Reed whipped around to look at Seraphina. She was holding a man above the ground by his throat, but her eyes had snapped to where the two Heroes of Humanity held their Faunus hostages. Her jaw was slightly agape in horror as she locked eyes with the bald, Tonfa-wielding thug.

"Manggi," Seraphina breathed.

The man's face split into a grin that more resembled a snarl than a smile. "That's a good look on you, I was worried that you might have forgotten me. What I have done for and to you."

Manggi released the Faunus woman from his grip. She immediately spun, running towards the bare-chested man holding a gun to the Faunus-boy's head. Before she had taken two steps one Tonfa blurred, catching the woman at the nape of her neck and knocking her to the ground.

A hint of anger entered Seraphina's eyes, but she remained rooted to the spot. Her legs twitched, as if telling her to run, but her hand tightened around the thug's throat, causing his face to redden as he clawed at her gauntleted hand.

"You've got some explaining to do, Seraphina," Manggi said, jumping down from the truck. Every Hero of Humanity within fifty feet drew back in fear, leaving Seraphina and Reed in an empty semi-circle at the end of the culdesac.

"I wasn't worried when I heard you had joined the Town Guard. You and your gang aren't the first to use the Guard as a stepping stone after leaving school. Plus, Jenny was kind enough to keep me updated on you all, and from her reports you were keeping up the good fight. I figured it was only a matter of time before you remembered your roots, and sought out your friends from the orphanage."

Reed grit his teeth as he realized who this man must be. Seraphina had mentioned that an older kid at the orphanage had taken her under his tutelage. Had taught her how to fight, how to hurt people, and, specifically, to hurt Faunus.

Manggi threw his arms wide, causing a synchronized flinch from the crowd. "Then, one day, Jenny shows up beat to hell. Tells me that you had the balls to leave the gang? She said you even insisted that they give you the exit beating, even though you could have crushed them. 'What,' I wondered, 'Happened to the ferocious girl I was so proud of? What happened to the girl who had so much potential to take the Heroes of Humanity to the next level?'"

His voice rose to a yell, so deep that it resonated in Reed's chest.

"WHAT COULD HAVE CHANGED YOU SO?!"

Seraphina flinched and dropped the thug to the ground. The man beat a hasty retreat into the crowd of Heroes, gasping and clutching his neck.

Manggi turned to glare at Reed, his eyes so full of malice that Reed had to force himself not to step back out of instinct. "Jenny received more at my hand that day than you have ever been capable of delivering, Seraphina. I beat every little detail out of her, until she told me of your spat with a fellow Guard. Some limp-dick little bastard, who had the gall to stand between you and some worthless Faunus trash."

Advancing at a slow, menacing gait, Manggi began to twirl the Tonfas in lazy arcs at his side. His attention was now fully on Reed. Seraphina's eyes darted between them in panic.

"You had a moment of weakness, Seraphina. We will discuss that later. At heart, though, you are one of us. You follow the hardest, the deadliest, the strongest. This dainty piece of Hermit-shit might have gotten lucky with you, but I will make you watch as I break him into pieces so small they won't even interest the alley rats."

Reed slid into a dueling stance. He tried to analyze the abilities of the baton-like clubs, but one part of the man's speech had rooted itself in his mind. He expected anyone who was part of the Heroes of Humanity to have disgusting prejudice against the Faunus, but one thing Manggi had said was absolutely, wholly, unforgivable.

"What," Reed ground out through clenched teeth, "Did you do to Sera?"

The man froze for a moment, then let out a roar of laughter. "Sera? Sera?! Oh Maiden tits, that's so cute! You think, just because you gave her an endearing nickname, that changes who she is? I didn't do anything worse to her than she did to dozens of the beasts you cherish so dearly."

"Sera's changed," Reed said, glancing at the obviously terrified girl. He was almost surprised at the firm resolution he felt at the statement. It was true that he had harbored suspicions about how true Seraphina's transformation was. Seeing Manggi, though, Reed finally understood Seraphina's past. This was no man. This was a monster in human clothes, worse even than the Creatures of Grimm. If she had been taken in by this… thing, as a mere child, it was no wonder she had done what she had.

"All she knew was your sick teachings. She didn't know that there could be strength in protecting people. I didn't beat her into submission, I knocked your idiotic philosophy out of her. She could have gone to you after she got out of jail, but she chose to come to me. Not out of duty, or fear, but because she finally saw that there were ways of rising to the top without crushing others underneath her.

"Now, she is not my subject, nor my cronie. She is my friend." Reed looked into her wide, fearful eyes. Then he turned back to Manggi and the smile became a snarl, matching Manggi's feral smile. "I'm gonna show you what I showed her that night. I'm gonna show you what I do to people who fuck with my friends."

He closed distance on Manggi until he was almost in striking distance. The big thug brought his Tonfa into a high guard, and his monstrous grin didn't so much as twitch. Reed's claim didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. He assumed that all he had to do was take Reed out, then beat Seraphina back into submission.

Well, Reed wasn't about to give him the opportunity.

Before he could move, though, a pained cry rang out across the square. They both turned, Manggi just in time to pull his weapon tight against the side of his head, as a black, metal bear claw slammed into it.

Manggi slid several feet along the ground, his manic grin breaking into genuine surprise, as he stared at Seraphina.

Her shoulders rose and fell as she took heavy breaths, her face hidden under her outstretched arm as she stared at the ground. With what looked like tremendous effort, Seraphina raised her head, and Reed saw tears coursing down her face. Her body quivered with fear, but she fell into a ready stance, one paw held in front, the other raised next to her head.

"Stay out of this, Reed," she said, her voice steady despite the tangle of emotions on her face. "This is my fight. I've lived in fear of this man for too long. I'm tired of living by the code of the streets, tired of sleeping with one eye open."

Seraphina took a deep breath, then yelled, "You hear me, Manggi?! I'm done listening to you! I'm going to fight with the man who taught me not to be ashamed, who accepted me for what I am!"

Confusion crossed Manggi's face. Seraphina continued, her words fast and breathless. "Guess you beat Jenny too hard, otherwise she would have told you the news herself. I wouldn't want you to take it easy on me, so here's something you don't know. My father… was a bear-Faunus!"

Manggi's face contorted in rage. "Lies! This boy has infected you, convinced you that you have Faunus blood to get in your head!"

Seraphina cackled, the sound more mad than amused. "So he forged the letter my parents left with me on the orphanage doorstep?! No, I am part Faunus, and I've known for more than four years!"

"Hermit shit! You… I…"

"That's right, Manggi, I knew even when you were still at the orphanage! I lived in fear of you finding out, spent countless sleepless nights clutching a knife under my pillow, waiting for you to come for me. Well, I'm done! I'm gonna smash you to a bloody pulp. Not for myself, but for the countless Faunus we beat over the years! Then I'm gonna throw you in the Guard's deepest, darkest cell, so no one will have to go through what I did!"

Manggi opened his mouth to retort, but Seraphina was already moving. She launched a frantic flurry of swipes at him, which were more ferocious than effective. He retreated under the blows, but he blocked each with fast arcs of his Tonfa that sent Seraphina's attacks wide.

Manggi's back-peddling slowed as he regained his composure. The surprise faded from his eyes, replaced by cold, hard, disgust. His lips curled in a snarl as, with a sweep of his arm, he slammed Seraphina's right hand far out to the side. With a flick of his wrist the Tonfa spun under her arm, striking her floating ribs.

Seraphina staggered to the side, putting distance between them. Despite the Fire infusion of Seraphina's claws, the Tonfas were holding up remarkably well. There were blacks scars along the outside of the clubs, but it was surface damage, nothing that would weaken the integrity of the weapons.

"I should have seen it," Manggi said in disgust, faking high with one hand, then slamming the short end of the opposite Tonfa into Seraphina's gut. She gasped in pain, doubling over and crossing her arms over her head to block his next overhand swing.

"No matter how hard I tried to teach you form, you would always fall into that animalistic brawling of yours. Now it's so obvious!" Seraphina managed to put up something resembling a proper guard, falling back as Manggi slammed his weapons into her arms again and again.

Reed, seeing that for the moment Seraphina had the fight in hand, turned to glance at the man still holding the Faunus boy hostage. The pistol was still pressed firmly against the terrified boy's head, but the man was totally engrossed in the fight. His eyes were wide with glee as Manggi continued to beat at Seraphina's defense, and he actually licked his lips when one Tonfa slipped through and glanced across her brow.

"Chase," Reed whispered into the radio's microphone, "We need to get the boy clear of this. Do you have a clear shot?"

"Yes, but I'm out of ammo," Chase said, his voice strained with frustration. "You and Seraphina were doing fine, but Abbey and Delphin needed help."

Reed's gaze flickered towards the pair. They stood just inside the wreckage of the barricade at the mouth of the culdesac. They faced off against a line of very angry looking thugs, but an uneasy ceasefire seemed to have taken over once Manggi and Seraphina had started fighting.

"This is bad," Reed muttered, more thinking aloud than talking to Chase. "We've delayed the execution, but we are badly outnumbered, and Seraphina can't hold out much longer."

As if on cue, Manggi spun low and and swept Seraphina's leg out from under her. As she fell back he pointed a Tonfa at her, and Reed saw his thumb press down on the weapon's handle.

Seraphina's hand whipped up, just in time to catch a slug on the wrist of her gauntlets. The force of the projectile threw her hard against the ground, and the air left her lungs in an explosive gasp.

Reed made to move towards them, but Seraphina locked eyes with him. There was pain there, but mostly determination. He ground his teeth. She obviously wanted him to stay out of the fight, but how could he leave her at this monster's mercy?

"Pathetic!" Manggi roared, putting his boot on her chest as she tried to rise and slamming her back to the ground. "Your semblance may have saved you from that, but instincts can only help so…"

Manggi trailed off, eyes widening in realization.

"Instincts. Animal instincts. Oh by the Maidens!" He leaned back and roared with laughter. "You have no semblance! You passed off your animal half as your strength, when in reality you aren't even as strong as a Faunus! They at least have a semblance, you are just a freak!"

Static crackled faintly in Reed's ear, momentarily diverting his attention. He scowled in annoyance, returning his attention to Seraphina.

"I have a semblance," she spat, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. Reed's heart lurched. Her semblance had first appeared when fighting for their lives on the road to Tani. Compared to that, this situation was much worse, and yet it seemed she still couldn't summon the giant, glowing bear.

Manggi snorted. "It must be pretty pathetic, then. Especially compared to my semblance."

The man bent his head to the left, cracking his neck. With each pop of vertebrae, his right arm seemed to swell. It more than doubled in size, corded muscles and thick veins stretching his skin tight. He cracked his neck the other way, his left arm growing to match his right.

The static coming from the ear-piece grew louder, and Reed cursed in frustration. "Chase, what in the Hermit's name are you doing?"

"Nothing, it's not me!"

Manggi looked down at himself, admiring the bulging arms that now made the Tonfas look like children's toys. "You remember this form well, Seraphina. You know what it can do. But he doesn't."

The man turned his attention back to Reed, and the fear in Seraphina's eyes turned to desperate anger. She slashed at Manggi's thigh, but her position was poor. It deflected off the man's aura, and he kicked her across the chin for her efforts before stalking towards Reed.

"I already know I can take you back anytime, Seraphina. Your punishment for this treachery will be slow and painful. Right now, though, I'm going to teach the boy what happens when someone takes what's mine."

Reed slid back into a ready stance. The static grew louder in his ear, the annoying sound feeding the frustration he felt. He wished Seraphina could have conquered this man herself, but he'd be Grimm food before he allowed Manggi to kidnap and torture her.

Suddenly, the annoying buzzing cleared, and it was replaced by a wave of confusing voices.

"Skittles, in position."

"Spines, ready to go."

"Ivory, let's do this."

"Camo here, found the boy."

"Alright everyone, on my mark."

"Who the Grimm are you?!"

"Shut it kid, take this and reload."

"Go!"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HIM!"

The last shout came from Seraphina, as the bear of pure aura burst from her.

Following her transformation, pandemonium ensued. A winged figure jumped from the roof of a nearby building, swooping towards the pair on top of the truck. A boarded up window on the first floor shattered into the culdesac, followed by a woman with a massive horn. From the second floor of the same building, a shower of what looked like needles sprayed into the crowd. Two rifles started firing from where Chase was positioned across the street.

The final entrant was Corporal Tamus, who lumbered around the barricade at the mouth of the culdesac and started swinging a massive club at anyone not in a Town Guard uniform.

The bird Faunus, a man so big it was a wonder his wings could support his weight, dove down and grabbed the tattooed man's pistol in one hand. He jerked it away from the Faunus boy, sweeping him into the crook of one arm. The feathered wings flapped powerfully, lifting them both into the air, and he slammed one boot into the man's back. He tumbled off the truck with a shout, which was cutoff when the horned woman slammed into him.

Most of the crowd was in chaos, but those closest to Abbey and Delphin had a clear target. They surged forward, forcing the pair into a flurry of defensive parries and sweeps, before Tamus knocked them all to the ground with a single sweep of his club.

A group of Heroes made to rush the massive, red bear that was Seraphina, but Reed interposed himself. Halmvoulge spinning in his hands, the area around Reed became a mess of broken weapons, blooming ice crystals, and fallen thugs.

In his peripheral vision, Reed watched as Seraphina rushed Manggi. The bear that was her semblance looked slightly smaller than the one from the road patrol, but significantly more substantial. The red fur was so dark that he could barely see her inside of it, her snarl just visible behind the bared teeth of the bear.

Manggi spun to face Seraphina and his mouth dropped open, dumbfounded. Following the revelation that she hadn't had a semblance during their time together, her current appearance was probably the last thing he had been expecting. She closed the distance between them on all fours, letting loose a roar that rattled the windows of the surrounding buildings.

Seraphina reared onto her hind legs, swiping with her front paws. Manggi attempted to duplicate the sweeping defensive arcs he had used previously, but her attack was too powerful and the Tonfas bounced uselessly off her arm. He barely managed to lean out of the way, her glowing claws passing a hairs-breadth from his neck.

Jumping back, Manggi gripped his weapons tightly. When Seraphina swung again he abandoned the spinning attacks, blocking her strike with the longer length of the Tonfa resting flush against his forearm. His arm strained under the power of the blow and he redirected it over his head, squatting low and bringing the butt of his other weapon up in a powerful uppercut.

The blow sailed past her as Seraphina jerked her head to the side, swinging her other paw around in a vicious horizontal strike. Manggi barely dropped his elbow in time to block the blow, and the sheer ferocity of it sent him skidding away. She turned with him and raised both paws high, slamming them down on his hastily raised triangle block. Her paws slid off his weapons and hit the ground with such force that the pavement shattered, sending chips flying in all directions.

Manggi moved his elbows tight against his sides and pointed the butts of his Tonfas at Seraphina. Using her snout Seraphina swept the weapons to the side, but not before they fired. The slugs glanced off her shoulder, causing her to stagger.

She tried to turn with the blow and lash out with one of her hind legs, but the motion looked awkward on the bear. Manggi blocked the weak blow with one arm, slamming the opposite Tonfa into her side several times before she forced him to jump away with a backhanded-swipe of her forearm.

Seraphina snarled as Manggi circled her, turning to keep him in front of her and favoring the side that had taken the slugs and repeated blows. She appeared to have noticed that the weakness of the bear came from its lack of flexibility, but unfortunately it looked like Manggi had as well. Darting in, he ducked her arm as she swiped at him, slamming the lengths of both weapons against her side before jumping back out to avoid her retaliatory backhand.

He jumped at Seraphina as soon as her hand passed him, giving her little time to recover. He curled one arm over the opposite shoulder, cocking it for a horizontal slash. The gun in the butt fired and the weapon blurred toward Seraphina's snout.

Unbalanced, with one arm still awkwardly out the side, Seraphina only had one option. She dropped to the ground, her muzzle flat to the stone, and the Tonfa whistled over her head. Manggi spun off balance as the expected resistance of wood on flesh didn't come. Seraphina was quick to seize the opportunity, one paw darting out and catching him behind the ankles.

Manggi fell hard on his back, crossing his arms in front of him in an instinctive block. Seraphina was on him in an instance, her claws sliding between them and ripping them to the sides. Her paws fell flat on his arms, pinning them, and her snout flashed forward, snapping onto his neck with a burst of breaking aura.

Reed let out a relieved sigh as Manggi's bulging muscles shrunk to their normal size, his semblance fading without aura to fuel it. His relief was short-lived, though, as he saw the muscles in Seraphina's neck tense, her eyes narrowing as she prepared to shake the man, to rip his neck to pieces.

"Sera!"

She froze at his voice. Reed turned back to the thugs still assaulting his defenses. Stepping back, he spun Halmvoulge in a horizontal arc, spewing fire in a stream from its tip. The few Heroes of Humanity that remained recoiled, arms over their faces as they backpedaled.

Turning back to the pair on the ground, Reed saw the glowing bear flicker and disappear. Seraphina was panting heavily, sweat pouring down her face. Her bear paws, the metal ones made by Phaedra, still pinned Manggi to the ground.

"You really are just an animal." His voice, while still hostile, held a hint of sadness in it. "To think I had pinned so much of the future of our movement on a Grimm-begotten halfbreed."

"This animal almost killed you," Seraphina said, her voice bitter. "In fact, I still want to. Every instinct is screaming at me to end your life now, end any possibility of you hurting anyone else ever again."

She looked up and met Reed's eyes, a sad smile forcing its way onto her face. "But that won't solve anything, will it? Human, Faunus, these things don't matter. The real monsters are outside the city walls. If we give in to our base urges, we are no better than the Creatures of Grimm."

He returned her smile, his face growing warm. Looking at Seraphina, with her childhood tormentor at her mercy, repeating the sentiments he had shared with her, Reed couldn't believe that he was responsible for such a profound change in another person.

"What a load of Hermit shit," Manggi groaned. "The Grimm are animals, just like the Faunus. The world would be better off without either of you."

Manggi strained his arm, trying to bring the butt of his Tonfas to bear on Seraphina. The effort was pathetic, his attempts were futile without the strength to move Seraphina's arms.

"Some people can't be helped," Reed said with a sigh. "But we don't have to kill him to protect others from him."

Seraphina nodded in agreement. She looked down at Manggi as he continued his pitiful struggle, feigning a thoughtful expression. Suddenly she jerked her head forward, her forehead slamming into Manggi's brow. The man's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he went limp.

Upon seeing their strongest member so thoroughly defeated, the fight went out of the remaining Heroes of Humanity. Most of the crowd had been incapacitated following the arrival of Tamus's squad, but the few pockets of resistance that still stood dropped their weapons in defeat.

Seraphina sat back on her heels, the metal of the gauntlets retreating back into the knuckle-knives, which she sheathed at her waist. Reed helped her to her feet, but she swayed unsteadily as the adrenaline from the fight left her system. He pulled one muscled arm over his shoulder and she leaned on him gratefully, her other hand gripping his arm for balance.

"Well done, you two." Tamus walked over to them, the crowd of thugs drawing back from him as he passed through their midst.

"We wouldn't have had a chance if you hadn't come to support us, Corporal," Reed said, and Seraphina nodded tiredly in agreement. "Thank you."

Tamus shrugged. "What can I say, other than Sergeant Tanners knows what he is doing. He set up my patrol to intersect with yours, in case you needed the help. If you are going to thank anyone, thank him.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have to clean up this mess. You two take it easy, we are going to need you both well rested for the expedition."

The enormous man turned, and his voice boomed across the courtyard. "Alright you lot, park your asses on the ground and keep your hands where we can see them. The snipers across the street won't hesitate to fire on anyone that looks uncooperative."

Tamus's squad took up positions around the square, arms folded and glares menacing any thug that looked like they might make a break for it. Abbey and Delphin took up positions at the broken barricade, where Chase and Tamus's sniper could keep an easy eye on them.

After a muttered conversation into his radio the large bird-Faunus swooped back into the square. Depositing the small boy next to Tamus, he took to the air once more, flying back to headquarters to requisition a prisoner transport.

Tamus beckoned to Ivory, the woman with the massive horn. She guided the boy gently to where the Faunus woman was regaining consciousness. She was obviously severely concussed, eyes wide and unfocused, but she clutched the crying child to her chest in a relieved embrace.

Reed and Seraphina sat a discreet distance away. She leaned heavily against his shoulder, but his eyes were fixed across the square.

Someone had thought to pull a blanket over the Faunus man. There was nothing any of them could have done for the man, inaction would have meant the lynching of the entire family. Still, while the blanket served as a visual barrier, it was also an undeniable statement that they had been unable to save all of the hostages.

"No child should have to witness the death of his dad."

Reed felt Seraphina turn to look at him, but he couldn't look away from the shrouded form. Under that blanket, that body could have been anyone's. In Reed's mind the body wasn't that of a young Faunus father with a white muzzle. It was a middle-aged man with styled black hair, in a tailored suit emblazoned with the Schnee dust company logo.