F/N's perspective
It had been about an hour since we had debt with Demos. Tension still hung heavy in the air around us as we moved off the path, the sound of Pikes off in the distance breaking it for a moment. Silently moving into the brush and undergrowth beside the path, we watched as three Pikes flew by, kicking up dust in their wake. After waiting a couple minutes to make sure no more were coming down the path, we continued on our mission. Though it wasn't long till Mithrax gestures for us to enter the jungle as the tree's around the path started to grow less thick.
Mithrax: "This way, we're close."
F/N: "Good."
I said with a sly smirk as we moved into the tree line, slowly as to not alert any passing patrols that may be roaming about. With skillful stealth, we made our way around the tree line, moving until we found a position we could use to gather intelligence. From our little hiding spot among the flora we gazed out at the Red fang staging grounds. The center and most pressing feature being the Devil's ketch, resting at the dead center of the 'settlement'. Around lay an assortment of half built buildings and tents, faunas and fallen alike moving about between them. It was almost a quaint little place, if those inside weren't criminals of the highest order.
Though what kept my gaze locked was the largest of the fallen, Eramis. She was descending down the ramp that lay into the belly of the ketch, beside her the bull Faunus known as Adam Taurus. Glancing over at Illia, I saw her knuckles turn white as she gazed at the two as well, her fist clenched tightly. Letting my smirk grow as I planned my path to take them down. Moving my hand to my blade, I went to get up before a hand gripped my shoulder. Turning my gaze to see Saladin giving me a look as firm as his grip.
Saladin: "We need to wait for backup."
F/N: "But what if they escape in the chaos? Illia, don't you want to get Adam? Make him pay."
Illia looked at me with fire in her eyes, but she stayed crouched beside a large tree.
Illia: "I do, Oum knows I do, but Saladin is right. We need to wait."
With a slight growl, I sheathed the portion of the blade I had drawn. Star popping out of my head to give me a concerned look.
Star: "Are you ok?"
F/N: "Preachy, we have our target right in front of us. Now we have to wait instead of acting."
Mithrax: "And sometimes we need to plan before we attack, something you seem to lack as of late."
F/N: "Is that an insult?"
I said, taking my eyes away from our targets to glare at my Wolves Kell. He glared back at me with the same intent.
Mithrax: "No, just an observation F/N-Kell."
I nodded and looked back at our targets. A sense of unknown anger nipped at the back of my mind. He dare insult me? His Kell?...... Why do I feel like this?
I thought before shaking my head to dash the questions forming, my little lapse in judgement was a one off thing. So I watched Eramis and Adam stop in front of those Pike's we saw before, two fallen and one by the looks of it, an avian Faunus by the plomb of feathers on his head. We couldn't tell what they were saying but clearly it angered Eramis, as her hands twitched and her posture became more aggressive. One of the fallen of the group unwrapped something that made me curse internally.
The dreg lifted a severed arm that belonged to Demos, presenting it to their Kell to see..... two lapses in judgement. Gritting my teeth I cursed myself for not hiding the body. Adam turned to Eramis and said something, afterwards Eramis raised a hand to her helmet. Not a moment later a beeping sound came from Mithrax's helm, swiftly he held a finger over the button, Eramis's voice coming from the speaker, clearly not considering that she was broadcasting on an open channel.
Eramis: "This is a message to all Red fang members, I am devastated to say that we have lost a great brother in arms today. Demos the Shell thief has been found dead, we believe that the mongrel members of the once great White fang are to blame. We will be accelerating onto stage two of our plans. Return to base and prepare to launch, any not back will be left behind. To the glory of the Red fang."
The transmission ended there, all of us looking at each other for a moment before activity in the camp exploded. Everyone rushed around and gathered things up.
F/N: "Told you we should have striked."
Star: "Not the time guardian. We need to get reinforcements here now."
Mithrax: "I'll get on comms, but we need to distract them."
Illia: "And how do you propose that without getting gunned down?"
Looking back over the camp again, I noticed a couple large tanks with pipes leading up the rear of the ship, from what I could deduce they had to be fuel or ether tanks. An idea slowly started to click in my mind as I got up and pulled a smoke bomb from my belt.
F/N: "I can sneak in and blow up those tanks, should make a big enough explosion to disorient them."
Saladin: "That's a risky plan."
F/N: "And I'm a risky man and it's all we have, so if you don't have anything else to say?"
I snap my free hand, the tattoo on my shoulder lighting up through the armor before it jumping off and forming into Alpha at my feet. The large light wolf staring up at me, waiting for orders.
F/N: "I'll be off."
Throwing down the smoke bomb, Alpha and I were enveloped in a cloud of void, body's becoming translucent in the process. Now without looking back at the others, I sprinted off into the base, my wolf right on my heels. Dodging between building to building, I moved towards the objective, using the chaos around as extra cover over my own invisibility.
Though my progress started to grow to a crawl as I grew closer to the ketch. Fallen and faunas alike rushing by me. Though I was able to combat roll behind a crate, Alpha was cut off from me by the stream of Red Fang moving by. Though I got worried, deep down I knew he could take care of himself and continued to run to the tanks, now having a straight shot at them. I was lucky I didn't get held anymore as the invisibility wore off. Getting low and covering as many potential sight lines as possible, I got to work trying to rig the tanks.
The progress was painfully slow, only having what I had on hand and could scavenge about. But I was able to jury-rig a chain reaction between the tanks, and if I'm lucky, get the ship's own onboard storage as well. Though when I was going to bring Star out to link a detonation signal, a pair of arms grabbed and through me aside. Landing hard on my back, I let out a pained groan. Looking up, I saw a vandal with a pair of technician goggles on its head. It grabbed a large pipe wrench from a cart, glaring down at me.
I fumbled to grab Thorn from its hip holster as the fallen moved to slam the wrench down onto my head before from the side it was taken down by Alpha. The vandal didn't have much time to scream for help as the wolf bit down on the back of its neck and whipped his head. The sickening snap followed the action, the fallen body going limp. Alpha dropped the fallen and looked at me as I got back to my feet.
F/N: "Good boy."
Alpha let out an accepting bark before looking up, I followed his gaze up to see the looming shape of the wolves's ketch come over the clearing. Yells and fallen screeches sounded off all around the base, many now just making a mad dash for the grounded capital ship.
F/N: "Shit, ok scratch the detonator. Alpha move!"
I yelled to my wolf as I made a dash towards the camp, hoping to find and at least capture or kill one of the leaders. Though I didn't have to wait long as I was blindsided by a red dust infused blade. I yelled out as it slashed across my left arm, slicing through the thin armor. Losing my balance, I rolled onto my rightsholder before regaining my feet under me. Looking up, I was almost met with another strike to the face if Alpha didn't yank the attackers leg back, the strike missing and giving me time to draw my blade.
Alpha was quickly kicked off, and my foe turned to face me, Adam.
Adam: "I should have expected it was you."
F/N: "Well why wouldn't it be?"
I said in an angered tone, but I had a thrilled smile on my face.
F/N: "We both have unfinished business."
Adam: "That, I can agree with."
I whistled quickly, Alpha jumping to my side as I got into a stance, ignoring the pain screaming from my arm. Adam smirked and took a stance of his own. The sounds of battle started to rage around as Skiffs dropped off wolves forces and Red fang fought a fighting retreat on their transports. Though those thoughts were drowned out by the focus I had for the enemy in front of me and the voice in my head. I ordered Alpha to go help the others as I got ready to duel.
'Thorn': "Finish what you started. Remember what he did to 'HER'. Make. Him. PAY!"
With that I let out a war cry, swinging the heavy broadsword down at the bull. He retaliated with dodging back and moving for a horizontal slash, I brought my blade up just in time to parry it.
F/N: "I won't go down that easy!"
Adam: "Neither will I!"
Breaking apart, we went into a flurry of attacks, each of being parried or dodged by the opponent. Some small slashes got through, tearing clothes and leaving stinging wounds. While the two fought, the roar of the Devil's ketch's engines firing up sent a blast of wind all around it. The sounds of fighting and sparks flying only increased. Knowing very well it was only a matter of time before it tried to escape, I pressed harder, forcing Adam closer to it. Taking notice, he broke away and used his semblance. He made a vertical slash, sending a red arc of energy my way. I nearly dodged out of the way before getting ready to attack again, though this wasn't long as I got my gut kicked in and sent into a building. Groaning as I hit the ground, I looked up to see Eramis herself standing there. The very sight of her sent a furry deep inside me ablaze, more than anything I think I felt before. This must have been felt by them as Eramis and Adam took a step back, the female's fallen eyes widening as I pulled myself out of the rubble.
F/N: "Scared? You should be, you will pay for your sins!"
Jumping forward, I relocked swords with Adam, while now dealing with Eramis as she drew two swords from her back. It was harder now then before to dodge attacks, each one I blocked would be followed up a second later by the other combatant. I only grew more angry with each hit they landed, the pain lessening as time went on. It felt like forever as I fought but it was only a couple minutes as the Devil's ketch slowly rose into the air, firing its weapons at the wolves ketch, which responded in kind with its own, each attack doing nearly nothing to both vessels. But as I took a quick glance after blocking both blades from Eramis, I saw the pipes connected to the tanks begin to become taunt. Seeing my chance at stopping it closing by the second, I released a blaze from my body, forcing both Adam and Eramis to back off as I burned hot with solar light, with sword in one hand and golden gun in the other, I whipped my arm and everything seemed to slow down. Eramis tried to move in front of my shot as she saw my target, Adam moving to slash at my gun arm. But they were too late as I raised my blade and parried Adams up and fired. The golden round sailed through the air, and hit its mark. The tanks exploded in a fireball, the flames following up the lines as they snapped from the ship, but that didn't stop the destruction, as the tips of the pipes exploded, they hit the main engine of the ketch. The engine being caught in the destructive force itself. The force damaged the engine beyond what it could take, the light faded fast and the secondary engines kicked into overdrive to try to keep the ship in the air.
The duel around me stopped as Adam and Eramis watched in horror as their flagship began to list to the side the secondary engines still firing at full power and I laughed, laughed in joy as the ship came back down to earth, crashing into the ground, a wicked smirk pasted as I gazed at the two.
F/N: "Your ship is gone! Your chances are gone! Now, just sit still, and let judgment be passed!"
I went to swing down at Adam, but he had other plans. In a motion faster than anything I had seen from him. He used his semblance a second time, the red arc slamming into my chest, cutting into the armor and my weakened aura. The force breaking it entirely as I was sent to my back. Gritting my teeth, I looked up and watched as multiple skiff's in devil's colors shot off, one though, stopping in front of us, lowering its ramp as a faunus yelled to her leaders.
Faunus: "Ma'am! Sir, we need to go!"
Adam nodded, not sparing a glance back at me as he quickly boarded. Though Eramis looked down at me, disgust and fear on her face as she spoke a signal line.
Eramis: "So you've fallen like the pawn....
That was all she said as she got onto the skiff. It closed its ramp and shot off after the small fleet. Growling and curing myself, I shakily got to my feet. Gripping my bleeding chest, I half walked around, anger pooling inside at my failure.
F/N: (They were right there! I had them! now they got away!"
Growling to myself, I heard a call for help. Something in me told me to help, so I moved. Though any kindness was pressed down as I saw who had called for it. With her leg trapped under a large beam, sat a green haired faunas girl in red fang colors. When I approached she was hopeful at first before her eyes grew scared as I drew Thorn and aimed right at her head.
???: "P-please help me! Don't kill me!"
F/N: "Tell me where they are going!"
???: "I-I don't know!"
F/N: "STOP LYING AND TELL ME!"
My voice didn't sound right as I spoke, I pulled back and prepared to fire before I was knocked aside. The force sent me to the ground and doubled my vision, be it from blood loss or just blunt force trauma, I didn't recover for a couple seconds. But when I did I was horrified with what I saw. Looking back at me through a broken mirror wasn't myself, What looked back wore my armor but completely ebony black, the cape tore and burned. My eyes weren't my own, but a sickly......pale.....green. I just stared in horror as the cursed weapon spoke.
'Thorn': "You......will....join me."