HK-47: The White Fang's Assassin

Chapter Twenty Nine - The Spring Maiden

In the days that followed, Raven Branwen and the Branwen Tribe prepared for the inevitable arrival of the White Fang. All raids on nearby villages were conducted with upmost secrecy to avoid attracting unwanted attention. Anyone who trespassed in their territory were immediately killed. One night, Raven Branwen conducts a raid on a small village rich with supplies. She raids the village and kill it's defenders using her combat skills. She took care to avoid using her Maiden Powers, knowing that it would draw attention. Like all other raids as of late, there were no survivors. Anyone who was in hiding were slaughtered by the Grimm who were attracted to the fear instilled from the attack. As Raven makes her way back to her camp with she senses something wrong. She felt as if something was moving against her. Her instincts proved correct as when she returned to her camp, she found it in flames. She rushes into the camp to find that her tribe had been wiped out. Anger and fury boils over the Spring Maiden as her eyes lit up with dark red flames. Before she could react, blaster shots were fired at her. Raven's Maiden powers allowed her to dodge the attacks. As the blaster fire stops, Raven looks around to see no one. 

Raven: Where are you?! Show yourself!

It was at this moment that HK-47 revealed himself. Raven gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as the Assassin Droid walks over the corpses of her comrades. 

HK-47: Mocking Query: So you are the Spring Maiden? How disappointing. 

Raven: Who the hell are you?!

HK-47: Answer: I am HK-47, personal executor to High Leader Adam Taurus of the White Fang. 

Raven: How did you find us? 

HK-47: Answer: I simply followed the trail of violence. Using Grimm to cover your attacks is a smart ploy for a meatbag. If only your tribe of bandits were competent enough to stand against me. 

As HK-47 mocked her tribe, Raven lunged at HK-47 and attacked the Assassin Droid with her Omen Sword. The initial attacks catches HK-47 off guard, but HK-47 was able to drive Raven back by shooting at her with his blaster rifle. Raven then begins utilizing her Maiden Powers to attack the Assassin Droid. She closes the distance and generates electricity from her hands and uses it to attack the Assassin Droid, temporarily short circuiting his targeting computers. 

HK-47: Analysis: Not bad for a meatbag. 

Raven: I'm going to send you back to Taurus piece by piece. 

HK-47: Mockery: You are more than welcome to try, meatbag. You will fail, but you are welcome to try. 

Raven pressed the attack by using various elemental attacks to keep HK-47 at bay. As the fight drags on, HK-47 analyzes her attack patterns. He quickly notices something familiar with her attack patterns. They were similar to the way Jedi and Sith fought. HK-47 begins to change his tactics in his fight against Raven. He begins utilizing thermal detonators and explosive rounds to put Raven on the defense. Raven was shocked at how HK-47 was able to adapt so quickly. 

HK-47: Mockery: Your organic flailings amuse me!

Raven continues to use her Maiden powers to try to press the attack, but HK-47 proves too much for her. In a last ditch effort, Raven attempts to blind side HK-47 by using her Maiden powers to speed past him. As she attempts to attack him from behind, HK-47 turns around and grabs Raven's sword. As he breaks it, he hits her in the face and stabs her in the leg with a piece of her sword. Raven screams in pain as HK-47 throws her to the ground. Raven slowly gets on her knees as HK-47 aims his blaster rifle at Raven.

HK-47: Statement: This fight is over, meatbag. 

Raven: What....are you waiting for? Finish it. Isn't that why you're here?

HK-47: Correction: Not at all. If I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead. In truth, I've been sent by my master to capture you and bring you to him alive. 

As HK-47 moved closer to the wounded Raven, he noticed something familiar. He took a good look at her.

HK-47: Query: Have we met before? Did I kill someone you know? You look like a meatbag I've met. 

HK-47 began looking through his memory banks. Soon enough, he reached the Fall Of Beacon. Specifically, his encounter with Yang Xiao Long. He took a moment to alter his voice modulator to match Yang's voice. 

HK-47: Query: Am I familiar to you, meatbag?

As HK-47 spoke in Yang's voice, Raven was in a state of shock. She remembered that when Yang came to her camp, she had prosthetic limbs, indicating the HK-47 was responsible. 

HK-47: Analysis: This is a most interesting development. Let's get moving, meatbag.

It was at this moment that Raven realized that she was done for. She knew that HK-47 would deliver her to Adam Taurus alive. Knowing that Adam Taurus planned to kill her and have the powers of the Spring Maiden pass on to one of Adam's followers, Raven gripped the her broken sword and smiled. 

Raven: No.....I go out on my own.....

Without hesitation, Raven plunges her broken sword into her chest. Raven collapses to the ground as HK-47 attempts to heal her wounds, but it was too late. As Raven lay dying on the ground, Raven thought of Yang. 

Raven: (Yang....finish....this fight.....)

As Raven took her final breath, HK-47 detected no life signs from Raven. With that, HK-47's mission to capture Raven Branwen and deliver her to Adam Taurus ended in failure. However, it didn't take long for HK-47 to deduce who the powers of the Spring Maiden would pass on to. Meanwhile, Yang Xiao Long had inherited the powers of the Spring Maiden. Shock and confusion took hold of Yang's mind. It didn't take long for her and everyone else to realize what had happened. Though Yang had her personal feelings about Raven, Yang still mourned the loss of her mother despite Raven's actions. Yang Xiao Long had inherited the powers of the Spring Maiden from her mother Raven Branwen. And that made her a target of Adam Taurus and the White Fang Empire.