Opening File: Hunters and Heroes of Mexico
Even before the rise of the Grimm Mexico had its share of heroes and villains stretching across cities and villages. Each city would have a hero that would bravely fight off bandits and villains but they had not been prepared for when the Grimm rose and spread across the world. The conflict and negative emotions created by the constant fighting between the heroes and villains brought them Grimm to Mexico and destroyed many cities. Even before learning the secrets of unlocking the Aura with themselves the people of Mexico still had heroes ready to fight for them.
The first was Joaquin Mondragon, son of San Angel hero Captain Mondragon, who gained a powerful artifact known as the Medallion of Everlasting Life that allowed him immortality and invulnerability from physical injury and harm, so long as he kept touching or wearing the medal. The wearer can also not feel pain or exhaustion/fatigue. He traveled from village to village, fighting against the Grimm in a never ending battle but it was never enough. The Grimm would always return in greater numbers and soon enough began to follow him everywhere which led to many considering him a curse even though he saved many lives.
He returned to his hometown San Angel tired and depressed, unwilling to fight anymore. It was around this time the teachings of Aura had spread into Mexico by Maria Posada who had learned of the Grimm when she had left Mexico to study in Spain and trained under a Huntsman who had been visiting. She returned to San Angel as the first Huntress of her town and though was met with resistance from her father and other traditionalist she began spreading the teachings the Huntsman, starting with her future husband Manolo Sanchez. The Grimm then attacked San Angel and the two stood with their friend, Joaquin and repelled the Grimm.
From that point forward the teachings of the Huntsmen spread across Mexico.
However the most famous Hunter was El Tigre who was not only a hero but also a villain. Blessed with power of the Ancient Tiger Spirit, El Tigre stopped many villains and Grimm but also committed evil deeds. The indecision drove him insane, causing him to develop a split personality. From that point forward his descendants were either heroes who protected Mexico from villains and the Grimm or were villains who attempted to leave their marks in history.
However despite their history the Rivera family has been the greatest protection Mexico had against the Grimm and against Mexico's new ruler who is said be to a goddess of the dead.
Close File
Xxx
"The one thing you can always hope to count on in the world is family. Family sticks together through thick and thin no matter what. And the best part about it you don't have to be related by blood to be considered family. It's a great to have and horrible to lose." TOM said, closing the file. "When you feel alone it's always best to think of the people you believe to be family and they can be the best companions you need to get through in life."
Xxx
"It seems like yesterday doesn't it? When we made a bet deciding over the future of a girl and the two boys she was friends with. And then it changed when those…Ghastly things appeared and spread like a plague."
It went without saying that the woman speaking absolutely hated the Grimm. They were anti-life itself and were driven to destroy everything living, even consuming the souls of the victims they devoured. To her, they were everything she was not.
The being standing next to her placed a black tar-like hand on her shoulder. "Mi Amor, have I ever told you how beautiful you look when you are mad at anything but me?"
The woman calmed herself and sighed. "Balby, do you sense her?"
"Yes I do, my love." He nodded. "She's really come far."
"What did we do wrong, Balby? I know she went through a tough time but to do all this?" The woman asked mournfully. "It has been so long and I still regret banishing her."
"You are not to blame, Mi Amor." Her husband said soothingly. "You know what children are like."
'Speaking of children.' The woman glanced across the land. "Did you feel it, Balby? My child, my first child has awakened again."
"And before mine." He chuckled. "Why is yours always first?"
It was a game they played since they first created their elemental offspring, betting which Elemental they created would awaken first. Though they were mortals they still shared a piece of the souls of the ones who gave them their powers and his wife always considered the elemental she created her child, no matter who or what they reincarnated as.
"It's just in the soul, Balby." She laughed. "I just hope she doesn't try and go after whoever my child is now. It would break my heart to see my children fight."
"Surely she is not that evil, right? Right?"
Xxx
The sun rose up on Miracle City and today was like any other day…
(CRASH!)
"SSCCCCCCCREEEEEEEECH!"
…Which included an attack from a Grimm, specifically a Nevermore that flew around the city and attacked from above, making several strafing runs and firing its feathers at anyone and anything in its sights.
"Really? This early in the morning?"
A dark blur shot up and slashed through the wings of the Nevermore and landed perfectly on the roof of a building, turning to face the Nevermore as it screamed, falling down onto the street below. He wore a brown mask that had white furry sideburns, tiger-like ears and a letter 'T' on the forehead. His suit was completely black with red stars on his gloves, brown boots, a red bandanna on his neck and gray metallic claws. He wore a brown belt with same 'T' that was on the forehead.
The Nevermore screeched as it stood back up and lunged up at the boy who leapt off the roof and spun his body, shooting down to the Grimm like a missile. "Spin Cyclone!"
The Nevermore opened its mouth and the boy shot down its throat and burst out through its back, killing it instantly and landed on the street.
"No Grimm shall take the greatest city on Earth as long as El Tigre lives!" The boy declared and leapt away.
He arrived at his home and slipped into his room, tapping his belt and changing into a young boy with black chocolate hair, tanned skin and had a scar in the shape of a claw mark on his right eye.
"Manny!"
The boy turned around and was knocked down by two blurs that collided with him.
The boy shook his head and looked up. "Zoe? Frida? What are you doing?"
The two girls above him giggled at the clueless expression on his face. One girl had light blue hair with red goggles on top of it; tawny skin color, blue eyes and she dressed in a punk goth style. The other girl had very pale skin, red irises, and black hair with purple highlights. She dressed in a gothic style, consisting of a black dress with a white collar and cuffs, black and purple stockings, boots, and fingerless gloves.
"Waiting for you, silly." Frida answered.
"Yeah. It wouldn't be fun to watch late night movies without you around. Think of all the food that would go to waste with all three of us to pig out on." Zoey nodded with an evil smirk. "Or how cold it would be without you to keep us warm on the couch."
Manny sighed as the girls giggled again. Zoey and Frida Aves were both his best friends and had been since kindergarten, especially after he became El Tigre for the first time to save Frida from a Grimm attack. Unfortunately Frida's parents and sisters were killed, leaving Frida an orphan. But fortune smiled on Frida that day because Zoey's mother, Carmelita Aves who was secretly a villain by the name of Voltura adopted Frida into her family since she was best friends with Frida's mother growing up but fell apart because of Frida's father. Zoey was at first upset by Frida's presence but then Manny helped them out by taking part in all sorts of mischievous pranks and adventures that soon enough formed a bond between Frida and Zoey, considering each other to be true sisters.
Manny had been the one who helped them bond and they had been the perfect trio ever since.
Manny stood up, dusting off his clothes and looked at the girls in mock annoyance. "I had a Grimm to deal with."
Frida scoffed. "And you didn't take us along?"
"Yeah Manny. We're not some damsels for you to leave behind, ya know?" Zoey crossed her arms. "Mom's been training us."
"To be Huntresses or villains?" Manny asked.
Carmelita Aves was a well-known villain in Miracle City but unlike the Grimm she never committed murder of any kind. Though initially hesitant about letting her daughters be friends with Manny who was El Tigre and Rivera since her family and Manny's had been rivals for generations she allowed him to remain their friend after he had saved their lives. Frida and Zoey were being trained by her to defend themselves against the Grimm and to be Huntresses or Villains in the future when they made up their minds.
Zoey and Frida smirked. "As long as we got you it doesn't matter."
Manny could only blush as both girls dragged him downstairs onto the couch to watch late night movies. One thing the girls loved to do was mess with him act like he was their personal toy…
Or their boyfriend.
Both girls would hug him in public, drag him along to do something fun which others took as dates and loved to beat up any bullies who would insult him at school.
It reached a point that they were known as the 'Hermana tigresa' which in English meant the Tigress Sisters.
And God help anyone who dared to anger them.
Xxx
Deep beneath the surface where Miracle resided a pair of red eyes stoically looked up at the ceiling of the dark chamber.
"Again, El Tigre saves the day. You must be so proud, Puma Loco." The person spoke with the voice of a woman.
"Si, I am proud. El Tigre was known for great villainy." An elderly man said from behind the woman.
"And that is what I am counting on. Miracle City is one of the places in Mexico that is not under my control. Your son and grandson and those even more annoying Sanchezs have been thorns in my side for a long time now."
"Ah, my poor misguided flesh and blood." The old man shook his head. "Where did I go so wrong…Or is it right?"
"It doesn't matter. I have waited thousands of years, enduring the existence of the Sanchezs who my parents favored so much in their little games." The woman turned around, showing she was no mere woman…
She was a skeleton.
She wore a black and red dress and hat decorated with skulls and skeletons.
She was the most feared being in Mexico who ruled almost all of it, gaining followers and even relying on the Grimm to destroy her enemies.
She was Sartana of the Dead and child of La Muerta and Xeblalba, exiled to the mortal plane when she suffered heart break that darkened her heart, leading to her exile to the mortal plane and being stripped of her god-like powers. But she retained her guitar that allowed her summon the dead back and many of them were former Hunters in life and gave her the army she needed to take control of much of Mexico and it didn't help that the negativity in her heart attracted the Grimm much faster than an ordinary mortal.
"This world will be mine, even if I have to tear into the afterlife and rip back every single soul from the grasp of my parents." Sartana declared.
The world would belong to her and her alone.
Xxx
"So this circle will bond mine and Lila's souls?" Juniper Lee asked, looking at the circle symbol Grim had carved into the ground with his scythe.
"Yep." Grim answered, wiping the dirt off his scythe. "You both will stand in da circle as I activate da circle and recite da incantation for da ritual. After dat all you need to do is step through the barrier surrounding da city at the same time with your soul sister and voila!"
June looked at the circle, trying to memorize it as it was possibly the only way she'd ever be able to leave the city.
"But remember, if there is a crises here in this city da Elders will call you back." Grim cautioned. "Da link between you and your soul sister will be essential for travel in and out dis city."
June sighed. "Well, I guess I can't get a better deal than that."
Xxx
"So this is what your bookworm friend was working on." Scotty Blake said, looking at book on Crystal Cove's founding. "Ancient history?"
Daphne smiled as she opened the book. "Velma thought there was more to our city than what was being taught in school. She believed the people who founded this place found something that caused all the paranormal things to happen around here and why the Grimm don't like coming here."
Crystal Cove had its own defenses but Grimm activity in the general area was low for the most part. There had only been a few surprise attacks in the last decade.
Such as the attack that led to Velma's death.
"So what did she think was going on?" Scotty asked.
"You know of Fernando El Aguirre?" Daphne asked rhetorically, smirking at the blank look on Scotty's face. "He's the leader the Hunters that founded Crystal Cove and was a wanted criminal for destroying and ransacking villages before he was stopped."
"And the point?" Scotty asked.
"A secret group of Hunters called Mystery Inc., the original group studied on why Crystal Cove was safe from the Grimm cause back in those times almost every village had dozens of Hunters protecting them." Daphne began. "But Crystal Cove was always safer than most places. Velma thought it was because there was a special power shielding this place and was even connected to why certain animals like Scooby can talk and act like human."
Scotty frowned. "Sounds hokey-pokey to me. And I thought Scooby was a Mobian."
"Yeah, I guess but Velma thought he was a special kind of Mobian." Daphne reasoned as she closed the book. "She hoped maybe it would help end this our fight with the Grimm and give this world a chance for peace."
Scotty would have said something but a voice cut him off. "Mom, I'm home!"
Daphne put the book on the desk and smiled as a girl with orange hair tied in a ponytail entered the room. "Mindy, how was your day?"
"Pretty dull. Just a history test." The girl put her backpack on the table. "How come we haven't gotten to how to make weapons yet?"
"You have to wait until you turn thirteen and passed through the training course before you can take those kinds of classes." Daphne said, smiling sadly.
"I know, but's so boring." Melinda Blake better known as Mindy complained, sitting on the couch and looked at Scotty. "Uncle Scot?"
"Well, if it isn't my little bonny's little bonny." Scotty laughed. "And what's this I hear about needing to be thirteen? My wee apprentice has already forged her weapon."
"Really?!" Mindy asked eagerly.
Daphne sighed. "Uncle, you know the laws are different here."
"Oh, give me a break. Besides, I've been training her how to use a sword but I ain't going to sit around and wait for her to make her weapon on her own." Scotty retorted.
Daphne rubbed her face. She loved her uncle, she really did but sometimes he was an insensitive knucklehead with no respect for anyone's culture unless someone was strong enough to stand against him and knock him on his butt.
"So, Mindy you want to learn about weapon training and how to be a real hunter?" Scotty asked with a giant grin.
"Uncle…" Daphne said in a warning tone.
"Oh relax. I'll only give her a few pointers." Scotty laughed, careful not to get on his niece's bad side and knew how much of a protective mother she was.
Though Mindy had the hair color to match she was actually not a related to the Blake Clan by blood. She was adopted by Daphne who found her on the streets near her home as a baby and decided to raise her as her own. There was no way to know who and where her real parents were but it mattered very little since Daphne considered Mindy her daughter as did the rest of the Blake family. They didn't discriminate and considered family sacred, even the elders who were traditionalists who after much convincing from Scotty who was the clan head agreed to bless Mindy as Daphne's daughter.
Daphne could only watch as Mindy grabbed Uncle Scotty's hand and dragged him out back to learn about being a real Huntress.
'Hopefully she doesn't take fully after Uncle Scotty…Or me.' Daphne thought idly.
Xxx
"So eager…So driven…So chaotic." A woman sighed, looking at the crystal ball showing little Melinda Blake training with her uncle Scotty.
She had gap-teeth with long blond hair wearing a two-piece white toga, showing off her midriff.
"You have my passion within you, my little flaming apple." The woman held up her crystal ball, gazing deeply at Mindy as she trained with her Uncle in hand to hand combat.
She would have loved nothing more than to have been a part of her child's life but sadly she couldn't. She was being hunted and if the monster hunting her found her and her daughter he would have tried to kill them both.
Just as he tried to kill Melinda the day she was born.
Though she saved her daughter she didn't have the confidence to raise and protect her so she did the only thing she thought he could do. She left her daughter with a family to protect her.
And she watched from afar as sweet Melinda grew to be a perfectly happy little girl with a taste for adventure and chaos.
"Perhaps we'll meet soon, my sweet child. But for now…Mommy has to wait." The woman lowered the crystal ball. "Until the monster that helped make you is not a threat anymore."
But that didn't mean she couldn't stick close by.
A light traveled up from her feet and in under a second she resembled a woman with short brunette hair and glasses over her eyes. She wore simple jeans and a T-shirt as she walked out of the apartment she was staying in.
Xxx
"I've found it." He looked through his scope, seeing Mindy practicing some fighting positions with her uncle. "Now, die you little demon spawn."
Xxx
Scotty's reflexes instantly warned him of danger and he pulled out his sword, standing in front of Mindy and blocking an explosive projectile with his sword. His sword and Aura easily protected him and his niece from harm.
"Come out you coward! Come out and show yourself!" Scotty barked, holding his left leg.
Or the prosthetic that had replaced the leg he lost in battle long ago and was armed with a machine gun loaded with Dust.
"I said come out!" Scotty shouted as he fired in the direction of where the projectile came from.
A dark figure jumped out of the woods as they were blasted by Scotty's explosive Dust and landed several feet away. It was a muscular man with long red hair and seemed to be missing a hand, which he has replaced with a crossbow with a chainsaw attached to it. He also had an eyepatch over his left eye. He looked up, showing a rugged and somewhat ugly face twisted with a glare directed at Scotty.
"All right, who are you, ugly?" Scotty barked.
"An exterminator." The man said as his chainsaw started buzzing.
"Uncle Scott?!" Daphne shouted as she ran out.
"Get Mindy and get inside!" Scotty barked, not taking his eyes off the man. "I'll handle this tree ogre!"
"Ogre?!" The man's one eye narrowed. "I am no monster! I'm here to exterminate!"
Scotty narrowed his eyes as the man let out a deranged scream and charged at him. Scotty blocked the chainsaw, partially struggling with the man's strength but it was nothing he could not block. He shoved the man back and followed up with a slash that the man blocked. For the next few moments both slashed and clashed with their weapons back and forth but Scotty had the advantage in terms of strength and experience and he had his Semblance that he began to use.
Scotty's Semblance allowed him to become even stronger or at use even stronger physical attacks by increasing the kinetic force of his blows. This allowed him to become even physically stronger than he already was which was considerable given his position as head of Clan Blake. Scotty let out a yell as punched the man in the chest, sending him flying back. The man's Aura protected him mostly but he still felt a great amount of pain as he slammed into the ground.
"That's just a taste of what's to come you mullet-wearing, one-eyed, monkey-furred ogre!" Scotty barked.
The man growled as he stood back up. "I'll carve you up!"
He placed fire Dust in his chainsaw, causing its blades to burn fiery red as he charged at Scotty again. Scotty swung his sword down, using his Semblance as he created a massive shockwave through the ground. The man leapt up over the over the ground, avoiding the attack as he fell towards Scotty. Just as the man was about to deliver the killing blow Scotty whipped his leg-gun up and fired several rounds that slammed into the man, blasting him off into the sky.
"And don't come back!" Scotty shouted as the man's outline fell through the air and landed far away.
"Uncle Scotty!" Mindy ran out and hugged him from behind. "Are you all right?"
Scotty smiled as he sheathed his sword. "Aw my littly bonny, it'll take more than some lunatic to take me down!"
Daphne smiled as she walked up to them. "Good to know."
It wasn't a joke as the man that attacked them had a look of hate in his single eye. If he came back they had to be ready.
Xxx
"DAMN HIM!" The man shouted as he emerged from the crater he had made with his landing.
He was bruised and dirty all over and his right leg was broken.
"You look hurt, Hoss-y." A female voice commented.
He looked up and saw a woman standing before him smirking. She looked like a simple woman but in a flash of light she completely changed her appearance into someone he recognized.
"YOU!" The man snarled.
"Been a while, huh lover?" Eris, Goddess of Discord and Chaos said as she looked over his battered form. "Had a rough day?"
"Come closer and I'll make it better!" The man said, trying to stand up.
Eris narrowed her eyes as she held up a golden apple. "Trust me, I'd make it worse and I might do so just for the fun of it. But that will be nothing if you ever come near my daughter again."
"She's a monster like you and I won't rest unti-" The man started but was silence when Eris slammed her foot into his face.
"Rule number one; never call my baby a monster." Eris said coldly. "Rule number two; never threaten the child of a goddess. I might not be allowed to cause much chaos down here but I can still have my fun and what little fun I can have will be enough to turn you insane."
The man growled. "You already did."
Eris scoffed and stepped back. "So I had my fun playing with you for a few years but what happened was not my fault. Regardless, I will never allow my baby to be hurt by you. So if you come near her again I will see to it you die and it will be horrible."
She dropped the apple on the ground and disappeared in a blast of purple smoke, leaving the man alone and still injured far from civilization.
"We'll see about that…"
A pair of eyes gazed upon the man from the shadows. "How interesting…"
"It would appear so. Bring him to me."
The shadow waved a hand and the man suddenly found himself being pulled into a black and red portal created under him and vanished with him inside it.
Xxx
He could not understand what he was seeing.
A yellow golden triangle with an eye laughing.
Legions of Grimm attacking cities, villages, and even remote locations.
"Nigel, can you hear me?" He could hear Elsa calling out to him. "You must silence yourself!"
Xxx
Abby watched as Nigel's skin was turning blue again and grabbed his hand. "Nigel, can you hear me?"
She could feel his distress and felt his mind screaming out. She grasped his hand tightly and closed her eyes, feeling the power she held within her soul connecting with Nigel's.
Xxx
"Nigel!" He could now hear Abby's voice.
"Be silent. Close your mind." Elsa instructed.
He watched as all became dark and in front of him was a dark figure, turning to face him with burning red eyes.
The triangle with the single eye appeared next, staring at him and laughing.
"Silence yourself." Elsa called out.
Another pair of red eyes appeared, leering at him from the dark.
"Nigel, can you hear me?" Abby's voice echoed.
"Silence your mind. They can hear you!" Elsa cried.
"Silence your mind now!" Both called out.
Nigel let out an echoing cry that would be heard by more than one entity.
Xxx
Red eyes glinted in the dark as they stared through the windows of their dwelling, hearing the presence of something familiar.
Xxx
(Dreamscape)
"Well, well, things are getting interesting!" Bill laughed, sensing the presence of the Ice and Candy Elementals.
Xxx
Mandy stopped her trek to Gravity Falls and looked over her shoulder, sensing two powerful signatures.
Xxx
The Grim Reaper who had just finished prepping the ritual circle for the Te Xuan Ze stopped and turned around, sensing two familiar powers.
Xxx
"That power…" Sartana perked up, sensing a familiar power. "It feels like Mother's soul…The Candy Elemental."
Xxx
"My child!" La Muerte gasped, feeling a surge of power that she knew all too well.
Xxx
Far away on a distant land, the woman that was the Candy Queen jerked its head, sensing a familiar power in the distance.
Xxx
Deep within a forest a pair of red eyes shot open. "Candy…Elemental…"
Xxx
In a deep dark place another pair of red eyes opened. "The Elementals…"
"Drago."
It perked up, hearing his voice.
"Find the Ice and Candy Elementals and tear them apart!"
It roared. "With pleasure!"
Xxx
Abby gasped as she watched Nigel's skin turn normal and sighed in relief, knowing that his burst of power could have been detected.
She only prayed that it had gone unnoticed.
'Abby, you must never let anyone know who you are. If you do then you will be hunted by someone more dangerous than even the Satyra.' Abby could still hear Cree telling her never to use her powers and she just had now broken that promise to get Nigel to do the same thing. 'Because if you are ever found then he would be able to do what the Grimm have been trying to do for centuries. Beware of the Grimm, Abby and beware of-'
Abby was cut off from remembering as the ground suddenly shook so bad. "Wh-What the-?!"
It shook so bad she was knocked off her feet. She looked out the window and her heart nearly stopped as she watched cracks forming along the ground.
"Oh no…He's found us."
Name: Scotty Blake
Aura: Fiery Orange
Semblance: Kinetic Manipulation
Description: Able to control the kinetic force of any physical blow, including the force of his sword style and delivering massive amount of power enough to bring down half a city or even more.
Weapon: Claymore imbued with Celtic Runes
I'd like to thank nightmaster000 who helped with the ideas for the characters in this chapter and in the last one.