Team SWRZ - Volume 1 - Chapter 22 - Wolf in Sheep's Clothing!

Watchet Amin sat alone on one of the benches out in the quad. Everything was silent, as he preferred when meditating on salient matters such as the information he obtained from his latest hypnotized victim, Max Wisteria. Thanks to his Semblance, [Snake Eyes], he discovered a dreadful secret about his team leader, Schwartz der Hund. His partner was a no-good bandit and killer.

How was it even possible? How could a low-life bandit kill a fully trained Huntsman and infiltrate Haven Academy undetected until this point? If one rat managed to slip through the cracks, then there was no telling how many others got through. The mere thought of a bandit leading a team of future Huntsmen and Huntresses churned his stomach.

It was disgraceful.

The entire team would mock Watchet's idea of a perfect, world-renowned Huntsmen team. Schwartz der Hund put a hamper on that very dream of his. Watchet clenched his teeth and resolved to cleanse the school of the filth, known as Schwartz, one way or another. He could rat him out and have the proper authorities deal with him, or he could personally see through with the ruffian's death.

Getting rid of his former team leader and partner brought him slight pain. Rowan and Zorina would perhaps feel some level of sadness or not. But Schwartz had to go.

"Okay..." Watchet gathered himself mentally and headed back to his dorm room. Rowan and Zorina were already fast asleep while Schwartz tended to his weapons [Bark & Bite].

He looked up from his twin swords and nodded at Watchet once he entered the room. "Yo, Watchet. Where've you been? It's not like you to be late,"

"Forgive me for my tardiness. I was out meditating in the quad," Watchet revealed, restraining his anger by keeping up his polite facade.

"Ah, I see," Schwartz nonchalantly responded, honestly not caring for the reason behind Watchet's tardiness. He didn't mind his partner's absence—seeing it as some quality free time. It was one less person to bother him.

"Schwartz, would you mind heading out into the forest with me tonight?" Watchet inquired.

Schwartz stopped tending to his weapons and looked at his partner again. "Why? What for?"

The request felt odd to him. Watchet's suggested that the team hang out before, but never in the forest, especially not at night. It threw up several red flags, but it caught Schwartz's attention, that's for sure.

"Late night training," Watchet lied through his teeth with a soft smile. "You mentioned earlier about how I could grow stronger if I trained some more. I need a suitable partner."

"Sneaking out this late at night is against the rules, Watchet," Schwartz reminded him, basically as a callback to all the other times Watchet reprimanded him on the many rules of the academy. Something about Watchet's request didn't sit right with him.

"I am sure you will not mind breaking another rule or two," Watchet teased, following up with a quick wink before he headed for the exit. "You may come with me if you would like. I am going,"

"Sure, I'll come along," Schwartz collected his weapons and followed after his partner. On foot, it took them a few hours, but they eventually reached a wide-open space within the forest. Schwartz stopped and examined the area while Watchet proceeded to the center.

"Schwartz, something has been on my mind for quite some time," Watchet began as he slowly turned around and faced his partner with a stern expression.

"Does it have to do with you calling me out here this late at night?" Schwartz wondered.

"I do not know much about you. We have been partners for over three months, yet I still feel hesitance from you."

"Seriously, Watchet? Did you bring me out here for this shit? C'mon, man. We could've had this conversation elsewhere." Schwartz complained.

Watchet dismissed the complaint and continued, "I always wondered what pushed you away from us. As a team, we are quite exceptional. But, your lack of leadership and uncooperative nature hinders our progression. I fear it is because we still do not know much about one another."

"Uh, yeah, sure, I guess," Schwartz nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, unsure of where the conversation was leading. A strange chill hung in the air that had nothing to do with the weather.

Something about Watchet's behavior seemed off. Watchet had eccentric tendencies, but something about his attitude sent a chill down his spine this time. Schwartz unconsciously rested his arm on the hilt of his sword.

"I wish to discuss our past with each other. I am certain you would be hesitant to do so with others. So, I would like to start with us for now." Watchet suggested as he stepped forward with his hand on his chest.

Schwartz unconsciously took a step back. His partner's suggestion raised red flags. For Watchet to act so suspiciously forward, especially out in the wilderness with no one else around--something was up.

"I don't know about that...." Schwartz tried to come up with an excuse to refuse Watchet's offer. It was a bad idea. It would undoubtedly bring nothing but trouble if he followed through with the dangerous request.

"Is there something about your past that you are trying to hide?" Watchet asked, but it felt more like a callout from Schwartz's perspective. "That is understandable. Everyone has a few secrets they would like kept. So as long as they do not danger the lives of others and the prestige of Haven Academy."

"What are you trying to do here, Watchet?" demanded Schwartz, having grown tired of this fishing game. Watchet knew something that he shouldn't have discovered in the first place. If Schwartz's theory were correct, then he'd have no choice but to silence his partner with brute force. "Spit it out!"

"No, you are the one that should spit it out," Watchet ordered. He raised his arm and pointed the finger at his team leader. "Who are you, Schwartz der Hund? A Huntsman? Or a criminal?"

"What are you talking ab—" Schwartz stopped once he caught a glimpse of a muzzle flashes off in the trees behind Watchet. A bullet raced through the air and struck the tree next to him. It would've pierced his skull if he hadn't dodged. No doubt about it, that bullet was meant for him.

"What?!" Watchet exclaimed and looked over his shoulder in search of the perpetrator. The person soon revealed themselves as Max Wisteria once the woman dropped down from the tree.

"Good reflexes," Wisteria sarcastically commented as she reloaded her sniper rifle.

"What are you doing here?!" Watchet exclaimed, clearly surprised by the sudden arrival of the Huntress. After hypnotizing the woman, he ordered her to leave the area and forget their conversation. So, how come she showed up in the forest?

"Investigating," Wisteria rested her sniper rifle on her shoulder. "I spotted two students sneaking out after hours into the forest. I got curious and followed you. It looks like it was a good idea since I now have all the evidence I need to out you as the bandit that raided my caravan months ago!"

Schwartz gritted his teeth and glared at the two opponents before him. One was a professional Huntress, while the other was his partner and fellow Huntsmen in training. Both knew of his identity as a bandit, and therefore, he couldn't let them live. It would be a fierce battle, but he was confident he could kill them.

"What the fuck is this, Watchet?!" Schwartz seethed with intense rage as he unsheathed his swords.

Watchet noted Schwartz's anger. It was warranted, after all. His plan was now in shambles thanks to the trigger finger of a reckless Huntress. He heaved a sigh and removed his shades from his face. "I did not want things to go this way, Schwartz. But it appears this is the road we must go down now. Wisteria believes you are one of the bandits attacking her caravan and killing her partner."

So, the truth finally came out. The bitch couldn't get to Schwartz through any ordinary means, so she used his partner in her plot for revenge. Ironic but infuriating. Things weren't supposed to go this way, but there was no way to change the situation in his favor. He could try to lie, but he doubted it would get him very far. Watchet was very insightful.

Any lie would possibly get caught immediately.

"Does she have any proof of that?" Schwartz wondered, deciding to play a few mind games to get inside the heads of his opponents. A two-on-one fight wasn't something he looked forward to—especially with his enemies being a former team member and professional Huntress.

"She explained in great detail the attack. The bandit used twin swords, moved across the battlefield as if gliding and wore bells on his person. All three of those qualities fit you." Watchet sternly pointed out. It pained him to pressure his former team leader in a corner like this, but there was nothing he could do.

"How do you know she's not trying to frame me?" Schwartz continued to try and nonexistent holes in the young man's statements. If he could make Watchet doubt himself for a moment, perhaps that could shift the tide in his favor.

"I used my Semblance on her," Watchet immediately answered, shocking both Schwartz and Wisteria.

"Oh? And what's that?"

During all the months spent together, Schwartz never learned Watchet's Semblance. Not that he bothered to ask since the young man never used it in the first place. He figured it was worthless in combat.

"I can hypnotize anyone by making direct eye contact. I ordered for her to reveal her objective here and discovered your identity through those means,"

"Pretty nifty Semblance." Schwartz joked. With that information in his head, he slightly averted his gaze from Watchet; instead, he went to look at his feet.

"You may relax, Schwartz. I have no intention of using my Semblance on you unless I deem it necessary," Watchet assured him, but Schwartz wouldn't believe him that easily—not in their situation.

"So, what's the grand scheme here? Kill me out here and dump my body somewhere?" Schwartz presumed.

"No, I plan to defeat you and have you taken in by the proper authorities," Watchet refuted Schwartz's presumption. "I could not risk dragging others into this back at the school. So, I brought you out here."

"Taking you in alive isn't part of my plan!" Wisteria interjected. "You die here and now!" She aimed her sniper rifle at Schwartz and pulled the trigger, firing off a shot that Schwartz blocked with a swipe of his sword.

"Let's go then!" Schwartz licked his lips, allowing the adrenaline of battle to flow through him. He leaped into action and dashed across the field at high speed with his blades at the ready. Wisteria transformed her sniper rifle into its secondary form, a battle-ax, and defended herself from the attack.

Schwartz careened past the Huntress and swiped his second sword at Watchet. The young man leaned back and narrowly evaded getting his head detached from his body, but he has left wide-open from the next leg sweep. He was knocked off his feet and blasted further across the field with a sidekick, curtesy of Schwartz.

While Watchet recovered from the blow, Wisteria reverted her ax to its sniper rifle form and fired another shot. Schwartz deflected the bullet and rushed the woman with a cruel smile. He had to stay on the offensive, no matter what. He had to keep his opponents separated and deal with them individually if he could.

Schwartz jumped up and aimed to drop kick the Huntress in the face but instead struck the woman's sniper rifle. He launched himself from the weapon and flipped through the area, transforming his swords into their SMG form. The young man pulled the trigger and unloaded a barrage of bullets. Wisteria ran off and took cover behind one of the trees.

Once Schwartz's feet hit the ground, he turned on his heels and blocked a sneak attack from Watchet, who had now entered himself into the fray of battle. The two former partners locked eyes, neither one showing an ounce of regret for what led them to their fight. They were opposites, the thought of them functioning as a team was nothing but a pipe dream.

"Stand down," Watchet demanded, not wishing to prolong the battle any longer. He leaned forward to add more weight to his sword.

Schwartz chuckled then mockingly responded, "No can do, buddy,"

A black-light surrounded Schwartz's body as he activated his Semblance--[Unleashed]. He slid back to relieve himself from the deadlock and fired another volley of bullets toward Watchet. The Haven student deflected each strike with his blade.

"He's mine, student!" Wisteria announced as she forced herself back into the fight. With her battle-ax, she swung at Schwartz.

The weapons of Schwartz and Wisteria clash a few times, none of them gaining the upper hand. That was the case until Wisteria slammed the head of her ax into the ground, but she followed through with the momentum and flipped, striking Schwartz in the face with her boot. Once she removed the weapon from the ground, she spun around and aimed for the stunned fighter's head.

Schwartz recovered quickly and blocked the incoming attack with one of his swords, using the other to swipe at her head as a form of retribution. Wisteria avoided the blade by performing a backflip, only to fire off a shot with her sniper rifle once she turned upright in the air. Schwartz turned at the last second and responded in kind with a shot of his own.

Wisteria deflected the bullet and moved in with her battle-ax. She attempted to land a blow against Schwartz's face, but he activated his Semblance and glided out of the way with ease, taunting the woman with a loud chuckle as he circled her. The moment she turned, the side of Schwartz's foot met her face. She stumbled for a second and tried to recover, only to receive another kick from the opponent.

She lost her footing and hit the ground, prompting Watchet to leap into action. He stretched the blade across the field and attacked Schwartz. The bandit raised his sword and deflected the blade aiming to take his life. He gritted his teeth and used his Semblance to gain some distance away from the sword.

"Are you alright?" Watchet retracted the blade to its original length and stood in front of the downed Huntress. He couldn't help but feel a sliver of respect toward his former partner. Despite the numbers not being in his favor, he continued to prove a stubborn and headstrong opponent. He put up an incredible fight against him and a professional Huntress.

"He's tougher than I remember," Wisteria muttered as she stood.

"Schwartz has always been a capable fighter," Watchet noted.

"That ends today," Wisteria transformed her battle ax back into a sniper rifle. "I'm going to put a bullet right between his eyes."

Schwartz clicked his tongue in annoyance, knowing that the two realized the severity of their situation. Alone, he'd probably kill them both. But should they fight together, then their chances of victory increased. That was the one thing Schwartz hated about the teachings of the Huntsmen Academies.

Teamwork.

He didn't mind that concept when the odds were in his favor. But that wasn't the case anymore. Now, the situation seemed unfair. He racked his brain, trying to devise a plan to divide them. Convincing Wisteria was out of the question, but Watchet was a different matter.

"Is this how you envisioned Huntsmen to be, Watchet?" Schwartz suddenly called out to his former partner.

"What are you talking about?" Watchet asked.

"You called me out here to question my past, right? Wanting to confirm whether or not you should turn me into the Mistral police?" Schwartz continued, deciding to his brains for once like Watchet instructed several times in the past. "Now you know I used to be a bandit, but your new friend there doesn't seem interested in turning me in. It seems like she's more interested in killing me."

"Why wouldn't I?! You killed my partner!" Wisteria yelled.

"Allow me to tell my side of the story," Schwartz surprisingly pleaded as he sheathed his swords. "Watchet, you only learned half the story from that woman. There's more to this woman than you realize."

"What nonsense are you sprouting now?!"

"I'll surrender myself to the police as long as you listen to my story. I'm the good guy here, Watchet. You only need to listen to me, partner," Schwartz smiled at his partner, hoping his plan would work. If he could create some dissertation between the impromptu team of Watchet and Wisteria, then victory was his for the taking.

Watchet closed his eyes and weighed his options. The offer sounded enticing enough for him to hesitate. If Schwartz's story ended the fighting, perhaps listening to him wouldn't be so bad. Wisteria noticed Watchet's hesitation and took matters into her own hands. She didn't need the student's help to take down the bandit.

She'd do things her way.

Wisteria raised her rifle and fired another shot. Schwartz activated his Semblance and slid out of the way before charging the Huntress.

Before he could reach her, something struck his arm from behind, causing Schwartz to lose his balance and sprawl across the ground. He stopped a few inches in front of Wisteria, having the barrel of her gun staring him square in the face.

"Die," Wisteria ordered as she pulled the trigger.

"No!" Watchet moved the gun out of the way, redirecting the bullet elsewhere.

"What are you doing?!" Wisteria shouted. Her rage had reached its peak. She was mere seconds away from obtaining her revenge for her deceased partner, yet some no-name student interfered at the last second.

"Stopping you from making a career-ending mistake! We should not kill him until we hear the whole story!" Watchet yelled.

"He's lying to you, brat! Get out of my way!" Wisteria demanded. Watchet grabbed the woman's gun, stopping her from killing the downed opponent at all costs. He wouldn't let things go off the rails any further. It was a mistake bringing them out there in the wilderness. He needed to rectify it in any way possible.

"I refuse!"

"Worthless!" Wisteria drove her knee into Watchet's stomach and watched as the student dropped down to his knees. She followed up with a strike to the side of his head with the butt of her gun. The attack connected, and the poor student hit the ground. With that distraction out of the way, the Huntress aimed her weapon at Schwartz. "Now, you die!"

Schwartz smirked and kicked off the ground, propelling himself toward the Huntress. His blades struck the woman's rifle, but that didn't stop him from continuing his onslaught. With Watchet out of the equation, a one-on-one fight against Wisteria didn't seem like a problem to him.

"I won't let you hurt my partner! You'll pay for what you've done!" Schwartz loudly declared, hoping that Watchet heard him. He had to play the role of a false hero. If it helped turn the tides of battle, he'd do anything.

"I've done nothing wrong, you monster!" Wisteria kicked Schwartz away from her and fired another bullet. Schwartz deflected the shot and rushed the woman, unaware of the Huntresses Semblance--[Devil's Choice]. The bullet he deflected from Schwartz's blindspot glowed a purple light as it changed its trajectory and headed straight for him again.

Right before he clashed with Wisteria again, the bullet struck him in the shoulder, making him lose his balance again. Schwartz stumbled straight into a right hook from Wisteria, knocking him to the ground. He quickly recovered but was caught in a brutal beatdown from Wisteria's battle-ax. He flew across the field and crashed over to Watchet.

Schwartz gritted his teeth and looked to his downed partner, "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"You are in a poor position to ask that question," Watchet groaned, having slightly recovered from the previous blows to his body.

"I don't think that bitch plans on listening to my side of the story,"

"No, that does not seem to be the case,"

"Wanna team up and take her down?"

"No, we should run. I do not want to fight her." Watchet shook his head and stood up.

"She won't let us leave," Schwartz figured as he watched the Huntress reload her sniper rifle.

"Does not mean we should not try!" Watchet turned on his heels and took off into the forest with Schwartz following him.

"Get back here!" Wisteria shouted. A purple light enveloped her body as she randomly shot a bullet into the area. The projectile illuminated the same light before it took off into the woods after Schwartz.

Watchet stayed on the ground while Schwartz raced across the treetops, wanting to gain as much distance away from Wisteria as they could. The young men looked over their shoulders to check their surroundings, only to find a bullet chasing them down.

"Schwartz!" Watchet alerted.

"Shit! Why is it only me?!" Schwartz dropped down from the trees and took off on foot with Watchet, but the bullet altered its trajectory and continued to chase him without fail. No matter how high or low, which twists and turns he took, the shot kept up with him. He was forced to use his Semblance again to gain more speed. He didn't know how long he could keep it up. The bullet wouldn't stop until it hit its target—him.

Since Schwartz focused on evading the bullet, he paid no attention to his surroundings. When Schwartz leaped from another tree, he launched into another wide-open forest spot. The bullet struck him again with nothing to cover and knocked him to the ground. His aura flickered after receiving the damage.

"Schwartz!" Watchet made his way out from the clearing in the trees and examined the downed man's wound. No blood. He still had aura left.

"How'd that hit me? What did she do?!" Schwartz complained. He took pride in his speed and evasion skills. The fact that the woman shot him wounded that very pride of his.

"How did you like that, scum?" Wisteria's taunting voice reached Schwartz's ears once she stepped out through the clearing in the trees. Her sniper rifle rested on her shoulder as she continued, "Thanks to my Semblance, no matter where you run or try to hide, I'll always find you. You've been marked."

Schwartz's gaze dropped to his arm, instantly noticing the bullseye mark that shined a bright purple light before dispersing along with the emblem. He immediately remembered certain moments when the woman's hand grazed him during their fight.

"So, that's how it works. Man, that's an annoying Semblance," Schwartz complained. Nonetheless, he showed no fear toward the Huntress. As far as he saw it, the woman was alone with him. Despite her Semblance, it meant nothing to him if she couldn't touch him.

"Your very existence is annoying," Wisteria verbally countered. This was her moment, her chance to avenge the life of the man Schwartz killed. She wouldn't let anything stand in her way. Not a student, not a teacher, not even the law. None of that mattered to her anymore. "You're going to die here."

"You've no idea how many times I've heard that phrase before," Schwartz laughed and unsheathed his swords. When he prepared to continue the fight, Watchet suddenly extended his arm.

"Lower your weapon and cease with the fighting!" Watchet demanded. Things had gone too far. It wasn't supposed to go this way.

"I won't stop. This bandit is manipulating you. If you continue to side with him, I'll be forced to shoot you down as well," Wisteria threatened him.

"If you have resolved yourself to kill us both, then I will take you down," Watchet declared, taking his stance along with his partner. The two shared a glance before rushing the Huntress together. One way or another, the battle would end that very night.