Frozen Waste [Open]

The day was unrecognizable.

That was what the snowfall and the clouds did. A practical trademark of the Snowy Forest and it's surroundings valleys, mountains and cliffs, these white fields stretched far and wide when you were deep within it's boundaries. The easily contrasting dark trees, white ground and silver-grey skies means that everywhere you look, it all seems just the same. As such, many waygoers have gotten lost within these unfamiliar woods, forced to escape or die of starvation, or of the cold, or....worse.

The night was unrecognizable.

Each step taken could lead to many things. The soft, mushy snow beneath your feet as you trudge through, the familiar crumple or snapping sounds as you step on some of the brown-black leaves that have been decomposing away, or when you step onto a branch, or a twig, as it breaks underneath your weight with undeniable inferiority. But take care, for like how you snapped the dead wood, other beings, far superior than you, could appear, stepping on you like an ant beneath a boot, ready to snap you like a twig. Except this time, you're fully alive.

The surrounding was unrecognizable.

Crunch crunch crunch crunch

Each step Pierce took was easily audible despite the whipping winds, leaving deep footprints behind him. The air had steadily grown colder since he'd started his trek, the wind pulling the warmth from his clothes. His breath formed clouds of fog, blocking his view with every exhale.

Pierce was freezing.

He'd never felt this cold before, he thought, pulling his hood even lower. Back home was all forests, trees, and damp. No ice, no snow, and definitely no frost covered eyebrows.

"Just where is it?" He said, eager to get things going.

The meeting place should be around here somewhere

A few minutes later, as he entered a small clearing in the dense forest, he heard the footsteps.

Since he started trekking into the forest, Xarias has been batting away twigs, tripping over rocks, and hearing weird noises which he couldn't seem to pinpoint where.
"This is starting to get a bit annoying" he said, under his breath.
A thin layer of mist danced around the forest floor and seemed to go on forever, seemingly concealing whatever leaves have fallen or rocks wedged into the soil.
trip
"Ugh! If I trip on one more rock I'm gonna..." he stopped his sentence midway just in time to hear the crunching sound a few meters away.
What could it be? It's sounds too light to be what I'm looking for
Out of curiosity he heads towards the source of the sound to investigate.

IC:

He sat there, within the epicenter of the tree branches as they wrapped around him like a dead cocoon. A magnetic field emanated from his body, in a large radius. While it was meant to simply be just practice, Junis did notice the sudden change in fluctuation from not just one, but two different points within.

However, he didn't bother to change his stance, or even move to use his own eyes to see who these intruders were.

It was pointless.

Footsteps. To light to be anything I can't handle. Either that or a person

Instincts taking over, Pierce deftly climbs up the nearest tree, concealing himself in the branches.His green outfit is cover with patches of snow and ice, easily blending in with the background.

His breath slows down, barely a whisper. Mind set on his yet to be seen target. Back against the trunk, he rests his hands on the branches, knees bent and ready to pounce.

Wait for it.

I've got to keep quiet

Noticing that the sound suddenly disappeared, Xarias stood in his tracks. He scanned his surroundings but couldn't make out anything due to the mist and thick brush.

Time to get a good vantage point

Using his the grappling hook on his weapon he zips to the top of the tallest tree he could find. Switching back to his rifle form he zooms in on a moving part of a nearby tree. Knowing he shouldn't make any false alarms he decides to wait it out just in case the target is nearby, it would be a shame if it got startled or ran away.

Can that thing get startled?

Movement

He fixes his sights on the moving leaves nearby. He sees a glint in the leaves.
"Is that another person?" he says, making sure not to lower his gun.

The footsteps stopped. He's onto me.

Making sure to time his movements with the wind, Pierce climbs higher and deeper into the enveloping branches.

The footsteps came from there so I better steer this way

Pierce climbs the opposite side of the tree, away from where the footsteps came from. Keeping himself hidden, he unfolds the Gemini Jaegers.

Friend or foe, I better be ready for anything.

IC:

The magnetic distortion suddenly going 'up', along with the sound of hand and shoe pushing and pulling against a tree gave away Pierce's thoughts towards Junis. Still, Junis stood still in an almost meditative form, and his dark cloak easily let him blend in with the tree's branches. For now, he stood there, more focused on the cold air inspiring and expiring in his lungs, or the frosty tingle on his skin.

Apparently, 3 humans - or perhaps at least one faunus - had somehow gathered in one spot by random. While it wasn't something he didn't appreciate, it also wasn't something he didn't find to be all too fond.

Though.....this conversion was sure to attract some other inhabitants of the forest...

Too bad I can't just shoot anything I wanted

Xarias kept his sights on where his target last was. He can't be sure if it was human or not.

Human
Can other people be on this job?

Xarias lowered his sights and decided to take a gamble. Should he call out and risk getting attacked by any creatures lurking nearby? Or should he just take the shot and be done with it. If it's another person he/she might be useful in finding the target. So far he hasn't had any luck tracking it down.

The leaves moved

Xarias then changes to his dual grappling hooks and starts swinging towards the tree. Person or monster, Xarias didn't care. He was getting bored, time to move cuz it seems like this other thing won't move unless provoked. He decided to get it's attention and confirm his suspicions.

Let's see what you're made of

Pierce is at the top of the tree now, just behind the cover of the leaves. His eyes scan over the treetops.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. There!

There's a person swinging from tree to tree, each one of them shaking leaves into the air each time he does. He's got two swords, probably where the grapples are coming from.

He doesn't seem so threatening. He's bitten off more than he can chew though. This a forest. He's in my element. He's mine.

Pierce waits till he's swinging right next to him, barely ten feet apart. The second Pierce sees his back, one of the Gemini Jaegers flies towards it.

Somethings behind me

The guy took the bait. Now it's time to get some distance. Xarias starts swinging faster now, crashing through leaves, branches, and the occasional pinecone. Knowing he can't get a clear shot with everything blocking his view he heads to a clearing. If this guy's ranged then I'll probably have some trouble if he sees me first.

He suddenly hears a weird sound. Something like a flying buzz-saw. He activates his aura and does a full 360 in midair.

A chakram? Can those things have that kind of range?

Using his enhanced speed he aims his blade at the first tree on the right and shoots. He zips by and lands on a higher branch, watching the chakram fly by his previous spot as he does.

As always, at the last second, I've got to stop doing that

He sees the weapon go into the brush

How does he expect to hit me now? It's not like it's a boomerang

Xarias then switches to his Rifle and aims high where the attacker supposedly threw the weapon. He see's a glint and takes his shot.

Let's see you how fast you react

He's aiming at the tree now. I've been out of there five seconds ago. They always follow the Jaeger back to where it came from.

Pierce is about twenty feet from his target, easily within range. He's got a rifle now, a different form of those swords by Pierce's guess.

I wonder what he's here for. Time to find out.

He's looking down the barrel now, I doubt he'll hear me coming in this wind. The snow'll keep me covered too.

The Jaeger I first used is still stuck the the tree he's looking at. Here we go.

A strong tug activates the Jaeger, spinning it like a saw and cutting the branch clean through and flying back towards Pierce..

Wind. Pierce is soaring through the air and back into another tree before the branch even hits the ground. He's behind him now, a little to the side. Both Jaegers at the ready.

"What the..."
Xarias hears a branch breaking nearby. He turns around and sees it starting to fall.

Where'd the thingy go?

"Great, now it goes back to him as well?"

Xarias splits his gun back to his dual blades and just stands casually on the branch he's on. He decides to find out if his attacker really is a foe or just a paranoid nut. Thinking of the job he decides to stop wasting time and start moving towards his main objective. Anyways, food doesn't pay for itself.

"Hey! I know you're out there!" he yells, hoping to hear an answer. "Are you also here for the bounty? Perhaps we can work together?"

nothing yet, maybe this guy really is a nut.

Just in case, Xarias activates his semblance and senses something nearby, a slight sliver of movement nearby. He starts turns around and crosses his arms across his chest, semblance activated, prepared for any sudden attacks.

As he turns around he says, "So that's where you're hiding."

And they're around him. Just the guy turns around the Jaegers whiz around him and the tree trunk a few times before one digs into the bark by his neck. The other locks into place onto Pierce's right forearm just as he lands on the branch exactly behind the guy on the other side of the trunk. He braces his leg against it as he begins to pull.

The disk spins wildly pulling the wires, now all over his torso and arms, tight and pinning him chest first into the trunk.

No way he can move now. His arms are pinned. I doubt he's still holding his weapons at this point.

"What are you here for? Who are you?" Pierce asks in a low, monotone voice.

Just to make sure they're on the same page, the disk beside his neck turns into a buzz saw for a second, moving closer, just a centimeter away from his neck.

"One move and you're shredded. Talk."

bloody hell, a bit too slow. Shouldn't have let my guard down

"Loosen up will you? And I mean literally, I'm outta breath here." Xarias said, as he was being squeezed by the wires. He then notices the buzz saw right next to him.

This guy really is a nut

Pretty sure this guy isn't a bandit he relaxes a bit. Bandits would've just cut my head off right away. If they could catch me.  He knows this guys was here on business, other people would've certainly saw the bounty but only the truly brave, or stupid, ones would venture into this wasteland. Being quite sure this guy isn't stupid he decides to tell him the truth.

"I'm here for the bounty, first to accept, first to head out. Wasn't told I would be meeting up with others" he said, just as the wires dug more into his back.

As much as I'd like to cut myself out who knows how fast this guy is?

Just then the buzz saw stopped but the wires have yet to loosen. Xarias could sense that his attacker's only a few feet from him now but he tenses his grips on his blades just in case.

"Well, I don't have all day you know so get me out of this thing."

How much should I believe him? He doesn't look like he's from beacon.

Pierce pauses for a moment, thinking through his course of action.

Eventually though, he reels the Jaegers back in although he leaves them open and ready.

"It looks like we're both after the same thing. We should work together for now, no use killing each other and leaving our target alone. But if you even think of double crossing me, I won't hesitate." Pierce says, revving both Jaegers for emphasis.

IC:

"Shut up."

"Another one? Seriously?" Xarias says, as he brandishes he weapon. This time the partisan is out, ready to strike. He gets a good luck at his first attacker, studying him carefully while lowering his weapon. He takes a quick look around then leans against his weapon seeing no need to waste any more energy on useless fights.

Apparently I'm not the only one around here. Might as well use the help while I can

"So, another guy on the job eh? Mind sharing any info you have on the target? I'm kinda lost here."

IC:

"I have no info on any target."

Though if you did, that would be interesting. Junis stood up in a smooth, swift motion before pushing off from the branch, turning around and landing with an exquisite grace, almost as though he had received some godly support in the drop. And indeed it felt so; both Xarias and Pierce felt a small but noticeable push towards what they had on them - specifically, metallic objects - though it was far too small for them to figure out it had been a magnetic field just by that.

In the pale silver light of the sky, coupled with the black dead trees and pure white snow, Junis, with his cloak wrapped around him, looked almost like a phantom, a mirage, fitting perfectly into the scenery. Quickly, he glanced over the two others, taking note of everything.

One of them, the one with messy, unkempt hair, reached behind him to equip a long bayonet-like rifle, with twin barrels each with their own fitting blades. Wearing a set of goggles and an aviator jacket, it looked like this guy was the prime gogglehead hero.

The other one was tall and slender, though his upper body's muscles were definitely well toned, standing out even in the clothes. Long blonde hair that reached down to his shoulders. Attached to his arms were 2 shields - discs - that Junis had sensed being flung around. Which made it an easy weapon to fight.

Junis nearly smirked.

"Now, stay quiet. Three humans out here, in the same spot? Something's bound to come growling."

"That's exactly what I want." Pierce says to the newcomer. "But I don't need a lesson in staying hidden."

Normally Pierce would welcome the help but under these circumstances, he was careful. These two didn't give that "I'm a team player" vibe. Pierce practically felt like the guy in black was pushing him away... and off the branch.

He's wearing all black, not really something that says "friendly". Behind his cloak, Pierce notices metal. Probably armor.

How's he moving around in that? It must weigh a ton and yet he's about as agile as trigger-happy over here.

His face was what struck Pierce the most. He was pale. Almost deathly so.

This guy either has a serious condition or needs more time in the sun.

He doesn't seem to have any weapons though, making Pierce all the more wary of him and what else he's hiding under all that.

Looking at him up and down, Pierce's hands tighten almost reflexively, his gloves giving the satisfying noise of stretching leather.

"What brings the both of you here?"

Not sure if he should trust any of these guys, Xarias decides to keep the truth to a minimum. A little white lie never hurt anybody. He looks at both Junis and Pierce, unable to think of any other reason for them to be here than to hunt. He realized he said too much and might have to play his cards a little more , these guys were kinda weird, especially the pale guy who dropped in out of nowhere. Aside from his facial expression which already showed he wasn't one for fun and games, he seemed to be literally pushing them away. Xarias shrugged off the feeling, it was bad enough that one guy came in, now another drops out of nowhere.

My luck just keeps getting better and better.

The new guy was right, something's definitely gonna be coming this way if they cause too much of a commotion, but maybe that's not so much of a bad thing. He could use their presence as bait to lure out his target, thing is if he should let the others in on what he's doing. The blonde already heard part of his story but he can't be sure how much the other guy overheard.

Are these guys working together, seems unlikely but not impossible

If they were here on the job then he could use their help tracking the target, something he's been having trouble with since first coming in to the forest. The info he got regarding the job only gave the general location and description of the target, definitely like hiding a needle in a haystack. He then notices the blonde's eyes on both of them. Apparently he's asking a question.

Not willing to take the risk of divulging everything he knows, Xarias merely says "Hunting. I'm looking for something."

He knows he's a bad liar but information is power. He has to be sure of their stand, friend or foe. The blonde looks a bit nice but nothing's sure, especially since he attacked him earlier. The other guy on the other hand gave a cold stare.

Now what? This is just wasting time

Just then he hears a faint sound some distance away from their current position.

Damn it. Black was right, then again it might just be what I'm looking for.

"So. Ladies first."

IC:

"What brings the both of you here?"

Junis had no reason to lie. He wasn't here for some secret meeting, or 'hunting' as these two seemed to be, or anything else that might've been bad to tell shady characters you meet in the middle of the woods. These two fools - they didn't seem to be blowing each other's brains apart just yet. Junis relented with the magnetic field, withdrawing it unnoticeably back to himself. Now to just say something - preferably, a single word.

The only problem - he didn't have an answer to the question either - at least, not in the question's context. He could, of course, squeeze out a sarcastic remark and wait to see if somebody all of a sudden go into a hundred-and-ten percent power rage mode. But try as he might, it didn't feel right to say "My legs." That sounded like something an idiot with no self-esteem would say; Junis was no idiot. Nor did he lack in self-esteem.

"Nothing."

A blank stare faced towards Xarias and Pierce as Junis stood, the snow falling lightly upon his shoulders.

The other reply came.

"Hunting. I'm looking for something."

Within his mind, Junis thought about it. He'd not heard much at all about a bounty held atop the head of something, nor did he sense much when he'd been within it. It was very rare that people placed a bounty on Grimm, too, so it could mean that the bounty was placed on a human, and it could very well be him. But Junis doubted it. He didn't recall killing anyone during the past few weeks.

Suddenly, there was a tiny thump - quiet, but audible. The source of the noise was far away - but it was certainly close enough, now that it was in hearing range, for him to prepare should it be hostile. Instinctively, Junis' hand reached down into a small pocket.

"So. Ladies first." The syllables escaped Xarias' lips, and immediately Junis bore his eyes into him. While in truth his facial complexion had barely changed, when the two made eye contact Xarias could immediately tell - his eyes bore right through him with a silent anger.

Night starts getting tired of the gold and pulls R.W.M out of its sheath and loads a fire dust capsule in the hilt and ignites the blade. "Ah, much better. Uh, i need to stop getting lost, hmm, gotta be shelter somewhere." Night mumbles to himself while walking through the snow.

Muffled Thumps echoed over the edge of the valley as Walter's fists struck the Ice wall on the far side of the valley. As Walter retracted his strike, lightly bloodied indents could be seen on the ice. Through the sound of the light torrent of cold wind, Walter could hear the crunching of snow echoing in from the top of the Valley. Wiping his bloody knuckles dry, he re-equiped his nylon jersey and warmth slowly returned to his torso. He began to walk to the source of the sound.

As Night was walking he found a cliff wall that seemed dry enough. "Hmm i wonder." Night put his dry hand against the wall and tried eroding the inside of it to make a pocket. "Darn, to much moister." Night pulls out some red dust crystals and places them in some ridges in the cliff wall. "Well, if theres anybody near by they sure are going to hear this." Night walks behind a tree and loads a fire dust bullet into Gold Rodger and takes aim. CRACK!!!. As Night pulls the trigger a loud explosion comes from the gun and crystals as they make a hole in the cliff. "That should do, heh." Night walks into the hole he just made and sheaths R.W.M and sits down to think on how he's gonna find his way back to Beacon.