[IC] Heroes of Beacon - Contest of Champions

[Eklispe]

Krysthane X

Intro 1: Walks on screen and stomps on the ground creating a brief imprint before adopting a pose with her right foot sticking slight forward and her arms hanging loosely at her sides

Intro 2: Comes on screen with water jets and lands floats an inch or two above the ground for a couple of seconds before landing she says, "Hope you don't mind getting your feet wet." with a mischievous grin

Intro 3: Walks on screen does a couple of practice kicks before dropping into her normal pose. Her hair floats up briefly then quickly falls back down, "Hope this isn't too much pressure for you." she says confidently.

Playstyle: Balanced Rush-down Grappler. Krysthane's unique ability to switch modes allows her to adapt to the situation at hand. Heavy mode has the expected short range heavy hit, light mode has the devastating fast and light attcks, as well as as longer range on them. The real key is switching to medium at the end of a combo because of its ability to reset the combo meter. Each mode has its own seris of moves allowing a true master, or someone good using her V-trigger, to deal devastating damage with lengthy combos.

Special Moves

Gravity Shift: Krysthane can shift between heavy, medium, and light gravity altering her play-style. Heavy gravity makes her move slow and have less range but hit like a truck and while in this state she can take one attack without flinching. Normal gravity is an ideal mix and speed and power, reducing her hit strength from heavy but giving her more mobility. Light gravity boosts her speed immensely allowing her to compete with any speedster, however she deals less damage and takes more. If Krysthane doesn't want to use an ability to switch her mode she can take a step back and pause for a second leaving herself vulnerable. Then her hair then flows at a level appropriate to the gravity. When heavy gravity it hangs down, when medium gravity it flows behind her, and when light gravity it floats above her head like she's statically charged. Krysthane can enter normal gravity instantly.

Heavy Impact: This move simultaneously reduces the opponents gravity and enhances Krysthane's to the minimum and maximum she can handle respectively. This occurs at the same time that Krysthane jumps into the air and slams both feet into the opponent with devastating force. This move deals additional damage if the opponent is guarding and breaks through it. If the attack is ducked or otherwise dodged then Krysthane will fall onto the ground becoming briefly vulnerable. If the attack hits, then Krysthane will flip off the opponent landing safely. Shifts to heavy gravity

Vacuum Punch: Krysthane opens her hand for a second or two then clenches it violently dragging in anything slighter further than her normal attack range if not guarding or in the air and stunning them. Then right as they almost reach her fist she brings it forward sending them flying backwards. Shifts to heavy gravity.

Jet Blast: An evasive or combo-ing move. Ksythane floats off the ground with one boot and uses the other to propel herself. This can go backwards, or forward allowing her to 'catch' enemies if she hits them before they reach the ground and continue attacking. Shifts to light gravity.

Not in my House!: This is a simple move in which Krysthane chops her hand downward knocking any projectiles or opponents to the ground. Shifts to heavy gravity.

Feeling the pressure?: Every time Krysthane hits an opponent, regardless of damage is dealt she gains a better control of their gravity. After 5 hits she can make either an upward or downward motion with both hands either increasing their gravity: making them slower but take less damage, or decreasing their gravity: causing them to move faster and have a longer jump time. However they take more damage and their character tends to more further than intended. Can Shift to either Light or Heavy Gravity

Super Move
You Think I felt that?: Krysthane can unleash a burst of gravity distortion briefly stunning the opponent. Can be used while guarding or taking damage.

Instant Kill: Krysthane takes a step forward and launches a high kick straight to the enemy's face. When this attack hits she jumps forward pushing them to the ground and activates her boot slowly inflating the enemy with water. Eventually having reached a comical level of inflation Krysthane removes her boot causing the enemy to fly into the air like a deflating balloon and land behind her. Krysthane gives a cheeky grin and says, "Now that's what I call staying hydrated."

Used on Feline Fanus: What's the matter kitty, don't like water?

V-Trigger: Adaptive Gravity: Krysthane can now switch modes at will including mid attack, allowing her to essentially enjoy the full benefits of both heavy and light gravity.

Taunt 1: Krysthane says, "This isn't even my final form." and her hair floats up and lighting briefly crackles before returning to normal

Win Animation: Krysthane stretches her arms above her head and leans against the edge of the screen, "Hey that was fun, any tips?"

Win Animation 2: Krysthane yawns, "Boring, guess I need to find a stronger opponent..."

Time-Out lose animation: Krysthane looks at the timer in disbelief, "No way..." and falls flat on her back

Win Quotes

Ebon Umbranox: "Come on, at least act like you're trying"

Sepia Russet: "Guess you're more of a team player anyway."

Skyra Dawn: "Too fast for your own good"

Robert Fallson: "It was cause I'm a girl wasn't it, *sighs*"

[Lugubrious]

Abel's ready to kick some ass

Abel Fulgurate

The Guardian

Intro Animation:

Abel stands facing his opponent, as if waiting for them. His arms are crossed, and a grim expression on his face. Against Robert or Krysanthe, he'll say “Don't take me lightly.” Against anyone else, he'll say, “Reality is cruel.” Afterward, he holds a hand up, and the Ampere flies into it from the sky, linked by threads of electricity that stem from his fingerteps. He spins it once, displaying an adept precision, before slamming it down butt-first into the ground, causing small pebbles and debris to fly a few inches up off the ground. Some small jolts of electricity surround his weapon during this time, which help to further establish the deadly-serious vibe coming from this guardian.

Playstyle:

Abel is a mid-ranged zoner, not necessarily relying on projectiles to keep his distance, but utilizing a variety of long-range normal attacks involving the Ampere and various kicks. Though many of his attacks, barring jabs, have slow start-up periods, their ability to cover the screen, deal dependable damage, and frustrate opponents into taking rash action make them all useful in one way or another. Interesting to note are two of his heavy normals. Heavy forward-punch is an upward swipe with the Ampere that can reset a juggled opponent into a standing position on the ground, allowing a combo extension, though it will only work once per combo. Heavy forward-kick is an axe-kick that strikes twice, once (low) on the way up, and then an overhead.

Special Moves:

_{the secret is they're all phobias}
Hapto – Abel plants the Ampere into the floor, creating a short-range burst of electricity on either side of him. It had quick startup but very little range, in contrast to most of his normals. Because of this and the fact that it hits on either side of him, this is a useful tool both as a 'get-off-me' wakeup measure, a way to deal with crossups, and a potential combo ender.
Algo – Abel leans back, possibly avoiding close-range attacks, before thrusting the Ampere straight forward. This is one of the longest-ranged melee attacks in the game, and it does a lot of damage, but its long startup and recovery mean it is difficult to land. Enemies can, after all, simply jump over it. Striking when the foe's guard is broken, they're stuck in recovery, or they whiff is the best bet.
Traumato – Abel gets the Ampere into a throwing position, striking with the shaft on the way up, before hurling it straight forward. Holding the up button after the initial input will angle the Ampere upward instead. After the throw, the weapon immediately returns to Abel's hand.
Hydro – A water grenade is lobbed in an arc, which explodes upon contact with the opponent or the ground. Its travel path means it will hit opponents right next to or full-screen distance from Abel, but nowhere in between. An enemy soaked by water suffers longer hitstun from electrified attacks.

Instant Kill:

Abel steps forward and punches the opponent in the gut, saying, “Try this one!” before opening his fist to reveal a water grenade. The grenade explodes, utterly moistening the guardian's foe, and Abel the grab's the enemy's head with both hands. A current of electricity surges through, causing the opponent's face to spasm comically, and all the while Abel drones on, his face scornful, talking quickly in a low and disinterested voice, “We talk about 'survival of the fittest' a lot but all that really means is the skilled live and the unskilled die. Since you're clearly in that second group, maybe pick your fights a bit more carefully? Do you understand what I'm saying? It's never going to matter how much you 'want it' when you're up against a Grimm that can kill you with a sneeze. Sleep tight.” Abel then raises his knee and brutally slams the opponent's nose into it, knocking whatever sense they had left out of them.

He stands over the unconscious opponent, clearly unhappy. Putting a hand over his face as if to hide himself from guilt, regret, or to suppress his anger, he says, "If you're convinced that you're infallible and completely confident in your ability, you'll be in for a rude awakening sooner or later. Don't think either of us will be happy about this conclusion, but if it helps awaken you to reality, maybe this is a blessing?" He brushes a hand against his coat, causing some sparks to appear for a split second, before turning his back and walking away.

V-Trigger

Tempest Overload - Bellowing, Abel raises the Ampere and a lightning bolt strikes it from the heavens, filling the guardian's body with energy. White electricity arcs across his body, and his eyes burn with it, and for the duration of the trigger his idle animation is far twitchier. While in this state, Abel has access to two new special moves, physically attacking him deals a small amount of damage to the attacker. 'Kakorrhaphia' creates three loci of electricity that form, hang in the air for a moment, and then move one after another toward the enemy's current position. 'Astrapo' fires off a lightning bolt from the Ampere straight forward, covering the whole screen, though it takes a moment to switch to Staff mode and then back again. Tempest Overload lasts a pretty short amount of time -less than seven seconds- but can lead to a ridiculous defense while active.

Taunt:

After clearing his throat, Abel begins to speak. “Hey, if you're not doing anything, listen to this:” Abel then says in a toneless voice one of five jokes:
“What's brown and sticky? A stick.”
“What happens if you crush a musician? He'll B-flat”
“What's the best way to dodge a waterfowl? Duck.”
“I should be sorry for this? Sorry, I'm un-Abel.”
“What do you call a fake Scroll? A phoney.”
Immediately afterward, the opponent collapses, taking a quarter of their maximum life as damage, and Abel steps back to straighten his coat indignantly, saying either “I knew I shouldn't have tried it”, “I'm unappreciated in my time.” or “Wow. Rude.” Naturally, this taunt takes a long time to finish, so the chances of it happening are pretty low.

Win Animation:

Abel sighs dejectedly and throws down his Ampere. It floats, suspended by electricity, a foot above the ground, and Abel seats himself upon it with an air of resignation, though his eyes do not betray if he feels disdain toward the defeated, concern for them, or concern for himself. He rests his head in a hand and looks through his fingers at his defeated opponent, frowning.

Win Quotes

Generic 1 - "You even understand what a defeat like this means? If you can't even take me on, how can you take on the Grimm?
Generic 2 - "Talked big, but it looks like you're just enough lamb to be sent to the slaughter. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you've got no hope."
Generic 3 - "Ah...that was close. Damn it! If I couldn't even defeat you easily, how am I gonna survive what's coming?"
Generic 4 - "Time for you to wake up from your little dream world and face the facts. If you're not strong enough to take charge when the world goes to crap, you're just gonna be another maggot crawling around in the pile."

Vs Sapphire - “There. Maybe that'll get it into your skull: you're no boss of mine.”
Vs Shiro - “I'm sorry it had to be this way. You could have been saved, if only you had a friend who knew how to help you. But...I couldn't be that man.”
Vs Gren - “If you didn't see this coming, you're as much of a moron as you are a murderer. I'm turning you in.”
Vs Krysanthe - “Heck of a fight, I'm seriously worked up. I'd probably ask you out right now...if you weren't, uh, unconscious. My bad.”
Vs Robert - “Cool it, buddy. Let you beat me once, but don't let it give you a big head.”
Vs Jack - “Your lightning's inferior. I could have told as much two minutes ago, but you're not exactly the comprehending type, are you?”
Vs Mokuren - “Sweet dreams. Next time you try and take a bite out of me, I'll call the pound. If you're going to act like a vicious animal you deserve to be treated like one.”
Vs Cain - “Always hoped that my brother had survived that fall, but all I see right now is a monster. I guess he didn't, after all.”
Vs Abel - "What a tragedy. If you really were anything like me, we might have been friends. Sometimes, being alone is the worst thing in the world."

[Invisible Man]

Valin Nash

Theme

Intros

Intro 1 - Valin walks into the view of the screen, a lit cigarette is already inside of his mouth. A smile etches across his face before sucking the cigarette into his mouth and swallowing the entire thing. He readies up.

Intro 2 - Valin walks into the view of the screen, he pulls out his revolver and points it at his temple. He pulls the trigger five times with five succeeding clicks before pointing the gun into the air. He fires it one last time, a bullet shooting out of it and a devious smile grows on his face. He readies up.

Intro 3 - Valin walks into the view of the screen, in his hand is his revolver, the revolver looks like it has every add-on it can fit before quickly falling apart leaving only the base. A goofy smile on his face, he rubs the back of his head before readying up.

Playstyle

Valin, at his purest, is all about damage. Aside from Steel Core, all of his bullets can be continuously shot at the opponent until they are up close, constantly racking up the damage. His most prominent move, Load/Fire can be quite damaging, should the opponent not dodge the attacks or making predictable movements. Also note that most of Valin's special moves all look similar, making it difficult to tell what he is doing. Valin can also continuously guard himself with long-lasting/reaching moves for the opponent to run into, in their hurry to stop having a hail of bullets assaulting them. So, even though he has significant strengths, he does have his drawbacks. If Valin has no bullets in his revolver, none of his special moves will have any effect, rendering the majority of his move set unusable until he reloads. He is also a very light character; his lightness causes him to be easy to juggle for most characters, and his regular air attacks are not designed for defense. His mobility is also slow, both in the air and on the ground. Valin must also learn what each combination are capable of and must adapt to each one, especially in the middle of a fight. Being careless or inattentive, Valin may miss a sure KO if a Green Steel Core is out of range or using a Red Frangible on a block move.

Special Moves

Load/Fire - Valin's most important special move. He loads inside one random bullet, [Dust Type][Bullet Type], if the button to load is pressed again, the revolver will shoot out the bullet that will go across half of the stage before disappearing. This move set is completely randomized, relying on the user's sharp wits to use the bullet properly. Each bullet has their own special effect, combined with the dust type, it makes things even more interesting and even a smaller probability in the bullet you may actually want inside of a situation.

Types of Bullets

FMJ - Full Metal Jacket - 18%

• The most common bullet to pull out, it is slightly weaker than a Hollow Point Bullet, managing to do only 70-80% of its damage.

FMJRN - Full Metal Jacket Round Nose - 13%

• Almost identical to the Full Metal Jacket bullet, but it goes slightly faster than the FMJ by around 10%

FMJBT - Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail - 13%

• Almost identical to the Full Metal Jacket Bullet, this one goes around 3/4 of the stage.

OTM - Open Tipped - 13%

• Similar to the FMJ, it goes around the same velocity and length, but it does 85% of the normal damage

HP - Hollow Point - 12%

• Default bullet. It does 100% of normal damage.

SP - Soft Point - 10%

• Similar to the FMJ, it does around 90% of the normal damage of the bullet.

Ballistic Tip - 5%

• One of the top three bullets to get, it does 110% of the normal damage of a bullet.

Frangible - 13%

• One of the weakest bullets and most likely the most situational. It does 50% of the normal bullet damage, but when it shatters, a dust stays in the general area lasting for 5 seconds and doing 5% of the normal damage per second.

Steel Core - 3%

• The most powerful, and the rarest of all the bullets. It does 150% of the normal bullet damage, and has a 50% chance to break blocks. However, the range is only 1/4 of the stage instead of the normal 1/2 of the stage.

Dust

• None - Most common, 50%. No dust is covering the bullet.
• Red - Common, 20%. Does lingering burn damage for 5 seconds doing 5% of normal bullet damage.
• Dark Blue - Slightly less common, 15%. Slows the opponent down by 25% for 5 seconds.
• Yellow - Not common, 10%. Stuns the opponent for two seconds.
• Green - Rare, 5%. Doubles the range of the bullet.

Customize - Valin gets even more confusing the further you get to learn about his move set. This special move allows Valin to bring out another customized revolver out of his backpack, each weapon has their own little perks and cons when pulling them out. The time to usually takes to replace the revolver is around one second. Also, when you replace a weapon, the bullet stays with the previous gun you swapped out, and either the revolver is empty or the bullet you left in their last time is still in the chamber, ready to be fired.

Gun Types

Revolver

The starting revolver of the battle. Nothing special about it, doesn't have any negatives or positives.

Revolver with Silencer

Makes the animation of the gun shooting a little bit quicker, by 15%. However, it reduces the damage of the bullet by 5%.

Revolver with Extended Barrel

Makes the range of the bullet reach further into the stage, it reaches 15% further than the regular bullet. However, the extended barrel makes the animation a little bit longer, usually by one second.

Revolver with Stock

Makes the animation of the gun shooting and the reach of a regular bullet increase by 15%. However, it takes longer for the Stock to be pulled out, usually one second longer than non-stock weapons.

Revolver with Stock and Silencer

Makes the animation of the gun firing animation shorter by 25% and also increases the bullet range by 15%. However, it takes longer for the gun to be pulled out by one second and makes the bullet weaker by 15%.

Revolver with Stock, Optics, Extended Barrel

Makes the animation of the gun firing animation normal, and increases the bullet range by 25% with the optic allowing for a 5% damage increase. However, it would take two seconds longer to swap to this weapon

Revolver with Stock, Optics, Silencer and Laser dot

Makes the animation of the gun firing animation shorter by 25% and also increases the bullet range by 15%. However, it takes longer for the gun to be pulled out by two second and makes the bullet weaker by 5%.

Club - If you're opponent is constantly interrupting your reloading process or switching weapons, this is your last resort. This move can only be used if the opponent is right in front of Valin, if it manages to connect, it stuns the target for two seconds. Enough time to run, reload, or switch weapons.

Instant Kill

Valin, with a huge smile, walks up to his opponent and kicks them in the crotch as hard as humanly possible. As they kneel to the ground, experiencing almost pain beyond belief, Valin quickly backs away with one graceful jump. During the jump, he pulls out a Speedloader from his pocket, and the camera quickly zooms onto one of the bullets, etched on the brass casing says six of the following.

• Lucky Bullet No. 541
• [Name of the Opponent]
• ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
• Going up the butt
• If you find this, good job.
• Hello!

The camera zooms out, and Valin inserts the Speedloader into the revolver just as his feet touch the ground. The same smile still stuck on his face, he points the revolver towards the head of the opponent, however, just as he is was going to pull the trigger, he suddenly points the gun at some random direction. He soon starts to wave his gun randomly, firing almost at every angle before his revolver starts to make the clicking sound.

The camera soon focuses on one of the bullets, it soon hits another, forming into one mass. Suddenly, another bullet hits it and then another and another until all six bullets form into one single ball of lead.

It leads back to Valin humming some melody, the same smile still on his face. And then, the conglomerate pierces through the opponent's body, the bullet going straight through his opponent. They fall onto the floor. The lucky boy starts to make his iconic chittering laughter before yelling to the sky, "BEAT THAT WORLD!"

V-Trigger

Time To Get Lucky! - Valin activates his semblance, the blue aura surrounding his body for the next fifteen seconds. With the V-Trigger activated, Valin is able to do so much more damage than he was ever able to do before without any consequences. The top three bullets, Steel Core, Hollow Point, and Basaltic Tip are much more likely to be chosen for the bullet type. Each bullet will be covered inside of a dust type, that means there is no longer a fifty percent chance of getting a non dust covered bullet for the next fifteen seconds. Revolver swaps are now almost instantaneous, and the cons affecting each weapon are now gone for the next fifteen seconds meaning that there are only pros. The resulting affects allow Valin to be one scary dude as he will be able to blast anyone to pieces if they allow him.

Taunt

Taunt 1 - Valin's entire model is completely blurred out for the next five seconds. After he is unblurred, he says the following, "You might want to clean yourself after that."

Taunt 2 - Valin reaches into his pack before pulling out either some tighty whities, panties, or boxers. He looks at them with disgust before flicking them over to the opponent's direction saying, "I found these in your room, they definitely need a wash."

Taunt 3 (Only works if gun is unloaded) - Valin points his revolver at his opponent, he starts to fire rapidly at the person while screaming, "DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE." After realizing that it is not loaded, Valin's cheeks turn red, and soon he return to his normal battle stance.

Taunt 4 (Only works when fighting a girl) - "You know, if you were I booger, I'd pick you." Valin soon after starts to laugh hysterically before getting back into his fighting position.

Taunt 5 (Only works when fighting a guy) - "Want to see who has the bigger ding-dong?" Valin says this with complete sincerity.

Win Animation

Valin looks down at the fallen opponent, his smile still stuck on his face. He sits down right next to the body and pulls out a first aid kit from his backpack. He stares at them for a bit beginning to patch the opponent up.

Win Quotes

Vs Benjamin Lloyd - "I wonder if he has ever used his semblance on his genitalia before?"
Vs Amaranth Desire - "You know, I bet your clothes brings more than just desire,"
Vs Sangue Naga - "Dang girl, you're scary.
Vs Lorena Negasi - "Calm down, just calm down, calm down, just calm down,"
Vs Jack Orpheus - "So, I guess you weren't fast enough to dodge a bullet then, ey?"
Vs Mokuren Sabella - "Crap, she's hot,"
Vs Cian Kuze - "Guess you didn't want to survive hard enough,"
Vs Lucas Schwarze - "You'll be a gold mine in the black market!"
Vs Krysanthe X - "I'll be taking your shoes as payment, don't mind me,"
Vs Ebon Umbranox - "You'll never understand how I feel,"
Vs Sepia Russet - "Play dead! Oh, what a good doggy,"
Vs Skyra Dawn - "Guess she wasted your eight lives facing me!"
Vs Cobalt Chideta - "He couldn't think fast enough!"
Vs Oswald Connoly - "How convenient, People teleport to you to get shot!"
Vs Diamond Frost - "Wonder if we could've been friends? Nah. Now where is her wallet?"
Vs Emerald Felicia - "Bullets, Bullets everywhere. But not a single hit,"
Vs Pan Neverell - "Faults in everyone kid, why, look at me,"
Vs Hansen Forrester - "You aren't the hardest person to miss, you know that right?"
Vs Gretchen Forrester - "Well, might as well brand you with your own weapon after this,"
Vs Mary Ovisaries - "I wonder if Faunus Haggis is the same as a regular Haggis,"
Vs Robert Fallson - "You fight like a nerd,"
Vs Grane Blauer - "Sixth Sense? More like, Nonsense! Got 'Em,"
Vs Sapphire Rode - "There's no confusing or surprising the Prince of Chaos himself,"
Vs Abel Fulgurate - "What a shocking surprise! I won!"
Vs Kuhaku Shiro - "Can't get rid of my senses if they were never there!"
Vs Gren Orchid - "Dang man, you're scary,"
Vs Vega Venetia - "I've seen enough hentai to know where those tendrils were heading,"
Vs Gratia Mindaro - "You'd be a real doozy in bed,"
Vs Napoli Fiordilatte - "There can only be one jokester in this town,"
Vs Beryl Harken - "I wonder if you could detect someone wetting their pants, that'd be funny,"
Vs Catherine 'Kitty' Boot - "Robotic kitty cat? AWESOME!"
Vs Paron 'Rumple' Skaft - "Thanks for making me more lucky, pal."
Vs Thistle 'Lady' Mallory-Pheasant - "Is that what being shot feels like? Wow, that sucks,"
Vs Jasmine Grace Banks - "I bet there is one bone you can't crush,"
Vs Sterling Johnson - "I wonder how much I could get from that arm,"
Vs Sarina Tala Dei - "Look! Those stars looks like me kicking your ass!"
Vs Clair Carnelian - "Hey, there can only be... Uh, seven revolvers! Not eight!"
Vs Impara ‘Imp’ Fuerza - "Oh my gosh, so cute,"
Vs Rika Thorn - "Lucky Charms! It's scientifically painful!"
Vs Avendell Hallins - I'll be burning these books, don't mind me,"
Vs Amber - "Parents must have hated you if you have to hide your name,"
Vs Akashi Mayhiro - "Cool car, I'll be taking those keys,"
Vs Violet Steel - "Girl, you can track me anytime you want,"

[Kaithas]

Note, none of my entries are actually into the contest.

I just did them for fun while bored in school.

Rowan Iderson

Intro: Rowan walks in slowly, pulling down her hood and unholstering both pistols, putting them together and combining them into a rifle. She smirks, loading a shell into the chamber. "Class is in session."

Playstyle: Zoner
Rowan is a nimble, agile fighter whose attacks are almost entirely range based. Her melee abilities are usually only for gaining space or are enhanced greatly by her weapons.

3-7 Special Moves:
1. Give Me Some SPACE: Rowan's weapon transforms into a shotgun loaded with wind Dust. She blasts everything close by, flinging them backward but doing minimal damage.
2. Rapidfire: Rowan splits her weapon into dual pistols, each of which can fire three types of slug. Under normal circumstances, the shots go Fire-Ice-Wind, Lightning-Lava-Normal. Since she reloads while firing the other pistol, there's only the split second delay it takes to aim the other pistol. The effects of each bullet are, respectively: Burn, freezing, knockback, paralysis, extra damage, no enhancement.
3. Aura Counter: A shield formed from her aura aimed in a particular direction that lasts a second. If an opponent's attack makes contact, an explosion of Dust forces them back as she takes a potshot at them with her rifle. Since one hand is required for the Aura projection, her shot is usually only accurate at short ranges.
4. Go Ahead, Make My Day: Rowan's weapon changes to a sniper rifle and she takes a massively powerful long range shot. It cannot be aimed, it travels directly horizontally across the stage.
5. Fully Automatic: The weapon returns to its default, machine gun form, unleashing a spray of six bullets on a 180 degree turn, one of each type described in Rapidfire.

Each special move besides Aura Counter causes her weapons to transform, and they stay in that form after the weapon is over, changing her method of attack, firing rate, range, and accuracy. Bullet types/shells are always fired in the order detailed in Rapidfire.

Instant Kill: Rowan puts her weapon away, roaring and clenching her fists as she appears to bulk up, small iridescent scales appearing all over the parts of skin that are exposed. Her opponent tries to attack, but she just bats it aside, picking her opponent off of the ground, holding them above her head before yanking them downward, pulling her armored knee up and breaking their back. She drops them on the ground, dusting her hands as she turns away and walks off, returning to normal.

V-Trigger: "I need backup!"
Esther appears, adding her firepower to Rowan's for a limited amounted of time. Esther cannot take damage, but she fights a lot more viciously than Rowan does, using her combat knife to eviscerate her opponent if they get too close.

Taunt: Rowan shakes her head, pulling out a Scroll and tapping a few times on it, then puts it away. "Come ON, you can do BETTER than this."

Win Animation: Rowan transforms her weapon back into dual pistols, spinning them and sticking them back in her holsters. "Class dismissed."

Win Quotes:
vs. Esther: "Good job. I expect nothing less from you."
vs. Sepia: "Show up to class on time. You'll do better."
vs. Shiro: "You've improved since the obstacle course... But you've still got a while to go."
vs. Robert: "Good, but you'd have a shot if you paid attention to the lesson instead of your girlfriend."

[Crimmy]

A CHALLENGER APPROACHES!

GRATIA MINDARO, IMPÉRATRICE VRYKOLAKAS OF THE ARELATII

Splatter Party

Intro

Standard:
Calm and composed, the young Huntress known as Gratia Mindaro strides onto the battlefield, her heavy steps purposeful and controlled. Eyes blandly watching her opponent, headphones tightly wrapped around her head, hands tucked deep into the pockets of her winter coat, she seems bored and utterly disinterested, as if the coming fight means nothing to her. For a single moment, this stoic figure is unchanging, a looming presence whose presence on the battlefield seems so unfitting.

Then she moves.

Chartreuse fills the air. The winter coat slowly falls to the earth.

Gratia Mindaro cracks her neck, black turtleneck hugging her athletic form. The music stops, static noise screeching from the headphones. A wild, manic smile. Gleaming white teeth are bared threateningly. She suddenly giggles. High-pitched, dangerous. Her very body seems to radiate with anticipation. Every muscle tenses.

Like a wild animal breaking free of a cage.

You look into her eyes.

Overwhelming lust hits you. Lust for battle. Lust for conflict.

Lust for war.

CCCrrrrrggGGhHHhrrhRRREHggggGhhhGGG!!

Vs. Napoli Fiordilatte:
She's like a blur. An onrushing storm of force and primal terror that crashes onto the battlefield with no grace or finesse. The earth cracks beneath her. Dust rises from the impact. Gratia Mindaro rises to face her enemy, shoulders heaving, sweat glistening upon her brow. Her arms tremble beneath her coat, hidden muscles tensing as her grip on Valens and Valentinian tightened.

Teeth are bared in anger and hatred. Her fangs promise death.

She giggles. She guffaws. The primal, beastial sounds rumble through her throat.

Her eyes burn at a fever-pitch, onyx orbs glowing with eager madness. They are brighter than even Orion's rabid hound. They seek to kill. They seek to destroy. They seek to watch Napoli Fiordilatte ripped to shreds before their very sight.

The Huntress is shaking, tongue running across her teeth with a hiss. She's about to pounce. About to charge unflinchingly into the fight. About to cut down her foe and crush him into the dirt. The very prospect excites her. Guttural growls escape her crazed, grinning mouth.

She's going to have so much fun!

"DIE FOR ME FIORDILATTE!" roars Gratia Mindaro, the horrifying cry one that resounds across all of time. "LET! ME! HEAR! YOUR! SCREAMS!"

Playstyle

Gratia Mindaro is a character that epitomises the concept of rushdown. Her bulk and power ensures that she can be thrown straight into the close-range, where there is no finesse or skill, simply button-mashing. Every blow is powerful, but her ranged capabilities are substandard, as her only option there are her relatively weak projectile attacks. While her playstyle is combo-heavy, utilising her projectile attacks in tandem with her sword strikes to deal massive amounts of damage, she has no presence whatsoever in the air, but she can be a pretty solid juggler if played right.

Special Moves

Solicinium - At the cost of a slight portion of her own health, Gratia can launch a brutal flurry of kicks at her opponent's middle that does 1.5 times the damage her normal kicks would, which can be capped off (if the move is not cancelled) with a jaw-shattering uppercut that devastates those she strikes, her pale white knuckles almost appearing to ripple as they crash into her enemy's head. This takes out another small chunk of her health as well, but is severely-damaging and stuns. If she cancels out of the attack before the uppercut, it can be used to set up a combo with her carbine shots.

Via Domitia - Through her aura-draining semblance of Bibere Vinum, the activation of this move allows her to steal health from her opponent for a maximum of six seconds (although it can be cancelled earlier as well, for when in the process of this technique she cannot move from her position), and provides her with enhanced attack and movement speed for a period of time equivalent to how long she spent draining. In this state, she is 1.5 times as fast as she usually is, whether it be in comboing or crossing the stage.

Tourtour - Gratia immediately aims Valentinian in the direction of her opponent with surprising and uncharacteristic seriousness, opening fire with a rapid, accurate and deadly stream of gunfire that is far more intense than what can be outputted by her normal attacks. It has slight recoil, and is also extra effective against aerial opponents or on mountainous stages. The attack is a constant but overhwleming one, and cannot be cancelled out of.

Day of the Tiles - Gratia wildly smashes her fist down into the ground, rupturing the earth and sending a gigantic mass into the air. This first stage will deal damage to opponents in close proximity and knock them to the ground, but it is the rest of the move that is at its most-dangerous. She immediately begins to shoot up at the sky (here, if she is attacked, the move will be cancelled) and a second later, the mass will descend as a hail of tiles that overwhelms the entirety of the screen, each falling projectile dealing massive damage if it comes into contact with her enemy.

Marignano - "I have vanquished those whom only Caesar vanquished." As if a combatant herself in the legendary "battle of giants" that had seen the French under Francis I triumph over the Swiss Confederacy for control of the Alps, Gratia Mindaro becomes an explosion of power, lancing forth at her enemies with the force of a cannon. The moment the move is activated, she rockets across the stage, Valens swinging wildly in front of her as she cuts swathes into her enemies. It is a fast, unstoppable attack that carries her from one side of the screen to the other, but she cannot change direction, nor can she strike aerial opponents. Although ridiculously fast and capable of dealing incredible damage, it is a move that can be avoided if one takes the high ground.

Instant Kill

Paris Massacre:
Gratia grabs you roughly by the throat, constricting your windpipe tightly as she lifts you up into the air. Crazed, wild eyes, full of bloodlust and rage, stare into yours, her onyx irises almost hypnotic as they spill out into the sclera. Pained chokes erupt from your throat as you struggle to breathe, her grip noticeably strengthening around your neck. Her grin widens, revealing her gleaming white fangs, and suddenly, she slams you into the ground, forcing all the air out of your lungs as you collapse onto the hard earth with a painful thud.

"For one hit taken, I ShALl gIVe bAcK tEN."

The huntress slams her foot down on you, the force sending immeasurable pain through your body. Ribs crack under the weight of her leg, splinters piercing into the lungs. She doesn't stop, lifting back up before slamming down again. And again. And again and again and again. It is a brutal assault, every strike jabbing bone fragments into your organs, every blow crushing your body into a bloody pulp. She cackles, the horrible noise like a pack of hyenas. That's what she is. A hyena ripping into your flesh.

Then ... she stops.

Your eyes open to see a face, stoic and impassioned ...

... And the barrel of Valentinian.

BANG.

Gratia holsters her carbine and boredly kicks your lifeless, bloody corpse into a river, where you sink, bubbling away into the depths.

"Ici," she says quietly, "Je noie mes ennemis."

V-Trigger

Valens' Tsunami:
The moment Gratia Mindaro enters her V-Trigger state, her entire body is cloaked in an oppressive, eerie green aura, her pupils appearing to dilate wildly as her irregular cackles intensify in duration and frequency. Like the magnitude nine earthquake of 365 that devastated Greco-Roman civilisation along the North African coastline, she becomes a force of nature, her very presence, her Semblance, rapidly draining away at the health of her opponent. Every blow she strikes, every wild impact between her and her enemy, is tripled in power, and utterly ignores any attempts at guarding. It is a mode that lasts for a mere four seconds, but if leveraged properly, a good player can make use of her overwhelming power to a terrifying extent.

Taunt

Gratia stops to cackle loudly, throwing her head back in crazed laughter. It's a maddening stream of giggles and high-pitched shrieks that would not be out of place leaving the throat of some scavenging animal. She's lost all composure, all semblance of sanity. This is the expression of her love for the fight. And the utter lack of care she holds for everything that isn't your ability to challenge her.

Win Animation

The beastial berserker allows her breathing to slow, the bloodlust that has been gripping her body fading away as she regains her composure. What was once a terrifying, crazed grin is now a bored, disinterested expression. She deftly opens up a lollipop, jabbing it into her mouth with little to no warning. It is a rapid transformation, the mad warrior of the fight now once again another impassive teenager, staring uncaring eyes at what remains of her opponent.

Win Quotes

Team VGNB

• Vega Venetia: "That horrible performance and your shitty fashion choices are why you'll never ever get a fucking boyfriend."
• Gratia Mindaro (Mirror Match): "That was fun."
• Napoli Fiordilatte: "Heeeeeeeeeeeee, you're at my tender mercies, Napoli Fiordilatte. Right where I want you. *giggle*. iSn'T iT jUsT BeAUTifUL?"
• Bianca Nuit: "Can't fly for shit anymore, birdbrain?"
• Beryl Harken: "The Lord is on my side. Not yours."

Team JMCL

• Cian Kuze: "You break too easily. How fucking disappointing. I expected more from an absolute defence."
• Lucas Schwarz: "Drill this into your memory: you will never win."

Team CODE

• Emerald Felicia: "Don't try and molest my teammate again or it won't be just your tail you'll be losing."

Team SASG

• Sapphire Rode: "Fuck off. Fiordilatte is mine."

[NaraK]

-omitted-

[Triple A]

I got help from NarayanK for the formatting. Ty, NK.

---

Boss Theme

Regular Theme

VOLK BARON

The king of black markets and dark businesses alike, Volk Baron seeks nothing time-consuming like redemption. Instead, he seeks something else. What he seeks is unknown, but it is surely a dream that only the heartless can venture into. Down into the spiral of blind madness and agony lies a truth only he can confirm, after all.

Arcade Introduction

The beeps of a monitor.

It went on and on, bragging about how the girl’s life would end soon. On it went, beeping and bringing agony through simple sounds.

Volk stood next to the blonde child, his arms crossed, his facial features hidden.

He met her plenty of times before. Every day, whenever he left for work, he would find the child playing with her friends. If he recalled correctly, they were playing in a playground that was about to be torn apart. Poverty? That did not describe the ragtag group of children who played with an airless ball. She could not pay for the accident she got involved in; she had no parents.

Society at its finest, it seemed. What a fine world to live in.

He watched the monitor line jump, then fall, then jump again before falling again. Beep, went the monitor.

What would happen if the child lived, he wondered as he left. What would happen if he made some additional finances for her? He was curious. Would he receive a great reward? Would she ignore him afterwards?

He was truly curious. And he continued to be curious as he prepared to depart for a journey full of questions.

And bloodshed.

Boss Encounter

Hidden deep in an unknown laboratory, an explosion erupts and soon reveals Volk standing among utter destruction. He closes his eyes and hangs his head down… before opening them. His eyes locked onto his opponent, he throws the head of the mighty warrior he just killed before approaching his new challenger. The boss version of Volk has white hair, darker skin, and wears only red baggy pants. There is a mysterious symbol etched on his chest.

Playstyle

Volk is not combo-heavy, as all of his combos are fairly simple. His playstyle lies in punishing opponents harshly through powerful attacks that have high priority. Despite having incredibly quick normal attacks and an impressive running speed (he is one of the fastest, if not the fastest fighters in terms of running), his special moves always leave him open. He has moderate health and powerful offense, and is almost an absolute nightmare to projectile users and a bog-standard fighter against close-ranged fighters. His specialty is forcing people to fight the game he wants to play with them.

Movelist

Quantum – Volk kicks upwards, creating a full-circle attack as he skids forward on the ground. Quantum leaves Volk open, and while it cannot combo into anything, it can be combo’d into very easily. Deals a considerable amount of damage for a special move. Quantum deals over half of the opponent’s health in his boss form.

Blue Shift – Volk activates a device as he thrusts a hand forward, leaning towards the opponent’s direction as he does so. A blue circle of energy appears in front of him. If a projectile touches the circle, the projectile will be reflected with tripled speed and deal 1.5x damage of the original projectile. The circle also hits opponents if they are close enough, though there is no real point in using Blue Shift against characters who do not use projectiles often.

Opposing Force – Volk vanishes and appears above the opponent, crashing down after a very brief delay. The delay increases based on the button input he uses, but the longer it takes, the more damage it deals. The attack is an overhead move, meaning that crouching opponents cannot block the attack. Opposing Force can be connected with Quantum, leading to devastating attacks. Its greatest weakness is its predictability, but against projectile users, it is an incredibly useful punish move. Opposing Force automatically targets the opponent’s location.

Matter Combustion – Volk’s veins glow a bright orange as his eyes shoot out a burst of flames as the attack progresses. Volk performs an incredibly quick haymaker. If the haymaker connects, he will proceed to deliver two powerful punches to the opponent’s ribs before kicking their face, sending them across the battleground. Matter Combustion ignores projectiles, regardless of how much priority it has. The boss version is even faster than the normal version, starting in one frame compared to the several frames Volk normally gives to his opponents.

Half-Life – Volk must have his V-Trigger completely maximized for this move to occur.

V-Trigger

Resurrection: If Volk is defeated in battle, he will stand up once more with half of his health restored. The V-Trigger works only once throughout the entire round, and must be maximized by the time he is defeated. The boss version completely refills his health.

Instant Kill

Genocide: If Volk lands his Instant Kill command setup, then the Instant Kill initiates. Volk stabs the opponent’s stomach with his hand. He then slowly raises the opponent above him as the background darkens to a pitch-black. The instant moment he closes his eyes, he gathers all of his strength to generate blasts of plasma out of his entire body repeatedly, over and over, until about fifteen blasts erupt. At the sixteenth attack, he will open his eyes, his robotic eye shining a dangerous red before he yells victoriously, causing the final explosion to be powerful enough to make the screen whiten. The screen then turns back to normal as it reveals the entire background, which has turned into a wasteland with Volk being the only one alive in it. He dusts his now red glove before leaving.

Taunts

Normal Taunt: Volk bows politely. Attacking him as he does this taunt does more damage than usual.
Normal Taunt 2: Volk snaps his fingers. If he is right in front of an opponent, he will damage them by literally one damage point.
Boss Taunt: Volk charges and generates a blast of plasma to erupt out of him as a laughter erupts out of him. This can actually do a considerable amount of damage for a taunt.
Boss Taunt 2: Volk laughs venomously, his voice echoing like that of a creature that does not belong to Remnant.
Boss Taunt 3 (VS. Midnight Squad): Volk wears a shit-eating grin as he points at his opponent out of mockery.
Boss Taunt 4 (VS. Faculty): Volk laughs venomously before bowing politely. He actually receives more damage if he is hit while bowing.

Win Animation

Volk looks down at his hand before snapping his fingers, causing two men in red suits to walk up to him, one of them carrying a box. The Crimson himself opens the box, revealing a new suit for him to wear. The man tosses aside his current suit and redresses himself for the sake of living up to his name.

The boss version picks up the opponent by their head, full of cruel curiosity and adrenaline. He then tosses them on the ground as he channels a blast of aura energy and plasma simultaneously. His figure completely pitch-black and the aura around him deathly red, Volk turns to the camera, one eye red and one eye pitch-white. You can see a faint glimpse of his signature shit-eating grin.

Arcade Ending

Having sold the bodies of the many people he defeated, Volk returned to the child and paid for her medical expenses. He got her a proper treatment, and the child was saved.

He met her outside of the hospital she was going to be released out of. With a smile, she cried, “Thank you!”

It seemed the innocence that coated her words made him grin unknowingly.

As the child waved at him, he could only wonder what he was. He was known as a neighbor to several people, but to thousands of others, he was a black market king. He knew that there was nothing that could give him enough fear yet.

All he wanted was a world that ran perfectly just for him.

The child soon returned, her eyes wide and her smile flowing with effervescence. She held a ball up- that airless ball he always found her playing with.

Volk wondered. He wondered how a child would make him feel that intentionally losing to others made him feel giddy.

His humanity can never be erased, he realized. And in the end, his humanity will ultimately keep him unable to exceed humans, regardless of his endless greed and crimes…

But maybe that was why he saw worth in lives in the first place.

Win Quotes

Volk's regular quotes appear randomly when he is in his regular form. The special quotes appear only when he is in his Boss form. There is a 5% chance that Volk will say the "Rare" Quote.

(Regular Quotes)
"Done packing? Your life's journey is over!"

"Repeat this after me: I'll never take on a king again."

"That's not a fight; that's a beating."

"You will fit nicely in my collection of trophies."

"You never had a chance, blowhard. Good day."

"Only the crazy are sane in a crazy, mixed-up world!"

"A hospital or a cemetary; the choice is yours."

"Your ancestors await!"

"A god? I am no god. I am a superstar! Ha ha ha!"

(Rare Quote)

five percent chance this shows up

"Done spaghetti? Your life's spaghetti is OVER."

[Krayzikk]

Intro:

Benjamin Lloyd walks into the center of the arena with a lazy grin at odds with his movements; each step is a coiled spring, propelling him smoothly with the utmost precision. He stops at the very edge of dueling range, stretching and rolling his neck. He regards his opponent while shrugging out of his uniform’s coat, casually tossing it off screen as his theme fades out.

“Let’s make this quick.”

Playstyle: Rushdown (Okizeme): Where others depend on a single style, Ben controls the flow of battle. Shotguns for a close-range opponent, close-range tonfa use for a projectile user, he adapts his tactics for the opponent. Specifically he picks the style best suited to put pressure on his foe and never let up. He keeps them at a disadvantage, and the instant they stumble, he takes the lapse to eliminate the opposition.

3-7 Special Moves:

My Legend Began: Benjamin closes the gap between himself and an opponent out of range with a Deinamig-powered lunge, using a shotgun blast from Lawnslot to stun his opponent long enough to move in. If uninterrupted, then he will flip Artorius into a reverse grip and use a blast’s recoil to drive it home once in range.

In the 12th Century: A counter move. Ben evades the incoming attack and forms Caletfwlch from his tonfas, using the opening in his opponent’s defenses to slam its handle into his opponent’s face in a Mordhau strike. Forced back and stunned, they are easy prey for the blade, given extra force by the hand resting on its pommel, stabbed towards their chest.

Excalibur, Excalibur: A guard-breaker. Caletfwlch is formed, and the opponent’s defenses are broken with a devastating overhand strike, transitioned cleanly into a side hand slash across their chest.

Caliburn: Useful only in dangerously close ranges, Ben stabs Artorius through his opponent’s clothing and into the wall behind them, pinning them in place. He fires a Red Dust shell into their gut three times, then withdraws Artorius and jumps back to a safe distance.

Camlann: A highly risky counter. Ben charges headlong into his opponent’s attack, permitting it to land and inflict damage while he takes advantage of the break in their guard caused by their strike. Artorius and Lawnslot are both fired with Dust rounds, and unless he is interrupted before the attack begins, his first shot will stun his opponent. Every successive shot will do the same, with a brief moment open for a combo breaker. If no breaker is achieved he will empty both weapons’ munitions before breaking off the attack.

Instant Kill:

(Locked during rounds against teammates.)

The blow seems certain, but the sound of metal against metal heralds its failure. He pushes back harder than should be possible, throwing his opponent off balance and slamming Lawnslot into their face to force them back. They stumble, but their Aura ensures the impact is little more than an inconvenience. Their recovery is swift, they regain their footing, and focus on Ben-

Just in time for the shotgun in front of their face to go off. Red Dust round, they find the presence of mind to think as they reel back from the explosion. But there is no second respite. Another shell goes off, and another explosion colors their world red, knocking them back. Then again. And again. And again. The world becomes nothing but fire, noise and confusion. They’re dimly aware, as the barrels go silent, that the last blast knocked them against a wall. Their weapon is no longer in their hand, and they blink rapidly, trying to restore some sense of focus to the world. They needed to get their weapon back, and they needed to keep moving.

And get their weapon back they did. Their gaze clears just in time to see Ben lunge forward far faster than before, his tonfa replaced by a longsword in his right hand. Before they could blink their weapon had been stabbed through the collar of their clothes into the wall behind them with the sound of concrete cracking. They couldn’t move. That speed, that power… His Semblance. Not that they had much time to process it. His left hand joined the right on the handle of Caletfwlch, his blade a blur as he drew back. And the swing was even faster. A single report of the shotgun, the last round in the chamber, lent the inhumanly potent blow force.

The wall shattered as his blade passed through it, leaving his opponent in a pile of rubble. A single shotgun shell bounces off of the ground.

Alternate Version, For Characters Without A Suitable Weapon (Krysanthe, Ebon, Diamond, Emerald, Delta, Jasmine, Sterling, Clair, Amber, Akashi, Valin)

The blow seems certain, but the sound of metal against metal heralds its failure. He pushes back harder than should be possible, throwing his opponent off balance and slamming Lawnslot into their face to force them back. They stumble, but their Aura ensures the impact is little more than an inconvenience. Their recovery is swift, they regain their footing, and focus on Ben-

Just in time for the shotgun in front of their face to go off. Red Dust round, they find the presence of mind to think as they reel back from the explosion. But there is no second respite. Another shell goes off, and another explosion colors their world red, knocking them back. Then again. And again. And again. The world becomes nothing but fire, noise and confusion. They’re dimly aware, as the barrels go silent, that the last blast knocked them against a wall. Their weapon is no longer in their hand, and they blink rapidly, trying to restore some sense of focus to the world.

Their gaze clears just in time to see Ben lunge forward far faster than before, his tonfa replaced by a longsword in his right hand. Before they could blink their weapon had been stabbed through the collar of their clothes into the wall behind them with the sound of concrete cracking. They couldn’t move. That speed, that power… His Semblance. Not that they had much time to process it. His left hand joined the right on the handle of Caletfwlch, his blade a blur as he drew back. And the swing was even faster. A single report of the shotgun, the last round in the chamber, lent the inhumanly potent blow force.

The wall shattered as his blade passed through it, leaving his opponent in a pile of rubble. A single shotgun shell bounces off of the ground.

V-Trigger:

Battered again and again, Bastille’s leader is faltering. His Aura is low, hovering only just above red. Attack after attack has whittled him down without reprieve, and his breaths come quick and shallow. His foe’s victory is imminent. He lacks the strength to turn the tides. Benjamin knows that he’s running out of steam. But the fact seems to bring him to life, insurmountable odds more galvanizing than any pep talk.

“Bastille’s impenetrable.” Standing tall, he grins. “Can’t be the one to break that rep.”

The batteries release.

Benjamin’s V-Trigger, Deinamig, is a highly unusual one. It can only be activated once he falls beneath 30% health, cementing its status as an ace up the sleeve. His health bar regenerates over time, enough to restore him to full and then some. Ben switches to Caletfwlch as his primary weapon and its attacks are faster and hit harder. But at a cost. Every attack, be it a Special Move or a Standard Caletfwlch attack, costs him health. Between this and his opponent’s attacks, there is no guarantee of a full restoration to his health bar. The tradeoff is difficult to manage, but devastating when he controls the flow of battle.

Taunt:

Standard: Ben grins at his opponent, spinning his tonfa almost playfully while he bounces on the balls of his feet. “You know you’re getting your ass kicked by a dropout, right?”

Against a BASL Member: “If you lose, you’re paying for the team’s night out.”

Against Sapphire Rode: Ben settles into a ready stance, a faint half smile on his face. “Time to knock that chip off your shoulder.”

Against Threatening Opponent: Loading Dust rounds into his tonfa, he scowls at his foe and settles into a ready stance. “Want to get at my team? Get through me, bastard.”

Win Animation:

Standard: His coat comes flying from off-screen, and Ben catches it with a finger, draping it over one shoulder. He rolls his shoulders, and grins down at his opponent. “Better luck next time.”

Against BASL Member: Ben laughs, and crouches down next to his teammate to offer a hand. “Great round. Need some help up?”

After Instant Kill: Caletfwlch separates with several mechanical clicks as the dust settles, both tonfa spun lazily before being returned to his belt. Ben glances at the rubble sheepishly. “Shit. Got a little carried away.”

After Instant Kill on Villain: Ben stabs Caletfwlch point first into the ground and rests a hand on its crossguard, glaring at his downed opponent. “Don’t get back up.”

Win Quotes:

BASL

V. Lorena Negasi: “Gotcha this time. Sure Amy’ll kiss it and make it better.”

V. Amaranth Desire: “I know you said you got better exercise in bed, but I think you’re outta shape, Amy.”

V. Sangue Naga: “That was a blast. Almost had me there, Sangue.”

JMCL

V. Lucas Schwarze: “Haven’t quite kicked reason to the curb yet, have you? C’mon. Let’s meet up with the gang and get some lunch.”

SASG

V. Sapphire Rode: “Ready to stop treating people like dirt?”

V. Kuhaku Shiro: “See why you gave Luke so much trouble.”

VGNB

V. Napoli Fiordilatte: “Your jokes are way too cheesy.”

V. Gratia Mindaro: “Jesus, chill out.”

[Onarax]

SELECT YOUR CHARACTER - NAPOLI

Intro:
Standard: Napoli enters, a grin across his face, sniper in hand. When he sees the battlefield, he takes a forlorn glance at Scapino. “Sorry buddy, looks like I don’t get to use you again.”

With the press of a button, Scapino is transformed into Mercutio and Arsene, and Napoli deftly spins them in his hands, before bowing in greeting. “Greetings Signor(ina), my name’s Napoli Fiordilatte. I’m looking forward to a fun match, for added fun I’ll even forgo my semblance and gun. So let’s have some fun.”

vs. Gratia: Napoli enters, sees Gratia:

“Crap, can I go home?”

Playstyle: Napoli is through a fighter focused on his fantastic Okizeme. Controlling the opponent through well placed Mid Pokes, and successful counters is the name of the game. Indeed, while his guard is significantly weaker than other Tekken characters, Napoli possesses a parry system utilizing his unique taunt based gameplay. The parry system allows for quick counter attacks and dodges after a properly timed taunt. In addition he has a wide variety of thrusts and slashes that can be comboed off one another. However due to Napoli’s weaker damage output, terrible juggling ability and poor wall game, it takes a high degree of patience and skill to successfully utilize. Blindly rushing in or button mashing will get you killed as Napoli is a character best utilized defensively.

Move List:

Key

f = Tap Forward
F = Hold Forward
b = Tap Backwards
B = Hold Backwards
d = Tap Down
D = Hold Down/Crouch
u = Tap Up
U = Hold Up/Jump
N = Neutral Stick Position
1 = Button 1 - Left Punch, Dagger Hand
2 = Button 2 - Right Punch, Rapier
3 = Button 3 - Left Kick
4 = Button 4 - Right Kick

Stoccata (A basic thrust): f2
Prima (A slower, more powerful thrust): F2
Dagger Mandritto (Dagger slash from right to left): u1
Dagger Riverso (Dagger slash from left to right): d1
High Ward: U3+4
Low Ward: D3+4
Broad Ward: N3+4
Distesa (A lunge attack accompanied by a thrust): F4, 2
Tondo (A horizontal cut with rapier or dagger): U2 or U1
Tondo Riverso (Tondo from the other side): D2 or D1
Squalembrato (Descending Diagonal Cut): DF2 or DF1
Squalembrato Riverso: DB2 or DB1
Fendente (Descending Vertical Cut): bdf2 or bdf1
Fendente Riverso: fdb2 or fdb1
Sottomano (Underhand Ascending Cut): buf2 or buf1
Montante (Vertical Ascending Cut): fub2 or fub1
Ridoppio (Two or more quick thrusts, first one breaks middle guard): F2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 ….
Falso Dritto (Ascending Diagonal Cut with false edge.): fuf2
Falso Manco: bub2
Passata (Quick sidesteps towards opponent): f3,f4, f3, f4 …. or f4,f3,f4,f3…
Passata to Stoccata: f3,f4,f3,f2
Perder la Spada (Disarms opponent with dagger): 1+3
Trovar di Spada (Grabs opponent and stabs them with rapier, knocks opponent down): 2+4
Taunt (A basic taunt): B2+3
Taunt Counter (Parries enemy attack and staggers them): (Time with enemy attack) B2+3
Taunt Counter to Dagger Mandritto: (Time with enemy attack) B2+3, u1
Taunt Counter to Dagger Riverso: (Time with enemy attack) B2+3, d1
Taunt Counter to Stoccata: (Time with enemy attack) B2+3, f2
Taunt Counter to High Ward: (Time with enemy attack) B2+3, U3+4
Taunt Counter to Low Ward: (Time with enemy attack) B2+3, D3+4
Taunt Counter to Broad Ward: (Time with enemy attack) B2+3, N3+4

3-7 Special Moves: Not one for pointless hype moves, Napoli keeps his fighting style clean and simple. Instead of special moves, he’s possesses 3 different stances: High Ward, Low Ward, and Broad Ward.

High Ward allows Napoli to deliver more powerful thrusts, but his guard is weaker as are his cuts. This is the default ward for Napoli which is seen when he draws his blade. In this stance Napoli’s blade is held above his head, with the slight bent towards the opponent’s chest. Napoli’s knuckles stay low, and his dagger hand guards his chest. This stance also makes Napoli’s taunts more difficult.

Low Ward is Napoli’s most versatile ward, it possesses strong thrusts and powerful cuts. His guard is also decently protected. With knuckles low the blade is held low and pointed up towards the opponent’s left shoulder. His dagger is held forward as though the hand was reaching out for a handshake.

Broad Ward allows Napoli to have more powerful counter taunts. However Napoli lacks a guard in this stance and his normal attacks are rather weak. The sword is held far to the right side coming straight out from the shoulder while his dagger rests comfortably near his left hip. This is the most difficult stance to master.



Instant Kill:
Why don’t you just shoot him?- Napoli’s instant only occurs after three successful taunts in a row. Tired of his opponent ignoring him, Napoli brings out Scapino and simply shoots his opponent. There is no fancy cinematic, there is no pointless hype move, if you let him taunt you that many times, you don’t deserve a cool cutscene.

V-Trigger:
Hard Mode Engaged- Like most Tekken Characters, Napoli doesn’t have a dumb powered up state. Instead he simply has rage mode which engages when his health drops to 5%. In this mode Napoli’s attacks cause increased damage.

Taunt:
(After Punching) What? I thought you needed a hand.
(Kicking) Looks like I've got a leg up on you.
(After being Taunted) I'd say that was taunt amount to heresy. Don't you know the art of word play?
(During Opponent’s Special Moves) Where’s the skip button? (Skips cinematic, damage still inflicted normally)
(During Opponent’s Insta-Kill) Skip. (Skips cinematic, damage still inflicted normally)
(After Successful Counter) Why you hitting yourself?
(After Successful Counter) Kids these days, always so eager to charge right in.
(After Successful Counter) Whoops, did I do that?
(If Opponent is Flying) Careful now, wouldn’t want the wax to melt.
(If Opponent is Gratia) Fuck, can I run away yet?
(If Opponent is in V-Trigger) So many hacks.
(After Taunting Once) I can go all day
(After Taunting Twice) But I doubt you can.
(After Taunting Three Times, Insta-Kill) Well, I did warn you.
(Taunting after an interrupted Taunt) Come on man, have some respect. At least let a guy finish his sentences.
(If Opponent is Sapphire) So, will I get a proper introduction this time?
(If Opponent is Beryl) You couldn’t ask for anotter opponent with wit greater than mine. I’m bound to make a splash.
(If Opponent is Vega) So uh Boss, mind just letting me win?
(If Opponent is Bianca) So, this means I won the bet right?
(If Opponent is Violet) So, what’s this I hear about you not liking getting wet?
(If in Opponent’s Grapple) Can I tap out, sweaty fighters is not a pleasant smell.
(If Opponent is Luke) I would’ve made a drill pun, but somehow Gratia beat me to it. Bitch.
(If Opponent is Shiro) And you’re gonna hear me roar. That’s still a crap song though.
(If Opponent is Shiro) (Eye of the tiger starts playing)
(If Opponent is Taiden) Signor? Signorina? I hate traps.
(If in Sword Combo) Swish, swish, swish
(Neutral) (Twirls Pistol in hand)
(If Opponent is Volk) Die. (No other verbal taunts will occur during the match, taunt counters will occur as normal counters)
(If Opponent is Ben) Oh Lloyd give me strength. I’m sorry man, your name doesn’t jump out immediately.
(If Opponent is Ben) Maybe an Arthurian joke?
(If Opponent is Ben) Got one, Lancelot.
(If Opponent is Amy) Amiright or Amaranth?
(If Opponent is Sangue) You’re Nagonna win.
(If Opponent is Lauren) Can I axe you a question? Why so hypeious?
(If Opponent is Jack) Am I Jacking your style? Shocking isn’t it.
(If Opponent is Mokuren) Mirror, mirror in her hand, who’s the fairest in the land?
(If Opponent is Cian) Snipers that transform into other guns? I swear, people have forgotten the value of a true marksman these days.
(If Opponent is Krysanthe) Aren’t Sea Legs only good on a boat?
(If Opponent is Ebon) That shield won’t be much help when I send you to Kingdom Come.
(If Opponent is Sepia) You won’t last two minutes out here. Especially in those ridiculous shoes.
(If Opponent is Skrya) Get ready for the dawn of a new age.
(If Opponent is Cobalt) Not even gonna ask how you carry that thing.
(If Opponent is Oswald) Finally, someone with normal weapons.
(If Opponent is Diamond) (Frosty the Snowman starts playing)
(If Opponent is Emerald) Here kitty kitty. I’m sorry, that was rude.
(If Opponent is Robert) You’re gonna fall, son.
(If Opponent is Vivi) Crap, I already made an axe pun.
(If Opponent is Grane) You don’t bite right? Bite marks take forever to heal.
(If Opponent is Delta) You wanna just go to the firing range? (Opponent is prompted, if he selects yes a sniper mini game plays instead)
(If Opponent is Abel) The real question is, how Abel are you?
(If Opponent is Gren) An Orc? Boaring.
(If Opponent is Jasmine) Bonecrusher is a bit on the nose don’t you think? Like you’re just stating the obvious.
(If Opponent is Sterling) Nuada? More like nada. What? You try coming up with a joke for everyone.
(If Opponent is Sarina) I’ll be honest, your relationship with boss still confuses me.
(If Opponent is Clair) Copycat. Not that I can blame you, my weapon is beautiful after all.
(If Opponent is Kiran) Compensating for something there?
(If Opponent is Naoko) You know how annoying shields can be?
(If Opponent is Varius) Seniors get all the hacks.
(If Opponent is Amber) I can totally see you.
(If Opponent is Akashi) And gravity control, of course. Where do they find these people?
(If Opponent is Valin) lolrandom isn’t all that funny mate. A true joker has some class.
(If Opponent is Napoli) Hey- (Game Over)

Win Animation:
Standard: With a grin, Napoli bows out of the fight, twirling his weapons around before transforming them back into Scapino. Napoli says his win quote as music begins to play.

After Insta-Kill: Sighing, Napoli gives a forlorn request, “Could you atleast try next time? This feels cheap.”

After Shooting Minigame: “Up for round 2?” Music begins to play.

Vs. Gratia: Exhausted and tired, Napoli takes a quick look around before running away, his win quote being yelled off screen.

Win Quotes:

Team BASL
vs. Ben “You really think my jokes are cheesy?”
vs. Amy “So, do you desire another round?”
vs. Sangue “O pal, looks like you’ve been fired.”
vs. Lauren “Seriously though, I liked the name Basil. It even had the color thing going for it.”
Team JMCL
vs. Jack “So how long till you go with the much better name of Jumper cable?”
vs. Mokuren “Looks like I am the fairest in the land.”
vs. Cian “I’ll be Cian you later.
vs. Luke: "I better Luke out in the future, cause you're a great fighter."
Team KESS
vs Krysthane “Well, my victory was Krystal clear.”
vs Ebon “Maybe you should bring an umbralla next time, cause you just got burned. Like protecting yourself from sunburn. Ah forget it, it was a stretch.”
vs. Sepia “Seriously, I warned you about those shoes.”
vs. Skyra “Uh, reach for the sky? Give me a moment, I’ll think of something good.”
Team CODE
vs. Cobalt “Didn’t the old leader have a tank? I guess he just wasn’t firm as rock like you.”
vs. Oswald “So, do you still hate me as well?”
vs. Diamond “Well for a diamond you weren’t that hard to beat.”
vs. Emerald “Another gemstone? What is with this team, you guys all had boring parents.”
Team RVGD
vs. Robert “See, I said you’d fall son.”
vs. Vivi “Viri good. See, I can make puns not related to axes.”
vs. Grane “So you don’t bite, that’s a relief.”
vs. Delta “Not a bad shot, where can I get myself a spotter like your friend?”
Team SASG
vs. Sapphire "You're not gonna hate me again, are you Signorina? Please don't be salty."
vs. Abel “Unfortunately, you weren’t all that Abel this time.”
vs. Shiro “That, that was crazy. Let’s do it again.”
vs. Gren “Well, that orced well.”
Team VGNB
vs. Vega: “Sorry about that boss. No hard feelings?”
vs. Gratia: "You should be a more Gratiaous loser."
vs. Bianca: "Wait, didn't you get a write off?"
vs. Beryl “Want anotter go? Might whip you into ship.”
Team JSSC
vs. Jasmine “Jas, it was mine victory.”
vs. Sterling “Finally got one! You never stood a silver of a chance.”
vs. Sarina “Seriously, what’s up with you and boss?”
vs. Clair “Looks like the original wins again.”
Team KNVS
vs. Kiran “So you were compensating for something.”
vs. Naoko “Kum on, is that all you got? I thought you seniors were supposed to be tough.”
vs. Varius “Guess there wasn’t a lot of variety in this outcome.”
vs. Taiden “I still hate traps.”
Midnight Squad
vs. Amber “Guess you really were missing a few gears.”
vs. Akashi “Just goes to show, a fancy car doesn’t make you a good fighter.”
vs. Violet “Looks like that victory was a Steele.”
vs. Valin “If you ever want pointers on actual good jokes, let me know. I’m working on my joke book.”
vs. Volk (No words, simply raises his Rapier as the screen fades to black.)

[harinezumikouken]

Kuhaku Shiro - Joins the Hunt!

Kuhaku Shiro - Joins the Hunt!

Intro: As Shiro walks up, his black stripes burn into existence. The golden color of his irises bleeding out as they changed into a glowing icy blue. With an inviting and warm smile, he respectfully bows his head towards his opponent. Straightening up, "Let's have a good, clean, and fun fight!" he then brandishes his weapons and assumes his combat stance.

Playstyle: Rushdown/Zoner

[RUSHDOWN] When his sword is separated from his shield, his focus is on moving in close to batter his opponents with fast and furious attacks. Using his shield to give himself breathing room if he needs to back off to recalculate the situation, alternating between sword and shield swings. With his sword slashes being light attacks, and his shield swings being heavy. Only when fighting in this Style can Shiro use his Shield Parry. Only in this style can Shiro reload his Shotshells.

[ZONER] If an opponent is too dangerous to be fighting up-close and personal, he can combine his trick weapon together to create his Great Axe. With his axe, he benefits from increased attack power and range that allow him to safely engage opponents at distance. As a downside, his attack animations are slower and are easily telegraphed. Only when fighting in this style can Shiro unlock a different moveset with 'Launcher' abilities. Cannot be reloaded with Shotshells when in this style.

Special Moveset:

Sword & Shield
1. Cool Boogie... - Shiro waits for a perceived opening and then does a wide sweep outward with his shield. If an enemy attacks within the small time frame of his feint, Shiro can counter the attack to open them up for a punishing strike. However, this move requires precise timing. If off by even a second or two, Shiro is instead left wide open. If successful, he moves in for a quick jab at the head with the edge of his shield to stun. With the extra time bought from the stun, he cocks back his sword for a powerful swing and slashes. Firing off a Dust Shotshell to enflame his sword and increase the damage.
2. Jazz Cat Funk! - During the sword swing animations of his combos, he can fire off shotshells mid-swing to throw off the predictable timing of his attacks and increase the overall damage per second. Plus, it just looks cool with blue flames bursting from his sword every so often.
3. One-two Step - Cocking back his sword arm and 'charging' his attack, he can fire off a Dust Shotshell and drive himself across the stage for a powerful slash. The longer this special is charged, the more damage it does. The special can be unleashed at any time so that he doesn't leave himself as wide open for too long. The obvious downsides being he's completely defenseless during the time he's charging and he can only travel in a straight line.

Great Axe
4. Golf swing - Fore! With his Great Axe, he rears its head back before a massive upward swing and firing a Dust Shotshell off for an extra fiery boost. The primary focus of this special is to launch opponents into the air before transitioning back into his Sword & Shield mode to close the distance with a flurry of aerial combos.
5. Spin to win - Expending his Dust Shotshells, he rapidly spirals back and forth across the stage in a flaming tornado of doom. A few seconds after the attack, he is left queasy and unable to attack.
6. Drop the Bass - Expending his Dust Shotshells with a massive swing, Shiro can cause an explosion in front of his attack that sends opponents flying should they be caught in the blast radius. Temporarily deafened by the blast, Shiro is left dazed and unable to attack for a few seconds.

V-Trigger: "By royal decree of the King!" - By building his 'meter' from taking hits and connecting strikes of his own, Shiro unleashes a morale shattering/bolstering roar. The effect is being twofold, affecting both his opponent and himself. For his opponents, their animation frames have been altered. Rather, it makes it difficult for them to put together their usual favorite combos, thanks to the animation times being randomly thrown off. For Shiro however, his animation speeds have only increased. Allowing him to conduct and string together combos much faster and easier. As an added bonus, all of his attacks can be canceled out of. Affording him the ability to pull together ridiculous chains that can quickly turn the tide of a difficult battle.

Whenever activated, his V-Trigger has a 10% chance of placing him into a 'Blood Frenzy' state. Losing control of himself, he wildly and uncontrollably swings and moves about the field in a panicked/crazed state. Subsequent V-Triggers where he goes into 'Blood Frenzy' increases the length of time exponentially each time.

Instant Kill: Stardust Curtana - In order to unlock this attack there are three prerequisites. One, he must be in V-Trigger. Two, he must successfully pull off and then cancel out of a Cool Boogie to leave the enemy stunned. Finally, immediately after canceling out of a Cool Boogie he must taunt with his weapons completely empty.

If all prerequisites have been met, then a special song will unlock and play in the background as the cutscene rolls. With a smirk on his face and a gleam in his eyes, Shiro will slam his weapons into the ground. Stripping all of the Dust Shotshells off his belt, he'll then toss them high into the air. Quickly picking up his weapons, he'll forcefully sheath Kladenets into Perun and transform it into its Great Axe form but halting it halfway through. Focusing his mind and spirit as hard as he possibly could, his Aura unlocks and begins to glow intensely. Blue flames radiating from his body brightly as the falling Dust Shotshells freeze in midair before they hit the ground. Seizing control of both his aura and of the Dust within the ammunition, the shells begin to swirl around him in rings as the Dust within is pulled towards the Incomplete Great Axe and collects along its shaft. Roaring fiercely, Shiro collects and mixes his aura with the Dust and forms a gargantuan Great Sword of Light. Rearing the massive blade over his head, he cuts through his foe and ends it with one slice. The empty Dust Shotshells floating around him finally dropping to the ground with a clatter.

Taunts:
Taunt 1: Bashes the flat of his sword against the face of his shield to make a metallic racket, purely to annoy and distract.
Taunt 2: Sheathes his weapons and slings them behind himself. Leans forward as he makes random faces and noises at the opponent, laughing in a mocking tone. Most commonly blows raspberries.
Taunt 3: Sheathes his weapons and slings them behind himself. Turns around and sticks his butt out, smacking it at the opponent. With his head turned over his shoulder, he winks and makes a 'kissy' face as he smacks his butt.
Taunt 4: Sheathes his weapons and slings them behind himself. He leans to one side of the screen and fails to cover his mouth as he yawns. Obviously very tired/bored/disinterested, he examines his hands and picks at his ears.

Win animations:
Animation #1: Shiro breathes a sigh of relief, smiling. Sheathing his weapons and slinging them onto his back, he bows his head at his opponent out of respect. [If the fight was close]
Animation #2: Laughing, he jumps up and down out of excitement. Almost dancing before slamming his weapons into the ground and standing in a triumphant pose, two fingers stuck out in a 'V' as a sign of victory. [If the fight was one-sided, towards his favor]
Animation #3 vs Sangue Naga: Kneeling down on both knees, Shiro lays down his sword with the edge towards himself. Palms of his hands down flat in front of him, he bows and touches his head to the ground.
Animation #4 vs Sapphire Rode: Speechless and expressionless, he sheathes his weapons and slings them onto his back. Turning, he walks away.
Animation #5 vs Gren Orchid: Drops his weapons with a clatter and dramatically crawls away, heavily panting and gasping for breath. A look of absolute terror and disbelief on his face, eyes wide.
Animation #6 vs Gratia Mindaro: Shudders as he visibly shakes in his boots, a shiver shooting up his spine. Teeth chattering slightly. Slowly turning around, he carefully walks away. Checking over his shoulder every other step. Twitchy, jumpy, and nervous before finally just darting away in a sprint.

Win Quotes:
vs. Sangue Naga - "I sense a great deal of duty and honor within you. May we duel again in the future."
vs. Lucas Schwarze - "Looks like I win again. Huh, maybe I do need to fight you with a handicap..."
vs. Robert Fallson - "I can beat you BOTH in the real world AND video games! Hah! Speaking of which, you wanna go to the arcade after school?"
vs Sapphire Rode - "..."
vs Gren Orchid - "I. CAN'T. BELIEVE. I'M. ALIVE!"
vs Gratia Mindaro - "Y-you...Need a hug. Or therapy. Or both. N-not from me though. I-I mean...Uhh...BYE!"

Extras!

Alternate costume/voice packs!
Paternal Memento - With this alternative costume/voice pack selected, Shiro is clearly older. Taller, more muscular, and with an even deeper tone of voice. His silver white hair is so long that it reaches the small of his back. In this costume, he's missing his right eye and wears an eyepatch over it. The rest of his clothing being a sort of form-fitting bodysuit and his cowl modified to no longer having a hood. No effect on gameplay, purely aesthetic changes.

Alternate Universe - With this alternative costume/voice pack selected, Shiro is female. She has a sweet, alluring voice and does battle in a white tank top with a blue button-up over it in blue jeans. No effect on gameplay, purely aesthetic changes.

[Guess Who]

Heroes of Beacon: The Halloween Special

Robert sat at the lunch table with the rest of his friends and teammates, everyone laughing and generally having a good time. It was only one day away from Halloween and everyone was excited about the party Gren was planning. For many, last year’s was the most fun they had ever had that hadn’t involved any illegal activities, Robert included if he didn’t count his date with Priscilla back in his first year. He still missed his old team, even if Delta, Grane, and Trad were probably way better fighters then Priscilla, Greyson, and Daniel. Robert couldn’t help but let out a disappointed sigh as he thought of the old days. His mind now wandering, it was a miracle that he was able to get back in the here and now in time to eavesdrop on the two underclassmen behind him.

“-coming with us to see the ghosts tomorrow night?”

“Ghosts? What ghosts?”

“You don’t know about the ghosts?”

“Dude, I only transferred here from Haven a few weeks ago. I don’t know all of your superstitions and traditions. Tell me about these ghosts.”

“Okay, well as legend goes, there was a freshmen team that had gotten into Beacon a few years ago. After a week of attending though, three out of the four members mysteriously disappeared one night without a trace.”

Robert was no longer pretending to have no interest in the story. What the student behind him had just said sounded way too close to what happened to his team to be a coincidence.

“What happened to the survivor?”

“He was the leader I think so he got moved to another team, but that’s not important. What do you think happened to the three that disappeared?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Their leader must have killed them and they became ghosts because their murderer was never caught. Duh.”

“What?!” Robert shouted as he turned to the kid behind him, grabbing him by the collar. “How dare you make up stupid stories about my team like that! And how dare you pin their deaths on me! No one knows what happened to them! They could have just run off! You don’t know anything!”

The one not being yelled at by the angry redhead spoke next, “I-it’s true man. I saw them myself. One was a kinda big guy with a buster sword. The other was this thin guy that dual-wielded a straight sword and a scimitar. And the last one was a girl with bright pink hair and a-”

“Priscilla?” Robert asked, barely holding back tears at the thought of his lost love. The description the guy had given sounded exactly like them. “Tell me more about this ghost story now!” he screamed before finally letting go of the Haven transfer student.

“Well I heard from my older brother who was a junior when the three went missing. He said that on Halloween Night, after having way too much to drink at a party, he got lost on the way back to his dorm and somehow ended up in the Science Hall. My brother, his name was Bobby by the way, decided he needed to take a piss. So he went to the first restroom he found, the girl’s room on the first floor. When he walked inside though, he didn’t need to go any longer, because it was now dripping down his leg. He pissed himself at the sight of the three ghosts before running out screaming. The next night, he gathered a few of his buddies to go see it but there weren’t any ghosts. So he waited until next Halloween and, just like before, there they were. My brother did some research, found out who they were, and has now made it a tradition that you can’t call yourself brave unless you can stay inside the bathroom with the ghosts for five seconds. The longest so far was this guy named Michae-”

“That’s enough. I’m going to see this for myself tomorrow,” Robert said before sitting back down with a look of rage on his face. It was then he realized everyone was staring at him now. In all his years at Beacon, no one had ever seen him get so angry before or get violent with another student, especially his friends. They were all quite shocked. The redhaired student’s facial expression now changed to that of embarrassment. He certainly didn’t like all the attention he was now getting. “Gotta remember to keep my cool from now on.”

---

The next day, Robert was getting ready for the party. Gren had made it a rule that you could only attend if you were wearing a costume, so he was dressed as Noriaki Kakyoin, a character from one of Robert’s favorite Vacuoan Animes. Grane decided he didn’t want to put much effort in his costume and was just wearing his normal, casual clothing. He claimed that if anyone brought up his lack of a costume he would reply, “I’m a homicidal maniac,” before leaning closer and whispering, “They look just like everyone else.” Delta was wearing his old uniform back when he was in the military. Finally, Trad was wearing a viking costume of some kind. The four of them, five if you counted Eve, stepped into the hallway to head to Team SASG’s dorm.

Halfway there, Eve, who Delta had given wings and a wand to make the familiar look like a fairy, poked it’s head out of the pouch and saw that they were missing a member. “Where’d Robert disappear to?” it said. The three stopped and looked back to realize that at some point he had slipped away unnoticed by the group.

“He’ll probably come by later once he’s taken care of that thing that happened yesterday at lunch,” Grane replied as he continued on ahead.

The snake-faunus was actually completely accurate as Robert was already inside Beacon’s Science Hall trying to find the girl’s restroom like he was told. The whole building reeked of chemicals and the shadows of dissected animals and strange science projects covered the walls. It didn’t take long to find the door with the circular blue sign on the front that read “Women” with a female stick figure above it.

Opening the door, Robert was shocked by the sight before him. “The women’s restroom is totally better than the men’s. All the mirrors are intact, the stalls all actually close, the toilet’s aren’t all overflowing, there’s barely any graffiti, and the floors aren’t covered in piss and feces. It almost looks brand new. Why a-” The sudden sound of sobbing made the team leader stop mid-sentence. It was coming coming from the stall right next to him.

Slowly, the young man turned and pushed open the stall door to find a young, pink haired girl being the source of the noise. “P-Priscilla?” he asked as his hand reached for shoulder. To his shock, it didn’t make contact as his hand passed right through her. Robert stepped back in surprise as a sudden bolt of lightning outside finally caused the girl to give a reaction. She looked up at him for a split second before the sound of thunder signaled her to jump over Robert’s head and disappear. “Wait! Come back!” he shouted to her as he looked around frantically. The bright light from the lightning had temporarily blinded the poor boy, causing him to miss her face. He still didn’t know for sure if it really was Priscilla or not. He had to know though. He needed to know what happened to her, Greyson, and Daniel.

Robert searched anywhere for a sign of the apparition. Any clue as to where it disappeared to. It wasn’t floating above him. It wasn’t hiding in another stall. It wasn’t hiding in the corners of the room. Hell, he was so thorough that he checked the trash cans, and still he found nothing. Robert was beginning to lose hope, when a feminine voice spoke behind him. “Who are you?”

At first, Robert thought he, very clearly a boy, had just been caught by some girl who needed to use the restroom and now thought he was some kind of pervert. Turning to see the source of the question, he was glad to have been wrong. The ghost was back. The fact that he didn’t recognize the voice straight away was a huge red flag though, and now that he could clearly see the girl’s face he was certain. This wasn’t Priscilla. There were several similarities, but it was very clearly not the girl he had fallen in love with during his freshmen year at Beacon. “I’ll ask the questions here, imposter. Who are you?”

“I’m the ghost of Priscilla Montgomery.”

“Oh really? Because I was Priscilla’s boyfriend and her team leader so I know what she looks, sounds, and acts like pretty well and you, miss, are no Priscilla. So why don’t you end this sick joke and tell me the truth?!”

The girl descended towards the ground now, no longer being transparent once she touched the tiles. She pulled the pink wig off of her head to reveal brunette hair and tears welling up in her eyes. Real tears, not the fake ones she had been making a minute ago in the stalls. “I-I’m sorry. I was just trying to scare some bullies. I used my semblance to make myself look like a ghost and every halloween I would trick the kids who came in here. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, especially a stranger.”

Robert kneeled down in front of the girl and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You shouldn’t try to get even with bullies, you should stand up to them. Make them realize that picking on you isn’t going to be easy or fun for them. You also shouldn’t dress up as the dead, it can be easily seen as disrespectful to them and the people who knew them. Now come on, let’s get you out of here. You can come to the party me and my friends are throwing. It’ll be fun.”

“Really? Thank you,” the girl said as she suddenly lunged forward to hug Robert.

The two walked out of the girl’s restroom and continued to talk on their way to Team SASG’s dorm. Unbeknownst to either, back inside the bathroom, the real spirit of Priscilla watched the two with a small, happy tear rolling down her cheek. Greyson and Daniel stood behind her as well and the former placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke. “Come on. You got to see him again like you wanted, now it’s time to move on.”

Daniel was the first to disappear as he walked up toward a bright light. Greyson soon followed and dispersed as well. Priscilla was last, but before completely evaporating into mist, she turned back to the door and said, “Goodbye, Robbie.”

[Eklispe]

What A Nightmare?

Krysthane shook her head and looked around, it looked like she was in some sort of basement. With webs, lots and lots of webs. Repulsed, Krysthane swung her legs around creating tornado of water, forcibly cleaning the room of most of its filth. Krysthane shook her head and climbed the stairs out of the room- or she would've, if it had any stairs. The room... didn't have any way out. What was wrong with place? Angrily she slammed her heavily armored boot into the wall- and her foot bounced off. Krysthane regained her footing angrily, the freaking wall was made of wood, how was it strong enough to resist a full power kick? Alright then. Krysthane tried the same thing with the ceiling, jumping into the air and back flipping to hit the ceiling with an immensely powerful kick to no effect. Besides landing painfully on her butt and getting her pants wet. Krysthane grunted angrily and stood up looking around her perplexed. Third time was the charm, Krsythane prepared and did a flying kick into one of the walls and flew right through it, much to her surprise.

Krysthane ground to a halt inside another room which looked exactly the same as the one she was just in. Krysthane carefully walked back and tapped the wall she had come in from to find that it wasn't solid. Krysthane sighed in frustration, she had no idea what was going on here. She began exploring by tapping the walls and walked into another room having no idea what to expect and found Ebon in it. "Ebon?" She asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?" Ebon remained silent and simply pulled out his Kingdom and drones flew out in a distinctively aggressive fashion. "Come on Ebon, you don't hate me that much right?" No answer and several laser beams forced her to move. She slammed the drones into the ground with a brief spurt of overwhelming gravity and rushed towards Ebon. Her boot flew towards his face but she hesitated at the last moment- she couldn't fight her teammate, could she? Her weakness was rewarded with the Kingdom slamming heavily into her, sending her flying through another one of the walls.

Krysthane regained her ground and found herself in a room with Sepia. "Oh Sepia, I'm so glad to see you!" Sepia's normally friendly face curled into a disdainful frown, "Well that makes one of us." she said snottily and took out her staff, immediately firing off one hooked end at Krysthane. "Son of a-" Krysthane cursed furiously as she barely managed to dodge the wicked grabbling hook. She rushed forward with a powerful jet of water and raised her fist to slam it into Sepia's chest, this time determined to beat whatever this trick was. Seconds before impact, Krysthane realized that the chain was retracting faster than she was move. Thinking quickly Krysthane did a front flip, allowing the chain to pass through where her upper-midsection would normally be. And was promptly smashed in her ribs by the heavy metal staff and sent flying through yet another wall.

Krysthane heavily got up to her feet wincing, she'd never known Sepia could hit that hard. It looked like this room had Skyra in it. "Skyra, please tell me you're not like everyone else?" Skyra gave her a feral grin, "Oh no, I'm much better than everyone else. In fact I'm much better than you. So much better that I should've been leader. And I'll prove it right now!" Skyra cried out as she rushed forward. Her dual energy swords swung down together in a vicious overhead slash. Krysthane swung her leg forward in a counter high kick hoping her boot would stand up to the fierce blades. Luckily for Krysthane her boots held up and the blades were sent back flying backwards and Krysthane immediately followed up with the same leg scything towards Skyra's midsection. Then Skyra's swords left her hands and spun through the air deflecting the kick away. Skyra smirked maliciously and slowly began walking towards Krysthane, the blades forming a protective barrier between them. "Told ya I was better." Skyra said matter of factly as she slowly trapped Krysthane in a corner with her swirling blades. Krystane tapped the walls behind her to no avail, they were as real as the blades in front of her.

"Now DIE!" Skyra screamed angrily and the blades ended their whirlwind forcefully sending out a wave of power. Krysthane flinched raising her arms defensively as she was pushed back into the wall with a thud. Skyra lunged towards her with the twin blades snicking forward in an decapitating cut. Krysthane reflexively ducked and the blades cut heavily into the seemingly invincible wall. Roaring with anger Krysthane stuck out from her crouched position, whirling her body like a break-dancer to put a fearsome amount of force into a kick aimed directly at Skyra's stomach. Skyra was sent flying from the force of the blow and phased through the far wall.

Krysthane regained her feet angrily and strode after her, passing through yet another non-existent wall. There she found Skyra lying in a crumpled heap in her own lap? Krysthane was standing here looking at Skyra, but there was another Krysthane cradling Skyra's collapsed form in her lap, the other Krysthane looked up with tear-stained eyes. "You! You killed her!" The real Krysthane staggered back in disbelief and she whispered helplessly as she stared at the body. "No..." Her fingers scrambled against the wall futilely, it seemed that this wall was only one way. The fake Krysthane picked up Skyra's blades with a cry of rage and charged forward at her in a wild flurry of attacks. Krysthane kicked one blade out of the way, narrowly dodged another, and was kicked in the same side as she had been smashed in before and sent flying into another wall. She didn't pass through this one like the last one, instead solidly slamming into it with a grunt of pain.

The fake Krysthane pursued relentlessly hurling one of the energy swords and continuing her attack. Krysthane pushed herself off the ground unsteadily with blood tickling out of her mouth and was met with the thrown blade tracing a crimson line across her cheek. Her eyes dilated as she realized how close it had come to kil- hitting her. She shakily grabbed the sword and ripped it from the wall to defend herself from her duplicate's attacks. Krysthane blocked the vicious attacks weakly, maneuvering to make sure she didn't get trapped in a corner again. Her duplicate screamed at her, "You aren't worthy! You were never worthy, not of being leader, not of those boots, not off even coming to this school. AND EVERYON ELSE ON YOUR TEAM WILL END UP JUST LIKE SKYRA!"

Krysthane unsteadily took yet another step back and her sword was ripped out of her hands by a ferocious slash. Krysthane backpedaled frantically as another cut appeared on her opposite cheek and she tripped and fell to the ground hopelessly, muttering over and over again, "No. No no no no." The angry Krysthane huffed and pointed the sword at her fallen self. "And now you're going to pay for it." The sword stabbed towards the fallen Krysthane as if in slow motion.

Moments before the blade reached her skull Krysthane's eyes glowed with a sudden rage. "NO!" She screamed and turned her head causing the glowing blade to miss her shearing and searing half of her long golden flowing hair off. Krysthane lashed out with her leg tripping up her opponent and causing her to crash to the ground. Krysthane leapt to her feet and savagely chopped downwards at her copy cat with her leg. "No!" she screamed as her clone frantically rolled away, now on the defensive. "I WORKED FOR THIS, I EARNED IT, AND I'LL PROVE I DESERVE IT STARTING WITH YOU!" Krysthane swiped downwards with her hands and crushed her clone into the ground with an absurd amount of force. "Now die" She hissed violently in words eerily reminiscent of Skyra's and jumped into the air spinning and gathering force for a devastating axe kick and as her foot made contact with her fake's exposed throat- Krysthane's vision suddenly blurred.

She was at Beacon again. Albeit with her foot smashed through her bed for some odd reason. Krysthane shook her head confusedly and looked at the time. It was about five o clock in the morning. Gawds she'd known eating all that candy was a bad idea. It seemed that after she had finally managed to get to bed her body was still feeling hyper and had worked it out by sleepwalking. Krysthane sighed and got back into her bed, avoiding the hole in the middle of it as best she could. All some weird dream, now she had to try to get to bed again, since she didn't feel one ounce more rested than she'd been before she went to bed on that sugar high. Not noticing that half of her prized hair was still cut off and that she had two scarlet lines on her cheeks.

[Crimmy]

The hallways are silent. They are empty, devoid of all life. Where students would have once walked, laughing and smiling and chatting and living, there is only nothing. Here, in the darkness of a school long long dead, there is only the chill and the wind to accompany her. Only the eerie scratching of branches against glass, the quiet creaking of rotting floorboards beneath her feet, the slow, staggered breaths that continue to escape her lungs. There is nothing here. Nothing but her.

Gratia Mindaro is alone.

She cannot mock Venetia's delusionally optimistic platitudes yet take comfort in their reassurances. She cannot ignore Fiordilatte's off-colour brand of dark humour yet admit their creativity. She cannot listen to Harken's quiet prayers to the Lord and join in with her muttered own. There is no Nuit, willing to brave the moonless night sky beyond the halls in search of safety. Vignoble is nowhere to be seen. Nowhere at all.

Gratia Mindaro is alone.

The power is gone. The lights yield no warmth. The rooms open effortlessly but there is nothing there. Chairs and desks coated by a light layer of dust. Blackboards utterly free of the touch of chalk. Curtains, dark and pale in the night, flutter with each cold breeze from the only open window. Everything is untouched. Unliving. There is nothing. Nothing but her.

Nothing.

More of the same greets her in the next room. Nobody stands before the giant screen. There is no lecturer teaching. There are no students learning. A hundred chairs. She counts. A hundred empty chairs. Visibility dies mere rows down, engulfed by the dark. The bottom of the pitched floor is shadowed. Completely shadowed, invisible to her eyes. A gaping maw, empty of life and light. Nobody is here. Nobody but her.

Gratia Mindaro is alone.

She finds the Grimm cages. The iron is rusted, blood-orange in the dark. They are locked but no monster lies inside. No monstrous growls. No threatening hisses. Even the night is devoid of its sons. The metal slowly erodes. Long gouges and scratches, old and worn, crisscross it. They had once trapped monsters. But they are locked. She sees the futile attempts to escape. The wild tears in the metal. The cages are locked. They had faded away into the night. There is nothing left. Nothing.

Gratia Mindaro is alone.

The eyes of the boar watch her. All four, bright vermilion in the shadows. Rows upon rows of jagged, gleaming-white teeth. Curved ivory tusks, deadly but mere fakes. A facsimile of a monster, red and black and white and utterly, utterly unreal. An illusion aspiring to be the reality. She struggles to view the taxidermic bust. In this hall so far from light, whether it is illusion or not no longer matters. In the dark, the boar seems real. Utterly real. It rests upon the floor, knocked down from its perch. A stance of attack. A predator about to charge its prey. But it is not. She knows in her mind it is not. She knows that there is nobody here. Nobody here at all.

Nobody.

Her footsteps, loud and clear against the silence of the floorboards, carry her to the library. Equally empty. Equally untouched. No librarian graces the counter. No students are quietly studying for exams. Rows upon rows upon rows of books, unopened, unread. Tables left utterly bare. A place of silent learning. Now too silent. Far too silent. Too dark to read. Too lifeless, too cold. A graveyard rather than a incubator. She reaches for a softcover. Her pale fingers leave imprints on the dusty leather. What it contains doesn't matter. It never will. A dead book in a dead library. Offering nothing. Nothing at all.

Gratia Mindaro is alone.

She remembers the tour. Clear as the day. Nuit and Felicia. Venetia and Tala Dei. Fiordilatte. The energy. The sounds of life. It's gone now. As if they had never been. She doesn't know why. She doesn't know how. The chairs screech like a dying animal against the floor. The wooden seats are hard and cool to the touch. It isn't welcoming. She sits and listens to the dark silence of the library. No noise. No warmth. Nothing. There's nothing to welcome her. Nobody to welcome her.

Gratia Mindaro is alone.

Tomes lie upon a trolley, waiting to be returned. No librarian will do so. Not anymore. They languish next to the empty spots on the shelf. So close. Yet they will never be. She has a mind to put them back. To return the library to its pristine, hollow state. And rid her of the only sign that anyone had been here. That there had been anything here. The last sign of life. So she puts them back. The library is untouched. Unchanged. Nothing but her. Nothing.

Nothing.

The dormitory. A home away from home. Safety. She can't feel it at all. It's dark and cold. The beds, sheets pale and eerie under within the night, are empty. There is nobody here. The wind rushes against the windows, clattering. She doesn't dare exit to the balcony. Fiordilatte's weapons ... neatly arranged, but no longer calling for a wielder. Venetia's clothes, tidily folded upon her bed, never to be worn again. Harken's shrine, waiting for an answer from above. Her team is gone. There is nobody here.

Gratia Mindaro is alone.

She cannot find them. No trace. No sign that they had ever existed. It is a shell, empty and lifeless. That is what her dormitory has become. Her breathing is quiet, slow, resigned. It's the only sound left. No more arguments. No more laughter. Vignoble is gone. Only the sounds of her and the cold, cold wind. No trace. No sign. There is nothing here. Nothing but her.

Gratia Mindaro is alone.

Only four urns, simple, unadorned, a dull bronze in the darkness. They sit upon her bed. Unassuming. She laughs. It's a hollow sound. Hollow. Lifeless. Spiritless. The heresy amuses her. It does. They are unopened. Or maybe sealed close. She runs her fingers down the side of one. The touch of rough pottery against her. Only her and four urns. A fifth, oozing crimson, sits open on the opposing side of the dark, dark room. She doesn't remember. Maybe she does. But she's alone. Utterly alone. Nobody here but her. She turns around for the door. The dorms offer her nothing. Nothing.

Gratia Mindaro thinks she is alone.

She isn't.

[Write]

Drip, drip, drip

Estelle sat down on the bed in the JESS dormitory, feeling her lap sink into the cushion was refreshing, for whatever reason she had feared the bed wasn’t going to be comfortable. She could’ve passed out right then and there, but alas, she had things she needed to do. She glanced out the window that was placed in the middle of the room on the wall opposite of the door. The moonlight shone through and although it didn’t seem as if it was all that bright, it lit the room perfectly. She had been told that she wouldn’t be able to meet her team until the morning afterwards, they were busy with a mission; so it was just her and the room for tonight.

Out of the corner of Estelle’s eye she caught the glimmer of something metallic. It was from the doorknob, she could’ve sworn it had moved. She pushed herself up and off the bed and tried the light, but it didn’t work. She decided that she would go to the bathroom, but before that she wanted to memorize her new surroundings. It was something she did whenever she started living somewhere new. There was four beds, two bunk beds. There was a small desk on either side of the room and a bookshelf just under the window across from the door. On the desk on the right was some scrap pieces of paper, notes and a cup. On the other, a key that seemed to unlock a cabinet just underneath the desk. Estelle nodded, deciding she had adequately taken in her surroundings and placed her hand on the warm doorknob. ‘That was odd, it shouldn’t be warm,’ Estelle thought.

She reached the bathroom, quietly singing a small Mistralian tune that she had remembered since birth.

“My mother said this,

that I should buy

a sword and a shield,

to go forth with hunters,

challenge the grimm,

Chase them from our homes,

For when a man turns to murder,

There’ll be more Grimm to kill.”

Estelle cranked the tap that controlled the sink and she doused her hands in the cold water. Applying it to her face. Her vision blurred and even with an Owl’s eyes she found herself squinting, looking for her reflection. Her vision began to clear and once more, a glint from the metal doorknob caught her eye, as if it was turning and the light refracted from its reflection was moving. Estelle turned around, placing one hand on her sword. She would never leave without it. But it was not there. Estelle’s eyes darted around the small washroom, nothing was moving, no sound but the running water from the tap. She slowly let one hand reach around her back, she did not dare take her eyes off of the door. The tap squeaked as the water slowly but surely stopped coming out. Estelle did not even blink.

Drip, drip, drip.

Nothing. No sound but the tap. Estelle let a deep sigh out, she must’ve just forgotten that she put her blade down when she entered the room, she was sleepy already so it wouldn’t be too surprising. Estelle opened the door and began walking back to her new dormitory. A horrible noise poured out of the room, a guttural howl. Estelle prepared herself, making sure her Aura was active. She stopped dead in her tracks, glaring at the door, waiting. But once more, nothing could be heard and nothing was seen. As Estelle reached for the doorknob to her room, she barely caught a small noise.

Drip, drip, drip.

As Estelle whipped back around towards the bathroom, and it appeared as if the moonlight from her dormitory window was pouring out of the bathroom, with a strange looking shadow at the center of the moonlight. The shadow of a Grimm, not just any Grimm. The one that killed her mother. Estelle launched herself into the dormitory and immediately shut the door behind her, locking it. She placed her back against the door and felt her chest rising and falling. Every moment seemed to last an eternity, it even took her a while to realize she had been closing her eyes, that the room wasn’t that dark.

Estelle’s breath was stolen from her. There were four beds, two bunk beds. On each bed was each team members personal affects, just like before. However, Estelle’s bag was unpacked. Her blade out on the bed. She glanced over at both of the desks. The desk on the left had scraps of paper, notes and a cup, the desk on the right had a key. Estelle felt as though something was off from before. She walked over to the desk on the right and grabbed the key. It felt warm. She walked over to her bed and grabbed her blade, also warm. She felt a small shiver run down her spine. She took the key back to the desk and sat on the chair in front of it.

She took the key and deftly fit it into the keyhole just beneath the desk. How did she know it was there? She had only just arrived and yet she knew the location of the keyhole, she knew the key was meant for it. She had just arrived to this school, had trouble finding the dorimtory itself and yet, she knew where the bathroom was.

She felt breath on the back of her neck and without looking she once again just knewit was the grimm behind her. She turned to look behind her and felt a coldness on her forehead, and it was sore. She opened her eyes. She facing the wall beside her new bed in the JESS dormitory. She had fallen asleep.

She rolled onto her back breathing and finding a small tear escaping her right eye. But it wasn’t wet, on closer inspection it wasn’t a tear.

She caught a small refraction of light from the doorknob moving.

Drip, drip, drip.

[Plank Sinatra]

Pop Quiz

“Pssst.”

Silence, save for the periodic hissing, ruled over the dorms of Team BASL.

“Pssssst.”

After a long day of grueling classes, teenage drama, and more accumulated bruises from hard-fought matches in Goodwitch’s combat class, it was nice to come back and slip into the familiar sensory deprivation that sleep provided, to allow for a chance for some nice, quiet—

“Pssssssssssssst.”

“Whaaaaat, Lauren?” Benjamin Lloyd finally asked, sitting up to glower sleepily at his teammate in the bed across from him. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

…

“Is anyone awake?”

“Course we’re awake, Lauren,” Amy Desire mumbled sleepily, sitting up in bed. As always, crimson spikes of hair were unkempt over her vibrant eyes, and they were almost long enough to cover the dark circles that had blossomed under her eyes in recent days. “You’ve been at it for twenty minutes.”

“I had a thought!” Lauren Negasi hissed excitedly. Ben groaned.

“…” Sangue Naga said thoughtfully. “Is that…good?”

“I think so! So…you guys all failed the entrance exam, right?”

“Gee, thanks,” the team captain of Beacon Academy’s first crew of abject failures muttered under his breath.”

“Yeah,” Amy said, “there were Grimm in Forever Fall that we, well...we weren't ready to deal with. Not just Boarbatusk and Ursa, but...well, anyway. We didn't make it. We were only allowed into Beacon on a technicality and some dumb luck. Weren’t you?”

“…Well…kinda,” Lauren admitted sheepishly, “but the point is, none of us passed the entrance exam! There are probably kids here who are gonna think that we’re not real Huntresses in training—“

“—I’m a guy, you know—“

“—Huntresses in training until we do it. So…I say we do it!”

Silence ruled over Team BASL.

“…Wouldn’t Ozpin just…laugh at us?” Sangue asked quizzically.

“Not if we snuck out to Forever Fall tonight! Listen, we’ll make our way out to where they stored the relics, fight as a team, and by tomorrow we’ll all come back as full-fledged Beacon students – to ourselves, even if nobody else ever hears about it. Come oooon, guys, it’ll be great!”

“Don’t you ever sleep?” Amaranth asked, though under the bleary, husky tones of her voice there ran an undercurrent of thoughtful interest. “Even though…”

“I still don’t know,” Ben grumbled. “Sounds like a lot of work for a slacker.” But he, too, was already standing up in bed and searching around his bed for yesterday’s pair of clothes.

Lauren’s gaze turned towards the last holdout.

“Sangue?”

…

…

…

“…Sure.”

“YEEEEEEEHEEHEEHEEEEEEE!”

Ben, as was customary of team leader, was at the head of the team’s collective groan.

**************

They all met up ninety minutes later, underneath the sporadic light shone on them by a full, if fragmented moon. Sangue and Lauren seemed awake and alert, and the latter was grinning, arms thrown around both her female teammates. Amy’s night vision was compensating for the sleep that still fogged her eyes, as well. But Ben Lloyd was rubbing at his eyes now and again with the back of his hand, and his Aura was still awaiting recharge after his pitched duel with Lauren several days ago. Nothing about this idea felt good the more he thought about it – not the location, not the circumstance, and especially not that the team had seemingly come to a consensus that, as none of the others had gone through initiation with a four man team, they wouldn’t, either.

She's insane.

Luckily, it seemed like his other teammates were having similar thoughts now that they'd arrived.

“Who here has the best Ozpin impersonation?” Lauren asked.

“Probably Ben. Though I think Ozpin’s a little too lively for him at the moment,” Amy deadpanned.

“I hate both of you. Blah blah blah, landing strategy. Blah blah blah, next four years. Blah blah blah. Start your engines.”

He made a half-hearted gun out of his thumb and front two fingers, but Lauren made up for the lazy motion with an emphatically yelled “BANG BANG!” and leapt off towards the nearest and thickest tree branch she could find. There was a glint of moonlight against the white leather of her jacket as she landed and ducked into foliage, but the echo of her final war cry echoed with the original three members of Bastille for seconds after she’d gone. Together, they exchanged a knowing look down at the forest of Forever Fall, and then back at each other. Amy sighed and smiled, with an apologetic warble in the back of her throat, before speeding off into a nearby brush and zigzagging away, Unchained Fury nestled proud on her back. Sangue followed next, silently, her clawed arm outstretched to grab a thick tree branch of her own.

Ben, exhausted and uncertain, stared up at the sky – with no stars but so many chunks of moon lighting the path to a familiar enclave in the forest – and finally began to trudge down on foot.

**************

Lauren Negasi was moving so fast through the forest that once or twice she caught an acrid whiff and was scared she'd set her boots on fire. Aside from the occasional Beowolf or two cutting across her path, and yeah, maybe a Boarbatusk that she'd managed to knock out through an intense game of chicken, this was a snap! Granted, they'd had a few weeks of training under their belts by now, and from what she knew of at least Amy and Sangue it sounded like they had some fighting training to spare, but...really? They hadn't passed this? It was almost literally a walk in the park--

INCOMING MESSAGE FROM:
AMY DESIRE

Oh, goodie.

"Heyyy, babe!" Lauren cooed teasingly when the line opened. "Promise not to hate me if I beat you there? By my guess I'm--"

"LAUREN, HELP!"

--uh oh

"Desire? What's the matter?" the dark young woman asked, suddenly feeling her stomach drop out from under her. There were nicks on her face and arms; little cuts from tree branches and minor Grimm skirmishes that she had been able to ignore thanks to her Semblance. But Amaranth Desire was in trouble, and with that being the case, there was nothing positive enough in the world to get her going. "Where are you and th--"

"The others," Amy bawled, "I don't know! Ben was with me, but it--it got--he told me he had enough Aura to--"

Lauren's eyes were growing wet. No. Please please please no. This was my idea. This was my fault. I told them we weren't real students. And Amy sounded close. So close she could almost hear the cries for help. Like they were coming right towards her.

"Desire, listen, I'm turning around. Stay on the line, please, I'm--"

"NO! NO, LAUREN, RUN!" Desire wailed. Over the line there was a muffled thud, like a Scroll had made contact with something, and this-this-this whistling sound overhead, and Amy's cries stopped all at once.

Lauren, bawling quietly, grabbed her axe and ran for the enclave. A laugh chased her all the while as she skidded to a halt with an angry scream--

--that was promptly drowned out by two familiar guffaws and a quiet, polite chuckle.

Amy Desire was on the ground, reclining in that sensual way that Lauren found irresistible. The Apophis Claw had whistled to a stop in a tree trunk beside her head, with Sangue sitting cross-legged in front of the other red-haired BASL member. The team captain was resting atop the tree trunk with his head in his hands, apparently trying to get some sleep. Lauren Negasi, bewildered and frightened beyond all belief, dropped her axe and took a step forward.

"A-Amy?" she croaked, blinking tears from her emerald eyes. "Ben?"

"I promise not to hate you," the ex-stripper deadpanned, and suddenly the newest member of BASL felt like the dumbest bitch alive.

"Shouldn't have woken us up for something this easy, Lauren," Ben said.

"I am sorry..." Sangue said slowly, sheepishly. "It sounded...kind of funny when Be...I mean...it was suggested."

For a moment, Lauren wanted to shout at them until she was hoarse; then she realized what the tears in her eyes and the newly-oscillating feeling in her chest meant, and she walked over to wrap them all in a hug so tight that it caused Amy to make a little whistle in the back of her throat for breath.

"I hate you all. I can't believe you'd do that to me." She squeezed tighter and kissed the tops of their heads in turn. "Don't do that to me again. That was evil."

"We won't," Sangue promised. "Or...I won't."

"As long as you promise to stop insinuating we're not real Beacon students," Ben joked wryly. "Would make the whole 'team leader' thing pretty inconsequential."

Lauren looked at Amy Desire and playfully snarled at her, but in the end she tightened the hug and nodded.

"Yeah."

"Yeah what?" the ex-dancer asked her, with a nudge of the elbow.

"Yeah. We're real Beacon students."

...

...

...

"So can we sleep now?"

"What, right out here in the forest?"

[Krayzikk]

My Hider

Redwood never grew out of its small-town airs. The village had been connected by rail to Vale’s larger cities for decades, and roads even before that, but it just never attracted much attention. It didn’t have any major industries, it wasn’t on the road to anywhere important, and it had no historical significance. It was just… There. The residents all knew each other, and each generation rooted them even further to their home. That feeling of closeness and familiarity was wonderful, but it was stifling. When the roots went so deep there was no room to grow, and there was no chance to move on.

That was why Benjamin Lloyd left, but it was why he felt so nostalgic too. Not even outside the train station and he could already remember the last time he’d visited. The signs didn’t even register to him when he made his way to the exit. The young hunter had been able to navigate the terminal since he was six. Even the air was familiar, a woodsy smell that pervaded every inch of the region. It was home, and he couldn’t say that he was unhappy to be back. Beacon was wonderful, but Redwood was comfy. Not that the town seemed to be too happy to see him. The train had hit the biggest storm Ben had seen in ages almost two hours from their destination, and it hadn’t let up. The driving rain pounded against the station windows, and the lobby had to be lit with crude Red Dust lamps. Still, that wasn’t odd. Every few years, with a storm like this, the town’s power lines would be severed or damaged. Sometimes it took a while to restore the connection.

The people settled on the terminal’s benches with what looked like all their worldly possessions, however, were unusual. Ben picked his way through the darkness to the reception desk carefully, avoiding anything he might trip on, and clearing his throat quietly to get the receptionist’s attention. The poor girl nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound.

“Ah! Uh, yes, I’m sorry. How can I help you?” Her recovery was quick, but she still seemed a little uneasy. “You just arrived on the last train, right?”

“Yeah, yeah I did.” Ben began, taking another look around the terminal. After a second he gestured towards the scene behind him. “I was just wondering… What’s up with this?”

“They’re… Leaving town. Not permanently, I don’t think. I mean, I know the Martins aren’t, the Smiths might be. But they’re leaving.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“... You’re Mr. Lloyd’s son, right? Ben.” The young woman took a deep breath. She massaged her temples a moment, then leaned in so she could speak more softly. “The power went down a few days ago. Tree fell on the main connections, whole town went down. Nothing too new there, but when they finally sent someone to fix it, it wasn’t the wind that brought it down. Tree’d been cut.”

“Someone took it down on purpose?”

“Something. Grimm is what they’re thinking. Couple of homes have been attacked. Whatever it is hasn’t gotten in, but the doors were chewed up pretty bad. Battered, some damage that might’ve been claws.” A deep breath. “No one was too worried. The police have always been really well equipped, your dad and the rest of the merchants have always made sure. They put together a team to hunt it down.”

“Nothing new there.” Ben pointed out, but he was starting to feel a little uneasy. Just one Grimm wouldn’t have been enough to make such well-entrenched community leaders pack their bags. “This happens every six or seven years. A Grimm gets too close, the police take it down in a matter of hours. Why’re they leaving?”

“Because the sheriff turned up with a torn uniform, a concussion, and a bunch of other injuries two days ago. Right in town square. He’s been in the hospital since. People think they’ve seen the damn thing, now, and no one knows what it is. It’s smart.” The receptionist pointed out the window, the street beyond barely visible through the rain. “People started barricading their doors as soon as night falls. I’d stay here tonight, if I were you. It’ll be night before you get home.”

“... I think I’ll take that risk. Call my dad’s shop, let him know I’m coming.”

She looked unhappy, but nodded. Ben thanked her, and as soon as he could get his coat on, he was out the door. The streets were even eerier. Normally there was some life to them, it was only early evening, but they were dead silent. The same Red Dust burning lanterns were lighting the streets as best they could, but they couldn’t compare to normal street lamps. There were long stretches of darkness between each source of light, and the rain only made it worse. Still, Ben knew the way. It was a twenty minute walk to his home from the station. Easy during daylight, and not even problematic at night. Usually.

Still, something was… Off. Even with the sheriff in the hospital, police should have been roaming the streets. No one was to be seen. With a Grimm on the loose, they should have been out and about. And there was something that didn’t add up. If the Grimm had been loose three or four days, why had so little happened? Even a low level Grimm could have broken through the damaged doors, and it certainly wouldn’t have left the sheriff alive. Even if it was interrupted, it still should have been caught. Most Grimm were stupid, and Redwood didn’t have very many places to hide. It should have been caught.

Unless it wasn’t low-level. The thought creeped into his head unbidden, and it wouldn’t leave. A few minutes after it occurred to him, he found himself running through the smartest Grimm he knew, trying to figure out if one could hide in the town. He was already halfway home, by now. The station was far behind him, and he wasn’t far from the center of town. Ben was a little surprised. He hadn’t been paying too much attention to where he was going, and the Dust lamps cast everything in a darker light. The damage to some of the doors stood out, now, bathed in red light like gashes in flesh. Red light leaked from between the tightly closed shades of each building, like blood from a wound.

You’re letting your imagination run away with you. Cut it out. The hairs on the back of his neck rose against his will anyway. It was ridiculous. He was a hunter in training. He’d fought single Grimm before. If one was loose in the city, and he found it, he could deal with it. Getting worked up wasn’t doing him any good. Grimm didn’t get big near Redwood. It was probably some Beowolf that wandered in, and was keeping out of sight. It might not even be in the city anymore. The team leader took a deep breath, and actually chuckled at himself.

He was being ridiculous. He was in the town square now, and there was nothing to see. Just carefully secured storefronts, the statue and its fountain in the center, and the town hall opposite. The statue was the same as ever. The town’s founder standing atop a hill, looking resolutely into the distance. Redwood’s eternal protector. Inspiring, if Ben was honest. He stopped just a minute to look at it, and smiled to himself. The people that were leaving would be back in a few days, as soon as the storm was over and things were patched up. And as soon as they did, the regal town hall would be the first thing they saw. Marble and stone construction, carefully maintained from the steps to the gargoyles.

Ben nodded to himself, and resumed walking. The rain was letting up, slowly, and the lamps were reaching a little further into the black. Only a couple more minutes until his house, but… He paused at one of the lamps, and wrinkled his nose. Something didn’t smell right. Pungent. Redwood always smelled a woodsy, rip with pollen and other plant spores, but this wasn’t right. His frown deepened, and he glanced back the way he came. After a second, he started walking again. He could figure it out later. It wasn’t an immediate worry.

His feet slowed again when the light behind him went out. Lancelot and Artorius were in his hands before he even thought about it, and honestly, he felt a little sheepish. The scene behind him was completely the same. There was nothing on the road, nothing in the square, and nothing to worry about.

Until he realized that town hall’s gargoyles were gone. Then, with the sound of movement behind him, he remembered something worse. Town hall had never had gargoyles. The feeling of claws knocking him aside was almost instantaneous, but in the blackness, he couldn’t see his attacker. A few shotgun blasts hopefully bought him some space, and also helped him jump back, away from his attacker. Benjamin Lloyd wasn’t ashamed to admit that he turned and bolted. Fighting a Grimm was one thing, but fighting one in the dark was quite another. So he kept running, dodging nimbly side to side to keep from getting predictable, but the next attack didn’t come. In fact, the Grimm seemed to be completely gone. No sign of it.

So he kept running. Whatever he was dealing with, it wasn’t a Beowolf, or an Ursa, or anything of the sort. And he hadn’t gotten a good look. Staying out at night, without backup, was just asking for trouble. His dad’s shop would be safer, and it was only a block or two away. He could have sworn he heard a growl coming from the night, a thought that set his heart to racing, but he didn’t dare stop to check.The right street was coming up, he could practically see his destination, and his spirits soared.

Until he realized that the lamps were out on the street, and he could hear the sound of splintering wood. And there in the night, he could see it. Not much bigger than a man, but something about it was terrifying. And Ben knew exactly what door it was beating on. A shotgun blast got its attention, and suddenly it was lost to the blackness. Quiet, barely audible, but moving. And then it was upon him.

Still fuzzy, blending in with its surroundings, but Ben could see it well enough to attack. A shotgun blast leveled into what he thought was its ribs pushed it back, and let him sneak a stab in with his opposite tonfa before its paw smashed into his chest and knocked him back. And it was gone. he could hear it, growling now, but he couldn’t see it. The lights were all out and he could feel his heart hammering in his chest. Claws slammed into his back, tearing through his coat, but it was gone as soon as he fired back. Only the briefest glimpse of crimson eyes, a glimpse he wasn’t sure he saw. He fired again, almost wildly, but it struck from another side. It was snarling now. It didn’t care who heard it, it had its prey, and it was moving for the kill.

The next blow hurled him against the wall behind him, and he felt its claws at his sides, slashing and tearing again and again. His Aura was holding strong, but it hurt. And still the snarling was louder, the gleam of red eyes… He fired off a shotgun blast into its chest, and then again, and again. Ben had no idea of what he was doing, just wanted it to get the fuck off of him, please.

Until he heard it give out a cry of pain. Not a snarl, not a growl, more like a… Curse. The pressure on him abated, his attacker trying to retreat back into the shadows. But he couldn’t see the glowing red now. The beast was big, menacing, with hate in its eyes and… And it wasn’t there. Almost between breaths it was fading away, into something a lot less frightening. A man in a Grimm mask, being pulled away by another human. One snarled at him, and for a second, he could see the Grimm again. They were disorienting, like they couldn’t decide on which they were as they began pulling away.

But they were going away, so he started moving back towards the shop, nearer towards the Dust lamps.... And the pungent smell hit him again, a small snippet from a mission briefing from Beacon floating to the forefront of his mind. White Fang operatives in the northern parts of Vale have been particularly active, trying to obtain arms and munitions. Raided convoys report hallucinogens, spread through the air when burned, being used to disorient before their attack.

The power was taken out so the Dust lamps would be needed. Then the sheriff so they wouldn’t come looking… Hallucinogens to make people think there are Grimm…

“Dad,” BASL’s leader began, as soon as he could get through the door. A faint, tired smile crossed his face. “Think I figured out your Grimm problem.”

[Lady Seraphina]

Exposed Faces

Sapphire sighed as she entered her dorm room with a slight smile on her face. She was wearing an attractive black dress and heels, her hair was pulled back with a silver clasp and she was wearing a rather expensive looking necklace, her grandmother's idea. Many who knew her would have sworn she'd rather face a dozen ursa, alone, unarmed than wear these types of cloths. She still had Morpheus and Phobator on her wrists but she'd had left her deconstructed polearm in the dorm. Another oddity in her normal routine. Tonight had been her first official date with Oswald Connolly. After several months of sparing practice and a fair amount of encouragement from his own teammates and Sapphire's, Oswald had finally gotten up the nerve to ask her out.

It had been nice, Oswald had taken her to a classy restaurant, low ambient light, wood stove, freshly baked bread and exotic food. It was a rather romantic setting. Afterwards they taken a walk along the pier then the airship back to Beacon. Much to her surprise he'd kissed her on the airdock. The kiss had been almost electric, like a spark jumping between them. He'd asked her to come with him to see the Blood Moon, an astrological even that look place once every five years in which the stars lined up at just the right angle to give the moon both a dark red hue and the appearance that it was still intact. Flustered and nervous from the kiss (an uncommon condition for Sapphire) she'd declined, needing to sort the night out in her own head. Oswald had smiled and left her to return to the dorms.

At dinner they'd talked about most of the usual things. Life at Beacon, their teams and teammates, and to some extent their home lives. Sapphire had avoided the subject of her parents as best she could not wanting to ruin the mood. She'd never been on a proper date before and so wasn't exactly sure of the protocols. She'd told Oswald about her younger sister Demetra's struggle to control her empathic semblance, how her older sister Cecily had gone to art school, she'd mentioned that her brother Oliver had run away when she was little but didn't elaborate on the circumstances surrounding it.

Oswald himself talked about what it was like growing up in a small town on the outskirts of Vale. Sapphire had heard of those kinds of places. They were just outside the Vale wards and so didn't have the same protection from the Creatures of Grimm that the rest of the Kingdoms did. It had always sounded like a difficult life to Sapphire. Most of the people had to become hunters in their own right out of the need to survive as well as whatever they did for a living. The general store owner kept a dust empowered sword behind the counter, the records keeper had a case of dust capsules. No one who lived in a place like that didn't learn to fight. It explained why Oswald never attended a pre-academy school like Signal. Aside from having to defend the town Oswald's childhood had sounded nice, it seemed to Sapphire to be a simple existence. In a small town everyone knew you, you were friends with the neighbors kids and the entire town showed up when there was a barbecue. Sapphire didn't have a similar experience that she could relate.

"What do you think the world would be like if the Grimm were just gone?" he'd asked her.

Sapphire who was a little bit high on caffeine (she'd had three glasses of cola so far) smiled and said "I think we'd be out of a career."

Oswald smiled too. "I doubt you'd be out of one for long, with you're kind of stealth abilities someone would be looking to hire you." He said good-naturedly. "But I"m serious, if all the Grimm where eradicated how do you think the world would change?"

Sapphire shook her head. "I think everyone would be a whole lot better off. The Kingdoms would be able to expand as they liked."

After that the conversation had moved to less intense matters.

Sapphire pulled off her heels. While they did look good on her they also hurt like hell. Her feet where burning from wearing them for a couple of hours.

The girl with the azure hair changed into softer clothing, hanging the black dress up in the dorm closet. Most of it was taken up by Shiro's mess of stuff but Sapphire had managed to wrestle a small section of it away from everyone else. Luckily her teammates had been too scared of damaging her cloths to put their stuff to close to hers. Somehow her reputation as a psychopath had gone up after their team pet, Scoot the telepathic ferret had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The truth was that she'd taken him to an animal shelter after she'd found him worming around in her violin case (She'd had to have the instrument and its case detailed after the event) but Shiro and Gren were fairly certain that she'd killed the animal in some horrific way. Sapphire never bothered to correct their suspicions.

Now in her pajamas Sapphire crawled into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

The next day, mercifully a Sunday was one of the rare occasions when Sapphire slept late. Under normal circumstances it would not be abnormal to find her awake as early as six O'clock. Her nightmares, usually about her family were still a very real part of her sleep cycle and though she did not mention it to anyone, least of all her teammates after closing her eyes on the pillow Sapphire often feared what the night would bring her. A small mercy was that last night she had slept completely soundly for the first time in a month. Undisturbed rest did not come to her very often.

Slowly Sapphire convinced herself to get up. Pulling the blanket off herself she got to her feet and walked into the bathroom. She stripped out of her pajamas and turned on the hot water. She still had near boiling showers. When Shiro had asked about all the steam that filled the bathroom during her showers she'd replied that she liked hot showers cause she was practicing burning in hell. He'd recoiled a little bit which Sapphire found deeply amusing.

With her shower complete Sapphire returned to the dorms and dressed in something a little more casual. Her weapons of course along with ripped black jeans, a studded belt, a black tank top that hugged her figure, and black converse hightops. Though she had a bit of variation this was her most common casual appearance. The skirt and leggings were reserved for combat, as was the jacket embroidered with her emblem, an ornate tree, a symbol of life.

As she was getting ready to leave, no plans in particular she just wanted to move around somewhat the door to the dorms opened. It was Gren. "Wow, finally awake, I don't think I've ever seen you sleep this late."

Sapphire shrugged. The friction between her and Gren had been slowly intensifying as the year went on. He seemed to think she wasn't open enough about herself and her past and this made her untrustworthy while Sapphire herself thought that Gren was far too nosy and she was fairly certain that he thought he'd make a much more effective leader than she did. This was not based on anything concrete, just the way he tried to take charge whenever Swangsong was on a mission.

"Got in late last night, had to sleep it off."

"Where were you last night anyways?"

Sapphire didn't really think it was Gren's business but as it wasn't any particular secret (in fact it would likely be common gossip by later today) she didn't see the harm in telling him. "I was on a date."

Gren looked almost flabbergasted. "A date? You? With whom?"

Sapphire smiled "Oswald."

A look of confusion passed over Gren's face. "Oswald...? Oswald who? Is he a student?"

Sapphire stared, he had to be joking. She couldn't say they were exactly friends but Gren and Oswald knew each other fairly well. They were in the same armory class. "Yeah... Oswald Connolly." she said her confusion mounting. "He's part of team Codex."

"Codex?" Gren asked "I'm not familiar with that team, what are their letters."

Something was seriously wrong now. Sapphire couldn't understand, maybe Gren might not have recognized Oswald's name but he should know the names of the other teams. "C-O-D-E."

A look of understanding bloomed over Gren's face and for a moment Sapphire thought he remembered. "Your confused, I think you mean team Cadet C-A-D-E."

"A? Who's name is that?"

"Aurellius."

"Aurellius... No. He dropped out first week of school."

"You know Sapphire I'm sure there's a lot of guys at the school that would be simply delighted to go out with you, you don't need to make someone up. Besides I'm sure you can come up with more believable lies than that one."

Sapphire knew that Gren was questioning her credibility but she disregarded it completely. Where was Oswald? No the most obvious explanation was that Gren was messing with her. There was an easy way to prove it though. Sapphire leapt to her feet and left the room. She ran down the hall to find Team Codex's dorm room. Except when she got there the sign on the door read:

Team Cadet
CADE
Cobalt Chideta, Aurellius Bellum, Diamond Frost, Emerald Felicia
@floodtalon, @SirBeowulf, @Forsythe, @Abillioncats

Ignoring the breaking of the forth wall Sapphire stared at the plate in disbelief. It was impossible. Sapphire knocked on the door desperate to be sure, it was always possible that Gren had altered the name plate to further his gag. Emerald answered. "Oh hi Sapphire. You need something?" The cat faunus looked rather disheveled, she was likely also sleeping late this Sunday morning.

"Is Aurellius there?" Sapphire asked certain she was about to be asked 'Aurellius who?' as Emerald could only have met him once or twice several months ago.

"Yeah, he's polishing the Ascalon. You need..."

Without waiting for Emerald to finish Sapphire shoved the door open further to see inside. There sat Aurellius just as Emerald said doing maintenance on his weapons which Sapphire had always regarded as rather clumsy. "What are you doing here, what happened to Oswald?" Sapphire demanded.

"Whoa whatcha doing?" Emerald said her cat hair standing on end at the surprise.

Aurellius looked up at the disturbance. "Hi Sapphire, I live here, and who's Oswald?"

"You dropped out first week of school. You're not supposed to be here."

Aurellius had a look on his face that suggested he thought Sapphire had lost her mind. "If you don't mind, I'm not supposed to be anywhere this morning. It's a weekend and this is my dorm. I suggest you have your psychotic meltdown in your own space." Aurellius got up and shoved the door closed in Sapphire's face.

This had gone too far. Calling Aurellius back to the school was going to far even for Gren. Something must have happened to Oswald. But that didn't explain why Aurellius had returned to the school or why no one seemed to know who Oswald was. Sapphire decided to ask Ozpin about this. If Oswald had ever attended this school (which some part of Sapphire was starting to doubt) there would be a school record of it.

Sapphire stopped right before Ozpin's door at the top of the tower. He'd be here at this hour. Of course if what Sapphire was beginning to suspect was true then Ozpin was going to think that she had gone crazy. Never the less Sapphire had to know if Oswald had actually attended this school.

Sapphire knocked on the giant doors that led to Ozpin's office. "Enter." she heard spoken calmly but loudly from the other side. She pushed the door open and walked into Ozpin's office. Upon seeing her the headmaster looked over his spectacle. "Miss Rode, what can I do for you today?"

"I was... that is..." Sapphire wasn't really sure how to ask if Ozpin had ever heard of a student which until yesterday had attended this school.

"Speak Miss Rode."

"I was wondering if you could check the school records for a student called Oswald Connolly?" Though Sapphire said it calmly her heart was pounding in her chest as though it wished to escape.

"Hmm... The name does not sound familiar but I can search the records if it is that important."

"It is."

"Very well." Ozpin turned on his computer and after a moment or so of typing he turned back to her. "I am sorry Miss Rode. The most recent Oswald Connolly to attend this academy did so nearly sixty five years ago. He is no longer living.

"So there wasn't a student of that name enrolled... say, at the beginning of this year?"

"Not that I am aware of." Ozpin said evenly. "If I may ask, what is the significant of that name? You seem rather disappointed that I did not find anything."

"It's not important anymore." Sapphire said, a little dejectedly. "I think I just lost something that's all."

"Indeed," Ozpin said, his eyebrows raised giving Sapphire a look that seemed to say he knew exactly what she wasn't telling him. "Well Miss Rode if you ever wish to discuss this, thing you lost. I will be here."

"Yes sir." Said Sapphire. She walked out of his office, the usual defiant spring in her step missing. As she left a brilliant light shone from where Ozpin was sitting. Assuming it was merely one of the instruments on his desk being activated Sapphire didn't bother to look back and failed to realize that he too had vanished without a trace, the objects pertaining to him vanishing from the office and the school right along with him.

Sapphire spent the rest of the day wondering aimlessly around campus. Had she imagined Oswald as Gren had insinuated? That wasn't possible, then again, a guy who respected her for her abilities, didn't pry further into her personal life any more than she liked, wanted her help improving his own combat abilities and was unphased by her harsh persona. If anyone had bothered to ask that might have been how she described her dream date. Maybe she had thought him up to comfort her when she felt totally alone at Beacon. All the evidence suggested that he had never been born.

The next night Sapphire slept fitfully. Along with the usual nightmares about her father's training, about drowning and about losing her sisters Sapphire's head was filled with images of Oswald reaching out a hand to her. "Why have you forsaken me?" he seemed to ask her but she couldn't respond.

Sapphire got up early again next morning, she had another boiling shower and dressed in her combat gear for class with Goodwitch. When she arrived in class Sapphire was surprised to see Professor Port standing in the area. As the class filed in Port began to announce the days task in his usual boisterous manor. Sapphire sat in the stands and leaned over to Abel who was sitting a seat over from her. "Where's Goodwitch? Why isn't she here today?"

Abel looked at her funny. "Goodwitch? Why would she be here?"

"She teaches this class."

Abel raised his eyebrows in mild disbelief. "She hasn't done that since my parents were at this school. She appointed Port to the position after she was promoted."

"Promoted to what?"

"Headmistress. Obviously."

"Headmistress?" Sapphire asked confused. "What happened to Ozpin?"

"Who?" Abel asked trying to listen to what Port was saying.

"Ozpin, glasses, white hair, green scarf. Kinda gives off an all knowing vibe."

Abel shrugged. "Doesn't sound like any teacher at this school. You sure you didn't have a strange dream last night?"

Several of them. Sapphire thought. Her head was spinning. She could understand hallucinating a boyfriend to comfort her in her dark moments but Ozpin. The man had always sort of given her the creeps. He wasn't the type of person she would dream up. That had to mean one thing. People were disappearing, not only from the school but from memory as well. And she was the only person that remembered them. It was impossible.

As she went through her classes she noticed certain people missing from class. Amy, Ebon, Lauren, Sepia, Jack, Robert among others. Sapphire made some discreet investigations into their whereabouts (and with the exception of Robert who seemed to have tripped down a flight of stairs and was now in the infirmary with a broken arm) no one had heard of the missing students. In some cases drop outs that Sapphire remembered had returned to fill vacant seats on teams and in the case of Teams Bastille and Kiss had merged to create BSSK, Bersserk. At the end of the school day Sapphire downloaded a copy of the school register, as proof that the students still present in the school did actually exist.

When their last class let out Sapphire sought out the last person she expected to ask for help: Shiro. She found him in the Beacon gardens. He'd dropped his sixth period: Computer Sciences a month into the term and now had a free period.

"Shiro." Sapphire said rather than calling him furball.

The tiger faunus perked up at his name and jumped to his feet. His tail fell almost immediately on seeing who had greeted him. "Ah Sapphire, well, um I've got to go." He attempted to walk past her but Sapphire stepped in his path.

"Shiro I need your help, can we talk?"

The tiger faunus looked dumbfounded like he couldn't believe what had just come out of Sapphire's mouth.

"Uh, okay, sure." He said sitting down on the garden bench.

"Have you ever heard of the names: Jack Orpheus, Amaranth Desire, or Sepia Russet?" There was no use going through the entire list of missing students. Sapphire was sure she'd get the same answer and she herself wasn't sure of all of those that had disappeared.

Shiro stuffed his tail into his mouth as he thought. Finally he spat it out and said. "No, but the last two sound cute. Wait, do I know them? Did I have another episode? I've been cutting back on my semblance but..." Shiro looked visibly worried.

It wasn't Sapphire's normal role to console Shiro but she desperately needed help and somehow she thought he might just believe her. "Don't worry, its got nothing to do with your semblance." Shiro looked relieved. "Look I'm going to tell you something and it's going to sound nuts, just try to keep an open mind."

"Alright," Shiro said putting his tail back in his mouth. The sight looked very strange to Sapphire but she had more pressing issues.

"Those names as well as a number of others belong to Beacon students that up to yesterday attended this school." Shiro looked confused but motioned her to continue speaking. "The thing is when I woke up this morning they were gone. Not just that but no one had ever heard of them. Their teams have new members and have been renamed, the school has no records of them and it seems I am the only one that remembers they were ever hear. I called some of their parents and even they didn't know the names."

Shiro spat out his tail. "Did you take a blow to the head recently?" Shiro asked.

"What?! No!" Sapphire yelled. In truth she had in Friday's combat class but that wouldn't really help her credibility. "I figured you of all people would give me the benefit of the doubt."

"Why me?"

"Cause... I figured you would know what it was like everyone thinking you were crazy."

"Think about it logically." Sapphire snorted. "Okay I know I'm not the poster child for that but think about it, either people have been vanishing from time, space and memory except for yours for some reason... or... that blow you took during Friday's class was a little harder than you thought."

Sapphire set her jaw. "Fine don't help."

"It's not that I don't want to help Sapphire but assuming what you say is true, what could I do?"

Sapphire turned away from the tiger, disgusted she closed her eyes, about to rally an argument for why he should believe her but she never got the chance. A brilliant blinding light illuminated Sapphire's eyelids. She turned around to look at Shiro. Behind him was a sphere of light that undulated and spun like a giant crack in space. "Shiro!" she shouted, "Get over her quick." she said looking past him at the rift.

"What is it?" her teammate asked. "What are you looking at?" He turned to look at the light but showed no sight that he could see it at all.

"Please Shiro! Just trust me, move away from it. Just come towards me." She said her body flooded with fear and adrenaline. Shiro looked rather nervous but he stood up.

"What is..." he started but he never finished the sentence. The rift surged forward and enveloped him. She saw him vanish in light, the look on his face still as though he had know idea it was there. "SHIRO!" she screamed looking at the place where he'd vanished.

Sapphire turned and ran. She kept going and going till she slammed into the door of Swansong's dorm her chest heaving. Gren opened the door in response to the noise of her stopping herself against it. "Sapphire, where's the fire?"

"Gren, when was the last time you saw Shiro?"

"Shiro? Another new student? Haven't met him, how's he fight?"

"SHIRO!" Sapphire shouted, "You're partner, our teammate!"

"Sapphire are you okay? Our teammate is Abel Fulgurate. Are you okay."

"Then who's the fourth member of our team?"

"Sapphire, teams at Beacon only have three members."

Sapphire was aghast. She pulled the door half closed to look at the plaque on it. It read:

Team Swansong
SAG
Sapphire Rode, Abel Fulgurate, Gren Orchid
@Prince of Seraphs, @Lugubrious, @Lucius Cypher

Sapphire looked at Gren for a moment then started running again. She didn't stop till she was standing in Beacon's Hall of Awards. It contained the trophies of all the students ever to get accommodations as well as team photos of every team to pass through Beacon. Sapphire scanned through the photos. Each only had three members. She came to the photo she was looking for, one of her mother, her father, a blond boy she'd never met and her Uncle Danny. Except Daniel wasn't in the photo. She remembered what it was supposed to look like. Her father was leaning on Daniel's shoulder, Melanie was in a crouch with Morpheus and Phobator in her hands and the blond boy was hanging out of a tree. The photo was the same except Janus was leaning on a his sword instead of Daniel. It couldn't be.

Sapphire wandered through the day in a haze, like a girl watching someone else's life. She was like a zombie till she went to bed that night. She lay awake for hours fearing that someone else would be gone in the morning. When she finally did sleep she had the most surreal dream.

Sapphire was standing on a battlefield. The ground had turned to mud with the amount of blood that had been spilled on it. Buildings were burning all around them and with a shock Sapphire realized she was standing in the Beacon square, except it looked like a war zone. There were shouts not far off. Sapphire saw people lumbering towards a lone figure. On closer look she realized that each person was a student or teacher at Beacon except they appeared to be dead. Huge gashes and cuts all over their body, ashy skin and lumbering stocky movements, like zombies. The most chilling detail was that each one wore a Grimm mask that was fused to their faces with black tendrils of darkness.

The lone figured they were approaching was Oswald. He was fighting each of them off with all his might and skill and a number of maneuvers that she herself had taught him. Even if these Grimmified students lacked the coordination and skill of their live counterparts they were much stronger, unyielding and never dying. After Oswald cut one down they got up again, placed their severed limp back in place where the bones reattached though the skin remained sliced to pieces.

"OSWALD!" Sapphire shouted. She drew her shotguns and assembled them into their polearm form with the sickle blades extended. She slashed through dead Grimm students to the boy who'd asked her out a few short days ago. "Oswald, thank god, I thought you were gone."

Oswald looked at her like she was the last drop of water in a desert wasteland. "Sapphire," he said and the tone of his voice shattered her heart. "Trust me I am gone. I made a huge mistake. I tried to fix it all. I should have known there was a reason they didn't do it this way." He was raving, huge bags under his eyes declared that her hadn't slept in days. He continued to slash at the dead students keeping them away from Sapphire. "They were keeping it at bay, limiting it to our dreams but I let it out. Now it'll come for everything. Beacon then Vale then the other kingdoms. THIS he shouted in desperation motioning around at the destruction of Beacon surrounding them. "This is what awaits everyone. I brought this down on all of them."

"Oswald, calm down." Sapphire said, slashing Ebon and Shiro with her polearm before slicing Gren in half. "Tell me what I have to do. There must be a way to reverse this right?"

"There's nothing you can do Sapphire, he'll come for you to. But he wants to make you suffer first. He wants to punish me more for protecting your memory by taking everything away from you before he snatches you up and spits you back out, like them." He said motioning to the hoard surrounding them. Sapphire kicked Professor Port and Oobleck out of the way before looking back at Oswald as he fought with Sepia and Skyra.

"The kiss." Sapphire said thinking of the electric charge that had passed between them when Oswald had kissed her on the airdocks what felt like centuries ago.

"There was a rare form of dust on my lips that protected you from what I was trying to do but it went wrong. All wrong, and now everything will end because of my arrogance. I thought I could do it better than the Dust Men. I thought I knew what I was doing but it's all over now. We're all going to fall away."

"There has to be something Oswald. Don't force me to be the voice of hope, it's not a good look for me."

A small smile broke over Oswald's cracked lips. "I don't know what you can do, but there's a historical excavation report, written by Oobleck about the Kingdom wards. It gave me the idea, it'll tell you what happened. Just remember whatever happens I'm sorry... and I love you." Sapphire was about to respond when Oswald's eyes widened. "SAPPHIRE LOOK OUT!" she shouted but it was too late. Sapphire felt a blade touch her neck and slice right through her aura. She fell to the ground and her decapitated head saw Napoli Fiordilatte standing with a deranged look underneath his own Grimm mask. Even though his Rapier wasn't designed to slice the dead man's brute strength had pushed it clean through her neck with ease.

A second later Sapphire sat bolt upright in bed. She looked at the clock. It was four in the morning. There were only two beds in the dorm room. Her's and Gren, Abel had vanished. Sapphire didn't sleep that night. She sat rocking back and forth staring out the window at the shattered moon and waiting for dawn. Finally it came and along with it only a marginal amount of relief. Gren didn't know who Abel was so there was no point in mentioning it. Instead she had her shower as usual and went to combat class. The room was almost completely empty with a half dozen people and now Oobleck teaching the class. When she asked Gren about it Sapphire was startled to discover that with the exception of Goodwitch who was still headmistress Beacon didn't have any other teachers, it also didn't seem to have any other students. The names on the class register Sapphire had printed off had a fraction of the names on it and despite the fact that Beacon hadn't changed sizes almost all of the dorms had blank name plates or only had one or two names on them.

The girl with the azure hair looked up Oobleck's paper on her scroll before he vanished too and his work along with him. It was a bit dusty but the message was fairly clear:

Bartholomew Oobleck - Excavation Notes
Page 38
Effects of the Blood Moon

Ever culture in Remnant both those past and present has some sort of mythology regarding the Blood Moon that occurs every five years, in which the alignment of the stars give the moon the astonishing appearance of being whole as well as a red hue comparable to blood, hence the name 'Blood Moon'. The artifacts cataloged on Page 13 are the first tangible evidence that this piece of folklore began on a basis of a real event. Most ancient cultures cite the Blood Moon as the time when the demons converge on the world. We can assume this is a reference to the Creatures of Grimm and it has been noted that Grimm are more active on the night of the Blood Moon. One such tale says that the Lord of Nightmares visits the world once every five years, the Blood Moon allows him access to this world after the ancients banished him centuries ago. This is likely just embellishment to give the story a more dramatic appeal but the idea that these "ancients" banished a creature of power that very well may have been a Level 5 Type Grimm seems according to the evidence I've gathered be rooted in fact.

I believe the discovered artifacts proves that the Dust Men, Remnants first recorded people used a rare brand of dust, what they referred to as "Banishing Magic" to create the wards that protect the four kingdoms from the Creatures of Grimm, something specific about the formation of the Blood Moon allowed the "Banishing Dust" to act in a way that was abnormal to create this result. Item 12A seems to be a vile filled with this dust. Item 12B, a tablet which the vile was stored with seems to warn of a calamity if the "Magic" is ever employed again. It may refer to the fact that this dust may be able to reverse the creation of the Kingdom Wards. Further inquiry into why these wards were not made larger is required. A speculatory hypothesis is that the wards would be unsustainable at larger sizes. We have no evidence at this point in time to suggest the validity this hypothesis.

As Sapphire read it became painfully obvious what Oswald had done. He'd discovered another source of this rare dust, possibly stolen from this very excavation trove. During this year's Blood Moon Oswald had attempted to use it to expand the Kingdom Wards. Clearly something had gone wrong, Sapphire didn't understand exactly how but it seemed that because of whatever Oswald had done people were vanishing out of space and memory. Yet Oswald was still alive, somewhere, trapped in some sort of limbo. Perhaps the others were too. Maybe this could be undone. But another Blood Moon wouldn't occur for another five years. Plus she didn't have any more of this Banishing Dust. Oswald had likely used up his supply.

Someone tapped Sapphire on the shoulder, she'd been so engrossed in the report that she had become oblivious to the outside world. It was Gren. "Sapphire we're going to be late for our next class."

Sapphire looked around, the classroom was deserted. "Where'd everyone else go?" she asked.

Gren looked confused. "Everyone else? Come on Sapphire we're the only ones that go to this school."

Sapphire looked back down at her scroll. The Excavation Report was blank. Oobleck was gone. "What about teachers?" Sapphire asked frantically. "In a school this size, hundreds of rooms, we are the only people here. No teachers, no other students. No nothing?"

Gren shrugged. "We've never needed teachers before." he said nonchalantly. Sapphire wasn't listening as she was blinded by the brilliant light of the vortex opening behind Gren. Now knowing there was nothing she could do to stop it the girl with the azure hair looked at her last remaining teammate sadly.

"Goodbye Gren, I'll miss you."

"What are you talking about?" Gren asked confused as the vortex advanced on him. "I'm not go..." he was cut off as the rift consumed him, erasing him from the world.

Sapphire walked the empty corridors of Beacon, seeing empty pictures, blank honor records, class plaques devoid of name. The memorial wall without an inscription. Sapphire got her mother's fiddle from her room and walked out to the air docks. She didn't have any options left. She had no cards to play so instead she rosined up her bow, attached the rest to its base and started to play. At first fast and furious songs like 'Fairy Queen', then slower ones like 'Midsummer' and finally slow depressing songs such as 'Suil a Rune' and 'Parting Glass' as the sun sank low in the sky. She knew what was coming as she looked at the sun vanish and the empty school in front of her. The sun disappeared and when it did the airdocks were lit up with the brilliant light of the vortex, here finally to take Sapphire herself away.

Sapphire set the instrument down on the airdock, placing the bow next to it peacefully. She walked towards the light like someone greeting an old friend. She had one last hope, it was a long shot but Sapphire considered that this all started with Oswald, he was the vocal point, if she could return him to the real world everything else might snap back into place. But she could only retrieve him from the other side.

Sapphire walked into the light. As soon as she touched it the girl with the azure hair was standing in mid air. She looked down and started to fall. She hit water, ten feet deep, in a pool that she remembered all too well. Memories flooded her mind and Sapphire started to flail wildly, her head sinking under the water. She fought back to the surface but she couldn't help but continue to flail. She felt like she was dying, this place, this water, the pool. It was all just like it had been. She sunk under the water, drowning not just in water but in memories, horrible, horrible memories.

Maybe she was there for a few seconds, or perhaps an eternity, drowning and dying and returning just to drown again. Finally something broke the cycle. "Is that what you call treading water Sapphire?" The voice was cold and calculated, steady and even. No trace of the slurs and anger that filled it when he was drunk late at night. At this moment just cold disappointment. Just like that Sapphire was seven years old again, tossed into the deep end of the pool. The funny thing was that she used to love to swim. She and Cecily and Oliver would spend hours in the pool. Now there was nothing that terrified her more. "Sapphire! Are you paying attention?"

Sapphire gasped for a breath to answer him with. "Yes sir."

"Then act like it girl. Beacon will never accept you if you cannot manage aquatic combat. Now dodge." Janus tossed several vials of ice dust into the pool. In a panic Sapphire attempted to swim out of the way as pockets of ice exploded into being all over the pool. One caught her leg and she went under the water. Her leg trapped she struggled to make it to the surface. "What a disappointment you are my daughter. It would have been less effort to locate Oliver than it is to train your miserable skill."

This wasn't her father. Janus had never been this cruel, this callous. These tests Sapphire remembered. The ice dust, the cold tone of voice, the swimming pool but if the ice ever actually caught her Sapphire's real father tossed a fire capsule in to melt the ice. He was a strict teacher not a sociopath.

Suddenly the scene changed. They were standing in Janus' study, several broken bottles littered the floor. Some of the wall paper was scratched up and desk looked as though someone had taken a sword too it. "You failed all of us!" Sapphire's father shouted at her. "What a poor excuse for your brother you are. Pathetic! Unworthy! You don't belong here, you don't belong anywhere!" Sapphire remembered this rant, she knew how it ended. Janus walked towards her, his steps slightly off because of all the alcohol he'd consumed. He grabbed Sapphire by the wrist and held her hand open as he pulled a small black box from his pocket. It was Phobator collapsed into the form that normally rested on her bracelet. Janus slammed the box into her hand and the dagger expanded, its point slicing through Sapphire's aura and her flesh, pinning her hand to he wall. Janus then released her.

Pain bloomed from her hand. More than Sapphire could ever remember. This was her memory. Though she'd likely had more extensive trauma since this injury, her twelve year old self remembered this as the most excruciating thing she'd ever experienced. With her other hand Sapphire ripped the dagger out of her hand. "That's not how it happened!" she screamed at her father, fighting through the pain. "It was an accident, he didn't know what he was doing. He didn't realize what the box was. This" she said raising the the dagger, "Is the wrong blade, Morpheus cut me. Why are you torturing me!" she screamed lunging at her father. The small stature of her twelve year old self pushed the adult only two steps back but it was enough. He stepped back into the moonlight, though it had not been that way in reality the light of a Blood Moon was streaming through the skylight. As it touched Janus Rode his face melted away into a shapeless shadow. A harsh laugh emanated from the mass of darkness.

"Because I can, because it is fun, because you have so many memories of pain and hardship that I want to see in all their glory."

Suddenly a detail of the Excavation Report returned to Sapphire. "You're the Lord of Nightmares." Sapphire said suddenly sure of herself.

"Not the most original name I've been given, so many betters ones, Melinoe, Hades, Hypno, Somnus, Seth, Osiris, Apophis, and of course ones I'm sure you'll appreciate: Morpheus and Phobator. I am the Lord of Dreams and the stuff of Nightmares. I am all that you fear."

"The Dust Men, they locked you out of the world with dust as their ally. They created the wards to keep you at bay."

"Indeed." Said Somnus, "I was relegated to creating bad dreams and terrifying children. I was all but forgotten by those that should have feared me. Until now,"

"Cause Oswald let you in. He tried to alter the wards. Make them bigger and stronger and you pounced, punching you're way back into the world." Said Sapphire, hate etched into her face and blood dripping down her hand and falling in a steady stream to the floor.

"It is as you say." Responded Somnus "Your foolish boyfriend gave me everything I needed to tear the world apart."

As Sapphire stared with anger at this being she saw a glint of brilliant white in his core and realized something. He was the rift, his body stole people away. Which meant that she could use him as a portal, to get to Oswald. Sapphire lunged at him, grabbed the speck of white, as she touched it her blood smeared over it and the rift started to grow. Sapphire dove into it thinking of Oswald's face. She heard a screech of anger but it was too late for Somnus to stop her.

Just like that she was standing in Beacon Square. The school was burned to the ground and Sapphire could see Oswald fighting not far off. As she got closer Sapphire realized that the ring of Grimmified students and faculty members had formed a circle around Oswald who was fighting a single solitary fighter, this zombie was more nimble than the others, it darted around Oswald gracefully at astounding speeds and as Sapphire approached she realized that it was not some random student. It was her, Oswald was fighting the Grimm controlled corpse of Sapphire Rode.

Sapphire could clearly see the marks from where Napoli had decapitated her in the dream though the zombie had placed her head back on her shoulders. Sapphire couldn't help but be impressed with her duplicate's style. While Sapphire was skilled she had to admit that the zombie was mimicking her fighting style on her top level day of combat. Oswald for his part was doing just as well against the zombie version of Sapphire. Evidently their sparring matches had been paying off.

"Oswald!" Sapphire shouted "Her ribs!" Oswald looked up to see her and though a new joy lit in his eyes he had no time to examine what was happening. He knew exactly what Sapphire meant. She'd had several rip breaks and fractures on various recent missions. Some of which were only newly healed. As a result at least for the next month or so her ribs were fragile and she had to wear a brace and stand up extra straight.

Oswald used his shield to force zombie Sapphire into a precarious position and after several failed attempts cracked his shield over the side of her chest. There was a crunching sound and her left chest cavity collapsed. Without the ability to stand up properly zombie Sapphire's movements were severly obstructed and it was not difficult for Oswald to crush the Grimm mask in her face. As zombie Sapphire died and evaporated so did all of the others.

Sapphire ran to Oswald and they embraced tightly. Sapphire released him and looked at his face. He looked like he'd been fighting non stop for days and she couldn't have looked much better for her soaked hair, wet clothing, and bleeding hand. "Sapphire, you came back." Oswald said with relief in his voice.

"Did you doubt I would?"

"Honestly while I was fighting undead you, just a little. So what happens now?"

"We need to get you back to the real world. You're the epicenter of all of this. Somnus drew you into this world at the exact moment you accessed the wards. I think if we return you to the world it will restore the wards and everyone who was taken will return."

"Did you have a plan for getting me out of here?"

"Not one you're going to like." Sapphire said sheepishly.

"Run it by me."

"Well they say you can't die in a dream..."

"I don't like where this is going."

"So I figure if we jump from the airdocks then we might just wake up back at Beacon."

"You're right... I don't like this idea but its the only plan we've got. It's not like it can be worse than all of this." Oswald said gesturing to the Beacon tower which was half collapsed and on fire.

Oswald and Sapphire walked to the edge of the airdocks and looked down. It was an awful long way to fall. Oswald looked at Sapphire. "You sure about this?" he asked.

"No. But I don't have any other ideas."

Oswald glanced at the fall again. He looked back at Sapphire. "For luck." he said before he leaned in, touched his hands to the sides of her face and kissed her as they both fell over the side of the docks. Sapphire clutched Oswald closer as they fell, if this was the end for her she didn't want to go alone.

A second before they would have made impact with the water Sapphire opened her eyes. She was lying in her bed back at the dorms. The room had four beds, each of the occupied by one of her teammates. Swansong was all accounted for. Sapphire looked at the class register that she'd left on her nightstand after it went blank. She read the list of names with a smile on her face. Everyone was back and no one was there that shouldn't have been. The only evidence to suggest that anything at all had happened was that Sapphire's hair was still soaking wet.

A moment later there was a knock at the door. Sapphire opened it and was not surprised to see Oswald standing on the other side. "Did that all just happen?" he asked.

Sapphire shrugged "I think so. Is everyone back where they should be? Your team all accounted for, Emerald, Cobalt, Diamond?"

A look of confusion crossed Oswald's face. "Who's Cobalt?" he asked.

Sapphire looked startled and terrified for a second before she punched Oswald in the arm. "That's not funny."

"Ow, that hurt." Oswald complained "And it was from where I was standing." Oswald said smiling.

On impulse Sapphire reached out and grabbed the sides of Oswald's face pulling him into a deep kiss. His arms wrapped around her waist. The kiss lasted several seconds before it was broken.

"What was that for?" Oswald asked.

"I just wanted to make sure that was real too." Sapphire responded, a clear genuine smile of happiness blooming on her face for the first time in what seemed to be a lifetime.

[Abillioncats]

Emerald Felicia, the nicest villain you'll ever meet

Name: Emerald Felicia

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Race: Cat Faunus

Affiliation: The White Fang

Weapon: She wields twin shotguns that attach to her arms, allowing her to duel wield and fire them with ease. She had them designed to fire bits of shrapnel laced with a drug that makes those under its effects far more compliant and nice to her. Though she prefers not to use them unless someone is being particularly troublesome for her.

If you manage to actually piss her off, and lord help you if you do, she may decide to combine her weapons into their ultimate form. Her shotguns can combine into a cannon of devastating power, power so tremendous that it not only drains her aura but physically injuries her, causing nosebleeds or worse. It's powerful enough to level entire villages.

Semblance: Emerald's semblance grants her power of the wind itself. She can use this ability in many ways, to blow her foes away, reach higher highs, slow her falls, to suffocate those who don't do as she says, or to play pranks as she often does. Her favorite use of it is to spread a particular drug into the air that makes all those who breath it in a lot nicer to her. People are a lot easier to manage when they feel happy after all.

Personality: Emerald is what you would call a people person. She's very child-like and energetic, gets easily bored and ready to do the next thing. She hates having to do boring things that aren't fun and will get someone else to do it for her. She's used to getting what she wants, if she wants you to be her friend, then you're her friend, you don't say no to her. Those she deems her friends she'll shower with gifts and attention, and will protect them fiercely, as long as they don't disobey her of course. She is surprisingly forgiving, and oddly naive for a high ranking member of the White Fang. Telling her what she wants to hear is a good way to stay alive and in one piece.

People who simply refuse to do what she says, stand up to her, or betray her well...they get punished like the meanies they are. She typically lets those under her command punish those who are bad, as she'd rather spend time with those that aren't mean to her.

Appearance: People who meet her are shocked how adorable Emerald appears, considering who she is. Her Faunus heritage is obvious and proudly displayed, her long, black hair comes paired with black cat ears and a tail. She takes great effort to hide her human ears with her long hair as she dislikes them. Her eyes are a deep emerald green, big and expressive, you can easily see her emotional state just by looking at them.

She tends to wear skirts and dresses, almost always green. She really likes that color. She is often holding what appears to be a stuffed animal, unsurprisingly a cat.

Closest pic I could find that looks kind of like her

History: Emerald once lived in a small Faunus village, it was secluded and safe, far from civilization and those that would harm people like her, or so they thought. She was only nine when they came, the humans. They attacked without warning, killing any Faunus they came across, setting the village ablaze. Emerald's mother told her to run, she and her father stayed behind to buy Emerald time as she ran far into the woods, holding nothing but a stuffed animal in her arms. It was the last time she saw them. Eventually she found a hollowed out log to hide in, where she cried herself to sleep. She was cold and alone, knowing full well that her parents and the entire village were gone, forever. She didn't understand why, why had they done this...why could they have been nice?

A group of Faunus, members of the White Fang cell that operated in the area, found Emerald hiding in the log and took her in. The leader of the cell, Cristal, took a particular liking to Emerald, and treated her like she was her daughter. They had both lost their parents at a young age, and so they connected. Cristal taught her to fight, helped her create her own weapons, discover her semblance. She had found a home again, had a new family with the White Fang, and something to fight for. She never wanted what happened to her and her village to happen to someone else, never. But fate was not so kind, again tragedy struck. The White Fang was slowly becoming the terrorist organization it is known to be today, and tensions were high. Cristal wanted to settle things peacefully with the nearby human settlement, and agreed to meet with their leader to discuss the situation. But things went very, very wrong. The human leaders saw the Faunus as nothing but animals, they killed Cristal and the other Faunus with her. One managed to escape, and told Emerald and the others what had happened. It was at that moment that something snapped inside Emerald. Once again those she cared about and loved had been taken from her, because the humans wouldn't be nice. She knew at that moment what she had to do, she had to punish the humans, make them be nice so that they wouldn't hurt anyone ever again.

And so she struck out, her and the remaining members of her cell went toward the human settlement at the dead of night. They stopped on top of a ravine that overlooked the entire settlement. That's when she did it, when she saw the human settlement she screamed with rage. They had been bad, they deserved what was coming to them. She combined her weapons into their ultimate form, pointing the massive cannon at the settlement. Her aura and rage fueled the weapon, and she unleashed its power. When the dust settled, all that was left of the settlement was ruins. The few who survived were taken back with them, they had been sufficiently punished, but now they would be taught how to be nice. She would teach them the error of their ways and make them see that being nice was far, far better. Oh they were resistant at first, but Emerald was patient. Those that submitted to her will were rewarded and deemed her friends. She would care for them and they would want for nothing. But those that resisted and defied her well, they had to be persuaded by the more...extreme methods of her fellow White Fang. Sometimes she would try to persuade them herself, try to plead or reason with them. She didn't like having to hurt them, but she knew that tough love was the best love. They would learn to love her after all, she couldn't understand why they would want to disobey her, she was so nice to them when they did what she asked! She'd give them anything they wanted, as long as they loved her.

The leaders of the White Fang found Emerald to be useful. She would use those that she taught to be nice to help their cause, have them infiltrate the human cities, bring back more people to be persuaded and reasoned with. Emerald was the reasonable one after all, she just wanted to make everyone get along and be nice. And they would be nice, she would make sure of it.

[Guess Who]

Evil Robert (Kinda)

Name: Rose* Fallson

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Race: Human

Affiliation: None

Weapon: She wears bracers that have a retractable 7-inch blade that is in the shape of an arrow. When retracted, the bracers shoot 10mm rounds. Each bracer holds 20 shots, with extra ammo in pouches on her belt. A visor she wears lets her see crosshairs wherever she points her bracers, improving her accuracy. The visor looks like the one Cyclops uses in the X-men movies. They belonged to her dad when he unsuccessfully applied to Beacon. They are the only things remaining of her family with the exception of a family picture that she keeps in her pocket. The picture is missing Rose, because the part of the picture she was in was burnt off.

Semblance: Rose's semblance allows her to subliminally and psionically affect probability fields, causing improbable, but not impossible, "unlucky" events to occur to enemies within her line of sight. She has known of the existence of her semblance for years and has been exploiting it ever since.

Personality: Ever since Rose received her scars, she has always been extremely self-conscious of her appearance. This has made it impossible for her to socialize as she feels that all the other person is doing is staring at her imperfections. She is also paranoid, believing that all of the tragedies that have occurred in her life are all somehow connected.

Appearance:

(But with red hair)

History: When she was eight years old, Rose lost both of her parents and her younger sister to a fiery explosion caused by a group of White Fang members. For the next ten years, she survived on the streets by pickpocketing and stealing, using a green hoodie to cover her horrible scars (the fire had burned her even worse than it had Robert of the main HoB Universe). Thanks to the help of her friends Tuck, Alan, and Miller, she was able to enroll into Beacon without ever having attended a prior school like Signal.

It was at Beacon that Rose met Priscilla, the first person that Rose had ever met that didn’t judge her for her appearance. The two began dating only a couple days after meeting. It would, unfortunately, not last though. One day, Priscilla and the rest of Rose’s team disappeared without a trace. Emotionally distraught, Rose believed that the same people responsible for her family’s death were responsible for her team’s disappearance. Eventually, she would find the men that killed her family and would attempt to infiltrate their facility, because she did not try to make friends among her classmates though, she did this alone and without any support. This lead to disastrous results as she was captured by the overwhelming numbers inside the facility.

For several days, Rose endured the brutal treatment of the White Fang. If not for her semblance she would never have escaped and finally taken her revenge on the men who destroyed her life. Without any friends or teammates present to convince her not to do it, Rose brutally killed them, even going so far as to put their bodies on display to let the terrorist organization know that she was not to be screwed with. They responded in turn by blowing up Fryer Tuck’s Diner, killing the only friends she had. It was the last mistake the White Fang ever made. With nothing left to lose now, Rose proceeded to assassinate every top dog in the organization, which finally put an end to the terrorist group.

Her mission was not over yet, though. She still hadn’t found anything to prove the White Fang’s involvement with Priscilla’s disappearance. Also, during one of her many assassinations on White Fang members, Rose found a list of cops, politicians, and hunters that were all under the payroll of the White Fang and/or helped the group in any possible way. She will not rest until Priscilla is avenged and all White Fang and their conspirators are wiped out, even if innocents are caught in the crossfire of her one-man (er, woman) war.

*Yes I realize I could of used Roberta instead, but that just didn’t sound right to me for some reason.

[Flood]

The Right Hand of The Torch

Name:Cobalt Chideta A.K.A. The Right Hand of The Torch

Age: 25

Gender:Male

Race: Human

Affiliation: Roman Torchwick

Weapon: The Atom Bomb is Cobalt's greatest creation. After the 27 Smasher broke Cobalt has been creating various weapons and equipment, which all culminated in The Atom Bomb. The Atom Bomb is a broadsword/fully automatic machine gun with various different underbarrel settings and a slot to hold Dust crystals. The first step of wielding the gun though, is turning it on. It begins dripping a potent poison which Cobalt calls "radiation poisoning". It is not deadly in the slightest, it is meant solely to cause unimaginable pain to the victim.

The underbarrel that Cobalt uses most often is the flame setting which acts as a flamethrower and it sets his bullets on fire whenever he shoots. The flames are strong enough to melt through steel in a matter of seconds, only being stopped by the most fire resistant materials.

The final and deadliest part of The Atom Bomb would be it's Dust receptacle. Cobalt puts Dust into the receptacle and it charges the blade with elemental energy. Every slice and smash causes an elemental explosion which is also tainted by poison.

Semblance: Cobalt starts at half power when starting battle and slowly grows stronger as adrenaline pumps through his veins and the battle continues. When at full strength he can bend titanium with his bare hands and he's an almost unstoppable monster.

Personality: Cobalt always wanted the ideal life. He wanted money, he wanted power, he wanted respect. The only way he was going to get those things was if he stole them, so he did. He hates everyone with a passion and only cares about himself and his friends. If he wants something, then he'll get it by any means necessary. In his mind, there is no middle ground. You're either against him or with him, you like him or hate him, you're useful or you're a dead man walking. The only people he respects are Roman Torchwick, the boy who taught him that ruthlessness is the only way to get ahead in life and Neopolitan, the girl who gave him a reason to live. Cobalt is of average intelligence, preferring action instead of thinking out his attacks and words.

Appearance: Cobalt is 5"11 with long blue hair, typically covering his left eye, and a rather muscular build. His face is somewhat longer than others and his eyes are slightly larger than the average citizen of Vale. He has blue eyes and a diagonal scar over his left eye. He wears a dark coat most of the time along with dark jeans and black combat boots. He typically has a blue scarf wrapped around his neck and only one red glove on. He changes what hand the glove is on every now and then. His nails are clipped most of the time and no matter how many times people say otherwise his hair is all natural. Yes he knows it's weird and he will punch you if you ask again. In combat he will discard his coat to reveal a several belts of ammo and a tight black long sleeve shirt.

History: Cobalt grew up on the streets, alone and unwanted by the world. The only way he could survive was by stealing food whenever he could and sleeping in abandoned buildings. He had nothing to his name but the clothes on his back and an endless amount of hate towards the world. It was on a snowy night in December that Neopolitan found him and he found someone he didn't hate so much.

"You look like someone took a dump on some strawberry ice cream." Probably not the best choice of first words for a new friend, but she got over it quickly. They soon became the best of friends, both forced to live on the streets, both hated by the world for their actions and their violent dispositions. They would regularly get into fights, Neopolitan gracefully destroying her enemies with an umbrella ("You're going into a fight, not a rainy day in Vacuo.") and Cobalt smashing thugs into the ground with a 2x4 attached to a broken sword ("It's called style, sorry if I don't need to headbutt people to death.") they were as thick as thieves.

It was at the age of 15 that Cobalt and Neopolitan met Roman Torchwick, a greedy boy with a chip on his shoulder. Initially they butted heads but they came to respect each other's qualities. 10 years passed and Roman Torchwick built up his criminal empire. Cobalt and Neopolitan are Roman's personal bodyguards and Cobalt is the guy in charge of the grunts.