Halmvoulge slammed through a Beowolf's waist, cutting the monster in half.

Reed pushed through the cloud of black mist left in the Grimm's place, eyes set on the Ursa lurking behind it. It was small for the species of bear-like Grimm, but that still put it a hand-span taller than himself. Normally Reed would take his time with a Grimm that large, but he felt Sergeant Tanners's eyes burning into him, urging him to deal with the creature quickly.

The Ursa roared, forearm pulling back in preparation for a savage strike. Reed pushed his semblance past its normal activation, the creature appearing to slow and each minute movement becoming clear. As its paw began to move forward Reed calculated the trajectory it would take.

Reed eased his semblance to a low burn, and the Ursa's attack quickly gained speed. It lashed out with enough power to break down a wall, but he was already moving. He stepped lightly to the side, pushing the attack wide with Halmvoulge's shaft. As the monster's claws passed him he spun Halmvoulge in his hands, settled into a wide stance, and brought the ax blade down hard on the back of the creature's neck.

The Grimm stumbled forward several steps, as if in denial that its head was no longer attached to its body. Finally it collapsed to the ground, its large body disintegrating from shoulders to tail.

"Well done," Tanners said, casually shooting down a Creeper that had tried to circle behind them. "I think that's the last of them for the time being."

Reed walked over to a flat rock, sitting down to catch his breath. Early that afternoon they had entered the mountains, following the path to the Support Tower. The majority of the horde still seemed content to ignore the expedition, but small packs had been breaking away from it to harass the Guards all day.

Now the moon hung high in the sky, light from its shattered edge casting shifting shadows among the rocks. Night had fallen several hours ago and most of the Guards were resting in preparation for retaking the tower the following day.

Despite the late hour and several days of marching Tanners appeared alert and well-rested. He stood on a tall rock, gaze cast in the direction of the ravine where the horde was congregated. The night was eerily quiet, a soft red glow to the east the only indication of the massive gathering of monsters.

"Did you try activating your semblance in bursts like I suggested?"

The question drew Reed out of his reverie, and he nodded. "Yeah," he responded, trying not to let exhaustion bleed into his voice. "I pushed beyond my normal activation long enough to formulate a plan, then eased up during the execution."

"Good, good," the sergeant said distractedly. "That will maximize the usefulness of your semblance without exhausting you."

A radio clipped to Tanners's belt crackled for a moment before it cleared and Corporal Tamus's voice emerged from the static.

"Come in, Sergeant Tanners. This is Corporal Tamus, reporting in."

Tanners unclipped the radio, holding it out in front of him. "I read you Corporal, continue."

"Skittles and me just finished our rounds to the south. The area is clear, no signs of Grimm activity."

"Good, and the rest of you squad?"

"Ivory is checking equipment for tomorrow, and Spines is stationed at sentry point Theta to the North. Both have reported in, no problems on either front. Camo is scouting to the west and recently passed out of radio range. He's scheduled to return at 0400."

"Excellent. You three get what rest you can and I will relieve Spines at 0200. Alert me when Camo has reported in."

"Sir."

Watching Tanners relay instructions, Reed realized he hadn't considered what the sergeant's semblance might be. He'd never seen anything beyond skill in his fights, nor anything out of the ordinary in his everyday life. He was always working, though, and Reed realized he hadn't seen so much as a bed roll in Tanners's tent. Whether it was just barely dawn, or the dead of night, the sergeant always seemed to have the exact same amount of energy…

"You don't sleep, do you sir?"

Tanners started, finally looking away from the ravine and casting an appraising eye over Reed. Then he grinned, his teeth flashing white in the moon light.

"Very observant, Private. Not everyone is gifted with a combat-oriented semblance. Mine is a bureaucrat's dream and a soldier's nightmare: I don't sleep. Can't sleep. Not unless my aura has been drained entirely."

"That must take a toll," Reed said, imagining being unable to sleep no matter how weary he might be.

The sergeant merely shrugged. "Sleep simply rests the mind and body at the same time. I meditate when I have time for the former, and my body gets plenty of rest when I'm sitting behind a desk pushing paper. It can be inconvenient, though. It's been a while since my aura was completely drained, but when it happens…"

He held his hands together, miming resting his head on them like a pillow. "I've found ways to compensate for the lack of rest, but the body is an amazing thing. It will seize any opportunity to return to a natural cycle."

Thinking about it, Reed realized that such a semblance could be extremely advantageous. Tanners had almost fifty percent more time every day to train, organize, investigate, and do whatever needed doing. All for the cost of a little aura.

Reed's eyelids felt like lead. He wouldn't mind an ability like that right now.

Tanners tsked. "Another down-side is that I sometimes forget that everyone else does need sleep. You're dead on your feet, Private, and we have a big day tomorrow. Go get some shut-eye."

Reed smiled gratefully. "Thank you, sir I think I-"

He trailed off as Tanners's back stiffened. He was on his feet in a moment, Halmvoulge in hand. The sound that had triggered their reaction was indistinct, echoing off the rocky terrain. It sounded like the staccato clacking of claws on stone, but while some of them were the typical scraping of Ursai or Beowolves, others were loud and sharp.

"There, to the east!"

Reed followed Tanners's gaze. A massive Ursa, easily twice the size of the one he'd just killed, was cresting the lip of the ravine. It was dwarfed, though, by the Grimm that followed.

Two giant pincers, each larger than Corporal Tamus, emerged from the ravine. They were quickly followed by a many-legged arachnid body, and a thick, arching tail with a dull orange stinger that hovered over the Grimm's back.

"Death Stalker," Reed said in awe. It was the first-time he'd ever seen one of the scorpion-like Grimm in person. The size was intimidating enough, but no picture could have prepared him for the inexorable rhythm of the single-clawed legs charging across solid stone.

The Grimm ignored the two Guards, running straight for the expedition camp. Tanners took off on an interception course, Reed hot on his heels. They were closing in when suddenly the Ursa changed course, circling towards the northern side of the camp in the opposite direction as Reed and Tanners.

"Go after the Ursa!"

"Sir!"

It was too late to go around the Death Stalker, so Reed charged straight towards it. He rolled under one snapping pincer, getting his feet under him and jumping the next as it swept low across the ground. The stinger rocketed through the air towards him, but Tanners swept it aside with his gun-spear and it clanged harmlessly off the rocks.

Reed rolled again as he landed and suddenly he was on open ground. He sprinted flat out towards the Ursa, casting a glance backwards, only to find that Tanners had the Death Stalker well in hand. Jabs and shots struck eyes, legs, and chinks in the monster's armor. For its part the Death Stalker looked like a child trying to snatch a fly from the air, every attack missing by feet rather than inches.

Turning back to the matter at hand, Reed eyed the Ursa as he closed on it. The spikes on its back were more than a yard long, ending in wicked points. Bone-plates the same white as its mask had developed around the shoulders, hips, and along the outside of its limbs.

His ears rang with the adrenaline pumping through his blood. This creature had lived a long time. It had probably killed dozens of people, and possibly even a Huntsman in training. Reed wasn't about to try and take out a monster like that in one strike.

The Ursa was getting dangerously close to camp, though. A steep spire of rock jutted out from the ground, and Reed realized it was sentry point Theta, where Tamus had said Spines was stationed. There was no sign of her, but she had probably seen the massive Grimm coming and retreated back to camp to organize a defense.

That would be a good back-up, but Reed planned on stoping the monster well before it reached the expedition. He snapped off a quick series of shots. The condensed fireballs bounced harmlessly off the Ursa's armor plating, but they hit with enough force to stagger the Grimm. With a roar it spun to face him, one paw slamming into the tall rock and sending cracks spider-webbing out from the point of impact.

Reed made a mental note to not get hit by that.

The Ursa's claws dug into the ground, rock screeching in protest, and the monster jumped. At the apex of its leap it was easily ten feet off the ground, and it hurtled towards Reed with the inexorability of a falling boulder.

He dodged to the side, but the force of its claws slamming into the ground sent up a stinging cloud of shards, forcing Reed to back away with arms covering his face. He surged his semblance as it swung backhanded, ducking under the blow only to find another wickedly clawed paw on a collision course with his head. He slammed Halmvoulge's tip into the ground, creating an incline plane that deflected the blow high over his crouched form.

The force of the blow drove him to one knee, but suddenly he had an open shot at the creature's side. He pulled his weapon from the ground with a jerk, spun into a standing position, and slammed the tip between two of the Grimm's armor plates. It stuck fast, and he fired.

The fireball burst from the creature's back and it roared in pain. Despite the hole drilled through its body, the Grimm seemed more angry than injured. The Ursa reared high on its hind legs, and a panicked part of Reed's brain noted that he barely came up to the monster's naval.

The Ursa slammed both of its forepaws straight down, aiming to squash Reed under its weight. He jumped back, semblance burning hard as he waited for the right moment. When the arms were lowered just enough that the mask was visible Reed dropped his semblance, flipped the green switch, and lashed out in a wide arc.

Halmvoulge slammed across the Ursa's mask and Reed felt a thrill of victory. It had been a solid hit to the monster's weak point, that should be enough to…

The Ursa's head turned back towards him, a long gauge across its face. It growled, low, angry, and definitely not dead. One arm lashed out low and swept Reed's legs out from under him, the other already raised high to slam him into the ground.

In panic Reed slammed his semblance into the highest burn he could manage, feeling his aura immediately start to deplete at a dangerous rate. He had to think quickly. His position couldn't be worse, he was suspended in the air with no point of leverage, and the paw creeping towards him would smash him to pulp long before he could land and block. He didn't have time to brace his weapon against the ground and spear the paw, the only thing that could possibly move him in time would be to activate Halmvoulge's Wind dust.

He grimaced inwardly, but didn't see much of a choice. Easing his semblance to a manageable level he flipped the green switch, gripped his weapon just below the ax-head, and hoped for the best.

Halmvoulge spun around, catching fast in the Ursa's wrist. The sudden resistance pushed Reed out from under the attack, his feet landing firmly on the ground. He turned off the wind but kept pushing on the middle of his staff. As the Grimm's paw hit the ground the butt of his staff swung high, smacking into the Ursa's head and encasing it in ice.

It stumbled backwards, swiping wildly at empty air. It would break free soon, though, Reed knew. Taking a deep breath, he charged.

Running flat out at the monster, Reed pushed Halmvoulge into the ground in front of him and vaulted high over the Grimm. He activated the wind again and began to spin, gaining momentum as he arced down towards the Ursa's head.

When he was less than a handful of feet away he pushed his semblance hard one last time. The spinning had disoriented him, but now he could see that he was directly on target.

As was the Ursa.

Halmvoulge shattered the creature's frozen head at the exact moment that a wildly swinging arm crashed into his chest. Reed felt his aura strain to protect him from the blow as he was tossed through the air. His back slammed into the spire of rock, and his aura finally shattered.

Reed fell flat on the ground with a groan, Halmvoulge clattering from his loose fingers. He forced himself to look up, a small smile crossing his lips as the last of the massive Ursa dissipated into nothing.

He dropped his gaze in relief. He'd lay there for a moment to catch his breath and let his aura recover enough to dull the pain. Then he would go and make sure Tanners was…

His eyes fell on a corpse. Deep gouges criss-crossed the upper body, forearms, and across its throat. Quills emerging from the scalp were soaked in blood, and empty eyes stared vacantly at the sky.

Reed froze, staring in horror at Spine's body. Those weren't the rending slash marks of a Grimm's hooked claws, they were the clean slices of a blade. The outside of the arms were cut to tatters, indicated a desperate attempt to defend against a surprise attack. But why Spines? If it was the White Fang spy, then why would they attack a Faunus? Maybe if-

Suddenly a metal club entered his vision, and everything went black.

"Those were ax wounds, dammit! I don't care what Grimm he was fighting, it didn't kill her!"

"Henry, we have to stay calm. We haven't even heard his side yet."

"You actually think Reed killed Spines? I know you aren't exactly smart, but you can't be that stupid."

"Careful girl, one of our squad mates was found dead next to your squad leader, with wounds matching his weapon. Don't start something you'll regret."

"Who's to say we will be the ones regretting it?"

"And again, I am not technically part of his squad."

"Enough."

Reed returned to consciousness slowly, clawing through an agonizing pounding in his head. His eyes were crusted shut, and his arms wouldn't respond when he tried to move them. With a groan he raised his head from where it had slumped against his chest.

"He's waking up, let's settle this."

A massive hand twined into Reed's hair and yanked his head back. The sudden movement sent a spike of pain through his brain, but he was just able to push his eyes open through a haze of red.

His first visual was a row of large, rectangular teeth, bared menacingly at him. Tamus glowered down at him, his eyes puffy with sorrow and alight with rage.

"Why'd you do it, you little pissant?! What'd she ever do to you?!"

Tamus shook Reed, and blackness threatened to engulf him again. Suddenly his grip slackened, and Reed squinted through blurred eyes to see Seraphina placing herself between them.

"Stop that! You expect him to be able to answer with you shaking his brains to mush? Get a hold of yourself, Corporal!"

"Get the Grimm out of my way, Private, or I will tear you limb from limb!"

"You will do no such thing, Henry." Tanners's words were soft, but cold and disapproving. Tamus went rigid, looking over Reed's head. Reed couldn't tell what he saw, but the blood drained from the big man's face.

"That's better. Ivory, take him out for some fresh air. I need to hear what Reed has to say for himself, without the Corporal's hysterics."

Dark muttering followed the statement, but two pairs of foot-steps retreated and canvas flapped as Ivory and Tamus left the tent.

"Reed, I know you took a pretty good hit to the head, but I need you to focus. What happened after we split up?"

Split up? That's right, Reed had been training with Tanners. Why had they split up? An image of a Death Stalker flashed through his mind, its claws passing within inches of him as he pursued a massive Ursa.

But what was this about someone dying?

"He needs rest," a concerned voice said. Seraphina, he realized. She sounded far away. Rest sounded good, though. If only he could get comfortable…

He tried again to move his arms, this time feeling the ropes that dug into his wrists. They'd tied him up. Why? Frustration pushed its way through the blackness, but he just didn't seem capable of getting his thoughts straight.

"This is useless. That damn brute concussed the Grimm-begotten sense out of him."

Phaedra. What was she doing here? He was concussed? That would explain the nausea.

At the thought Reed leaned over, expelling the rations that had been his last meal. There wasn't much left, he noted absently, eyes drifting closed again. Must have been some time since dinner.

"Hermit-shit, you almost hit me with that! Give me a little warning next time!"

"Shouldn't his aura have healed him already? It's been over an hour since Tamus knocked him out."

"It sounds like Henry caught him by surprise, hitting him full force without the protection of his aura. He probably can't consciously activate it yet."

Reed felt a feather light touch on his temples. A spark snapped through his head and his eyes flew open, staring wildly at the suddenly sharp and clear surroundings.

He sat in Tanners's tent on a camp seat. His arms were tied behind his back, the rope passed through the slats of the chair to keep him secure. Seraphina and Phaedra both stared at him in concern, the latter shooting a dark glance at a pair of silhouettes just visible through one canvas wall.

Tanners's hands pulled back, resting on his knees. He was squatting in front of Reed, observing him through narrowed, calculating eyes.

"There we go. Welcome back."

"Where… Who… How'd you do that?" Reed's thoughts were flying back too quick for him to grasp all at once.

"I used my aura to kick-start your own, you were too out of it to start healing yourself."

"How do you feel, Reed?" Seraphina asked, leaning down and reaching a hand towards his face. She brushed it across his brow, and dried blood the color of rust cascaded down in front of his eyes.

"Awful," Reed said, suppressing a dry heave. Phaedra stepped quickly back.

"Hey, no more of that!"

"Sorry," he muttered, shaking his head. He could still feel blood pounding painfully behind his eyes, but it was starting to recede somewhat. The fight with the Ursa was coming back to him. The final blow, the glancing hit that had tossed him against the rock, coming face-to-face with a wide-eyed corpse…

"Spines… She's dead, isn't she?"

Tanners nodded, scrutinizing Reed. "How did it happen?"

"I don't know," Reed said, frowning as he tried to organize his thoughts. "I didn't notice her body until after I'd dealt with the Ursa. It ran right for it, though… The Ursa, I mean. Towards the body."

"It must have been drawn to whatever happened," Phaedra interjected. "You said the Ursa suddenly peeled off from a collision course with the camp, right? It must have sensed the struggle."

"If that's the case, she was killed moments before Reed arrived," Tanners said, sounding unconvinced. "Did you see anyone nearby?"

"No," Reed grunted. "Not 'til Tamus smashed my head in."

"Mmm." The sound was noncommittal, the sergeant's eyes narrowed in thought. Reed realized that though he'd built a foundation of trust with Tanners, he was simply the most likely suspect. He'd have to convince Tanners that it hadn't been him.

His concussion was almost gone, and Reed frantically considered everything that had happened that night. Where was the outlier, the piece that didn't fit with the rest?

The Death Stalker and fully matured Ursa had been unexpected, but not exactly surprising as the expedition drew closer to the Support Tower. The Ursa peeling off to the north could be explained by whatever had happened to Spines. Tamus's squad appeared to be handling the bulk of the expedition's night-time scouting, but with Faunus's excellent night vision that made sense.

Something about that last piece struck an off chord in his memory, and Reed grasped at it desperately. Why did it feel weird that Tamus's squad was doing the scouting? No, that wasn't it. It was how they were scouting. They were split up, operating independently or in pairs.

That's how'd they'd acted during the riots as well. Suddenly it flashed through Reed's mind, the roll call that had crackled through his head piece just before they had swooped in to save Reed's squad from the Heroes of Humanity. Each member of Tamus's team had checked in, which meant every single one of them had had a radio…

"How many radios did Tamus's squad get during the riots?" Reed asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Tanners tilted his head at Reed in confusion. "Two, just like every other squad."

Reed glanced at Seraphina, but she appeared as confused as the sergeant. Of course she hadn't had a radio, she hadn't heard what he had. "When you found the White Fang spy in the slums, was their equipment significantly different from what the Guard has been using?"

"It was slightly newer, but of the same technology. What are you getting at, Private?"

Reed took a deep breath. This wasn't going to go over well. "Sir, the day of the riots Tamus and his squad executed a perfectly timed rescue operation, entering from five different directions. Just before they rushed the Heroes of Humanity, all five of them confirmed their positions over the radio."

"You can confirm this?" His voice was too quiet, and it sent a chill down Reed's spine.

"Chase would have heard it to, you can call him."

"Corporal!" Tanners roared, and Reed flinched at the sudden anger in the man's voice. "In here. Now."

The flaps of the tent burst inward as Tamus charged into the tent, blunderbuss-bat held at the ready. He glared at Reed, stomping towards him, before backpedaling in surprise when Tanners snatched the bat from his hands.

"You didn't think to tell me," Tanners said, stalking in close as Tamus's back hit the canvas wall, "That a member of your squad had spare radios on hand?"

"Felix," Tamus said in a placating voice, confusion and hurt written across his face. "Why would it matter if-"

"I told you they were using encrypted radio signals to orchestrate the fall of the Support Tower," Tanners growled, jabbing Tamus in the chest with his own weapon. "I told you that the White Fang spy had a radio station set up in the slums! You didn't find it odd that one of your squad mates just happened to have extra radios you could use?!"

The blood drained from his face. "I-"

"Who was it, Henry?"

"Felix, no one in my squad would-"

"WHO WAS IT?!"

"It was Camo, but it's just a hobby of his! He's one of those people that likes to talk to bullhead pilots and the like, says-"

"By the Maidens, Henry!" Tanners swore. He stomped over to the map, ripping out a section and turning it over. He started scribbling frantically on the back. "Just my luck that Huntress Kadir went to scout the tower. He's not gonna like this, but it can't be helped…"

Tanners finished writing and rolled the scrap of parchment into a small tube. Then he put his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle.

For a moment nothing happened, and everyone exchanged confused glances. Suddenly a falcon swooped into the tent, landing on Sergeant Tanners's shoulder and ruffling its feathers indignantly. Tanners held the paper out to the bird, and it snapped from his fingers.

"Take this to Argrom, and tell him to pass it along to Huntress Kadir. They'll have to work together if they want to catch that traitorous bastard."