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The smell of freshly fallen rain filled the night, covering the grounds of the old stone mansion. Some people envied the scent, it was like the slate had been cleaned, the pallet cleansed, a new beginning. But to the figure watching the home from the heavily wooded forest across the street, the recent rain meant only on thing; Any scents of people having come or gone from the premises had been washed away a long time ago.

The shadowy figure let out a frustrated snarl. Hidden amongst the brush, they were barely noticeable while dressed in all black. A thick hood hung over their head, obscuring the top half of their face. Below that sat a silver mask covering their mouth and nose, a monstrous tooth-filled maw was painted on it in red. He cut a tall, intimidating figure as he stood slowly, the moonlight revealing the deep red symbol on his outfits back. It was a wolf, teeth bared, ears flat, and three long slash marks behind it. The dark figure observed the mansion skeptically through his golden irises, the darkness of the night doing little to hinder his vision. One of the many perks to being a faunus.

It was a good acre of property, the building itself had once been an old schoolhouse, before the new owner had bought it and converted it into what it was today, a gaudy symbol of their wealth. Two stories tall with dark shutters and a multi-car garage (Added after the remodel obviously), the architecture gave off a sense of wealth and power. But at the end of the long curving driveway sat a ten foot brick wall that surrounded the entire property. The spikes at the top of the barricade, as well as the security cameras posted at regular intervals gave off a clear message;

"Stay Out".

The faunus studied his options. His intel suggested that the gate was a no go, electrified. But the brick and mortar the wall was primarily composed of wasn't, just the spikes at the top. But then there was the cameras, swinging back and forth assuring no section of the street surrounding the estate was unsupervised for more than a couple seconds... all but one.

He'd been scouting this location for some time now, and he'd noticed exactly one camera was slower with it's rotations. Maybe the weather had made it's insides slightly rusty, he didn't really care, all that mattered was it bought him a few more seconds. Not much, but he could work with that.

He watched the malfunctioning camera stutter as it turned, it's servos clicking as it struggled to move. Beneath his hood, their golden eyes were unblinking, his pupils reduced to slits. Then, like a bolt fired from a crossbow, he burst out of hiding, heading straight towards the wall. When he was about three quarters of the way there, he brought his hands up, and from the fingertips of his ebony gloves two inch brown claws erupted with a "snikt". In a single leap, he nearly cleared the obstruction. But instead, he embedded his claws into the row of bricks just below the electrified top of the wall, and with one final push with his feet, he sailed over and landed in a crouch on the other side.

For a moment, the faunus remained still in that position. Almost as if he was waiting for something, some sign that he'd been discovered. But there was nothing. The same quite mansion sat unperturbed in the darkness. Something wasn't right.

"Tukson? What's your status?" a female voice chimed in over the earpiece he was wearing.

Tukson brought a finger to his ear to answer. "I've arrived. But it's way too quite. Are we sure he's even home?"

"Positive. His car arrived a couple hours ago. Plus, his private security force is still on site. He's in there."

Tukson offered a grunt of acknowledgement. "Okay, I'm moving in."

"Gotcha. Be careful Tukson."

"Thanks Carmella." Tukson ended the call. Radio silence was to be the norm for the rest of the mission.

Their conversation over, Tukson began slowly creeping across the manicured lawn, passing numerous well trimmed hedges and bushes, some tastelessly cut into the shape of animals. The owner of the house; Drake Ivey, had money, that was apparent. But it was how he had amassed his fortune that had gotten him in the White Fangs cross-hairs.

Drake was a well dressed, influential, and powerful stock trader. Respected in many social circles, especially after he struck it rich with his investments. The best suits, the most exotic cars, nothing was too good for him. He made sure to keep up appearances though, donating to local charities during the holidays, image was everything for Drake. But it was all a front. The facade he lived had been created by consultants just as corrupt and morally bankrupt as Drake himself. His wealth wasn't the result of any lucrative business deals. No, Drake had instead decided to go the route of a back market dust dealer. That alone would be enough to put him on many powerful groups hit list. But it was how he acquired his goods that had gotten Tukson's, as well a the rest of the White Fang's attention; Faunus slaves.

The thought of his people being snatched off the streets for this made him clench his teeth in anger. The hungry and poor, those that wouldn't be missed, they were being shipped halfway across the world and being worked to death in dust mines for this mans corrupt empire. All so Drake could continue to live the lavish life he's built for himself on the corpses of Tukson's kind. It made the faunus blood boil.

Tukson's hand went to the tube shaped device hanging from a strap at his side. The cool metal it was comprised of was familiar to him, and the memories it brought made him smile. Drake wasn't special, just another scumbag human. He wouldn't be the first one Tukson had been sent to deal with, and he wouldn't be the last. But Tukson would enjoy this one. A man like this, someone who viewed faunus as a means to an end, a resource to be exploited, he'd make sure he felt every second of his punishment. Drake's story would become a cautionary tale. A lesson to any human that dared to-

A gunshot broke Tukson out of his thoughts.

His head snapped up. The shot had been fired from inside the house, but not at him. The faunus began scanning the darkened windows of the home, until he saw a bright flash inside the room on the northeast corner of the second story, accompanied by the sound of another shot. If the blueprints the White Fang had "acquired" were accurate, that was Drake's office.

Throwing subtlety to the wind, Tukson began sprinting towards the house, more specifically towards the large glass terrace door. Not slowing down, he thrust his shoulder into the entrance. It didn't stand a chance against the bulky faunus frame as it shattered into pieces. Now inside, all Tukson's suspicions were confirmed. No alarms, no lights, and perhaps most noticeable; the corpses of Drakes private security littered the foyer were Tukson had entered.

Someone else was here.

Someone else was here for Drake.

There were at least five or six bodies covering the floor, all dressed in matching black suits. Each of them seemed to have been taken down with a single stab wound. Tukson leaped over the body of an unlucky guard who looked like he'd been stabbed through the eye. Then another who had gotten a blade in his chest, right through the heart. Cutting the power, eliminating the security, all without alerting Tukson outside. This intruder, whoever they were, they were a professional.

The faunus bolted up the staircase to the second floor, his sharp eyes scanning for any signs of movement as he ran. After reaching the top of the stairs, Tukson arrived outside the room the shots had been fired from. Barely wasting a second, the faunus intruder kicked the double doors clean off it's hinges. He quickly looked around the room for any signs of life. The office was just as lavish and overdecorated as the rest of the mansion. A regal print carpet spread across the hardwood floor, in the corner a liquor cabinet sat with an open brandy bottle sitting on it. One side of the room was shelves filled top to bottom with books, this caught Tukson's attention for a moment, books had always been a bit of a vice for him, that fact hadn't changed over the years... even if he had. Not allowing the distraction, Tukson shifted his gaze to the opposite wall, what he saw made him raise his eyebrows in awe. Apparently Drake was very passionate about his "work", hence the large glass case that displayed many expertly cut dust crystals taking up most of the wall space. Burn, Ice, Gravity, it was quite a collection. One that Tukson made a mental note to swipe before he left. By the door Tukson had destroyed upon entry were a pair of tall stone statues depicting a beautiful (human) woman in a less than practical, but sensual pose.

And then there was Drake. He sat at an ornate wooden desk, in a chair just as exquisite. A large window covered the wall behind him, silhouetting him in the moonlight. Tukson noticed there was another (less fancy) chair overturned on the floor in front of his desk, maybe he'd had a guest? Drake's head was hanging back, a large revolver was still clutched in his hand, but it hung uselessly at his side.

Approaching slowly, claws out, Tukson could make out a small trail of blood staining the left side of his chest, ruining the designer suit jacket Drake had been wearing. One single stab wound, just like the other victims downstairs. But this one was less clean, the strike missed the heart by a couple inches, instead hitting one of Drake's lungs. Drake had suffered, most likely choking on his own blood. A slow death, Tukson took some solace in that, but a part of him was furious.

This was HIS kill. Someone had stolen it. He was so absorbed by his rage he didn't notice one of the statues by the door shift it's gaze onto him.

Tukson let out a frustrated sigh as he placed his hands on Drake's desk. Only thing left to do was look for clues as to who had done it, they couldn't have gone far, if Tukson could pick up a scent he could try and track them. The faunus took a few quick sniffs of the air in the dark office, putting his enhanced animal senses to work. The whole place smelled like death, but there was something else in the air, a scent he hadn't noticed before. It was a faint hint of... chocolate... and strawberries? And there was something else too... a third smell... it was bland... but sweet. What could it-

Tukson's eye went wide as he dived to the side, a thin blade grazing his right arm. His aura flared to life around him, negating the damage. Tukson rolled into a low stance, claws extended, ready to strike. He glared at the assassin, contempt burning through his gaze as he took in his unlikely assailant. To say she was less than intimidating would be an understatement. She was... shorter than he expected. Tukson towered over the girl by a good foot at least. She was dressed in a shimmering pink gown that went down to the pair of matching high heels on her feet. A long slit ran up the side of the dress, stopping just short of her hip. The way she was dressed gave Tukson a hint as to just how she had gotten inside, she'd been invited. Drake had most likely invited this young woman over with less than noble intentions. Clearly the evening hadn't gone as he had expected.

The mystery girl's hair was immaculate, platinum blonde and done up in a bun, her entire ensemble seemed a stark contrast to the grizzly scene the mansion was now host to. Well, aside from the small blood splatter on the front. The woman's pose didn't seem overly threatening, one hand perched at her hip, the other was leaning on what looked like... an umbrella? An unconventional weapon to be certain, but Tukson had seen the blade, he knew there was more than met the eye to it, much like it's wielder he imagined. Her expression almost looked bored, like a child who'd finished playing with all their toys and was anxious for a new one. She may not of looked imposing, but her cold blue eyes told a difference story. There was a look in them that Tukson found unnerving. This woman was a killer, not that it wasn't obvious at this point. But the way she looked at Tukson made it clear she wasn't finished tonight. Tukson understood the notion she was giving off, it wasn't much of an assassination if you left anyone to tell the tale.

No witnesses. Tukson thought. Guess we're on the same page there.

With that, the faunus lunged forward with a growl, sharp claws aiming to tear right through his new prey. The assassin didn't even flinch, even as Tukson's arm swung down, she remained still, her expression shifting slightly to one of amusement. Tukson didn't care, he'd rip this human in half, just like he would-

The next series of events were difficult for Tukson to keep up with.

His claws hit the girl (at least he was pretty sure they had), then there was a bright flash. Tukson felt something hit the side of his face, then another blow to the stomach made him bend forward, and finally he felt what he assumed was a foot hit him in the back of the head. The large faunus stumbled forward slightly, but he didn't fall. Tukson spun around to face his attacker, letting out a frustrated growl. She was now sitting nonchalantly on Drakes desk, legs crossed, and her umbrella resting behind her head. The woman looked at Tukson and offered a small patronizing smile. It made his blood boil, the fact that she clearly didn't view Tukson as a threat. But as he looked at her his anger turned to confusion.

When the hell had she changed clothes?!

The dress and styled hair were gone, instead the assassin wore a low cut white jacket with pink around the collar and ends of the long sleeves. The jacket hung low in the back, but in the front it left her midriff covered only by a brown corset of some kind. The rest of her outfit was unremarkable by comparison, brown pants and white high heeled boots, which Tukson was pretty sure had a footprint that matched the welt forming on the back of his head.

But her hair, her new hair, was by far her most noticeable trait. The blonde locks were gone, replaced with brown and pink, split right above her left eye. Speaking of which, her eyes still had that same playful/psychotic gleam to them, but instead of shining blue irises, the assassin had one pink eye and one brown. Tukson had to hold back a gasp of surprise when the girl blinked and her eyes seemed to change sides, or rather the color of her eyes did.

She raised and eyebrow at the faunus, if he wasn't mistaken, it almost looked like this woman was challenging him. It was like her look was saying, "Care to try that again?" A younger, more naive Tukson might have taken the bait, and for what it's worth, he was tempted. But he knew better now, he'd underestimated his opponent, that wouldn't happen again. Tukson's hand hovered over the metal object at his hip, but he relented. No need to use a bazooka to kill an insect. Instead he eyed the overturned chair on the floor in front of him from the corner of his vision.

He kept his eyes locked onto the mysterious woman as he slowly began to approach her menacingly, making it look like he'd fallen for her taunt and was going in for another attack. But before he could get within arms reach, he hooked his foot around the chair on the ground and kicked it across the short distance between himself and the assassin. Predictably, the girl twirled to the side, avoiding the chair, Drakes corpse wasn't as lucky and was knocked clean out of his resting place. The girls dodge played right into Tukson's hand, before she could complete her movement, Tukson swung his claws right at her face... and hit nothing but air. The girl had merely leaned back and dodged again. Tukson slammed a foot on the ground to reverse his momentum, and swung his other hand full of sharp claws. The results were unsurprisingly similar to his first attack.

Tukson momentarily gave into frustration and continued swinging wild claw swipes at the woman. But, like she was engaged in an elegant dance, the girl maneuvered around every blow effortlessly. Eventually he got sloppy, and for that he caught the handle of the woman's umbrella under his chin.

Tukson was staggered, then he felt three quick blade strikes to his chest. His aura blocked them, but it wouldn't hold out forever. The faunus was actually beginning to feel a little overwhelmed, it wasn't a feeling he was accustomed too. He had to think of someway to turn the tide in his favor. As the woman swung her weapon for a fourth strike, Tukson wrapped both of his giant hands around the umbrella, stopping it mid-swing. The woman gave Tukson an impressed look, before trying to tug her weapon free of his iron grip, but Tukson just grasped it tighter.

Tukson grinned behind his mask. "Let's see how tough you are without your t-"

Suddenly the umbrella popped open, forcing Tukson to let go and causing him to lose balance for only a second. But that was all she needed.

Tukson's eyes went wide as the world seemed to slow down. He saw everything.

The wild look in the woman's eye.

The blade popping out of the tip of the umbrella.

The sinister smirk that played across her face as she thrust forward with all her might.

There was a flash of gold as Tukson's aura was shattered.

For a moment, the faunus just stood there, dumbstruck. Then he looked down and stared at the needle like blade sticking into his chest, a thin line of blood flowing up the blade.

A perfect strike. Right through his heart.

Tukson raised his head slowly, the woman was close to him still, her hand on the weapons hilt. She had a strange look in her mismatched eyes, she almost looked disappointed. By this point, pain was finally finding it's way to Tukson's shocked brain. He reached his hands up towards the umbrella to attempt to dislodge it. But the woman merely pushed the blade in deeper, twisting it slightly and causing the tip of it to poke out the faunus back. With a pained gasp, Tukson let his arms fall to his side, and his head lull forward. The assassin let out a sigh, the first sound she'd made during the whole encounter, before she brutally yanked the weapon out of Tukson's chest.

For a moment Tukson remained standing on shaky legs, wobbling back and forth, before the woman poked her index finger against his forehead, causing him to fall backwards onto Drake's desk, a small pool of blood collecting under him.



The assassin let out another sigh as she looked over the faunus body draped across the desk.

Boring. She thought to herself.

First Drake had failed to impress her, and then there was the overwhelming disappointment that was his private security, the whole evening had been lackluster for her. She'd sincerely hoped this unexpected newcomer might help salvage the night, she could tell he had fight in him, as soon as she'd seen his eyes. A faunus, not only that, but a member of the White Fang no less! Very interesting. But alas, turns out he was all fire, no heat.

The pink and brown haired girl spun on her heel and began to leave the room. Her job was done, Drake was no longer a threat to her employers business plans. She pulled a pink handkerchief out of her pocket, and began to wipe the blood off her blade as she walked. She'd gotten done faster than she expected, the night was still young, maybe she could go out and get some dinner before heading back. She felt like she'd earned-

There was a groan behind her.

She slowly turned to see the "dead" faunus sitting up.

Impossible. She knew where she'd hit him. She never missed, not unless she was dragging things out.

But there he was, staring back at her. Eyes full of the same venom they had a few minutes ago.

Don't know when to quit do you? She thought to herself.

The faunus wasn't making any moves, most likely the last bit of their adrenaline was all that was keeping them going, it was the only explanation that came to mind. The woman began swinging her parasol around her finger as she smirked at the wounded intruder. Annoyance aside, she was mildly impressed he could even move after her attack, let alone breathe. But ultimately, annoying was all it was, she had reputation to keep after all, and this interloper wasn't getting out of here alive.

No sense dragging this out. And with that, she dashed across the room in an instant, lodging her umbrellas blade deep into the faunus stomach this time, causing him to let out a wet cough. She'd impale every organ in his body if she had to.

But she never got the chance.

A pair of strong hands wrapped around her wrist on the weapons hilt, before ripping her hand away from the weapon. The unsupported umbrella slipped out of the mans torso and clattered as it hit the floor.

The woman's eyes went white. She looked up and saw the sick amusement in the mans feline eyes, the blood red maw on his face mask adding to the intimidation she suddenly felt.

The faunus let out a chuckle, "Gotcha." He said in a dark voice.

Without another word, he swung the girl by her arm, and with very little effort, threw her into the book covered wall.

The girls semblance was a powerful one. She could use it to fake many things. Her appearance, where she was standing, she could even use it to forge documents and get her into secure areas. But getting hurled like a rag doll into a shelf full of books by a giant of a man, that wasn't possible to fake, as she found out when her spine made contact with the unforgiving hardwood bookshelf, splintering it on impact. Aura could only do so much to lessen the force of the throw, and for the first time that night, she found herself on the floor. She groaned as she tried to stand, pain shooting through her back. She needed a minute. But the faunus wasn't about to give her one.



Tukson rubbed the still tender spot where he'd been stabbed, dabbing away the slowing flow of blood. She wasn't the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve. The first wound was already starting to heal, the one in his stomach wouldn't be far behind, doesn't mean it didn't hurt like hell. But it didn't matter, Tukson began to approach to slowly rising assassin, this was his chance to end this. He knelt down near her and grasped both his hands around her small throat.

The girl's eye's went white again, Tukson was beginning to recognize that color represented fear. She was afraid.

Good.

Tukson tightened his grip. The assassin began to kick wildly and clawed at Tukson's mitts with her much smaller hands, with little effect. After a few moments the multi-colored haired girl began to feel light headed, small blotches of darkness began to fill her vision as she stared up at her attackers merciless yellow eyes. Her struggles became weaker as her eyes fluttered shut.

Tukson leaned in closer to her face. "Let's see you flip and twirl your way out of th-"

Once again, Tukson was interrupted. Somehow, the mystery girl had managed to worm one of her legs up and delivered the pointed heel of her boot to the overpowering faunus chin, knocking his mask off in the process. The kick didn't do a lot of damage, but it provided just enough space for the assassin to separate Tukson's hands from her throat.

After filling her lungs with air again, she gripped one of Tukson's arms and wrapped her legs around it. She pulled herself up the arm slightly so her right legs shin was placed under his chin, over his throat. Then she wrapped her other leg around the back of Tukson's head, and she began tugging hard on the faunus arm, applying pressure to his windpipe.

Suddenly Tukson found himself on the receiving end of a choke-hold. The assassin sneered up at him as he tried to detach her from there position on the ground. Tukson swung his claws on his free hand at her, but the angle was awkward, and the girl kept swinging just out of reach. He did manage make a long slash down the side of her pant leg, even managing to draw blood. But all this accomplished was making the woman press harder into Tukson's throat, mainly in response to the pain, but also because this faunus just ruined her favorite outfit.

Tukson's strength was fading fast, he knew he had to make a move before things got worse. He shakily managed to get one of his legs under him, then the other, all while the pint-sized killer on his arm choked the life out of him. Slowly he picked her up with his still captive appendage, and with what strength he had left, he swung her at the bookcase again.

Once, twice, three times he did this, and all this did was make the woman's grip loosen for a half a second each time, before she redoubled her efforts to bring the taller man down. This girl was strong, far more than her outward appearance portrayed.

Tukson's head was starting to swim, his legs felt like jelly. He knew if he fell down now, it was all over. He desperately scanned his surroundings for anything he could use. From the corner of his eye he saw something shiny, several shiny things actually. The display case full of dust crystals, he just had to get there. He dragged himself across then room to the glass window, his vision darkening because of the lack of oxygen going to his brain. When he finally thought he was close enough, he put all his remaining strength into one final swing towards the glass case.

There was a crash, a yelp of pain, and then the sound of glass littering the floor. Tukson felt the pressure on his airway disappear, as he finally allowed himself to fall to his knees. He gasped for air, bringing a hand to his throat, his body greedily taking in the oxygen it'd been deprived of. He could feel the shards of glass that had embedded themselves into his arm, warm blood gathering under the sleeve of his jacket. There wasn't much he could do about them for now, they wouldn't be able to heal properly until he removed them. His vision slowly became clearer, there was a sound like glass crunching under someones feet as they scrambled away from him, for a moment Tukson thought his foe was retreating,

but when he looked up, there she was.

Her pink and brown hair was a tangled mess, a thin line of blood led from her hairline to her left cheek. Besides the other small cuts over her body, Tukson could see the long gash he'd made down her pant leg, blood starting to stain her dark pants. One arm was wrapped around her midsection, supporting the side that Tukson had been feverishly slamming into the wall a few moments ago. The other arm was pointing her long thin blade coming out of the top of her parasol at the faunus. Her once carefree expression was warped into a face filled to the brim with malice, her mismatched eyes, one pink and one white, burned a whole through him.

Tukson looked at this woman, she the complete polar opposite of what she'd been when she'd first appeared. She looked like hell, though he doubted he looked much better.

As he rose to his feet, he couldn't help but smile. He had a clear height and weight advantage over the tiny warrior woman. Anyone else would be limping away at this point, ready to call it a loss and be happy to have gotten away with their life. But not this one. No, her gaze was made of steel, and so was her resolve.

Tukson felt something deep inside himself, but he wasn't able to identify the feeling just yet. As he observed his opponent, he began to notice things about her he hadn't before. He'd originally had the misconception that she was much younger than actually was, maybe even a teenager. But her eyes conveyed a sense of experience and grief that could only come from a longer life. He couldn't place her exact age, but if he had to guess, she was probably only a few years younger than himself. Through rips in the sleeves of her coat he could see the lean muscle that was no doubt the result of the training that led to her holding her own this evening. Not to mention the way her outfit clung to her figure, the sweat of their battle causing it to fully show off the curves of her-

Tukson shook his head, clearing the distracting (and a little embarrassing) thoughts from his head. But when he looked back, he noticed the assassin doing her own appraisal of the faunus. She smirked and touched her fingers to the side of her chin, tapping the spot. Tukson raised his own hand to his face in confusion, until he realized his mask was gone, that's what she was alluding to. He watched the assassins eyes roam over his body, she smiled, and then winked at the faunus. Tukson felt that strange feeling in his stomach again, was she... flirting with him?

Nope. No. Tukson had no time for this... whatever it was. She was a human, she'd interfered with his mission here tonight, and nearly killed him. It was time to stop messing around.

He reached for the device at his hip, wrapping his hand around it, immediately it's familiar weight helped ease some of his fatigue. With a flourish, the weapon unfolded from it's compact frame with a series of metallic clinks, taking the form of a large axe, it's sharp curved edge shining in the moonlight. Tukson smiled as he held his axe out in front of him with both hands, he hadn't had an excuse to use it in a long time, he'd missed the feeling of it.

The mystery woman however, looked unimpressed by his display, and gave his weapon a shrug. But then Tukson saw that the collection of dust crystals had fallen at his feet during their altercation, a burn crystal caught his eye, and his grin grew wider. In one motion, he swept the rock off the floor and slammed it forcefully into the top of his axe. The woman raised an eyebrow at this, and then both together when the axe's blade was engulfed in fire. Without another word, Tukson swung his flaming weapon in an upward arc, surprising the assassin as a wave of fire raced toward her from the swing.

But she didn't move. Instead, the second the inferno touched her, she shattered like glass into hundreds of pieces. Tukson was baffled, then he heard the sound of glass crunching to his left and immediately intercepted a blow from his foe with the still smoking axe. Several quick blows were exchanged between the two, sparks flying with each strike. Tukson's blows were slower now, but his multicolored enemy was becoming less precise with hers, they were both feeling the effects of their brutal fight as it took a toll on there bodies.

After another quick flurry of blows, the assassin leaped back, and for a moment, they both stopped. The large fire that had been a result of Tukson's earlier attack was beginning to spread, the flames illuminating the two for the first time. No longer fighting in darkness, the smile on both their faces was apparent.

Tukson was breathing heavily, he hadn't had to push himself like this in a while, and he'd bet that the same could be said for his opponent. Her breathes were ragged as well, sweat running down her face, but still her expression was that same damn grin she had worn the majority of the night.

The faunus chuckled, "Guess I'm not the only one having a good time."

The girls smile widened.

"... My names Tukson." The faunus introduction seemed to catch the assassin off guard. She gave the faunus a confused look. After a moment he continued, "It's been a long time since I've had to use this thing." Tukson said, gesturing to the axe he was still pointing at her. "And I'd almost forgotten what it feels like to be this exhausted. All in all, I'd say it's been a fun night." Tukson took a chance and lowered his weapon for a moment. "But we both know that only one of us is walking out of here, right?"

The silent woman nodded, the smile she wore turned slightly malicious.

"Good." Tukson responded. "So, how about a name? Think of it as something for me to remember you by."

The woman gave Tukson an incredulous look, squinting at the faunus, seemingly trying to figure out what kind of trick he was pulling. She didn't seem to trust easy. Oh well, worth a shot Tukson thought disappointingly.

But just when he thought the fight would continue,

"..Neo"

Tukson's eyes widened in surprise. She'd spoke. For the first time since this all started. Her voice almost sounded hoarse, like she wasn't used to using it. This girl- Neo, was full of mysteries it seemed, why did he find that so fascinating?

"Neo? Hmm. Short and easy to remember, it suits you." The faunus joked. Neo narrowed her eyes at him, her gaze more playful than bloodthirsty at this point. "What do you say we finish this, Neo?"

Neo didn't need a written invitation, she lunged forward blade first. With a animalistic growl, Tukson did the same, fire erupting from his axe. Both of them were having the time of their lives.

And so the fight continued, the sound of weapons clashing, glass shattering, and roaring flames filled the mansion. Tukson had developed an immense amount of respect for Neo, this strange woman he'd only just met... and whom had impaled him less than an hour ago.

But they were both professionals, here to do a job, and couldn't afford to leave any witnesses. They both understood the practicalities of there work. But for Tukson, this had gone far beyond the simple assassination of a scumbag human, this was about pride. As a member of the White Fang, Tukson had a great deal of that at stake, and it showed as he rained blow after blow down on the small girls incredibly durable umbrella.

As the burly faunus delivered a particularly viscous downward strike, he watched as Neo's image shattered again, but not before she delivered another mischievous wink. Tukson wasn't sure why, until he heard a "chink" sound and felt his fire axe split something before it embedded itself in the wooden floor. A dark purple crystal laid broken in half at his feet, Tukson immediately recognized the element of dust with a sense of dread.

Gravity. he thought as the bottom fell out of his stomach.

Dust had proven to be a reliable source of energy over the years. In it's refined crystal form, it was stable, controllable, and made life easier for all of humanity. But if misused, intentionally or not, or if say, someone sliced a large chunk of one of the most dangerous and volatile elements of dust in half with an axe coated in flames, the results can be a little on the catastrophic side.

A wave of purple light spread across the floor, dark energy crackling on the objects it passed over, including the several other flavors of dust near it. Tukson looked up, and there was Neo, looking very proud of herself as she lifted her umbrella, almost like a shield. Tukson found out why, when all the remaining dust crystals started to glow, natures wrath brimming inside them. Tukson quickly tried to dislodge his axe, but before he could, all the dust fragments were raised into the air. Then they were slammed into the ceiling, activating them.

The explosion was massive. Fire, ice, wind, lightning, all the elements erupting from their crystal prisons at once, filling the former office of Drake Ivey.

Neo's parasol managed to block the energy of the explosion, but not the force of it, and the small girl was sent flying through the doorway of the room. She landed with a thud, sliding several feet on her back into the hallway, just the newest in a long list of injuries she'd suffered that night. She propped herself up on her elbows with a groan as she took in the results of her plan.

The office was completely engulfed in fire, the element that seemed to win out in the explosion. One of the wooden beams holding up the ceiling came crashing down, shooting embers into the hallway, promising to create more flames in their wake. Neo struggled to her feet, worn out but not beaten. She couldn't say the same for her opponent though, no way he survived that. The assassin felt a twinge of pity as she watched the room burn. It'd been a long time since she'd felt anything like that for anyone. But this "Tukson" had put up one hell of a fight, best she'd had in years if she was honest, and she'd given him everything she'd had. It wasn't a bad way to go, she thought. Neo was about to turn around, but then the debris in the office started to move.

You've GOT to be kidding me. Neo thought to herself, bringing up her weapon, not willing to be caught off guard again. Just how tough is this guy?

Neo got her answer when a flame covered Tukson pounced out of the inferno and tackled her before she could mount a counter-attack or even think about putting up an illusion. The force of Tukson's assault made the two fall backwards, right through the railing, sending them careening over the edge.

As they fell, Neo did her best to separate the two of them, or at least make it so that Tukson's still burning body broke her fall. She got a couple clean punches in, but to no effect. To be fair, Tukson was on fire, his mind was a little too preoccupied to feel anything else at this point.

With a sickening thud, both human and faunus hit the ground. Neo's struggle had managed to make them land on their side, so they both took the brunt of the fall. Thankfully, the force of the landing helped put out the remaining flames on Tukson's body. For a while neither of them moved, they were as still as any of the other corpses in the house. But then, the smaller of the two rose wearily.

Once at her feet, her steps were unsteady as she began to walk away. Neo stopped momentarily, spitting out a mouthful of blood before continuing. On the floor Tukson's still smoking body opened it's eyes, and then immediately closed them. He tried to move, but his body wasn't responding correctly. Eventually Tukson forced himself to lift his head off the floor, and he saw the small figure walking away from him.

"This isn't over..." he said, struggling to keep his head up. "You hear me, Neo?"

Neo turned around, a look of disbelief of her face. He really wasn't going to give up was he?

From his position on the floor, Tukson continued. "If you think... you can just walk away, you're wrong... you better finish me off..." Tukson's head finally fell back, his strength exhausted, he closed his eyes. He continued speaking, almost delirious at this point. "Otherwise... Otherwise, I'll find you... I'll hunt you down... You won't be able to hide from me..."

Tukson heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He couldn't move, he couldn't even find the strength to open his eyes. So this was it, this is how his story ended. Not a bad finale he supposed, killed by a worthy opponent, someone he respected. Maybe respect was the wrong word? He... admired Neo? Some might find it weird that he'd feel that way about someone whom he'd spent the last hour beating the hell out of each other with, but nothing about Tukson's life had been normal, so why should that change when it came to meeting women?

The footsteps stopped near Tukson's head. The faunus let out a short laugh, cut short when he felt pain shoot through his side, he made a note not to do that again, not that it'd matter much longer. He must be delirious, to be thinking about a human this way.

... Maybe... in a different time, in a different life, they could have-

It was at that point Tukson noticed he wasn't dead yet. He cracked an eye open, expecting to see the goddess of death wielding an umbrella above him. Instead, he saw Neo bent over, staring into his golden eyes with a pair of matching pink ones.

"You'll track me down, huh?" the mysterious girl asked. She giggled softly, clutching her side as she did.

"Okay then, it's a date."

She smiled down on Tukson, then without warning she leaned in and gently pecked her lips on Tukson's forehead.

Tukson could only stare back, dumbstruck.

And with one final wink, Neo disappeared in a blinding flash. Then Tukson blacked out.



Tukson's eyes shot open. He sat up on the couch of his small apartment. He felt an odd tightness in his chest... he'd been dreaming... but about what? He racked his brain, but it was gone.

The feelings weren't though, he raised a hand to his chest, under his shirt was a small scar that sat just over his heart. He massaged the area gently with his fingers and smiled. Yeah, he could guess what (or who) he'd been dreaming about.

Tukson heard what sounded like someone rustling around with pots and pans in his kitchen. Oreonna must be up and making breakfast-

Tukson's eye's nearly popped out of his head.

Oh god, Oreonna is up and making breakfast.

The horror of the situation finally dawned on him, all remnants of sleep ripped from his body. Almost on cue, there was a crash in the kitchen, combined with a burnt smell in the air, and a cute voice saying a not so cute word.

The older faunus couldn't resist an eye roll. Best get in there before she triggers the smoke alarms again.

Tukson lifted himself off the couch, when had he fallen asleep on it? He'd been up late working on his... side project, he came up from the office at around... 3am? And then he sat on the couch to rest for a moment... okay, the mystery wasn't as grand and elaborate as he thought it was.

He walked into the kitchen just in time to see Oreonna fanning smoke out the open window, the frying pan creating it was still sizzling in her hand. As she held it, her cat ears were twitching in annoyance and her long tail swung to and fro. Her black, sleeveless t-shirt and grey pajama pants had spots of flour all over them. It was too adorable for Tukson to stand, he wish he had a camera, even if his daughter would hate it.

"Stupid stove, stupid batter. Why can't dust be as easy to cook with as it is to fight with?" Oreonna complained to herself.

Her father cleared his throat, causing the cat faunus to jump, and the pan she was holding clattered onto the counter top.

"D-dad! I was just... uh..." She looked around at the mess she'd made in the kitchen, and smiled innocently. "... breakfast?" she said presenting the smoking pan to her father.

Tukson took a couple long strides over to look into the pan. "Breakfast, huh?" He spoke, observing the nearly black... what he assumed was once a pancake? With eight long pieces extending from the center mass, and two small lumps at the top. "That's sweet of you Oreo, but why is it shaped like a spider?"

Oreonna sighed and spoke softly, "It was supposed to be a cat face..."

"O-oh! Of course! I see that now!" Tukson said, trying to save it, but his daughters expression showed his attempt was in vain.

He wrapped an arm around his daughter and pulled her close. "So, making your old man breakfast, huh? What's the occasion?" He said, trying to change the subject.

"Well, y'know... I might not have a chance to make it for you for a while..." Oreonna responded a little sadly.

Tukson raised an eyebrow at this, his mind drew a blank.

"Wait... did you forget? Seriously?" She asked, giving her father a skeptical look.

Then it hit him. This was the day, the day his daughter would be heading off to Vacuo, to Shade. Tukson felt the uneasiness he had begun to associate with the situation reassert itself inside him.

"Of course I didn't forget!" Tukson lied... badly. "I just... uh..."

"You just were up all night working and fried your brain, then passed out on the couch." Oreonna finished, scowling slightly. "You aren't exactly building my confidence on the whole 'I'll be fine without you' front."

Tukson felt guilt wash over him. He had promised that he'd take better care of himself in his daughters absence. "You're right." He admitted. "Tell you what, you take another stab at breakfast, and I'll go get cleaned up like a responsible adult would, sound good?"

"Sure, I'll see what I can throw together that won't involve me burning down the apartment." Oreonna said as she scraped her pancake monstrosity into the trash can.

With that, Tukson stepped into his room, it was smaller than Oreonna's, but she needed the space more than he did. His bed was still made, unslept in obviously. As he began to prepare himself for the big day, he couldn't help but feel like the time was going by too fast.

It was three weeks ago that Oreonna had gotten in contact with Eden Evergreen, headmistress of Shade, and set up the meeting to sign the necessary paperwork for the scholarship she was receiving. All the while, the deer faunus wore a cocky smile, as if she'd known all along that she'd be hearing from Oreonna again. Once all the signing was done, Eden shook Oroenna's hand and said that her airship would leave in a month, and she looked forward to seeing her in Vacuo. Just like that, it was official, there was no backing out now.

The next several weeks had been spent picking up Oreonna's school supplies (quite a lengthy list in Tukson's opinion, but seeing as how his daughter was getting a free ride, he figured he could deal with a few expenses.), and saying goodbye to her friends. Yang was obviously less than thrilled that her friend wouldn't be joining her at Beacon, but she knew Oreonna had to follow her own path to becoming a Huntress and wished her nothing but the best. Also, any sadness the blonde brawler might have felt was overpowered by her excitement at the fact that her younger sister Ruby would be joining her at the combat school instead.

Through a series of events that Tukson wasn't one hundred percent clear on, the young girl was been advanced two years ahead. Something about a robbery, property damage, and fireworks?

Kids these days.

Now all that was left was the waiting, by far the worst part. Luckily Tukson had his own project to keep him busy in the meantime.

The White Fang issue still weighed heavy on his mind, and he'd been gathering intel for the past month. By day he prepared his daughter for her education, and at night he was staking out warehouses and trying to track White Fang movements in Vale. Dust robberies were on the rise, which meant they weren't laying low anymore, things were about to escalate, which meant he had to push himself harder. But at least he wasn't doing it alone anymore, Tukson had reached out to a few old friends for help. Many didn't return his calls, others turned him down, they just weren't up for the fight, it didn't do much to raise Tukson's hopes about their chances. But he did hear back from a few that had agreed to help however they could, even a couple of former Huntsman were on his side, it was nice to know he wasn't the only one taking the threat seriously.

Unfortunately, for all the help he'd received, he had to wait for the White Fang to make the next move. Rushing in would only get people on his side killed. They were only a few, a ragtag group at best, and the White fang had an army. They'd be crushed in an instant if they tried anything, he didn't want that, obviously.

So.. it looked like all he could do was wait now too...

As Tukson finished getting changed, he saw something else he'd been waiting for. On his dresser sat a small golded locket. Not fancy or expensive looking, just a tarnished old piece of jewelry on a string, but it meant the world to Tukson, and he hoped to give it to Oreonna before she left. The only problem would be whether or not she'd accept it, he doubted it'd go well... but he was out of time, if he procrastinated now, Oreonna would be gone for at least four years, he might never get the chance.

He took a breath to build up his confidence and picked up the small trinket in his giant hand. He stepped back into the kitchen, at the small table sat his daughter with a bowl of Pumpkin Pete's cereal in front of her, another was placed at the spot across from her. She smiled sheepishly at her father. Tukson smiled back, well at least the kitchen was in one piece. He sat down at the empty seat opposite his daughter as she dug into her cereal. Tukson sat there for a moment, struggling to think of a way to bring up the locket.

Just go for it? Sure that works.

"So... I have something for you... a going away present, I guess." He said nervously.

Oreonna's head perked up. "Really? What is it?" she said swallowing a mouthful of cereal.

Tukson reached across the table, taking his daughters hand and placing the locket in her palm. Oreonna held the trinket by it's string and observed it with bright eyes.

"Oooooo, shiny!" Oreonna's eyes sparkled.

Tukson smiled as his daughters reaction, he hoped it would last, but part of him knew better.

"Glad you like it... it was your mothers..." Tukson practically whispered the last part.

Instantly, Oreonna froze up, and then her expression became grim. She placed the locket on the table and carefully slid it towards her father.

"Then I don't want it." She stated plainly.

Tukson's fears were realized. "Oreo, I know how you feel about her, but I really think she'd want you to have it."

Oreonna's face turned sour, she seemed more focused on stirring her cereal than talking about this. When she finally responded, her tone was devoid of emotion.

"Why, she clearly didn't want me..."

Tukson felt a pain in his heart at his daughters words. As a child, obviously Oreonna had asked about her absent mom. Tukson had dodged the subject as long as he could, but she was relentless. Eventually he broke down and told her. Not everything mind you, he left out the parts about what he'd done with the Fang, as well as Neo's actions, but told her everything else. He may have spiced up the stories a bit, a little excitement to bring Oreonna's mother to life in the young girls mind. I guess a lifetime of reading books had given him a knack for storytelling.

But then he got to the part about how he'd found Oreonna on his doorstep, alone, in the middle of the night, in the rain, just a baby in a basket. Oreonna chose to focus intently on this part of his story. She felt abandoned by Neo. Once she'd found out what had happened, decided she wanted nothing to do with the woman that she refused to call mother.

Tukson didn't entirely blame her for feeling that way. As much as he wanted to give Neo the benefit of the doubt, he had no idea why she did what she did. But if he could at least just convince his daughter not to hate her, he'd be happy. Neo had left that locket in the basket with Oreonna for a reason, it was obvious to him why, he just had to make his daughter see it too.

Tukson put his hand on the locket and slid it back towards Oreonna, who looked at it with disdain, all previous signs of joy and wonder at the golden object had disappeared.

"Just... look inside, okay? Just once, for me?" Tukson begged.

Oreonna stared back at her father, her gaze softened a bit at the sad look he was giving her.

"Fine." She didn't so much say the words as she spat them.

Oreonna held the locket in her hands like it was some kind of insect she was both interested and disgusted with. Then she opened the small latch on the front and her face changed from disgust to confusion. Tukson knew the small, faded, black and white picture inside well. It was Neo, sitting on a hospital bed, clean white sheets covered her lower body, she sat up with a pillow supporting her. She looked exhausted, her hair was a mess, and her eyelids hung heavily. But the reason Tukson wanted his daughter to see the photo was the baby in her arms.

The tiny kitten ears on the top of the newborns head were a clear giveaway as to the babies identity. Tukson watched Oreonna's face go through a series of emotions as she looked at it, and it was then that he realized his daughter had never actually seen a picture of her mother before. Hell, that was the only one Tukson had, Neo wasn't exactly the most photogenic person, she made a living trying not to be seen after all. Besides his stories, Oreonna had no idea what Neo even looked like, it was obviously a lot for the young faunus to take in, Tukson hoped he wasn't pushing to hard.

Eventually Oreonna's eyes left the photo and she focused on her father again, she... still looked a little upset unfortunately.

"So?" Oreonna blankly stated. "I was a baby once, she gave birth to me. Exactly what part of this is supposed to be an earth shattering revelation?"

Tukson's frown deepened at his daughters cold comment, but he didn't give up hope yet.

"I want you to really look at it." Tukson said. "Look at your m- at Neo."

Oreonna gave her father a annoyed look, her patience on the subject was running thin, but she obeyed. She began studying the picture more intently, looking over Neo's clothes, her hair, her eyes- she stopped there.

There was something... something about the way Neo was looking at Oreonna's infant self...

"Neo was never much for words." Tukson said, noticing the change in his daughters face, a fondness filled his voice. "But to me, her eyes always spoke more than any words could."

Oreonna looked deep into the photo, Neo's eyes (even in black and white) seemed to shine and convey a sense of pride and genuine adoration as she looked down at the cat eared child in her arms. It was as if nothing else in the world mattered to the woman, The undying love between a mother and her child was apparent. Tukson saw the corner of his daughters mouth twitch slightly, before she gently closed the locket.

"Why'd she leave..." Oreonna said, voice low, her eyes staring at the locket in her hand. "I mean, if she cared that much about me, why'd she just..."

"Oreonna... I'm not going to try and justify what she did." Tukson said, choosing his words carefully. "In fact, if there's one thing I resent Neo for, it's making you feel like you were unwanted." Tukson swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "But Neo lived a dangerous life."

Oreonna's head snapped up at this. Tukson could practically feel the million questions forming in his daughters mind. Tukson knew he had to be careful of what he revealed about their past, he didn't want to outright lie either. So he settled for a half truth.

"She did some things before I met her. Things I know she regrets, even if she never admitted it. But I don't think for a second that she wanted to get you involved in that kind of life." Tukson reached across the table and placed one of his large hands under Oreonna's smaller ones, still holding the locket.

"Sometimes... when you love someone, you have to hide your bad side from them... even if that means pushing them away... or keeping them in the dark about certain things. It doesn't mean you don't care about them, just that you don't want to see them get hurt because of you." Gently Tukson used his other hand to close Oreonna's around the locket.

"That's not a very nice thing to do to someone important to you." Oreonna said, not looking at her father or the piece of jewelry anymore.

"No... it's not." Tukson said, regret building in him. This was becoming less about Neo and more about him. But he continued. "But sometimes we don't have a choice. It doesn't seem fair, yeah. But life is just... like that sometimes."

Oreonna looked unconvinced. Tukson waited a moment before he kept speaking, "I'm not asking you to forgive her, you don't even have to like her." Tukson slowly removed his hands, and to his relief, his daughters hand remained closed, clutching the golden locket. "But if you could just find it in your heart not to hate her, that would be enough for me."

There. he'd said his piece, it was up to his daughter now. Tukson held his breath.

Oreonna sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she looked from her closed hand to her father once more, a complicated look on her face.

"I'll... think about it" she said. sliding the locket into her pocket.

And that was that, it wasn't much, but that was all Tukson was gonna get.

It was good enough for him.

He wouldn't press the issue anymore, Oreonna took the locket, that's all he wanted, she didn't have to treasure it. As long as she held onto that small piece of her mother, he'd be happy. He may never be able to repair the damage Neo had done by leaving her, but at least he could prevent the rift between Neo and Oreonna from getting any bigger.

Breakfast continued silently after that point. Tukson and his daughter picked at there cereal, the mood effectively soured. Tukson hoped things improved before Oreonna and him had to leave, her airship was scheduled to depart in just a few hours.

But deep down, Tukson wondered if his speech about "protecting someone you love" was asking for forgiveness for Neo, or himself. Unbeknownst to his daughter, he was more or less guilty of the same crimes Neo was. But she had only disappointed her daughter once when she left, Tukson had been lying to Oreonna for almost her entire life...

If she found out, would she ever forgive him?...

Did he even deserve her forgiveness?

Description
The smell of freshly fallen rain filled the night, covering the grounds of the old stone mansion. Some people envied the scent, it was like the slate had been cleaned, the pallet cleansed, a new beginning. But to the figure watching the home from the heavily wooded forest across the street, the recent rain meant only on thing; Any scents of people having come or gone from the premises had been washed away a long time ago.

The shadowy figure let out a frustrated snarl. Hidden amongst the brush, they were barely noticeable while dressed in all black. A thick hood hung over their head, obscuring the top half of their face. Below that sat a silver mask covering their mouth and nose, a monstrous tooth-filled maw was painted on it in red. He cut a tall, intimidating figure as he stood slowly, the moonlight revealing the deep red symbol on his outfits back. It was a wolf, teeth bared, ears flat, and three long slash marks behind it. The dark figure observed the mansion skeptically through his golden irises, the darkness of the night doing little to hinder his vision. One of the many perks to being a faunus.

It was a good acre of property, the building itself had once been an old schoolhouse, before the new owner had bought it and converted it into what it was today, a gaudy symbol of their wealth. Two stories tall with dark shutters and a multi-car garage (Added after the remodel obviously), the architecture gave off a sense of wealth and power. But at the end of the long curving driveway sat a ten foot brick wall that surrounded the entire property. The spikes at the top of the barricade, as well as the security cameras posted at regular intervals gave off a clear message;

"Stay Out".

The faunus studied his options. His intel suggested that the gate was a no go, electrified. But the brick and mortar the wall was primarily composed of wasn't, just the spikes at the top. But then there was the cameras, swinging back and forth assuring no section of the street surrounding the estate was unsupervised for more than a couple seconds... all but one.

He'd been scouting this location for some time now, and he'd noticed exactly one camera was slower with it's rotations. Maybe the weather had made it's insides slightly rusty, he didn't really care, all that mattered was it bought him a few more seconds. Not much, but he could work with that.

He watched the malfunctioning camera stutter as it turned, it's servos clicking as it struggled to move. Beneath his hood, their golden eyes were unblinking, his pupils reduced to slits. Then, like a bolt fired from a crossbow, he burst out of hiding, heading straight towards the wall. When he was about three quarters of the way there, he brought his hands up, and from the fingertips of his ebony gloves two inch brown claws erupted with a "snikt". In a single leap, he nearly cleared the obstruction. But instead, he embedded his claws into the row of bricks just below the electrified top of the wall, and with one final push with his feet, he sailed over and landed in a crouch on the other side.

For a moment, the faunus remained still in that position. Almost as if he was waiting for something, some sign that he'd been discovered. But there was nothing. The same quite mansion sat unperturbed in the darkness. Something wasn't right.

"Tukson? What's your status?" a female voice chimed in over the earpiece he was wearing.

Tukson brought a finger to his ear to answer. "I've arrived. But it's way too quite. Are we sure he's even home?"

"Positive. His car arrived a couple hours ago. Plus, his private security force is still on site. He's in there."

Tukson offered a grunt of acknowledgement. "Okay, I'm moving in."

"Gotcha. Be careful Tukson."

"Thanks Carmella." Tukson ended the call. Radio silence was to be the norm for the rest of the mission.

Their conversation over, Tukson began slowly creeping across the manicured lawn, passing numerous well trimmed hedges and bushes, some tastelessly cut into the shape of animals. The owner of the house; Drake Ivey, had money, that was apparent. But it was how he had amassed his fortune that had gotten him in the White Fangs cross-hairs.

Drake was a well dressed, influential, and powerful stock trader. Respected in many social circles, especially after he struck it rich with his investments. The best suits, the most exotic cars, nothing was too good for him. He made sure to keep up appearances though, donating to local charities during the holidays, image was everything for Drake. But it was all a front. The facade he lived had been created by consultants just as corrupt and morally bankrupt as Drake himself. His wealth wasn't the result of any lucrative business deals. No, Drake had instead decided to go the route of a back market dust dealer. That alone would be enough to put him on many powerful groups hit list. But it was how he acquired his goods that had gotten Tukson's, as well a the rest of the White Fang's attention; Faunus slaves.

The thought of his people being snatched off the streets for this made him clench his teeth in anger. The hungry and poor, those that wouldn't be missed, they were being shipped halfway across the world and being worked to death in dust mines for this mans corrupt empire. All so Drake could continue to live the lavish life he's built for himself on the corpses of Tukson's kind. It made the faunus blood boil.

Tukson's hand went to the tube shaped device hanging from a strap at his side. The cool metal it was comprised of was familiar to him, and the memories it brought made him smile. Drake wasn't special, just another scumbag human. He wouldn't be the first one Tukson had been sent to deal with, and he wouldn't be the last. But Tukson would enjoy this one. A man like this, someone who viewed faunus as a means to an end, a resource to be exploited, he'd make sure he felt every second of his punishment. Drake's story would become a cautionary tale. A lesson to any human that dared to-

A gunshot broke Tukson out of his thoughts.

His head snapped up. The shot had been fired from inside the house, but not at him. The faunus began scanning the darkened windows of the home, until he saw a bright flash inside the room on the northeast corner of the second story, accompanied by the sound of another shot. If the blueprints the White Fang had "acquired" were accurate, that was Drake's office.

Throwing subtlety to the wind, Tukson began sprinting towards the house, more specifically towards the large glass terrace door. Not slowing down, he thrust his shoulder into the entrance. It didn't stand a chance against the bulky faunus frame as it shattered into pieces. Now inside, all Tukson's suspicions were confirmed. No alarms, no lights, and perhaps most noticeable; the corpses of Drakes private security littered the foyer were Tukson had entered.

Someone else was here.

Someone else was here for Drake.

There were at least five or six bodies covering the floor, all dressed in matching black suits. Each of them seemed to have been taken down with a single stab wound. Tukson leaped over the body of an unlucky guard who looked like he'd been stabbed through the eye. Then another who had gotten a blade in his chest, right through the heart. Cutting the power, eliminating the security, all without alerting Tukson outside. This intruder, whoever they were, they were a professional.

The faunus bolted up the staircase to the second floor, his sharp eyes scanning for any signs of movement as he ran. After reaching the top of the stairs, Tukson arrived outside the room the shots had been fired from. Barely wasting a second, the faunus intruder kicked the double doors clean off it's hinges. He quickly looked around the room for any signs of life. The office was just as lavish and overdecorated as the rest of the mansion. A regal print carpet spread across the hardwood floor, in the corner a liquor cabinet sat with an open brandy bottle sitting on it. One side of the room was shelves filled top to bottom with books, this caught Tukson's attention for a moment, books had always been a bit of a vice for him, that fact hadn't changed over the years... even if he had. Not allowing the distraction, Tukson shifted his gaze to the opposite wall, what he saw made him raise his eyebrows in awe. Apparently Drake was very passionate about his "work", hence the large glass case that displayed many expertly cut dust crystals taking up most of the wall space. Burn, Ice, Gravity, it was quite a collection. One that Tukson made a mental note to swipe before he left. By the door Tukson had destroyed upon entry were a pair of tall stone statues depicting a beautiful (human) woman in a less than practical, but sensual pose.

And then there was Drake. He sat at an ornate wooden desk, in a chair just as exquisite. A large window covered the wall behind him, silhouetting him in the moonlight. Tukson noticed there was another (less fancy) chair overturned on the floor in front of his desk, maybe he'd had a guest? Drake's head was hanging back, a large revolver was still clutched in his hand, but it hung uselessly at his side.

Approaching slowly, claws out, Tukson could make out a small trail of blood staining the left side of his chest, ruining the designer suit jacket Drake had been wearing. One single stab wound, just like the other victims downstairs. But this one was less clean, the strike missed the heart by a couple inches, instead hitting one of Drake's lungs. Drake had suffered, most likely choking on his own blood. A slow death, Tukson took some solace in that, but a part of him was furious.

This was HIS kill. Someone had stolen it. He was so absorbed by his rage he didn't notice one of the statues by the door shift it's gaze onto him.

Tukson let out a frustrated sigh as he placed his hands on Drake's desk. Only thing left to do was look for clues as to who had done it, they couldn't have gone far, if Tukson could pick up a scent he could try and track them. The faunus took a few quick sniffs of the air in the dark office, putting his enhanced animal senses to work. The whole place smelled like death, but there was something else in the air, a scent he hadn't noticed before. It was a faint hint of... chocolate... and strawberries? And there was something else too... a third smell... it was bland... but sweet. What could it-

Tukson's eye went wide as he dived to the side, a thin blade grazing his right arm. His aura flared to life around him, negating the damage. Tukson rolled into a low stance, claws extended, ready to strike. He glared at the assassin, contempt burning through his gaze as he took in his unlikely assailant. To say she was less than intimidating would be an understatement. She was... shorter than he expected. Tukson towered over the girl by a good foot at least. She was dressed in a shimmering pink gown that went down to the pair of matching high heels on her feet. A long slit ran up the side of the dress, stopping just short of her hip. The way she was dressed gave Tukson a hint as to just how she had gotten inside, she'd been invited. Drake had most likely invited this young woman over with less than noble intentions. Clearly the evening hadn't gone as he had expected.

The mystery girl's hair was immaculate, platinum blonde and done up in a bun, her entire ensemble seemed a stark contrast to the grizzly scene the mansion was now host to. Well, aside from the small blood splatter on the front. The woman's pose didn't seem overly threatening, one hand perched at her hip, the other was leaning on what looked like... an umbrella? An unconventional weapon to be certain, but Tukson had seen the blade, he knew there was more than met the eye to it, much like it's wielder he imagined. Her expression almost looked bored, like a child who'd finished playing with all their toys and was anxious for a new one. She may not of looked imposing, but her cold blue eyes told a difference story. There was a look in them that Tukson found unnerving. This woman was a killer, not that it wasn't obvious at this point. But the way she looked at Tukson made it clear she wasn't finished tonight. Tukson understood the notion she was giving off, it wasn't much of an assassination if you left anyone to tell the tale.

No witnesses. Tukson thought. Guess we're on the same page there.

With that, the faunus lunged forward with a growl, sharp claws aiming to tear right through his new prey. The assassin didn't even flinch, even as Tukson's arm swung down, she remained still, her expression shifting slightly to one of amusement. Tukson didn't care, he'd rip this human in half, just like he would-

The next series of events were difficult for Tukson to keep up with.

His claws hit the girl (at least he was pretty sure they had), then there was a bright flash. Tukson felt something hit the side of his face, then another blow to the stomach made him bend forward, and finally he felt what he assumed was a foot hit him in the back of the head. The large faunus stumbled forward slightly, but he didn't fall. Tukson spun around to face his attacker, letting out a frustrated growl. She was now sitting nonchalantly on Drakes desk, legs crossed, and her umbrella resting behind her head. The woman looked at Tukson and offered a small patronizing smile. It made his blood boil, the fact that she clearly didn't view Tukson as a threat. But as he looked at her his anger turned to confusion.

When the hell had she changed clothes?!

The dress and styled hair were gone, instead the assassin wore a low cut white jacket with pink around the collar and ends of the long sleeves. The jacket hung low in the back, but in the front it left her midriff covered only by a brown corset of some kind. The rest of her outfit was unremarkable by comparison, brown pants and white high heeled boots, which Tukson was pretty sure had a footprint that matched the welt forming on the back of his head.

But her hair, her new hair, was by far her most noticeable trait. The blonde locks were gone, replaced with brown and pink, split right above her left eye. Speaking of which, her eyes still had that same playful/psychotic gleam to them, but instead of shining blue irises, the assassin had one pink eye and one brown. Tukson had to hold back a gasp of surprise when the girl blinked and her eyes seemed to change sides, or rather the color of her eyes did.

She raised and eyebrow at the faunus, if he wasn't mistaken, it almost looked like this woman was challenging him. It was like her look was saying, "Care to try that again?" A younger, more naive Tukson might have taken the bait, and for what it's worth, he was tempted. But he knew better now, he'd underestimated his opponent, that wouldn't happen again. Tukson's hand hovered over the metal object at his hip, but he relented. No need to use a bazooka to kill an insect. Instead he eyed the overturned chair on the floor in front of him from the corner of his vision.

He kept his eyes locked onto the mysterious woman as he slowly began to approach her menacingly, making it look like he'd fallen for her taunt and was going in for another attack. But before he could get within arms reach, he hooked his foot around the chair on the ground and kicked it across the short distance between himself and the assassin. Predictably, the girl twirled to the side, avoiding the chair, Drakes corpse wasn't as lucky and was knocked clean out of his resting place. The girls dodge played right into Tukson's hand, before she could complete her movement, Tukson swung his claws right at her face... and hit nothing but air. The girl had merely leaned back and dodged again. Tukson slammed a foot on the ground to reverse his momentum, and swung his other hand full of sharp claws. The results were unsurprisingly similar to his first attack.

Tukson momentarily gave into frustration and continued swinging wild claw swipes at the woman. But, like she was engaged in an elegant dance, the girl maneuvered around every blow effortlessly. Eventually he got sloppy, and for that he caught the handle of the woman's umbrella under his chin.

Tukson was staggered, then he felt three quick blade strikes to his chest. His aura blocked them, but it wouldn't hold out forever. The faunus was actually beginning to feel a little overwhelmed, it wasn't a feeling he was accustomed too. He had to think of someway to turn the tide in his favor. As the woman swung her weapon for a fourth strike, Tukson wrapped both of his giant hands around the umbrella, stopping it mid-swing. The woman gave Tukson an impressed look, before trying to tug her weapon free of his iron grip, but Tukson just grasped it tighter.

Tukson grinned behind his mask. "Let's see how tough you are without your t-"

Suddenly the umbrella popped open, forcing Tukson to let go and causing him to lose balance for only a second. But that was all she needed.

Tukson's eyes went wide as the world seemed to slow down. He saw everything.

The wild look in the woman's eye.

The blade popping out of the tip of the umbrella.

The sinister smirk that played across her face as she thrust forward with all her might.

There was a flash of gold as Tukson's aura was shattered.

For a moment, the faunus just stood there, dumbstruck. Then he looked down and stared at the needle like blade sticking into his chest, a thin line of blood flowing up the blade.

A perfect strike. Right through his heart.

Tukson raised his head slowly, the woman was close to him still, her hand on the weapons hilt. She had a strange look in her mismatched eyes, she almost looked disappointed. By this point, pain was finally finding it's way to Tukson's shocked brain. He reached his hands up towards the umbrella to attempt to dislodge it. But the woman merely pushed the blade in deeper, twisting it slightly and causing the tip of it to poke out the faunus back. With a pained gasp, Tukson let his arms fall to his side, and his head lull forward. The assassin let out a sigh, the first sound she'd made during the whole encounter, before she brutally yanked the weapon out of Tukson's chest.

For a moment Tukson remained standing on shaky legs, wobbling back and forth, before the woman poked her index finger against his forehead, causing him to fall backwards onto Drake's desk, a small pool of blood collecting under him.



The assassin let out another sigh as she looked over the faunus body draped across the desk.

Boring. She thought to herself.

First Drake had failed to impress her, and then there was the overwhelming disappointment that was his private security, the whole evening had been lackluster for her. She'd sincerely hoped this unexpected newcomer might help salvage the night, she could tell he had fight in him, as soon as she'd seen his eyes. A faunus, not only that, but a member of the White Fang no less! Very interesting. But alas, turns out he was all fire, no heat.

The pink and brown haired girl spun on her heel and began to leave the room. Her job was done, Drake was no longer a threat to her employers business plans. She pulled a pink handkerchief out of her pocket, and began to wipe the blood off her blade as she walked. She'd gotten done faster than she expected, the night was still young, maybe she could go out and get some dinner before heading back. She felt like she'd earned-

There was a groan behind her.

She slowly turned to see the "dead" faunus sitting up.

Impossible. She knew where she'd hit him. She never missed, not unless she was dragging things out.

But there he was, staring back at her. Eyes full of the same venom they had a few minutes ago.

Don't know when to quit do you? She thought to herself.

The faunus wasn't making any moves, most likely the last bit of their adrenaline was all that was keeping them going, it was the only explanation that came to mind. The woman began swinging her parasol around her finger as she smirked at the wounded intruder. Annoyance aside, she was mildly impressed he could even move after her attack, let alone breathe. But ultimately, annoying was all it was, she had reputation to keep after all, and this interloper wasn't getting out of here alive.

No sense dragging this out. And with that, she dashed across the room in an instant, lodging her umbrellas blade deep into the faunus stomach this time, causing him to let out a wet cough. She'd impale every organ in his body if she had to.

But she never got the chance.

A pair of strong hands wrapped around her wrist on the weapons hilt, before ripping her hand away from the weapon. The unsupported umbrella slipped out of the mans torso and clattered as it hit the floor.

The woman's eyes went white. She looked up and saw the sick amusement in the mans feline eyes, the blood red maw on his face mask adding to the intimidation she suddenly felt.

The faunus let out a chuckle, "Gotcha." He said in a dark voice.

Without another word, he swung the girl by her arm, and with very little effort, threw her into the book covered wall.

The girls semblance was a powerful one. She could use it to fake many things. Her appearance, where she was standing, she could even use it to forge documents and get her into secure areas. But getting hurled like a rag doll into a shelf full of books by a giant of a man, that wasn't possible to fake, as she found out when her spine made contact with the unforgiving hardwood bookshelf, splintering it on impact. Aura could only do so much to lessen the force of the throw, and for the first time that night, she found herself on the floor. She groaned as she tried to stand, pain shooting through her back. She needed a minute. But the faunus wasn't about to give her one.



Tukson rubbed the still tender spot where he'd been stabbed, dabbing away the slowing flow of blood. She wasn't the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve. The first wound was already starting to heal, the one in his stomach wouldn't be far behind, doesn't mean it didn't hurt like hell. But it didn't matter, Tukson began to approach to slowly rising assassin, this was his chance to end this. He knelt down near her and grasped both his hands around her small throat.

The girl's eye's went white again, Tukson was beginning to recognize that color represented fear. She was afraid.

Good.

Tukson tightened his grip. The assassin began to kick wildly and clawed at Tukson's mitts with her much smaller hands, with little effect. After a few moments the multi-colored haired girl began to feel light headed, small blotches of darkness began to fill her vision as she stared up at her attackers merciless yellow eyes. Her struggles became weaker as her eyes fluttered shut.

Tukson leaned in closer to her face. "Let's see you flip and twirl your way out of th-"

Once again, Tukson was interrupted. Somehow, the mystery girl had managed to worm one of her legs up and delivered the pointed heel of her boot to the overpowering faunus chin, knocking his mask off in the process. The kick didn't do a lot of damage, but it provided just enough space for the assassin to separate Tukson's hands from her throat.

After filling her lungs with air again, she gripped one of Tukson's arms and wrapped her legs around it. She pulled herself up the arm slightly so her right legs shin was placed under his chin, over his throat. Then she wrapped her other leg around the back of Tukson's head, and she began tugging hard on the faunus arm, applying pressure to his windpipe.

Suddenly Tukson found himself on the receiving end of a choke-hold. The assassin sneered up at him as he tried to detach her from there position on the ground. Tukson swung his claws on his free hand at her, but the angle was awkward, and the girl kept swinging just out of reach. He did manage make a long slash down the side of her pant leg, even managing to draw blood. But all this accomplished was making the woman press harder into Tukson's throat, mainly in response to the pain, but also because this faunus just ruined her favorite outfit.

Tukson's strength was fading fast, he knew he had to make a move before things got worse. He shakily managed to get one of his legs under him, then the other, all while the pint-sized killer on his arm choked the life out of him. Slowly he picked her up with his still captive appendage, and with what strength he had left, he swung her at the bookcase again.

Once, twice, three times he did this, and all this did was make the woman's grip loosen for a half a second each time, before she redoubled her efforts to bring the taller man down. This girl was strong, far more than her outward appearance portrayed.

Tukson's head was starting to swim, his legs felt like jelly. He knew if he fell down now, it was all over. He desperately scanned his surroundings for anything he could use. From the corner of his eye he saw something shiny, several shiny things actually. The display case full of dust crystals, he just had to get there. He dragged himself across then room to the glass window, his vision darkening because of the lack of oxygen going to his brain. When he finally thought he was close enough, he put all his remaining strength into one final swing towards the glass case.

There was a crash, a yelp of pain, and then the sound of glass littering the floor. Tukson felt the pressure on his airway disappear, as he finally allowed himself to fall to his knees. He gasped for air, bringing a hand to his throat, his body greedily taking in the oxygen it'd been deprived of. He could feel the shards of glass that had embedded themselves into his arm, warm blood gathering under the sleeve of his jacket. There wasn't much he could do about them for now, they wouldn't be able to heal properly until he removed them. His vision slowly became clearer, there was a sound like glass crunching under someones feet as they scrambled away from him, for a moment Tukson thought his foe was retreating,

but when he looked up, there she was.

Her pink and brown hair was a tangled mess, a thin line of blood led from her hairline to her left cheek. Besides the other small cuts over her body, Tukson could see the long gash he'd made down her pant leg, blood starting to stain her dark pants. One arm was wrapped around her midsection, supporting the side that Tukson had been feverishly slamming into the wall a few moments ago. The other arm was pointing her long thin blade coming out of the top of her parasol at the faunus. Her once carefree expression was warped into a face filled to the brim with malice, her mismatched eyes, one pink and one white, burned a whole through him.

Tukson looked at this woman, she the complete polar opposite of what she'd been when she'd first appeared. She looked like hell, though he doubted he looked much better.

As he rose to his feet, he couldn't help but smile. He had a clear height and weight advantage over the tiny warrior woman. Anyone else would be limping away at this point, ready to call it a loss and be happy to have gotten away with their life. But not this one. No, her gaze was made of steel, and so was her resolve.

Tukson felt something deep inside himself, but he wasn't able to identify the feeling just yet. As he observed his opponent, he began to notice things about her he hadn't before. He'd originally had the misconception that she was much younger than actually was, maybe even a teenager. But her eyes conveyed a sense of experience and grief that could only come from a longer life. He couldn't place her exact age, but if he had to guess, she was probably only a few years younger than himself. Through rips in the sleeves of her coat he could see the lean muscle that was no doubt the result of the training that led to her holding her own this evening. Not to mention the way her outfit clung to her figure, the sweat of their battle causing it to fully show off the curves of her-

Tukson shook his head, clearing the distracting (and a little embarrassing) thoughts from his head. But when he looked back, he noticed the assassin doing her own appraisal of the faunus. She smirked and touched her fingers to the side of her chin, tapping the spot. Tukson raised his own hand to his face in confusion, until he realized his mask was gone, that's what she was alluding to. He watched the assassins eyes roam over his body, she smiled, and then winked at the faunus. Tukson felt that strange feeling in his stomach again, was she... flirting with him?

Nope. No. Tukson had no time for this... whatever it was. She was a human, she'd interfered with his mission here tonight, and nearly killed him. It was time to stop messing around.

He reached for the device at his hip, wrapping his hand around it, immediately it's familiar weight helped ease some of his fatigue. With a flourish, the weapon unfolded from it's compact frame with a series of metallic clinks, taking the form of a large axe, it's sharp curved edge shining in the moonlight. Tukson smiled as he held his axe out in front of him with both hands, he hadn't had an excuse to use it in a long time, he'd missed the feeling of it.

The mystery woman however, looked unimpressed by his display, and gave his weapon a shrug. But then Tukson saw that the collection of dust crystals had fallen at his feet during their altercation, a burn crystal caught his eye, and his grin grew wider. In one motion, he swept the rock off the floor and slammed it forcefully into the top of his axe. The woman raised an eyebrow at this, and then both together when the axe's blade was engulfed in fire. Without another word, Tukson swung his flaming weapon in an upward arc, surprising the assassin as a wave of fire raced toward her from the swing.

But she didn't move. Instead, the second the inferno touched her, she shattered like glass into hundreds of pieces. Tukson was baffled, then he heard the sound of glass crunching to his left and immediately intercepted a blow from his foe with the still smoking axe. Several quick blows were exchanged between the two, sparks flying with each strike. Tukson's blows were slower now, but his multicolored enemy was becoming less precise with hers, they were both feeling the effects of their brutal fight as it took a toll on there bodies.

After another quick flurry of blows, the assassin leaped back, and for a moment, they both stopped. The large fire that had been a result of Tukson's earlier attack was beginning to spread, the flames illuminating the two for the first time. No longer fighting in darkness, the smile on both their faces was apparent.

Tukson was breathing heavily, he hadn't had to push himself like this in a while, and he'd bet that the same could be said for his opponent. Her breathes were ragged as well, sweat running down her face, but still her expression was that same damn grin she had worn the majority of the night.

The faunus chuckled, "Guess I'm not the only one having a good time."

The girls smile widened.

"... My names Tukson." The faunus introduction seemed to catch the assassin off guard. She gave the faunus a confused look. After a moment he continued, "It's been a long time since I've had to use this thing." Tukson said, gesturing to the axe he was still pointing at her. "And I'd almost forgotten what it feels like to be this exhausted. All in all, I'd say it's been a fun night." Tukson took a chance and lowered his weapon for a moment. "But we both know that only one of us is walking out of here, right?"

The silent woman nodded, the smile she wore turned slightly malicious.

"Good." Tukson responded. "So, how about a name? Think of it as something for me to remember you by."

The woman gave Tukson an incredulous look, squinting at the faunus, seemingly trying to figure out what kind of trick he was pulling. She didn't seem to trust easy. Oh well, worth a shot Tukson thought disappointingly.

But just when he thought the fight would continue,

"..Neo"

Tukson's eyes widened in surprise. She'd spoke. For the first time since this all started. Her voice almost sounded hoarse, like she wasn't used to using it. This girl- Neo, was full of mysteries it seemed, why did he find that so fascinating?

"Neo? Hmm. Short and easy to remember, it suits you." The faunus joked. Neo narrowed her eyes at him, her gaze more playful than bloodthirsty at this point. "What do you say we finish this, Neo?"

Neo didn't need a written invitation, she lunged forward blade first. With a animalistic growl, Tukson did the same, fire erupting from his axe. Both of them were having the time of their lives.

And so the fight continued, the sound of weapons clashing, glass shattering, and roaring flames filled the mansion. Tukson had developed an immense amount of respect for Neo, this strange woman he'd only just met... and whom had impaled him less than an hour ago.

But they were both professionals, here to do a job, and couldn't afford to leave any witnesses. They both understood the practicalities of there work. But for Tukson, this had gone far beyond the simple assassination of a scumbag human, this was about pride. As a member of the White Fang, Tukson had a great deal of that at stake, and it showed as he rained blow after blow down on the small girls incredibly durable umbrella.

As the burly faunus delivered a particularly viscous downward strike, he watched as Neo's image shattered again, but not before she delivered another mischievous wink. Tukson wasn't sure why, until he heard a "chink" sound and felt his fire axe split something before it embedded itself in the wooden floor. A dark purple crystal laid broken in half at his feet, Tukson immediately recognized the element of dust with a sense of dread.

Gravity. he thought as the bottom fell out of his stomach.

Dust had proven to be a reliable source of energy over the years. In it's refined crystal form, it was stable, controllable, and made life easier for all of humanity. But if misused, intentionally or not, or if say, someone sliced a large chunk of one of the most dangerous and volatile elements of dust in half with an axe coated in flames, the results can be a little on the catastrophic side.

A wave of purple light spread across the floor, dark energy crackling on the objects it passed over, including the several other flavors of dust near it. Tukson looked up, and there was Neo, looking very proud of herself as she lifted her umbrella, almost like a shield. Tukson found out why, when all the remaining dust crystals started to glow, natures wrath brimming inside them. Tukson quickly tried to dislodge his axe, but before he could, all the dust fragments were raised into the air. Then they were slammed into the ceiling, activating them.

The explosion was massive. Fire, ice, wind, lightning, all the elements erupting from their crystal prisons at once, filling the former office of Drake Ivey.

Neo's parasol managed to block the energy of the explosion, but not the force of it, and the small girl was sent flying through the doorway of the room. She landed with a thud, sliding several feet on her back into the hallway, just the newest in a long list of injuries she'd suffered that night. She propped herself up on her elbows with a groan as she took in the results of her plan.

The office was completely engulfed in fire, the element that seemed to win out in the explosion. One of the wooden beams holding up the ceiling came crashing down, shooting embers into the hallway, promising to create more flames in their wake. Neo struggled to her feet, worn out but not beaten. She couldn't say the same for her opponent though, no way he survived that. The assassin felt a twinge of pity as she watched the room burn. It'd been a long time since she'd felt anything like that for anyone. But this "Tukson" had put up one hell of a fight, best she'd had in years if she was honest, and she'd given him everything she'd had. It wasn't a bad way to go, she thought. Neo was about to turn around, but then the debris in the office started to move.

You've GOT to be kidding me. Neo thought to herself, bringing up her weapon, not willing to be caught off guard again. Just how tough is this guy?

Neo got her answer when a flame covered Tukson pounced out of the inferno and tackled her before she could mount a counter-attack or even think about putting up an illusion. The force of Tukson's assault made the two fall backwards, right through the railing, sending them careening over the edge.

As they fell, Neo did her best to separate the two of them, or at least make it so that Tukson's still burning body broke her fall. She got a couple clean punches in, but to no effect. To be fair, Tukson was on fire, his mind was a little too preoccupied to feel anything else at this point.

With a sickening thud, both human and faunus hit the ground. Neo's struggle had managed to make them land on their side, so they both took the brunt of the fall. Thankfully, the force of the landing helped put out the remaining flames on Tukson's body. For a while neither of them moved, they were as still as any of the other corpses in the house. But then, the smaller of the two rose wearily.

Once at her feet, her steps were unsteady as she began to walk away. Neo stopped momentarily, spitting out a mouthful of blood before continuing. On the floor Tukson's still smoking body opened it's eyes, and then immediately closed them. He tried to move, but his body wasn't responding correctly. Eventually Tukson forced himself to lift his head off the floor, and he saw the small figure walking away from him.

"This isn't over..." he said, struggling to keep his head up. "You hear me, Neo?"

Neo turned around, a look of disbelief of her face. He really wasn't going to give up was he?

From his position on the floor, Tukson continued. "If you think... you can just walk away, you're wrong... you better finish me off..." Tukson's head finally fell back, his strength exhausted, he closed his eyes. He continued speaking, almost delirious at this point. "Otherwise... Otherwise, I'll find you... I'll hunt you down... You won't be able to hide from me..."

Tukson heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He couldn't move, he couldn't even find the strength to open his eyes. So this was it, this is how his story ended. Not a bad finale he supposed, killed by a worthy opponent, someone he respected. Maybe respect was the wrong word? He... admired Neo? Some might find it weird that he'd feel that way about someone whom he'd spent the last hour beating the hell out of each other with, but nothing about Tukson's life had been normal, so why should that change when it came to meeting women?

The footsteps stopped near Tukson's head. The faunus let out a short laugh, cut short when he felt pain shoot through his side, he made a note not to do that again, not that it'd matter much longer. He must be delirious, to be thinking about a human this way.

... Maybe... in a different time, in a different life, they could have-

It was at that point Tukson noticed he wasn't dead yet. He cracked an eye open, expecting to see the goddess of death wielding an umbrella above him. Instead, he saw Neo bent over, staring into his golden eyes with a pair of matching pink ones.

"You'll track me down, huh?" the mysterious girl asked. She giggled softly, clutching her side as she did.

"Okay then, it's a date."

She smiled down on Tukson, then without warning she leaned in and gently pecked her lips on Tukson's forehead.

Tukson could only stare back, dumbstruck.

And with one final wink, Neo disappeared in a blinding flash. Then Tukson blacked out.



Tukson's eyes shot open. He sat up on the couch of his small apartment. He felt an odd tightness in his chest... he'd been dreaming... but about what? He racked his brain, but it was gone.

The feelings weren't though, he raised a hand to his chest, under his shirt was a small scar that sat just over his heart. He massaged the area gently with his fingers and smiled. Yeah, he could guess what (or who) he'd been dreaming about.

Tukson heard what sounded like someone rustling around with pots and pans in his kitchen. Oreonna must be up and making breakfast-

Tukson's eye's nearly popped out of his head.

Oh god, Oreonna is up and making breakfast.

The horror of the situation finally dawned on him, all remnants of sleep ripped from his body. Almost on cue, there was a crash in the kitchen, combined with a burnt smell in the air, and a cute voice saying a not so cute word.

The older faunus couldn't resist an eye roll. Best get in there before she triggers the smoke alarms again.

Tukson lifted himself off the couch, when had he fallen asleep on it? He'd been up late working on his... side project, he came up from the office at around... 3am? And then he sat on the couch to rest for a moment... okay, the mystery wasn't as grand and elaborate as he thought it was.

He walked into the kitchen just in time to see Oreonna fanning smoke out the open window, the frying pan creating it was still sizzling in her hand. As she held it, her cat ears were twitching in annoyance and her long tail swung to and fro. Her black, sleeveless t-shirt and grey pajama pants had spots of flour all over them. It was too adorable for Tukson to stand, he wish he had a camera, even if his daughter would hate it.

"Stupid stove, stupid batter. Why can't dust be as easy to cook with as it is to fight with?" Oreonna complained to herself.

Her father cleared his throat, causing the cat faunus to jump, and the pan she was holding clattered onto the counter top.

"D-dad! I was just... uh..." She looked around at the mess she'd made in the kitchen, and smiled innocently. "... breakfast?" she said presenting the smoking pan to her father.

Tukson took a couple long strides over to look into the pan. "Breakfast, huh?" He spoke, observing the nearly black... what he assumed was once a pancake? With eight long pieces extending from the center mass, and two small lumps at the top. "That's sweet of you Oreo, but why is it shaped like a spider?"

Oreonna sighed and spoke softly, "It was supposed to be a cat face..."

"O-oh! Of course! I see that now!" Tukson said, trying to save it, but his daughters expression showed his attempt was in vain.

He wrapped an arm around his daughter and pulled her close. "So, making your old man breakfast, huh? What's the occasion?" He said, trying to change the subject.

"Well, y'know... I might not have a chance to make it for you for a while..." Oreonna responded a little sadly.

Tukson raised an eyebrow at this, his mind drew a blank.

"Wait... did you forget? Seriously?" She asked, giving her father a skeptical look.

Then it hit him. This was the day, the day his daughter would be heading off to Vacuo, to Shade. Tukson felt the uneasiness he had begun to associate with the situation reassert itself inside him.

"Of course I didn't forget!" Tukson lied... badly. "I just... uh..."

"You just were up all night working and fried your brain, then passed out on the couch." Oreonna finished, scowling slightly. "You aren't exactly building my confidence on the whole 'I'll be fine without you' front."

Tukson felt guilt wash over him. He had promised that he'd take better care of himself in his daughters absence. "You're right." He admitted. "Tell you what, you take another stab at breakfast, and I'll go get cleaned up like a responsible adult would, sound good?"

"Sure, I'll see what I can throw together that won't involve me burning down the apartment." Oreonna said as she scraped her pancake monstrosity into the trash can.

With that, Tukson stepped into his room, it was smaller than Oreonna's, but she needed the space more than he did. His bed was still made, unslept in obviously. As he began to prepare himself for the big day, he couldn't help but feel like the time was going by too fast.

It was three weeks ago that Oreonna had gotten in contact with Eden Evergreen, headmistress of Shade, and set up the meeting to sign the necessary paperwork for the scholarship she was receiving. All the while, the deer faunus wore a cocky smile, as if she'd known all along that she'd be hearing from Oreonna again. Once all the signing was done, Eden shook Oroenna's hand and said that her airship would leave in a month, and she looked forward to seeing her in Vacuo. Just like that, it was official, there was no backing out now.

The next several weeks had been spent picking up Oreonna's school supplies (quite a lengthy list in Tukson's opinion, but seeing as how his daughter was getting a free ride, he figured he could deal with a few expenses.), and saying goodbye to her friends. Yang was obviously less than thrilled that her friend wouldn't be joining her at Beacon, but she knew Oreonna had to follow her own path to becoming a Huntress and wished her nothing but the best. Also, any sadness the blonde brawler might have felt was overpowered by her excitement at the fact that her younger sister Ruby would be joining her at the combat school instead.

Through a series of events that Tukson wasn't one hundred percent clear on, the young girl was been advanced two years ahead. Something about a robbery, property damage, and fireworks?

Kids these days.

Now all that was left was the waiting, by far the worst part. Luckily Tukson had his own project to keep him busy in the meantime.

The White Fang issue still weighed heavy on his mind, and he'd been gathering intel for the past month. By day he prepared his daughter for her education, and at night he was staking out warehouses and trying to track White Fang movements in Vale. Dust robberies were on the rise, which meant they weren't laying low anymore, things were about to escalate, which meant he had to push himself harder. But at least he wasn't doing it alone anymore, Tukson had reached out to a few old friends for help. Many didn't return his calls, others turned him down, they just weren't up for the fight, it didn't do much to raise Tukson's hopes about their chances. But he did hear back from a few that had agreed to help however they could, even a couple of former Huntsman were on his side, it was nice to know he wasn't the only one taking the threat seriously.

Unfortunately, for all the help he'd received, he had to wait for the White Fang to make the next move. Rushing in would only get people on his side killed. They were only a few, a ragtag group at best, and the White fang had an army. They'd be crushed in an instant if they tried anything, he didn't want that, obviously.

So.. it looked like all he could do was wait now too...

As Tukson finished getting changed, he saw something else he'd been waiting for. On his dresser sat a small golded locket. Not fancy or expensive looking, just a tarnished old piece of jewelry on a string, but it meant the world to Tukson, and he hoped to give it to Oreonna before she left. The only problem would be whether or not she'd accept it, he doubted it'd go well... but he was out of time, if he procrastinated now, Oreonna would be gone for at least four years, he might never get the chance.

He took a breath to build up his confidence and picked up the small trinket in his giant hand. He stepped back into the kitchen, at the small table sat his daughter with a bowl of Pumpkin Pete's cereal in front of her, another was placed at the spot across from her. She smiled sheepishly at her father. Tukson smiled back, well at least the kitchen was in one piece. He sat down at the empty seat opposite his daughter as she dug into her cereal. Tukson sat there for a moment, struggling to think of a way to bring up the locket.

Just go for it? Sure that works.

"So... I have something for you... a going away present, I guess." He said nervously.

Oreonna's head perked up. "Really? What is it?" she said swallowing a mouthful of cereal.

Tukson reached across the table, taking his daughters hand and placing the locket in her palm. Oreonna held the trinket by it's string and observed it with bright eyes.

"Oooooo, shiny!" Oreonna's eyes sparkled.

Tukson smiled as his daughters reaction, he hoped it would last, but part of him knew better.

"Glad you like it... it was your mothers..." Tukson practically whispered the last part.

Instantly, Oreonna froze up, and then her expression became grim. She placed the locket on the table and carefully slid it towards her father.

"Then I don't want it." She stated plainly.

Tukson's fears were realized. "Oreo, I know how you feel about her, but I really think she'd want you to have it."

Oreonna's face turned sour, she seemed more focused on stirring her cereal than talking about this. When she finally responded, her tone was devoid of emotion.

"Why, she clearly didn't want me..."

Tukson felt a pain in his heart at his daughters words. As a child, obviously Oreonna had asked about her absent mom. Tukson had dodged the subject as long as he could, but she was relentless. Eventually he broke down and told her. Not everything mind you, he left out the parts about what he'd done with the Fang, as well as Neo's actions, but told her everything else. He may have spiced up the stories a bit, a little excitement to bring Oreonna's mother to life in the young girls mind. I guess a lifetime of reading books had given him a knack for storytelling.

But then he got to the part about how he'd found Oreonna on his doorstep, alone, in the middle of the night, in the rain, just a baby in a basket. Oreonna chose to focus intently on this part of his story. She felt abandoned by Neo. Once she'd found out what had happened, decided she wanted nothing to do with the woman that she refused to call mother.

Tukson didn't entirely blame her for feeling that way. As much as he wanted to give Neo the benefit of the doubt, he had no idea why she did what she did. But if he could at least just convince his daughter not to hate her, he'd be happy. Neo had left that locket in the basket with Oreonna for a reason, it was obvious to him why, he just had to make his daughter see it too.

Tukson put his hand on the locket and slid it back towards Oreonna, who looked at it with disdain, all previous signs of joy and wonder at the golden object had disappeared.

"Just... look inside, okay? Just once, for me?" Tukson begged.

Oreonna stared back at her father, her gaze softened a bit at the sad look he was giving her.

"Fine." She didn't so much say the words as she spat them.

Oreonna held the locket in her hands like it was some kind of insect she was both interested and disgusted with. Then she opened the small latch on the front and her face changed from disgust to confusion. Tukson knew the small, faded, black and white picture inside well. It was Neo, sitting on a hospital bed, clean white sheets covered her lower body, she sat up with a pillow supporting her. She looked exhausted, her hair was a mess, and her eyelids hung heavily. But the reason Tukson wanted his daughter to see the photo was the baby in her arms.

The tiny kitten ears on the top of the newborns head were a clear giveaway as to the babies identity. Tukson watched Oreonna's face go through a series of emotions as she looked at it, and it was then that he realized his daughter had never actually seen a picture of her mother before. Hell, that was the only one Tukson had, Neo wasn't exactly the most photogenic person, she made a living trying not to be seen after all. Besides his stories, Oreonna had no idea what Neo even looked like, it was obviously a lot for the young faunus to take in, Tukson hoped he wasn't pushing to hard.

Eventually Oreonna's eyes left the photo and she focused on her father again, she... still looked a little upset unfortunately.

"So?" Oreonna blankly stated. "I was a baby once, she gave birth to me. Exactly what part of this is supposed to be an earth shattering revelation?"

Tukson's frown deepened at his daughters cold comment, but he didn't give up hope yet.

"I want you to really look at it." Tukson said. "Look at your m- at Neo."

Oreonna gave her father a annoyed look, her patience on the subject was running thin, but she obeyed. She began studying the picture more intently, looking over Neo's clothes, her hair, her eyes- she stopped there.

There was something... something about the way Neo was looking at Oreonna's infant self...

"Neo was never much for words." Tukson said, noticing the change in his daughters face, a fondness filled his voice. "But to me, her eyes always spoke more than any words could."

Oreonna looked deep into the photo, Neo's eyes (even in black and white) seemed to shine and convey a sense of pride and genuine adoration as she looked down at the cat eared child in her arms. It was as if nothing else in the world mattered to the woman, The undying love between a mother and her child was apparent. Tukson saw the corner of his daughters mouth twitch slightly, before she gently closed the locket.

"Why'd she leave..." Oreonna said, voice low, her eyes staring at the locket in her hand. "I mean, if she cared that much about me, why'd she just..."

"Oreonna... I'm not going to try and justify what she did." Tukson said, choosing his words carefully. "In fact, if there's one thing I resent Neo for, it's making you feel like you were unwanted." Tukson swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "But Neo lived a dangerous life."

Oreonna's head snapped up at this. Tukson could practically feel the million questions forming in his daughters mind. Tukson knew he had to be careful of what he revealed about their past, he didn't want to outright lie either. So he settled for a half truth.

"She did some things before I met her. Things I know she regrets, even if she never admitted it. But I don't think for a second that she wanted to get you involved in that kind of life." Tukson reached across the table and placed one of his large hands under Oreonna's smaller ones, still holding the locket.

"Sometimes... when you love someone, you have to hide your bad side from them... even if that means pushing them away... or keeping them in the dark about certain things. It doesn't mean you don't care about them, just that you don't want to see them get hurt because of you." Gently Tukson used his other hand to close Oreonna's around the locket.

"That's not a very nice thing to do to someone important to you." Oreonna said, not looking at her father or the piece of jewelry anymore.

"No... it's not." Tukson said, regret building in him. This was becoming less about Neo and more about him. But he continued. "But sometimes we don't have a choice. It doesn't seem fair, yeah. But life is just... like that sometimes."

Oreonna looked unconvinced. Tukson waited a moment before he kept speaking, "I'm not asking you to forgive her, you don't even have to like her." Tukson slowly removed his hands, and to his relief, his daughters hand remained closed, clutching the golden locket. "But if you could just find it in your heart not to hate her, that would be enough for me."

There. he'd said his piece, it was up to his daughter now. Tukson held his breath.

Oreonna sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she looked from her closed hand to her father once more, a complicated look on her face.

"I'll... think about it" she said. sliding the locket into her pocket.

And that was that, it wasn't much, but that was all Tukson was gonna get.

It was good enough for him.

He wouldn't press the issue anymore, Oreonna took the locket, that's all he wanted, she didn't have to treasure it. As long as she held onto that small piece of her mother, he'd be happy. He may never be able to repair the damage Neo had done by leaving her, but at least he could prevent the rift between Neo and Oreonna from getting any bigger.

Breakfast continued silently after that point. Tukson and his daughter picked at there cereal, the mood effectively soured. Tukson hoped things improved before Oreonna and him had to leave, her airship was scheduled to depart in just a few hours.

But deep down, Tukson wondered if his speech about "protecting someone you love" was asking for forgiveness for Neo, or himself. Unbeknownst to his daughter, he was more or less guilty of the same crimes Neo was. But she had only disappointed her daughter once when she left, Tukson had been lying to Oreonna for almost her entire life...

If she found out, would she ever forgive him?...

Did he even deserve her forgiveness?