"Mr. Knyte, may I have a word?"
Azure looked up from gathering his notes, raising an eyebrow,
"Something wrong?"
Professor Bruna Malorey was filling in Professor Port's class again. In fact, she had been around quite a lot since the beginning of the new semester. Before that, she'd only taught that one time, but by now the students had gotten used to her coming in and doing the occasional lesson.
She shook her head. "No, nothing serious," she assured. "I promise it won't take much time."
Azure glanced over to Rember. The fox girl waved her hand nonchalantly, smiling.
"No worries. See you back at the dorm!" she told her partner.
Rember got up to leave, the remaining members of KRME and AMBR following close behind. It wasn't long before only Azure and Bruna were left.
"Ooooh, Azure's in trou~ble!" Sonara snickered as the seven students walked through the marble hallways.
"Heheh, Oooo. Him. Her. Alone," Jad grinned, to which Kyra rolled her eyes in mild disgust.
"Dude, no. Just...no."
Valerie chuckled awkwardly. Yeah, Miss Bruna didn't seem like that kind of person, but Jad's comment did bring to mind some ideas on how to spend more time with the young man in white. Well, that was for another time…
"Hey!" Sonara perked up, "You guys wanna go get some ice cream?! I'm reeeaally craving ice cream."
Rember's fox ears perked straight up.
"Sure!" she agreed happily. "Let's meet up in a few, after Azure's back, and we'll all go together!"
The members of AMBR agreed, and the teams continued on until arriving at the dorms, going their separate ways for the time being.
As Rember opened their dorm room, her nose was assaulted by the sweet aroma of flowers, as well as the cool evening breeze caressing her face. It made her freeze for a moment, curiosity pulling at her mind.
Gayle and Jad saw their teammate stop, piquing both their interest.
"You okay, Ber?" the lizard faunus asked.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine…" she responded. Though to be honest, she wasn't really sure.
With no further delay, she entered the room, her teammates right behind her. Getting a good look at everything, nothing about the dorm seemed out of the ordinary, but Rember kept her fox ears swiveling around for sounds, just to be sure. The wind outside cut through their open window, sending chills down Gayle's spine. Without much thought, she closed the shutter tight, rubbing her arms.
"Hehe. Cold blooded?" Jad quipped.
Gayle stuck her tongue out at him. The three took a moment to change out of school uniforms. Once finished, Rember sat in silence as Jad and Gayle went about their business until Azure came back. The fox girl hadn't heard anything strange but despite her best efforts she couldn't seem to relax. And that floral smell still permeated the room.
"Guys, did we leave the window open this morning? And did someone use some new deodorant or something?"
"You saying it wasn't you, Foxy?" Jad asked, his nose sniffling.
As the team had learned some time ago, Jad had an amazingly sensitive nose. It was almost faunus worthy, yet it was more of an annoyance for the redhead than a benefit. Anything with an overpowering aroma tickled his sinuses, especially when it came to detergent and soaps. The rest of the team made efforts to avoid strongly scented products to make his life easier.
Rember shook her head. With a contemplative hum, Jad walked around the room, using his nose as a means of tracking down the source of the smell. He stopped when coming to Azure's bunk, where Thistlebutt was sleeping peacefully. After a quick search, the tall young man produced two flowers and a grey envelope from under their team leader's pillow.
"Bingo."
"That's...interesting," Gayle commented warily.
Rember took the items from her teammate, inspecting them closely. One flower was some kind of rose, petals black with a tinge of purple, while the other was some kind of vine with many small light violet flowers. She turned to Gayle, holding them up so she could observe them.
"Can you ID these?" she asked the lizard girl.
Gayle took a moment to examine them. Her mum had a garden back home, and a fondness for flowers, so she had done her fair share of reading on the topic. "Ummm...well the first one is a rose, I think the Mitternacht rose, and the second is wisteria. I think."
Rember handed the flowers over to Gayle for a closer look, and picked up the letter.
"Ten lien says it's a love letter?" Jad offered.
"Nah. You know Bossman gets those in his locker. Besides, how would they be able to get it into our room?" Gayle rebutted.
That last comment had alarm bells going off in Rember's head. Just how did they get in? Team members were the only ones with key cards locked into their scrolls. An approach from outside? They were a few stories above ground, but it wasn't impossible...and she was sure the window had been closed when they left that morning...
An uncharacteristic frown on her face, Rember opened the envelope and extracted its contents. It was indeed a letter, and with an odd feeling she began to read.
To my dearest friend,
The message I send you is small, yet of great importance, for we have recently arrived in Vale. After all these years we cannot wait to speak with you again! I know it's been some time since we parted ways, and the terms in which we did were...not the best. Yet my desire to reach out to you burns hotter than ever! Please, I need to talk to you, face to face. I'll be waiting for you in the older part of the city, in the place we used to meet...
See you soon,
Reaper
Rember slowly folded the note, placing it back on the bed.
"What'd it say?" Gayle asked.
"Nothing important," Rember dismissed, lying through her teeth and putting on a smile. "Someone just wants to meet up with Azure."
"So it was a love letter!" Jad exclaimed.
"Not really," she clarified, "but it sounds like it's from an old friend of his."
Jad sighed and held up ten dollars for the taking.
"Really? Then we should tell Bossman when he gets back," Gayle suggested, finally setting down the flowers.
Rember went quiet for a moment.
"How about this," she said."Let's go see this person ourselves."
Gayle and Jad looked at each other.
"How come, Foxy?" the red headed young man inquired.
"Yeah. I mean, isn't this person wanting to see Azure? Besides, do you even know where to go?" Gayle added as well.
Rember's patience waned, one triangular ear twitching irritably. "Look, I...Ugh, just come on!" Without another word, she marched out of the room, grabbing her batons on her way out.
"Wait! Ber!" Gayle called after her teammate, hurrying after her. With a shrug of his shoulders, Jad trailed after them nonchalantly. Off they went, then. Pasty wouldn't be too thrilled about the team disappearing without saying anything, but no doubt he'd catch up soon enough…
"So..." Azure asked. "What's up, Ms. Malorie?"
The woman smiled warmly. "Bruna is fine. And let's call this a random checkup."
Azure raised an eyebrow, and the teacher explained further.
"See, I've got a habit of checking in on how my students are doing. Been doing it for a while now."
"I...see?"
"You can relax. I did promise I won't keep you long."
Azure put up his hands in a placating gesture. "Alright," he admitted. "What is it you want to talk about?"
"How are your classes going?" she asked.
"Fine. Gayle helps everyone study so we pass the tests."
"Ms. Mensthe? Yes, she seems quite studious, and very sweet. It's no wonder she offers help. And that Mr. Eclipse is just a bundle of energy. You four seem like quite the group." Bruna smiled kindly. I'm glad she has you three…
Bruna continued her chat with Azure. She would ask something, and the young man would reply as simply as possible. They actually took a little longer than either side anticipated, as the two would occasionally have a conversation about KRME's antics. Bruna actually enjoyed having the team in class, as she felt she could at least count on a few people to get what she was teaching, and getting to chat with Rember again was nice. Regardless, the conversation came to an end and Azure went on his way.
On the way back, he reflected on the conversation. The substitute seemed like a nice enough person. She was definitely a very likable and dedicated teacher. He could understand that, and he had come to respect her.
Eventually, Azure arrived back at the dorm. As he had done so many times before, he unlocked the door, and walked inside.
The first thing Azure registered was a powerful aroma wafting through the room. It reminded him of something that Valerie or Rosalie would wear as perfume, but it was much stronger. No one was inside, which perplexed him. Didn't they say they would be here? Maybe Rember and Jad were trying to pull something on him again, even though it rarely worked.
Without dwelling on it too long, Azure reached for his Scroll and went through his contacts, trying to get in touch with Valerie. If they weren't here, then the next best place to check was with AMBR.
After a moment, Valerie picked up. "Hello?" she asked.
"Hey," Azure greeted curtly, pacing into the dorm. "Are Rem and the others with you?"
"Huh? No, actually. They're not with you?"
"No."
A piece of paper on his bunk caught his eye as he turned to pace again. Odd; he had no memory of it being there earlier. Without much thought he picked it up, inspecting the folded item. He idly noticed it was a note of some kind, but set it down without reading it.
"That's odd. We were all planning to go out for snacks when you got back, so I don't know where they would be."
Azure frowned. Where would they have gone? The young man did another sweep of the room, searching for any leads. Nothing, save two flowers placed on a bedside table. Identifying them as the source of the aroma, the young man opened the window and tossed them out, trying to air out the room so Jad wouldn't complain about his nose later.
"Well, I'll see if I can get a hold of them. Thanks," Azure concluded, hanging up.
Once changed out of uniform, the young man remembered the note. Grabbing it, he took a closer look at it, taking his time to analyze. As he read Azure didn't think much of it. After all, it didn't say who it was addressed to. He was just about to discredit the letter as some kind of weird joke until he got to the end.
As soon as he reached the name 'Reaper', his heart stopped. He quickly recalled the two flowers he had discarded, fear churning in his gut.
"No...No, it can't…" Azure whispered.
At that moment everything came together. He knew where his team had gone, and he knew he had to hurry.
Wasting no time Azure sprinted out the door as fast as he could, slamming it behind him.
"So, um, how much further?" Gayle asked, her senses on high as they strolled through the worn down block, the last few beams of sunlight.
The young woman had never even been near this area of the city before, and it unnerved her. Twilight was settling in, and the sounds of the city seemed muted somehow. Something about this felt really weird, but she kept her unease to herself. Jad looked behind them occasionally as they walked, and Rember's ears swiveled attentively. The lizard faunus wondered why they hadn't waited for Azure to come back to ask him about the strange letter, and why Rember had insisted upon going to meet these people themselves. Not that she could do much about it now...
"Over there," Rember said, pointing to a small warehouse in the distance. "I think it's that one."
She had picked up some weird sounds coming from that area, and she intended to investigate them.
Proceeding cautiously, the three stopped in front of a rusty metal door. Jad and Rember pulled up the large cover to the building and they all stepped inside, framed behind by moonlight. The air inside was dry and stale, making Rember cough. Something was off here. Something was very off.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Gayle asked aloud, hesitantly.
"Why, as a matter of fact..."
Gayle flinched when an unfamiliar voice answered. Emerging from the darkness, a boy dressed in a black trench coat with equally black hair made himself known, a nonchalant smile drawn on his lips.
"There is!" he continued. "But, uh...but I'm sorry. Do we know you?"
As if on cue, three others revealed themselves. There was a short girl with black-tipped, magenta hair, a female wolf faunus with white hair and dark eyes, and a young man with great spiraling horns.
"Hey! You're the team I bumped into in our dorm hallway!" Gayle exclaimed, eyes widening.
"OH! Right! I was wondering why you looked familiar!" the young man exclaimed, recognizing the small faunus. "How rude of me. I guess introductions are in order!" Chuckling, the darkly clad man gestured to the other three accomplices. "The girl in purple is Wisteria Dawn, the she-wolf is Starr Payle, and the goat is Aries Marshall. As for me..."
He turned back to Rember and the others, giving them a grandiose bow. "I am known as Creed Noir. Quite a pleasure to meet you, I must say. An absolute pleasure!"
Rember, Jad, and Gayle stayed silent. Done with the introduction, Creed looked around and behind the three hunters in training. "So...where's your last member? You guys from the academy usually come as a set of four, do you not?"
Gayle opened her mouth to reply, but Rember stepped in front of her with a disarmingly open expression.
"They're coming," she lied easily, forcing herself to seem relaxed. "We've been sent ahead. I'm sure you're aware of the criminal Roman Torchwick? He's been running amok. Can't be too careful these days." She finished with a well practiced smile. Creed had a strange air about him that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
"Ahh, good! I was wondering if our attempt at this long awaited reunion was for naught!" Creed declared, his smile growing more eerie. Wisteria eyed Rember fiercely, a small frown barely formed on her face.
That last comment caught Gayle's interest. "Wait...reunion? You know Azure?" she asked.
Creed's grin grew wider.
"So you are his team!" He exclaimed, "Wait? He never told you about us?" the young man asked, his body emphasizing every word with dramatic gusto. "Talk about awkward. To think he's been tight lipped about it this whole time… Same old Azure, am I right? That quirk of being so distrusting can really be a pain sometimes."
One of Rember's ears flicked irritably before she could stop it as she fought to keep a calm expression.
"Azure trusts us," she assured Creed. She glanced at Gayle, hoping she could bluff her way out of here. "Gayle here wasn't present when we talked about you guys before, don't worry about it." As Rember turned back to SWAN, she noticed the girl with pinkish purple hair watching her closely, eyes narrowed.
"When was that?" Gayle asked, confusion etched onto her face.
Rember nearly growled and rolled her eyes, but managed to stop herself.
"It was when you were studying earlier," she replied. "Right Jad?"
Jad caught the tone in Rember's voice, and played along. "Yeah! We didn't want to interrupt you while you were hard at work on your Dust project."
Gayle still looked puzzled, but her partner whispered something else to her and she nodded.
While Jad spoke, Rember had been observing SWAN cautiously. At the mention of Gayle's Dust project, Wisteria flinched and glanced at Creed with an unreadable gaze. Rember's green eyes narrowed imperceptibly and she felt her tension grow as Creed spoke again.
"Dust project, eh?" he asked. He sounded way too interested. There was an unsettling tone in his voice. Even Gayle couldn't miss it. "You'd be surprised how many people have experience with those here. What kind of Dust project?"
"Just an assignment we got the other day," Rember dismissed casually.
She was more uneasy than she had been in a long time, and if Creed was interested in something she wanted to avoid it like a plague. The longer this conversation went on the more her desire to leave intensified. Why had she brought her friends here? She was an idiot.
A whisper of sound caught Rember's attention and she turned to look behind her, fox ears perking up to catch any more noise. She couldn't see anything besides the long shadows reaching across the floor, and she faced SWAN again.
Creed raised an eyebrow, still smiling that unsettling smile. "Something wrong?" he asked sweetly, feigning concern.
Rember shook her head, both to clear it and to answer Creed's question. "Of course not. I'm just surprised that Azure isn't here yet. It's not like him to be late."
A sudden need to leave flooded Rember and she took a deep breath. Something was wrong. She needed to leave, something was very wrong.
"Oh, I totally concur, my vulpine friend," Creed agreed, his eyes honing directly on Rember. "Azure is never late."
Suddenly, the young man began walking towards them. The shadows seemed to move ahead of him as he inched closer, his smile ever present.
"I think," he continued in a menacing tone that fiercely clashed with his face, "that you're lying to us. And I despise liars." Creed then flashed a glance behind the group before looking back at them. "So, I'm done chit chatting with you..."
Wisteria spoke up abruptly.
"He's here," she whispered, vacant eyes coming alive.
Creed flashed a glance upward and saw a speeding object coming towards him from an open window. With lightning reflexes, Creed drew his weapon, a murasame that doubled as a rifle, and cleaved the projectile in half. The darkly dressed boy cackled as he caught sight of the silhouette perched above.
"Ugh, finally! It's about time you showed up!"
The archer jumped down and landed on the smooth cement, white garments and cape confirming it was indeed Azure. Wasting no time, he readied another arrow and aimed for Creed's head, his typically calm green eyes brimming with vicious rage. Rember and the others looked on in surprise and confusion, not sure if they should involve themselves or not.
"Finally. Finally, you've arrived! Just in time as always! Now that you're here we can-" Creed's sentence was cut short when he had to move his head to the side to dodge an arrow. He wasn't fazed, smiling devilishly and waiting for Azure to reload.
"Shut up!" Azure growled, his whole body shaking. "Enough with your crap! I only want to know why. Why are you here? Why did you do it?!Why did you kill her?!"
Creed ignored the questioning, sneering his oily smile that made Azure grit his teeth angrily, and the color in the boy in white's irises morphed from green to a dark red.
"DAMN YOU!" He cursed, firing again.
Creed parried easily, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. The caped boy pulled his bow apart into two blades, rushing down his old accomplice in a rage induced charge.
"I'll kill you, Creed!" He roared.
With a carefree grin, Creed casually swung his own sword to counter. The metal of their weapons clashed with loud clangs, and the man in black pushed Azure back effortlessly. Azure continued his advances again and again, but his efforts proved useless.
"Don't waste your energy, Azure…" Creed sneered, a superior sneer on his face.
"HAAAAAAAGH!" Azure screamed, pushing himself again, trying to overpower Creed.
They clashed once more and their blades locked, sparks flying from the swords.
"Seriously man, chill. My skill now far outweighs your own." Creed stated. "And are you still on about before? C'mon, that was forever ago! Move on already!" Creed finished, shoving Azure back once more.
"No! I'll die before I let you get away with what you did!" Azure seethed, reconnecting his bow and shooting a Dust-tipped arrow at Creed's black heart.
The projectile hit its mark and the whole building shook, the warehouse chock-full of smoke from the explosion. Azure waited for the fumes to clear so he could see the outcome of his attack. He stood in utter disbelief to find that Creed was not only still standing, but completely unharmed.
"Love the passion. Seriously! But it's not gonna do shit," Creed told him, nonchalantly brushing off his coat with a free hand. "Old Creed is gone, my friend."
"What…how…?" Azure muttered disbelievingly.
"Right? Right?! Isn't it awesome?!" Creed asked with a gleeful flourish. "If I'm able to get this good, imagine how strong you'd be?! Well, that is if you'd wise up and stop pursuing this stupid 'hero' crap."
Azure growled, disgusted. "No! I'm never going back! Not to you, and especially not to them!"
Blades in hand, Azure prepared to attack once more.
"Azure, what is he talking about?"
The familiar voice cut through his haze of fury, and the young man visibly flinched.
He'd completely forgotten they were there.
Finally able to get a word in, Rember had spoken up, both confused by her partner's apparent history with these people, and worried for her friend. Her hands gripped her batons, ready to pull them out and stand with him, but her ears betrayed her concern and confusion. The triangular appendages flicking nervously.
"Wait, you actually haven't told them?!" Creed asked, feigning surprise. "HAHAHA! They really don't know anything about you at all, do they?!"
"We know more than enough about him. And we clearly know him better than you!" Rember challenged, boldly lifting her chin in defiance.
The white clad boy grit his teeth and tried to level his voice. "Rember," he began, not looking back at her. "You need to take the others and leave. Right now."
Rember's fox ears flattened and she frowned. "You can't be serious! We can't just let you-"
"I said go! NOW!" Azure ordered, finally meeting her gaze.
The combination of red eyes and unfamiliar anger silenced the girl. A frustrated look flashed across her face.
"Oh Azure, this new attitude doesn't do you justice. If you won't come with me, you will most certainly be terminated when our old superiors find out where you're hiding," Creed crowed, savoring Azure's dilemma.
Rember shook and snapped her teeth together, snarling angrily. Instead of arguing, she gestured to the others and stalked out of the warehouse. Her skin was hot, telling her she needed to reign in her semblance.
A cackle caught Rember's attention, and she spun around to peer into the building again. Azure stared Creed down with dismay while Wisteria was focusing all her attention on him. Creed seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, brandishing his weapon gleefully as he drank in Azure's frustration. Starr and Aries watched, the former impassively and the latter with thin patience.
"Son of a bitch," Rember cursed quietly.
Azure looked like he didn't know what to do, and she knew he probably wouldn't thank her for trying to help. Too bad, she decided.
Before Jad or Gayle could do anything more than let out surprised exclamations, Rember slipped back into the warehouse. Keeping to the shadows, she moved cautiously towards Creed and Azure. Creed's theatrics were loud enough that Rember didn't have to worry much about stepping quietly, but she did so anyway. Once she was only a few yards away, Rember tapped into her semblance. Usually she refrained from using it directly against other people for anything other than quick jokes, but she was annoyed and wanted to get this over with. The vixen focused on Creed and Wisteria's weapons, as they were the most interested in Azure, and made them burn.
With a yelp, Wisteria's dual knives hit the floor, along with Creed's single edged sword. Rember dashed forward and grabbed Azure by the arm, pulling him along. Behind them Creed let out a cry of rage and Rember used her semblance again to freeze the floor beneath his feet. The strange boy slipped unceremoniously, and Rember and Azure darted out of the warehouse.
"Rember?! What are you doing?!" Azure yelled in surprise.
"Saving your sorry behind, that's what!" Rember retorted, her patience at its limit.
"But this won't work! Wisteria can-" Azure's sentence was cut off when the girl materialized in front of them, forcing them to skid to a halt.
"Going somewhere?" Wisteria asked darkly, a menacing expression on her face.
She charged at the pair, and Rember readied her batons. When Wisteria was close enough, Rember met her head on and tried to land a blow on the girl. Wisteria anticipated the attack and slid underneath the swipe, evading it with ease. She grabbed a hold of both Rember and Azure while activating her own semblance. In an instant, the three were transported back inside the warehouse and Wisteria threw her captives to the ground.
"What are you waiting for? Restrain them!" Creed ordered sharply, motioning for Aries to subdue Azure.
The ram forced the white clad boy to his knees. Wisteria did the same to Rember, holding one of her knives to the fox girl's throat.
"Well, I must admit, dear friend…" Creed addressed Azure, trying to make his tone cheery as his hands recovered from the scalding they'd received. "Your partner there is quite feisty! I certainly wasn't anticipating that kind of act."
Rember glared at the man in black. "Not surprising, considering you don't seem to have a great grasp on what friendship actually looks like," she retorted.
Jad and Gayle will be here any second now…
"Ha! A real firecracker! But knowing that now, let me give you some advice," Creed stated, "As someone who actually cares about you, I really think that having this faunus tramp around isn't good for you. Sooooooo..." The raven haired man reached for his sword, and Wisteria pressed the sharp edge of her dagger against Rember's neck. A thin red line appeared, and Rember winced. "I think it's best that you lose the deadweight." Creed concluded, pointing his blade at the fox girl and smiling with dark glee.
Azure's heart skipped a beat when he saw Creed's sword a mere wrist flick away from ending his partner's life, and struggled to get free.
"No! Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with this!" He shouted desperately.
A blunt pain shot through his body as Aries hit him in the back of the head, almost making him blackout.
"Azure!" Rember exclaimed, worried for her friend.
"Ha ha! Oh, here we go. Do you want to save her? Protect someone you 'care' about, even though you failed last time?" Creed mocked. His words cut deep. "Jeez, it's worse than I thought. Well, here's the deal: Come with me, and I'll make it stop."
Azure glared up at his former associate with resentment. "No way, Creed!" He growled, "I'd rather die than go back to the White Fang!"
Wait, what?! Rember thought, eyes wide. Then that means…
"What did you just...Are you...?" She stuttered mindlessly.
Azure's heart stopped when realizing what he finally admitted out loud. His gaze trailed down to the cement, spiky hair hiding his eyes.
"Bingo, sweetie! Everyone here has some wildness in their blood! Though some more purely than others," Creed affirmed, the tip of his sword lifting Rember's chin. "And come on, Azure! Take you back to the White Fang? Ha! Oh, that's rich!" he commented, glancing over at his supposed friend.
"What are you talking about?" Rember shot back. "Azure isn't faunus! He doesn't have any faunus traits at all!"
"Ah, ah, ah. None that you can see, anyway." Creed pointed out, and Azure's body sagged even more. "Moving on," He turned his focus back to the boy slouched before him. "You're almost as stubborn as I thought you'd be, Azure. It's really starting to-"
"PASTY! FOXY!"
All present turned to see Jad and Gayle standing in the opening of the warehouse, Gypsy Flirt and Vendaval at the ready.
"What are you two doing here?! I told you to go!" Azure shouted, internally begging them to flee.
"No deal," Jad stated firmly, twirling his naginata. "That defeats the point of a rescue operation!"
"Oh, goodie." Creed sighed, annoyed by the constant delays. "Fine. I guess I could take care of this too..." He grumbled impatiently.
Creed walked past his captives and towards the newly returned pair, twirling his nodachi irritably. Jad squinted sharply before matching his opponent's steps. Out of the corner of his eye however, he saw Aries lifting his morningstar, ready to bring it down onto Azure's head. Forgetting about the approaching adversary, the tall boy changed directions.
"Pasty! Look out!"
At the exact moment that Jad called out his warning, Wisteria and Creed's weapons glowed white hot once again. With a snarl on her face, Rember elbowed Wisteria cruelly in the ribs and leapt to her feet. Her batons were out in a flash, and she kicked at Wisteria to make more room for herself. A quick peek over her shoulder confirmed that Starr was watching them warily, but the she-wolf didn't look like she planned on fighting just yet.
Jad's warning still ringing in their ears, Azure and Creed both glanced at Aries in surprise. The ram was about to deal a fatal blow, mace held high. Just as it began to fall, Azure was shoved aside. Jad caught the strike with Gypsy Flirt, skidding on his back and using the ground to support his hold under the force. Expertly detangling his weapon from Jad's, Aries quickly unleashed another blow that sent Jad rolling across the floor into a set of crates.
"Jad!" Gayle exclaimed, fearing for her partner.
The lizard girl ran forward, placing herself back to back with Rember with wide eyes and holding Vendaval readily. She wanted to check on Jad, but she had to believe he'd be fine. Right now the others were directly in harm's way.
Creed's temper rose as he retrieved his weapon, and he fought to breathe evenly.
"Aries," he growled, glaring at the goat faunus with livid eyes. "Who told you to do that?!"
Aries huffed and shrugged away, uncaring towards Creed. The White Fang's Reaper took a deep breath and turned morosely to the one person he cared for. "I'm so sorry about this, Azure. This isn't what I had planned for today. Oh, everything is all ruined now!"
Creed's shoulders drooped, genuine disappointment written across his body language. Azure got to his feet slowly and stared daggers at Creed, irises flickering between red and green haphazardly. Letting out a miserable sigh, Creed continued.
"I guess I'll have to be content with just seeing you for today," he nodded at Wisteria, who stopped glaring at Rember and closed her eyes.
An ovular, violet hued rift appeared out of thin air behind the girl. Alabaster face offering no insight to her thoughts about the fiasco, Starr stepped gracefully forward and walked through the rift. Aries followed suit, and the pair disappeared. Having been forced through one earlier, Rember, at least, knew the portal acted as a teleporter.
"Make no doubt about it, Azure, this isn't the last time we'll be seeing each other again. We've got big plans with you involved. Big plans." Creed announced as strode with surprising calm towards Wisteria's portal.
The magenta haired girl turned robotically away from KRME, throwing one last, bright eyed glance at Azure before leaving. Creed turned to follow her, but spun around to face Azure, Rember, and Gayle once more.
"Don't think there will be a way out this time, friend. Running away won't stop this. Death won't stop this. I won't allow it." he warned.
The man in black turned and stepped through the gate.
The rift began to shrink at an alarming rate. Desperate, Azure scrambled to his feet and sprinted for the portal. He had barely gotten to his feet, however, when something latched onto him, holding him in place. Taking a quick look he was shocked to see it a mane of ochre hair and he realized Rember was weighing him down.
"Wh-? Let go of me!" Azure growled, trying to free himself from Rember's grip.
The fox faunus held fast, locking her arms tightly around his torso. Upon spotting Azure's renewed struggles Gayle jumped in to help. She wasn't as physically strong as her teammates, but it still slowed the boy down.
"Azure, stop! Calm down!" Rember pleaded, her arms burning from hugging Azure so tightly. Azure screamed, pushing his muscles to the limit in one last attempt to follow after.
It wasn't enough, and the gateway disappeared. The room fell silent, and the girls let go and all three of them fell to the ground. Finally released, the young man knelt on his hands and knees, trembling.
He got away, was all Azure could think, numbness sweeping through him. He got away. He got away. He got away…
His thoughts were clouded, and a plethora of negative emotions overwhelmed him. Confusion, fear, desperation, wrath...yes, wrath...
Without thinking, Azure surged to his feet and turned to Rember. Without warning or provocation he grabbed her by the neck of her gear and dragged her to her feet, twisting the fabric. Crying out, Rember scrambled at his hands. Breathing grew difficult and her lungs started screaming. Her nails gouged furrows in the skin of his hand and wrist as she fought for air. Tortured green eyes lifted to Azure's face, and Rember's blood froze.
Azure was livid. His face was hard and sharp, teeth locked together so tightly it had to be painful. Every breath he drew was a growl, and his eyebrows had come together to form a 'v'.
But what stood out to her were his eyes. They were red. Red as blood, the whites a hazy grey. In Azure's gaze was hell incarnate, and for the first time Rember was scared of the boy she called her partner.
"Damn you, Rember!" Azure seethed, fury contorting his familiar features. The fabric around her throat constricted further. "Why did you stop me?!"
Gayle watched the scene unfold, paralyzed. "Stop it Azure! You're hurting her!" She exclaimed. The words didn't seem to reach him, he continued to choke the rapidly fading faunus.
Now...finish it now! She had no right to interfere. She deserves to be punished for getting in your way.
Azure was familiar with the voice in his head, but it was one he hadn't heard in a long, long time.
"ANSWER ME!" he commanded.
Eyes flickering faintly, Rember couldn't do more than struggle weakly and splutter.
Out of nowhere an enormous force blindsided him. The unexpected blow sent Azure sprawling, Rember collapsing in a heap on the floor as she was released. The fox girl coughed painfully, one trembling hand reaching for her red throat. Able to draw breath once more, Rember glanced up to identify her rescuer.
Jad had recovered from Aries' hit, and it was he who had barrelled into Azure full force. He now stood with flinty eyes, breathing slowly. Azure was on his feet in a flash with blades at the ready, but he hesitated when recognized Jad.
"You put those away before I snap them into pieces, you ass. The hell is wrong with you?!" Jad demanded furiously. He raised Gypsy Flirt to guard, glaring at his friend. "We just saved your sorry ass and in return you throttle your partner?"
"Shut up! You don't have any idea what just happened!" Azure retorted vehemently. "Why did you three decide to go running off to your graves like idiots?! How-" Azure was cut off by Jad throwing a punch to his face, sending him to the ground. Rember and Gayle looked on in utter shock, unwilling to get involved.
"You still don't get it do you?" Jad growled, a faint yellowish light enveloping him. "You strangled Rember within an inch of her life! Rember! Your partner. Someone got under your skin and you nearly killed your friend! So I ask again: what the hell is wrong with you?!"
Azure's face twisted. "Don't pretend to kno-"
Azure was cut off by the butt end of Jad's staff in his gut. The second blow landed across his back and sent him face first into the ground. It took longer to recover this time, and he blinked rapidly as though waking up from a bad dream. Eyes gradually reverting back to their usual green, he stared blankly around the room. He looked at Jad standing over him, staff at the ready, then at Gayle, whose face betrayed her shock, and finally at Rember, whose hand couldn't hide the inflamed ring around her throat. Azure's face slowly transformed, filling with fear. His hands spazzed violently, putting the horrific pieces together. He shook uncontrollably, looking down at his open palms despairingly.
"No. No..." Azure whispered, his voice dead quiet, "It-It happened again! I-no..."
The boy vanished abruptly, his semblance hiding him from the team. Pushing past the others, he ran as fast as he could out of the building and into the city, not looking back.
Rember heard Azure's pounding footsteps fade away and tried to control the coughs that erupted from her body. Her throat was raw, and she could feel it beginning to bruise already.
The footsteps disappeared and Rember managed to choke out "He's gone."
Gayle rushed over to Rember and asked "Are you okay?"
Rember managed a weak smile. "I'll...be okay." She rasped. She used her semblance to cool her hand and gently massaged her throat.
Jad strode over to them still breathing heavily, but the glow around the young man had dissipated.
"In the time I've known him, I've never seen him like that," he told the girls with uncharacteristic severity.
"I think…" Rember tried to talk, but started coughing again. After the coughs subsided she tried again. "I think he learned it in- cough- the White Fang."
Gayle looked puzzled. "What? But he's human, isn't he? No ears, no tail, no horns...not even fangs like you, Ber."
"Creed said -cough- Creed said his traits weren't visible. He said that-"
"Rember, that's enough for now." Jad interjected. "Your voice isn't up for this." Rember gave him a bemused stare, before he continued with "Our Azure will be back eventually. We can talk about it then."
Rember grimaced and nodded. She got to her feet unsteadily and Gayle moved forward to support her, but Jad picked her up instead. "Let's head home. I have a feeling it'll be just us three tonight," the boy said solemnly.
As the three left the warehouse Rember asked weakly "Can we get ice cream?"
Azure coughed raucously as he tripped onto the cold cement, his semblance fading. He scrambled to his feet and rested his body against an eroding wall. How long had it been since he left? Minutes? Hours? Azure didn't know. All he was certain of was the burning in his lungs.
"Hah...hah...hah...hah..." Azure exhaled loudly. He waited for what seemed like eternity to catch his second wind. When it finally came back, he tried desperately to organize his thoughts.
What had happened? There was dropping in to fight Creed, and getting caught by Wisteria after Rember tried to lead him away…
"Rember…" Azure whispered to himself.
His insides froze when he pictured her terrified face, making it harder to breathe. He hurt her. His own partner. And...they saw it. They all saw it. It made him sick.
How could they ever forgive him? Would they ever forgive him? Azure had no idea. But he knew one thing: as far as he was concerned he wasn't welcome back at the dorm, which meant he was on his own once again. The thought of that familiar exile weighed down his mind, until he remembered an important fact.
Creed. Creed was alive. The vile, evil, deranged excuse of a being was still walking around, committing atrocities of who knew what nature.
Azure growled angrily, hands clenched so tightly they shook. A long dormant hatred rose in his mind, focused on the person that took away the first bright thing in his horrific nightmare of a life. He'd find him. And when he did, the young man would make sure that he paid in full for what he'd done.
Exhaling sharply, Azure pushed all other concerns out of his mind. All that mattered now was to find Creed and any others that were working with him. And once he did, he'd stop them. Permanently.
Vanishing from sight, Azure ran. Not with the desperate need to retreat, but a vengeful drive to find the person he hated most. He wouldn't stop. He wouldn't rest. Not until he saw the light from those venomous eyes leave, and the smirk the bastard wore transformed into a look of fear.