Team Nightwatch

The Forest of Forever Fall

Isabel

     "You're serious?"  Leah gasped, putting her belt around her waist.
     "Jaune's own words," Andrew replied.  "I knew there was something off about him...."  His voice grew cold with those words, and I could feel his irritation.  He'd said that he graduated top of his class from Signal, so I guess that's why he was angry with Jaune.
     "Are you going to turn him in?"  Destiny asked, putting her katana on her back.  Andrew put Nightblade at his hip and Shadow Strike over his shoulder before aggressively checking his hidden weapon gauntlets.
     "If I didn't like him so much I would," he said.  "Not everyone can become a Huntsman...if he thinks he can then let him try, I guess.  Why did he think he had to fake his entrance papers anyway?"  His expression turned to one of genuine curiosity as he clasped a cloak over his dark gray turtle-neck sweater.  "He's not a bad fighter, but he could do with some training.  We all could...."  He threw the hood up and turned to us.  "Well, come on.  We're supposed to meet Glynda in the courtyard at nine."
     He was right and it was eight forty-five. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~(At the Forest of Forever Fall)~~~~~~~~~~~~

     The leaves on the trees were a beautiful shade of red and on occasion would fall to the grass below.  Glynda had given us glass jars and told us to collect sap from the trees but to be careful.  This place's apparently infested with Grimm.  "I'll stand guard."  Andrew pulled out Shadow Strike and took a defensive stance.  He still looked irritated with Jaune but at least he had something to do.
     "I've never seen him like this,"  Leah murmured, putting the tap into a tree.  "What's gotten into him?"
     "It's probably something to do with his pride,"  Destiny speculated, putting a tap in another tree.  "You know how he is about that...."  I shrugged and started filling up my jar, looking at Andrew. 
     His face was dead-set and his eyes darted around, keeping us safe.  The light filtering in from the canopy threw his face into shadow and his blue eyes sparkled in the half light.  He looked intimidating...and kinda cute.  He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and smiled.
     "You lose something over here slick?"  He asked.  I felt myself grow pink and I turned back to the sap.  Andrew chuckled a little and started whistling.  I filled his jar but I heard him grunt and a thud.  Me, Leah and Destiny turned around to see Shadow Strike laying in the leaves.
     "Where'd he go?"  Leah asked.  "He was there just a second ago...."  The worry in her voice sounded different but I didn't have time to question it. 
     "We have to find him," Destiny said, putting her jar on the ground.  "Let's go." 

Andrew

     "Let me go!"  I writhed.  "Unhand me...!"  The two guys who had me by the arms were a lot bigger than I was, but I couldn't slide out of their grasp.  I'm losing my touch....
     "Hey, Pipsqueak."  Reese was standing with his arms folded over his chest and a smirk on his face.  "I see you've met Nick and Kyle...."  A girl was leaning against a tree, twirling a knife between her fingers.  "That's Serenity...."
     "Charmed," I said.  "Listen, Reese, I don't know what you want, but your friends here are making a big mistake...."  Kyle and Nick chuckled stupidly and Reese walked up to me.
     "Big talk for such a little guy," he jeered.  I may be thin but I am six feet two inches tall.  Little is not a word to describe me...nicely anyway.  I bared my teeth but couldn't concentrate enough to generate a charge. 
    "What do you want?"  I repeated.  He cracked his knuckles, balled his right hand into a fist, and punched me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me.  Nick and Kyle held me up as I tried to regain my breath.
     "That's for the other night," he said.  His knuckles connected with my jaw.  "That's because I don't like you."  I spat blood out of my mouth and looked at him.  "Drop him...."  His cronies let me go and I fell face-first onto the dirt and leaves.  "Let me tell you something, Pipsqueak.  Leah's my girl."
     "I'm not in love with her," I gasped, pushing myself onto my hands and knees and looked up at him.  "I just think you're a jerk...."  He kicked me in the side and I doubled over in pain. 
     "Why not let Serenity have her way with him?" Nick or Kyle said.  Uh oh....  I'm not easy to scare but that girl...I have a feeling that Serenity's just a name.  "Might get rid of that smart mouth o' his."
     "Nice one, Nick,"  Reese replied.  "Hey, Serenity...he's all yours."  She pulled my face up to look at her and put her knife next to my face.
     "It's a shame," she said, only loud enough for me to hear.
     "What is?"  I breathed.  She smiled and it was creepy.
     "To a ruin such a pretty face."  I swallowed and she raised her knife only to have have it shot out of her hand.
     "Let the skeleton go."  Leah had one of her pistols raised, pointing at Serenity.  "Do it. I won't miss a second time...."  Isabel and Destiny were standing with her: Destiny with her hidden guns at the ready and Isabel with her rapier in position.
     I got shakily to my feet and wiped the blood from my mouth, flashing Reese and them a creepy smile. 
     "Well,"  I asked, extending my hidden blades.  "Are we just going to stand here or are we going to fight?"  I looked at Reese and his team as they pulled out their weapons.  Reese's broadsword had dust around the edges and hummed with energy.  "You think you can take Dipstick?"  I whispered to Leah.
     "With pleasure," she whispered back.  "I'm guessing you want Ms. LeStrange?"  I nodded and dug my right toes into the ground. 
     "Let's go!"  I kicked a huge rock from the ground, making Team RNKS (I guess that's what they are) scatter and give my team a chance to run to a target.  Serenity had rolled behind a tree and I fired a few warning shots.  "Come on, sweetheart, I thought you were more aggressive than this!" 
     She peaked out of her hiding spot to fire a few shots back, forcing me up my own tree.  I crouched in the branches and tried to silently make my way to Serenity, but I looked to see how everyone else was doing.  Isabel was parrying every strike from Kyle's longsword, Destiny was fighting katana-on-halberd with Nick, and I watched as Leah kicked Reese in his crotch.  I winced a little through my smile and continued toward Serenity.
     "Are you scared, Handsome?"  She jeered.  "You've got a big mouth for a little guy...."  I laughed and caused the wind to rustle the leaves of another tree at which she shot at.
     "At least I can back up what I say,"  I taunted back.  "You had to monologue before you all hit me."  A shadow passed behind her, harmless but she still shot at it.  Trigger happy...I can use that.  "Heads up!"  She looked up as I jumped from the tree, kicked her in the chest, and sent her  flying across the clearing.  I started doing flips and rolls as she fired round after round at me, occasionally taking pot shots at her to keep her interested.
     "Andrew, watch out!"  I heard Kyle coming up from behind me, disarmed him, and held one of my blades to his neck, turning to Serenity.  She raised her knife-guns and I heard the chamber click.
     "Serenity, no!"  Reese shouted.  I smirked evily and chuckled. 
     "Now," I said.  "Just let us go in peace, and we won't report you to Glynda, Oobleck, or Ozpin.  Personally, I've been on the business end of Glynda's anger, so if I were you I'd listen to me...."  I looked dangerously at them all.  "Drop you weapons, or I drop him...."  They threw their blades to the ground and I pushed Kyle onto his face.  "See you around...."  I spun on my heel and walked off, motion for my team to follow.
     I have a feeling that this's going to come back and bite me later, but at the moment I was enjoying my victory.  I picked up Shadow Strike and put it away.  I think we can handle ourselves if anything happens....  Team Nightwatch is on the board and we aren't going to back down.