Pirate Signals – Chapter 13:
Furious Finale

The cavernous armour was filled with the sounds of gun fire. Yang rushed towards her for what felt like the hundredth time, the buzzing of his weapons somewhere in the distance. The lanky bruiser fell into a defensive stance and Yang rushed in low. Each step resounded with a powerful boom of force and just as she was ready to strike, fist radiating heat as she lashed forward, he flung himself to the side and Arslan appeared before her.

Both Huntresses slammed their feet into the ground, tearing up stone and earth and they tried to skid around one another. The gunfire increased in tempo and Yang almost found herself blinded by the flashing lights and deafened by the buzzing. Gasping, Yang threw herself towards the spinning weapons.

She did so just as Arslan kicked off from the ground, intent on striking one out of the air. Their bodies flew close, their move adjusted and Yang felt a rush of air at her side.

'Shit!' Yang thought as the elite, if the soldiers yelling was accurate, 'Reaver's' fist collided with her cheek. Her Aura strained under his strike and Yang was sent hurtling back. The wind rushing by her ears with a howl as bullets rained down on her.

Every instinct made her flick her wrists to open fire on the floor below and shoot herself into the air but without Ember Celica she only managed to slam her hands into the charred floor. Pulling her legs up Yang squinted and grunted as the bullets cracked against her Aura. Slamming her feet into the ground, she jumped, intent on taking out the supporting fire.

Hair flying back, Yang blurred towards an armoured pirate. The mini-gun weilder balked at her approach, too stunned to act, only for Reaver to appear before her with a flash, and throwing out his palms. Yang found herself crashing against a dingy green force-field.
'He's good!' Yang thought as the shield flared under her strike, but just as it looked to be about to shatter it simply vanished and-

"Yang!" Arslan shouted.

Before Yang knew it Arslan slammed into her side just as Reaver's buzzing weapons dove down from where she'd just been.

Spinning in the air they threw themselves apart and came to a skidding halt right before a wall.

"Fire!" some distant pirate roared.

Yang grunted as a wave of gunfire and rockets descended on them. 'If I had Ember Celica this wouldn't be happening!' She thought.

"With me!" Both Yang and Arslan said as they shot left and right. Yang really wanted to slap herself at that only it seemed Reaver was happy to do it for her, as his spinning death whisks bared down upon her while he and Arslan got into another round of fisticuffs.

'I hope the others are doing better!'

"I hate you!" Bolin roared, bo-staff held high he slammed the blade tip down and dug a hole in the floor. Eyes flickering around in purist of his target he found nothing, but then a clap of flesh rang out as the pirate slapped the back of his head.

"Too slow!" Shouted the jaunty speedster as he dashed across the room, his entire frame pulsating with speed and power.

Reese flicked out her revolvers and fired, green tinted bullets flying through the air but each one was neatly sidestepped and left to leave hole in the walls and floor but their damned target unharmed.

Waving from atop a Bullhead the pirate grinned down at his foes. His revelry was cut short though as a loud bang echoed in the chamber. Spinning around he saw a red blur bounce off the wall with a clang as Ruby shot towards him in a maelstrom of rose petals.

Heaving Crescent Rose behind her, Ruby squeezed the trigger and readied to swing, only for Blur, as he'd called himself, to flicker towards her at the exact instance she squeezed the trigger. Just as she felt the force of the shot run through her Aura, he hopped over her and her eyes widened as she felt his foot slamming into her back, once, twice, three times. Stumbling and flung forward by her own momentum, Ruby hurtled off the top of the Bullhead.

"Ruby!" Reese cried.

Eyes widening as Blur tossed down a grenade, Ruby clenched her chest and sent a pulse of Aura rushing through her body. A blast of rose petals flew forth and she was rocketed away from the blast just as the grenade flared up, dodging the fire even as the shock wave flung her back.

"Haha, you kids are adorable!" Blur cheered.

'His voice is different, the grenade, his kicks, what is wrong with this guy?' Ruby asked herself. Flinging herself over, she slammed Crescent Roses blade tip into the floor and ground to a halt.

"Incoming!" Reese shouted as more grenades started soaring through the air. Brandishing their weapons to beat back the explosive all sides assault Ruby heard Bolin mutter as he batted one grenade away with a clang, "When I get my hands on him I am going to shove my staff so far up his ass."

The smack of flesh and the flaring of Aura rang out, accompanied by gun fire and the cracking of the air and earth. Yang and Arslan were shoulder to shoulder before Reaver.

Both were jostling forward in a bid to break through the elite's guard as he backpedalled away from them, arms up and flying swiftly in sharp cuts in a bid to bat away their strikes.

Yang was having none of that, however. Growling, she let her Aura flare and burn its way across her skin until it stung and threw a right punch towards the man's chest. 'Shit!' She thought as the buzzing intensified only for Arslan to break off her assault and spin around. Whatever she did next was beyond Yang's sight but a loud clang rang out and the spinning death machines didn't hit her back, which was a win.

Reaver's hands flew up before her strike, palms flat and his dingy green Aura manifested before her fist. Yet just as Yang's fist collided with it she felt it give way, leaving her blow to lurch awkwardly in the air as he weaved below it. Contorting himself to the side he lashed back with a kick to her chin and flipped away just as Arslan tried to slam her foot down on his head.

Yang's Aura radiated with fire and her strike burned through the air, sending bullets flying back or melting to nothing but he was getting away! 'Every time we get the advantage he separates us and we waste energy!' Yet even as they'd tried to break his spinning death machines his soldiers would rain down fire upon them or they'd break off and fly away leaving him to attack from the side. It was like fighting someone with four arms but two of them could be any damn place!

The spinning red weapons tore out of the ground in a spray of steel and turned on Yang. 'If they'd just stop dodging!' She thought, grinding her teeth as she back-flipped away from their whirring dive towards her. The sound of a rocket being fired hit her ears. Despite her ability to withstand such a blast, Yang caught Arslan flicking out her arm and unleashing one of her fireballs upon it, causing a deafening explosion in the air that beat against her Aura.

Spying Reaver lunging at Arslan, Yang shot forward and lashed out with a stream of weaving punches only for him to throw himself backwards as his blades cam spinning back towards her and Arslan. Another stream of bullets battered against her Aura and Yang's Semblance flared and surged inside her at the bee-sting like jabs as she outwardly seethed.

'I can't keep this up forever, and this is his fucking plan, isn't it!?' She thought. Taking off from her spot, weaving between gunfire as the blades pursued her Yang dashed around the room on eye on Reaver and Arslan's fight. Fist and kicks flew and cracked like lighting, Reaver's extra reach of less use than he'd like like as Arslan kept pushing into his defences but his buddies' extra fire kept letting him retreat.

Something exploded behind her. Arslan dodged away from an explosion and then Reaver burst from the smoke and delivered an Aura charged palm strike to her stomach. The force of it rang out like the fallout from a blast, Yang felt it ripple through the air as Arslan was gagged and was sent hurtling towards a wall.

Feet slamming into the ground, Yang sent a pulse of Aura into the floor and kicked off, the metal warping under her strength as she surged towards Arslan. The buzzing blades tore passed her and Yang felt another chunk of her Aura get ripped off with, a splash of blood and skin flying off before her Aura sealed the wound.

Arslan however, flipped herself over and when she crashed against the wall, leaving the metal and stone rippling but unbroken. Skidding up to her side, Yang could see a wave of bullets approaching followed by Reaver and his weapons. Letting out a furious roar, she clasped both fists above her head, let her Aura surge as wildly as it pleased. Flames encompassed her body and hair, turning into a rippling gold pool of energy as she slammed her fists into the floor. A stark golden shock-wave exploded through the air and earth, bullets were beaten back. Reaver's weapons went off course and as the approaching explosion of magma-like earth exploding towards him, even as the elite jumped back.

"We can't go on like this," Yang panted, she could already see them rallying, something like a smile on Reaver's face. 'Oh you think that's all I got?' She thought, clutching her hand even as her Aura struggled to be dragged to the surface more and more.

"I've a plan," Arslan hissed, and before Yang could even think to ask what is was Arslan pounced at her back, a desperate shout, "Yang!" rang from her lips and Yang found herself rocketing across the floor, away from Reaver's weapons and the man's charge.

'Oh she didn't!' Yang thought as both spinning weapons torpedoed towards Arslan. The blonde fighter threw her arms out however and a mass of her bandages unfurled.

Grinning almost madly, Yang spun on the floor and dug her feet into the charred earth before launching herself at Reaver. The man was drawing back his hands as if to pull back his weapons but her shout, "Mine!" as she hurled herself at the man in a wild tackle distracted him.

"Get off!" Reaver grunted, swinging his arms out and striking Yang across the face.

The force of the blow made her bones ache and crack, her boots skidded along the ground but she chuckled at the sight before her. Reaver's face was wide with shock, only for a moment and behind him, Arslan had thoroughly tied up his weapons. Thrusting her arms out she unleashed two massive gouts of fire while Yang ducked and weaved at Reaver, fists flying, wide enough to hit him but far enough that he could only dodge back, his control failing.

The metal whined and screeched as the fire warped its frame; their attempts to fly tangled and ruined by Arslan's bindings as she slammed them into the ground and charged.

Just as Reaver lashed out with a kick, Yang jumped back and grinned as Arslan swept Reaver's feet out from under him. Before he could so much as try to regain his footing, Yang pounced while he was still falling. In mid-air, Yang pounced, driving her knees into forcing him to let out a gasp she drew back her fists and struck.

One after the other, faster and faster as her Aura shrouded fists crashed against his skin. She could hear the ground caving in below them as the force of her blow radiated through his Aura and with one last burning strike to his face Yang cratered his head into the ground. Only a groan emanated from his throat as Yang felt Arslan gentle clasp her arm and pull her up.

"Good moves there," she said.

"You too..." Yang panted, "We really pulled it together in the end," she continued, casting her gaze out across the stammering pirates as they held their weapons to their bodies like shields.

"Hold fast yo-" whatever their armoured leader was about to say was intruded as a deep snorting snarl echoed in the chamber. All eyes turned to the hole she and Arslan had made upon entrance to find a well above average Boarbtusk snarling as it dropped down onto the parapets and snorted at the pirates.

"But the Grimm left us alone for months!" The armoured man screamed as the hulking beast stared him down, its coils flaring as it stamped one cloven hoof into the ground, denting the metal floor.

"They're attacking because you're weak now, no longer of use to them," Arslan said with a deliberate air of calm Yang thought. Her fellow Huntress cast her gaze across the room and said, "If you thought they were doing anything but using you, you're more foolish than I thought."

The Boarbtusks armour clicked as it jumped up and rolled itself into a ball, spinning like a white cannonball.

"Open fire!" The pirates roared as the Grimm began its assault.

"Should we help?" Yang asked.

"Let them handle it," Arslan muttered, then in a blur she drove her foot into Reaver's side drawing a pained whine from the man as his chest cracked. "He won't be healing from that within an hour, let's go."

"Right, let's get the others," Yang said, leaving the pirates to their fate as she and Arslan sprinted towards the steps.

"Out of ammo!" Reese shouted, Aura flowing into her pistols as she engaged their shift into a board, keeping a tight grip in case their attacker tried to nab her weapon.

Bolin stood at her back, deflecting wrenches, pipes and blades that seemed to fly at him by the dozes with metallic clangs as his spinning staff sent them flying.

Ruby brandished Crescent Rose to fire, but before she even could 'Blur' sped off and vanished into the air docks again.

Reese took to the air, Ruby could see the other Huntress was biting her bottom lip, eyebrows knitted together in frustration. Bolin wasn't doing much better, staff spinning around him and kicking up a whirling little breeze as he looked every which way for the next attack. The air docks were pockmarked with burns, dents and burning craters from their battle and so far no one had laid a hand on the pirate!

'He's trying to wear down our ammo,' she thought, noting the remaining two bullets in her own magazine.

"Hya!" Bolin shouted as he slammed his bo-staff into the floor, once again missing his target. Cursing as he spun around in a bid to hit the pirate who weaved between one, two, three blows with amused ease before dashing by Bolin with another laugh. "Get back here!" Bolin raged.

'Our ammo and our patience,' Ruby thought, already having lost track of the elite in one of the Bullheads. "Hup!" Ruby jumped from atop the Bullhead she'd been surveying their battlefield on. Crescent Rose was clutched tightly in her hands as she and her team scanned the air docks.

'Too many Bullheads, he keeps hiding, and we can't hit him, but there's so little power to his attacks, long distance bombings, weird voice and... the air.' Ruby thought, eyes widening in a dawning moment of realisation.

Not even waiting, she shot off, boots squeaking against the floor as she dashed for the door. On her path she blurred around Bolin and slipped her arm into the boys and tugged.

"What the crap!?" He shouted as his feet fell out from under him and he was dragged through the air. Darting between a Bullhead Ruby came upon Reese and grasped her hand.

"Woah!" She cried, being dragged along for the ride as Ruby skidded to a halt in front of the door and let them lurch to a halt as well.

"Running away?" Blur called out, his word dripping with a mocking 'baby-like' tone.

As Bolin stood up, grunting in annoyance Ruby spoke quickly as she dropped to one knee and stretched out her other leg in a sprinting stance. "I have a plan, stay at the door, do not let him through and hold onto your butts," She said firmly.

Blinking the duo drew back into wide defensive stances, Bolin's staff taking up more than half of their enemy's potential exit. Reese's hover-board was angled upwards and read to release a gravitational shock-wave if he tried as well.

"Oh, this should be cute. Wanna race, kiddo?" Blur asked, casually waltzing atop a Bullhead and looking down at her.

Not even meeting his gaze, Ruby's eyes flew across the room in one last scan, before she levelled Crescent Rose at hip height and said, "I wanna win." The world became like a tunnel for one instant as Ruby surged forward, rose petals swirling in her wake.

'Forward, right, up,' she thought, breaking off from her straight run into a hard angled. She did not skid to a halt at the sight of the wall, instead she jumped and let the momentum carry her up. Not letting the rush of wind and all important rose petals stop, there Ruby launched herself downwards like a missile.

Crashing against the floor, she flared her cloak and blurred forward. Each step was a powerful, barely perceivable stride as she weaved between the tattered and tipped over Bullheads. Angling down, Ruby felt the tunnelling wind and rose petal trailing her. Launching herself into the air with a Semblance boosted leap, she dragged, swirling, writhing wind and rose petals behind her in an ever increasing mass.

Indifferent to the growing looks of confusion following her, Ruby pin-balled herself across the room. She became a swirling mass of red trailed by howling winds. Each sharp angled lap made the wind following her as she launched herself harder and faster with another burst of Semblance born speed flaring through her body.

What followed her was no longer just the growing mass of rose petals and wind though. Ruby could hear scraps of metal tools being dragged from their resting placed and sucked into her maelstrom. The air-docks grew into a calamitous fury as her tailing tornado's occupants crashed against Bullheads, the force making the massive ships screech as they were almost sucked in and the sea of red rose petals grew.

"Ru-" she could heard Reese shout, she was too slow, too, too slow as something flashed at her feet.

'Grenade!'

Ruby squeezed the trigger, the grenades heat grew, her Semblance flared, she could hear the beginning of an explosion.

Ruby launched herself forward, her body twisting and contorting and she wrapped herself up in her cloak and as the grenade exploded behind her it too was drawn into hurricane.

It started so small, a strong gust of wind trailing after her, some rose petals and nothing more. But the blur grew greater and longer, the winds began to howl and drag shrapnel into itself and the rose petals were blinding.

'She's blocking my view!' Blur realised as red petals became just as much a part of his vision as the floor or the walls.

Tensing his body Blur called on his Semblance, the world around him slowed to a crawl even as he himself just felt a clenching tightness inside his chest. 'I can hold it, Aura to spare, Reaver will be done soon,' he told himself.

Feet sliding along the Bullhead's top Blur batted away the spectral petals, in a few swishes, only to be met by a larger, grander wall beyond his reach. 'Blind me, trap me with the gale-force winds, she's figured it out!' The Bullheads slow metallic screech seemed to drag on forever as the petals drifted around him as though falling from the sky on a day with no breeze.

For the first time, in a long time, Blur was shaking. 'The door!' Not even a true conscious thought so much as instinct. Blur leapt from the Bullhead and his feet slapped against the floor. He could hear the howl, and the screeching, but not her footsteps. 'Too much noise!' He thought, almost clutching his ears.

Careful eyes flickered through the minuscule gaps in red, his memory too precise to forget the door, but Blur knew if he didn't step careful he'd be dragged into the gathering maelstrom. The wind tunnel was rustling his hair and howling but no matter how fast it was Blur was beyond mere speed. Cutting a sharp path through the slowest petals, one almost staying in place he grinned as the cracked light above the door came into sight and-

'No!'

Blur ground to a halt, the surging winds tugging at him like a rip tide, like gravity. The swirling rose petals and shrapnel tore through the air cutting him off and those two kids were in place, feet sinking into the ground thanks to he could only guess some kind of gravitational Semblance.

Almost too shocked to notice it was only the vibrations running through the ground, different than those he'd picked out being made by the speedster. The vibration ran through the floor and Blur's eye's widened as he scraped and clawed himself away as the emerald Aura blast tried to blast him off his feet.

'No, no, this is not happening!' Blur thought, escape was never far away, one trip, one mistake, one step too fast to follow and he could-

Blur smiled as he dragged himself along the ground, the howling winds drowning out everything as they coalesced. But he could still see her, only the boots but that was enough. 'The wind's caught in a tunnel, too controlled, girl. The ground still stable,' he thought.

Pulling a grenade free from his hip pouch, Blur ran a brief calculation in his head and then with all his strength sent the grenade sliding across the floor. The moment it left his hands it seemed to slow to a crawl but in less than a second it'd be at the air-docks' opening and right at the brat's feet as she bypassed her friends and continued her charge. 'She'll be blasted right out and I escape.'

Releasing the tension in his soul Blur let out a sigh, he heard the green girl trying to shout a warning, but the explosion went off and he looked up and-

'No,' Aura pulsed throughout his body, the world slowed but Blur was too late.

The girl became a spiralling red blur and vanished from sight for an instant. The air around him roared as it surged, faster and faster. Something exploded near him and Blur looked down to see the red spiral come to a violent stop mere inches from where he was beginning to be sucked off the ground. A mischievous smile on her face and a victorious glint in her eyes she sped up and ran past him and through a shrinking gap in her wind wall.

Blur screamed as he saw it coming from all directions but was helpless to move, suspended in the air as he was surrounded by shrapnel, dragged through the air with break neck force by the winds. All around him massive Bullhead were closing in on him, as he was pulled into the heart of the maelstrom.

'Reaver!'

The last thing he saw was red rose petals.

Bolin let out a gasp and he staggered against his staff, Aura finally receding and the weight lifting from his frame.

"Ruby!" Reese shouted, already kicking off on her board in search of the other girl.

Looking up from the ground Bolin gasped, "Woah." Before him was a massive pile of metal, rubble and banged up Bullheads. Only three or four had managed to avoid Ruby's hurricane... thing, the rest were now in a ruined mess in the middle of the air-docks.

'Note to self, never let her get a run up,' Bolin thought as he hopped from the hole his feet had sunk into and jogged around the pile. He was just in time to see Reese pull in a panting and exhausted Ruby from the air-docks rim. The speedster having evidently thrown herself out and jammed Crescent Rose into the cliff face to avoid being sucked into her own tornado.

Ruby practically collapsed against Reese who looked at a loss for what to do for a moment save letting the red head lean against her and pant while making sure Ruby's weak knees didn't give out under her.

"You, ah, OK there Ruby?" Bolin asked, making it a point to inspect her pale sweat marked face.

"Fi...ne... ahh..." Ruby gasped. "Check... on... Bluh," She gagged and looked for a moment like she'd throw up.

"Ah it's OK Ruby just, ah, um," Reese stammered.

"M... fine," Ruby groaned groggily, "Tired... Need a min...ute... check on..."

"Blur, right," Boolin said, glancing at the ruination Ruby had brought. "Sure we can't just leave him?"

"Bolin!" Reese snapped.

Raising his hands in surrender and said, "All right, just saying he was a dick." Jumping onto the top of the pile with a clang Bolin prodded the steel with the tip of his staff, waiting to hear the man's irritating laugh. What he got instead was a low whine and a faint, frantic scratching of hands on steel.

"You alive in there!?" He shouted, clanging his staff atop what looked like a tail fin.

"Help!" Was his muffled reply.

Sighing Bolin grasped the wing and with a pulse of Aura lightened it enough that moving it was child's play. As he slowly pulled away the layers of steel towards the ever louder pirate he half listened to Ruby's explanation.

"So how'd you...?" Reese started, letting Ruby flop down on her Hover-board and tipping some water from the canteen Arslan made them all bring into the other girls mouth. As Ruby licked her lips Reese simply rolled back on her feet and watched, letting the girl pant herself back into a less exhausted state.

Blinking warily Ruby looked up at her as if through a haze and finally spoke. "When he ran, there was no rush of wind, if he was fast there should have been one. The way he talked too and how... how weak his hits were, his words were all blurry and his blows had no momentum... I realised he wasn't fast, he just looked fast relative to us."

"His Semblance was time dilatation?" Reese asked.

"I guess so," Ruby chuckled. "Anyway I realised he was just running distraction or trying to tire us out. That Semblance exhausts him too though, it's why he kept hiding from us... Anyway," Ruby continued, eyes swaying from side to side as she dragged herself up with a groan.

"Anyways, I realised he could see all of our hits coming, even mine, so I thought, huh, maybe if I make it too hard to see with rose petals we can surprise him!" Glancing at the wreckage Ruby chuckled and added, "And after that it kind of spiralled into a whole, uh, thing."

"Hey if it worked, it worked, that was like one of the coolest things I have ever seen!" Reese cheered.

"Reaver can you read me? I need you, someone, anyone get me out!" Cried a panicky, ragged voice from within the pile. Bolin was standing atop a flat piece of steel that was shaking as Blur tried to push it off himself.

Sighing Bolin drew back his bo-staff and slammed it through the metal wing with a weighty thrust. Blur let out a screech and then went silent.

"I just didn't want him running off," Bolin said as he pulled the sheet aside and grabbed the man by his limp arm and yanked him free of the metal he'd been contorted into.

"Hey not judging here man, that guy had it coming," Reese said, barely even batting an eye as Blur's mass of cuts, bruises and his torn bodysuit.

"Yeah I just didn't like the idea of leaving him to die like that if we could help it ya know?" Ruby said.

"Eh its fine, that'd be pretty dark," Bolin said. Then he tensed as Blur let out a low groan and before the man could so much as twitch his head Bolin swung him around and headbutted him back into unconsciousness.

"Phew, that fights done," Ruby said, arms sagging down with relief.

"And hey we secured the Air-docks!" Reese said, beaming as she looked at the ruined hall and amended, "Well most of the air docks... Point is no one is going to be escaping this way and that's something to be proud of."

Before they could celebrate further Yang's voice shouted, "What the crap did you guys do in here!?"

Followed by Arslan saying, "Are you all OK!?" as she skidded into the chamber just a few steps behind Yang.

"We're fine, and it was Ruby, freaking rad is what is was!" Reese shouted back as the two blondes shot around the mass of tangled metal and started patting their team mates down.

"I heard gun fire up above, the others are still fighting, can you act?" Arslan asked, hands on Reese and Bolin's shoulders.

"We're good, but Ruby..." Bolin said.

"I'll be fine!" Ruby said, even as Yang hefted the smaller girl onto her back.

"Yeah you're on time out Ruby, you did your part, really, really well," she said, smiling up at the destruction her sister had sewed. "We took out all the pirates on our way up so we can leave the docks and check on the others, Ruby and I will hang back," Yang said.

"Good, Bolin guard the rear with Yang, Reese you're with me," Arslan ordered.

And like that, they were off, sprinting up the steps and towards the top of the fortress.

The cavern was alight with purple light, as laser fire seared through the air, casting shadows and driving them back. Blake gasped as she launched herself left and backward with an after image only to almost trip as she slid along the floor.

Falling into a crouch Blake brought up her cleaver to guard, panting she thought. 'Too many cables, I can't-'

Another peal of laser fire made her ears sting and Blake barely ducked the thick beam. Just as it travelled down like a whip that left her back searing in ghost pain, Blake scrambled and rolled to the side, metal and wire scraping under her touch. Another after image later and she ducked behind a computer terminal, eyes wide as she tried to catch her breath after the captain's unrelenting assault.

'Where's Weiss?' she asked herself, trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart only for the tingling weight in her skull to distract her. Trying to push her feeling aside Blake popped out from under cover and prepared to open fire on the captain from where he loomed over them.

'A perfect target, I can-' she thought, only for Weiss to blur across her path with a battle cry, sword drawn back as she charged. "Weiss!" Blake shouted, dashing out after the other girl.

Bringing both guns to bear, the captain sent her a wicked smirk as he opened fire. What looked like hundreds of tiny laser bolts surrounded one massive lavender blast of laser fire. Blake threw herself to the side against and only half saw Weiss jump to the opposite side of the room.

'Why is she charging? With her Glyphs could have, she could've...' Something stalled in Blake's mind. Her feet quaked for an instant and a mass of bright lights nearly blinded her as the captain unleashed another wave of laser bolts on her.

Blake launched herself back again, even still it felt like each shot was smacking against her Aura unleashing a sharp stinging pain across her skin.

'Weak!' Adam's voice roared, the sheath of his sword crashing against her cheek with a crack and sending her crashing to the floor. A shudder run through her skin and the world blurred, were those tears?

Then a burning strike crashed against her cheek and Blake felt her Aura flare under the abuse as she was sent spiralling through the air. She caught a blurred image of Weiss, seemingly frozen in place, watching with wide blue eyes and Blake felt her heart twist in on itself as she wanted to scream.

'We can't ever expect help from humans,' Adam's voice whispered.

'Stupid,' Blake thought, 'I reminded them what I am...'

Adam's speech rang out in her mind, 'They'll watch us die as they would a Grimm!'

"No..."

Nadir let out a scream as the deep clunking gun down the hall roared to life and it sent a spray of bullets his way. Half turned in the dimly lit yellow stone-cut hall, his eyes widened at the black armoured soldiers bearing down on him.

'One, two, three, four,' Nadir's hissed as the first bullet crashed against his shoulder. Aura reeling he rolled with the strike and flipped over and below the stream before kicking off the wall and down the hallway.

'Stupid, stupid, why'd you even try to count!?' He asked, himself, as he staggered to his feet.

A loud crunching sound rang out and Nadir gasped as a wave of heat slapped against his neck. Instinct kicked in and he kicked off from the floor, a cascading wave of fire melting the stone behind him.

The chambers flashed in purple lights as Weiss tried to weave between what seemed like a hundred blasts at once. Some were large, most were small but came by the dozens and it had taken her shamefully long to realise it was the captain utilising two different gun types. 'Stupid girl,' his grin seemed to say when she'd caught sight of the barrels and he'd sent her retreating to the mouth of the.

Aura flooded flowed through her and into Myrtenaster like water. Her blade hummed as a blue outline began to shine and as she heard the machine at the captain's feet hum she slammed her blade tip into the ground. A wall of ice rose before her, crackling and hissing as it swelled up before her and blocked him from view.

Only for the captain to laugh as he shouted, "Trying to hide, poor form doll-face!"

Weiss glowered at his words, wanting to block out the man's smarmy words and face. Clutching Myrtenaster, she sent an extra burst of Aura into her Lighting Dust canister. 'I can meet him head on with-'

Her thought was cut off as she heard Blake let out a shriek and fly passed her. For the brief moment their eyes met she could have sworn there were tears in the Faunus's eyes.

"Bla-!"

Weiss's words were drowned out as the ice above her head exploded in a shower of sparkling fractals. Spinning around Weiss ducked down, catching a brief look at the captain's face. His sharp, dark eyes, towering figure and bared teeth. The words of that foul pirate they'd captured ran through her mind, the captain's threats and Weiss suddenly felt her entire body shudder. Everything felt clammy, her skin felt bare and her clothes too loose. It was like a thousand eyes were staring at her.

'Pretty little girl - Her father's little doll - A sycophantic bitch - Tease!'

Teeth grit she draw back Myrtenaster, only to let out a gasp as a massive beam struck the dead centre of her ice wall and tore through it.

Weiss threw herself backwards as a splash of laser fire flew by. Myrtenaster shook, almost slipping from her sweat soaked hands before she sucked in a breath and clutched it as hard as she could, though her grasp felt clumsy and imperfect. 'Stop this, it's just a fight, you've done this before, he's just- this isn't... Dammit I'm a Huntress!' She thought, teeth burying themselves in her tongue as she tried to back bit back a yelp of fright as thick beam of purple laser fire flew towards her.

Summoning a Glyph below her feet it rang out with a lyrical ice and the sound of cracking ice, memories of a cold empty house ran unbidden through her mind. Desperate to guess where his next attack might come from Weiss looked to her foe and met the captains cold, judging eyes. A sickness welled up in her stomach, her insides coiling on themselves under a gaze that left her feeling bare and pawed at, again and again and-

'As expected, you're unfit daughter,' Her father's voice whispered.

Weiss's footing stumbled, before she could even blink a searing pain exploded against her chest. She was thrown back with a scream, deaf to Blake crying her name as a wave of laser fire washed over her.

Nadir felt like he was going to barf, the world felt numb, his head light and wavy as he pressed himself against a wall. Sucking in another deep breath that left his stomach gurgling unhappily he shivered as two sets of heavy footsteps struck his ears, accompanied by a metallic clinking.

Without a thought he skidded along the floor and around the corner and opened fire with a shout. The ratatata of Nadir's gun was the only sound he could hear. Clutching his weapon close to his chest, Nadir was leaning out from around a hallway corner and spraying his armoured foes.

Both pirates were bracing, bodies lowered, head down, turtling Arslan had called it once. As the spray of bullets clinked against their armour though he saw it ripple of their frames. 'The fuel canister!' he thought delightedly, focusing all of his fire on the left guard's massive cylindrical fuel tank.

What met his ears instead of an explosion was laughter though. The mini-gun wielder surged forward, the stone floor cracking under their steps. One of them, Nadir couldn't tell with the helmets, shouted, "Bad idea boy!"

They were hefting their mini-guns up. Nadir's eyes widened in shock, his heart felt like it was beating through his throat.

'Fight!' Arslan roared in the back of his head.

Just as the whirr of the mini-gun began to rise, Nadir released the end half of his rifle. Swinging his arm down, his ears rang at the clang of steel as he slammed the butt of his trigger into the base of the mini-gun. The force of his sudden blow sent the weapon up and over his head, its wielder swinging back.

"Y-!"

Nadir dragged his hand across his rifle and in three sharp clacks of metal it unfolded into a blade. Snarling he crashed the blade against the side of the mini-gun again as the pirate tried to take aim. They hopped back but Nadir shot forward. Drawing back his blade and with a frantic roar he drove the tip straight between the barrels as the guns spinning reached a loud whirr.

Jerking against the force Nadir grit his teeth and shouted high as he force his blade deeper until he heard the steel screech. A sharp fwoosh hit his ears and Nadir leapt back as the mini-gun's ammo ignited and the massive weapon exploded in its master's hands.

"You son of a bitch!" The two fighters shouted.

He could hear the other one coming, too fast, the fire had stung the last time but-

The pirate before him shouted, their gloves in ruins they lurched forward with an arm drawn back.

A memory flashed in Nadir's mind and without thinking he jumped forward. Drawing his legs up and throwing his head back he slammed both feet against the pirate's chest and slammed them into the wall. The speed of his jump sending him lurching forward and burying the pirate deeper in the stone.

The fire fwooshed and Nadir's fear kicked in. Kicking off from the black armoured pirate, Nadir threw himself back and into a roll as the jet stream of flames rushed by and instead collided with the pirate he'd embedded in the wall as they fell.

"Brother!" One of them roared as the wounded mini-gunner was blasted into another wall by the flames and slumped against the floor, steaming and smoke rising up from their singed form.

'Never freeze!'

Nadir shot off from the ground, dragging his sword behind him as he swerved around the corner. The flamethrower user bellowed at his charge and brandished their weapon. The tip of his blade scratched the melted floor and he watched as the spark flared into a flame.

Teeth grit, eyes wide and furious Nadir swung up and at the flames just now spilling from flamethrowers tip. His Aura was flooding out of his body and into his blade, it was radiating with a light pink light. Just as his sword's tip met the flames his Aura burst open like a surge of wind, bisecting the fire before it could touch him.

The flamethrower twitched but couldn't react fast enough as Nadir's sword crashed against their weapon and sent the flame spewing gun up with the force of his blow. Sword and arms seemingly out of control as his opponent's, Nadir almost double over as his swing neared its end. His sword crashed against the pirate's helmet and set it flying off, revealing a head of bluish hair and a feminine face that glared at him with a furious fire in her eyes.

Staggering back, only half noticing how her flamethrower was melting the roof Nadir swung his blade down and rushed forward. The pirate tried to drag her weapon down to meet his but she wasn't fast enough. With a forward strike he drove his sword into her gut. He felt it grind against her armour, Aura sending the force of his strike rippling away but Nadir was beyond fearing that now. Dragging his blade back he thrust forward against with a frantic shout, against and again, he struck a discordant chaotic patter across her chest and shoulders driving the pirate back.

"You shit!" She roared, slamming her gun barrel down on the top of his sword.

Knowing he had the merest second Nadir shot forward against, Aura pumping as madly as his blood and his blade burning hot in his hands as he dragged the blade across the pipeline and tore it asunder.

There was a singular moment of shock, not even a gasp, but both heard the spark, the fwooshing hiss of fire. Nadir slammed his sword into her side and swung, hurling his foe into the hallway to his right.

Kicking back he heard the blast a mere instant before he saw it as a wild wall of flames surging towards him. Drawing back his sword Nadir shouted as he swung!

An endless stream of purple laser fired rained down through the caverns. Blake desperately batted aside each one but they moved too fast and for what few she could deflect a dozen more were crashing against her frame. For what dozen she could dodge, there was always another dozen waiting wherever she leapt. Weiss's feeble attempts at cover kept failing her. The ground at Weiss's feet exploded and she was sent fleeing backwards.

Blake wanted to run to her, to jump in and fight, to run away or forward anywhere but-

Another blinding light, she slashed it away her sword, the faint sting of its energy still running through her Aura as she looked to Weiss. She glanced at Weiss who was kneeling and panting on the ground, only for a thicker beam to fly at her in that moment of distraction leaving her wide open. Slamming into her throat she was flung back as well, a stream of laser bolts striking her all over as she slammed into the torn up metal floor.

Everything stung! Her entire body quaked and shook and she couldn't even move.

"Give in Schnee and I'll let you keep your pet!"

Blake couldn't even make out Weiss's shriek, ear pressed to her head as she tried to scramble away from the blasts.

"No!?" He shouted, "Too bad!" and fired, unleashing a thick laser blast that hurtled towards her head and would take it clean off if she didn't move!

Blake's eyes widened as a sudden flood of Aura ran through her system, one final adrenaline rush in defiance of death. A calm ran through her entire being even as she shook from the pain but- She met his eyes and something in Blake faltered. 'It's ov-'

Before that thought could even finish that traitorous thought a flash of white blurred in front of her in a half crouch. Weiss's hair and coat flared in the wind as she met the laser blast with the tip of her blade and a howl of lightning tormented Blake's ears even as she lay stunned.

A blinding light flared for an instant and then vanished into nothing to reveal Weiss standing stock still, sword thrust out and panting. "That was, I.." she mumbled before spinning around and shouting, "Blake!" her eyes wide with worry.

Blake heard the click of the trigger before she saw the flash of laser fire leave the captain's sniper rifle. Without a thought she flung herself between Weiss and the blast, purple Aura surrounding her cleaver as he met the blast with the flat of her sword. With a furious grunt she sent the beam, into a wall that cracked and crumbled as the blast tore through it.

'His attack, it wasn't as strong as Adam's, how have I...' Just as her eyes started rising up to spy his form, she bit her tongue and looked at Weiss as the awful sickly feeling that left her feet so heavy returned.

"You too?" Weiss murmured.

Grunting in affirmation Blake said, "I'm with you, I need you."

"I'm on your side, but I need you with me," Weiss answered.

Blake nodded to her friend, a small smile etching its way onto her firmly set features at the lack of reservation in Weiss's gaze. With that image firmly planted in her mind Blake flung herself forward with an after image. The silver teal of Weiss's Glyphs rang out and she spied the girl in white at her side.

Another barrage of laser fire rained down towards them, but they didn't break off their charge. Blake blurred in front of Weiss and deflect a beam out of the way without breaking her stride. The next instant later Weiss followed suit with a flash of lighting. They weaved in, out and between each other their charge gaining speed.

The oppressive weight began to fade and Blake bared her blades and launched herself ahead of Weiss. She spied the tip of the captain's gun but just as he seemed ready to fire in her face a light flared up at his feet and the pirate was flipped in the air. Only now did Blake notices the thick black pumps attached to his guns and the mass of metal he was standing on.

Flinging herself up Blake lashed out with Gambol Shroud. Her gun-blade swung through the air in a sharp blur and in an instant cut right through the thick pumps in an instant. She saw a faint trickle of purple Dust leak out as she flipped in the air and drove both legs into the man's chest. With another after image propelling her forward she torpedoed him right through a Glyph and heard a satisfying crash as he exploded into the wall, rubble and dust falling down and crashing to the floor.

Flipping through the air and flinging herself back to Weiss's side Blake met the floor with a clang and drew back Gambol Shroud. Violet energy wavered around her cleaver in a sharp wave of radiated energy. She could hear Weiss's weapon making a similar hum. Both watched as the hole in the cave face and rubble exploded outward.

Cloak flaring wide, hat lost and covered in dirt and scratched, the pirate captain roared as he tore himself free in one mighty leap. Grasping a machete in his hands and baring his teeth in a battle cry, he shot down towards them and slashed...

Only to meet thin air as they darted around and behind him in a flash. Just as he spun around, Burn Dust rippling off his machete they attacked. Blake swung Gambol Shroud down like an executioner's blade. Weiss thrust Myrtenaster, a gout of flames erupting from its tip.

Both blasts fused into one violet roaring sword beam that tore through the man's meagre blade with a snap of steel and colliding with his chest. Blake could barely see passed the blinding light as he was flung back with a terrified wail, his entire body limp as their attack rocketed him towards the caves exit.

Only in the last instant did he come to a crashing halt as Weiss summoned a Glyph at his back and the captain's body was consumed in the violet blast so powerful it tore through Weiss's Glyph as well.

'One, two... three,' Blake countered silently before the man's back raised if only slightly and fell in a low shallow breath. Letting out a ragged breath of her own Blake's shoulders drooped and she smiled, a tingling sensation running through her entire body.

Only for her ears to twitch. Head swivelling around Weiss followed her lead and they saw a dark haired woman in an armour bodysuit break off from her attempt to sneak by on the wall to break for it and run for the stairs.

Letting out a low sigh Weiss flicked Myrtenaster in the woman's direction and with a hiss of ice her feet were frozen and she was sent tumbling down the stairs, a curse punctuating every thump.

Letting Gambol Shroud's gun-blade hang from the wrist she tied it to, Blake reached up to put a hand on Weiss's shoulder.

Only for Weiss to spin around and pull her into a crushing hug.

Stilling for a moment a tremor ran through her being before she impulsively wrapped her arms around Weiss and pulled her smaller frame against her own.

"It's OK, we won," She said, maybe to Weiss, maybe to herself, probably both.

"I know, just, I just needed that and-" Weiss stilled and Blade felt her ears twitch.

"Nadir!" They shouted in mutual realisation. Turning to the hole in the floor that marked the stairs they ran. 'Oh gods Arslan will murder us and then she'll-'

Blake's thoughts were cut off an armoured body was tossed up, followed by a second and then the now much more silent pirate they'd frozen, all landing in a pile of broken and partially melted steel and ice.

"Hey guys..." droned Nadir's weary voice as the boy lurched up the steps, "You won? That's cool," He slurred before slumping down on the floor and leaving his legs to dangle as he fell back onto the floor.

Blake could smell the smoke on him and his blue and white clothes were singed brown. Thankfully the worst physical damage he'd seemingly suffered was his ponytail falling out.

"We did, and it seems you won as well, congratulations," Weiss said.

"Thanks," Nadir answered, "Don't think I can move anymore... Oh," he suddenly stirred, almost sitting up only to be interrupted.

The captain's body twitched and the man let out a ragged spitting cough as he tried to push himself up on shaking limbs. "You stupid little bitches," He growled, desperately trying to stand as he staggered and half crawled towards them. "Once my crew gets here, you..." he gasped, "You'll be in for a world of-"

"Oh shut up!" Weiss snapped, dress-coat flaring as she raised up her heel and slammed it into the man's forehead with a crack that sent him smacking into the ground clutching his face.

"The fuck! Aaahh! This fucking hurts you stupid shits!" He raged. "How did you? How did you get passed my Semblance!?" He demanded, one hand still covering his face but the other reaching out to them even as it shook as if he could pull answers from this air.

Blake wanted to hiss and curse and slam his head into the ground until he passed out and never said another damned word again. Tearing her eyes from him thought she simply said, "You may have tried toying with our minds but that's meaningless when we're together. We were stronger than could ever be."

"Aww!" Came a high and amused voice from the stairwell.

"Hah, that's it!" The captain shouted, "Blur get in here-" The captain's manic smile faded as a bulky soldier in a ruined uniform was hurled up through the stair well and met the floor with a small 'boom'. He was quickly followed by a slight man with silver hair in a ruined bodysuit and at least three other similarly tattered pirates before Yang and Arslan strode into the hall. Yang looking very pleased with herself and looking around like she owned the place.

The smiling blonde looked at them and before Blake or Weiss could escape they found themselves drawn into one of her hyper heated hugs as Yang practically bounced with energy. "I heard the end of the fight even down there, and that line, aw you guys are so cool!" She said.

Blake could only blush, trying to separate her conscious mind from her body and maybe come back sometime never.

"That's right," Nadir said, "The others are here, they were just dragging some pirates behind them."

"I told you to let us help move you," Arslan said, as her team clustered around Nadir while Ruby ran over to them and Blake found herself and Weiss on the end of a second hug.

"Yeah sorry," Nadir said tiredly, "But hey I won, and listened to your advice!"

"I know, you did amazingly well," Arslan said quietly, though not so quietly Blake couldn't hear the pride in her voice.

"Wha... what!?" The captain spluttered.

All eyes turned to him and it was Ruby who spoke first with a simple, "You lost, that's what."

The captains eyes, filled with hatred turned on her and he looked ready to shout.

Only to get clonked on the back of the head by Reese who said, "His voice was annoying."

Clapping her hands and looking over the sight of their battle Yang said, "Well that's a wrap I guess. We stopped the Grimm incursion at the base of the fortress."

"The what?" Weiss said mutely.

"Oh yeah some Grimm broke in and attacked the pirates, we dealt with it though," Ruby said from her position before Blake and Weiss.

"And now," Arslan continued, "All the pirates are either unconscious, injured or have surrendered. For as long as we can hold it or until we call for back up the base is ours."

"It's clear what we must do," Yang said, her words serious and sombre, before her smirk became evident as she said, "become pirates!"

"Yang!" Ruby said.

"Kidding, kidding!" Yang said, waving her hands as if to fend of Ruby's words. She then glanced at ABRN and said, "Would it be OK if we took some Bullhead parts though? We ah, kinda need 'em."

Shrugging Arslan said, "No skin off our backs, many of them are from Haven and will be repossessed anyway. Besides, unless you all want credit I suppose we can consider it your compensation?"

Grinning up a storm Yang said, "Awesome, let's not waste any time then!"

Epilogue!

It hadn't taken long for the two teams to agree to a one hour 'grace period' in which the ABRN would help them gather supplies so that the Knights Errant could leave once their friends called in Haven for back up. Of course, with eight people working around the clock and the Knights Errant very used to scavenging, it would hardly take all that long even with Ruby and Yang on the lookout for part that could help create a new and improved Ember Celica.

'Hehe, we'd probably have already left if Yang and Reese didn't want to look at the laser engine that captain was using for his guns,' Ruby thought. Heck, upon seeing the altered laser cannon engine she'd practically salivated on the machine. It was so, so sad that such a thing of beauty had been in the hands of a rapscallion. Ruby grinned at the thought of everything she'd picked up from cracking that baby open.

Of course she wasn't the only one seeking out some extra special equipment, Yang had also made it a point to tear out more than a little of the Specialist airship's engine and taken some of the battleship's jets, going off on a tangent about speed and weight differentiation Ruby could only partially follow.

Now six of their eight person squad were gathered in the armoury and were all leaning, sitting or otherwise loafing around on a boxes of supplies and ship parts. Ruby herself was perched upon a wing laid out on the ground with Reese, while Weiss and Blake sat against the wall, Nadir was dozing atop a crates worth of supplies while Bolin leaned against a nearby rock wall.

Together they were watching over the beaten pirates. Most were unconscious or groaning on the ground form their injuries, with only a few who'd missed the combat by hiding and surrendering hanging off to the side. While not technically bound anything resembling armour or weaponry had been taken and those who had surrendered were under constant watch well away from their the few waking and lucid pirates who they'd beaten down that now scowled at the floor.

No one had let the leaders wake up yet.

At the sound of Bolin's tapping foot on the wall and the increasingly evident twitch on Weiss and Blake's brows Ruby suddenly said. "So what are you guys gonna do once this is over?

"Well," Reese said, as if mulling it over for a moment as she placed a finger to her chin. "I think we'll head home, shower, sleep, that kinda thing."

"She meant after that," Bolin cut in, head lolling from side to side.

"Oh yeah," Reese said, smiling as she slapped one fist into her palm. "We'll be heading off for the Vytal Tournament in a week or two, right when the next semester starts!"

"Wait, you were taking missions during semester break?" Weiss asked.

Tisking Bolin said, "Arslan insisted, and how long until she and Yang get here?" Bolin groaned, thumping his head against the rock wall.

"Sooner than you might think Bolin," came Yang's jubilant voice as she re-entered the chamber from the stairwell.

Ruby stared wide eyed as Yang strutted passed their group with a crate full of liberated Dust, clothes and small engine parts in her arms. That was not what was odd though. What stood out was the sharp angled hat with a skull on it that she wore on her head.

Grinning at Ruby Yang's placed down one of her crates, hand shooting into it and she pulled out a matching red hat that she plopped onto her head. "I found pirate hats," the blonde said cheerfully, marching away.

"Eeh!" Ruby squeaked happily as she re-positioned her hat in a suitably jaunty way only to hear the rest of ABRN, save their leader, gasp.

Spinning around Ruby mimicked the ABR trio at the sight.

It was Arslan, and just like Yang she was carrying a crate of liberated provisions, except she now wore a set of massive hoop earnings, had a bandanna tied around her arm and a pirate hat on her head.

Glancing at them her resolve almost seemed to waver for a moment before her usual stern expression reasserted itself and Arslan merely said, "She found pirate hats," and marched away.

The even light shone down on Yang's head as she stood atop the storage crate, the metal clanking under her steps before she knelt down, taking what looked like a four part steel claw fused with a plunger and pressed it down against the white metal lid and tapped her ear piece and said, "We're locked on."

"Is it fastened?" Blake's voice asked over the earpiece from her place inside the cockpit.

"I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't," Yang said, resisting the urge to turn around and search for Ruby at the sound of Crescent Roses gun fire, only, because her sister was laughing.

"I just wanted to make sure," Blake said neutrally, too neutrally... "None of us want a repeat of that Dust container travesty."

"Oh hah hah," Yang said, "You know that wasn't my fault."

"Keep telling yourself that," Weiss cut in over the Scroll call.

"You guys suck!" Yang groaned, only stopping when she heard the claw hum and then fasten itself to the lid with a heavy clunk as it magnetised to the surface then dug its claws into the waiting slot. Throwing back her hair Yang called, "Looks like we're all hooked up here!" before jumping down do the grassy islands surface and kicking up a small mass of dust left over from their explosive entrance into the looming pirates base not twenty feet away.

Yang spun around and made her way passed the metal cable towards their most recently stolen Bullhead as Ruby and ABRN slipped from the brush and made their way over to the ship as well. Just as Blake came to stand at the open deck, Arslan said, "We just cleared out the last of the Grimm in this area and we have back up scheduled to be here in less than an hour." For a moment the blonde's olive eyes actually shifted away from meeting Yang's own before coming back in full force as Arslan held out her hand and said, "Looks like this is where we part ways, Knights Errant."

"Yeah, it does," Yang said, clasping Arslan's hand in her own and squeezing tightly.

"Aw, I'll miss you guys," Ruby said, sulkily hugging Crescent Rose to her chest.

Reese just looked at her quizzically a moment before marching up and pulling Ruby into a hug. "Hugs are cool," she said, as Ruby returned the gesture.

"Yeah this was," Nadir said, chuckling, "an experience."

"You'll get used to it," Blake said.

"That's probably what he's afraid of," Bolin chuckled.

"We'll be on the watch for your fights at the Vytal Festival, good luck to you," Weiss said.

"Thank you," Arslan said, not having yet released Yang's hand, though Yang was similarly refusing as their grasp tightened and tightened as Arslan continued, voice growing rougher. "Good luck with wherever your journey takes you next, and I hope we can work together again," she finished with a grunt. Their hands were shaking now. "Go once your ship's done, and if you ever want to team up again just call,"

Grinning, Yang let her Aura continue to flood her hand, the air around their impromptu contest warping from the heat as she said, "Wouldn't miss a chance for another team up, or a throw down, next time I'll have weapons too."

"Baring her teeth and grinning Arslan said, "I'll have to increase our training regime then."

"Oh gods!" Nadir groaned.

"If you two are done measuring your..." Weiss began, before finally settling on, "egos?"

"Never," Yang cut in.

"We really should go," she finished with a sigh.

Arslan was the first to pull away, a muted sigh escaping her lips, "Very well, you do have reason to leave, good luck again, all of you."

"And to you as well!" Yang cheered, shooting in for a genuinely friendly hug at Arslan's side before running around ABRN and ruffling the other team's hair before leaping into their Bullhead with her team as Blake revved up the engine.

Waving down as the Haven teamed waved back they called, "We'll see you guys again, bet on it!" before the ship's engines flared and they shot off, dragging the crate of engine supplies into the air behind them.

As the Knights Errant disappeared Arslan let a measured grin slip onto her features as she gestured for her team to follow her back through the gaping hole she and Yang had torn open in the base so they could return to their guard work until back up arrived.

"You know," Nadir said, eyes shifting worriedly, "they said they didn't want any attention, but the pirates will know other people helped us."

Snapping his fingers, Bolin said, "Yeah and Weiss has like, Schnee Glyphs you can't exactly cover that up."

"Do you have a plan?" Reese asked her simply.

"I do," Arslan said, coming to a stop a little ways before the hole in the mountain's surface, close enough to hear any movements on the pirates' part emanating up, but not positioned so that her words would easily filter down. "The facts of the matter are simple, we met a a team of independent Huntresses whom we needed the assistance of in resolving this pirate situation, they wanted to get their stolen ship and equipment back from the pirates after their camp was raided but left due obligations to obligations in Vale. Provided we get a few specifics straight this story should carry well enough, most of the pirates started out as village dwellers, not connected enough to know of Weiss or Blake, and Ruby and Yang are hardly household names," 'Yet' she thought to herself. "And the Schnee Semblance is not the only one that utilise something similar to Glyphs."

Looking towards the horizon where the Knights Errant had flown, Arslan sent her team a half lidded look of amusement as she shrugged, "Besides, a Schnee, working with an accused Faunus and two unknown Huntresses? Who would believe such an absurd story when it comes from the mouths of pirates?"

"Hah, yeah," Bolin said, "Next they'll be saying Yang and Ruby are also the kids of some legendary super team of Hunters and have magic powers or some cr-" he stalled at Arslan's glare and amended, "Crud."

"Indeed, besides it'll be hard enough to get a straight story out of all the pirates, so long as we're reasonably consistent things will hopefully work out," Arslan said, knowing too well to make any promises as to that fact.

"Still," Reese huffed, "They were fun, I hope we run into them again and they don't die out here."

"Aw come on, they were really tough!" Nadir said, patting Reese on the shoulder.

"They were," Arslan said, "And as to seeing them again, well, I may have some ideas."

Yang pulled away from her welding, a wide grin on her lips at the newly attached wing on their Stardust. "All right guys, take five!" She shouted, and everyone let out a relieved sigh, letting rope bindings and Glyphs meant to keep the wing up worked, slack and fade.

Jumping from the roof of Stardust Yang landed against the cement floor with a clap when-

"So how long will those repairs take?" Came a rough, sharp voice.

"Oh another week or... so..." Yang's voice trailed off as the voice actually registered and her face split into a massive grin as she spied Arslan and her team framed by the afternoon sunlight at their warehouses door. "Arslan, and the assorted rugrats!" She cheered, rushing towards her blonde.

"Hey!" Bolin barked, which Yang happily ignored as she clasped Arslan's hand in a tight grip and grinned down at her fellow fist fighter as the squeezed tighter and tighter.

"Reese, Bolin!" Ruby cheered, sweeping the duo into a hug and bring a smile and a laugh to them respectively as they answered, "Ruby!"

"Nadir," Blake said, nodding to the pink haired gunner.

"A pleasure as always," Weiss said coolly, though there was a tiny smile on her lips.

"Hey again guys," Nadir, greeted rubbing his neck but standing more confidently than Ruby thought she'd ever seen him as she pulled away from Reese and Bolin.

Jumping excitedly in place Ruby looked at ABRN, all cleanly dressed and fresh looking with travelling packs on their backs and asked, "What are you guys doing here?"

Arslan was the first to answered, "Once the pirates were locked away - your cover is safe, by the way," she added with a nod towards Blake and Weiss, the former of whom wasn't even bothered to hide her face at this point. ""We were called back to Haven. We gave our report and were offered the chance to rest, or join a temporary village protection mission while Haven stabilises the regions affected by the pirate scourge."

Bolin shrugged widely and grinned, "We knew Shorleight was in good hands, but we couldn't exactly tell them that."

"And we thought you guys might like some company!" Reese said, a wide grin on her lips as she held up her Scroll and hover board.

Nadir looked away for a moment, "I am a bit worried about the other towns though..."

"It's nothing to be concerned with Nadir," Arslan said, "They'll have all the volunteers they need regardless of what we did, this just ensures Shorelight is, extra safe, as are the Knights Errant."

Grinning Nadir chuckled and said, "Fair point, heh, and I guess this isn't the only town with two teams, SSSN and CMSN got stuck together as well."

"Their leader ran off to Vacuo right when term ended," Bolin clarified, "so his team have to act as support for CMSN, poor Neptune, those ladies will eat him alive."

"So you guys are here for like a week? Two?" Yang asked, and Ruby could already feel the temperature rising as her and Arslan's Aura flared and kicked up a small ethereal breeze.

"Indeed, two weeks In fact. Long enough for Mistral to arrange an official protection program and plenty of time for you to fix your ship, and maybe spar in between," Arslan said with a toothy smile.

"This," Ruby said, voice rising high, "is going to be the best slumber party ever!"

Notes:
Hello again! Thanks for sticking with the Knights Errant, I hope this arc has been an enjoyable read and if you have any critique, questions or comments please don't be shy. As always thanks go out to Person With Many Aliases for beta reading and t everyone who has commented, faved, liked and followed.

Looking back on it, I could have made this a tighter arc, and changing around a few scenes such as Yang V Arslan, could have made the story make more sense, thanks to everyone who pointed that and other such issues out.

I can't say when or if I'll be coming back to this story, but I just want to thank everyone again for reading. Welp, laters! :D