Despite the danger the Grimm posed, people still managed to stay divided. Criminals were present in all of Remnant, and that included the Vigilante's home, Vale. Both Humans and Faunus were suffering under the wrath of other people somewhere. It's gotten worse and the job won't stop until it is all gone. Why? Because that's the endgame for the Vigilante.
The shattered moon hung high in Vale's night. The streets were getting quiet as most of the shops had closed for the evening, but there were still people coming home from work and were looking to buy something on the way back. Shops like From Dust Till Dawn were open for people like that.
Roman Torchwick and his henchmen walked without any rush through the alley. What they didn't realize was from the rooftops, the Vigilante followed them out of sight. A predator stalking its prey, waiting for the perfect moment. He couldn't follow them on the streets; he didn't want to draw any attention to himself. The way he dressed would've given himself away.
The Vigilante knew it wasn't wise to try and attack simply for seeing Torchwick in the flesh. There was a reason other than the cops being either incompetent or on some payroll that this man was able to get away. There were also Huntsmen in Vale who couldn't stop him. Unless the Vigilante found the opportunity, he wouldn't risk any moves unless he was certain.
But now that he had seen Torchwick, he won't let today's opportunity pass. It was going to be today Torchwick was finished.
The Vigilante creeped in the darkness. He leaped to the next building without making a sound.
He was a Faunus, which meant it was almost impossible to join the police force. He didn't want to become a Huntsman. Their prime objective was to deal with Grimm. Fighting criminals and the like was secondary. Even though he could focus on taking down criminals, taking the law into his own hands was in his best interest. That was going to put a big target on his back, and because of his rabbit ears, it narrowed down the list of suspects drastically. He had to hide his identity. Keep himself and anyone who came in contact with him safe. So he did by putting his ears down and covering his head with a white mask, black goggles and a matching beanie.
The citizens on the street hastily moved away from the criminal and his cronies. They didn't want to be around when trouble hits, and they leave the area. The Vigilante kept his body low and his sight focused across the street. He saw the ill-intentioned men go into the shop of From Dust Till Dawn.
It was time to act. The Vigilante could not afford to waste any of it. He rushed to the back of the apartment building's edge and slid down the drain pipe, landing on the unkempt alley. With his feet on the concrete ground, he dashed out and across the empty street. He had to keep a bit of distance from the shop's windows, otherwise his cover would be blown. He ran into the opening between the two adjacent businesses and continued to the backside without any hesitation.
The plan was to go into the shop from the back and make his moves from there. That was what he was going to do until he heard movement from behind.
He shifted his upper body away from the weapon that was aimed to stab him. He turned, getting his collapsible baton out and extended. He swung for a hit that was parried by the perpetrator's weapon; an umbrella with a spike that resembled that top of a foil carried by a short woman with pink and brown hair.
The Vigilante went for another strike, parried yet again. He swung vertically, which she blocked. Their weapons were at a lock with both of their eyes on each other. The young woman was unable to see the man's face, but she knew him. It wasn't a surprise to her that she would eventually cross paths with the Vigilante. The Vigilante didn't know her. She didn't appear on the news like Torchwick. A mere henchwoman?
The woman was smiling. She didn't see her opponent as a serious threat, and she wanted her opponent to know. The Vigilante threw a kick but missed as she took a simple step to the side. He went for a horizontal swing with his baton and missed as she bent backwards like this was Limbo. She made distance between herself and him with a few back handsprings, coming to a stop to open the umbrella and lean it on her shoulder. Her smug grin and the way she held the open umbrella like she was having a photoshoot infuriated him. He was being treated like her plaything. But it was okay. She was doing this to make him lose focus. Mess with his head and he'll make one too many mistakes that'll cost him the fight, and maybe his life.
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The Vigilante became the Vigilante a mere couple years ago. Working in the kitchen after leaving foster care didn't help anybody that needed it. It wasn't until a year had passed before he figured he could do what he was doing now behind a mask. It was that time he got fired for being too uncooperative with the head chef. Of course they wouldn't have been so harsh on him if he wasn't a Faunus. A Faunus being critical sounds gibing to many Human ears. Finally gaining the courage and discipline, he began his crusade while looking for a new employer.
In the silence between the two, they heard the faint crash of glass from the other side of the building. The woman's grin was replaced with a look of surprise on her face. She expected the operation to go smoothly, which meant the lack of any crashing glass. The Vigilante did not waste this moment. He used his free hand to take out his grappling gun from his dark trench coat and shot it at the woman. She saw it too late. The hook made a painful contact with her gut, knocking her onto the ground flat. The hook slithered back into the gun and returned into the black trench coat of the owner. The woman pushed her hands on the ground and stood back on her two feet immediately. She's not going to treat this like a game anymore.
The two had a standoff. They're waiting for the other to make the next move. They heard screams and yells from the other side but they paid no mind. It was clear to both that someone was taking care of Torchwick and his henchmen.
The Vigilante charged with his baton at the ready. He went for a strike which got blocked by the open umbrella. Another strike, blocked again. The umbrella closed and was thrust towards his chest. He manages to step aside from it, almost grazing his arm. He didn't react fast enough to her roundhouse kick.
There must have been gunshots coming from the street now, but that's none of their concern. The woman swung her umbrella, stopped by the baton. Their faces are in full view of each other. The woman didn't have to see him to know he was sweating and clenching his teeth. This was a challenge to him. She gave him a patronizing smile. Her mismatched eyes, same as her hair's colors burned through the Vigilante's goggles and into his memory.
"You're good, scum," the Vigilante barked. His voice rasp and coarse.
The woman didn't say anything, only giving him a slight head tilt as a response.
She broke away from the hold and swung her umbrella diagonally. The Vigilante stopped it with his baton. A diagonal swing from the other side. He ducked unharmed as he attempted to sweep her. She jumped and brought her umbrella down to pierce him. He rolled away from what would've been a fatal blow. The umbrella pierced the ground instead with a solid sharp ding. He launched himself up to pierce her himself with his baton, now running electricity and static emitting from his weapon. She slid away from the electric hit and spun with her leg stretched out, finding its way to his side.
It was a solid hit that threw him into a wall. She was ready for another attack until they heard an explosion. For a moment, he saw her eyes go colorless and her gleeful expression was now hinting at worry. She turned to the nearest gap between the buildings and ran from the fight, towards the street. He did not allow this. She was getting away. He took his grappling gun and shot at her defenseless back. She looked back at him. He caught a glimpse of the return of those strawberry and chocolate eyes before the hook shattered her like glass.
The Vigilante thought that it must've been her Semblance. Something to do with illusions? That'd make sense. He didn't have a Semblance of his own, which he didn't particularly mind. It wasn't like everybody who knew how to fight had it. Some people even had awful Semblances, so he heard.
He ran towards the street, bringing the hook back to where it came from, but stopped from going out to stay hidden in the dark, away from the light of the street. There he witnessed a girl in black and red wielding a scythe, Torchwick's henchmen knocked out and lying on the road, and Torchwick himself climbing up the ladder of a building across from them.The girl looked around the shop. The Vigilante tucked himself away in the shadows and away from her view. He didn't know if she was a young Huntress or a rival criminal but he knew she was going after the same target as him. So he decided to make his leave. She took down Torchwick's henchmen while he let his henchwoman free. Not only that but the police were sure to be coming soon and he'd rather not be around when they arrived.
He steadily walked deeper into the darkness he came from. Either this girl will stop Torchwick or he'll have to catch him another day. Unfortunate for him. He wanted to help her, but he didn't want to risk having himself turned in by her if she chooses. After all, he has an arrest warrant for multiple murders. Did they deserve it? To him: yes.