Disclaimer: You know, people to this day still think I'm joking when I say Drax is my favorite GOTG character. Like, you know in comedy shows when someone asks for an opinion, they get one, start laughing, and then say "'Kay, man. Now, tell me how you really feel." That actually happened to me, and it kind of pisses me off. Like, I get that Drax is built around a joke, but so is everyone else in the fucking cast. Fuck you. I can like Drax.

See, he's not my favorite MCU character, because Captain America. But, I just love him because he's so relatable. Namely, I, too, am a dense motherfucker. My friends sometimes have conversations that go way over my head, and I think they're talking about something else, so when I add my two cents, they give me some pure WTF looks. I don't get many jokes, and one time my boss laughed at me because I followed her instructions that were meant as a joke. Like, I know they aren't trying to be mean, but it still hurts, you know? If you don't want me to do something, don't tell me to do it!

Anyway, that's partially why I hate the opening of GOTG 2. When that hentai monster attacks, or whatever it's called. Remember when Drax jumps into its mouth, and Quill's like "Why did he do that? Doesn't he know the skin is just as hard on the inside?"

I was all ready for Drax to be a badass, 'cause I was like, "Quill, you idiot, he's not aiming for the skin, he's aiming for organs."

BUT NO!

Drax just has to suck in this opening scene, huh?

Thank god there was that part later where he's sick of them fighting so he just straight up jumps out the ship and starts blasting. Knew you were my favorite for a reason, big guy.

Chapter 3: What's a Semblance, anyway?

"Kana…"

"Hm?"

"Y'know, even though Lilith and I don't get along too well, sometimes, when the smoke clears, I'm not too proud to admit she may be right on some things. Sometimes."

"Kay?"

"One of those is my language. She's told me a couple times to control myself, and I think I do a good job. Don't want to poison your ears with profanity, y'know."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. You act pretty mature for your age, so reverting to childish language when you act in such a way is unbecoming of your senior. So, for that, I'm sorry."

"Aw, it's ok, Morgan. I get it…"

"It's just that I tend to get AGITATED, when the first three groups of people we come across END UP ATTACKING US. Then, have the nerve to RESTRAIN US, in FU- VERY UNCOMFORTABLE HANDCUFFS!" To punctuate her point, she held up her restrained arms, giving a small shake of the Dampening Cuffs.

"Your annoyance is noted." Crane replied, standing at the head of the procession. Beside him stood Steven, as well as Hetzl, who held his spade on his shoulder. "But, at the same time, is unnecessary. Believe me, you have received a very hospitable reception compared to the Captain."

The woman he was referring to was still unconscious, being dragged along by her collar. She was held by Seth, who stood at the back. In all honesty, it appeared Seth was disinterested in his captive, only providing occasional glances to affirm her condition.

"I agree with her, Professor." Brandt spoke up, walking beside Adrian, both placed to Morgan and Kana's left. "They helped us deal with those White Fang grunts. I think it's a little unfair to hold them like this... Especially since they didn't resist."

"Just a little?" Morgan asked.

"Calm down, I'm on your side, here."

"Wilhelm, I'm confused." The small girl spoke, currently sat upon Wilhelm's shoulders, to the right of Morgan and Kana. "What exactly did they do?"

"I'm not quite sure, myself, Victoria." He turned his head towards Crane. "Would you care to enlighten us, Professor?"

"These two were the priority targets I called all of you for."

"Wow, Boss. That's two times in a row." Marion and Janos stood side-by-side, behind Wilhelm. "You've got to leave something to us, right?"

"Not helping, Marion." Adrian answered back. He then coughed into his fist. "Why are they such a threat, Professor?"

"Thanks buddy. Glad to know you've got my back…"

"From what I understand, these two are responsible for the attack on Raven Branwen's camp."

"EUUUUUUUGHHHHHH!"

That sound came from Seth, located in the back, drawing the attention of everyone except for Steven, Crane, and Hetzl.

"…I just thought we were supposed to gasp at that…" Seth rubbed the back of his head.

"I suppose we're missing some context." Janos spoke up. "Who is Raven Branwen?"

"A very powerful Huntress…" Hetzl spoke up, "Leader of a certain Bandit tribe, an accomplished swordswoman, and a graduate of Beacon Academy. Isn't that right," He turned towards Crane, giving a clear view of his beady black eye, "Professor?"

"Astute as always, Hetzl."

"I've wanted to fight her for a while, now. I, however, don't really want to, but you know how I get. I just can't deny a challenge."

"Quite. Raven Branwen was a former student of mine, back in the days when I taught at Beacon. When I first heard her camp was ransacked, I had to investigate firsthand. She was charitable enough to enlighten me with names and a general description."

"Dang, she survived?" Morgan tilted her head.

"Yes. So, may I ask how and why you ransacked her camp?"

"In our defense, she started it." Morgan held up her hand, showing off the scar she had received from the encounter. Crane, however, did not look back, instead keeping his head forward.

"Allow me to apologize on her behalf, then. Even back as a student she had a very paranoid disposition."

"Well, thank you. Apology accepted. Now if you can just take these off…"

"No. Not until I've asked you two a few questions. One in particular I would like answered now, in fact…" Turning his head to face Morgan, he stopped walking, bringing the procession to a sudden halt.

"Are you a Maiden?"

At this, Morgan remained silent, affixing Crane with a cold hard stare. She then turned towards Kana.

"Kana, close your ears and sing a song."

"Sing with me a song, of Birthright and love, na-na-na, something true, sky above…" Kana stuck his hands over his ears, shaking his head while he sang.

"You might want to cover her ears too, wolf boy." Victoria raised her eyebrow, but soon found her ears covered by her partner.

"First off…" Morgan began…

"That's just creepy! Where do you get off asking a girl that?"

Crane sighed, then turned back towards his original path.

"Second, that's just rude. What, you think I'm too tomboyish to find a guy?"

Crane began walking.

"And third… dream on, buddy. Masks are cool and all, but this is not the best first impression you can have with a lady!" To accentuate her point, she gave another shake of her shackles.

"Enough!" Crane demanded, "Whether you're willing to answer or not, I have my ways of finding out..."

"…Seriously, does no one else find that threatening?"

"…I would tend to agree sir. I don't see what her… um…" Adrian began to trail off.

"Virginity, Boss." Marion piped up. "Although if you want to go into specifics, you can specify her hym-"

"That, yes."

"He's not talking about her maidenhood, Adrian." Hetzl spoke up. "He is asking whether or not she is the one who attacked the Fall Maiden."

"Like, from the old fairy tale?" Janos spoke up.

"The very same." Crane answered.

"Wouldn't she be… I dunno, dead? By this point?"

"I will explain the circumstances later. For now, we will put our hunt for the Homunculi on hold. We need to ensure whether she is truly innocent, as she claims."

"Well, thanks for the fair trial, I guess. Sound good Kana?" However, the boy didn't answer, still stuck in his song. Morgan reached out to touch his arm.

"Na-Na-Na-Na, Leonard Bernstein! Hm?" Feeling her touch, Kana let go of his ears.

"Anyway, guess we're going through a test Kana. You up for it?"

"Is it a dance-off?"

"…Is it?" Morgan turned towards the professor.

"No."

"Dang. Guess I'm up first, then. Consider yourselves lucky."

"I suppose this is as good a location to set up camp as any…" With those words, the professor stopped. "Adrian, you Janos, Marion, and Brandt can begin setting up the tents." The four nodded, before breaking off from the procession. Morgan noticed Brandt giving her an apologetic look, with a small, unheard whisper.

'It'll be ok.'

"Victoria, you take Wilhelm and survey the surroundings for Grimm." The small girl tipped her hat, before pointing in a direction, which the wolf boy followed without complaint.

"Steven will hold the captain. Hetzl, Seth, you two stay here, and watch over young Kana."

"Where am I supposed to be going?" Morgan asked, her gaze hardened.

"Nowhere physical." The man shrugged, as if that constituted an answer. He then reached into a pocket on his jacket, pulling out a small pill bottle. "I would request that you take one of these."

"Is it poison?" Morgan asked, taking the bottle before holding it up to see the pills inside.

"Not at all. Just a healthy dose of Quietamine, a powerful sleep aid."

"…I see. And I just eat it?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Guess I can do that. Kana, if anyone besides Brandt tries to touch me while I'm asleep, unleash the Dragon."

Kana nodded seriously, before letting out a small 'Grrr…', holding up his hands as if they were claws.

"Delightful." Crane then turned to Hetzl, conveniently missing Morgan retrieving a pill from the container. "Hetzl, if you could grab a bottle of water, quickly-"

"BLEHG!" Morgan cried out, before slowly beginning to chew the pill, before giving a final, slow, swallow. "WHAT'S IN THIS?"

"…I'm not too sure. Usually you would take pills with water, but being conscientious of rations is quite commendable."

"Now you tell me…" She then turned her palms towards herself, "Should I be feeling anything?"

"Just a small doze into unconsciousness within the next few seconds."

"Gotcha. Anyway, Kana I'm leaving it to you…"

"I've got you!"

.

.

.

"I'm not feeling it."

"Give it a few more seconds."

.

.

.

"So, now that we've got a second, have any of you seen a dragon around?"

"The winged, reptilian kind?"

"Yes!" She seemed hopeful at his answer. "Two to six wings, can probably talk, has a thing for treasure?"

"Outside of a storybook? No, I have not."

"Dang. Fine, another question: What's up with you, Hetzl?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know. You talk about yourself like you're in the third person, then you contradict yourself. I'm betting on some kinda multiple personality thing, am I close?"

"From a certain point of view."

"Hm. And you, Seth? Fashion Statement?"

"The pants? Thanks, I just bought them a few days ago, and I was hoping they looked good."

"…You're joking, right?"

"I thought it would be funny… Just a side-effect of my Semblance."

"There's that word again. What the heck's a Sem- Oop! There it is!"

Morgan began to stumble.

"I got you!" Kana said, bracing himself for her collapse. Soon, she was on his back, out cold.

"Well, that seems to have settled it. Steven, if you would be a dear?"

"Urgh…"

And with that, Crane fell backwards, into the outstretched arm of the assistant professor.

Hetzl, in turn, let out a small crack, as his iris changed from black to blue.

"So, kid…. Ever play Blackjack?"


It was darkness, pure darkness, as far as the eye could see.

Depth was a thing of the past, with no idea of what was up, down, forward, or back.

And the silence was the worst part. No slow drone, no whispering wind, nor even the single sound of a heartbeat.

"Naga's tears, this is boring…"

It was here Morgan stood, scanning the area for any signs of… anything.

"Are my dreams really this dull?"

"Do you not remember any recent ones you've had?" From behind, Crane appeared, walking slowly with his arms crossed behind his back. Morgan jumped at the voice, but straightened when he came into view.

"…Eh, I don't really get much sleep. Even when I do, it's pretty light. Got it from my dad, apparently."

"Sounds difficult. My sympathies."

"I've gotten used to it. So, where is this supposed to be?"

"Your subconscious. My Semblance allows me to enter and manipulate the dreams of anyone I desire. Right now, I have simply left it blank."

"That's cool. So, is that what a Semblance is? Like, a special power?"

"Are you telling me you have no concept of a Semblance? And you claim to have defeated Raven Branwen and her tribe? Quite a poor lie to believe."

"I just used magic." Morgan shrugged her shoulders. "And honestly, Kana did most of the work."

"Magic, you say? Now that's an interesting answer. There are very few people who can use magic, and they tend to only exist in Fairy Tales. Care to tell me how you brought them to life?"

"Eh, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Let's just say magic isn't as rare where I come from."

"And that, dear Morgan, is what I'd like to find out." Before Morgan could say anything else, a blinding light appeared between them. She turned towards it, before Crane spoke up again.

"Behold your deepest memory, held within your subconscious. This is the moment you entered the world. Now, I assume your mother and father would enjoy some privacy during these moments, so please think of a much more informative time in your life."

"Hmm… I guess the secret's out, then." Morgan shrugged her shoulders. "First off, as you can probably guess, Kana and I aren't from around here."

"I had assumed that much."

"No, you really haven't. Kana and I, we're not only strangers to this land… We're not even from this world."

Instantly, the surroundings changed, into a luxurious hall adorned with several banners. At the end of the hall, a group of people stood in front of a throne.

At the head of the group, a man with short blue hair was busy looking through several papers in his hand. His right arm was unarmored, giving clear view of some sort of stylized birthmark down his shoulder.

To his right, a woman with bright pink hair tied in a ponytail, held a small child. Behind her, another child was staring at the cradled boy, a young girl with long blue hair.

To the man's left stood another, much more armored man with brown hair.

Finally, there were two more: a teenaged girl with her blonde locks tied into pigtails, and another young man who seemed to be wearing some sort of cooking pot his head.

"This is the Royal Family of Ylisse, where I come from."

"Interesting. I assume the man with blue hair is the King?"

"…Exalt, but same difference. That's Exalt Chrom, descendant of the Hero-King Marth, as well as his sister, Lissa, second Princess of Ylisse. She's the blonde girl there."

"Is Exalt only a title for males of the family, or is it a title that is inherited?"

"…It's just a title you inherit. Anyways, that's his wife, Olivia, and their two kids: Inigo and Lucina. Inigo's the boy, while Lucina's the girl. The guy with the pot on his head is Donnel, the greatest warrior of Ylisse and Lissa's husband. Finally, the big guy in armor is Frederick the Wary, guardian of Ylisse's royal family since they were kids."

"Interesting. Where do you fit into all this?"

"…Okay, what's your deal?"

"Pardon?"

"Listen, I've told this story too many times to too many people, and not a single one has acted like you. Where's your denial? Disbelief? Usually when I bring up the whole 'other world' thing, people don't just say interesting."

"My apologies. Intriguing, then." He gestured for her to continue, but was answered with a glare. "Very well…"

*A-HEM*

"This seems incredibly unlikely. There is no such thing as different worlds. I don't believe you. Disbelieving scoff. Satisfied?"

"Fine. Anyway, Exalt Chrom rose to the throne when his eldest sister, Emmeryn, was killed in the Second Ylissean-Plegian War. The first was perpetrated by his father, and the second was retaliatory against them by the Plegian King Gangrel. Any questions?"

"None."

"You don't even want to know what Plegia is?"

"Another nation that entered multiple conflicts with your Ylisse. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say it stemmed from religious differences. I am a professor, you understand?"

"Fine. Anyway, when he took the throne, he had big shoes to fill, fighting off the remaining Plegian forces, as well as uniting his fractured nation. Luckily, he had help. Among his friends was the genius tactician Robin, the man who could do the impossible…" Despite the words, Morgan did not seem passionate. "With his help, Chrom was able to defeat Gangrel, another warlord named Walhart, and finally the fell dragon Grima."

Crane remained silent.

"Really? Nothing about the dragon?"

"Is the dragon really the most unbelievable part?"

"…Ugh. Now you're just taking the fun out of it. Anyway, Robin was my father."

"…My condolences."

"Huh?"

"Despite his status, he seems to be the only one missing from this meeting, and they don't seem intent to wait for their master tactician. While I can assume there was a falling out…" He didn't seem to want to continue.

"It's fine. He died before I was born. Ironically, he was the only casualty against Grima. Perfectionist to the end, he was." An unexpected amount of vitriol, but Crane merely filed it away.

"So, as his next of kin, I assume they wanted you to learn the skills of strategy, and perhaps serve as his successor."

"…Maybe. They would've been disappointed, anyway. No, the reason I lived in the castle wasn't just because my dad was a family friend. I lived in the castle because instead of calling him Exalt, I called him Grandpa."

Before Crane could say anything else, a new figure entered the hall. It was a fairly young woman, with long blue hair, carrying a young girl on her shoulder, with a similar hair color.

"Lucina!" Chrom called, his voice suddenly audible. "You're back, I see." With his eyes away from his daughter, he handed the papers off to Frederick and walked towards the woman. When they met, he gave her a large hug, encompassing even the small girl. When he broke it off, he then gave a small tussle to the girl's hair. "How has Morgan been doing?"

"She's been fine." The woman answered. "She's recently started talking, even. Is there anything you'd like to say, honey?"

"…Gwampa…" The small girl reached out, grasping one of Chrom's fingers, making the two laugh.

"Ok, I'm pretty sure that's nothing like what I sounded like at that age."

Crane remained silent, simply tilting his head, while placing a hand under his chin.

"Really? NOTHING?"


The train slowly creaked to a stop.

Ace stared outside the window, observing the Mistrali scenery that contrasted the city of Vytal. Whereas he usually saw nothing but concrete and steel, he was now surrounded by an ocean of trees, with the bare stone construction surrounding the station the only sign of engineering. He sighed.

Who would want to live out here?

Oh, reject your capitalist life, become one with nature. La-di-da, that was nothing but the ravings of madmen. The people who spouted that obviously actually never spent a day in the woods by themselves. No food that you didn't bring or kill. No shelter that you didn't build or steal. Predators, stalking you, waiting for that one moment when your guard is down. That humbling feeling of being completely alone, with no one to talk to, or weep for you if you perish.

And the bugs. Ugh.

The only reason you would live in the woods is if there was nowhere else you could.

And that brought him to the reason he was out here: The White Fang.

Well, actually, there was this Morgan and Kana he was supposed to meet, but apparently the only way to find them was to find Clune Muride. So, ipso-facto, he guessed.

He gave another sigh. Ever since he and Cheshire had gotten here, he'd felt a bit of sympathy for them. He knew first-hand how cruel people could be. He knew how much revenge gnawed at you.

They were still doomed.

He was doomed, too, once. Destined to go down in history as a monster, defeated by the hero. Whoever the hell that was going to be. Maybe they'd be the next monster?

But then Chesh came along.

And that was really it. All it takes to stop a monster like him was a friend. Love.

Was that what the White Fang lacked? Couldn't be. If they needed friends so badly, they could obviously turn to each other. Was it an echo chamber, just constant hate and anger marinating the same message over and over again?

"Damn it. Now I sound like friggin' Lahr. Asshole."

He needed to focus.

"YOU DAMNED BRAT, GET OUTTA HERE!" The voice jostled him out of his focus, turning his attention to a nearby food vendor. The owner was yelling at a small child, who was retreating in fear. Judging by the ragged and dirty clothes he was wearing, he probably wasn't anyone's kid. Ace clenched his fist.

It was a kid, man. What could showing a little kindness cost you? With another sigh, he released his fist, and walked over to the vendor.

"Whaddiya want?" The man asked, with a surprising amount of vitriol. Ace was confused, but noticed the man kept shifting glances at his ears.

Oh, shit. He was a 'Faunus', right. Kept forgetting that. Guess this guy wasn't a fan.

"I'll take two apples and a loaf of bread." The man grunted, but grabbed the items from the shelf behind him. Ace noticed that he didn't give them over straight away, instead holding out his hand for a card as if Ace was going to steal it. He could see the White Fang's logic, now. Just a bit better.

After paying, Ace took the food, and dashed towards the direction the boy fled. He didn't have to travel far, as the boy eventually ended up further down the tracks, sitting on an abandoned bench. Ace walked up beside him, and held out an apple. The kid noticed it, but slightly slid away.

"It's ok, kid." Ace tried to get his voice to a gentle tone. "You seemed hungry, just take it. No strings attached." The kid eyed the apple, then looked into his eyes, and then back. He then snatched it from his hands, before digging in with a fervor borne of hunger. Ace sighed, but then plopped himself down next to him.

"There's nothing worse than times like that." He began, but the boy only leaned an ear. "It sucks because that guy's what you're going to remember. I hope you'll remember me, instead. Remember that there are good folks with the bad." The boy finished the apple, which prompted Ace to grab the other from the bag. The boy took this one as well, digging in with the same ferocity.

Shit, what would Chesh say?

"Anyway, you got a name kid?"

The boy kept munching.

"Yeah, my name's Ace…"

Still munching.

"…So, I hope you understand that there are plenty of adults who would help you. Yeah, plenty are like that guy, but there's a limit to how much people can tune out suffering, y'know?"

The boy finished the apple, so Ace grabbed the final loaf of bread, handing it to the boy.

"'Cause if you just shut yourself out, and start believing what guys like that say, you'll be proving him right. You gotta be strong, and being strong means being brave. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is… don't be afraid. As many people as there are who'll hurt you, there are just as many of those who'll help you. You just have to be brave." Well, hopefully that doesn't include running into a pedophile or something.

Damn it, shut up, mind.

"Anyway, you want to come with me? I can take you to the police, get you under their watch…"

The boy took off, after finishing the last bite of bread. While he may have been running with his top speed, Ace could've effortlessly caught him, and taken him to the police by force. Was that the right thing to do, though?

Damn it, what would Chesh do?


"So, your mother is the future version of the Lucina there, presumably from another timeline?"

"…Uh, yeah. Exactly. Uh… Thought I was going to have to explain that part…"

"Professor, remember?"

"Well, yeah. My mom and a couple other warriors from an alternate timeline came into ours, helped us defeat Grima, and couldn't go back. So, some of them, who had royal blood like my mom, stuck around the castle. And that was my life. It was pretty normal, considering."

"Considering you were royalty?"

"Hey, most royals were pretty bad, but my Grandpa was a decent Exalt. It wasn't until, like, 15 years down the line that everything went to Hell."

"And how so?"

"So… Turns out there's another world, which serves as this weird sort of nexus between most of them. There existed this dark dragon, called Velezark, who managed to get unleashed. So, in order to combat it, these two kids called upon a whole bunch of heroes across time and space. Only, something went wrong somewhere, and they weren't called in their prime. It was when they were still pretty young and weak. So, they come in, train up, get stronger, and kill Velezark. The end. Close the curtains. Except…"

Crane tilted his head, as if he was raising an imaginary eyebrow.

"See, before their prime means my parents were both brought there before they met. So, at the end of the day, they didn't fall in love. Tough luck, but my own timeline was still good. Except it wasn't. You see, Velezark, and by extension all dragons, has a creator. Known as the Father of All Dragons, he created them with immortality. Pretty cool, right?"

"I would hardly call immortality a blessing."

"…Well, you've ruined the surprise. Turns out, immortality just meant that the dragons were doomed to depression, loneliness, and then finally insanity, so they've got to die to be put at peace. There are literally dozens of legends about it. Medeus, Mila, Duma, Loptyr, Ashunera, and plenty more. So, the Father wants them all dead, and he basically declared the one timeline where my parents killed Velezark the 'true' timeline. Thus, he did this thing he called Coalescence. Basically, he shut down all the other timelines, trimming the fat, and keeping the one timeline true. Unfortunately, Kana and I were the fat."

Morgan shrugged her shoulders.

"To make a long story short, he took pity on us. He said he didn't want to erase us from existence, but it was necessary that we weren't born in this new timeline. So, he gave us this task, as if that's some kind of mercy, and sends us from world to world. We find the Dragon, a Hero to kill it, and an Oracle to guide them. This world is just the most recent."

"Quite the tale. I will admit, you have my interest. However, now that I know where you claim to be from, allow me to verify you are telling the truth…"

With nary another word, Crane turned, and began walking down the hall. Morgan, curious, soon followed him. Within a few seconds, they came across the exit, a large set of double doors, flanked by two soldiers.

"You have to get these two to pull the doors…"

Crane ignored her, and simply waved his arm, causing the doors to open automatically.

"…Or you can just do that."

The two continued walking, and as they continued to wander around the castle, the area around them seemed to fluctuate. Sometimes it would be highly detailed, with murals and tapestries lining the walls, while other times it would simply be a blank wall with cracks. Sometimes the ceiling would be substantially high, while other times it would approach a more reasonable height.

"Has it been a while since you've begun this task?"

"It's been a few years."

"Your memories of this castle are fragmented, incomplete. Your mind cannot form an accurate form like it had in the hall."

"Well, I didn't actually live here that much. I visited, sure, but my mom had her own house."

"I see. Did you stay in a guest room while here?"

"Uh… Yes. It's on the next floor up, fifth door on the left." Crane turned towards a nearby staircase, and followed her instructions. They came upon the door in question, which Crane opened with a tug.

Inside, they came upon the woman they had saw in the hall. Her daughter was currently asleep in a nearby crib, as Lucina rubbed her cheek to soothe her. When she felt satisfied, she turned away from the crib, sitting down on the bed with a sigh.

"Um, I'm confused. Aren't I asleep here? How can I have memories of this?"

"Keep in mind, this is a dream. You are filling in the blanks, building memories into what you believe would have transpired."

"So, you're saying this whole thing here never actually happened?"

"Not at all. This event is buried in your subconscious, to be sure. However, with a simple urge, this is what you remember most in this room. I wonder why…"

*KNOCK*KNOCK*KNOCK*

His musings were interrupted by a knock on the door. While it didn't seem that loud, it caused Lucina to jump up, standing in a ready stance with one hand on the crib's edge. This in turn woke up Morgan, who turned to look at her mother.

"Hello? Marth?" A young girl's voice rang out, before opening the door. The young Lucina poked her head inside, causing the older Lucina to lower her guard. "Is it ok to come in?"

"Yes, it's fine." Lucina answered, grabbing a reaching Morgan and hoisting her up on her shoulder. She then walked to the bed, sitting down and placing Morgan on her lap. She then gave the bed a pat. "Come. Sit down."

The girl took a second, but soon hurried over. However, she didn't speak, instead staring into the older woman's eyes, who gave a smile in return.

"I forget it's there, too." Lucina said, snapping the younger girl out of her stupor.

"I'm sorry…" She replied, "Mother and Father told me. I… Is it true?"

Instantly, Lucina's lips stopped smiling.

"Yes…" She began to stroke Morgan's hair, who leaned towards her. "I know it must feel strange, but it's true. I just want you to know, I'm not going to take anything from you. I'm not going to make any trouble. I-I'm not…" She seemed to stammer a bit, struggling to continue.

"…I'm glad I turn out so pretty."

Lucina seemed stunned, but as the younger girl tilted her head, she began to giggle. Then, she began to laugh.

"I'm glad I was so cheerful at your age."

"…Are you not anymore?"

Lucina didn't answer, at first. She simply looked at the daughter on her lap, still stroking her hair.

"Not anymore. But I am happy." Seeing the younger girl's confused look, she gave a small chuckle. "One day, you'll understand. Trust me."

"Can I be as strong as you? And Father, too, one day?"

"Of course you can. Perhaps even better, and I'll always be there to help you, and so will little Morgan, here." She hoisted the baby close to her chest, nuzzling her head as she gave a small giggle at the touch. Unfortunately, this diverted her eyes from her younger self, who was staring at the girl with a different look.

A scowl.

She soon relaxed, as Lucina lifted her head and stared back. She then gave a smile, which was soon returned.

Throughout all of this, Morgan remained unmoved. Crane, taking a small glance, soon asked.

"Nothing you would care to mention about this?"

"…Nothing you need to know."

"Very well. I won't pry." He then snapped his fingers, and the room disappeared, back into the black void Morgan first found herself in. "You have convinced me, at least for now. Once I have finished, I will release you, but I would hope to ask a favor. This land of yours, Ylisse: I'd like to know more about it. This Father of All Dragons, your magic, it interests me more than you could ever know."

"Hmph… Anything of value you can offer?"

"Protection. Though you may be strong, you are new to this world. There are many things here that may never have made their way to Ylisse. How advanced are your munitions? Gunpowder, Dust, and the like?"

"Yeah, those things. Pretty fast, but not unbeatable. It doesn't help that you guys don't take a proper stance. You tend to miss a lot."

"Perhaps, but there are many more surprises in store for you two. My students may be young, but I would trust each of them with nearly any task, and only Hetzl, Brandt, and Janos use weapons. All of the others use their Semblances and other skills to surprise and subdue their opponent, defeating them with clever applications they could not prepare for. However, I do not assume this is unique, as should you. You can never know when an easy battle can suddenly turn with a simple trick."

"…Hmm, you're making a good point." Morgan crossed her arms, and looked up at nothing. "…Fine. Sounds good to me, but I'm not making a promise until I ask Kana. We work together, so neither of us can go and make decisions on our own. And I'm laying down a ground rule: The second we find the Hero, the Oracle, or the Dragon, we move to get the cycle started. If you don't want to help, then this little deal is over. We leave, no exceptions. Sound acceptable?"

"Absolutely." Crane stuck out his hand for a shake, which Morgan took. After they broke off the shake, he continued. "Simply walk in any direction, and you should wake up. As for me, I will need to question the captain. Please discuss anything you will with my students in the meantime." And with that, he turned away, slowly fading as the distance increased.

As Morgan began walking, she suddenly had a niggling doubt.

"…Did they take my handcuffs off?"


"Hit me!"

"…The Eight of Hearts."

"That's 18. Your move, kid."

"Hetzl, please stop this…" Adrian spoke up, his head in his hands.

"Why? I'm winning!"

"Not for long, you aren't!" Kana spoke up, staring at his single card, "Hit me, too!"

"…The Three of Spades."

"That's… uh, 12, right?"

"You got it, kid!"

"Then hit me again!"

"I can't. The rules state that Hetzl must stay before you are allowed to continue. If he were to receive one of the other three suits of three, he would win with no contest."

"I'm staying, Mary."

"Then, nevermind… The King of Diamonds."

"Ha! The King, that means I win!"

"Incorrect. It means you lose."

"…But he won with a King last time…"

"Because he had 11, which the King would increase to 21."

"Wait, the King is ten?"

"Yes, as is the Queen and Jack. The Ace, on the other hand, can be substituted as one or eleven, depending on whether or not it would lead to a bust."

"That's what you did, by the way. Tough luck kid, now pay up!"

Kana grumbled, but soon reached into his cloak, before pulling out a small stiletto. It was covered up by a small sheathe, but it's design was exquisite, with purple stitching arranged in a sort of circular pattern. He gave it to Hetzl, who looked over it before slipping the blade slightly out.

"So, what's this one?"

"That's one of my Papa's first knives, back when he was Mama's butler. It's Nohrian steel, so it's much stronger than any Hoshidan shuriken. He gave it to my older brother, who gave it to me."

"You're tuggin' on my heartstrings, kid." He then placed it on the ground, next to a staff and a small tiara. "But you'll have to do more than that to get these back. Ready for another round?"

"Hetzl, please. Just return his things and keep a tally." Adrian finally raised his head.

"Just let me have a little fun, here."

"I doubt Morgan will be happy with this when she wakes up." Janos chimed in.

"It's been what, twenty minutes? Crane'll take his time."

"AH! CELICA! TERRORS! CELICA RIDING TERRORS!"

"…You were saying?"

"Morgan's up!" Brandt spoke, sticking her head through the curtain. They were both in a nearby tent, one of many surrounding the game. She then turned back towards the tent. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. That's how he wakes you up. Nothing like a shot of adrenaline, you know?"

"Last chance, Hetzl."

"Ok, I'm up!" Morgan stumbled out of the tent. "What'd I miss, Kana?"

"I learned a new game!" He seemed to cheer, but suddenly looked downcast. "I'm not very good at it, though."

"It's ok. Can't be good at everything. So-" She suddenly stopped, as she gained sight of Hetzl's small pile of winnings.

"What is Hetzl doing with Sunrise, Percial, and Eclypto?"

"Uh, he wanted to bet, and I didn't have any money."

"Let me be clear!" Adrian jumped in. "He would return all of his possessions with due haste once they were done."

"Yeah. Probably."

"Oh, you bet he will. You don't know who you've messed with. Mary! Set me up!"

"Oh, please no."

"…Ugh, these handcuffs suck. Hey, Brandt. The professor and I have sorted it out, you mind grabbing the keys?"

"I'm sorry, Morgan." Janos spoke up, "Under no circumstances are we to remove Dampening Cuffs without Professor Crane's express permission."

"Seriously? Guh. Fine, if he won't take five seconds to let you know, I'll do it myself. HRRNGH!" She gave a grunt, and began to stretch her arms apart.

"…You know those suppress your Aura, right?" Seth spoke up. "You're going to hurt yourself…"

"…Ugh, friggin' Ignis. Never when I need it…" She then turned towards Kana. "Kana, can you loosen these up for me a bit?"

"You got it!" Reaching over, he grabbed two ends of the chain.

"Again, you're going to hurt-"

*SNAP*

"…yourself…"

"Thanks Kana." She then waved her arms, enjoying the lack of restriction. "Anyway, let's start. Deal me, Mary."

Nobody moved.

"Mary?"

"Ooooh, boy. Now, what did you find Adrian?"

"Your doom. Mary, please?"

"My apologies… The Four of Hearts."

"Sweet!"

.

.

.

"Right?"

.

.

.

"…How do you play this, again?"


The flight was actually pretty peaceful.

Granted, that was always a given with Blue flying, but Jimmy expected some kind of talking. Or, yelling, maybe. Honestly, maybe he was just confusing quiet with peace.

Huh, guess he was still a military boy at heart.

He gazed to his right, where Rudie was sitting, nose deep in a book. He really needed to get back into that. Maybe she had a recommendation?

Across from him, Virginia and Jojo were both focused on their scrolls. Kilroy was with Blue, and Tommy was missing, so that probably meant he was with them. Probably left a little spider, though.

Ah well, guess there wouldn't be a better chance.

"So, Virginia, kid." His voice snapped their attention. "Be honest with me, how ready for this are you two?"

"Beyond ready." Jojo replied, with a confident smirk. Virginia followed suit, with a small nod.

"That's good. Real good, kid. Best at Atlas, right?"

"…One of the best."

"Always someone better, right? Nothin' to be ashamed of. Tommy ever tell you about our old days with Pepper?" After the two shook their heads, he continued. "Ol' Pepper picked all of us up as kids, not much older than you. You'll never get him to admit it, but Kilroy and I always had that little contest going."

"I guess he won, huh?"

Jimmy narrowed his eyes.

"You got something you wanna say?"

"Nope." Jojo gave a shrug.

"Hmph. That so? Where're you two from?"

"Tuscon."

"Heath."

"…Don't know where those are. Atlas?"

"Heath is, but Tuscon is in Vacuo."

"So, not Atlas bred, huh? What made you pick it, then?"

"The military. What else?"

"I dunno. Plenty of mines, right?"

"Heh, if you're planning on doing nothing with your life but surviving." Jojo shrugged, "Sorry, but I have plans to make a difference."

"Making a difference?" Jimmy gave a small chuckle. "Kid, you ever hear the phrase, 'No one has ever won a fight by getting shot?'"

"'Only by shooting.' Yeah, I've heard it. What about it?"

"The military doesn't plan on winning any war. They want to sit still, pretend everything is under control, because they're afraid of starting a fight. Ironwood? He's soft. You ever been to one of his rallies? Makes me sick."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jojo seemed to actually be getting emotional, glaring daggers at Jimmy, who responded with a smirk.

"Have you ever been to one?" He repeated, "Look at our new robots! We built 'em bigger and better! Feel safe everybody! Forget about the threats around every corner! Trust us! We've got your back!" He raised his hands in mock excitement, before placing them back down. "Trust me, that's nothing but PR. This:" He gestured to the airship, "This is us shooting. No announcement. No press. No accountability. We get in, then we get out."

"…Like you did?" He looked pleased, as if he had just pulled a trump card. Jimmy just laughed again.

"Is that it? Mad I tried to leave?"

"Not mad, just unimpressed. From what Mr. Stardust said, you were supposed to be the best of the best. Then you ran away. Faked a suicide to get away. Why'd you do it? Why'd you turn your back on your team?"

"My team?" Jimmy seemed morose for a second. "…Atlas's team. Pepper's team. Now, Tommy's Team. Did you think we all sat around a campfire singing songs about friendship and love?" He shook his head. "No. We were all there because we wanted something. Money, power, survival. You name it, Pepper promised it."

"And yet you still left."

"'Cause he promised what he couldn't deliver. And that, kid, is how deals work. Got to keep your promises, or others won't keep theirs."

"So, you're saying we're all opportunists, then? That everyone here just wants something?" Jojo shook his head. "Sorry, but like I said, I'm here to make a difference."

"…And you make it sound so bad." Jimmy gave a sigh. "You'll get it one day, kid."

And with that, silence reigned between them. Virginia looked between them, and then spoke up.

"…Well, if you're still interested, both my parents served, so the Headmaster invited me on their recommendation."

"You're right." Jimmy said, strange sincerity in his voice. "That was rude of me. Any plans? After this?"

"Well, I plan to earn a permanent place under Mr. Stardust's future operations."

"Fair enough. Believe it or not, that's what Tommy said to me, back all those years ago under Pepper. As you can tell, that didn't end up happening, so I'd at least set up a few more options. Never know when the commander will be stabbed in the back, you know?"

"…I'm sorry?"

"-Allegedly, of course. Not that I would know. I was off the team at the time."

"Wait, what are you-"

"How is everyone doing?" The crisp voice of Tommy broke in, stopping the conversation in its tracks.

"You're gettin' predictable, Tommy!" Jimmy called, without looking at him, keeping his eyes on the two younger members of the team.

"What do you mean by that? I just came to check on you all."

"Sure you did." Jimmy then laid on his back, his hands curled behind his head in a faux-pillow. "Anyway, how long do we have until touchdown?"

"Well, about two hours."

"Good. Wake me up when that comes around."


"…So, in conclusion, I would just like to know the location of your base of operations, so I can perform my due diligence as a Mistrali citizen and report a group of known terrorists to the authorities."

"W-What are you?" The one who answered was Athine, bound by chains, upside-down over a spiked pit. Her surroundings appeared to be a gothic dungeon of some sort, with several more chains suspended from the ceiling.

"A poor question. 'What' instead of 'Who.'" Crane was the only other person present, standing slightly away from her, arms folded behind his back. "My name is Cassius Crane, and what I am, you could say, is a powerful bounty hunter."

"So, a bounty hunter…" Athine seemed to regain some sort of calm, and replied icily. "So, I suppose Havos have put you up to capture me?"

Crane seemed honestly confused for a second, putting his hand to his chin in contemplation.

"Oh, so you are the one who attacked that family. Hmph, I will never understand Adrian's luck. Regardless, I am not as interested in a single bounty as much as I am a potential army lying in wait in the woods. So, if you simply give me the location of your base – which I can verify, so lies will be met with punishment – we will free you."

"You think I would betray my brethren of the White Fang for my own freedom?"

"Yes. Was that not clear?"

"Forget it. Do what you will to me, but I would never betray them!"

"Don't be so dramatic." Crane snapped his fingers, and the surroundings began to change. Within seconds, the two were now surrounded by several White Fang soldiers, which Athine recognized as her own men. They then began to file into a truck, and Crane soon followed, with her still restrained by chains, now seeming to be held by nothing.

"Wha-? How?"

"Calm down. This is just a memory of yours." Crane seemed bored, as he sat in the seat she would usually occupy.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?"

"Oh, my – trees, trees, trees, and more trees. Do you really not pay attention at all to directions? You simply pass it off to your subordinates? That is poor form for a captain. It makes my job that much harder."

"STOP TALKING! ANSWER MY QUESTION!"

"That's an oxymoron. Now, calm down before I lose my patience."

"NO! NOT UNTIL YOU EXPLAIN WHY- MMPH!" Athine suddenly found herself interrupted by some tape that had appeared over her mouth.

"And my patience has now been lost. For the gods' sake, you are making snarky comments of disbelief after every sentence preferable." He did not turn at all to look at her, and the rest of the ride was filled with nothing but muffles from the captive captain. They soon arrived at the Hephaestus Facility, and rode towards the back, where two other members where standing guard. One approached the car, looked inside, and nodded to the other, who pushed a nearby button to raise the garage door.

The truck then drove inside, as the door closed behind them. Her men and Crane began to file out, and she was forced to follow, as they began to line up in attention. Athine was facing the back of some of her soldiers, so she was not able to see who they lined up for, but as they began to bend forward, their arms crossed over their chests, she could see the head of that person.

It was a fairly tall woman, with long platinum hair spilling down her back. Her skin was flawless and rather pale, able to be seen due to her lack of a mask. She instead wore a pure black combat suit, and was obviously a Faunus judging by the large horns sticking upwards, out of her head. However, the one thing anyone would notice, that still gave Athine the worst feeling as she gazed upon them, were her eyes.

They were dark, black cesspools, with cracks forming out across the ends. They contained almost nothing an eye should, no iris, no retina, or veins. There was only a single red pupil in each eye, gazing upon her men with a sort of professional stare.

"Good afternoon, Lady Blair." It was Harkin who spoke, raising his head. "Reporting back from-"

.

.

.

Silence. Complete silence. Harkin had simply stopped talking, as if his lips were muffled the same way hers was. Then, they all disappeared in an instant.

"Heh." Crane spoke, "I almost can't believe it. Working with the White Fang?"

Athine suddenly found the tape covering her mouth gone, allowing her to speak. Before she could, however, Crane took the initiative.

"I change my mind. You will take me and my students directly to your base, as soon as possible."

"I already told you, I would never-GAH!" She exclaimed in surprise, as the chains began to unbind, reforming themselves into a single chain attached to each limb, stretching out into the darkness.

"I don't care. Besides, that girl, Blair? She is no Faunus. Whatever lies she told you, she and her siblings are only using you to their own ends. And when they are finished, your fellow White Fang will be in more dire straits than anything the authorities of Mistral could possibly do to you."

"W-What do you mean?"

"She and her siblings are evil incarnate, with a lack of empathy or compassion. I have made it my mission to hunt each of them down, and I will not let any single life stand in my way. So, before I lose what little patience I have left, allow me to tell you one thing." He punctuated this with another snap, and Athine felt the chains begin to pull.

Was… was he quartering her?

"You cannot die, here. This is simply a dream, of which I am in control. However, the mind is a simple thing, able to be deceived rather easily if you know where to manipulate it. The pain will feel as real as you believe it should. Therefore, when that pain grows large enough that your body is convinced it is dead, you will simply wake up. And when you do, we simply need to knock you out again to come back."

The chains gave another pull, and Athine could not argue about the reality of the pain.

"Need I say any more?"


"Alright... Hit me again, Mary!" Despite his earlier confidence, Hetzl's voice was now in a growling pitch, brimming with a hint of anger. Getting a look at him, it was not hard to see why.

He was shaking slightly, either by the cold of the afternoon air in Mistral or the fact that he was only in his underwear. His jacket was gone, being worn by Morgan, who also had his pants, shoes, and socks tossed negligently behind her.

"…The Nine of Hearts." For whatever reason, Mary was wearing Janos's hoody, while the boy himself was shirtless. Her T-shirt was beside Kana, who was busy admiring Hetzl's shovel. For some odd reason, he was also wearing Victoria's hat.

"That's sixteen. You better get my hat back."

"I know, squirt."

"Morgan?"

"Hit me."

"The Ace of Clubs."

"SON OF A BITCH!"

"Hey! Language!"

"SHUT UP! YOU CAN'T BE THIS LUCKY!"

"Yes, I can. Got it from my mom. Your luck, however, is just terrible."

*CRACK*

"…This game is stupid anyway."

"Aw, now that's just sad."

"I would have to agree, Hetzl. How about you, Boss?"

"Please leave me out of this. Anyway, Morgan, can you please return his possessions?"

"Yeah, probably…" It was hard to miss the sarcastic tone.

"Not helping, Morgan."

"Uuurghh…" The voice of Steven broke the conversation, causing those assembled to whirl their heads.

"I assume that's supposed to mean the professor's up?"

"Yes." None of the students answered, instead Crane himself exited the tent. "I see you've already… acclimated yourself to the students." As he said this, he tugged Victoria's hat off of Kana, and returned it to the girl. "Would it trouble you to return their items?" He then turned his head, "Wait, how were you…"

"You took too long, so I took off the cuffs myself." She punctuated this with a shake of her hands, showing the broken rings.

"Hmph, well, my apologies. Anyway, I would ask that you not do that again, please. Those are expensive to have made."

"No promises." As she said this, she began to take her borrowed jacket off, tossing it to Hetzl along with his other clothes. Kana soon followed suit with his own purloined things.

"Regardless, have you two spoken about our agreement?"

"Oh, yeah. That." She turned towards Kana. "He agreed to help us out in return for some stories. You up for it?"

Kana shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"And there you go."

"Excellent." Crane then turned towards his students, crossing his arms behind his back. "I have urgent news, however. It turns out that Blair has integrated herself within a nearby White Fang compound, and it is safe to assume her siblings reside there as well."

Morgan didn't miss how the students seemed to tense up as he said this.

"I have managed to convince our captive to provide the coordinates back to her base, so we will begin traveling as soon as possible. Any questions?"

Kana raised his hand, excitedly.

"Yes?"

"Yeah, I have a question. Who's Blair?"

"…I'll explain on the way."


"…So, you didn't explain anything."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't remember you explaining anything."

"Are you sure? I could've sworn I… Hmph, you're right, I never did explain it, did I?"

The two were sitting in the backseat of a White Fang convoy truck, along with all the other humans in their group. Brandt, Wilhelm, Kana, and Athine were all sat in the front.

"So, why don't we start at the beginning?"

"Of course." He crossed his legs, placing his palms together over his knee. "I'm sure you have already met the creatures of Grimm?"

"Yeah, kind of hard to miss the giant black monsters wandering about the wild."

"Yes, the Grimm are creatures without souls, bent on the destruction of the human and Faunus race. They grow stronger with age, and as such, hunters such as myself are required to deal with them."

"Wait, you aren't aware of the Grimm?" Adrian asked. "How have you and Kana survived for this long?"

"Oh, shit. I didn't explain that either. The Hell happened this past hour? Anyway, me and Kana are from another world. Anyway, what do the Grimm have to do with this Blair lady?"

"Wait. Another world? What are you talking about?"

"I mean another dimension with similar rules to this one, duh." She then turned towards Crane, "So, Blair lady-"

"I believe it would be prudent for you to explain it in detail."

"Ugh, do I have toooo?" Morgan tilted her head back as she said this.

"Unless you think I can explain it better."

"Fine." She placed her hands on her knees, and began. "So, like I said, different world. Kana and I aren't actually from the same one, believe it or not. Basically, we're on a mission from an all-powerful dragon god to hunt down dragons across the many worlds. This one, Remnant, is just the most current. For the actual differences between each world – dear Naga, let's just not get into that. Any questions?"

"Who's Naga?" It was Victoria, curiously, who asked that question.

"Dragon God."

"Hmm…"

"How advanced is your society?" That was Mary.

"It depends, there's been a couple, but this is the first time I've seen these." She pointed upwards, indicating the truck.

"Hmm…"

"So, you've never seen Grimm on any of the other worlds?" That was Janos.

"No, but there've been plenty of monsters to kill. Risen, Terrors, Faceless, you name it."

"Hmm…"

"…That explains EVERYTHING!" It was Hetzl's turn.

"Like…"

"That's how you beat me at Blackjack!"

"No, you just suck at it."

"Damn it!"

"Any other questions?"

Silence reigned.

"Good, then-"

"Wait, seriously? None of you have any questions?" Adrian interrupted her speech, earning a frown from Morgan.

"I'm good."

"Me, too."

"Urgggh…"

"Nah."

"I can't think of another one."

"I certainly don't."

"…Guess you're all freaks, then." Morgan finished. "There you go. You have anything left to ask? Preferably without interrupting me?"

"Um, yes. How do you travel-"

"So, Blair lady:" Morgan turned back towards Crane. "What's the deal with her?"

"Excuse me-"

"Yes," Crane answered, "as I said, the creatures of Grimm have an insatiable hunger for those with souls. They are relentless, willing to go through death itself for their next meal, as their ranks will simply refill no matter how many you kill. However, the same can not be said for all Grimm. There exist Grimm of intellect, brought upon by centuries, possibly even millennia of survival. These are known as Ancient Grimm, and simply killing one could take an entire score of professional hunters, and not necessarily without losses. Among these, there exist six Grimm, who have gained the ability to take a sick imitation of human form. Blair is one of them, along with five others."

"…Anyways, can you explain now how-"

"While they may be limited in destructive power by their size, they are no less dangerous than any Grimm due to their abilities. Much like Semblances, each of them has a unique talent that they use with devastating potential. Worse still, they are able to regenerate nearly any wound you can inflict, provided they have enough power. Still, while it may be difficult, I have made it my mission to destroy all six of them and ensure they can never blight the world with their presence again."

"Oh, well that makes sense. So, who named them, then?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Their names. I doubt they crawled out of an abyss somewhere with the name 'Blair' and such."

"I imagine they gave themselves those names."

"Wait, so they can talk?"

"…Yes. Did I not make it clear they take human form?"

"So, they presumably have feelings and stuff, too, right?"

"…I don't understand what you're getting at."

"Like, Grimm are usually mindless monsters, right? It seems that way to me. So, I don't have a problem killing them. People, however, are harder to kill. Not that I haven't done it – and to be honest, that Raven lady totally deserved it – but it's always better to avoid a fight if you can. Have you tried talking to them?"

"Yes." There was no mistaking the anger in his voice. "Believe me, I have spoken with them a fair number of times."

"Then what do they want?"

"The same as any other Grimm, total annihilation of those with souls."

"Then how are they working with these White Fang guys? And not eating them, or whatever."

"Presumably it is part of a plan of theirs to sow destruction, using the White Fang to somehow achieve chaos and death. Why are you having difficulties understanding this?"

"Well, it's none of my business, but this seems like a real personal thing to you. Did they do something to you, particularly?"

"Yes." Then, without prompting, he raised a hand and began to remove his glove. Again, Morgan didn't miss how a few of the students tensed up as he moved. After a few seconds, the cloth came off, and Morgan raised an eyebrow.

His hand was that of a skeleton, with no skin, blood, or flesh. As if to punctuate his point further, he then reached for his neck with the hand, proving full dexterity with his fingers, and untied some knot. With nary a flourish, he removed the mask, showing his head was much the same, that of the unliving. No flesh, hair, nor even eyes. It was almost as if the person she was talking with had died and decomposed within seconds.

"This is the result of trusting them due to their form." The voice was obviously Crane's, but the jaw did not move, instead the skull just turned to 'look' directly at her. Morgan was obviously unnerved, but she was still Morgan.

"So, that's how you can see through the mask, huh?"

"Correct. I hope I do not have to explain I no longer have eyes to see through." He began to put his mask back on, and Morgan noticed that the hat seemed to be stitched on. Once finished, he put his glove back on as well, and returned to looking like a normal freak. "While you may have hesitation with killing them outright, you must believe me: Any weakness you give them, they will capitalize on it with disastrous results."

"Alright, fine." Morgan held her hands up, "I get it, I've dealt with Morphs before, after all. Just wanted to make sure we were fighting evil, here. Not a personal vendetta."

"As long as that isn't in question, any longer." With that, the conversation seemed finished, and Crane leaned backwards in his seat.

'Fantastic. Personal vendetta it is.' Morgan thought to herself. 'By Naga, can't these guys take care of their own damned problems without dragging me into it? How can this get any worse?'

"So, now that you two are done…"

'I hate this world so much.'


"Are we there, yet?"

"No."

"Then how much longer?"

"I'm not sure. Ask her."

"Brandt?"

"I meant the captain."

"Captain Lady?"

.

.

.

"What was your name, again?"

"I just can't understand it." Athine spoke up. "All three of you, all Faunus, working under that man to betray your own kind. Why?"

Currently, the three were sat in the front, with Wilhelm at the wheel, Kana right next to him, and Brandt in between Kana and Athine. Wilhelm had set up Athine's scroll on the dashboard, currently displaying a map.

"That's just rich." Brandt replied, "You can't betray a race. We were born into it, and just because we are, it doesn't mean we want anything to do with your stupid war."

"This war isn't a choice! It was forced upon us by humans who mistreat us for just being born different! Hide all you want from the truth, but sooner or later you'll see!"

"I've seen plenty of the White Fang, and nothing's impressed me. A bunch of thugs crying about their lot in life as if it justifies the things they do."

"Thugs?!"

"You heard me!"

"Alright, I think that's just about enough of that." Wilhelm cut in, "Kana, is there any particular kind of music you're privy to?"

"…I like singing?" Kana seemed confused.

"Rock it is then." As he said this, he reached down, pressing a large button on the dashboard. As soon as he did, a random voice began to speak.

-In other news, some new details have come into light on the recent breach of Vale. According to Headmaster Ozpin of the prestigious Beacon Academy, and corroborated by General James Ironwood of Atlas Academy, the breach was caused by the notorious criminal Roman Torchwick, with the aid of what is believed to be a splinter faction of the White Fang. As more details emerge, we will-

*FLICK*

MASTER! OF! ALLLLLLLLLLLLL!

"Oh, I hate Arcadia." Wilhelm spoke, before pressing the button down again, turning it off.

"Oh, humans are so terrible! Who would ever trust them over their own kind." Brandt said this in a high-pitched mockery, bracing her hands against her cheek.

"Did you not hear him? He said it was a splinter faction! Obviously a group we have disowned for their methods being too extreme!"

"Too extreme for the White Fang? What, do they torture and kill other members?"

"ENOUGH!" Wilhelm yelled this with what seemed to be a growl, but soon returned to a neutral expression. "Brandt, I would appreciate it if you would stop intentionally antagonizing our captive."

"As opposed to unintentionally being evil for not appreciating crimes done with thinly justified excuses?"

"You'll have to forgive her, Ma'am." Wilhelm turned to Athine. "She has a fair bit of pent up aggression towards the White Fang."

"And you?"

"As for me? Well, I'm mostly apathetic towards them. You may have a point, but your current methods ensure your group will not win in the end. You are doomed to self-destruction, and I do not want any part in that."

"Self-destruction? Are you mad? The White Fang is made up of a unified group of Faunus, all reaching towards the same goal. How would we destroy ourselves?"

"I'm not sure, but then again, the White Fang did not kill my parents."

"Did not kill – What?"

"Go ahead…" Brandt spoke, her voice a low growl, "Tell me why you think they deserved it. I've heard all kinds of reasons. None have made me any less willing to rip your spine out."

Athine couldn't speak for a few seconds. She had long since known that several White Fang members had gone too far, but they were usually excommunicated within a few days of their commander finding out. However, she knew nothing about this girl, or her parents, and for all she knew, there could have been a myriad of reasons. Could they have been working with corporations like the Schnee Dust Company, abusing their fellow Faunus for advantages? Were they counterspies, working to sabotage the White Fang from within? Could it have been an unfortunate sacrifice, a hasty decision made at the worst possible time?

"I don't know why it happened, but it was not an act of cruelty. Whatever the reason, that soldier made the best decision they could at that critical moment."

*WHAM*

Athine honestly expected some form of retribution, but she was surprised who was responsible. Instead of Brandt, the young Faunus, Kana, reached up and slammed her face into the dashboard.

"How could you?!" He yelled out, surprising not only Athine, but Brandt and Wilhelm as well. "It doesn't matter why! Brandt had to live her life without her parents, and you can't even say you're sorry!" He then turned towards Brandt, "Brandt, I'm so sorry you had to go through that!"

"Um… Thanks? I- oof!" Before she could say anything else, she was enveloped in a surprisingly strong hug by the boy, who gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

"It's ok…" He said, breaking the hug and staring into her eyes with his own incredibly sincere ones. "Even if they're gone, know that they still loved you with all their heart, and they wanted nothing more than for you to be happy!"

"Uh… Ok. I'll… I'll keep that in mind."

"Just to add, my parents are deceased as well." Wilhelm spoke up.

"They are?" Kana asked, "I'm so sorry." Repeating the gesture, Kana wrapped a hug around the driver, lacking the pat as he needed to stay focused on the road.

"…You know, it's times like these that make your partnership with Vicky seem less innocent."

"Quiet, you. Maybe if your heart was not consumed by hatred, you could actually enjoy the feel of an honest hug."

"Hey, no fighting!" Kana stood in between them.

"How about you, young Kana? I recall you mentioning your parents at the game with Hetzl."

"Wilhelm, I really don't think-"

"It's ok." Kana interrupted her. "My Mama and Papa are still ok. So is my brother. That's all that's important."

"Oh, well that's good news." Wilhelm replied, "I suppose you're looking for them? With Morgan?"

"No." It was a quick answer, followed by a very sad smirk. "They're ok, and they're happy. To keep it that way, I can't find them."

"Are you sure you're ok with that?"

"…No, but I have to be for them."

"Hm, surprisingly mature for your age." Wilhelm replied, "Speaking of which, how old are you?"

"…Six years younger than Morgan?"

"Wilhelm, seriously!" Brandt spoke up. "Stop asking him such personal questions!"

"It's just conversation. You don't mind, do you, young Kana?"

"That doesn't matter!"

"It's ok." Kana interrupted. "I like to talk about my Mama and Papa. Is there anything you'd like to know?"

Brandt seemed nervous at his question, and stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Ok… I'd just like to know: Were both your parents Faunus?"

"Well, I'm not really a Faunus, but only my Mama was a dragon, like me."

"DRAGON!?"

The three turned to Athine, who suddenly had a terrified expression. With a shake of her head, she returned to a scowl.

"That's impossible. There is no way you could be a dragon Faunus. There is…" She then noticed the two older Faunus and stopped talking.

"…Anyway, so only your Mom was a Faunus? What about your brother?"

"Dwyer should be, but he doesn't have our eyes." He pointed to his own. "Only ours are red."

"So… do you know if your Mom was also his?"

"…I think so?"

"…Kana, do you know what happens to a child born of a Faunus and a human?"

Kana tilted his head, a confused look on his face.

"Well, Faunus and humans aren't supposed to have children. It's pretty hard to do, and when they're born, they aren't really healthy. They're even called 'half-breeds.'"

"And you said I was being insensitive."

"Shut up, Wilhelm." She then turned back towards Kana. "Anyway, I think you may be one of those kids, Kana. Your hair and eyes are like mine."

"I guess it is!" Kana said, "Pretty cool, huh?"

"…Sure. But Kana, people aren't supposed to have these colors naturally, at least, not both. When you do, you're something called an Albino. Since we both have it, I think that means we're both half-breeds." She grabbed a small tuft of her hair, giving it a twirl.

"…And what's wrong with that?"

Brandt stared at him.

"Mama and Papa loved each other, and they both loved me with all their heart. I'm sure your Mama and Papa did, too."

"Heh… I guess they did, didn't they?" She gave a small laugh. "I'm just glad you seem so happy."

"Accept the huuuuug…" Wilhelm's voice whispered, though it's effect was lessened from being a few inches away.

Brandt rolled her eyes, but as soon as Kana spread his arms, she soon found her defenses were lowered. Holding out her own arms, she returned the hug he gave her earlier.

"There you go. Accept the positivity. Lose the hate."

"Shut up, Wilhelm."

"Yes, sweet enough I may just vomit." Athine spoke up, crossing her arms. "So, your parents were not both Faunus, then. Although they may not have deserved their fate, that would certainly explain why."

.

.

.

"…Wilhelm, stop the car." Without argument, Wilhelm pushed down on the brake, slowly coming to a stop.

*KNOCK*-*KNOCK*

"ADRIAN!"

Within seconds, the sound of the back opening and a trio of footsteps rang out. Soon, Adrian, Morgan, and Hetzl were standing outside the window, one of which having a crooked smile on his face.

"Is it time to do the thing?"

Brandt nodded.

"The thing?" Both Morgan and Athine asked the question, but in response, Adrian only covered his face with his palm, displaying the eye symbol on his glove in full force.

"What are you- UMPH!" She was cut off as, with surprising speed, Adrian quickly covered her own face, including her mask. While mildly annoying, what really disturbed her was some kind of strange feeling, as if her Aura was being sucked through his palm. She tried to fight him off, but found his grip was harder than she thought, and soon, she found herself closing her eyes, if only for a moment.

When she opened them, however, something was different. While previously, she was wearing the mask of the White Fang, she suddenly felt her forehead was empty, and her vision was only obscured by the boy's fingers. Ignoring that, however, she suddenly noticed that it wasn't his hand blocking her face, it was actually… her own?

Removing the hand, she stared down, slightly panicked, as she pulled away from Athine, captain of the 7th Division under Clune Muride.

"Wha… What? What's going on?" She was remiss to notice that her voice had suddenly become slightly deeper.

"Hetzl:" 'Athine' began, "If you could?"

*THWAP*

Soon, the body of Adrian Vansel went limp.

"Can you not catch me when you do that? What if I break my nose?"

"Calm down. She's got her Aura up."

"That's not the point."

"Oh, so that's what Exchange means." Morgan held a hand to her chin, "Not a bad Semblance. You've traded your terrible stats for some better ones, even without Aura. Color me impressed."

"Why, thank you." Adrian answered, now from the body of Athine, whose eyes had now turned green to match his. "No one really expects-Wait! What do you mean terrible?"

"Except your speed, fine." She then turned towards Hetzl, who hoisted Athine's unconscious body over his shoulder. "Guess we're hiding in the back until you get us in?"

"That's the plan."

"Got it. Give me a call when you're ready." She began to walk off, only to lean back in the window. "By the way, Kana: Secret's out. You can go ahead and let Brandt and Wilhelm know."

"Secret?" Brandt raised an eyebrow.

"Have fun with that." Morgan then continued walking, catching up to Hetzl.

.

.

.

"YOU'RE WHAT?!"


Jimmy had finally dozed off, just in time for the ship to begin descending.

Nonetheless, Rudie gave him a small nudge to his shoulder, which he waved off.

"I'm up." He said, slowly straightening in his seat. "We make it?"

"We are currently about eight miles away from the Hephaestus Facility." Tommy spoke up, surrounded by the kid and Virginia. "Hopefully you don't mind a little hike to get there."

"Can't you give the tired guy some leeway?" Jimmy gave a stretch as he said this, before placing his hands on his knees and crossing his legs.

"It's 5:00. I don't think you can feign being tired, Poe." That was Kilroy, leaning up against the door to the cockpit. Blue was probably still inside, making sure the landing was as quiet as possible.

"One thing I don't miss about the old days. So, where we meeting Rocky?"

"Our mole is on his way to this location." Tommy answered, "Right now, we need to decide who will be staying here in case the situation turns sour and we need to retreat. Mrs. Leone?"

"Of course, sir."

"Keep in mind, if you feel compromised or threatened in any way, you must alert us. If this mission is to succeed, we must not take any undue risks. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Mr. Stardust."

"Excellent. James, how about Rudie? Do you feel she will be alright heading into the Facility?"

"She'll be fine. Trust her more than your own little trooper."

Jojo seemed to be about to reply, but was silenced with a wave from Tommy.

"Very well. For the time being, as Mrs. Leone said, only Jojo will be entering the Facility. You, Charles, and Rudie will wait on standby, and only interfere if there is a clear and present danger. Is that acceptable?"

"Sound good, Rudie?"

She nodded.

"There you go."

"Excellent. Now, as for your weapon, am I safe to assume you have brought Comedy and Tragedy?"

"Yeah, of course."

"What about potential toxins?"

"I thought you got that I wasn't interested in killing anymore."

"Of course, which is why I took the liberty of having these made." He reached into his suit pocket, and pulled out a box of cigarettes, which Jimmy took. "They are made with an extract of pure Novacaine, an anesthetic of subpar effectiveness. After experimentation we have increased the effectiveness to where it will nonlethally knock nearly anyone out within a few inhalations."

"Gotta hand it to ya, Tommy." He pulled one out of the box, and grabbed a lighter from his backpack. Quickly lighting the end, he gave a quick drag, before letting out a breath. You would be remiss not to notice that a pure white smoke leaked out from his mouth.

"Would be a shame if we decided not to come. Wouldn't want you to have wasted the money."

"I would've considered it a worthy investment, regardless."

"Hey, is it a good idea to let that stuff out?" Jojo spoke up, "What if you get us with it?"

In response, Jimmy took a long whiff of air with his nostrils, before exhaling again, lacking the white smoke.

"Calm down, kid. Just giving it a test drive." He then pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and handed it to Rudie. With nary a word, she placed it into her own mouth, and inhaled.

*KUFF*-*KUFF*

Tommy raised an eyebrow as she began coughing, removing the cigarette so she could gain cleaner air.

"You're ok…" Jimmy said, giving her a couple pats on the back to relieve her discomfort. He then turned towards Tommy. "Give her a second."

"…Very well, though I would suggest we begin moving."

"No problem. You ready, Rudie?"

She gave a small thumbs-up, her head still lowered as she continued coughing, before standing up herself.

With that, Tommy opened the exit of the ship, and everyone except Virginia funneled out.

The group began walking, and before long, they came across a small clearing. With a raised arm, Tommy stopped their procession, and soon, there was a small rustle in the nearby trees. Both Jimmy and Kilroy turned towards it, while Tommy stayed still, soon followed by Jojo and Rudie, who seemed to more repeat the motion than anything.

"Now, now. Hold your fire." A figure soon emerged from the woods, both hands raised. "No need to shoot the messenger."

"Ah, called it. Rocky." The man gave a sly smile, before sticking out his hand for a shake. He was obviously a Faunus, not only because of his White Fang uniform, but also due to the long, bushy striped tail sticking out from the back.

"Glad to see you decided to join our lovely lil' enterprise, Poe." He then turned towards Rudie, "Now who's this lil' lady? Friend of yours?"

"Rudie, Rocky. Rocky, Rudie." She gave a nod, and stuck out her hand, giving another quick shake.

"Pleasure to meetcha." He then turned back towards Tommy. "Anyway, I've got the rounds for the next hour, partnered up with a man two winks short of a lovely nap. As of now, there's only one of our divisions still out, and the rest're still at base. That means you've got a healthy window to get in and out, providin' you're quick."

"Plenty of time. Please, lead the way."

Rocky gave a nod, and turned away, soon followed by the group.

"I do need to give y'all a word of warnin', though." Rocky suddenly turned his head, ever so slightly. "There's been a bit of a… complication."

"A complication? In what way?"

"See, Cap'n: It all happened 'bout a week ago. A couple kids came across the Facility, looking for something or other. Now, they were mostly human, but there was one Faunus among 'em, so we mostly tried scaring 'em off. 'Cept, they didn't respond particularly well. A fight broke out, and one thing led to another."

"Were they taken hostage?"

Rocky just laughed.

"Not like that, Cap'n. When I say, 'one thing,' I mean only one of 'em tore right through two divisions, as well as their heads, and walked up to the complex askin' for the Boss."

Tommy stopped walking, bringing the procession to a halt.

"Kids, you say? I need more information."

"See, that's above my head. All I know is the oldest and the Boss cut a deal, and they serve as a little extra security. As long as you stay out of their way, you should be fine, but they're dangerous."

"I need more than 'dangerous.'"

"…There's somethin' wrong with 'em, Cap'n. First off, they're all strong. So strong, we're nothin' but ants to 'em. They walk around, as if they own the place, one of 'em even making you bow down when you see her. They're also insane, talkin' 'bout this and that, stuff no one can understand. But Cap'n, if there's anything, it's the eyes."

"The eyes?"

"Pure black, with red dots, starin' down your soul. It's got a lot of us shiverin' in our boots, and there's nothing we can do. It's like facing down a Grimm, one that's lived long enough you couldn't stand a chance. And it's not hungry. It's playing with you."

"Is there anything else you can add?"

"Nothin', Cap'n. Like I said, they came in a week ago, and they've mostly been lazin' about the place. I do know, however, that whatever they're looking for, it's not on site. They take a group into the woods every day, only comin' back late at night."

"And I presume they are in the woods right now?"

"Most of 'em. There's one still around, the one who makes you bow. Maybe to keep tags on us, maybe to keep up with whatever agreement they've got. Regardless, you just have to avoid her, above all else. You get me, Cap'n?"

"Understood. Jojo? Do you understand as well?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Then please, continue."

The procession continued, and Jimmy took a quick glance at Rudie, who was now smoking the cigarette without difficulty.


"Are we there, yet?"

"Almost."

"So, Kana, while you have a minute, can you explain how you and Morgan are able to travel between worlds? I tried asking her, but she simply waved me off with something about a magic squirrel dragon."

"Oh, that's my Auntie Lilith!" Kana replied, before holding up his finger, "But she's a squirrel fish dragon, not a squirrel dragon."

"Is there a difference?"

"Nope! Anyway, since she's a dragon, she can use ancestral dragon magic, and can create portals to other worlds easily."

"Wait, I thought you and Morgan were on a mission to kill all the dragons across the worlds, right?"

"No, just the immortal ones."

"But if you can kill them, doesn't that make them mortal?"

"Hmm…" Kana cupped his chin.

"And would you look at that! We're here!" Wilhelm seemed relieved, as the car came upon a clearing, containing a large factory. There was a large, multi-story building, with towers releasing plumes of smoke. There were also several warehouses, and several similar cars parked around the complex. Brandt nodded, before banging on the window again. Soon, it was opened from within, and the head of their professor peered through.

"Good work, you four. Now, there is an entrance around the back, with two guards standing watch. Adrian, since you are the Captain of the Division, they will be using you as confirmation. Simply stay calm, and if asked, you are Athine, of the 7th Division."

"Of course, sir." And with that, Crane closed the window. Wilhelm continued driving, and they soon came across the entrance as described. As Crane said, there were two soldiers standing guard, and as Wilhelm approached, so too did one of them.

"Captain Athine!" He said, catching sight of Adrian. "Are you ok, Ma'am?"

"Why, of course. Why do you ask?"

"Lieutenant Harkin just reported in two minutes ago, and said your Division was attacked by a human! He said when he woke up, you were gone."

"Yes, they were able to capture me, but I escaped with minimal trouble. I then came across these fellow White Fang members and managed to recover a vehicle."

"But… your Division returned with Harkin… and no others have been mobilized. Are they from another location? And isn't he a little young?"

"Yes, but I have a succinct answer for all of those questions: Behind you."

The man raised an eyebrow, but followed the advice, catching sight of a masked behemoth, strangling his compatriot. He was struggling to get out with such ferocity, that he was surprised he didn't hear it, but wasted no time grabbing his weapon. Before he could pull it from the sheathe, however, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, again, his eyes matched up to the blue eye of a scraggly-haired youth.

"Hello!"

*SKRINK*

"…And Good Night!" The unconscious man was now on the ground, the hood caved in from having his head lodged inside it. Hetzl stood over him as Steven slowly came over, his own victim in a similar state.

"Well, why did I even bother if you were going to knock them out within seconds?"

"Because I wanted her quiet." Brandt answered.

"What she said." As he said this, Hetzl gave a few quick knocks on the convoy, and the doors could be heard, opening.

"By the way, when you're a captain, you can just demand that your subordinates follow orders without question." Surprisingly, it was Kana who offered this advice, but he wasn't done. "When everyone wears the same uniform, they are all probably trained to conform without question. That makes them really easy to trick."

"Um… Thank you?"

"Oh, I was just letting you know because Morgan will tell you that with meaner words."

"Adrian, kid." Morgan appeared next to the window. "That was just said. You're the Captain for Naga's sake, just tell them to shut up and get into line. Since they're all wearing the same outfit, I doubt they have the nerve to question a superior."

"Um… Thank you?"

"Don't mention it. How was the ride in the front, Kana?"

"It was fun. Brandt says I may be a… What did you say? Half-breed?"

"Hey! I said that was an insult people say about Faunus like us… or Faunus and a dragon kid? I said you were an Albino."

"Don't worry about it, Kana. Albino's just a shorthand for 'super cool hair and eye color.'"

"If you all are done, I believe it is time to begin the infiltration. Adrian, if you could switch back, since you no longer need her body."

"Right away, sir."

"Is it worth it to change back? He's still got pretty terrible stats."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Oh, forgot to mention that. Basically, my dad could see the potential and other things about people, and I inherited it from him. I've been using it for so long, I can't turn it completely off anymore."

"Well, that explains why he was such a talented strategist, I suppose."

"Yeah, that and the eugenics."

"Hm?"

"Long story. Don't worry about it." She then folded her hands behind her head and began to walk to the entrance door of the facility. "So, do you have any leads on where these guys are? 'Cause unless you feel confident, we've got to get through a couple soldiers."

"I would hope not. The only people aware of us are currently incapacitated, and I would hope we can get to the Homunculi without a fight." As he said this, he reached towards the door handle.

*RUMBLE**RUMBLE*

*CREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAK*

As the sound rang up, the very ground began to shake, and the giant screech of a falling tower rang out. Despite everyone else stumbling, Mary seemed quite unperturbed.

*BREEEEEEE*

"Does anyone else hear that?"

Chapter 3 - End:

Author's Notes:

Hey, all. Technically, I made it within a month... Yay?

So, had a little trouble with this chapter. Mostly on the interaction between Morgan and Crane. Hopefully it turned out ok, but if it didn't, you can always let me know~. I can change chapter content, you know~.

Not much to leave you guessing on, this time. However, there is still the question: Who is Morgan's uncle. Is it Inigo? Nope.

Oh, and I guess the secret's out that Lucina is Morgan's mom and Jakob is Kana's father.

Anyway, I would just like to make a little note. If you think there's a bit of a discrepancy between the two scenes with Lucina, given that Chrom calls her Lucina in the first meeting but Young!Lucina later calls her Marth as if it is a secret, I'd just like to say that the second scene should come before the first.

Regardless, guess I should answer the question of who Crane an dhis students are based off of. This time, I went with the theme of 'Horror.'

The Instructors - Slashers:

Cassius Crane: Based off psychological killers, such as Freddy Krueger of Nightmare on Elm Street and Pennywise from It, but mostly just Freddy. Same ability to manipulate dreams, and nothing else. There's a long story involving Batman, so just take it as read.

Steven Crane: Based off silent slashers, such as Jason Voorhes of Friday the 13th and Micheal Myers of Way- I mean Halloween. Honestly, wasn't going to make a joke you've probably heard 1,000 times.

Team BAHM - Named horror icons:

Adrian Vansel: Based off Abraham Van Helsing, and similar monster hunters. Mostly just the name, and the connection to Vampires, though.

Brandt Strom: Based off Dracula, or similar Vampires like Orlok and such. Named after the director of the Dracula movie, Bram Stoker.

Hetzl: Based off Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or at least the duality of man. The name comes from a sort of portmanteau, but where is his last name? Also, a bit of trivia, there was actually a character named Hetzel in the Tellius Series. Don't believe me? Honest, he was one of Begnion's senators.

Marion Brooks: Based off Frankenstein's monster, as well as other mad doctor icons. Her name comes from a combination of the original author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelly, and the director of my favorite Frankenstein movie, Young Frankenstein.

Team SVJW - Common horror monsters:

Wilhelm Fenson - Based off Werewolves. His name comes from a word that kinda sound like wolf, as well as a corruption of Fenrir, the wolf from... Norse mythology... I think?

Seth Armond - Based off Mummies. His name comes from the Egyptian god Set, as well as the pet of Anubis, Ahmut.

Victoria - Based off Witches. Like Hetzl, she seems to be missing a last name. Her first is rather generic, and I blame that on my knowledge of witches. Regardless, I imagine it would have been 2,000 times worse if I named her Sabrina.

Janos Chaine - Based off Ghosts. Named after Jacob Marley from a Christmas Carol, but his last name comes from that one Scooby-Doo villain who rattled the chains. Always thought he was badass. Like, the only other villain I remember from Scooby-Doo was the guy with the purple mask with the horns. That guy always creeped me out.