A/N: Alright you greedy bastards. This is the last of my pre-written chapters. Updates will be slower as we progress. Figured I'd toss in what going on in Summer's neck of the woods. Big fight at the end, too. Also wondering, how are people liking Adam and Sienna? They are still developing into the characters we know from the series, and Arthur may change how they act in the future. And everyone is calling for Arthur to slay the tiger.
Chapter 4
It took Summer nearly a week to meet Mrs. Adler in Saint Denis. 'At a tavern' had been Arthur's instructions, and Summer had quickly learned that there were quite a few taverns and bars in the biggest city in the region. Valentine, Strawberry, and Rhodes were all small little towns that could dry up in a single season, and they had the size to match such a fate. Saint Denis was filled with people from all over, and many of them were there to stay. As such, there were plenty of watering holes and brothels to choose from, and there was no telling which one Sadie Adler was at. On top of that, unless she was a lucky lush, it was entirely possible that Summer would find the right bar at the wrong time, and completely miss the woman because she had gone home or on a job.
Eventually, Summer just settled on asking around the local bars, and when the barkeeps recognized Adler's name, Summer told them to pass along that a friend of Arthur Morgan was wanting to speak to her. Twelve hours later, Summer found herself inside the inn next to the market when a blonde woman in a striped white buttoned shirt and a wide brimmed hat sat down next to her. Summer had maintained her corset and white cloak, though she kept the hood down as to not be too out of place. Still, a woman walking around in a cloak drew some attention. Unlike the Murfree Brood the night she had met Arthur, the people of Saint Denis had already learned not to bother her. There were still a few men unconscious and hanging from street lights by their belts.
"I hear you've been looking for me." Adler's voice was rough; a product of hard living and harder drinking. Summer was instantly reminded of Raven, though the other female member of Team STRQ didn't sound like she gargled gravel for fun.
"I have. I'm here to fulfill a debt." Summer sipped her water, since it was too early in the day to be drinking alcohol in her opinion. To her total lack of surprise, Sadie waved the bartender down and ordered a beer. When it slid up to her, the blonde woman knocked half of it back in one go, setting the glass down with a long sigh.
"And what kind of debt would that be?"
"Arthur Morgan saved my life. He agreed to look after my family, and I agreed to help save some of his." Summer let Sadie sit on that for a moment. "He was very sick when I saw him last. I don't know if he made it or not. But he asked me to save John Marston from prison and get his family away from Dutch Van der Linde." Arthur hadn't said the last part specifically, but a week of looking for Sadie had given Summer a decent perspective on Arthur's former gang. All she had to do was read the wanted posters. At the news of Arthur's potential demise, Sadie's shoulders hunched stiffly. The woman said nothing for a time, then finished her beer and waved for another. The bartender slid it her way, but this time Sadie didn't touch it.
"So he really is gone. Charles said he'd left camp for the last time, but I guess I was holding out hope..." Sadie clearly wanted to say more, but Summer probably wasn't the person to sympathize with. Sure enough, skepticism enter her voice. "How do I know you aren't trying to arrest the lot of us?"
"I don't name drop dying men, if that's what you're asking. He helped me with his dying breath, so I wanted to repay his kindness. Despite how he felt about himself, Arthur was a good man." Summer's response was cold and quick, not entirely pleased with what Sadie was accusing her of. The blonde woman didn't seem too taken aback, more like Summer was confirming what she already suspected. Sadie looked down at the drink she still hadn't touched, then back at Summer. The Huntress returned her look coolly, not blinking as Adler searched for whatever she could find to believe her.
"Alright then. I told Arthur to meet me almost two weeks ago. I hired a balloon pilot to help me get a look at the prison while I waited. Things got a little hairy, but I spotted John working in the fields. If we take a boat to the island and watch for him, I think we can break him out when he comes for work detail." Sadie looked Summer up and down. "It's probably going to get messy. You sure you can handle yourself in a fight?"
Summer rolled her eyes and stood, her cloak moving just enough to show the glint of her sword before she stepped away from her stool. Sadie had to have noticed it, and the blonde woman followed close behind her. The drink she had ordered remained untouched.
"Just get us to the island and I'll handle the rest. Arthur had quite a bit of money saved up; nearly eight thousand dollars. If we can get Marston and his family out, can you help them escape? I won't be welcome in the main camp." Summer was no fool; she new Dutch Van der Linde and his gang would attempt to fill her with holes the second she stepped out of the treeline. It would probably be poor form to repay Arthur's kindness by slaughtering his old gang.
"Abigail and I have talked it over in passing, but I'll need to get John back before we make any real plans. Micah has stepped in as Dutch's second ever since Arthur left. Dutch said he left a letter, but he won't let anyone read it. I haven't seen him leave his tent in days." Sadie shrugged on a large coat over her shoulders, surprising considering the bayou heat. "Micah is a real ass, but I think he's calling the shots just because Dutch is too broken up over Arthur...leaving." Summer followed close behind as Sadie pushed her way out of the tavern, the two woman squinting in the summer heat of Saint Denis. A few passing men gave Summer some odd looks, but it was such a common thing for her that she ignored it easily. Sadie chose to comment on it, however.
"Not that I'm going to turn down help, but where the hell did Arthur find you? You get lost on your way to France or something?" Sadie led the way to the less developed part of town, with more wooden fences than brick buildings. Summer couldn't fault Adler for her curiosity, but explaining herself over and over was starting to become a bore.
"I'm definitely not from around here. I was passing through the area when some Murfree boys surprised me during a private moment." Sadie winced at that, and Summer nodded in agreement. "Yeah, not the best time to fight off a bunch of toothless idiots. They knocked me out and tied me up. When I woke up, Arthur was in the middle of a gunfight, and no one was paying attention to me. So I slipped out of the ropes just in time to kill the last of them. Arthur offered to give me a ride to the nearest town, and we camped out for the night. I sent him off to get some medical help, and he asked me to help you. I hope he made it..." Summer stared out toward the open sea as they came into view. The slums of Saint Denis sat at an angle away from the port, allowing the ocean breeze to wash across them, bringing with it the scent of sea salt and a faint odor of fish. A few people walked by them as they emerged from the alleys, and these folks seemed a bit more rough around the edges than the others Summer had encountered. Torn and patched clothing, haggard and unshaven faces, even a few scars that looked like they needed medical attention. Sadie led the way past them all, to a large brown horse that was hitched to a post near the bridge that led out of the city.
"That's a beautiful animal." Summer commented, watching as Sadie stroked the horse's neck. The widow smiled at the honest praise, allowing the horse to nuzzle her palm as she looked back at Summer.
"Thanks. Arthur helped me catch him when we were close to the plains near Valentine. He found his horse out there too, but that was a few weeks earlier. Only Arthur Morgan would be lucky enough to find a wild Thoroughbred." Sadie shook her head wistfully, but Summer's eyes narrowed. The widow continued to pet her horse with one hand, but the other stayed right next to her hip, and by extension her pistol. This was a test, Summer realized. To make sure she hadn't name dropped just to corner Arthur's friends.
"I'm pretty sure Famine is an Arabian, not a Thoroughbred." Summer crossed her arms and huffed. "Can we stop with the cloak and dagger stuff, already? It took me a week in this dusty town to find you, and the only reason I waited that long is because I don't know what John Marston looks like. Not to mention he probably wouldn't come with me if I busted him out alone." Sadie glanced at her for a moment out of the corner of her eye, then finally relaxed and let her hand fall to her side.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Can't be too careful these days, especially with Dutch acting like he's lost his marbles. Come on, I've got a boat hitched near the beach that we can use." Sadie hopped up into the saddle and turned around to help Summer up, only to be just as surprised as Arthur had been when the cloaked woman simply jumped up from a relaxed position to suddenly mount the horse comfortably behind Sadie. Mrs. Adler looked behind herself with a stunned expression, and Summer only offered a knowing smirk in return.
"...And the Murfree boys caught you off guard?" Summer's face heated in embarrassment.
"They literally caught me with my pants down! Even I can't fight ten men off like that!" The mortified reply finally cracked the cool veneer Summer had, and Sadie threw back her head and laughed as she flicked the reins, guiding her horse toward the path that led to her boat she had squirreled away. When she had stolen it, Sadie had pictured herself and Arthur paddling to the far shore, coming up with some far fetched plan to save John and bring him back to his family. With the veteran gunslinger gone though, the ocean looked a little less hopeful. Hopefully wherever Arthur was, he had a good view of the sea.
Arthur hated looking at the ocean. After a day or so, the constant view of water, water, clouds, and against all odds more water really wore on the psyche. Arthur had tried to wonder how sailors did it without losing their minds, but then he was reminded that most people that made sea travel a profession were a little off their rocker to begin with. The few things good he could say about the trip were the things he learned along the way.
First off, he had finally come to terms with the fact that home was more than just a few weeks travel away. The map Sienna had shown him, technology in general, everyone's total ignorance of words like 'America' and 'Europe', and the Faunus told him that he had been far away from the state of Lemoyne. But it took staring up at the shattered moon on one of the few nights his medicine didn't send him into a coma to realize that Earth itself was a foreign concept.
When Arthur had finally discovered that, his reaction had been... understandable. Thankfully, Remnant's sailors and Earth's sailors shared one thing in common at least: their love for all things alcohol. A few lien cards and a meetup later, and Arthur had drowned his worries away in the nastiest grog he had ever tasted. Sienna had taken special care to wake him up extra early, opening every source of light in his cabin just to make sure he greeted the day properly. Though he could definitely say that the tiger Faunus was his friend, she was also placed on Remnant for the sole express purpose of tormenting him.
After he had recovered, Arthur explained to Sienna exactly why he had sought total inebriation, and she had comforted him as best she could, distracting him with tales of the White Fang's exploits and teaching him a few things about Aura. When he had first used it, the energy had come to him on instinct alone, flowing with what he already focused on in the middle of a fight; the impact of his fist, the strength of his forearm if he blocked a punch, and hardening his abdomen in the event he was put into a corner. With Sienna's instruction, however, Arthur was able to do the things he saw her do. The first night, he'd jumped up to the mast of the ship and was so surprised that he'd actually accomplished it that he nearly fell into the drink again.
According to the Lady Khan, there was a whole warrior subculture within the Huntsmen and Huntresses dedicated to mastering their Aura and defeating the creatures of Grimm. From Sienna's tales about the monsters, Arthur was a damn sight pleased that Famine had dragged him toward a city and not some desert canyon full of horrible monstrosities. That would have ended his adventure quick, fast, and in a hurry. When Summer had said that she was a Huntress, Arthur had no idea just how much more that meant than simply hunting creatures. Huntsmen were heroes here, famous men and women that had incredible powers and slew horrendous creatures in the name of peace and safety. Or at least, that was the idea. As with anything involving people, there was more than one Huntsman that had ulterior motives. The minority that did not fight for the people were generally the ones that Sienna took issue with.
More important than the people that hunted them, the Grimm were a serious problem that Arthur had ignored up until this point. While everyone he spoke to, Adam included, could not stress enough the danger of the creatures of Grimm, Arthur found it difficult to believe that anything could be more deadly than people with super powers. The fifth day on the water, however, proved him wrong.
Arthur started his day like he had the previous two, relaxing on the deck and helping out whenever someone needed it. He and Adam were still having the weird pattern of speaking to each other and then avoiding each other, but the conversations they did have were enlightening when it came to the young Faunus' perspective. He was still an ass, but it was far easier to understand his general contempt for humanity after hearing more about the Schnee Dust Company. Arthur was certain that there was a little embellishment, but he was more than familiar with the behavior of a big company around little people.
The morning sun did little to further leather his face, though Tukson had introduced a bottle of what he called 'sun block'; a lotion that protected the skin and kept him from looking like a burnt piece of gristle. Arthur had tried it, and he had to admit that the cool liquid felt good on the hot day. He'd be damned if he knew enough about the disease he was supposedly preventing. If he was going to get 'cancer' from the sun, he probably already had it.
It was almost noon when Arthur noticed the first signs of trouble. The ship's crew, independent of the White Fang, were the first to start acting worried. They were running around the deck, passing messages in hushed whispers. Faces hardened, and the sailors stopped joking around and went about their duties with far more gravity. Arthur stopped one of them to ask what the problem was, but the gruff response had been, "Hopefully nothing." The man had jerked his arm from Arthur's grasp and left before he could ask further. The White Fang were just as clueless as he was, and Tukson had offered a shrug when Arthur asked him the same thing.
"Who knows?" The man said with a frown. "Rumor is a sailor's worst enemy, and they're being pretty tight lipped about it. If I find out though, I'll let you know." Arthur nodded and went down into the hold, certain that Famine would pick up on the mood and start getting anxious. Sure enough, the horse was whinnying and kicking the small corner he had been boxed into, a generous allowance by the captain given that he was hauling cargo and people, not animals. The fact that a human used that reason to dislike a horse while working with the White Fang was not unappreciated. Sienna liked the captain, and far be it from Arthur to rain on that friendship by letting his horse annoy everyone.
"Settle down!" He hissed, grabbing the Arabian's reins and pulling him down. The horse continued to snort and stomp, clearly upset about something. The behavior wasn't new; in fact, it was something Arthur encouraged. Whenever a predator came near Famine, Arthur wanted the horse to rail and stomp and make a racket. But down here in the hold of a ship? What predator could be out here?
To answer his unasked question, a loud clang filled the hold, and Arthur was thrown from his feet as the entire ship rocked. Famine brayed his displeasure once more, but four legs served him better than Arthur's two and the horse remained standing. The gunslinger found himself face down underneath one of the nearby trucks, though he was quick to regain his footing and stand. All around the hold, Arthur could hear the crew yelling and barking orders to each other, and there was a pained scream somewhere near the ladder that led topside.
"Sea Feilong!" The cry came from the bow. As Arthur raced to get back up onto the main deck, the cry was echoed all along the ship. He took the steps two at a time, panting heavily and thankful as hell that his lung were healed. When he reached the top deck, he less met and more plowed into Adam as the two tried to pass each other on the narrow deck.
"What the hell's going on?!" Arthur demanded. Adam sneered and ducked around him, tossing a pointed look behind him.
"A creature of Grimm. It's a big one too!" Adam offered no further explanation, instead focused on turning the corner and sprinting up to the bridge. The young swordsman was eager to fight, but whatever they were up against was enough to make the arrogant teen run to Sienna. Figuring that she would be wherever Adam was running, Arthur followed suit.
"What the hell kind of explanation is that? You make it sound like it's some kind...of..." Arthur's steps halted with his words as a monstrous splash caught his attention, and the creature that appeared before him wiped any further argument from his mind.
A long, serpentine body stretched from the waves, covered in black and dark gray scales. Two small arms and two Giant wings emerged from the curling body, but the head was the biggest surprise. Long fangs, fins behind the jaw, glowing orange eyes, and the biggest damn thing Arthur had ever seen. The dragon shrieked, a high pitched sound that carried far and chased the warmth from his bones. Two swirling tendrils wafted from underneath its nose, and the Feilong flexed its wings in preparation.
This was why Summer had warned him about the Grimm. This was why humanity, despite having truly absurd abilities and powers, was almost wiped from the face of the planet. And as Arthur stared at the massive sea dragon, the creature stared right back at him with burning orange eyes. They stayed there, locked in a stare down as Arthur struggled to comprehend exactly what he was looking at.
For whatever reason, the spell was broken, and Arthur blinked in surprise when electricity began building in the mouth of the Feilong. Arthur cursed and wrapped around the stairs, climbing even faster knowing that whatever the dragon was up to, it probably wasn't good.
"We're gonna need a bigger boat!" Arthur swore loudly as he clanged up the ladder. When he reached the next landing, a member of the White Fang that he wasn't familiar with was already there. She waved for him to stay back, and Arthur felt the hairs stand up on the back of his head when he turned to look at the dragon. He was lucky that he did, as the glimpse allowed him to throw himself to the ground when a streak of lightning, yellow and crackling and - holy hell what is this?! - flew over his head. The woman dodged it as well, but in doing so threw her weight over the side and began to tumble. Arthur watched the White Fang woman teeter, and he urged himself to his feet. Once again, against his will, the world turned golden and time slowed down. Instead of being in a fight, however, Arthur used his increased reflexes to grab the woman by the vest and drag her back from the brink. The woman panted in surprise, looking between Arthur and the fall that might have seriously hurt her with wide eyes.
"Thank you!" Arthur nodded and held up a hand to stop any further appreciation.
"Yeah, you're welcome miss. Now get somewhere safe before that thing burns us to ashes." He didn't say it unkindly, but she flinched anyway. She was likely more embarrassed about losing her cool during an attack than being offended by his words, though.
"You're right, sorry. Let Leader Khan know that we have most of the sailors secure in the hold. But we'll have to fight it to survive this!" With that, the woman slipped past Arthur, descending the ladder he had just come up himself. With that taken care of, another hiss from the dragon encouraged Arthur to get a move on. Two more flights later, and he was barging through the hatch that led to the bridge, where several familiar figures were watching the dragon.
"A Feilong, this far from the trench? What could have drawn it here?" The captain muttered, more worried about the map before him than the dragon sweeping across the deck outside. The man wore a brimmed cap and a light jacket, the buttons on the dark blue garment shined brass. His gray hair puffed out from underneath his hat like a cloud of smoke, and a thick mustache and mutton chops ran down to his chin. Hard gray eyes roamed the map before him, and the stress lines on his face were hard earned. Beside him, Sienna looked far more worried about the Grimm.
"It matters not what drew it here. Do we have the capacity to kill it?" A chain wrapped around her left arm, and the way she was tensed told Arthur she was ready to use it. Behind her, Adam nodded in his direction.
"So, what did I miss?" Arthur drawled, slamming the hatch behind him and approaching the table they were huddled around. "Besides the giant sea monster outside, anyway?" Sienna didn't appreciate his joke, but she seemed glad to see him anyway.
"The first hit we took damaged the screws of the ship. We're dead in the water until the captain and his men can repair it. They can't do that until we kill that thing." Sienna reported heatedly, her amber eyes never leaving the Feilong outside. Another shriek was heard, and Arthur watched grimly as the creature dove beneath the waves, disappearing into the depths. Judging by how angry it sounded, the thing wasn't going to stay under for good.
"I don't know if you noticed, but a shotgun and some raw cussin' ain't gonna do shit against something that big. I hope you boys brought some big guns, because all I can do is piss it off." Arthur stepped to the empty spot around the table, in between Sienna and Adam. Neither Faunus seemed opposed, though Adam's mask made it difficult to tell what he was thinking. Why the boy wore it everywhere he went, Arthur would never know.
"I can't take it down unless it gets onto the ship itself. My sword doesn't exactly reach out over water that." Adam said lowly, thumbing said out of its sheath. Arthur wasn't sure what a blade would do against a giant sea monster period, but it wasn't his business either way.
"Well I have good new then. The White Fang just got the last of the sailors into the hold. They'll be safer there than anywhere else. The downside is, you're looking at the only capable hands above the waterline." Arthur patted his holster on his hip. "I can attract it when it comes up, but we're fish food if you need me to do anything more." Arthur wished he had more to contribute, but Sienna was already nodding. Another roar from outside reminded them that time was no on their side.
"That might be just what we need. Arthur, go with Adam. Draw the beast's attention, but control yourself. The fight is lost if we sink the boat along with the Grimm." turning to the skipper, her eyes hardened. "I'll try to keep it away from the hold and the bridge, but its up to you to coordinate us. The Feilong is too large and too agile for us to watch it effectively. Use the intercom and call out where it surfaces."
Adam let Sienna and Captain Mathieson speak, preferring to focus on his orders and little else. Since he was responsible for keeping the kid alive, Arthur followed behind him with an exasperated groan. The two walked out of the hatch, Arthur closing it behind him. Adam never changed pace, forcing Arthur to hurry to catch up to him.
"You don't have to help me, you know." Adam called over his shoulder. "Sienna is just as capable of getting its attention as you are." Arthur rolled his eyes, though the boy didn't see it as they marched out onto the main deck. Adam slowed his pace, allowing Arthur to walk by his side. The Feilong was nowhere to be seen, but a sinister rumble from below told them it hadn't lost interest in them.
"Go suck a railroad spike. You're crazy if you think I'm gonna let you fight this overgrown cotton mouth alone." Arthur snarled, not in the mood for the chip on the boy's shoulder. Adam snorted, clearly not amused with Arthur's answer.
"Why? Because Sienna asked you to?" Another rumble shook the ship, and the two men stood back to back, scanning for the serpent. Of all the times to have this out, he chose now! The boy had worse timing than Bill.
"No! Because letting someone fight a giant sea dragon on his own is a shitty thing to do! You think that maybe I don't have a crooked moral compass?" Arthur was about to say more, but feedback on the ship's intercom interrupted his poorly timed tirade.
"It's coming up the port side, near the bow! Watch that anchor!" The captain's voice was scratch and loud, but his superior vantage point let him see the creature as it hugged the hull, rising as far as it could silently. When Adam and Arthur turned to face it, however, the Feilong rose to its full height and screeched a challenge. The long shriek was punctuated by three shots as Arthur drew and fired, his twin Schofield revolvers barking rounds at the beast as Adam rushed toward it. The young Faunus ran to the edge of the deck as Arthur continued to harry the beast, his eyes locked on its serpentine body that was pressed against the hull. Wilt left its sheath with a whisper, and he took the blade in both hands for a rare two handed strike.
Just before blade met flesh, the body of the Feilong shifted and twisted, pulling itself away from his blade by a good eight feet. As committed as Adam was to the strike, only the raised metal of the railing saved him from chasing the Grimm out into the open water. Looking up with a gasp, Adam could only barely back step out of the way before a long stream of lightning struck the deck where he had been standing. The Faunus landed on his backside with a grunt, and a strong grip on his collar made him look up in surprise. Arthur had a hold of him and was dragging him back toward the center of the ship, away from the dragon.
"You damn fool!" Arthur cursed, firing Death one handed as he pulled. "If it fires down on you like that, it'll go into the hold! Our people are down there!" As if to reinforce his point, Adam's more sensitive hearing picked up on panicked shouts and pained cries below. His mistake had just gotten someone hurt. The shame burned him, and Adam gritted his teeth in anger.
"What do you suggest I do then?" Adam snarled, standing up and shrugging off Arthur's hand as the two stared up at the Feilong. The dragon rumbled ominously, its glowing eyes alive with primal intelligence. It was smart enough to feint, and therefore wasn't to be taken lightly. If they were fighting on land, Adam was certain he was fast enough to hem the creature in and shred it to pieces. Out here on the ocean, though, the Feilong had the advantage. It didn't take a genius to find out that anyone falling into the water was doomed.
"We've gotta keep its attention up here." Arthur opened the cylinder on his revolver and started dumping rounds into it. "If it misses us up here, it'll just go out to sea. Now I can shoot it all day, but what can you do to put it down? Floss its teeth with that toothpick you got there?" Adam ignored the barb shot at his weapon, and sheathed it like he had been trained to do. Keeping it naked and to his side was as disrespectful as it was useless.
"If I can absorb a few of those breath attacks, my Semblance can put it down for good." Adam replied, crouching down a little as the dragon began snarling again. It wasn't content to let them plan, and the animal savagery in its gaze guaranteed they were going to have to work for it. There was a distant rattle of chains, and suddenly a large throwing knife embedded itself in the creature's neck. It squawked in surprise, and then the knife exploded in a gout of fire. This time, its shriek was one of pain.
From the side port side and running to the fore, Sienna twisted her chain under one arm and fastened another knife, eyes blazing as she regarded the creature. This animal, this thing had the audacity to attack the people under her protection. It was something the Khan took rather personally.
"What's the plan, gentlemen?" She called out, ducking and running along the outside of the hull as another beam of lightning struck out towards her. It flew over her head as Sienna grabbed the edge of the railing and actually ran along the hull itself, a single railing the difference between dodging the attack and a watery grave. "It won't just sit there and wait for you to attack!"
"Adam says he wants to get hit by it, and I guess it's my job to piss it off!" Arthur hollered back, and made good on his role by opening fire once more. The Feilong hissed as his round impacted with its mask, and one even got close to an eye. Considering him the greater threat, it snarled and dove towards him, intent on swallowing him whole. Cursing as the creature rushed at him, Arthur only barely avoided its teeth as he slid forward, fanning the hammer on Death and driving rounds up into what he hoped was a vulnerable throat. He watched them go in, pockmarking the Grimm's hide as he came to a stop and rolled left, but the serpent made no further screams of pain. Whatever anatomy let it dive down deep apparently made it resistant to bullets.
"Let's see how he likes these." Arthur muttered, his hand diving into a vest pocket and withdrawing his express rounds. The bullets were made with a heavier charge and used a hollow point round at higher velocity. If he were shooting from one hundred yards, they would be wildly inaccurate and the hollow points wouldn't have enough force to cause the big holes they were known for. Here, up close? They would do just fine.
The dragon drew back and spewed more lightning at Adam, who was actually able to catch a blast on his blade this time. True to his word, though Arthur could admit to doubting him, the teen gritted his teeth as his blade glowed red, then sheathed it again as soon as the attack was over. His hair, the slits on his mask, and the rose motif on his jacket glowed red slightly as he grinned.
"I need a few more shots, then we can take this thing down!" He called, ducking and rolling as the dragon followed up on its shot with a snap of its jaws. More and more of the creature crept out of the ocean, swaying this way and that like an angry snake. It was close enough that Adam could get in a few slashes, but that meant any time it fired down on them, the blast went into the hold.
"Hey Arthur, how's that plan coming along?" Adam taunted, running his blade along the serpent's belly and leaving behind a thin red line in its black flesh. The dragon shrieked once more, and began ignoring Arthur in favor of chasing the infuriating little swordsman.
"Oh shut up! It's after you now! Try to keep it on the edge!" Arthur loaded his new rounds and frowned, wondering just how upset Sienna would be if he let the dragon eat the little bastard. Probably more than he felt like dealing with. Sighing heavily and wondering how the hell he had gotten into this, Arthur let his special ammunition fly just as the main boy of the serpent passed him. Where his normal rounds had dug in with no visible effect, the hollow point rounds poked some much bigger holes into the flesh. They flattened entirely on the bony armor plates, so Arthur did his best to focus on the unprotected areas. This time, the dragon screeched and shrieked, and he was even rewarded with black blood dropping down to the deck. The Feilong continued to chase Adam, but it doing so exposed Arthur to a very tempting target.
"Now we're getting somewhere!" Arthur crowed, ducking back toward the bridge to avoid the dragon's pained spasms. With Arthur shooting it up and causing actual damage, the dragon didn't have the focus to dodge Adam's blade as effectively. One poorly timed roll and Adam was in the crease of the dragon's body, just between its throat and belly. He dug in and began to carve and carve and carve, black blood drenching his blade as he stabbed and slashed to maximum effectiveness.
The combined assault of Arthur's new rounds and Adam's punishing blade was enough to force the dragon to change tactics. The deck was slick with oil-like blood, and the serpent had taken far more wounds than it had expected. The Feilong retracted swiftly from the deck of the ship, forcing Arthur to check his fire lest he hit Adam by mistake. Sienna came charging around the other side of the deck, her chain spinning and ready to loose another knife. With Arthur pushing express shells and Adam half charged up (according to him), the fight looked to be well in hand.
Until the dragon howled and grew wings, at any rate. Two black wings sprouted from between the beast's back plates, red webbing between strong fringes that stretched in the afternoon sun. Adam grunted in irritation, but Arthur was vocal enough for both of them.
"IT CAN FLY?!" He roared incredulously, digging back into his pouch for the high velocity rounds. Oh, the wisdom of calming his horse and not pulling the damn rifle from its saddle! Sienna just watched as the dragon climbed into the air, its agility taking on new heights as its entire body left the water. Seventy, maybe eighty feet of gargantuan sea dragon became a swooping terror, and Arthur had to run and dive to miss the lightning breath as it flew by. The attack scored across the deck, though this time the plating held. Arthur stood back up, his eyes tracking the predator as he still struggled to believe what he was seeing.
"This is some bullshit right here!" He snarled, turning to see Sienna twirling her chain. The squad leader pursed her lips, tracking the dragon's movements as it came around for another attack.
"Adam, you have to get in front of it! If it keeps attacking from up there, we'll be sunk!" She cried, letting her knife loose. It carried into the air like a dart, and the spinning dragon failed to dodge the blade as it sank deep into the flesh of its shoulder. Another explosion, and that shriek pierced the air once more. This time, it hovered in mid air instead of trying to perform fancy dodges and maneuvers and glared down upon them like an angry god. Despite the fact that it was a monster, a creature of instinct and hatred, Arthur could see the resolve in its eyes. This was it.
"Cluster up!" He barked, running over to where Arthur stood. "If we gotta take a hit, make sure we're the ones it aims at. Adam, you better be ready, boy!" Sienna's light steps put her next to him, her chain hidden to stop from distracting them from their shots.
"Adam, we're counting on you." She whispered, though he could hear the pride in her voice. She was confident in the boy, and knew for a fact that he could block the shot. Arthur hoped she was right. If he couldn't they would live to drown in the sea.
"C'mon, you big sumbitch!" Arthur challenged, fired Death one handed. "We got a present for ya!" Adam nodded and concentrated, his hidden eyes watching the dragon intently. Though it couldn't possibly understand him, Arthur's challenge proved enough to force the Feilong to dive. A sinister roar, deeper than the shrieks and screeches they had drawn from it before, washed over the ship as it fell toward them. The head reared back slightly, like a spitting cobra, and Arthur tensed up. Here it comes.
The lightning shot forward once more, white hot light that sparked angrily through the air. It moved ridiculously fast, and Arthur was certain now that even had he wanted to, there was no dodging the blast. It was larger and more powerful than the beams it had used earlier.
Right when the attack was about to slam into them and wipe the three of them from existence, Adam's sword rose from its sheath. The thin blade, impossible by Arthur's standards to stop anything thicker than a piece of wood, drew in the great blast of energy. The great wash of light made Arthur and Sienna shield their eyes, but the gunslinger watched in amazement as Adam took the entire attack upon his blade. The boy's leg buckled from the strain of the attack, yelling his anger back at the dragon as he continued to take the blast.
As soon as it was over, Adam sheathed his weapon and fell to his knees. Arthur stared down at the young man, bewildered that such a thing was possible. Sienna was paralyzed by no such surprise.
"Adam, get up! You have to kill it!" She urged, pulling him to his feet. The red lines on his jacket were much more prominent now, and he stood almost like a drunkard, listing and unresponsive.
This isn't going to work. Arthur realized. Whatever effort went into absorbing attacks like that, it had been too much for Adam to take and react right away. The dragon was still diving, and if it crashed into the ship they were done for.
Arthur's vision turned golden once more. He stepped back, drawing his pistol as he did so. The revolver still had one high velocity round left, and he knew right where he wanted to put it. Time slowed to a crawl, and he sighted up on the descending monster so set upon ending their lives. There was no sound whatsoever, and it made the click of his hammer sound like a death toll. He watched as the dragon approached, impossibly large and snarling with its huge teeth and beating wings. And just above the teeth, the glowing eye. Arthur pointed, released a breath, and pulled the trigger.
The gunshot brought reality with it, and he was pleased to see his round sink right into the dragon's eye. The Feilong shrieked in pain and pulled up out of its dive, struggling to avoid the painful man with the tiny bullets. Because it pulled up, the serpent didn't crash into the deck. As it passed over, Adam's blade came free.
The world went red.
When Arthur became aware once again, he had a warm body on top of him. The subtle sound of the waves washing up against the ship told him he wasn't dead, and Arthur groaned in pain. The last thing he remembered was Adam's attack, and the immense pressure that had followed. Arthur had felt like he was being crushed underneath an elephant, it had been so great. He was alive though, and the body draped over him shifted slightly. Arthur wrapped an arm around it on instinct, hoping Sienna didn't mind it. To be fair, she was quite the looker, and if getting tackled by gorgeous women was going to be a new staple in his life, he wasn't about to complain. At least until she took exception to it.
Sienna shifted again, and Arthur forced himself to open his eyes. If Adam was watching, he'd never hear the end of it. When he finally let the light back in, Arthur could make out the vague shape of someone standing over him. Tanned skin, a humored smirk, and Arthur already knew he was in trouble. If the brat wanted to gloat, then fine. Arthur was comfortable right where he was. The gunslinger blinked again, and the vague shape resolved into Sienna herself, her scroll out and doing something. Sienna was standing over him. Not lying over top of him. That was not Sienna.
That ain't right. Arthur thought to himself, and finally looked down at the person he had held in his arms. Instead of the voluptuous tiger Faunus that had guided him since his arrival in Vacuo, he found the slack jawed, unconscious form of Adam Taurus. Upon realization, Arthur pushed the unconscious teen off of him with the same fervor as one would a snake, his eyes wide and a look of horror on his face as he did so. Adam didn't wake from the action, but simply flopped unceremoniously upon the deck and groaned. Arthur watched him for a moment, still trying to process exactly what he had just done. And Sienna's smile was far too smug.
"I don't want to hear a damn word." Arthur whispered dangerously, a finger pointed at the White Fang leader in warning. Sienna's grin widened, but she showed mercy on him and left whatever comment she had for him unsaid. The tiger Faunus held out a hand to help him up, and Arthur took it gladly, stepping a few paces away from the unconscious Faunus he had so tenderly held.
"What's the damage? Did we lose anyone?" Arthur asked quickly, ignoring the burning in his ears. Sienna stepped away as well, stopping only to roll Adam into a more comfortable position and place his sword by his side.
"Two giant holes in the deck, two broken but repairable screws, and some bumps and bruises down in the hold." Sienna reported. "The trucks made good cover for everyone, but the cab of number three was destroyed. Since it's already empty, we don't desperately need it until we reach dry land. It may take some time repair, though."
"Thank God for that then." Arthur pulled his hat from his head and ran a hand through his hair. Fighting a sea dragon was one thing, but a sea dragon that flies and shoots lightning from its mouth? Arthur could tell that joke for the rest of his days and it would never be funny.
"So that was a Grimm, huh?" Arthur cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders to work out the kinks. What had knocked him out?
"That was a very large and old Grimm. The usual suspects aren't as large or formidable. Congratulations on slaying your first sea monster." Sienna smirked, and Arthur just snorted and put his hat back on.
"Hopefully the last one I ever see. What was it that Adam did back there? I saw him pull the sword, then it was like I woke up from losing a bar fight." Arthur looked back at the unconscious teen, concern on his face as the boy rested. He was clearly okay, but the strangeness of the situation had Arthur on edge.
"Adam's Semblance allows him to absorb damage through his blade and use the energy to heighten his abilities." Sienna explained, walking back toward the bridge. Arthur looked back at the sleeping man on the ground, then decided he'd be fine and wanted to be rid of him anyway. Dusting himself off unconsciously, the gunslinger followed his friend up the ladder.
"Sometimes it's to make him move faster, sometimes he can use basic illusions, but he usually amplifies his sword techniques with it. I think what we saw today was the most he's ever absorbed, however. That strike was a lot, even for Adam." Arthur rolled his eyes and shrugged.
"I didn't even see him kill it. Did he jump up and stab it? Cut its head off maybe?" Sienna paused when he asked, and then continued down the platform instead of walking onto the bridge itself. Curious, Arthur followed her. Instead of answering him, Sienna simply gestured toward the water behind the ship. Sailors were climbing down the aft section of the ship, and their motion attracted his attention at first. But when he finally saw what she was gesturing towards, Arthur had to grab the railing to steady himself.
Floating in the water and slowly disintegrating, the Feilong sat dead among the waves. The incredible part was how it had been bisected at the middle, and the tail end of it was nowhere to be found. Adam had cut the dragon clean in two! Arthur stared at it hard, doubting his vision for more than a few moments. He blinked, finally realizing that it was real, and then looked down at his holsters. Death and Life gleamed in the afternoon sun, ready to draw as they had always been. But in the face of a monstrosity like that, they had done little more than annoy it. Even his most expensive rounds, which he had no way of getting back, had done little more than make it scream and piss it off.
I need something bigger. Arthur realized. His rifle down in the hold wouldn't have done him any more favors than the pistols had, and Sienna had said that the world was full of Grimm. She wasn't even surprised by the Feilong, just noted that it was old and large. She had referenced a giant sea dragon like he would an over-sized catfish.
"The Sea Feilong is dead, and we'll make sure to spread the word that the White Fang defended a ship full of humans from the colossal creature."Sienna crossed her arms and leaned over the railing, her eyes tracking the working sailors like a predator. "Not only did we protect the cargo that we went all the way to Vacuo to get, but we saved some people and got some good publicity in the process. This is turning into quite the successful trip." She looked over at him. "I should bring you along on all my long distance missions."
"What can I say? I'm a lucky guy." The groan that accompanied his statement told her that was a joke, and Sienna chuckled and smiled.
"I saw that shot, by the way. Adam killed the dragon and saved us, but he would have never had the opportunity if you had not shot the eye of a diving dragon with a pistol from over one hundred yards away." Her praise was naked and honest, and Arthur couldn't look at her and take it.
"If I'd have killed it with that bullet, you'd have a point. All I did was make him flinch. But what Adam did out there, that was something special. I just pulled a trigger." Sienna's smile faded as he shrugged off her praise, and she stood up a little straighter.
"Sienna Khan doesn't hand out praise lightly, Arthur." She scolded. "Make no mistake: had you not made that shot, we would be dead. Everyone under my care would be dead. So do me a favor and accept the damn compliment for once." Arthur's eyebrows rose and he backed off a little.
"Uh...yes ma'am. I guess I'm just not used to it, is all." He apologized sheepishly. The tiger Faunus looked away from him, and he could tell his apology didn't entirely mollify the woman. "I can't accomplish what I promised to do if we're all swimming down to hell, and I was the only one who could make the shot. Not that your chains and exploding knives aren't something." He added the last one with a grin, and she glared at him. There was no heat in the look, however, and the two settled back down into a comfortable silence.
"It is strange." Sienna said after a minute or two. "I've spent my entire life witnessing the selfishness and depravity of man, and right when I'm doing something about it, here comes an example of everything I thought absent from mankind. Were it not for your tales of America, I would think you a Faunus in disguise." Given that she was a Faunus freedom fighter, Arthur assumed that she meant that as praise.
"People are people, Sienna. Like I told Adam, if we judged people by the worst examples, there would be no one left to trust. I know I'm not the best man in the world, and I'm okay with that, but it also tells me that most folk are just scared and looking out for themselves. I've seen evil, but I've seen far more good." Arthur leaned forward on the same railing she did, resting his forearms on the metal and nudging her with his shoulder. "Like a White Fang squad leader that hired a down on his luck cowboy and kept him from being killed by his own ignorance." She smiled softly at the praise, then nudged him back.
"I believe the saying I last heard was 'anyone worth a damn would have done the same'?"
"I hope you don't remember anymore phrases like that. Sounds like a real crook." Arthur joked, and Sienna laughed. She laughed a lot longer than he thought the joke warranted, which caused him to be concerned. Looking over at her from the corner of his eye, Arthur felt his blood run cold when she pulled out her scroll.
"He's a wise old cowboy, but I can't agree with his taste in men." She chuckled, and Arthur saw a picture on her scroll that made the blood drain from his face. There on her scroll was an image, one of him clutching tightly to Adam Taurus as if his life depended on it. The two were obviously unconscious, but it didn't make the evidence any less damning. The embarrassment from before came back full force, and Arthur swiped at the device in an attempt to grab it. He wasn't versed with the things well enough to know how to erase something on them, but by God he would make an effort.
Sienna dodged gracefully out of his reach, her laughter coming back full force as she avoided him with ease. The Faunus had the audacity to skip backwards from him as he chased her down, waving the offending device in a taunting manner. Her natural reflexes and experience made it easy for the woman to dodge around the corners and down the ladder, staying far enough ahead to escape his grasp while remaining close enough that he didn't give up the chase. They raced down to the main deck, Arthur cursing up a storm as he followed the laughing Faunus. The few White Fang that had made it topside just stared as their normally stoic commander laughed like a teenager, tossing her scroll from hand to hand as she dodged and ducked under Arthur's red faced attempts to capture her.
When they reached the flat deck where they had just fought a giant sea dragon, Arthur drew a length of rope from his satchel. Tweak my nose, will ya? The loop of rope came to him almost naturally, and he wound it up a few times as he tracked Sienna's shifting form. He was almost ready to let it fly and drag her in when they arrived at his original spot. Adam was sitting up groggily, holding his head and groaning. Sienna kept close enough to Arthur that he couldn't see the downed teenager, then deftly jumped over him and allowed Arthur to trip over his legs.
The rope that he was swinging flew out in front of Arthur in a wasted throw, and the cowboy could only watch as the deck reached up to meet him a second time. As he slammed into the ground, Adam sat up again and looked around, completely out of the loop for why Sienna and the other White Fang members were all bent double laughing.
"What did I miss?" The young man muttered, and Arthur just slammed his own head into the deck a second time in defeat, his hat felling from its perch.
I hate the ocean.