RWBY: Black Cat

Chapter Four

"What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark? It would be like sleep without dreams."

~ Werner Herzog

Weiss was breathless by the time they reached the tracks. They hadn't seen any Grimm, besides a flock of Nevermore in the distance. Ruby was looking anxious. "We'd better find something. Team Juniper'll beat us in no time!" She complained.

As she spoke, an elegant black creature strolled out of the trees. Yang's eyes lit up as it spotted them. "Or not," she grinned.

The Grimm was shaped like some sort of large deer. It had large, bone-white horns with ferocious-looking points, a mane of thick fur going down it's neck, a full chest, white armour all over it's underbelly and neck, and a short, fluffy tail. But just as dangerous as it's horns was it's hind legs, which would have been powerful enough to stun you, if the hooves hadn't been sharp black points. Blake shivered. She had no doubt that with enough force they could go right through you. Like all Grimm, it's eyes were a glowing crimson. It was about the size of a large Clydesdale horse.

RWBY faced the creature, which was gazing at all four of them warily. Ruby was surprised - perhaps it has the wisdom of the huge Grimm Doctor Oobleck had shown them on Mountain Glenn.

Weiss narrowed her eyes, eyeing the creature. "I'll take this one."

The others exchanged a glance, then Ruby gave her a small nod. "We're here if you need us," she reminded her partner.

The Grimm opened it's mouth and made a strange hissing, growling sound. It was easy to see the best way to go about killing it would be to hack it in half. It was well protected just about everywhere else.

Then the creature charged with it's head tucked in, so that the horns were facing the huntress in training. Weiss took a half step back, and angled her rapier, which was easily longer than the Grimm's antlers, at a spot between them. The sword connected with the creature's head, but the Grimm tossed it's head to one side with incredible force, threatening to rip Myranaster out of Weiss's hands. But Weiss held on, and was flung into the air. She created a glyph, and pushed off it, aiming for the creature's back, to leave a wound there.

But the reindeer-like Grimm anticipated this, and reared up onto it's hind legs. Weiss's heart thudded in fear as she realised she was within stabbing range of the thing's forelegs. She swiftly changed the sword's dust capabilities to ice and started to use her aura to fuel it's power as she threw it so the point dug into the ground. Ice ran up the creature's hind legs, along it's chest, then completed an arc, supporting it's foreleg's too so that it was stuck in the rearing position. Weiss dove underneath those fearsome hooves and grabbed her rapier, ducking to narrowly avoid a blow from the thing's horns as it twisted, trying to get to her.

But by the time she stood up again, the creature was gone from it's ice trap.

"Weiss! Turn around! Glynda said it could teleport, remember?" Ruby called.

Weiss bit back the urge to snap at her but she didn't need help, but she couldn't help acknowledging that she right. She did as Ruby said and found a sharp antler prong heading for her chest. She put up a shield with her aura to defend herself, as it stabbed at her with it's front hooves - she neatly flipped backward to avoid it.

She created a glyph and propelled herself forward, knocking into the Grimm. It's legs buckled, and she darted to the side, out of range of it's horns. quickly drove the rapier into it's body, but it teleported away as she did so, leaving a small pool of blood on the ground.

The creature faced her, it's horns sparkling in the bright light, shaking all over.

It would be merciful to kill it now.

The Grimm seemed to know this too, and it didn't try to flee as Weiss switched the rapier's dust capabilities, before rushing at it and finding a small gap in the armour where it's head connected to it's neck, slitting it's throat, and the thing became coated in frost before disappearing.

Her teammates came up behind her. "That didn't feel right..." Yang remarked. Blake nodded grimly. Weiss wondered if this was the time to ask, 'why are you all looking so grimm,' but considering how well her last joke went down, she left it.

They heard a growling in the shadows. All four of them turned around to see another deer Grimm. Blake was disturbed by the emotion that glittered in the Grimm's eyes. Vengance?

"We should get out of here," Weiss said quickly.

Blake was torn. These were creatures of Grimm, right? They were a threat. Then again...the deer hadn't seemed like much of a threat until it was threatened. And now this other one seemed to show emotion too. This wasn't right.

Yang's violet eyes glinted like steel as she activated Ember Cecelia. Blake put a hand on her teammate's shoulder. "Are you sure?"

Her yellow-haired companion narrowed her eyes. "No."

And with that she rushed at the Grimm, which let out a harsh screeching sound, leaping at her. She ducked, then punched upward, blasting the creature back in a flash of flames and dust. The thing landed heavily on it's side, and Yang proceeded to shoot at it. It withstood one bullet, shaking blood out of it's pelt as it teleported away from the second, shaking it's head in frustration. It tried again, but Yang took a couple of nimble steps back. Her eyes flashed red and she charged. The Grimm stood it's ground, then slashed her cheek at the last second. Yang gritted her teeth and felt more power flow through her as she punched in retaliation. The deer flew through the air, and Yang shot it down as it did. It fell, then disintegrated, as all Grimm did.

Yang wiped blood off her cheek, then turned back to her teammates. "C'mon. Let's look for more."

"What?"

The word burst out of Blake's mouth before she had time to consider it. Weiss looked faintly surprised, but also didn't seem inclined to fight more of the Grimm. With a quick glance at Ruby, the Cat Faunus couldn't tell what she was thinking at all. Blake sighed, and elaborated.

"They're too...smart to be Grimm. It doesn't make sense!"

Ruby stepped up beside her. "You remember the Grimm that Doctor Oobleck showed me? They were intelligent Grimm."

Blake sighed. "This seems...different."

A cold wind blew through the forest. Weiss narrowed her eyes. "These are probably just more of Ruby's intelligent Grimm that have been a bit more daring," she reasoned.

Yang nodded, and Blake had to admit that made sense.

They proceeded along the tracks, towards the tunnel. As they went, Ruby suddenly said, "But why? Why would they start to come back into the thick of all of this danger?"

Blake paused. "Maybe...maybe there's some sort of danger outside of Remnant."

Weiss looked shocked. "You mean...the Grimm might all be forced to come here?"

Blake wasn't sure how to answer, but Yang cut in. "Well, if they do, we can deal with them, right?"

The other's exchanged an uneasy glance, then Ruby shook her head as if to clear it of these thoughts. "Come on. Let's keep going." Her eyes gleamed. "Do we want to beat team JNPR or not?"

Blake grinned. No matter what was happening with the Grimm, that was something she didn't want to miss.