Authors Note: Welcome back! The chapter this week will finally feature a canon rwby character, aka "Witch Tex." This one was originally a fair bit shorter, but I ended up fusing two chapters together into this one. You'll probably be able to guess where I mushed them together.
This was a fun one to write. I always wanted to a RVB fic but never got around to it, but now I can write Glynda! Better yet I can write her unique friendship with Katherine! If you have any questions, go ahead and PM me and I'll answer them as best I can. Enjoy!
Testing
The Krieger estate was a very large place. Named 'Krieger Manor' when it was built, the building was befitting the profitable head of Krieger Korp and one of the most legendary Hunters on Remnant. When Katherine and Alexander married they agreed they would design and build their own house where they could pursue their interests to their hearts content. It's design reflected the preferences of each of them.
Per Katherine's input, the manor had a large and beautiful garden on all sides. Flowers of many different shades of red and blue covered the expansive lawn. Driving up to the manor, one would be greeted with a sea of radiant flowers that waved about in the soft breeze. The garden was maintained by Katherine when she was home, and several automated gardening bots when she was away. When it was just her, Katherine could look after the hundreds of flowers by herself. It was always well-kept and a joy to look upon for visitors, and a large source of pride for Katherine whenever she looked on them.
The backyard was even more expansive, and decorated with numerous evergreen's that gave shade to a winding cobblestone path. There was a large and lovely fountain close to the manor, and an expansive guesthouse on the far-side as well. There was also a large pool and hut-tub opposite of that, and in the dead center of the field there was a large and beautiful patch of Katherine's favorite flower, sunflowers. If there was anything she loved more than coffee, blue hair, or even fighting Grimm, it was looking after the flowers she had loved since she was a toddler, and they were by far her favorite part of the manor. She planned and designed the gardens and pathways with meticulous scrutiny, to the extent that every twist and turn of the path and placement of trees were made with the utmost precision.
While the surroundings of the manor were designed by Katherine, the manor itself was planned with pride by Alexander. The walls were a shining deep blue, decorated in pearly white. Numerous windows from the four floors looked out on all sides of the manor. The inside was a veritable maze for those unfamiliar in its layout. A library, a dining hall, a small theater, an entire floor dedicated to training, the manor had it all, including a private sound-proof room for Alexander's work.
The manor was also an idle location for Alex and Katherine's careers. Katherine had an entire floor for her and her kids training, which had, amongst a lot of standard exercise equipment, a state-of-the-art holo-room to recreate any location in Remnant as well as hundreds of combat AI's for practice.
Alexander meanwhile had an expansive workshop to tinker around in when he wasn't tinkering at work, and there was a meeting room for Krieger Korp head-staff meetings. The manor was also a popular place for parties and high-class dinners, and had a ballroom to accommodate.
Both husband and wife took a great pride in walking the halls at night, seeing all they had made together grow from Alex's fevered sketches into a real home. Alex finally had a place where he could enjoy solitude from the rest of the world and pursue other interests, while Katherine gained a quiet joy from cultivating a garden all her own like she had always wanted.
The four Krieger children likewise took joy in having such a big house to play in. Naturally, when children of a potentially mad scientist and a blue-haired juggernaut of a Hunter played with each other, collateral damage was virtually guaranteed, if not an inevitability. Anton and Katja would often chase each other from floor to floor while battering aside more than a few objects on their way. They played for keeps, and the two were known among the housing staff for their damaging games of tag.
Axel and Nadja though were interested in more cooperative exploration. The two journeyed the massive library, Axel dropping books from on high down to his little sister. Whereas the "Hell Twins" were rather destructive in their exploration, the younger Kriegers were a lot more quiet and controlled. Nadja could slip in and out of a room without being noticed if she wanted to, while Axel would move so fast and from such unexpected angles that most people wouldn't even notice he was there before he was already gone.
But while the inside of the manor was a maze, the outside was a rock wall, and an enticing one at that. The manor had numerous points to grab and decorations like gargoyles on its walls. This made the building ideal for a would-be climber. Knowing this, Katherine explicitly forbade her children to try climbing the manor given its height and smooth climbing surfaces.
Naturally all four of the children tried it at one point or another, with varying results. Anton and Katja were less than proficient and left with their fair share of bruises. Nadja only made any progress with her grappling hooks, and yet Axel somehow managed to reach the top with only his hands and feet.
Just as they explored the manor, all four of the Krieger siblings had their favorite areas of the house. The Hell Twins were almost always in the training floor, working so hard that they put a strain on the equipment. Nadja meanwhile had practically set up shop in the library, reading through book after book in an ocean of literature.
Axel's favorite area was the workshop, where Alexander spent his own free time. It was an inventor's dream come true, filled with various materials and tools for the creation of many an insane creation. The two had built many a contraption that would either blow up in their faces, work amazingly on the first try, or blow up in their faces because it was working amazingly.
Today it was once again in use by Axel, where he was running tests on his weapons.
For several days he had examined the weapons top to bottom. Daytime was spent largely in the holo-training room, and nights consisted of tweakings and refinement. He would have worked twenty-four hours straight, but a combination of his mom's loving yet strangely demonic prodding, and Nadja's tired groans convinced him to succumb to annoying necessities like food and sleep. There were some days he loathed being a squishy human, even if he did have top of the line cybernetic eyes.
Day in day out he spent running tests, only stopped when he experienced his episodes with a vengeance. They were becoming more frequent, more intense. He didn't have a clue when, if ever there was going to be fixed. Just that the sensation of thousands of hot needles grew worse with each attack.
On this late sunny afternoon, Axel was still reeling from another attack many hours before. The meditation session had gone only marginally better today, and left him more exhausted than anything else. It was a small improvement, the only upside being that he was now collapsed on the couch out of exhaustion instead of groaning, aching fatigue. At the very least, he could see what he was doing now, looking through his gauntlets while his notes rested on his lap.
No segment was hidden from his high-tech eyes as he looked for the slightest flaw or defect in the weapons. He was determined to ensure they would function perfectly in combat. The casters fired dead-on in the shooting range, thankfully not singeing his hands now that he had extended the casters reach out from his palms.
The extension mechanisms worked wonderfully as well. They could reach out at ninety degree angles, though he wouldn't use that function until he got used to them. He didn't have much desire to get a piercing or scars, despite Katja's insistence to the contrary that they weren't that bad, and in fact very attractive. He'd learned the benefit of scars when he'd fallen and he wasn't in any hurry to gain more. With that in mind, he locked down the blades function slightly.
For now they would only extend forward, and they did so very well with the unusually satisfying clanks and whirrs of advanced machinery. Axel lost count of how many times he simply extended and retracted the blades and casters simply for the joy of hearing that metallic "kashunk clink clink."
Ejection functions were proving...Satisfactory. The real difficulty with ejecting blades for dual wielding wasn't the swordplay itself, that was the easy part under his mom's and Aunt Glynda's teaching. Rather it was the difficulty in catching them after ejection. Though that could be solved with practice and experience.
Other than that, the weapons were excellent. The combination function was flawless to assemble the double-edged form. The only real difficulty was the dust activation. Though that was no fault of the weapon...
Axel grimaced as he jotted down notes on the swords performance. His craftsmanship was successful. Incredibly so. He had spent much time researching the history of Remnant weapon crafting and diligently reading the weekly weapons magazines, and he had to admit that these were excellent tools. Even his dad agreed they were well-made, especially when Axel made him promise his praises weren't just his father's kind words. The weapons were perfect.
The problem was him.
His episodes had led to more than a few painful affairs at the fists of kill-droids or Grimm claws, and those were only on the non-lethal setting. One such incident occurred just as he was about to finish the last of an Ursa pack. The majority had been eliminated with relative ease, and the last one had estimated its odds of survival.
Naturally it had fled. Axel had quickly pursued and was about to pounce it. But before the blades even made contact, his eyes erupted with the sensation of needles making contact with his pupils. Like so many times before that sensation had branched off from his brain through his entire body. What would have been a quick and stylish kill turned into a painful - both physically and emotionally - tumble over his own feet and a nearby rock. The mistake had launched him down a steep hill, where he was naught but a ragdoll to smash against the ground as well as through a few trees before ending up in the simulated mud.
The Ursa claws came crashing down on him soon after.
His Aura was strong enough that he endured the brunt of the damage thankfully, but his back still felt sore from that days old failure. His failure. Because he wasn't good enough, wasn't strong enough to overcome his impediment.
With a sigh his notebook was closed and placed next to the gauntlets. Today had been a painfully long day filled with hard training, homework, and more than a few ugly looks from his sister. He was still determined to keep training and working. More than anything he wanted to get out there in the world. To fight and kill Grimm, to stand atop the legions of beasts he had slain
At least that's what he thought he wanted ever since his accident. Nowadays it just didn't seem so appealing, less courageous and heroic than he first thought. He wasn't feeling particularly guilty about the prospect of killing Grimm. That task was a given as a Hunter. He enjoyed fighting, much to his mother's pride and his father's dread, but not for the sake of killing his enemies. Grimm hunting was a necessity in Remnant. But he didn't want to be a person who was laughing as he carved the enemy to bits.
Between his soreness, crappy eyes, and the loss of Nadja's view of him as a brother, he was having the worst week. Then, a smirk came to his lips.
"Correction brother, you are having the worst week of your life so far. You will have many more which to screw up."
Axel made his voice high-pitched and nasally, mimicking his sister as if she were a squawking peacock. Though the effort made his throat hoarse, almost like karma was striking him once again. He quickly grabbed his water bottle, chugging it down and washing his throat. He sighed, satisfied with the nourishment.
"At least I have water." He chuckled.
"Now now Axel." A new voice echoed through the hall from behind him, punctuated by the loud clip-clop of heels. Axel's hair stood on end, like the bells of hell, the familiar sound signaled the arrival of only one person.
"Do not be so quick to mock your sister. She is far more valuable than a bottle of water."
The motherly yet disciplinary tone, the steady beat of the heels. He knew them well. Axel slowly rose from his slouched position with a faint grunt, turning to see this unexpected guest. Of course there were the jet black heeled boots that reached to her knees. That oddly patterned short purple cape flowing behind her as she briskly strode through the halls. The pale blonde hair, and of course the piercing green eyes decorated with professional oval glasses and perpetually cross eyebrows. The Wicked Witch, or as the Krieger children called her…
"Aunt Glynda!" Axel sprung from his chair. All feelings of exhaustion lifted themselves from his body. With rocket-like velocity the young Krieger flew from the couch, heading straight into Glynda's arms. First perfected by Katherine for usage in pranking her friends, the trademark Krieger charge.
But Glynda had literally run into the Krieger children one too many times before. With a snap of her finger, the blue-haired projectile lost all velocity, suspended in midair mere inches from her figure. Axel's pounce had been completely halted by Goodwitch's magical prowess. Now he was suspended in a faint purple field, floating about as if in water.
"Damn. You got me Aunt." Axel laughed as he hovered in the swirling bubble.
"Mind your language young man," Glynda waggled her finger.
"Oh come on, you're always saying to not be afraid of self-expression."
"Yes," Glynda sighed. "but you need not..Revel in it in polite company. Understand?"
"Yes Auntie. Can you put me down now?"
"Can you put me down..."
Axel sighed. "Please?"
With an arched eyebrow Glynda dispelled the bubble, leaving Axel to promptly fall to the hard stone floor with a surprised yelp and a thump. Some days were like this, especially whenever he'd try to jump Glynda. It wasn't always easy and she had recently gotten wise to the Krieger children's strategies, but it was always fun to see her stoic exterior falter in the face of adorable children.
"Sorry about that. Are you hurt at all?" She asked.
"Well, my entire body is ridiculously sore from training." Axel pried himself up.
"But otherwise I am absolutely peachy." He gave a toothy grin. "I could run fifty miles, yessir that's me."
"Your sense of sarcasm is intact at least." Glynda mused. She extended a hand to him.
"Thanks." He replied, rising with her help.
"Thank your mother. You somehow inherited her attitude."
"I'll take that as a complement Auntie," he chuckled "um, what about my dad? Do I have his-"
"You mostly lack his more eccentric tendencies but you retain his respectable intellect. Thankfully. Now let us leave it at that."
Axel shrugged in compliance. Glynda's knowledge of his dad's teenage-era peculiarities were for the moment concealed to him. For the moment he was simply content to see a friendly face. Even if that face more often than not displayed a perpetual expression of annoyance to all around her.
Axel slowly strode to the couch, grabbing his gauntlets and reattaching them to his arms. Glynda watched the mysterious objects with some interest.
"You have completed your weapons." she observed.
"Yup. About time too. It took me way too long just to fix the extending mechanism."
"On the contrary, you should be proud of yourself. Most students require an entire school year in Signal Academy to construct and perfect their own. Even your father took longer to make his...Unique construct. Congratulations Axel."Glynda eyed the gauntlets with practiced eyes, scanning every detail in milliseconds, and found the craftsmanship to be satisfactory.
"Thanks Auntie." Axel glowed at his idol's appraisal.
With a final adjustment to his gauntlet's securing mechanisms, he looked up to face Glynda with a proud smile. But Glynda's eyes gazed into Axel's own, and saw he wasn't nearly as cheerful as he looked. His smile was being faked, and the glint in his eyes was dull. The little Krieger boy was merely putting on a show for her. Unfortunately it wasn't one she was unfamiliar with.
The boy had yet to notice the slight crimson tint in his eyes glowing circuitry-like patterns. Alexander theorized it was some chemical imbalance affecting the glow of the circuitry. But Whatever it was, the appearance of the shade indicated the aftermath of his episodes, and today it was more prevalent than Glynda had ever seen before, in both person and the images Katherine emailed her. Glynda had a knack for finding the smaller details, but she didn't need it to see the red marks in Axel's eyes. They looked completely bloodshot, as if he'd been unable to sleep for days straight. Given the nature of his episodes, that wasn't too far-fetched.
"So, what brings you to our humble abode?" He asked, not noticing Glynda's inspection. She refocused her attention back to him.
"For the most part I am here on business with Katherine."
"Can I ask if this business involves Grimm?" Axel asked with a sly grin.
"Hopefully you will get to hear about the mission I have, but I must inform your parents over dinner tonight first." Glynda looked at her watch.
"Which should be in thirty minutes as a matter of fact."
"Really?" Axel was surprised. "I thought it was still mid-afternoon.."
"Indeed?"
"Indeed."
"...You work too hard. I rarely say this, but take some time to relax Axel."
Glynda spoke with a rare sympathetic look in her eyes. She beckoned Axel to follow her, and he quickly caught up with her in a stroll down the halls of Kreiger Manor. He was at first surprised that Glynda of all people was cautioning him on overworking when working was supposedly all she did, at least if his mom's tales of Glynda's legendarily brutal work-ethic during their own days in Beacon were to be believed.
"One must move forward. But charge without fear, and you lose your footing." Axel quoted.
"I am pleased you remember your assigned reading at least."
"I suppose that's one of my dad's more beneficial qualities." Axel chuckled.
"True."
"Say Aunt, what exactly was my dad like in Beacon? I tried asking mom about their school days and she just keeps laughing whenever it comes up."
"Not surprising really. We all laughed at those two in Beacon. Your father may have been a bit frail in combat, but I could never question his intelligence. He can always craft a device to solve problems." She sighed. "They didn't always work as I'm sure you know, but at the very least he worked hard. If he couldn't create a device to solve the problem, he'd use his words and logic to find a solution. Insome ways he was the leader of team KAMO."
"Really?" Axel asked. "I thought Ozpin was the-"
"Ozpin was far different back then to the man you now know." Glynda interrupted, and Axel could swear he saw a supressed grin on her lips, as if she could barely resist laughing like his mom did. "He was far more...Free-spirited I'd say."
There was so much Axel didn't know about his parent's background that there were whole nights spent amongst the Krieger children speculating on which of their parents proposed, who caused more collateral damage to the Beacon campus, the usual thing children wondered about.
"Your father was far more composed and logical with KAMO's missions and assignments, at least when Katherine wasn't teasing him. But throughout school, Alex always stayed dedicated to his projects, until he somehow ended up building that colossal company of his."
Axel' mind raced with hundreds of scenarios of his parents as teens. Glynda's description of his dad was amazing to hear, given how often she was meticulous in her criticism of others. Coming from her this was a great appraisal of his dad, a man who was often described as a mad scientist in school, and an only slightly less mad scientist in adulthood.
"Hey Auntie, you've said only two people ever matched your flawless record at Beacon. I know dad was one, because he sometimes rambles about his 'glory days' at dinner."
"Yes. Your father was one, the other was your mother's best friend." Axel nodded in response as he remembered the name his mom rarely spoke.
"Morrigan. Oh yeah, she was on KAMO as well. From what mom said, she was a great Hunter, right?"
Glynda's eyes flashed with an emotion that almost nobody saw: sadness.
"She was very much so. Not only was she my academic equal, but she had even rivaled me in combat. Between her and your father's fierce competition, I had my work cut out for me."
"I bet you loved it though Aunt, having rivals that had you constantly on your toes."
"...It was not...Unpleasant." she admitted, but but with a smile. "Morrigan was a great rival, and an even greater friend. She was always kind towards others, especially team KAMO, where she was practically the mom. She was great friends with your mother. The two of them were virtually inseparable."
"I wish I had met her. I only remember being at her funeral when I was about six."
"Her passing was hard on all of us, your mother most of all. But we know she is in a place truly worthy of her," Glynda looked to the side as her lips curled in a petulant frown. "and hopefully one that can withstand her glee for apocalyptic spell-work."
"...Okay...I bet a lot has changed since your time."
Axel looked up at her with genuine awe. In the orange sunlight of a hot summer's day, the golden rays shined on Glynda's hair. She glowed as an almost divine figure and legendary Hunter, talking to him as a friend and a godson. He had read entire books on famous and notable Hunters in history, and Glynda was one of the most decorated of them all. One who stood against entire armies, overwhelming odds. Maybe this was what he truly wanted. To be a legendary hero.
"It has indeed. These days I am not focused solely on battling Grimm…"
"Wait, what else could you possibly be focused on?" Axel asked, slightly confused.
"Protecting, Axel. Defending the future to be specific. I did say I was mostly here on business with your mother, but there is another reason for my arrival."
"You mean your intense love for children showering you with praise?"
There was a brief but deathly silent pause from her.
"The other reason is that I hope to ensure the future of Remnant has protectors. The next generation inevitably must take up the duty of the previous ones. Leadership of nations, production of goods, the collecting of knowledge and so forth. But in this world the most important duty is the protection of human and faunus kind, and for that we need men and women willing to rise up to the challenge and serve as guardians for others. Today I hope to ensure the future has another such guardian." Axel's eyebrow arched in response.
Tonight was certainly going to be interesting, even when not considering the fact that the "Twin Devils of Beacon" would be under the same roof.
Speaking of which, he couldn't pass up this golden opportunity before him.
"Aunt Glynda, you said my dad was an excellent student. But what about mom? What kind of academic proficiency did she have?"
As if one cue, Glynda's previously neutral expression turned sour. She looked deeply irritated, and if what dad said about the womens' relationship, this was going to be very entertaining and yet very destructive.
"Ah yes." Glynda rested a hand on Axel's shoulder. "Firstly, it bears saying that your mother was an absolute genius when it came to physical combat and battlefield tactics. She has well-earned her reputation for being a reaper of the Grimm. But to put it bluntly, if I may?"
"Sure thing." Axel said. He knew exactly where this was going.
"When it came to homework, group projects, or any task that required even the most minuscule degree of studying, your mother was without a doubt," Glynda breathed in deep. "the absolute worst student that I ever had the immense displeasure of having to work with!" She bellowed, speaking with some unknown force that made the ground tremble.
"I HEARD THAT WITCH!" Katherine's voice echoed through the entire house like the thunderous wrath of whatever divine power existed. Though if there was a god, it had no doubt been long since scared off by mom's voice. Glynda was hardly convinced though and in fact responded in kind.
"THAT WAS MY INTENTION DAMON!"
There was a good chance that between the "Wicked Witch" and "Carnage" Katherine, no amount of money would be able to repair the damage brought forth from their "childhood squabbles." Surely, dinner was going to interesting.
"So Glynda, that made for three dented walls, a cracked column and five broken windows."
"Six windows Katherine, you forgot the one you jumped back through for that tackle."
"Ah yes, how could I?" Katherine replied, more focused on washing several plates than going against her former classmates photographic memory. She had learned that lesson one too many times before in school. Although, there was one thing she could use against her.
"I definitely won today." She chuckled. Glynda's eyebrow twitched at those words.
"I humbly disagree. The fight concluded without any clear victor, Damon."
"We could start another bout if you're up for it, Witch."
Katherine looked up from her work, dishes still covered in soapy water. She flashed a devious grin, and a faint puff of aura flowed from her body as a soft current. Almost unnoticeable to most, but a woman with honed senses, like Glynda could notice the smallest amount of energy. She slowly turned around with washcloth in hand, facing Katherine with a neutral yet no less deadlier gaze.
"If we do, Alex will, despite his physical frailties, make us both clean it up. I would rather not risk the wrath of a man who once detonated the art building on accident. Nor the wrath of your children, who will undoubtedly be angry that their desserts, along with the kitchen were reduced to a smoking crater by our fighting. Again." Glynda's words did not fall on deaf ears, for she definitely knew that Katherine's children were her kryptonite.
"Bah, curse you and your magnificent logical brain." Katherine grumbled, pulling a face at Glynda. Though she couldn't help but laugh in her mind at their relationship.
Her the boisterous and only occasionally thick-headed battering-ram, Glynda the studious prodigy, sporting considerable...Confidence in her own abilities. It was as if from the second they met, they were destined to argue, bicker, and of course fight. The entire student body had felt the foundations of the campus shake, frankly it was a wonder they hadn't vaporized the entire campus in their first week of school.
Well, they almost had. It was only the collective efforts of Ozpin, Morrigan, Port, Oobleck, and Alex that they ever came to a tentative truce, and even then there was the occasional unscheduled campus demolition.
After that it was a long string of squabbles that, through years of forced cooperation, budded into an odd sort of respect. While they were intense rivals to this very day, they possessed a grudging respect for each other and became a lethal duo whenever they had to fight side by side, which was actually a common occurrence when they eventually graduated.
Many years of fierce competition and missions eventually mellowed them out to the point they could work together civilly...Even if they did tend to upset the tectonic plates a bit when they got into debates.
But while they did risk causing cataclysms every other week, they always trusted each other. They would bicker, but they shared a deep bond that made them inseparable when in the field. When they put their lives on the line, they simply knew the other would be there to help them out. When one was sad or truly angry, the other would be there to listen and help them through it. This trust combined with years of shared experience actually made them realize that despite their differences, they considered the other a good friend. They still got into fights, but they did it in a more...Friendly way...
This friendship extended to Katherine's family, thankfully without collateral damage. Alex and Glynda always considered each other equals and respectable people, and Glynda was very happy for them both when the two started dating. Unlike most, Glynda wasn't annoyed at the two being so adorable with each other in school. She could always see the spark in their eyes when they were together.
When Katherine and Axel announced that they were going to marry, Glynda's lower lip trembled for the first time in her life, so joyous at their union that she tackled Katherine out of sheer happiness for them both. She was the maid of honor at their extravagant wedding, a duty she fulfilled admirably as she managed the affairs of the ceremony.
It came to the point where Glynda was one of the first to hear about Katherine's pregnancy. While that news had been incredible enough, Glynda almost coughed up her drink when Katherine asked her to be the childrens' godmother.
The request had been interpreted as a bad joke the first time Katherine brought it up. But Katherine had clarified that nobody else could be a more trustworthy and kind godmother to the children than Glynda.
At her friend's words, the Wicked Witch humbly accepted to be there for the young Kriegers. At the time she had said it was only to ensure the next generation produced capable Hunters. But one look at the two, then soon after, four children as babies sleeping in their cribs had caused a subtle change in the normally cold and logical woman. The Wicked Witch quickly warmed up to them and would visit whenever she could to "discuss" matters with Katherine and play with the kids. Though she would never admit it of course, she cared for the children as if they were her own.
"Katherine, how is Nadja doing nowadays? She barely spoke at dinner." Glynda said. Katherine chuckled, remembering that her youngest had remained silent as the grave, even when desserts came out.
"She's doing great. My little super-brain of a daughter is nailing everything the schools can throw at her. At this rate she could enter Beacon a year early."
"...Katherine." Glynda looked back at her with a knowing frown.
"What?"
"You know I did not mean her grades."
"You didn't?" Katherine tried to lie through her teeth, but Glynda could always see through those. It was hard not to see through a woman who had once denied all interest in Alexander even as she stared at him dreamily in class.
"I know she's excelling academically," Glynda shrugged faintly "and I am sincerely happy to hear that she set her sight on becoming a Hunter. But please, tell me why she was giving Axel a death-glare the entire meal? Most Grimm would be terrified of such a gaze."
"I suppose she gets that look from me." Katherine joked. But her humor fell on deaf ears. "Well for the most part she's doing well." Katherine picked up a pile of moist dishes, carrying them over to Glynda's station. "She and the twins are getting along swimmingly, and she's always very kind and courteous to others." Katherine set the dishes down, and turned a glare to Glynda's observing eyes. "Though she's starting to develop a smug streak." Glynda couldn't help but feel like there was an unspoken accusation in there somewhere.
"So, how is she getting along with her older brother?"
"...Not well." Katherine responded with a sorrowful note in her tone.
Glynda had only heard that voice once before, at Morrigan's funeral. All that Katherine felt about her youngest kids relationship with each other was expressed in those two words alone.
If there was one thing that hurt the great Katherine Krieger, it was familial divide. It had driven her away from her clan, and it had soured her relationship with her sister Maxine. Glynda didn't need to ask to see the pain in Katherine's eyes or know how she felt about her kids, so she wordlessly took up the dishes while Katherine returned to her own workstation.
For the rest of their washing session, the two did not speak to each other out of some unspoken vow. For all her animated demeanor, Katherine could be the most dower person Glynda knew. Whether it was when discussing her Clan or the loss of a comrade near and dear to them all, the "Grimm Reaper" could be the most human of them all. Even if she was a literal half-blood demon, but that was another matter entirely.
The dishes were swiftly wiped of food, washed, dried, and returned to their shelves. With the usual combination of Katherine's speed and Glynda's fastidiousness, the chore was quickly finished, and the two stood in a clean, sparkling kitchen. Katherine had whipped up some herbal tea for them when it was all done, and the two sat across from each other at the kitchen island table.
For a time they remained in peaceful silence, sipping tea and hearing the faint sounds of night-time crickets outside. But the peace could only last so long, and Glynda decided it was time to get down to business. Grimm business.
"So, about why I came here Katherine-"
"You wanted to test the foundations of the manor again?"
"No, I think they spoke for themselves today when you tried that spinning suplex."
"Oh, then it was to hear my children's shining adoration of you?" She interrupted.
"...The real reason is not that, and stop spreading that rumor." She snarled. "Axel continues to hang that over me."
"Oh come on you know you love it. Pulling off some magic and seeing the four of them gaze up at you, wide-eyed and-"
"My. Real. Reason. Damon." Glynda commanded, sitting on the edge of her seat. "I have a mission."
Katherine leaned back in her chair, trying and barely succeeding to hide her giggles. Glynda chose to ignore her friends child-like mannerism...For now. Right now there was business to discuss. Setting down her tea, Glynda pulled out a Hunter-standard issue scroll from her pocket. The device extended into its normal size, blinking to life at Glynda's touch. The device let out a series of beeps and boops as her fingers zipped through its functions and files. She arrived at her needed document, clicked it, and the scroll expanded to the length of her forearm.
"Here." She set the scroll down on the table as it lit up with the image of a map; a small but extravagantly constructed town located exactly three-hundred and fifty three miles away from Beacon's capital. Shining and magnificent, Katherine knew this city well.
"Lantern's Gale." Katherine nodded. "I thought the town's defenses were up and running from the last Grimm attack, or did they shirk on the defense budget again?" One of her briefest missions ever was fighting off a mere four-hundred of the beasties, leaving the townsfolk ran about like headless chickens while the law enforcement and city leaders had huddled in their offices hoping the danger would pass if they ignored it. It hadn't, but Katherine had crushed the threat before it even arrived.
In response to Katherine's question, Glynda shook her head. "Actually, they haven't cut corners in the slightest. That last wave of Grimm convinced the mayor to finally put up security systems, and quite effective ones at that. They've since added Alex's new unmanned turrets, several civilian bunkers, and even begun training their own militia. But what they haven't added are.."
"Spines?" Katherine guessed, shrugging when Glynda narrowed her eyes.
"That's putting it bluntly. Unfortunately, no they have not. Last week their scouts found signs of Grimm in the area. Roughly two thousand in number. Types include Ursas, Beowulves, Borbatusks, Creeps, King Taijitus, and apparently more than a few Deathstalkers if the message we received from the mayor is to be believed."
"Sheesh," Katherine muttered. "every kid in the neighborhood is turning up to this party aren't they."
Glynda tapped the display, and the map lit up several small red lights scattered a considerable distance away from the town, concentrated behind several mountains to the north and within walking distance of the only usable path through. When they would attack, the Grimm would be forced into a bottleneck. With some respectable firepower those beasties would be reduced to black stains. It was an easy thing to repel considering Alex's designs.
"Why come to us for help? That number of Grimm hardly requires a Hunter of your caliber." Katherine said. It wasn't praise, it was a cold hard fact. Glynda was more than capable of single-handedly slaughtering Grimm three times the size of the piddly force approaching the town. As if she could read minds, Glynda's head drooped in exasperation.
"Correction, Hunters of our caliber."
Katherine's eyebrow shot up her forehead.
"To clarify, " Glynda said. "the mayor is asking for 'top-caliber' Hunters to provide aid. He specifically asked for the Grimm Reaper and the Wicked Witch.. Even with their defenses, the people are scared of any attack coming out of the blue and wiping them off the map."
"So they're asking us to provide what, moral support? I'm not a cheerleader..." Katherine's eyes darted side to side at the memories of her sophmore year. "Anymore."
"No. They want us to stop the Grimm horde before it ever arrives." Glynda sighed. Katherine's eyebrow risked tearing itself off her forehead and flying into the atmosphere.
"So let me get this straight. They want us to show up when we aren't even needed to fight a Grimm horde that can easily be blasted apart by their defenses and their own soldiers, because they're scared of fighting for and relying on their own strength." Katherine groaned. "I never thought we'd be babysitting an entire town."
"So you'll be accepting this job." Glynda stated, to which Katherine nodded.
"It'll be a bit dull, but a paycheck is a paycheck." she sighed. "Yeah I'll help them of course, but this can be a ridiculous job sometimes, you know that? What other career-path would have a job like this?"
"We do indeed have interesting careers." Glynda agreed. Katherine took a mighty swig of her tea, finishing it with a happy sigh as she looked back at her friend. Her friend who remained silent, yet looked like she had something to say.
Katherine's eyes scanned her old friend, and she could definitely feel that something was off about this job, this entire visit Glynda was making to her home. Offering a pitifully easy assignment when there were far greater threats to Remnant, such as the White Fang or the hordes in the Dark Continent.
They would both gladly fight to protect humanity, but this mission was ridiculous. A hilariously small Grimm horde - for them at least - attacking a town already guarded by Krieger weaponry and a reportedly well-trained militia. The pay would be good considering the luxurious nature of Lantern's Gale, but this was something either one of them could handle with little difficulty.
"Glynda, there's something you're not telling me." Katherine leaned in, examining her friend with eyes that completely shattered the image of a goofy and loud-mouthed person. Her sapphire-blue eyes burned like the flames of hell.
Glynda often forgot that underneath the jokes, the childish demeanor, and thick-headedness of her once loathed rival, there resided one of the most feared fighters on Remnant, the Grimm Reaper.
Or as she was known to her clan, "Carnage Katherine."
If it had been anyone else, Katherine's glare would have knocked them out cold or even create the spontaneous need for physical relief. But the two of them, the Grimm Reaper and the Wicked Witch stood on equal footing. For Glynda this was her friend demanding answers. Answers that she had quite frankly dangled in front of her friend. Possibly it was an old reflex from school holding sway over her, but she had indulged herself long enough. It was high time to tell Katherine what the Wicked Witch was cooking up this time.
"It's our job, as Hunters is to fight the Grimm." Glynda set down her tea. "But I as a teacher have another duty, to ensure that the next generation can continue to defend the rest of humanity. Every so often I have to recruit potential talent. Sometimes this means looking in places you wouldn't expect to find individuals with sufficient skills, or helping those I find to discover their own power. That last one is the other reason why I'm here, to help someone down the path they so obviously want. "
"Please, cut to the point Glynda." Katherine sighed.
"Very well Katherine." Glynda felt herself unintentionally bracing for what would no doubt shake the manor itself.
"I'm here to request that you bring Axel with us."
