wide open for the Quiet's shot. Tai peeked from his cover and watch his wife work.
Predictably, Quiet's laser sight quickly aimed to Summer. Just as she was about to fire, Summer's cloak seemed to wrap itself around her. Now fully covered she lunged forwards fast, black particles leaving a trail and just in the nick of time.
BANG!
Crack!
The shot missed and hit the rock, Summer's body flying forwards to the new cover. She landed and deactivated her Semblance, Quiet's focus now solely on her.
Tai prepared to exit his cover, Summer doing the same. He waited patiently as Summer counted for the right moment.
1... 2… 3!
Summer jumped forwards first. Quiet's aim shifted to her. Just as she did so, Tai burst from his cover and ran in the vague direction where Quiet was.
Quiet shifted her aim to Tai, but it was too late. The Hunter found another cover first and quickly ducked beneath it. Quiet shifted her aim again to Summer, but she had used her Semblance and found another piece of rock cover in front of Tai to hide behind.
"You can't keep this up." Venom said. "Try to find a way to sneak around. Found any cover?"
Tai looked around. Some of the rocks were still just a tad bit too far away, but if he could get there then he'd be able to sneak almost right into where Quiet was. But without a doubt Summer needed to stay the distraction.
Tai gave a hand signal to Summer. Even after years, she understood immediately. Tai tossed a fresh magazine to Summer. A sniper shot just barely missed the magazine as it flew from cover to cover, a graze visible once it reached Summer's hand.
Tai grit his teeth. Of all the types of opponents to come across it had to be the one in long-range.
Summer raised her left fingers, Grimm black pointing to '3'. Tai nodded and unloaded a vial of Fire Dust from LimitBreak.
Summer moved down a finger. '2'. Tai gave the vial some heat slowly from LimitBreak, starting a reaction for it to detonate after a certain time.
One final finger from Summer. '1.'
Tai gave a final nod. Then, he threw the vial of Fire Dust high over his cover. It hovered for some time between their two rocks. Then, after just almost a second…
BOOM!
Fire exploded from the Dust round, just far enough away to not burn Summer and Tai. It did, however, closed Quiet's view of them both. Tai hastily moved towards the cover that would help him reach Quiet, while Summer dashed through the flames to distract her.
Tai reached the new set of rocks and hugged his back to the new set of cover. He took a small breath in a crouch, careful to stay hidden.
BANG BANG BANG BANG!
BANG! Click! BANG! Click!
'They're trading shots now…' Tai grimaced when a stray bullet hit his cover. 'Gotta keep moving.' Tai crouch-walked as fast as he could. The two kept trading sounds, and Tai heard the faint sounds of Summer's now-altered Semblance. 'Keep at it, Sum.'
Tai kept on walking, and the sounds of the Sniper's shot grew louder. Venom spoke from his earpiece. "Slow down. Watch your step, don't make any sound." Tai acknowledged and his pace slowed to a crawl. He kept counting Summer's shots. She was spacing them out more now, using her Semblance to draw Quiet's fire.
'She's running out!' Tai realised. He hurried the last steps and reached the last bit of cover. He put a hand on the final rocks' side and peered over.
He saw a heavily camouflaged woman kneeling beneath the shade of a desert tree. A heavy sniper rifle was in her hands, her eye peering into its scope. Tai heard the sounds of Summer's Semblance again and the woman fired immediately. She didn't seem to realise Tai was there, cocking back another round and aiming once more.
"That's her." Venom spoke, barely above a whisper. "Tai…Take her out and bring her back."
Tai answered Venom's request in his thoughts. 'I'll try my best.'
Tai stepped out of the cover and reloaded LimitBreak.
Quiet went into shock. Quickly, she turned her rifle to Tai.
The Hunter was already in front of her. "RARGH!" Tai lunged forwards.
BANG!
Tai tilted his head, the shot grazing his cheek. He threw his right hand to a punch and the attack connected right with her cheek.
Tai pushed the attack through. "HAAAAAHHH!" Tai felt the crunch of bone armour as he pushed through with his attack, forcing Qrtyuiop[]\iet to the sands.
"Nh!" Quiet skid across the sand from the blow, leaving a trail in the shape of her body. She got up as fast she could. Where was he-?!
Quiet felt a fist slam against the back of her head. She stumbled forwards, trying to turn around. She had to dodge back-!
Tai unleashed an uppercut straight to Quiet's gut. He saw the breath knocked out of her, air flowing from her Grimm parasite-infected throat. Tai didn't let up and unleashed more punches to her gut, then her chest, and with a roar, ended with a punch right at her nose.
"Hhh!" Quiet flew back once more, her back hitting the tree from before. The impact shook it hard and its leaves started to fall down.
Tai let out a breath, entering a stance as Quiet shook herself off. Summer landed beside him, black particles receding from her Semblance. The two stared down Quiet, who took a single step back.
"Tai, this is Beryl! Approaching your position in two minutes!"
Tai smiled ever so slightly. They could actually get out of this shithole soon..
And judging from Summer's slight smirk, it seemed she heard that too.
Quiet growled. With a flick of her wrist, her left arm turned to a sharp bony blade while the right branched into a long pair of tendrils.
"Tai, watch out for those tendrils! They were the ones that gave me the parasite!"
"Got it." Tai clenched his fists, LimitBreak ready for the fight. "Let's get her, Sum."
"...I- I'm with you…" Summer said, holding HF Dragonsbreath firm yet her voice straining. She had four rounds left, and it was taking everything she had to stay awake and fight. Once they beat Quiet, she'd pass out and wait for Tai to bring her to the Bullhead. Hopefully nothing bad will happen during that time.
Because of course they'd beat Quiet. They can't afford for anything less.
"...Let's go…!" Summer bit out. Tai nodded and the two rushed Quiet from left and right.
Quiet tracked the two with her eyes as they rushed in. Tai leapt from her left and descended with a flying side kick. Quiet blocked the attack with her bone sword and pushed Tai back, the Hunter landing back to the ground behind her. At the same time, Quiet ducked a shot from Summer and shot her tendrils towards her. Summer activated her Semblance and dashed to the side, landing to her left.
"RAAARGH!"
Quiet's eyes widened. That Hunter! Quickly, she swung her sword wildly behind her as she spun. Her sword nicked Tai's shoulder, but in turn Tai's fist hit her cheek hard as she spun.
Crack!
"Nghh..!" Quiet groaned again, her automatic bone armour cracking from the force as she tripped back. Quiet gathered herself and immediately sent her Grimm tentacles after Tai.
Tai stepped to his right, cooly avoiding the attack altogether.
Quiet growled. Damn him-!
"...Hyah!" Summer kicked Quiet's legs from behind her. Quiet gasped as her feet buckled under her. She turned and glared venomously at her Summer. She lifted her sword to attack-!
Summer slammed her Grimm fist into Quiet's nose. The sniper was sent back to Tai, who already prepared both of LimitBreak with an explosion each. Quiet reached him and Tai punched her spine with both of his fists. A loud explosion rang out and Quiet skid back to Summer, just barely remaining upright. Summer aimed HF Dragonsbreath and let loose all of her shots.
BANG BANG BANG BANG!
"Ahhh!" The shots cut off Quiet's arms, disabling her offensive moves. With Quiet in a daze, Summer dashed forwards with her Semblance while knocking past Quiet. As she stumbled back once more, Summer landed beside Tai, who already had his fist drawn ready.
Quiet skid back to a stop, her breaths short with her injuries. She felt herself heal slowly. Damn them, damn them! She turned around, eyes filled with hate. She'll kill them all-!
Quiet froze at what she saw.
Summer and Tai stood side by side, Summer's right and Tai's left fists drawn back to attack.
No-!
"HAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Tai and Summer punched together. A loud crack resounded in the air, both their fists hitting Quiet's face and sending her flying back. The two of them raised their smoking fists together, letting out tired breaths.
Quiet landed on her back and skid on the sand, creating a trail leaking with black Grimm ooze. Her eyes were filled with pain, teeth clenched and sweat going down her brow. With hate she stood back up, her mouth starting to open as her limbs began to grow back.
Tai felt himself go into shock, eyes wide and body turning tense. She was still going?! After all of that?!
"...How..?" Summer echoed his thoughts. She too was beginning to run low on stamina. Add to that her already deteriorating condition, her hope was starting to run out.
Quiet stood straight, eyes looking to the sky. Her limbs started to grow back, this time both of them parasite-infecting tentacles.
"What…?" Tai whispered.
Quiet opened her mouth.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Grimm tentacles shot out from every inch of Quiet's body. They chased down Tai and Summer, who tried their best to dodge.
Summer used her Semblance to dash around, leaving behind black particles. Left, right, jump, duck, she could keep up with its speed relatively easier.
Tai had a much harder time. He was never focused on speed, and his Aura was starting to run low. He took a step to the right, one missing him just barely. Another came at him from the left, but he used LimitBreak's explosion to punch it away. Another lunged straight for his face. Tai tilted his head back, letting it soar over, then grabbed it by the stalk and cut it off with an explosion.
The explosion blinded him just for a moment due to the proximity. He cleared his vision with his hand as fast he could. He needed to stay aware-!
Tai realised too late that one was coming from his left. He just managed to skip to the side, but the tentacle still grazed his knee.
"Argh!" Tai fell to a knee, pain flaring from his wound. He took a look and gasped when he saw something black begin to grow the blood.
Summer skid to a stop and looked to Tai. Horror spread to her face. "NO!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Quiet continued to scream, more tentacles growing from her body. Summer cursed under her breath and began dodging once more, this time doing her best to take Quiet's attention away from her husband. She fired a shot from HF Dragonsbreath. The shot landed on Quiet's shoulder, barely doing anything. Summer growled and tried to fire again.
Click!
Dammit, she was out of rounds! Summer abandoned that idea and once again did her best to take the focus away from Tai.
Meanwhile, Tai struggled to heal his wounds. "Get outta there, Tai! Beryl's thirty seconds away!" Venom spoke with urgency from his earpiece.
"I'm trying!" Tentacles kept flying around, Summer dancing with grace. Tai grit his teeth as he tried to stand up but fell back to a knee. Summer can't use her Semblance can't be used forever! He had to movemovemove!
Tai saw a tentacle come in from his right. He punched it away with an explosion. Another from his left. Tai punched it away with another explosion, but stumbled back from instability. He lost his footing and fell back to the sand, though the attack was halted. He tried standing back up, but blood sprouted from his left knee and the Grimm part grew faster. Tai fell back down with a growl. Dammit-!
Another tentacle rushed to Tai. He saw with horror as it flew to him fast, then hovered above him with its sharp end pointing to his vulnerable throat. Aura won't stop it.
He needed to roll! Tai tried, but more pain shot up from his knee.
No! Shit-!
The tentacle lunged.
Suddenly, Tai felt himself being kicked away. He across the sand against his will, tumbling along until he felt his back hit a rock.
"Ah…" Tai shook his head and quickly looked up to where Quiet was. His eyes shot out in horror.
Summer stood where he was just a moment before. She gargled blood and motioned for he throat, Quiet's tentacle piercing it true and finalising her transformation.
"SUMMER!" Tai shouted. He struggled to stand up. "NO NO NO NO!"
Quiet screamed again. More tentacles burst from her body and struck Summer. Her arms, her gut, her legs, with each pierce she turned faster into a Grimm Hybrid.
Tai felt tears leak out of his eyes. He barely noticed the sound of a Bullhead approaching.
No, after everything they survived…
All at once, Quiet stopped screaming. Her tentacles roughly pulled out of Summer. She stumbled slightly from the sudden action, red blood leaking out from her wounds and turning into black ooze.
Tai watched as Summer stood still, the air changing with her transformation. No, this couldn't be happening!
Tai heard the Bullhead landing behind him. He couldn't turn his head to see Beryl leaping out with her shotgun in hand. All he saw was Summer, Summer, Summer!
Summer turned his head towards him.
Tai's breath was caught in his throat.
Her Silver Eye had a distinctive hostility to it, one he never saw in her before. All of her skin was now chalk white, Grimm-black tearmarks running down her single Silver Eye. She smirked at him with cruel intent. "Hello, darling.Surprised to see me?"
Tai felt defeat wash over him.
He failed.
BANG!
A shotgun blast hit her face, the impact skidding Summer back and turning her face into a bloody mess. Tai was confused. What-?
He felt Beryl's hand grab his collar. She pushed him back with her, dragging him to the Bullhead behind her. She fired potshots with her shotgun from her other hand, an unwilling Tai making her job much harder. Beryl grit her teeth. "Come on, Tai. We gotta go!"
Tai realised what was happening. He felt his body being dragged closer and closer to the Bullhead. No, he can't leave her!
"We can't leave her behind!" Tai shouted. He struggled in her grip, but was unable to break free. Fuck! "Let me go!" He screamed. "We've got to-!"
A chuckle broke out. They both paused as they saw Summer's face heal from a bloody mess back to full health. She laughed darkly, her face reforming as she looked at Tai eye to eyes. "You're not getting away that easy, love."
Summer lunged forwards with her Semblance. Her cloak wrapped around her as she flew dead on to cloak unravelled as she hovered above Tai, HF Dragonsbreath ready to shoot his skull.
Beryl turned her shotgun into a baseball bat. She moved to swing it at Summer, but the Hybrid was quicker. She turned and did a kick mid-air, abandoning her aim at Tai and knocking Beryl away.
She landed before the hopeless Tai. His entire body was filled with horror as Summer leered down at turned her Grimm hand into a bony blade. She grabbed her husband's collar and pulled him close, levelling her sword at Tai's throat.
Tai's eyes were filled with grief as he looked into Summer's hateful own. She chuckled at his despair, and pushed her sword closer to his throat. Its edge rubbed against the bloodstreams on his throat. "Next time," She smirked. "I won't be going so easy."
Summer slammed her elbow to Tai's head and let him go. His head landed on the sand, just before the landing platform of the Bullhead. Summer stood tall against the prone Tai. Maybe now he'd see the folly-
Bang!
Beryl fired another shot, hitting Summer in the side and forcing her back. Summer dropped HF Dragonsbreath from the shock. Beryl cocked another round and fired again, this time Summer dodging back. Slowly, Summer began to retreat, as did Quiet alongside her.
Before she left, she shot Tai one more glance. He was finally dragged inside the Bullhead, him still in defeat and Beryl aiming her shotgun at them ready to fire another round.
Summer gave Tai one last smirk. "Until next time, love."
She turned around with Quiet. Then, the two leapt away into the desert, losing visibilities in less than a second.
Beryl sighed and lowered her shotgun, grabbing Tai's handgun along the way. She went back to Tai and dragged him to a seat in the Bullhead, then fired the autopilot straight to Mistral.
Tai was silent, gaze to the floor. Beryl pulled out an Aura syringe and injected it into his knee, healing the Grimm wound.
Beryl sighed when Tai didn't respond one bit, chucking the Aura syringe away. "Feeling better, Headmaster?"
Tai growled, his face settling into anger. He realised it all. They'd been played.
"The villagers were nothing but a smokescreen." He spat out. "They chased us out so we'd get tired first, then Quiet finished us off." Tai yelled in anger and stood up, clenching his fists and Aura flashing for a moment with rage . "GAH! THEY PLAYED US LIKE A DAMN FIDDLE!"
He turned to Beryl and grabbed her shoulders. "TURN THE BULLHEAD BACK! WE'VE GOT TO TRY THE MISSION AGAIN! THIS ISN'T RIGHT! SHE WAS RIGHT THERE…!"
"W-we can't afford that-!"
"Please, Beryl…!" Tai's grip loosened. All at once, his composure broke, and he fell to the ground in a mess. Tears began to leak out of his eyes, and Tai broke into a sob.
"She-she was right there…" Tai begged. He closed his eyes and the tears flowed freely.
She was right there, and he failed her again.
And that's a wrap. Tai's main focus on the enemy forces, and a clue for Venom on who's behind the scenes of Salem in Vale. Getting Summer back won't be that easy, and it'll take every inch of his willpower to go on. Summer's state is embodied in one lyric that will be used here.
"I gave my life, not for honour, but for you."
Sorry not sorry for being such a downer chapter.
Thank you for reading, and I hoped you enjoyed.
See you next time.
Review Responses:
To CriticaOfRandomness, Glad you liked it! As for Ozpin, hm, that's a good idea. I'll look more into RWBY Volume 3, see how that plays out!
To Segwayman, ah yes, for the nanomachines, that's a great idea for this story! I think I could implement it in the future. Thanks, and also for reading!
To SolSparda369, Indigo's definitely inching more towards murder than Team JNPR. I don't think Pyrrha's gonna shake, she'll make a compromise to do things her own way. She's a strong girl here, champion or no. Also, hope you enjoyed the Tai part here. As for Raiden & Jaune spotting the mole, that depends on someone who's already en-route to Vale… Thanks for reading, as always!
To Dhestyra, thank you!
To Gwynx, thanks for the compliment, truly! Hope you liked this!
To Guest, just like Tai here, "A lot has changed." Thank's for keeping up!
To KenSanders, Ozpin's 'dirty secrets' will be uncovered, as it should, just in time. Can't have him down from power just yet, 'cause like it or not Vale needs him.
For Just a reader now a writer, this is still up in the air, but there's another person thats gonna be Yang's first fight in this arc, and it's not Jaune. Still thinkin' about that one. As for Pyrrha, you'll just have to wait and see :) As always, thanks for reading and for the compliments! Hope you liked this chapter!