FlitterFaux

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Grimm Studies

Skye braced herself as the thick glass containing the Dionaea lowered and the great beast took stock of its surroundings. She noted that each of the smaller heads angled toward them as if those were its main sensory organs. But she still could only guess at what senses it used to track them. With a chilling cacaphony of shrill shrieks from these mouths, the Dionaea began its assault. It managed to attack everyone surrounding it simultaneously with incredible speed and coordination, and still had plenty of limbs waiting to strike or defend.

Skye kept half her attention on her surroundings and other students nearby even as she was attacked by two tentacles that skirted around their group. The first to reach her came from her left and slightly above, and it tried to smash into her perhaps to knock her down or away. Or into the other tentacle approaching low from the right. Skye stepped into the left side attack and threw her elbow as hard as she could into it to stop its momentum. Surprisingly, the attack seemed like it had to be half-hearted or weaker for reaching so far around her allies. Skye's counterstrike sent it reeling away but she could feel a few things within her body that might be a problem, the most alarming of which was the aching and strain of her muscles. That was a new development and could only be a very bad sign. Fighting at her normal capacity was putting a lot of strain on her weakened body, and her overall strength and speed was notably less than normal.

But there was nothing she could do about that. Her team needed her to watch their backs no matter what condition she was in. And the Grimm, as always, would never relent until either it or Skye was dead. Just like any other fight there was no alternative but to push herself to her limits or beyond.

The second tentacle tried to slither around her leg, counting on her to be distracted. She stomped down hard, crushing the tip and momentarily pinning it to the ground. With her other leg she kicked as hard as she could, shredding the flesh under her foot as the tentacle was knocked away. She had a moment to catch a breath as the rest of her allies were doing just as well if not better, so far. In fact the other three managed to avoid getting hit and caused some significant damage to the first wave of tentacles.

Ben asked how everyone was faring and Skye called out a quick affirmative, even as Bianca put her spear through one of the tentacles severing it fantastically.

Of the ones that had gone for Skye the damaged one had pulled back toward the body and the other seemed hesitant to attack again. This let her take stock of her allies farther away. She was not surprised to see Jack darting almost effortlessly between the Dionaea's roots, easily evading and slashing and keeping incredibly mobile. It was an impressive sight as far as shewas concerned. The other group Jack had been strategizing with looked to be having a bit more difficulty, but managed to hold their own well enough that she wasn't too worried. They were even managing to put firepower into the upper heads of the creature, which would likely take some of the pressure off her group while they pushed towards the trunk.

And then she saw Ashe and was shocked to see her isolated and taking a major hit. She doesn't have any cover... Skye mentally kicked herself for not noticing until now, and assuming Ashe had another group to join for support. With a creature like this and without the kind of speed Jack displayed she doubted anyone alone like that would last very long. With no time to spare for coordinating with her other teammates Skye made a decision.

"Ashe! Over here! She pointed to a spot mostly in the center of them, closer to Sangue's side while Skye shifted her position a little closer to Bianca. As Ashe moved to join them Skye made sure the others knew what was going on. "Friendly joining us, at your backs."

She faced the Dionaea proper as it still seemed to debate if it was worth it to come after her again. She watched as the main head of the thing moved and, disturbingly enough, seemed to be looking at Ashe. Then it turned that eyeless gaze onto their group, and she couldn't tell if it was looking at one of them or the team as a whole. It also scanned over the team shooting at it, but at this point Skye knew it would be too risky for her to dart out and help them, they had pressed too close to the massive riesen.

As if to confirm that assessment the Dionaea picked up its pace in an already largely relentless assault. It was now throwing about three roots at each combatant with greater ferocity than before. And it still had appendages it wasn't actively using. At some point they were going to push this thing to its full potential and that would truly be a terrifying storm to weather. This was already bad enough.

Apparently concluding Skye was a worthy enough target on her own the Dionaea sent three completely fresh tentacles her way, fast and all at once, each from a different angle. She attempted to strike one of them away, then block a second with her arm, and stomp on the third, lower one to stop it. Her first two attempts at deflection met with success, but the low approaching tentacle stopped short, and her foot slammed into the ground. Overextended an slightly unbalanced the Grimm slammed its low tentacle into her poorly planted legs and droped her facedown. Water splashed chaotically as she rolled onto her back as fast as possible, in time to see all three tentacles poised to deliver crushing blows.

She rolled, pushing herself as fast as she could and just barely managed to evade the first two impacts. The third compensated for her direction and came right down on her. She was lucky enough to be on her back at that point and able to catch the attack. But the shock was still incredibly jarring and she felt sharp pricks under her skin as some of the crystals in her body shifted. She kicked upwards forcing the root on top of her away, and turned in time to knock aside one of the others that tried to capitalize on the brief distraction. She managed to roll to all fours and leap just out of range as the Dionaea relentlessly attacked. She had a split second of room to get to her feet and face the continued assault.

Now that she had a taste of how intelligent this thing was she managed to keep up and push her attacker back this time. But she didn't think she was doing well at this point. All she was managing was to defend herself and at any moment someone might need her help. Pick up the pace, this isn't good enough! I need to do better than this, I'm going to fail them at this rate.

Heroes of Beacon - Contest of Champions

Loveless

It was a bright and clear day. Most people were taking advantage of the ideal summer weather to enjoy the public beach with family and friends, or in some cases alone. Scarlet Loveless was not like most people. Though the blonde haired, blue eyed woman clad in a bright red bikini looked as if she belonged, a close look at her face betrayed how she truly felt about being here. She leaned against one of the many bars dotting the beach, nursing some fancy tropical themed drink and glaring out at the ocean. Many a man had approached the attractive young woman only to be repelled by a single look or a few words loaded with as much venom as your average cobra. Scarlet was not here to enjoy herself and at this point she could not if she tried. Any charm this perfect summer day had previously held for her had evaporated at least an hour ago. Her associate, the man meant to relieve her of this tedious, nigh unbearable assignment, was late. Inside her head a storm was brewing.

I fucking hate this place. Fuck all this sand, fuck the stinking filthy ocean, fuck this goddamn searing hot sunshine, fuck this piece of shit bikini that rides up my ass… And, oh yes, fuck fuck FUCK all these worthless sacks of meat and the screaming human larvae they’ve decided to spawn!!!

“And fuck you Mordecai, for condemning me to this abysmal hellhole! Where the ever living shit ARE YOU!?!?”

Scarlet turned away from the beach and the people that had become the object of her frustration and slammed her drink down on the bar. The glass shattered, startling the young woman who was tending the bar and slicing up her hand quite nicely. The pain made her feel better, and she relaxed from the boiling point to a medium simmer. She watched the crimson blood drip down her wrist, a few drops landing on the polished wood and mixing with the shards of glass and remains of her drink. The bartender was stuttering something at her but she wasn't in a mood to listen. She held up her other hand to silence the frazzled woman and took the clean white towel out of her hands. The girl had probably meant for Scarlet to use it and put pressure on the wounds, anyway.

"Relax already." Scarlet wiped away the blood and held up the hand that had been lacerated a moment before. The wounds had healed quickly, annoyingly so by her personal standards. There was not even a mark on her skin. The mousy bartender's eyes widened as if she did not understand. What is this kid, mentally challenged or something? Whatever, she's cute so I guess they just let her get away with being a dumbass. Still, I shouldn't have to explain... "Aura? Healing?" The brunette laughed nervously and said something like 'Oh' too quietly for Scarlet to hear, but she still looked confused. The hell? Has this bitch been living under a rock this entire time? How does a person like that land a job as a bartender? kinda like hiring me to entertain at childrens parties. Or the shit job I'm currently on. "Whatever. Just... clean this up and get me another drink."

She buried her face in her hands in a sad attempt to shut out the world. This seemed to amplify the irritating sound of laughter all around her. Mordecai, I am truly going to kill you next time I see you.

Somewhere along the way, a large green-skinned young man approached the same beachside bar that the flame tongue Scarlet was at. This man was obviously Gren. His figure was square and stocky, with a big of chub in his front. He wore a black pair of swim shorts with a purple trim, walking on the hot sands barefoot. For some odd reason, he carried a simple harpoon over his shoulder, the spear tip wrapped in a thick cloth to prevent accidental stabbing. He seemed content yet focused, like a man on a mission. "Rum Cola." Gren said as he sat across the bar from Scarlet. As he waited for his drink to be served he took out his Scroll which projected a holographic map.

If one observed closely, they could see that the map was a 3D model of the beach they were on, sans people. Instead there were only different colors, warm ones such as yellow and red. In the distance, far into the ocean, were colors of black and white. Gren was studying this map intensely until his drink was brought to him, where he then thanked the rather nervous looking barista and took a sip. "Mhmm. Tasty."

A muffled musical tone snapped Scarlet's attention to her light purple hoodie, draped over a nearby stool. "Finally!" She snatched up the garment and all but ripped the scroll out of it. She took a few steps away from the bar but didn't really care who overheard. She was about to get loud.

"Hey asshole, you better be-" Scarlet began, ready to let the caller at the other end have an earful, but a familiar sound stopped her. It was a sound she technically wanted to hear at the moment, but considering the circumstances it just pissed her off even more. She lowered her voice to a strained, hissing whisper, not realizing how close she was to the boar faunus ordering his drink. "Is that an ankou?"

"One of two. Now shut up and listen," Came the gruff response from the man that was supposed to be here at the beach, and clearly was not anywhere nearby. Over an hour late, having fun with two Reisen class and maybe a horde of smaller Grimm, and this bastard has the nerve to tell me to shut up? Oh hell no.

"You gotta be kidding me!! She screamed into the scroll, heedless of the people around her startled by the outburst. She had expended her patience. "I've been sitting here all day doing jack shit waiting for your dumb ass, and now this bullshit?!

"Scar, shut the fuck up! Mordecai hollered back and Scarlet did shut up for a moment, but only to grind her teeth. "Plans have changed, I am not getting out there anytime soon! As you can plainly hear-

Scarlet cut him off again, not wanting to hear the explanation. "Well where the fuck is the Boss Lady? Or that new kid? I should be there, not in this shithole!"

"The Boss is in Mistral meeting the client and the girl is with me, occupying these fuckfaces while I waste time talking to some stupid twat!! His response was loaded with as much fire and poison as her own tone in a fraction of the time. Mordecai was not known for keeping his temper, but at this point Scarlet did not care.

Rub salt in the wound why don't you? The new girl gets to square off with two ankou while I'm stuck here until it's all over? "Why wasn't she given this shit job? This is such-"

This time Mordecai was the one to interrupt her and he had definitely had enough of the conversation. "It's your goddamn job, deal with it!!!

The call ended and it took a moment for Scarlet to register what had just happened. He... just... hung up on me. Her hand tightened around the now silent scroll. Her eye began to twitch and her jaw clenched painfully. The small electronic cracked under the pressure of her grip and went dead. She pulled her arm back and hurled the useless thing across the beach and right into the ocean.

"MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!"

Gren looked over towards the blonde screaming into her Scroll. Seemed like her date stood her up. Or got attacked by Grimm. Either was a real possibility. Gren debated if he wanted to get involved with someone so temperamental as this chick, but then again he could use some help with his mission. If she was as tough as she was feisty, maybe this would work out for the best. Finishing his drink and letting the bartender take it away Gren looked over to the blondie.

"Sounds like your day just got worse. Name's Gren Orchid. Maybe I could help."

As Scarlet fumed and considered how she would get away with homicide, a deep male voice addressed her. Her fiery gaze snapped toward its source. It was a very tall, very wide faunus, something with large teeth and... green skin?. What the fuck is this thing? With his large build and rough appearance he honestly looked like an enforcer for the group she was supposed to be watching. He could even be just that, maybe off duty and enjoying the beach like the rest of the masses. Hell, it was even probable as far as she was concerned. Great. She thought sarcastically.

"No shit? What was your first clue, genius? Or should I say Frankenstein? She said, her voice dripping with poison. She leaned forward to get in the seated man's face, hands on her hips and the obvious glint of challenge in her eyes. "What the hell makes you think you can help me? And I swear, if your answer involves some dumb shit like buying me a drink, I will shove that glass down your throat." Though her words came out as a threat, she found herself hoping Gren would give her the excuse to follow through.

Gren didn't falter as the hotheaded hottie got face-to-face with Gren. He just stood and stepped closer so that their chests were pressed together. "Sounds more like you need to lay off the drinks, goldilocks. You could use a little fun, something involving some ripping and tearing. I know just the place for something like that. So how about it hottie blondie? Let's go find you somewhere to work up that sweat."

Scarlet's eyes narrowed and she did not budge as Gren stood and pressed into her. Excitement rose within her at the threatening body language but this was tempered by mild surprise and confusion. Though Gren seemed to be predictably throwing around his superior height and weight, his words and facial expression were not exactly what she expected. He didn't seem genuinely offended, if he was offended at all. And though he might be foolishly suggesting they go a few rounds in the bedroom, the mention of ripping and tearing implied otherwise. Actually, if he intends for a bit of violence like I hope he does...

"One, fuck you, I'll drink as much as I damn well please, Dad. Two, if you're talking about literal ripping and tearing I'm in. If you mean anything else I will cut you without a second thought. Oh, and if," She lowered her voice to a whisper before continuing, the threatening tone still very palpable. , you're with the Yun Fang, I'll kill you right here and now." She tensed her body as she said this, preparing for the very real possibility that she had just called out a member of the local gang's muscle. At point blank range, no less.

"Never heard of him." Gren said honestly and frankly. He hadn't really done much research about this area, but if he had to guess this woman and this Yun had some bad blood between the two of them. None of Gren's business though. With a flex of his pecs Gren bounced himself off the angry woman's breasts and handed her his business card. "Grab your favorite toy and meet me at the pier whenever you're ready. I'll show you a good time." Gren gave the mystery woman a wink as he walked off to continue his mission.

Getting back to business he went about meeting a contact here at the beach. It was a fellow hunter who was keeping an eye on the Grimm in the area. Smart lass, owned the local lighthouse. Knew a lot about the beasts and would be fighting them herself if she still had both legs. Still she did the best she could with her trusty sniper rifle. The two exchanged pleasantries before getting straight to business. Gren traded her some crates of Dust for the information she had. Despite being a hunter, she needed to make money too. Why she wanted her payment in Dust, Gren didn't know. He didn't ask.

With the information Gren headed to the docks. With any luck he'd be a step closer to figuring why all the Grimm were getting closer and closer to this place.

Is this guy for real? What kind of dope hasn't heard of the Yun Fang of Vacuo? And if he's not with them why the hell are we suddenly meeting at the docks? Not part of the gang, not working with them, not looking for them, not part of a rival gang... But this is too much of a coincidence. Who the fuck is this assho- She lifted the card he had left her with for the first time. Her eye twitched again.

"Shit."

Gren was a hunter. Straight from Beacon Academy. And if he wasn't here to deal with the Yun Fang or whoever they were working with like she was… he was probably here about some kind of Grimm related issue. But at the docks? He had promised her some stress relief but if there was a Grimm problem at the docks she should have noticed; she had been watching that area all day. Not only that but there were other Hunters on duty already guarding the beach from any strays tempted by such a large gathering of humans. So what else was going on?

"Hm. Fuck it. I can work with this. Better than sitting around here any longer. She muttered to herself, collecting her hoodie and nearby duffel bag. She slipped on the garment and tossed a bunch of lien at the unfortunate barista, much more than the drinks had cost. "Catch you later, sexy." She said as she took her replacement drink and walked away with it. She thought she heard the girl stuttering something at her but she ignored it and approached the docks.

She smiled darkly as an idea occurred to her. Maybe this guy can help me out, after all. Mordecai did say that this was my job and I should deal with it.

Gren was reading the information he gained while sitting on a small motorboat. He wished he could have gotten a bigger one (As in one that he didn't have to squeeze into), but this was the cheapest he could get. Considering what he was going to do, this boat was most likely going to get wrecked, and he didn't want to shell out the Lien to replace a big one. At least the boat itself looked nice and clean, even if it wasn't the biggest skipper on the dock. In any case Gren read the information he was given: grimm activity had spiked in the recent few months. At first it was usually just a few strays that even the locals could deal with using just some sticks and rocks. But recently larger grimmer had been sighted, and Hunters had been deployed to maintain watch. It wasn't unusual to see them at regular seasonal intervals, typically during holidays and such. Despite the festivities, a lot of negative feelings tended to crop up whenever such a large concentration of people show up. But something was different this time. The spike was occurring during a non-tourism season, and the usual big grimm hadn't been sighted, but a lot of the small fry had. The hunter who gave Gren this information knew this was a sign that the grimm were starting to amass in a large number. Whenever one could catch a glimpse of their small fries, it usually meant they were overflowing.

This information hadn't been made public yet in order to prevent panic, but the Hunters here lacked the manpower to deal with such a large concentration of Grimm. While they had a team capable of underwater combat, the sheer number would overwhelm the team and ultimately they'd lose their ace-in-the-hole if things get out of hand. An important piece of information that the hunter gave Gren was that she suspected something was happening here to attract the Grimm. So far they didn't really seem to be loitering around the beach itself, but remaining in the sea. Either they were waiting for something, or whatever they were looking for was often in the ocean. And thus, Gren was here at the dock to look for that thing.

As Gren was waiting for the blond he also looked up the name "Yun Fang". Wasn't long before he got some information about a crime boss who operated in this part of Vacuo. Not much was known based off what he could research in a few minutes, but Gren simply figured that was because this guy knew what he was doing. Infamy was great at scaring small fries out of your turf, but if you wanted to maintain business you had to not draw attention to yourself. It was unfortunate that Gren couldn't dig up any more info about this Yun guy, though he certainly looked like bad news. Kidnapping, smuggling, and routine political assassination. Gren was frankly surprised how little information there was on a guy with this many high profile crimes attached to his name. No wonder why blondie didn't like him.

Eventually Gren spotted said blondie walking down the docks. Gren waved his arm towards her to flag her down. Shouldn't be too hard seeing that he was the only big green man here. "Hey bae. Glad you could make it. I figured we could do a bit of fishing in the ocean. Now before you rip my arms off, I just want ya to know I'm not looking for little fishes like tuna or something. I'm looking for... Bigger game. You in?"

Scarlet considered Gren’s proposal, liking the idea if not the way he delivered it. So he is Grimm hunting. Not here on the docks but out at sea. Ballsy...

"I'm not your 'bae' so don't fucking call me that again. But to answer your question, yes. I could go for some Grimm fishing. Sounds relaxing. However, before we head out why don't we go chat up some friends of mine, first? You said you wanted to help me out, right? She smiled at the faunus with all the warmth of a snake. The truth was she could handle this business alone but it would go much more quickly and smoothly with at least one other person at her back. And as far as she knew even if Beacon churned out graduates with a hero complex they were also damn fine Hunters.

Gren shrugged. He supposed he could go meet her friends. It was probably a trap, but Gren wouldn't mind getting into a bit of a brawl before hunting. It'd be a nice warmup. "Sure. Lead the way, cutie-mcbooty." He also suspected that she intended to have him fight Yun, which Gren was only slightly more hesitant about. If he had his weapons or armor, sure. Without it? Less sure. But he'd see what he could do.

"C-cutie... Mcbooty?" She repeated, her eye twitching repeatedly as she stared at Gren incredulously. What? "Who the fuck says that?!" She yelled. "Oh my god, just no. Don't do that. She shook her head and sighed deeply. This is not my day.

"Seriously... Do you have a weapon? I'm hoping you don't plan on going fishing after this with your bare hands. She asked before thinking about it. Hah, I don't think I'd be surprised if that is exactly what he planned to do at this point. Fucker better have a semblance half as good as mine if that's the case.

"Of course." Gren took out the harpoons on his back. They weren't exactly his normal weapons, but they would be good enough for what he needed them for. He also lifted up his shirt to reveal the wasp knives he had strapped to his belt. Just in case he needed to give some Grimm a "lift". Or cut them. And lastly, he had what appeared to me sticks of dynamite. Makeshift grenades; he'd be able to explode them underwater, even light them, but he wasn't relying on them to kill Grimm. Rather, if he found another cave like where the Siren was, he was just going to blow the thing up with carefully placed dynamite instead of walking in there like a fool. He'd explain it to the coast guards once he was certain he slew all the grimm inside. "And until I know your name, I'll just have to keep making one up for you, hottie blondie."

Scarlet eyed the tips of the harpoons and the edges of the knives Gren had acquired since she last saw him admiringly. The thought of what those sharp edges could do to flesh was enough to make her feel somewhat better. I hope one of these jackasses gives Gren an excuse to impale them. Or I could borrow one. A pleasant shiver travelled down her spine as she approached Gren, her expression softer than than it had been.

She held out her drink to him. "Hold this." She then set down her duffel bag and opened a side pocket to fish out something to tie her hair. She got most of it out of the way by putting it up into a messy ponytail. With that done she started leading Gren towards the warehouse where the Yun Fang had set up shop.

She thought about the point he had made in not knowing her name. At first she had not cared to share her name with him. She still didn't much care for the idea but things were different now. He needed something to call her besides Goldilocks. Or worse. However, if she told him her real name there was a chance he might have already heard of her, which could be troublesome.

"You can call me, uh, Lavender." She lied, mentally kicking herself as it sounded fake even to her ears. Ugh. Real smooth, Scarlet. Not suspicious at aaaaaall. Dumb bitch.

She considered how to turn that around as they reached the warehouse door and she tried the handle. It was, naturally, locked. Oh good. I can start this off the fun way. Holding up a finger to indicate Gren should wait a moment, she took a step back and raised one leg. She then delivered a viscous, aura powered kick to the metal door. The result was almost as satisfying as she hoped. The door was instantly warped by the force, and nearly ripped off its hinges. Yeah. Good enough.

Just inside, predictably, were two very tattooed and pierced men in clothing that was supposedly chosen to add to their intimidating appearance. In stereotypical outlaw fashion they were big guys and armed with oversized, ugly, impractical weapons. Then again she couldn't much judge them concerning the weapon department. It was just that the initial scene felt really cliche and scripted to her, like a bad action movie. Considering what she was about to do that scripted feeling was unlikely to go away anytime soon. And as expected, the two thuggish guards jumped down from stacked crates they had been sitting on to brandish their scary blades threateningly at her and Gren. Boring. Oh well. It's not the script that matters... She grinned in anticipation as she closed the distance at a brisk walk. It's how this is going to make me feel that matters. Keep up with me now, Gren.

One of the men, the one to her left, started to say something stupid. Apparently, even though she had just kicked in a door and was bearing down on them with a smile, he did not get the fact that she was a threat. One of these days I'll come across a gang that sets up their smallest, smartest guy in a suit as the door guard. But until then... While this man chuckled and referred to her as 'girly' she tossed her duffel bag at the quieter, stoic guy on the right. Reflexively, he moved to catch it. She was less than ten feet away from the both of them at this point and she followed this distraction with a sudden lunge, going for the idiot on the left. He, too, was distracted by the duffel bag and, having already underestimated her, was not ready when she struck.

Fingers straight she jabbed at his throat, putting a tremendous amount of power and speed behind the attack. Unprepared as he was the defense his aura provided was nowhere near enough to stop her, and she felt his windpipe crumple around her fingertips. His eyes went wide in shock, then clenched shut as the pain registered in his mind. He released his weapon and clutched at his broken throat, making what she felt were the most delightful gagging noises she had heard in a long time.

The sensation of his pain washed over her and began feeding into her semblance. At the same time the sight of him in this state caused the fine hairs on her body to stand on end. Her victim struggled desperately for a breath that would never come. Her pupils dilated as she watched him drop to his knees, and his desperation truly began to set in. Oh god, I've missed this. Grimm are never the same. It's so sad, though. I broke him too badly. He won't last much longer...

She stared into his eyes, entranced for a few seconds. She had meant to immediately follow up her initial strike with an attack on the second man, the one who was just now throwing her duffel aside and assessing what had happened. But Scarlet had miscalculated. She had forgotten her own sickness, and just how much of an effect it had on her. As the one man died, that was, for a moment, her whole world. She did not see the other one as rage filled his eyes, shattering his formerly stoic expression. Her peripheral did not register him raising his curved saw blade.

Gren sighed just a little seeing "Lavender" break down the door. He guessed that this wasn't just going to be a quick lunch date. Two big goons dropped from above and before they finished their tough guy speech Lavender killed a guy. "Guess it's going to be one of those days." The other thug took a swing at Lavender but Gren hurled his harpoon at his sword, knocking it off course and burying itself into the ground.

Gren didn't waste any time running up to the guy, crushing his kneecap with a stomp, elbowing him in the face, and then putting the guy into a reverse headlock. He punched and grabbed at Gren, but the big faunus didn't give the guy an inch. He crushed the guy’s neck until his aura gave out, then held for a few extra seconds until he stopped squirming. Whether he was dead or just out cold Gren didn't know. There were some other things to worry about now.

There were already a lot of footsteps heading their way and Gren looked over to Lavender. Silently he pointed up towards the catwalk as Gren reeled his harpoon back and tossed it to the railings above. Despite his bulk the big green guy climbed the rope pretty easily. He could already see more goons coming in with guns and swords, so it looked like it'll be a big melee.

To Scarlet, the sharp clang of metal on metal was a dull sound. Her senses were honed in on the dying man in front of her. As he fell forward and faded away she slowly started to come back to reality and tilted her head back, shifting her eyes toward the source of the muffled sound. She might have just stayed there a second or two longer, but the sight of the other man's knee snapping in the wrong direction woke her up from the trance. This new sensation tweaked her semblance and she started thinking again as Gren subdued the other man.

Disappointing, isn't it? Getting so worked up over the little things. I guess I was just starved for it but in the end, She thought to herself pulling her bag towards her and unzipped the main part. ,this level of suffering is nothing. She reached in as the second man slipped away, possibly dead but most likely unconscious. She removed her weapon, a thick, heavy axe with a single head for cleaving and a more blunt, hammer-like edge behind that. She flipped the heavy weapon casually into the air and caught it again, her improved mood allowing her to indulge in the playful act.

She looked at Gren, climbing to a better vantage point and urging her to do the same. She could hear the approaching footfalls now that she had shaken her tunnel vision. Smart. But I'll have to disappoint and leave the clever strategies to you, green man. Such things will only slow me down I'm afraid. She shook her head at Gren and bent to pick up the discarded saw blade their last victim had imbedded into the concrete. She took a breath as the running footsteps got very close, just around a tall stack of crates, even.

A lanky, hairy redhead with a nasty looking shotgun was the first to come into view. He tried to take aim at Scarlet as soon as he saw her but she hurled the blade at him too fast for him to line up a shot properly. His aura took the hit well but it bounced off his face and neck, startling him and causing him to reflexively fire into the air. She rushed in and hit him hard with the blunt side of her axe. He went flying up to crash into some heavy metal shelving before dropping back to the floor. He lost his grip on his weapon and Scarlet smashed him into the concrete floor where he struggled face down. His aura couldn't handle the assault and flared, completely expended within a second or two. Pathetic, She thought as she realized what class of hired goons they were dealing with. At this rate I won't even need to use Scorpion Tail's full potential.

She left herself open to attack from the others to her right but this was not unplanned. She wanted specific results from this opening salvo, she wanted it to hurt. To that end she picked up her current victim's shotgun, aimed roughly using only one arm, and fired the chambered round into the man's leg. The screams of agony and the shredding of the flesh would have been enough for her. This man's pain, like the two before him, was absorbed by her twisted semblance. Part of his pain became her own and she relished it even as several gunmen took aim at her. She dropped the shotgun next to the screaming, writhing, bleeding man.

Gren sighed as she watched Lavender charge forward. "Why do I have to work with the reckless ones..." Shaking his head Gren simply ran forward on the catwalk. At least with Lavender causing a ruckus the thugs wouldn't notice Gren above them. He missed her brutal takedown of the lone thug as more came to face her. They took cover behind some of the boxes and crates in the warehouse, shooting blindly at Lavender's general direction. But they made the mistake of staying still close together. Gren took out a stick of dynamite and armed it, dropping it in the middle of the gathering below. The thugs barely had a chance to see what hit the floor before the bomb went off and sent the men scattering, their auras shattering upon impact with the explosion. One thug was sent flying in Lavender's direction and threatened to knock her over if she wasn't fast enough to avoid or strike him down.

Scarlet stood where she was as the first group of reinforcements hid behind cover and opened fire with a menagerie of automatic weapons. She stared down her attackers, motionless, smirking, and fully anticipating the impact of several rounds at least. Instead, an explosion tore through the men, hurling them in all directions, their defenses decimated in an instant. One of them flew right at her and she batted him aside, into the warehouse wall with a satisfying crunching sound. But her smile fell when she took stock of the now silent scene. Not a single round had hit her.

"Are... are you fucking kidding me?! Who the fuck taught you shitheads how to shoot?! I cannot even fathom..." She said in utter shock and disbelief, letting her last sentence trail off.

Behind Scarlet her third victim felt the urge for revenge and he reached for his shotgun. Irritated and baffled, Scarlet stepped back and brought her foot viciously down, crushing his hand against the gun and eliciting another invigorating howl of pain. Without looking back she strode forward, into the midst of the downed men still reeling from the explosion. Without any sense of urgency she retrieved one of the discarded sub machine guns. She leveled the weapon in the general direction of someone struggling to get to their feet and fired a burst into his abdomen and pelvis. His agony was both refreshing and exciting, and she repeated this cruel act with his companions until no one was trying to stand, and everyone was bleeding. By the time she was finished with the last one and tossed the gun aside she was shivering. Her semblance felt like a thing alive as it transferred all of that energy into her, and her blood felt like it was on fire.

Heh. Not as intense as when I take it myself, but there's just.. so.. many of them. Sublime...

She looked up at Gren, a sultry look having replaced her disappointed expression. "Are we having fun yet?" She asked, half expecting him to decide she was more despicable than the people they were going after. She couldn't blame him since she had done nothing to conceal her nature.

When Lavender looked up at Gren, she saw him dropping the body of one of the thugs off the railing. One of them managed to climb up, but ultimately failed to subdue Gren after he had punched his lights out. The body fell onto the floor in a crumpled, groaning heap. He looked down at Lavender who seemed to be quite... enjoying herself. He gave her a thumbs up. "The party hasn't started yet. This is just a warm up." And sure enough, something big was coming their way. More thugs showed up and this time they wasted no time getting into cover, shooting at the two upon immediately spotting them. Gren jumped off the railing behind some metal boxes for cover, but he didn't stay for long when a giant anchor came flying out of nowhere, nearly crushing him. It forced him back onto the ground with Lavender as more bullets were being flung in their direction. He took out two more sticks of dynamite to deal with the crowd, he just needed Lavender to provide a distraction long enough for the thugs not to gun him down.

She turned towards what could be considered the second wave, noting none of them had learned from the mistakes of their predecessors. Or maybe they felt safe without Gren directly above them dropping dynamite. Whatever the reason she decided it was better this way. Chasing down her prey would be tiresome.

She charged forward quite recklessly, and this time someone was either a better shot or got lucky. A round or two ripped through her right shoulder, almost making her drop her weapon but not slowing her down at all. At the same time a jolt of pleasure shot through her body, making her gasp. The damaged flesh rapidly began knitting together, drawing on the energy her semblance had gathered. She vaulted over the crate her shooter was using as cover, kicking him in the chest and sending him sprawling. She dropped on his chest before he could get away, straddling him as she raised her axe high above her head and brought it down repeatedly.

While she brutally pounded away at this man's aura one of his so called allies decided to risk shooting his buddy if it meant putting Scarlet down. A shot ricocheted off her skull, instantly reducing her hearing to a dull ringing and making her vision go black for a moment. But with this came intense pain, and with the pain came yet another increase in her already greatly boosted self healing. She turned her head slowly to look at whoever had just landed the headshot, her vision and hearing gradually returning as she did so. The flesh wound was healed leaving only the blood on her face and a few burst blood vessels in her eye by the time she met his eyes. The look on his face was absolutely priceless.

The horrified man was close, but just out of range for her relatively short axe. Fortunately Scorpion's Tail was a weapon with far more complexity than her preferred combat tactics. A simple flip of a switch extended the handle of the weapon from three feet to nearly seven. Using both arms for more force Scarlet swung the axe into his gut sending him flying out of sight.

Gren could only sigh as Lavender decided to distract the enemy by charging straight towards them. While this definitely took their attention off of Gren, now he couldn't risk tossing his explosives at them without catching her in the blast. However, she seemed the type to like getting hurt, so Gren quickly made his decision; if she was going to be reckless, then he'd have to simply accept that. As the thugs fired at Lavender Gren tossed his dynamite at them, once more sending the group scattering to the four winds as the bomb went off. The blast was close enough for Lavender to feel it, though not necessarily be hurt by the explosion. Shrapnel on the other hand was far less forgiving.

Of course this wasn't the end of their troubles, either. Hearing something heavy scrap the floor Gren ran towards Lavender and tackled her to the ground just as an anchor sailed right above them. A moment later and Lavender's pretty little head would be splattered on the floor. "Seriously... Who DA FUCK are ya people!?" As the anchor was quickly pulled back, ripping through anyone and anything in it's path, a girl stepped out from the shadows with an very angry scowl. "Yer gunna be chum by the time I'm done with ya."

A few more rounds tore into her unprotected flesh, forcing her to drop to her hands and knees. Each decimated nerve ending shot raw energy into her semblance which in turn pumped that stored energy back into her body in order to heal that same damage. The more it hurt the faster her wounds closed.

Gren made a good decision as far as she was concerned, the very decision she had been hoping he would make. The bomb went off at a questionably safe distance, but close enough to shred some of the nearby wooden crates and send the shrapnel into her side. The pleasure was coming in intense waves now, letting her know she had reached what she considered the sweet spot. At this point even major wounds would heal almost instantly, but at the same time if she took too much more it would be impossible to control herself anymore.

"Time to take things seriously, Scarlet..." She said to herself carelessly, grabbing Scorpion's Tail and retracting it to its shorter length.

She started to rise to her feet only to get hit with something akin to a truck. She sprawled onto the floor and some of the shrapnel was driven deeper, dangerously close to her vital organs. This nearly threatened to send her over the edge and she reflexively grabbed at whatever had hit her and now rested on top of her. She grabbed Gren by the sides of his head and almost dug her thumbs into his eyes before she realized it was him. Behind his head she saw something large, curved, and sharp go sailing through the air. "Aww, you threw a bomb on me then saved me from a giant... anchor. Fuckin sweetheart." She planted a bloody kiss on his lips before shoving him aside roughly so she could get up and pull some of the larger bits of shrapnel out. "Thanks, Gren. I could have taken that, though." She said, her mood almost the polar opposite of how she had been just a few minutes before.

Scarlet looked the newcomer up and down, noting how this woman was radiating confidence. She concluded that this must be one of the gang's higher ups, someone with talent and strength beyond the low level lackeys that had been throwing themselves at her and Gren. Now here is a true warm up...

"Hey, sexy. Is your boss in? If you can't tell we would really like to have a word. Maybe some tea? Or... do we just cut straight through you to get to him?"

"Capt'n ain't here. I can take yer final words to him though, once yer cryin and bleedin on da floor." the anchor girl said calmly as she threw the anchor high into the air above Lavender, or Scarlet as she had called herself. As the anchor started falling the girl took the other end of the chain, which had a smaller barbed fishhook, and tossed it right at the Scorpion Tail to disarm Scarlet of her weapon.

As for Gren he was both confused and mildly aroused at Scarlett's sudden change in moods. He liked a good fight as much as anyone else, but he wasn't sure if Scarlet had just kissed him or gave him a sloppy headbutt. "Right, not important." Gren said to himself as he got back to his feet to fight their new adversary. He picked up one of the guns that wasn't too badly damaged by the explosion as Scarlet fought the anchor girl. Activating his semblance Gren started walking up one of the pillars towards the ceiling. This way he could get a vantage point on the anchor girl.

Scarlet burst out laughing. She couldn't even help it. "Too bad. Good luck getting me to cry, babe. But I might bleed for you if you ask real nice like."

She winked as the unnamed woman tossed her unusual weapon... above her? Dropping it on me? What possible- oh. Scarlet wondered at the odd attack until the other end of that chain whipped around and a fishhook caught Scorpion's Tail. Huh. A distraction to get me disarmed. Ok. As her axe was yanked away Scarlet simply let it go. Sailor girl had good footing but she was still caught off guard enough to have to shift and keep from stumbling. Scarlet took advantage of the moment to duck forward past the falling anchor and reach up for it's chain. She wrapped her arm around it and jerked it taut between the two of them.

She cocked her head far to one side and said playfully, "Trade?" Happy Birthday, Gren. Fuck her up...

The anchor girl braced herself as she entered a tug of war with Scarlet. She noticed Gren trying to flank her, but unlike the rest of the thugs she wasn't going to be so easily defeated. "I ain't that easy to kill!" Suddenly the anchor's chain started to retract, forcefully pulling Scarlet closer to the girl. As she was pulled the anchor girl tossed Scarlet in Gren's direction. He opened fire but only managed to get a few shots before Scarlet was flung in his direction.

Gren sighed as he dropped to avoid Scarlet and engage this girl in melee. That anchor of hers seemed more dangerous from afar rather than up close. Plus he could see Scarlet's Weapon at the girl's feet; with any luck Gren could grab it and use it to fight this chick. "Don't get full of yourself."

Scarlet moved with the pull of the weapon and trusted Gren to get out of the way as she was thrown feet first at him. Her legs absorbed the impact and she immediately readied herself to push off again, back at the woman who thought to toss her around so casually. Before she did she slipped a hand under Gren's shirt and palmed one of his spare knives, not minding if he thought she was groping him mid-battle. She launched herself at the scantily clad anchor slinger, apparently unarmed. Throw that thing again, bitch.

The anchor girl saw Gren and Scarlet come right at her, but she seemed excited. Happy even. She tossed the small anchor above herself to one of the catwalks, pulling herself upwards she left the chain just long enough for Scarlet to hang from it, the chains wrapping tightly around and holding onto her arms. The girl casually sat on the railing as she looked down at the two below. "You lubbards don't stand a chance. A damn shame too. Could've used you as part of me crew."

Gren slid towards the Scorpion Tail, grabbing it off the ground before continuing his run up the a big wooden box. He tossed the axe at the girl's chain to damage it and give it enough slack for Scarlet to possibly escape, while Gren fired blindly at the anchor girl. However, she merely twirled her small hook around and deflected the bullets shot at her.

That chain just wrapped itself around me. She realized as she was bound just as she landed and before she could react. That is an interesting technique. I'll have to make her tell me how she does that. I can just imagine Scorpion's Tail moving that way... But for now I better figure a way out of this- ah. Gren's got my back.

The big guy not only loosened the chain enough for her to slip out of the trap but he also got her own weapon back to her. Scarlet wasted no time in driving the knife through one of the chain links and into the concrete floor, pinning it there. For good measure she took Scorpion's Tail and hammered the knife and chain fairly deep down. Even with her bullshit chain powers that would surely be a pain in the ass to work free.

"Who's doing the running, and who's doing the chasing? Afraid to get up close and personal? I'm even going easy on you since it's two on one. Maybe you should reconsider whose crew you ought to be on?" Scarlet taunted, driving her point home by stepping on the face of one of the barely conscious lackeys. "I mean, fuck, I've even got time to monologue while my buddy goes at you. Babe, get wise or step it up."

The anchor girl just sneered as she finally dodged to avoid Gren's gunfire. He’d just ran out of ammo too, so he tossed the gun away to whip out his harpoon. "That's where ya wrong. I ain't stuck dealing with ya two. Y'all stuck dealing with me!" Extending her chain the girl swung from the catwalk down towards Scarlet. But that wasn't the only thing. The anchor that Scarlet nearly got hit by lunged right at her from behind. Even Gren didn't expect that as the two ton hook drove right into Scarlet's back. The anchor girl tossed her hook at Scarlet, but that attack was intercepted by Gren's harpoon. Using his semblance he rooted himself firmly to the ground, and his harpoon firmly in his hands.

A moan escaped her lips before she realized it, such was the impact the massive anchor had on her. She flushed in embarrassment for getting caught off guard like that and letting that sound slip. That was a move that, while ridiculously hard to predict, she shouldn't have let hit her. The cutting force of a small vehicle slamming into her was a massive amount of pleasure for her to suppress, nevermind the fact that she would have been cut in half if she hadn't used her aura to protect her spine. Being split in two would have been difficult to come back from. If even possible at all. She mused, stumbling forward as Gren once again covered her.

"N-nice of you to join us, sssexy lady... She whispered, stuttering slightly as she struggled to control herself. The vicious wound in her back closed up but the sensation lingered this time. This girl had a new surprise for her even as Scarlet adapted to the one before it. She now knew to watch out for disarming, binding, unique sneak attacks, and the mobility and defense any chain could offer, but especially these chains. But Scarlet was excited to think their opponent had even more tricks up her sleeves.

Minding her flank now Scarlet raised Scorpion's Tail defensively, placing a finger over two different releases in anticipation. She did not take advantage of the opening Gren had provided. This chick was craftier than she looked. Scarlet chose patience, instead, a tactic she didn't usually have to employ.

"What's your name, hmm?" She asked, watching for subtle movements that might indicate her next play.

"Azura!" The Anchor Girl shouted as she drew her anchor back towards Gren. Predicting that would happen after seeing Scarlet Gren slipped out and let his harpoon be taken, as he simply took out another one for himself. This girl was good, but if Gren had come in with his weapon he could have defeated her by now. Scarlet was severely wounded and/or waiting for an opening, so Gren would have to fight this girl alone for now. Fortunately that just meant he wouldn't have to worry about Scarlet getting caught in the crossfire.

Gren flicked one of his knives towards the girl and charged. In return she hurled her anchor right towards Gren. He braced himself and activated his semblance, this time rooting not only himself, but Azura as well. Gren then grabbed the anchor as it crashed into him, his aura taking a fairly weighty hit as he slammed it into the ground. Azura tossed the smaller hook into the ceiling and tried to pull herself up, only to be caught off guard when her feet wouldn't leave the ground. "What?!"

Cute name. Scarlet thought as she bided her time and observed as Gren took the lead during her own inactivity. They probably both thought she was badly messed up after that last attack. She hadn't exactly taken the time to explain to Gren what she could do, and she did remain splattered in copious amounts of blood, her hoodie shredded to tatters. That seemed to work to her advantage in this case as Azura focused most of her attention on Gren, who took her anchor without budging. How did he pull that off? He's big but not giant anchor big. She pondered and guessed it had to be semblance related when she saw Azura fail to pull herself up with her hook.

Her instincts told her this was the moment she had been waiting for, and she moved on those instincts without hesitation. She closed in from mostly behind Azura, choosing two different switches from what she thought she would need, and she extended Scorpion's Tail to its full length. Using it like a long club Scarlet smashed it into the back of her knees, and rooted to the floor as she was Azura was painfully brought to the down. Scarlet followed through, fluidly spinning Scorpion's Tail around and down. She hit the second switch and snapped open the weapons head, extending it into a thick scythe blade. She slammed this down, burying it in the concrete just next to Azura's head, opposite from herself. She then pressed her foot against the side of the woman's head, forcing it against the blade and making a very unmistakable threat.

"Tell me, Azura, do you think you can take this? Is your aura strong enough? I bet I could take a fair chunk out like this at the very least. It would be a shame to have to ruin that pretty face, but..." Scarlet's expression morphed into something terrifyingly psychotic as she looked down at her prey. "...at the same time I would love an excuse to slowly flay the skin off of you."

Azura just grinned even as her head was at risk of taking a permanent vacation from her body. "Do ya worse, ya slattern! I already did my job stallin y'all. Even if this is how it ends, I did everything I needed." Gren stepped over towards Scarlet and Azura, maintaining his semblance so that Azura couldn't escape. He looked down at the nautical themed criminal and made a suggestion for his bloodthirsty new friend.

"Not that I particularly care if she lives or dies, but Azura here seems like she's a cut above your average mook. Maybe she knows something important. Maybe," Gren knelt down towards Azura while holding a stick of dynamite, "She's smart enough to know when to talk and when to quietly think of better days. Because it'd be a real shame if she's just some thug who can't help us. We don’t have any use for deadweight like that, do we?"

Gren looked over to Scarlet to try and intimidate Azura (which they were already doing just fine with the blade to her neck), so Gren tried to tie things up. "Let's cut to the chase. Where's your boss and what have you people been doing here?"

I have use for deadweight like that.. Scarlet was tempted to oblige Azura, but not in a way she would appreciate. She would make it slow and excruciating. But it was Gren who reminded her of why she was here in the first place. Right. Information. I guess I got a little sidetracked.

She pressed Azura's neck into the blade harder to accentuate Gren's words. She said nothing herself, having made her point already. Now was the time for Gren to act as the voice of reason.

Azura spat at Gren, who simply blocked her spittle with the dynamite. She debated just killing herself but in the end she relented. "I don't know who my 'boss' is. I was just given a fat stack of lien from someone by the name 'F'. Stupid name, but the money was good. His contact told to keep riff raff like you outta here. There's some big shipment that's suppose to come in." That's when Azura smirked and moved her head to glare at Scarlet, even as her neck slid against the scythe blade.

"But I had a runner go warn the ship before I met y'all. By now 'F' already got the message and is gettin away." Azura laughed heartily as she kept glaring at Scarlet, as if mocking her with her last breaths. "Game over. Ya lose."

Game over? Maybe. Maybe not. "So you're just a hired guard dog that doesn't even know anything." Scarlet sighed and looked at Gren. "Doesn't mean I can't still have fun with you, later. Hey, Gren, lend me that rope, will ya? And maybe drag that anchor off so she can't use that shit to escape, please. She took the rope from Gren and started binding Azura's arms and legs while he dealt with the anchor. When she was done she pulled Azura up roughly by the hair and leaned down until they were eye to eye. "My friend and I are going to go slaughter your boss now. And then I am personally coming back to play with you. As a hired crook you're fair game. She leaned even closer to whisper in Azura's ear. "Nobody's gonna miss you, girl. Scarlet licked the bloody cut on Azura's neck, then bit down hard to give her a taste of what was to come.

Scarlet then proceeded to smash the woman's head into the concrete as many times as it took to render her unconscious. She dropped her limp body and cracked open a large crate, tipping it over to empty its contents; drugs hidden in little statues or something like that. She stuffed the bleeding Azura inside and secured the lid, tipping another full crate onto it to weigh it down.

"I hope this deviation didn't cost you your mission. I'm sorry if it did. But maybe that boat of yours is fast enough to catch up? Whatever you want to do. I owe you for putting up with me, I suppose. She addressed Gren, one hand on her bloody hip, the other working Scorpion's Tail out of the floor. For all the damage she took and the blood covering her Scarlet looked absolutely vibrant and unharmed. Looking closely one would not find a mark anywhere on her after the brutal fight.

Gren was a bit startled seeing Scarlet bash Azura's head into the ground. He supposed that's just how she did things, though. Quickly putting that gruesome scene aside Gren held his hand to his forehead and called for his locker to go to his boat. This job just got more complicated, so there wasn't any more time to play with spears and knives. By the time he was done Scarlet had come over and done something that unnerved him even more; Scarlet apologized for the trouble she caused and wanted to repay him. He honestly didn't think she was the type, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth just yet. "I wish I had more information about what sort of boat that was suppose to come here, but I imagine that it shouldn't be too hard. I'd say we'd figure that out as soon as they start shooting at us." Gren noticed that, aside from Scarlet's rather tattered clothes, she was remarkably unharmed. He chalked it up to her semblance; if he had come here wearing his armor he would have been taking more hits than she would've.

”Yeah. Probably some cargo ship. It’ll be moving away from here, so that should also help narrow things down. She agreed.

"This wasn't exactly what I signed up for, but I imagine that they're related. Either way, it's a date. Let's head back to my boat."

Ha! At least Gren knows what a good date needs. And he’s way easier to deal with as a partner than that jackass Mordecai. Wonder if the Boss would like to sign him up? Maybe not. Bitch has ridiculous standards; it’s a wonder she ever took me on.

Gren and Scarlet got back to the boat before anyone would come investigate all the fighting at the docks, and by the time they arrived Gren's locker was already buried in the wood, halfway from breaking through. Pulling the massive thing out Gren took out two things: a giant suitcase and his equally giant gun, Annabeth. Loading the auto cannon with ammo Gren then handed it to Scarlet, who whistled at the impressive gift. "If anyone asks, you're hunting monsters." Gren then tossed his suitcase on the ground and stepped onto it. Then his suitcase began to unfold and attach around Gren's body, locking into place and even neatly tucking in his swim shorts so they didn't get snagged onto the armor folds. And eventually, Gren was fully suited up, head-to-toe in his usual combat armor. Clicking the helmet over his head Gren loaded up the armor's systems as he tried to get a map of the area, though he was unable to get a live feed. "Note to self: Upgrade to Drones."

Gren cut the rope keeping his boat moored, then started up the engine and headed into the ocean with Scarlet. She settled in with barely any space to sit between Gren and the giant gun. As they left the docks behind she suddenly realized she had forgotten something very important.

”Uh, Gren? Where did you put my drink?”

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Grimm Studies

@Write @Azereiah @Krayzikk @Ryonara @Sho Minazuki @Abillioncats @NarayanK

Ashe clarified she had not captured Grimm personally and it was just as dangerous as one could imagine, but Skye was still impressed. She considered Ashe's advice on getting back her lost weight, and nodded affirmatively at her offer. Besides catching up on her studies she needed to put this at the forefront of her goals, and Ashe's help or just her company would be appreciated, no, probably needed. When she thought about it Skye honestly had no idea how weak she would be without her aura. Would I even be able to move? I'm already slower and weaker than I was...

Skye smiled at the two other girls and their enthusiasm about their shared classes. Truth be told she felt the same way; she was looking forward to spending more time with the two of them. Not only that... "Another one of my teammates takes Dust Applications as well if I remember correctly. I might spend some of the time with him as long as he doesn't mind. He's smart and... helped me out a lot since we met. But he's really nice, too, so maybe he wouldn't mind the three of us for company? I'll have to ask him when I see him." Thinking about that also reminded her she only had this one class shared with Bianca and their team leader, Jack. That didn't leave much time to get to know them during the day. But then again, they would be sharing a room, so maybe they would have more time to get to know each other later tonight. She hoped so.

---

As everyone prepared for the coming life and death struggle Ashe brought up an interesting point, how did the Dionaea detect its prey? She wasn't sure how knowing that would help, but Ashe must know what she was talking about.

She nodded when Ashe asked if she was ready. Technically she had been ready the moment she had arrived in this room. She also took a moment to get a good look at her new friend without her disguise. Hm, she looks better this way. But... I'm still pretty sure her eyes were not pink in the photo she showed me.

"If it is much like normal plants it could have a complicated sense of smell. But as a monster it might sense movement or heat? She knew flora communicated mostly through smell, pheromones, she thought was the correct word. But Grimm, even ones based on plants, were a whole different story, usually.

Skye was shocked by Ben's casual comment directed at the quiet redhead who had been silently studying the enormous Dionaea. Bored? Is he serious? Does he usually get bored fighting monsters? He doesn't look afraid, not one bit. Almost none of the others do. Incredible... Listening to the exchange between Ben and Bianca she was convinced that these people had to be absolutely fearless. How do they do it? Does Ben honestly consider this fun? Ben and Bianca were even making a challenge of who could cut more tentacles. They both seemed very confident, and the redhead herself was unerringly steady. Even Ashe was looking more confident about this.

Skye listened carefully as the strategic plans were laid out. She nodded at Bianca when she said to stay near her, Ben, and Sangue, then again at Ben himself when he further clarified she should guard the rear. The plan, overall, sounded very good to her limited knowledge of strategy. Skye could not consider herself much of a tactician beyond attacking a perceived weak point and adapting to changes as they happened. Such tactics worked well enough for her to survive, but it wasn't usually pretty. In fact most of the fighting she was used to got very, very ugly, despite having survived each encounter. But it sounded like this plan, though very dangerous, would work out well.

Hearing a somewhat familiar voice Skye turned to see Jack, Jumpercables' team leader, had spoken up. He was addressing another group that seemed to have their own plan of focusing on the upper parts of the Dionaea, which also sounded like a good idea to her. The other group Jack was talking to seemed to have more ranged weaponry than their own team, which, at first glance, looked to favor close range combat. She waved at Jack when he looked her way, and wondered which group he would be part of, or if he would be fighting independently from either. He certainly looked like the fast, mobile type that could manage such a thing. Technically she could as well but she functioned much better as part of a team, and definitely preferred it, as well.

When a female voice spoke up behind her she turned to see who had addressed what sounded like the whole class. Her eyes immediately fell on the speaker's weapon, a bow. This was a weapon Skye had a tremendous amount of respect for. The unofficial leader of the survivors from her village had been a master of the weapon. Using it he had saved so many lives...

She inclined her head towards the girl in acknowledgement. They would keep this beast occupied for the shooters. And in turn the shooters would make their job much easier.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Grimm Studies

@Write @Azereiah @Ryonara

Skye had no idea what was going on between Ben and Bianca. She noticed something subtle happening between them, but she could only guess at what it could be. I wonder if Ben and Bianca are in a romantic relationship? She looked pretty depressed until he sat with her, and they are smiling at each other a lot. Hmm. Is it wise for Hunters to become romantically involved? That doesn't sound like it would be a good idea considering the risks and complications. But I suppose it must happen anyway, emotions don't always take us down the smart path, do they? No. Definitely not. She had innumerable memories she could turn to to remind herself of that last fact. I'm probably making assumptions again, anyway. It's not really any of my business, either.

She did not even consider that the two had just met.

She put her sidetracked thoughts aside and turned back to Ashe, focusing again on the conversation they had begun with Yue. Ashe said something unexpected about Skye being 'cool'; something she couldn't exactly say about herself but it made her feel better. Furthermore her secret faunus friend helped smooth over the increasingly annoying mask issue with Yue, making things much easier on all of them. "It's true, thank you Ashe." She smiled and inclined her head in gratitude, then added a bit more information to hopefully put Yue more at ease. "I should be fine in the next week or two? Maybe less? I'm not sure how long these things take."

With the hard part out of the way she became quiet, content to listen as everyone talked. She was surprised to hear Ashe was without a team even though she had passed some kind of entrance examination the day before. She did empathize with the 'fish out of water comment, though, and it looked like it was the same for Yue, despite having been a student for a few days. Skye had been placed with Team Jumpercable almost immediately following her sudden acceptance early this very morning, without any kind of exam like Ashe spoke of. Why is it different for Ashe? Are there just no openings right now? Does it normally take more time to place a new arrival in a team than it did with me? I'm starting to feel more and more like some kind of exception... But why would I be? Come to think of it, didn't Luke mention someone else had been transfered from the team just before I was placed? The more she thought about it the more uncomfortable it made her feel, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Skye was shocked and impressed to hear that Ashe knew firsthand how to capture Grimm, and she even made it sound easy. While the concept Ashe explained was decidedly simple Skye knew that any face to face encounter with the Grimm could be deadly, and was never to be considered an easy task. Unless one were a Hunter, perhaps. Although she knew next to nothing about Ashe's abilities Skye felt the girl was definitely Hunter material.

"Oh, classes? I asked for Physical Education and Dust Applications, so I'll be in your sixth period class." She answered, remembering how difficult it had been to choose her fourth and especially fifth period courses. On one hand she could really benefit from Armory Class, possibly build a weapon that wouldn't break when she tried to use it. But at the same time she had a proven method to fight and kill Grimm already, without a weapon. And the more she knew about Grimm, their anatomy, habits, strengths, and weaknesses the faster and more efficiently she could kill them. Or simply survive them. As for fifth period Survival Class... She doubted she would gain much from a first year course. More importantly now that she had the choice she felt she could use a break from concerning herself with survival every day. Of course, Physical Education came with its own challenges considering how her body worked with all the Dust embedded inside. At least the choice of Dust Applications had been a no brainer, and Ashe would be there, too.

When the matter of the Professor's absence arose Skye looked up, perplexed. Now that it was mentioned it did seem odd. She supposed Bianca might know if anyone did, so she turned to ask her teammate. "Um, Bianca? The professor, is he-" The question died on her lips as professor Port made his appearance at just that moment. Oh. N-nevermind... She laughed nervously as the stout man launched into a spirited greeting and explanation of what they would be doing in class today.

She followed the middle aged man with the rest of the class, noting with a sinking feeling that she had no idea what a Megaladeus or a Riesen class was. If she was lucky those were just technical terms for things she had already encountered. If not... Then again, does it matter what they're called? It's not like we had any textbooks or time to study the Grimm we came across out there. I'll learn the names in due time, I'm sure. She stayed facing the caged creatures as she departed the classroom, very reluctant to have to just leave them here. The rule she was used to was that once a Grimm was aware of you it was unthinkable to just leave it alive. But that did not apply here and eventually she had to force herself to let it go, grating nerves or not.

In the end those nerves were nothing compared to the reaction she felt upon seeing the monstrosity in the next room. She did not charge forward like she instinctually had with the other, smaller Grimm. This beast was the kind you avoided or ran from. Or it would be if she was alone, out in the wild. Here, as professor Port explained, the students would band together to fight and kill this thing. This was to train them how to kill one of these monsters, not just hide or escape. That's right. That's what Hunters do. That's what makes them different. She focused on the few good memories she had and forced herself to relax. Just like yesterday and countless times before that there would be only one option. Face the demon in front of you with everything you have and no hesitation.

It was somewhat different this time, however. She hadn't had this many people at her back since first escaping the decimation of her home, and never this many competent warriors armed so well. And then there was professor Port himself, there to take control of the situation if it got out of hand. She doubted it would come to that, though. It wasn't just their numbers and armaments, but the fact that they had five whole minutes to assess the creature and the environment and make plans. This was another luxury Skye was unused to having. Considered all at once this whole situation was beginning to feel sureal to her. To be able to stand in the presence of a Grimm this size and know with certainty it would be defeated... she had never felt something like this in her life. It felt good.

She sought out Bianca once more, veiwing the girl as her senior teammate and therefor the one to decide what Skye did in this battle. "Bianca. What do you want me to do?"

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Devil is in the details but I can't lie, that's a fair thing to say about her.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

@Abillioncats @Lucius Cypher @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN

My epic struggle continues.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Annabelle Valentine
Armory

That's a good idea, having the scroll itself take most of the workload. It would let us fit a lot more features into the visor itself. If she does choose to go with the smaller model it will take some time to get parts that good ordered and shipped. Hmm, Ozzie's gone quiet. Either he's getting fully into his work now or... No, I'm sure he's just busy at this point. Lots to get excited about.

"No spare blades, Grenster. I only brought the essentials from home and haven't done any major shopping yet. Aren't there some generic bladed weapons over there?" Ah! And earmuffs, perfect!

She stood up to go fetch the much desired ear protection but a sudden outburst made her jump. "E-Emmie, what-?" Hold on. How is she suddenly so much taller than me? Ooooh... Emerald hadn't gotten taller. She was floating! What the hell?! This is insane! Annabelle cheered Emerald on as she began a series of aerial acrobatics throughout the classroom. Briefly she wondered if she should remind Emerald she was wearing a skirt. She picked up her scroll and began to record the event instead.

It would just ruin the mood if I pointed that out now.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Well, let's not get crazy here, folks! I'm sure there's a happy middle ground somewhere

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Agreed. Of course if they want maiming, dismemberment, or are straight up looking to retire a character, however unlikely that may be... I can comply.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Awesome. Cause one day I wanna try my hand at making a mission. And if I do well enough I would like to make related follow-ups.