Chapter 12: Cardinal Sin

Chapter 12: Cardinal Sin

Taylor

Months.

Months of nothing.

Shadows jumped out from every corner, and each time I expected Contessa to pop out and whisk me away to fulfill whatever purpose I'd been left here for in the first place.

No threat had risen, no enemy, no reason.

Even if I was just another gear in one of Contessa's plans, it would still be better than this aimlessness.

When I wasn't hoping for her to pop out of the shadows, I was jumping at lights.

Bright flashes set me off sometimes, leaving my hand grasping for a weapon and my swarm inbound. Some sounds would suddenly leave golden death all around me, and no people, only more soldiers for me to use.

Then, I would blink, and I'd be back in a training room or the hallway.

The memories were as frequent as the phantom pains from my missing arm. I would wake up at night, spasms running down to missing fingertips. A burning itch that bit at my nerves with fiery agony. I clawed at a hand that wasn't there, anything to try and ease the pain.

Eventually, my body would catch up with my mind and the pain would fade.

The phantom pains never came when I would have expected them to, like in combat, when I was near fire, or had pressure placed on the stump from a roll or block.

No, it came with the tickling breeze or tender raindrops. It came in the calm and left the constant anticipation of its return.

My body betrayed my mind for a memory, leaving only agony and hollow sensations.

When the White Fang and Roman Torchwick had become a more apparent problem, I was happy—thankful, even.

Finally, something to actually do. So, I went hunting, but I found Hei Xiong instead.

Hei Xiong, or 'Junior', was a part of the less savory elements of Vale, and I had started an amicable business relationship with him, selling him the bits of information I picked up around the city as I scoured for any signs of the White Fang or Torchwick.

'Stella' was my paper-thin moniker for these escapades. I didn't have the resources to make the fake identity more plausible on inspection, so I made do.

Lisa had made all this information gathering seem so easy. I was forced to check the city inch by inch with my swarm, stopping anytime I caught anything interesting. Vale was massive, so progress was excruciatingly slow.

Where Lisa would have needed a couple of days, I was months in and not even halfway through canvassing the city.

Being a 'criminal informant' was as far as I went with it. Well, as far as I was comfortable letting myself go.

I didn't want to tackle things beyond what I was able to do… safely, in a moral sense. My 'big picture' needed to be more focused—no, less encompassing. I couldn't do everything. If I tried, then I might slip and go too far to get results while juggling everything else.

The extra money was nice, at least.

Despite my growing 'hobby' of searching for the White Fang, it didn't change the fact that I was dealing with a terrorist group that was more on the level of robbers and petty thugs than an actual threat.

Even if I was able to do something about their Dust robberies, it wasn't anything substantial. Nothing important.

Still, the people around the city were scared, calling the Dust robberies the biggest crime spree of the decade. The death toll was less than fifteen people, but because it wasn't Grimm who had killed those people, that number was suddenly significant. The people of Remnant wouldn't bat an eye at Grimm massacring an entire village, but as soon as it wasn't Grimm, they became frightened.

In a way, I understood. Their safety within their walled city was suddenly threatened by something they wouldn't assume to be the culprit—people.

Bandits existed, of course, and they survived by raiding smaller towns for their supplies, then leaving before the Grimm arrived in the wake of their attack. A reminder that people could be as bad as monsters. Bandit activity wasn't publicized, probably because bad news might influence the populace negatively and attract more Grimm.

It left me restless, yet tired. Weary in my bones, yet anxious to go out and do something.

The relentless energy seething inside me, driving me to pursue my goals during my time as Weaver, was slowly dying; only sheer stubbornness kept it from withering away completely.

I distracted myself with schoolwork and training, with helping the various teams coordinate, and with working against the White Fang.

All I could do was wait.

Infrequent and troubled sleep made my morning runs start earlier and earlier.

I had found myself stopping to watch the sunrise to bleed the extra time. Remnant sunrises were always a blaze of swirling colors that painted away the night. Yet, today, I drifted away from the picturesque scene to the past.

There were only two mementos I had from Earth Bet.

The first was memories in the shape of a knife on my lap, the nano-thorn knife I had started to bring with me on my runs, my reflection staring back at me in its blade.

Without a Tinker to perform maintenance, it had become functionally useless beyond being a sharp knife. Another thing I had lost.

The second was family in the hair that ran down my shoulders—for Mom, at least.

I had nothing to remind me of Dad beyond the stilted talks we had while I was Weaver. We hadn't been able to really reconnect. We'd tried, but it wasn't enough.

It had only been months and I was losing bits of him. The times we had hugged or just had dinner together were so few and far between, now slipping away. So much had happened… Too much. I wasn't even sure if he was alive. I had been too scared to check.

The reminiscence hurt, but going over who and what I lost provided some semblance of familiarity to ground myself, and so that I wouldn't forget.

I shook my head and headed back to Beacon to prepare for my mission.

I started changing into my new combat gear. The first attempt at spider-silk armor using the spiders I had found—chain weavers.

My swarm had grown, along with their dens in the grounds outside Beacon. If someone were to take a shovel and dig, they might come across the catacombs of hives and webs that I'd crafted, thousands of bugs moving in perfect synchrony.

Chain weavers had longer breeding cycles and didn't lay as many eggs as most spiders did. I had eventually reached the number I wanted to begin weaving outfits. The actual crafting process had taken longer because I wasn't used to the thicker webs.

The new armor was my first trial-run—a simple turtleneck of leaden gray and black pants. Both clung to me like a second skin.

I put on a white leather belt with a strap that went diagonally across my chest and around my shoulder, and a buckle of ebony metal to hold it all together.

Attached to the belt was the sheath for the new weapon that Ruby and I had designed. The sheath ran horizontally along my lower back, just like the practice swords and regular blades I'd used. Two pouches to carry ammo and supplies lined the sheath on each side, sitting on the back of my hips.

Next was a jacket of ashen gray, with blocks of cloudy white that ran along the sides and up to the armpits. The collar walled around my neck while the cuffs were folded back over my forearms, both also white, though one sleeve was tied under my stump.

A border of black marked each change of color, something I was rather proud of, as dyeing spider-silk was tedious and difficult if you wanted more detailed patterns. The ink had taken well to chain weavers' silk, much more than black widow or Darwin's bark spiders' webs.

Instead of a zipper, there was a three-inch metal clasp of midnight black that held the jacket together, which meant that it never fully closed.

On the center of the clasp was my emblem, the gray against black making it look like a single star in the night sky.

I had debated using chitin-based armor plates, but had realized that there was no reason to. With Aura, metal plates wouldn't hamper my movement or tire me. Thus, layered, angular metal plates of white formed greaves, tassets that hugged my hips, pauldrons, and armor for my shins and knees. Another larger plated piece connected to the pauldrons and protected my upper back. My original gray combat boots were now covered with the new armor plates.

I had tried to match the design to Remnant fashion, but I wasn't sure how well I did. The biggest problem had been the unnecessary complexity of the outfits everyone else seemed to have. I had wanted to forgo it for something simple, but being recognized as a Huntress outweighed the negatives.

A handgun was strapped to my thigh. A higher caliber than the one I had used during the initiation, but it was a stand-in for the shotgun-rifle Ruby had offered to make for me.

Well, more like hounded me until I gave in to let her make it. Not including her in my arm design had been the right choice.

The girl had been eerily stubborn about trying to socialize with me. It was a bit off-putting, especially since I wasn't a pariah anymore, what with how much time I spent with all the teams, so the reason behind her actions wasn't to 'help the loner'.

At least she knew her firearms and her way around weapon schematics. The rifle would be my long-range option for something outside the range of my swarm, while the shotgun part would hopefully be enough to prevent people from being able to deflect my bullets thanks to the spread of the shots.

I stretched to test the flexibility and movement of the outfit; satisfied with the results. I then double-checked my ammo and weapons.

We were going to a small village that had unearthed a cavern full of underground Grimm in their Dust mine.

It was my first mission as a Huntress and I wasn't sure how it would go.

There would be Team CRDL to deal with, whom I hadn't seen since that day in the cafeteria, though I often found them grumbling about me and the upcoming mission through my bugs. Cardin had made a point of boycotting any of the sessions I set up with the other team leaders, and Team CRDL as a whole hadn't shown up to any of my practice simulations either.

Also, I wasn't sure how well I would fare in real combat.

I had improved, but compared to some of the other students, I rated myself as a middling threat, at best. Without my swarm, I would be little help against someone at a Huntsman's level.

The gap between some of the students was frighteningly large. Pyrrha could most likely beat any student at Beacon, regardless of their year. Hell, she could probably beat ninety percent of the teams by herself. I guessed that she'd come to Beacon to meet people rather than to become strong enough to be a Huntress.

Team RWBY were prodigies in their own right, within the top three teams in the school. Team CRDL was probably in the top five.

It behooved me to remember that the only reason I beat Team CRDL in the cafeteria was that they were unarmed, unprepared, and I took out two of them before they actively used their Aura.

I had seen Team CRDL fight since then, and I'd bet they'd be chosen as one of the teams Beacon sent for the Vytal Festival at the rate they were improving.

They would be fine; my skill was the problem. The difference in power between Grimm could be staggering.

An older Beowolf could kill tens of younger ones, and we didn't know how long the Grimm at the mine had been growing underground. Some Grimm needed teams of Huntsmen, some could be slaughtered in droves. We wouldn't know the danger until we met it.

I grabbed a long, flat piece of white metal that unfolded into the shape of a box out of my locker—a collapsible trunk to bring some of my swarm with me.

The wheels of the trunk clattered against the stonework as I made my way out of Beacon.

Millions of specks moved in my mind through my power. A co-ordinated march all hidden within my underground labyrinth just outside of Beacon.

I was glad that Rapier wasp nests were structurally strong, otherwise, I would have needed to build supports for the numerous tunnels my bugs carved.

I spotted Pyrrha as she paced in front of the entrance to Beacon.

"Taylor!" she called out happily with a polite wave. "Good morning!"

"Morning. What are you doing out here?"

"Oh um…" Her hands clasped behind her back and she ground the ball of her foot into the ground nervously.

"Pyrrha?"

"Oh, sorry! I just wanted to ask you something." She paused, and the silence stretched.

"Uh, Pyrrha?"

"Sorry, I…" Pyrrha looked down fretfully, her smile battling against her attempts to work up to something else. "I have something to say but it's harder than I thought it would be," she stated breathlessly.

"Pyrrha, you don't have to—"

"No! Sorry! I mean—I want to say this." Pyrrha closed her eyes and after a moment, they shot open with a determined look.

I tensed instinctively.

"Taylor, I consider you and Jaune to be my closest friends." Oh. "You two were the first ones to get to know me for me and not as some celebrity. And… And because of you and him, I was able to make friends with Ren, Nora, Team RWBY and—" She stopped to wipe a glisten of a tear from her eyes. Her emotions built with each word. "Thank you, for talking to Jaune. I didn't want to push him into anything because I was scared I'd mess up one of the only two real friendships I had ever made." Each syllable was a release for what Pyrrha had seemingly been holding back.

I was unsure of what to do or say.

Pyrrha's motions were becoming frantic, emphasizing her sentiments. Her voice was almost breaking despite her attempts to keep it steady..

"I wasn't sure what to do. Jaune was unhappy and falling behind. I was angry at myself for not doing anything. For not having the courage to help my friend and partner. Then you talked with him a-and—" Unbidden tears fell from her eyes.

I wasn't one to comfort and certainly didn't know how. I waited awkwardly as Pyrrha sniffled, tears still flowing, but collected herself enough to look up and smile.

"I know that when we're speaking, you're being honest"—I lied all the time, hiding every piece of myself I could—"and treating me as just me. Just like you do with everyone. I can't tell you how much I wanted that."

My eyes went wide as Pyrrha reached out and hugged me, her shoulders shuddering sporadically.

"Thank you, Taylor. Thank you for being my friend. I'm so glad that I got to meet you," she finally got out as she squeezed me tighter.

I stood there frozen before I wrapped my arm around her weakly in return.

It was different than with Lisa and Rachel, where the bonds were more mutual but unspoken.

I hadn't realized that she had felt this close to me; I hadn't expected it from anyone. Not on Remnant, and not something so open.

It made me feel guilty because I didn't feel that close to her.

Was it like this with anyone else? This disconnect between how I felt and what others thought of me?

I wouldn't have been surprised if it was...

After a moment of composing herself against my shoulder, Pyrrha pulled away and wiped her eyes against her sleeves.

"I'm sorry. I had just wanted to say good luck on your mission, but realized… that I wanted to say more," she ended with a sniffle.

"It's fine, Pyrrha, really. And… thank you for saying what you did..." I said, somewhat distantly.

"It's nothing, truly. I'll… see you when you get back?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course."

"Take care then, and good luck." She turned and started her way back to Beacon. My bugs caught the slight spring in her step halfway back.

I stood silent and unmoving in contemplation.

I needed to be better about allowing myself to get closer to people.

But what if I need to leave them behind for something important?

There weren't any hidden threats or nearing disasters. I didn't have to abandon any more teammates.

But Contessa might still appear for whatever reason she left me here.

I couldn't be sure of that.

But—

I cut off the mental argument with a sigh that did nothing to loosen the knot of frustration and shame I felt.

Pyrrha had felt strongly enough about this that she thought she needed to thank me for my friendship, yet I hadn't been a friend to her at all.

Pyrrha was a good person, someone I would want to be friends with.

Maybe Ruby was right, and her team bonding party-thing was something that I needed. Not just for team cohesion, but for myself.

I numbly made my way to where I was meeting Professor Goodwitch and Team CRDL, stopping only to fill my trunk with bugs.

All the while, I thought of the people I had met since waking up on Remnant and wondered if I truly cared about them in the way that they deserved.

The airship jostled as it fought against the wind and rain. A constant barrage of torrents crashed onto the hull of the ship.

I had long since blocked out the grumblings of the people around me.

Cardin and Dove periodically sneered at me, while Sky and Russel were more inclined to turn away if our eyes met.

I had tried to bring up what the plan was for the mission, but the responding scoffs told me that they weren't interested in talking. There wasn't much to discuss anyway; we didn't have intel on the Grimm, or even a map of the mine.

It gave me time to double-check and clean my weapons. They didn't need it, but the routine helped me focus.

I had switched to Ice Dust rounds only for this mission, and I had told Team CRDL to do the same. I wasn't sure how structurally sound the mine was, and I didn't want to risk being buried in a cave-in just because we caused an explosion with the more volatile Dust variants.

Fresh oil shone on the single-edged straight sword on my lap. A fuller ran up its length and ended just before the triangle tip of the blade. It had a short ricasso that had a double-edged hooked blade jutting out from it. It curved in to run perpendicular to the sword's main body to form a cruel-looking crevice to trap an opponent's weapon if I locked blades with them.

The round handle was wrapped in a black rubber material that was reminiscent of a tactical knife and ended in a broadened metal head made for striking with the butt of the hilt.

The handle was just long enough to hold comfortably with both hands—when I had two hands, that is. There were two trigger-switches where my index and middle finger rested to activate the sword's features.

The guard was long and flat but curved upwards slightly at the ends. There was a slight concave on the bottom of it, enough for a bug to hide and pull the triggers when needed.

A small, square Dust cartridge was slotted into the back of the blade near the base. The Gravity Dust made the blade feel like it was trying to float but couldn't under its own weight.

Large groupings of Gravity Dust were enough to create floating islands that had been in the air for all of Remnant's history—supposedly, at least.

The amount of Dust needed for the entirety of Atlas—a city that almost matched Vale in size—to float was unfathomable.

The troubles getting to the Dust also made it one of the more expensive types of Dust. Extracting the material that kept the land you were mining it on from falling hundreds of feet was a complicated procedure.

The string of Dust thefts in Vale didn't help.

Gravity Dust usually made things weightless or produced other area effects. However, if blended right, when activated, it would increase the gravitational force on the object by magnitudes greater than normal instead.

It wasn't unheard of for something to smash into a cluster of Gravity Dust crystals and activate them, sending the floating landmasses crashing toward the ground, with literally earth-shattering results.

For my sword, the Dust would make an attack many times stronger than what I would be able to do with my strength. Hopefully, it would be enough to make it through the plating of bigger Grimm.

The problem with the tactic, which caused everyone to steer away from using it, was that after the Dust made an object heavier, it remained that way until the Dust ran out of charge. Meaning the blade would be immobile under its own weight, and I would have to fend for myself until the effect ended.

It was only brief moments, seconds at most, depending on how long I held the trigger, but that was a lot of time when fighting at the speeds Huntsmen did.

The weapon wasn't made to fight people, but that was the point; it was a weapon for fighting monsters.

Then again, as soon as my arm arrived, the Gravity Dust would be a perfect baiting strategy, as well as a useful tool for delivering powerful blows. Still, I needed to be careful when using it for this mission.

I switched my glasses for my combat goggles. Then, I finished by going over my ammo reserves and Dust reserves before leaning back to relax a bit just as the ship began its descent.

Twin Seams was named after the two ravines that the village had been built in, having developed into a 'V' shape around the fork of two canyons.

Villages outside the main kingdoms were tiny, hundreds of people at most, but usually the populations never hit the triple digits.

The townsfolk had gathered in a variety of raingear and stood anxiously around the mouth of a cave. I counted less than fifty, probably most of the village's populace.

Rain buffeted us as we exited the ship before Professor Goodwitch created an umbrella of telekinetic force with her Semblance to cover us. I hadn't been sure if the air was something her Semblance could affect until then.

Russel glowered at the Faunus, not bothering to hide his disdain.

Professor Goodwitch's eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed, a storm brewing on her face to match the one above us.

"I believe that everyone was specifically told to not enter the mine until after we had dealt with the Grimm," she stated sternly to an elderly woman with lime-green hair being eaten away by the graying of age. Wrinkles worn into her face made her look like she smiled too much.

"You are the Huntsmen?" We all nodded in response. She tried to smile, but worry held it down. "Then, I must apologize. It has been days since we have been able to work, and the miners feared that the SDC would take the chance to buy out the mine. By the time I learned of it, a group had already entered," she said regretfully.

Shit, this just became a rescue mission.

"I see, unfortunate." Professor Goodwitch's frown deepened.

"Does anyone have a map of the tunnels?" I asked loudly, trying to fight the clatter of falling rain.

The woman, who I assumed was the head of the village, pondered for a moment before adopting a look of dark realization.

"The ones who went in were the miners, and they were the only ones who knew the layout?" I guessed, receiving a grim nod in return. "No paper records?"

"Stored in the site manager's office, inside the mine."

Shit.

"So, what are we waiting for? If they're in there, then we just have to get'em out," Cardin said indifferently.

"Any information available would be useful for getting them out, Mr. Winchester," Professor Goodwitch stated. "If we get lost in the mines, then we would also need to be rescued."

"We should be fine with Dove with us. His Semblance lets him see the paths others have taken if they're fresh enough." A true follower at heart. "He should be able to follow the miners' trail right to them. It's finding the cavern that the Grimm came through that will be the problem. We might accidentally run into a cave full of Grimm if we find them before we get to the miners," I stated.

"Umm, I need to have seen the person for my Semblance to work," Dove said nervously.

I whipped toward him. "What?" I took a few steps toward him while he took a step back. "That would have been nice to know when I was laying out plans for how to use it in combat, wouldn't it?" I asked venomously. Not like they had shown up for any sessions anyway.

"Yeah, telling someone we might have to go against in the Vytal festival your weaknesses sounds super smart," Sky said sarcastically.

"The tournament is between teams of four. I'm not on a team! I don't even want to compete," I stated.

I watched the gears turn in Sky's head. "Oh," he said simply.

"Great." 'Nest' and 'Soaring' formations are useless then. Stupid names anyway. "Never mind, we're back to square one," I growled.

"Actually, we're back farther than that. Now that this is a rescue mission, the rank of the mission goes up," Professor Goodwitch stated.

"Well, you're here, so we should be fine, right?" Russel asked.

"This is your mission, and the responsibility for it falls on you. Or do I have to remind you why you all are here in the first place," she chided.

"Good thing we have more than the standard four-person team to make up the difference," I added.

Professor Goodwitch contemplated that. "I suppose it will have to be sufficient. Standard field command still applies, but I will intercede if needed. Understand?" We nodded.

"Thank you very much for what you're doing. I don't think our village could withstand losing those reckless fools," the village head said with a smile that warmed the heart.

"Time is of the essence now. We'll have to risk going in without an accurate map," Professor Goodwitch stated. "One of you will have to mark the passages as we go. Cardin, as team leader for this mission, choose wisely. Hopefully, there aren't many offshoots from the main path."

"Scribe duty is on you, psycho," Cardin said to me before snickering.

"None of that, Mr. Winchester," Professor Goodwitch snapped. I just shook my head.

We all started into the tunnel. The canyon that the mine had been dug into was made of a dark stone that had a burgundy gleam.

Wooden beams supported the tunnels at constant intervals while the ground had a set of tracks leading down the middle of it. Lights connected to suspended wires lit the way. A ventilation duct hung from the support beams, canisters of Air Dust embedded in them to force a constant flow of air through the mine.

After getting out of view of the entrance, I set my trunk down and popped off the lock before continuing to follow the others.

I got some perplexed glances from the others for leaving it behind, but they either didn't care enough to ask or didn't want to talk to me.

My swarm funneled out of their container and followed us at a healthy distance. Team CRDL and Goodwitch were already marked with bugs back on the airship, and the vents allowed me to spread my bugs throughout the facility.

The scent of the Fire Dust within the mine mixed with the incoming air from outside to make the air smell of rain and ash, an odd dichotomy.

I brought out my Scroll to map out our route. It was going to be annoying to do with one arm, but I suspected that was why Cardin had me do it.

"Miss Hebert," Professor Goodwitch started as she moved to match my pace, letting the boys stride ahead of us. I waited for her to continue but she seemed to be in the process of analyzing me.

"Professor?"

"What are your thoughts on this mission?" she asked. She sounded more than curious about my opinion.

"We've gone over intervening in battles of Grimm against civilians, so it's only getting to them in time that's the issue."

"Nothing on your teammates?" I glanced to see the boys chatting absently amongst themselves, not bothering to listen to our conversation.

"I don't think anyone would comment on any apprehension they had with a group they weren't in the best relations with during a mission together."

"Most people certainly. I have trouble thinking you would be afraid to give your opinion, though."

Was that how she saw me?

"I don't have an issue with working with Team CRDL."

"Really?" she asked skeptically. "Do you not dislike them?" Mom would have scowled over the double negative. I'd never been picky with the grammar side of things. A sudden deus ex machina or glaring anachronism was my major pet peeve.

"If I can trust that they'll accomplish the same goals as me, then it doesn't matter if I like them or not, we can get the job done," I said.

"Do you still believe what you did was correct then?" Rhetorical. "Would you beat them down now that they're on your team if they got in your way?"

"If the situation called for it, yes." Like if they were actively trying to get people killed. "Sometimes force is needed when words won't stop someone."

"My disagreement isn't with that, it is with the idea that violence is the step directly after failed negotiations."

There were other methods, but none of them would have stopped that girl's harassment as quickly as I had. Giving them warning meant starting a fight where I was outnumbered and outmatched.

"Sometimes, no matter what you say or do, people refuse to cooperate or put aside their differences. It's not always a bad thing, but it does lead to confrontation. I just resolved the conflict more decisively than most." And with the best results for what the situation was.

"So, you're fine with just forcing people to cooperate with you then?" she accused.

I stopped in my tracks and turned to face her. "Forcing people to cooperate shouldn't be the answer, but sometimes it's the only one you have." I hated everything that led up to Khepri, and I hated that the situation had been so terrible that it had been necessary. "If I can cooperate with others through words and ideals, then I will take that option every time." I would not force others to work with me ever again, not if there was another way. "Unfortunately, that isn't always an option. That's why we learn to fight people as well as Grimm, isn't it?"

"You are correct, though how we approach those situations where words don't work is important too," she argued.

"I agree." I let the sentiment hang, knowing that we didn't agree, before we continued on. "We best hurry. I doubt they will wait for us."

"Indeed."

With that, our conversation ended.

My bugs had found a few side tunnels through the vents, but none were very deep. I saw sleek metal containers and machinery either left on the tracks for transport or built into the sides of the stone.

The odd contrast of wooden beams supporting the ceiling and the high-tech equipment that was typical for Remnant felt out of place for me; or at least, it made me feel out of place.

Side tunnels leading to dead ends ran throughout the mine. Most likely to check for ore, or perhaps for smaller ore veins that had run dry.

A few minutes of walking later, we heard screams. All of us drew our weapons and rushed toward the noises.

My bugs were closer and quickly arrived at the scene.

It was a large oval chamber, which served as a crossroads for several other tunnels. A lunchroom sat nestled into the stone while forklifts were parked on the opposite side.

A group of men, both Faunus and humans in ratty leathers with simple spears, were being pushed away from a few Grimm on the far side of the room. They were being herded down one of the far tunnels, one that I was sure didn't lead to the surface.

Creeps were one of the few types of Grimm that I couldn't draw a reference to another animal or being. There were Grimm that looked like mammoths, ghosts, and even mythological creatures, but Creeps were distinct.

They only had thick hind legs that inverted at the knees. A stout tail plated with bone armor offset the weight of their massive maw. That was it.

Creeps specialized in strength, their bite crushing metal and stone with ease while their tails were just as strong. They burrowed by biting through anything in their path.

It was odd that there were only three of them. Usually, it took a very nasty Grimm or a significant amount of them to warrant a response from Beacon.

There must have been more on the way, the miner's panic like blood in the water for the sharks.

The miners prodded and poked at the Creeps, but the spears barely penetrated the Grimm's thick, dense hides.

I rushed up to catch up to Team CRDL as they ran ahead.

"Focus on pushing the Grimm back so that we can get the miners out," I called out. "Cardin and Dove hit them first." Cardin scowled at me while Dove nodded absently. "Russel and Sky follow up, then I should be able to—"

"You're not the one leading this team, spaz," Cardin growled. "Killing the Grimm means the miners will be safe, and it's also the reason we're here in the first place," he added snobbishly. "Surround them and go for the kill. Two birds, one stone. Goodwitch will handle the miners." He sounded like he was saying the most obvious thing in the world to try and irk me.

"I—" I stopped abruptly as my bugs caught tens of more Grimm—Creeps, Beowolves, and Ursa, all meandering through the tunnels toward the sounds of combat.

My swarm flooded out of the vents above the incoming Grimm, stabbing into red eyes and smoggy flesh. The Grimm frenzied and began bashing and rubbing their bodies wildly against stone and each other to try and shake their assailants.

My bugs could only do minor damage to the Grimm, but it was enough to distract them for a while. Killing them with my swarm took far more time than we had.

Normally, I would have brought along some Dust crystals for my bugs to carry, to use as grenades and bombs. However, predicting the output of exploding raw Dust crystals was difficult at best, and I didn't want to risk the integrity of the mine.

Cardin didn't wait as we entered the larger chamber and crossed the room with a charging blow with his mace, sending one of the lumbering Creeps stumbling into the other.

Dove fired his sword-gun while Sky lunged with his halberd, its large blade lancing into the Grimm's exposed sides before Sky began firing rounds into it from the gun shooting out from the butt of his weapon.

Russel nimbly leapt up and over the first Creep and bounced off the ceiling, twenty feet high, and launched downwards with his two daggers, which were emanating frost from their edge. The twin blades dug into the second Creep and ice formed from the wounds, encasing the side of the Grimm and freezing it to the one the rest of his team were facing.

It would have been an adequate display from Team CRDL if they hadn't let the third and farthest Creep gain momentum into a running charge at the miners, who had stopped to witness our arrival instead of fleeing.

I tapped the second trigger-button on my sword, and the handle shot out, extending into a polearm. I leapt off the ground, letting the lengthening butt of my weapon push off the floor and pole-vault me over the two Creeps.

I twisted in the air, flying feet first while switching the grip of my weapon, and tossed it like a javelin toward the head of the Creep. The Gravity Dust made the weapon float slightly off target, something I would have to practice more to compensate for, but the Grimm was big enough that it didn't matter.

A spider I had on the grip activated the Dust trigger on it, and for a moment, the blade glowed with subtle darkness before it rocketed down and speared through the Grimm.

The Creep came to a roaring crash as the momentum from its charge fought against the weapon pinning it to the ground, causing it to fall and skid a few feet before my blade caught enough purchase to hold it.

It growled and thrashed as I landed in a quiet roll. I drew my gun, casually walked up behind it, and fired into one of its four eyes until it slumped and began to dissipate.

My blade had gone straight through some bone plating, so it was at least effective for Grimm of this age.

Professor Goodwitch was already by the miners, having moved quickly past all of us to secure their safety while letting us deal with the Grimm.

The other Creeps were fading as Team CRDL strolled over to us. Cardin sported a smug grin as he glared at me.

He can't stand being humiliated but can only work to one-up me while Professor Goodwitch is nearby to get back at me; it's pitiful in a way, pathetic in another.

Some Grimm had fought through my insect's assault and were slowly getting closer, their enraged screeches echoing distantly through the tunnels. My swarm hadn't stopped, the Grimm were just ignoring them now.

This is going more smoothly than I had expected it to—

My thoughts stopped as I noticed the state of one of the tunnels. The support beams had been broken toward the stone-face, as though something too big for the tunnel had forced its way through.

Naturally, that was when my bugs felt it approach.

Its massive bulk squeezed against the tunnel walls due to its sheer size. It felt like several Creeps had been fused together to create some unholy amalgamation.

One massive head big enough to crunch down on a person whole was surrounded by regular Creep heads that looked like they had been mounted onto the ends of the Grimm's tails to act like some form of distorted necks. Six legs, all inverted at the knees, trudged along with heavy stomps that sent spiderwebs through the ground and snapped the metal tracks like toothpicks. The bone armor on the creature was rocky and covered most of the beast. The lines that decorated the Grimm's plating were jagged and asymmetrical. Twin rows of spines ran along the creature's back, scraping against the stone as it walked. Two tree trunk tails swayed with each step, both ending in thicker versions of the spines on its back.

Most of all, I noticed what looked like a sleeker patch of bone on the center of its back, similar to the shape of an elongated skull with six eyes. Two horns that slightly corkscrewed outwards gave it a demonic look.

I had never seen any picture or mention of whatever the thing was, but from its sheer mass, I was sure that it could bring the roof down on all of us if we weren't careful.

"Professor!" I shouted. "Something's coming!" I pointed to the damaged tunnel, which just happened to be the one next to the tunnel that led straight to the surface.

As if on cue, the dull thuds from the monster began to vibrate the rock around us, steadily stronger with each step.

"Dove and Russel with me. Dove, get ready to fire while Russel and I try to seal the tunnel with ice. Cardin and Sky, help the injured get to that tunnel, now!" I directed, not waiting for any objection as I ran.

I grabbed my weapon and retracted the staff-end while sheathing it in one motion, then I grabbed a full magazine of Ice Dust and tossed it into the tunnel.

Part of my swarm diverted from exploring and harried the mutated Creep, but it didn't even react to the hundreds of tiny stings piercing into it.

Dove had followed me almost obediently, while Russel hesitated, and Cardin fumed.

"If the Grimm is so big, then it means it can't dodge from in the tunnel, we should be focusing on killing it!" Cardin shouted to his team, who followed him as he left the miners to join me.

I didn't get a chance to protest as the rhythmic thuds of the hulking Grimm picked up into a jog, and my bugs felt it begin to charge forward, destroying any rock or metal that was in its way.

"Damn it, Cardin," I muttered as I fired a round into the magazine I had thrown.

It exploded into several blooms of ice that pressed against the walls and ceiling of the tunnel.

"What are you doing?! If you trap it, then we're just going to lose it when it heads back the other way into the mine!" Cardin yelled as he got into a ready position at the mouth of the tunnel.

Goodwitch had made three splints for various limbs and was lifting the injured miners away with her telekinesis. We would have to hold out until she got them to safety, because I didn't think we had anything that would hurt the mutant Creep.

"Cardin, we are here for the miners, not the Grimm!" I growled.

"We're here for both, and shouldn't you be all-for unfair ambushes?"

"Are you fucking—"

A thunderous roar resounded through the mine from the mutant Grimm, like a deep wolf's howl mixed with screeching metal. The walls echoed the sound endlessly.

Every Grimm my bugs marked froze, then began rushing to where we were.

Snarls and barks created a monstrous chorus in response to the deafening war cry of the distorted Creep.

Seven entrances, at least forty—no, fifty-three Grimm approaching. Way more than expected. Miners are injured and moving slowly, not anywhere near far enough away. My bugs are being ignored though they are slowing them down. I didn't bring enough to attack so many of them effectively. Cardin is so set on wanting to best me that he's missing the point. I don't know how to collapse part of a tunnel safely without potentially caving everything in.

I switched to my sword as the misshapen Creep bounded around the curve of the tunnel enough that its contorted form became visible, a giant approaching shape of black, white, and red behind the wall of ice.

Russel and Dove backed away while Sky was looking to Cardin for an answer.

I extended my sword and braced it against the stone to let the beast impale itself.

"Everyone, get ready to fire, aim for the legs! We can only try to slow it down now. Sky, brace your weapon like I have. Make sure it's a bit to the side of the thing so that you can dive out of the way when it connects. Cardin, if you send a wave of Dust at it, then we might have a chance at this," I ordered, but wasn't confident.

Professor Goodwitch lifted the miners down one of the tunnels and dashed back toward us.

None of them argued as they got into position, not taking their eyes off the blurry shape of the warped Creep.

The other Grimm were making their way at a moderate pace, knocking into each other in an uncoordinated mass while bugs nipped at their eyes.

Ice shattered apart as the distorted Grimm crashed through it, barely even registering the resistance.

Its many smaller heads snapped at the air menacingly as it came closer and closer.

"What the fuck is that!" Sky yelled.

"We can't fight—" Russel began.

"Hold!" I shouted as I felt Russel and Sky getting ready to bolt.

Our weapons connected with its shoulder, between the tail-like necks of its many heads, and I had my spider activate the Gravity Dust.

"Now, Cardin!" I yelled and rolled out of the way of the charge.

I had expected the increased weight to slow the Grimm, or at least cause the blade to dig into its body more, but a simple flick from its main head sent my weapon, increased weight and all, flying from its body, wrenching it from my grip to send it clattering heavily to the ground.

I hadn't accounted for something that was stronger than the weight of the Gravity Dust and my own strength combined.

Cardin's weapon flared a fiery red—the asshole hadn't switched from Fire Dust like I had said to—as he brought it down, sending a wave of broken stone and fire over the monster.

Angry flames tore apart the stone floor and washed over the Grimm, the wave of heat rushing back toward us and filling the room with an ashy smell.

The attack merely annoyed it.

Cardin looked up in shock at the ineffectiveness of his attack before he was launched through the air by one of the smaller heads biting into his shoulder and tossing him aside, only to stop right before he hit the wall.

The creature's charge didn't stop as it barrelled through everyone and into the opposite wall.

The force of the tackle knocked the air out of me as I was easily flung out of the way by a swinging head and the massive frame of the mutated Grimm.

Worms in the dirt around us felt the ground shift and my eyes widened.

Sky had been knocked toward the main entrance tunnel, but Russel and Dove were still near me.

The walls and floor shuddered, like the world itself was groaning.

I shot up and grabbed my weapon as quickly as I could.

Goodwitch arrived; too late.

I dug the blade into the ground and used it to vault myself into the both of them, sending all of us down one of the far tunnels right before the roof collapsed, sending thousands of tons of rock crumbling down on us and plunging everything into darkness.

Chapter 12 End

Author Notes:

Praise be to Juff, Breakingamber, ccstat, Hopefullylesspretentious, JasonILTG, Majigah, and Enop, I shall tattoo your names on my forehead in honor of your good work… The writing will just have to be really small.

This isn't a new Grimm of my own invention, technically anyway. In the 'unofficial' RWBY manga there is a 'tentacle Grimm' which is a possession-type Grimm like the Geist is, except it affects biological stuff rather than inanimate (Though the Geist was able to possess a tree but whatever). In the manga, it combined a bunch of King Taijitus Grimm to make a Yamata no Orochi looking Grimm (That's the eight-headed river snake monster from Japanese lore). It hasn't appeared in the show and the canonicity of that manga run is dubious but who cares, it isn't something I plan on having pop up much (Or at all after this…). I couldn't find a good mythological creature to base this one on but maybe that's because my mind moved to the amalgamations of Undertale when thinking about it.

As for the 'power levels' of the teams, well, we know that Team CFVY, JNPR, RWBY, and CRDL made it to the Vytal Festival out of all the teams at Beacon. There's your top four teams cause they would have needed to beat out all the other teams to snag the Festival spots. The show never mentions if the years are broken up, but we know that first and second years fight together, but nothing on upper years. I'm going to take it as Team RWBY's grade being an all-star year for teams for basically all the schools and that all grades are able to enter the tournament. This also means that Pyrrha defeated one of the four strongest teams at Beacon by herself. OP, please nerf.