The tables grew quiet and Orelon used two fingers to uncover his watch, "Pardon, I must regretfully take my leave. It was… Interesting to meet all of you, farewell." He stood and kissed Claire before walking away. As he exited the building, Orelon stopped and rubbed his eyes with a sigh. "Why must they write menus in such a small print?" He complained and took a pair of dark teal glasses out from an interior pocket of his jacket. Putting them on he could see in finer detail than before. Not wanting to waste any more time, he made his way to a bar on the opposite side of town.
Basil was waiting for him at the door and handed him a dark brown cloak, "You're dressed too nice."
"Thank you," Orelon quickly wrapped himself in the fabric and put the hood up before the two entered the building. Recognizing them instantly, the bartender simply nodded at them as they passed by to enter a back room.
It was furnished with only the bare minimum; a wooden table, four chairs, and a short bench. Already waiting for them were Vincent and Jade, sitting together on the bench, and Mic Jay, who seemed to be measuring the length of Jade's kimono with his eyes. "Good afternoon, Sir," Vincent greeted Orelon as he and Jade bowed their heads.
"I wish I could say it was good to see you, Vincent. However, I had to part with my wife to be here now." Orelon turned to hang up the cloak.
"Y'know, the more you talk about her, the more she just sounds like a POW," Mic Jay thought aloud.
"Pardon?"
He failed to hear the threat in Orelon's tone, "Well it'd be different if she was like our fillet here, but ain't she just some pampered bunny? What's there to like about a fruity skirt-?" Metal clanged together as Basil reacted quickly enough with his sword to stop Mic Jay from being stabbed with Orelon's cane.
"You should learn to hold that worm of a tongue if you wish for it to remain with you," His voice was cold enough to put out a fire.
"Now really isn't the time to be arguing with each other," Vincent said calmly.
"Right," Orelon recompsed himself, "Your failure has caused something of a setback."
"It wasn't his fault," Jade defended her partner.
"I am aware. Those children will only prove to become more problematic."
"It's your son," Basil pointed out blatantly while leaning back against the wall.
"Xanthic? I find it difficult to believe he would so openly betray me."
"You said he's friends with Riliane Avadona, didn't you?" Vincent already knew the answer, "It was her team that Jade and I encountered."
"Perhaps that telepath found out and they have been manipulating him to continue being meddlesome," Orelon pondered aloud.
"You really trust that youngblood?" Mic Jay relaxed back. "He seems like a total narc."
"It is less about my faith in him, than I know for a fact he does not consider any of them to be his friends. That is simply how he is."
"What makes you so certain?" Jade questioned.
"As far as I can tell, that boy only cares about keeping himself safe and pleasing Claire."
"I suppose your apple didn't fall very far then," Vincent commented. "But that wolf boy is really rather pathetic. I would hope for your company's sake that Xanthic would have more control over his thoughts."
Orelon looked him over, "It sounds as if you have more to say. Please, proceed."
"Well, with how stubborn those girls seem to be I wouldn't be all too surprised if they confronted him after getting suspicious. And if his natural instinct is to protect only himself, as you say, then I wouldn't be surprised if he gave a confession of being forced to join and offered information as a means of showing his good nature."
"He could have managed a scheme like that. Thinking on his feet and lying through his teeth have always been his strengths."
"But why not tell us then?" Basil argued.
"If he was attempting to earn their trust, then his intel had to be accurate. No doubt you would have notified Vincent to alter his strategy."
"So now that they know he ain't jiving, what's to stop 'em from servin him to the peelers?" Mic Jay asked.
"You seem to be forgetting that the chief of police is far to busy counting lien to properly conduct an investigation."
"Whether that boy of yours is involved or not," Vincent reasserted his opinion, "Those children need to be taken care of."
"Those youngbloods ain't that tough," Mic Jay laughed at him.
"I'm more concerned about their persistence than their strength," He clarified. "Not to mention there is a chance of Evelyn being able to… stabilize Yukina."
"That is the woman responsible for all the disturbances?" Orelon asked for clarification.
"She's closer to a child, especially now."
"She may be more troublesome while impulsive rather than controlled."
"You gonna tell us the plan?" Basil was beginning to get impatient.
"Naturally. You are all involved, after all."
There was a soft groan as D'art rolled onto his side and yawned. He opened his eyes tiredly and looked at his scroll that sat on his bedside which read 2:07 a.m. Way too early. He let out a long sigh and looked around the empty dark room. The dorm was silent, covered in darkness save for the small cracks of moonlight that escaped the curtains. The windows were slightly open. A light breeze swept inside the dorm room, making an open book on Eve's empty bed flutter. He heard soft snoring from the bunk above him and restrained himself from kicking Owen. Celeste was sleeping silently on the bunk above Eve's bed. And Eve- Hold on. Where was she? D'art rubbed his eyes and sat up, squinting. Eve's bed was empty, it's covers half hanging off the edge, an open book on top of it. There was another soft breeze that crept in through the open window. D'art shivered and then walked over to it, sticking his head out. The Beacon courtyard was silent and lifeless. Not a sound could be heard. Not a thing could be seen. The moon glowed luminously in the distance. D'art retracted his head and then firmly shut the windows, pulling the curtains over them completely. He grabbed his coat and threw it over his shoulders, shoving his hands inside it's pockets before exiting the dorm.
His footsteps were muffled by the carpet as he progressed down the dark hallway. He yawned softly. Half of him just wanted to go to bed and sleep. The other half was more curious about his partner. Eve's nighttime fieldtrips weren't uncommon. When they had first been paired up he had often heard her getting out of bed and exiting the dorm, but she hadn't gone out recently. Within a few minutes he reached the school library. Carefully, he pushed open the large oak doors and peered inside. The library was Eve's favorite place. She could usually be found in the corner of the room, reading by the light of a lit candle. But today it was empty and dark, no lit candle, no Eve. D'art bit his lip and then turned away, shutting the door behind him.
He looked in all of her usual spots, at the bottom of the stairwell, in the great hall, on the roof, but to no avail. Eventually, a part of him forgot about finding her as he wandered the silent halls, the empty rooms, enjoying the silence and the tranquility. He aimlessly wandered outside. The wind picked up his brown hair. He strolled past the tall archways that surrounded Beacon academy and down the stone pathway until he reached the airship docks that overlooked the vast ocean in the distance.
Eve was sitting at the end of a dock, her legs dangling across the edge, braids flowing in the breeze. Her back was to him. D'art strolled up behind her.
"D'art." She said.
"Eve." He returned, taking a seat next to her. He peered down at the aquamarine ocean that sparkled in the moonlight and swallowed. "Pretty big drop isn't it?" She swallowed.
"I guess."
"I wonder if anyone's ever fallen down." He murmured, half to himself. He could see the small rocky path that led down to the surface. The waves crashed against the rocks.
"Probably." Eve replied. Her eye was lowered slightly. "Why are you here?"
"Eh, I felt like talking to my partner." They were silent before D'art added, "That and I knew I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep after I woke up." He yawned loudly.
"Just thinking." She replied after a few seconds of hesitation. Her eyes were locked onto the ocean in the distance. There was silence.
"So why'd you go here?" D'art asked finally. "You usually go to the library."
"It's a beautiful evening, I wanted to see the moon." Eve responded with a sad smile. "This is my favorite place. Right here on the edge of the docks, in the middle of the night when no one else is here."
"Favorite place ever?" D'art asked. Eve nodded.
"When I first arrived here on the airship I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."
"Understandable."
"What about you?" Eve inquired.
"My favorite place?" She nodded once more. He leaned back and tilted his head to the sky, trying to think. "Hmm...it's in the Ridge. Cerise and I were hunting once and we found this small clearing in the middle of the forest." Calmly, he held his palm up to the sky and blocked the moon from view. He smiled a little. "It was right next to a lake and there was a small sandbar there. After a hard day of work, we would have a picnic, dip our toes in the water, lay back in the warm sand, and close our eyes." His eyes shut briefly, as if he was trying to remember it. "It was our place."
"How romantic." Eve said with a slight smile, head tilted as she observed him. D'art opened his eyes, his hand returning to his side as he glanced at her.
"It was pretty great."
"Was?"
"Well someone else discovered it eventually. A bunch of kids. They took it over. But...it was nice while it lasted." Eve nodded. The two were silent once more before D'art sighed. "Listen...Eve."
"Hmm?"
"There was a reason I wanted to talk to you. And...not just to discuss our favorite places." He waited for a response but Eve was silent. "You've been more withdrawn lately."
"Have you met me?"
"I mean more than usual, more than before." He looked away, back at the lake. "Ever since we ran into Humanity in the forest. Why?" Eve sighed softly.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Well, not really. But I'm your partner, I notice these things." He gently jabbed her ribs with her elbow and Eve smiled a little. The moonlight made her skin whiter than usual, a stark contrast against her ebony hair.
"It's not a big deal."
"Come on~" Said D'art. Eve bit her lip and shook her head.
"It's nothing."
"Eh, maybe. But you've piqued my interest." D'art flashed her a grin.
"Really...it's nothing. I don't want to talk about it."
"Please?"
Eve sighed. "D'art, there's a thing called personal boundaries." She replied, her tone becoming that of a teacher. "Just because you're my partner doesn't mean you can invade them.
"Oh come on," D'art said with a pout, "I've always told you everything."
"Well I don't ask much."
"True. Still though, I went through all this work to find you, cant you at least tell me a little?" Eve shot him a glance, or more of a glare, but D'art merely grinned at her. "I'm not going to leave unless you tell me." He added.
"I need to pick a new contemplative spot." Eve mused. "So no one can find me anymore when I want my privacy." D'art snorted.
"What, is that your name for it? Contemplative spot?"
"I mean that's what I do there." D'art smirked.
"So you have an existential life crisis every time you go to the library?"
"And if I do?" Eve asked.
"Lame."
"Better than hiding in the bathroom to look at-" D'art clamped his hand over her mouth, his cheeks flushing a bright pink.
"How the hell do you know about that?" Eve grabbed his hand and moved it away calmly.
"Everyone knows it." D'art blinked and then looked away, red. "Well, everyone but Cerise that is." Eve added.
"And it better stay that way." D'art murmured.
"Perhaps." They were silent. Eve took a deep breath and leaned forward, interlocking her hands. "D'art, do you think I'm dragging everyone down?"
"What? No, absolutely not-"
"After escaping Humanity I enrolled in this academy. Originally I wasn't planning to interact with anyone, I knew I would be put into a team but I figured I could just ignore them and they would ignore me. But...that's not happened with you guys. I opened up, I shared what happened to me." Eve had a wretched expression on her face.
"I don't….That's good, isn't it?"
"No...not entirely." D'art frowned.
"Why not?"
"Because I put all of you in danger." Eve whispered. "By telling all of you about Humanity, about what I had been through, I exposed you all to it."
"You didn't expose us to anything, it's not your fault Xanthic was kidnapped, that we went to the factory to get him, that we forced you to tell us everything afterwards."
"That's not the point." Eve replied, on edge. "That doesn't change the fact that I still willingly put you all in danger afterwards. I could have lied, I could have told you something else." Eve sighed.
"You're not dragging us down at all." D'art replied. The previously light hearted tone in his voice was gone now, and he was frowning. "None of this is your fault, and you're foolish for thinking so." There was more silence. "Was that what that Yukina chick said to you?"
"...Yes."
"Listen, I'm still not entirely sure who this she is but I don't think you should listen to her. She's a maniac."
"She's...she's not." Eve's hands clamped into fists.
"She isn't? Did you see what she did at the factory? She slaughtered them, Eve, all of them. She slaughtered that man too, with the flamethrower, and the woman. She hurt Celeste, made her see some...sick mirage, I don't know. That girl is a monster-"
"And she also stayed next to Celeste and Riliane, to protect them!" Eve replied adamantly. "Whatever she's done in the past, that's my fault. She's like that because of me-"
"Stop blaming yourself for everything." D'art whispered.
"But it's true. If I hadn't left, if I hadn't abandoned her then maybe-"
"Eve-"
"Maybe things would be-"
"Stop it!" D'art yelled, making Eve flinch. "I'm so sick and tired of you saying things like that!" He said, fighting to keep his temper in check. "'You're all in danger because of me! She's like this because of me! They're after us because of me!' How about you blame someone else for a change?! Is that so hard?! Why do you always assume that everything bad is because of you?! And you always endure everything by yourself, how about you rely on someone? Rely on me! I'm your partner! That's what I'm here for! I don't need to be protected! I don't want secrets to be kept from me! Be selfish! Tell me when you're hurting! When you need help!" D'art took a few breaths before looking away. There was tense silence between them. "Otherwise what am I even here for…?" He asked softly. Eve stared at him, shocked, lips parted.
"I'm-"
"Don't apologize." D'art muttered. Eve stiffened. With a sigh, D'art tugged on his bangs and then continued. "Listen...sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I just wish you'd realize that we're here for you. Eve nodded numbly.
"I don't think I've ever heard someone say 'be selfish' to me before." She said softly.
"Guess I'm the first then." D'art replied. He pulled his legs up to his chest and rested his chin on his knees, watching the lake. "And...sorry for calling your friend a maniac. I guess I don't know all that much about her."
"It's okay." Eve replied. "I can understand why you would think that."
"Yeah, she's pretty scary." D'art admitted. "No offense but I don't know if I'd want to have a friend like her."
"Yukina wasn't always like that." Eve said softly. D'art glanced at her.
"Tell me about her." He said finally. "Something good. So far all I know is that she likes killing and murdering people." Despite herself, Eve almost smiled.
"Well, she's very shy. Especially around people she's just met."
"Oh?" Eve nodded and looked up at the sky.
"She had no self confidence, but she became my friend, my only true friend there. I used to be partners with two others but over time I learned that they didn't care about me at all." Eve's face saddened slightly.
"Where are they now?"
"I'm not sure...after a while I just stopped talking to them. They might still be out there, they might not be. I wouldn't be surprised if Yukina had slaughtered them already…I don't know." D'art nodded slowly.
"You don't know...huh," He scratched his face, "Alright. Wait so then what did you do with Yukina?"
"We would train together, go on missions together, everything. Back then I thoroughly believed that what Humanity was doing was right." Her slight smile faded away. "And then everything changed."
"You left."
"Well, yes, but there's more to it than that." D'art nodded.
"Tell me. All of it."
"All of what?"
"Everything that happened to you. I've only heard bits and pieces and I want to know it all." Eve observed him for a little, silent, before she slowly nodded.
"Alright. There's a lot though."
"That's fine."
"Where to start…" She murmured, half to herself. "Well, as you know, when I was in Humanity I had been blinded, manipulated into thinking that what we were doing was right for the longest time. But I slowly became suspicious as I grew older. I began to ask questions. Why were we trained so intensely to kill if we were supposed to be helping people? Why did no one know who their parents were? What had happened to them? Why did some of us randomly disappear, without explanation? Why weren't we let out of the facility? Why, if we were supposed to be the saviors of humanity, did no one know who we were? I began to think of the outside world, what was out there that I had never seen before. Yukina said those thoughts were dangerous, so I convinced myself they were too, I pushed them away. But every day I became more and more curious, more and more suspicious and those questions never faded away. I became obsessed. Yukina tried to stop me, she said I should stop doubting them. I tried. I did. But…" Eve's hands clamped into fists. "One day I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to know. So I snuck into their main office, where they kept all of their files in the morning, when Yukina was asleep. Almost half of the guards were gone that day, on some kind of mission, I don't remember. But I was able read their plans and I found the truth; that Humanity would use us to slaughter all faunus, that they would kidnap faunus from their families, slaughter their parents, and make us into killing machines. They weren't a force of justice." Eve said with a sad laugh. "They were a lie, a huge lie, built up from decades of restrained prejudice and hate. I read file after file. And after every word I read, I felt like a piece of my blindfold was teared away—the blindfold that Humanity had placed on me, on everyone." D'art listened to her intently, a forlorn expression on his face. "And then they found me." Eve whispered, blue eye wide, filled with memories of the past. "I think they had been watching me for awhile, they knew that I had been suspicious of them. They let me find those files, and as soon as I was done they tried to apprehend me. Sadists...the lot of them." Eve grit her teeth. "They chased after me and I ran. I wasn't even thinking of Yukina until I was almost out. I remember the guards that I tried to fend off. I remember someone's claws slicing through my eye." Instinctively, Eve's fingertips gently brushed her eyepatch before her hand fell back into her lap."I remember realizing just how far away the dorms were from the exit, how I would surely be caught if I went there to get Yukina, how I would be killed." Eve brought her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees. "And then I ran. I escaped. They chased after me for days, I was almost caught twice. I ran from Vale to the outskirts where I survived for a few months on nothing but rabbits and venison, trying to stay off the grid. I convinced myself that I would go back there to save Yukina. But-" Her voice broke and she paused. D'art was silent and tried to see her expression but Eve's bangs were hanging over her eyes. "But I was scared." She said finally. "I was free, really free. I wasn't blind anymore and I didn't want to go back in there, I knew that there was no way I could sneak back in and get Yukina out, but I kept telling myself that I would so I could ease that guilt that I felt." She sighed softly. D'art's eyes widened.
"Hold on." He said slowly. "Back up, so that eyepatch-"
"Yes, it covers up the injury I received that day."
"Can I see?" D'art inquired softly. Eve hesitated before she glanced at him and sighed.
"I-"
"Pleeeasee?" D'art pretended to pray and Eve rolled her eyes.
"Yeah...alright." She slid the eyepatch off slowly, brushing aside her black bangs. A large claw mark ran over her cheek, leaving a large noticeable scar. Not one, but two of Eve's blue eyes stared back at him. D'art blinked.
"You...your eyes. They both work."
"Well the claw barely scratched this eye, but for a while it was in pretty bad condition. It was...incredibly painful." She shivered. "After a while it healed and I took it off. But every time I saw it I was reminded of Yukina. How I left her. People would stare at me, they would ask questions. I couldn't bear it."
"So you put it back on." Eve nodded.
"The ugliness could be hidden. When I saw the eyepatch I could think to myself that it was just a measly wound. It was easier to forget. People didn't ask questions as to why I got it. When they saw the eyepatch they just understood that I had been hurt, most likely by a Grimm. It got to the point where I couldn't bear to take it off." Her fingers wrapped around the strap of the eyepatch as she observed it solemnly. "Some people wouldn't understand why. They think that it would be stupid to voluntarily rid myself of one eye. They don't get it." She squeezed it tightly and then sighed. "It's like a mask that I can hide behind."
"No, I understand." D'art replied. "I just...never knew." Eve smiled a little. "Erm...sorry. Go on."
"Alright. Well, the years passed. Eventually I took to pushing Yukina out of my mind, forcing her out of my memories so I wouldn't have to think about her. I thought I wouldn't be in pain if I did that. Humanity had stopped chasing after me a while ago. I became obsessed with finding my parents, or at least, who had killed them. Remembering what little information I knew about them from the files I had read, I went back into Vale and tried to find them. I questioned people, almost tortured some. But I think a part of me didn't even care about my parents anymore. I didn't remember them, I knew they were dead and I had never really missed them before." She sighed. "There is still a part of me—a part of me that will never truly disappear—that enjoys hurting others. Not as much as Yukina, but regardless, it's still there. Humanity made me into a monster and I will never truly be rid of that. So back then, I hurt people for information that I wanted in justification for finding my parents. Nothing really filled the void that I felt. Eventually, I decided to enroll in Beacon Academy, not to help people, but so I could fight all the time, fight for a living, even if it was just against Grimm. When I killed I forgot the pain I felt—the guilt. It was just pleasure." D'art was silent. "It's...not like that anymore of course, I do find real joy in helping people now. I…" Her voice died away. Terrified, Eve glanced at her friend but she did not see disgust in his face, just sadness.
"It's okay." D'art whispered finally. He tightly grasped her hand, his face forlorn at learning what his partner had been through. "It doesn't matter what you were like back then. Because right now you're kind, strong, and wise—like a true huntress. I believe that." Eve smiled sadly.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." D'art replied. Eve's lower lip trembled. Slowly, she rested her head on D'art's shoulder, fighting away the tears that threatened to fall. "I really do." He said softly. He wasn't judging her, he wasn't suspicious or disgusted. He was just being a friend. Slowly, she opened her fist. The white pebble shined in the light of the moon. She tilted her hand and watched as it slid down her palm, resting briefly on her fingertips before falling into the vast ocean below. Eve closed her eyes as D'art rested his head on hers. Comforted by the warmth of her partner beside her, Eve let the clutches of sleep finally take her.
She drifted off into a dream, a dream of the past, of memories. Yukina. She thought, while sleeping. It seemed almost yesterday that they had met, that she had saved her. Eve remembered it. She remembered it well. Thoughts of the past overcame her.
Eve zipped up the bulky black suit. She observed herself, silent. The simulation suits were a plain black, made of a strange material that she couldn't quite pinpoint. It covered her completely. There were cords that came out of her back that looked almost like veins. Pads surrounded her chest, arms, and knees. She moved her fingers and watched as the material crinkled around them. The suits certainly weren't the prettiest. But nevertheless, satisfied, Eve walked out of the changing room. She entered the same white corridor she traversed through every day. There was nothing on the walls, no windows, no pictures, paintings or decorations, just white. She finally reached the large glass doors at the end and hesitated before pushing them open. A large gymnasium spanned in front of her, filled with training dummies, countless of weapons that were stacked around the walls, weight machines, simulation rooms, and all the things that made her heart beat twice as fast. The ceiling towered above her. She could see small little dots on the rope course across the room that did flips above a 75 foot drop. Eve's lips curled upwards, this was where she felt the most at home.
She was here for her favorite class of the day. Classes that were designated under the combat category roughly took up about 80% of the schedule. Every day they had a basic self defense class, a class for evasion and gymnastics, a session specialized for the weapon they used (which for Eve was a whip), a lesson to practice and properly utilize their semblance, and the last one —which she was about to attend—a simulation class that focused on real life combat situations. Her class was gathering near the simulation rooms, which were by far the most fascinating things in the gym. After walking up to them, she stopped behind a friend of hers.
"You're late." They said.
"I was lost in thought." Eve replied softly. Her friend gave her a look. She had long silver hair that billowed to the ground and piercing turquoise eyes that always made Eve squint. She had secretly wondered if they were contact lenses and had always been mildly jealous of them, because everyone agreed that Silver had the prettiest eyes. Silver adjusted her glasses and sighed. Her skin was almost entirely white and her lips were a bright pink. Everyone also agreed that if she had never been taken in by Humanity, she would probably have married some famous person and would have gotten filthy rich.
"Sup Eve." Eve looked at the black haired boy beside her who gave her a devilish grin. A large x ran through his forehead, which—as always—her eyes were drawn to first. "Silver lecturing you?"
"I was not…." Silver murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"No more than usual." Eve added. Silver scowled at her. Jet grinned again. His golden eyes glinted excitedly.
"You guys excited for-"
"Jet, be quiet." The teacher lectured. There was a bunch of snickers. "As I was saying, you'll be running through an entire simulation today with no breaks. I want you to take this as serious as possible. I'm sure most of you are aware, but this is your most serious assessment for the entire year. If you collapse or fail to take out the target it'll have a serious effect on your grade." She glanced at her clipboard and then sighed, pushing up her small glasses. She might have looked as helpless as a grandma, but everyone knew that if she was in a bad mood all hell would break loose. "You all have your groups set up, so we can go right away. Who wants to go first?" There was dead silence, no one moved a muscle. The teacher's small beady eyes narrowed and she sighed. "I'll pick then." Her eyes raked over Jet with some distaste. Eve's eye twitched. No please, she thought miserably.
"Jet. Who's in your group again?" Jet froze and then grinned uneasily.
"Eve and Silver."
"Lovely, I'm sure you three would love to go first." She said icily. It was no secret that she hated Jet with a passion, and would often give him extra assignments. Eve wondered why she was still friends with him.
"No...really...we couldn't." Jet muttered, but all of our peers immediately stepped back, leaving the three in the middle. Silver adjusted her glasses and sighed. Eve bit her lip. "I mean...sure." Jet said after a few brief seconds. The teacher nodded and promptly walked over to the ginormous glass room beside us. After typing in a combination into the keypad on the side, the large glass doors opened. She gestured inside. However, before the three could walk in, they heard a loud cry. Everyone turned.
A small girl was running across the gymnasium with bright pink hair and pale blue eyes, waving her hands wildly. She cried out as she tripped over some equipment, rubbed her forehead and then rushed over to them.
"I'm...I'm here." She huffed. The teacher stared at her blankly.
"I'm sorry, who are you?"
"I-I'm Yukina Freesis." She stammered, consciously wiping down the front of her bulky black suit. "I'm a transfer."
"Ah that's right." Muttered the teacher. She glanced at the other groups and then looked at Jet. "Jet, why don't you take the new transfer today?" He wilted. There were snickers around the group. Everyone knew that transfers were trouble. They would bring down the rest of the group and this was a huge assignment.
"Sure…" He said finally. Yukina smiled a little.
"Oh brother." Silver had her hand over her eyes. Eve was having trouble not wincing. This girl looked like a complete klutz. This was the biggest assignment of the year. What terrible luck.
"Lovely. Yukina, do you know what simulation rooms are?" The teacher inquired. Yukina nodded timidly.
"...Yes. I was in a low rank simulation class before this."
"No need to explain then. You four can go straight in." The simulation room stared at them, open and waiting. "Go on." They cast brief glances at one another and then slowly walked in, Yukina trailing in behind them. The transparent floor briefly flickered as pixels ran across the surface wherever their feet touched the glass. The class clamored around the room to watch, grins on their faces. It was always fun to see a transfer student make a fool of themselves.
"This is going to be rough." Silver hissed. She glared at the transfer student who was looking around the room, her lips parted. Eve observed her. This was undoubtedly the biggest simulation room the girl had ever seen. Higher ranked classes were provided with better equipment.
"Let's just get this over with." Jet had his hands behind his head and was trying to ignore the glare that the teacher was giving him.
"You three did well last time." She said icily, "So well, that I think today we can give you more of a challenge. Especially since you have more than the usual number." Her pale eyes flicked briefly to Yukina. They watched her from outside of the glass room. She slid her finger across the keypad, closing their exit and locking them inside. All noise was immediately blocked out. Eve watched her click a few buttons and then smile. The room slowly began to fade to black as the people around the room began to disappear. Eve could hear the sound of her own heartbeat.
"Here we go." Silver murmured.
The simulation rooms had over 3000 different locations, all with different settings and obstacles. Hardly anyone had gotten the same one before. The simulations themselves were split up into four different difficulties:S, S+, and X. X was designated only for the officers at Humanity, and which was off limits for the trainees. The simulations in general were only available for the best of the best and had an extremely limited amount of trainees that could even participate in them. It was by far, one of the most difficult classes to get into.
In the last simulation the three had experienced, they had been dropped off at a carnival where they killed a faunus who was supposed to be watching a performance. The time before that, the middle of a blizzard in an arctic tundra where they were supposed to slaughter an entire pack of Grimm. And for their first large mission simulation, it had been Vale itself, except that it was overrun with every kind of Grimm imaginable. There was really no way to predict what simulation they would be in. There was a myth that someone had been dropped off in the middle of a strip joint. They had stayed there the entire time instead of focusing on the mission, and had obviously gotten a terrible grade. It was a running joke why it was there in the first place. The room eventually became completely dark and the floor rumbled beneath them. Two individual pillars raised from the ground in front of each person, each with a small helmet and their weapon. Eve picked up her helmet and observed it. It was slick and black and looked strikingly similar to one that would go with a motorcycle. She placed it over her head. As soon as it was on, the interface popped up, buzzing slightly. It flickered. Blue lines ran across the glass, zigzagging before they disappeared.
Eve grabbed the metal chain whip on the pillar before snapping her fingers. It curled around her arms, hovering there. The pillar quietly slid back into the floor. She glanced in the direction of the others, but they were gone. Or at least, she couldn't see them. The simulations themselves were made from similar technology to the scrolls, but merely expended upon. The entire helmet was more like a giant scroll, projecting images and connecting the movements and actions of the people who wore them. She looked down and couldn't see her own body. The black suit was designed for the simulation rooms and also caused pain if they were hurt in one. Although she herself had never experienced it, she had seen Jet break down from the pain a suit had given him once. Afterwards he had brushed it off with a laugh, but she had never been able to forget his screams. The pain was what made it so real.
A few more minutes passed before she guessed that everyone around her was ready, and then there was a slight rumble. The helmet began to buzz. A speck of light appeared in the distance, sparkling, fizzing out and spiraling as pixels lit up across the glass, creating an image. She winced as the room was filled with light.
They were in an elaborate ballroom. The ceiling towered above them and had chandeliers with candles that flickered back and forth. The floor of the ballroom was comprised of checkered black and red tiles that glinted in the candlelight. Women in sparkling gowns spun across the room, their crimson dresses fanning out around them like flowers in bloom. The men wore black suits with brightly colored ties and sharp white gloves. Masquerade masks of every shape and size were on every face that they could see. Almost everything was either in black or red.
The simulation wasn't perfect, of course. Things occasionally faded in and out of view, and a few objects in the distance were half transparent. Eve reached out as a man walked by, her hand brushing against his arm. The suit could make them feel as if they were touching physical objects, but it always felt so weird to her. He glanced at her and then frowned before walking away. There was an aroma of freshly scented candles and apples that wafted in the air. Eve inhaled deeply. An eerie song was playing in the background, flowing through the room. It sounded like someone was playing on the piano, striking key after key, one finger at a time. Eve knew that it was coming from her helmet, but it sounded like it was far away. Her friends were beside her, wearing masquerade masks. Silver was wearing a sparkling black dress and Jet was wearing a black suit and red tie that went together quite nicily with his hair. Yukina, who was a few feet behind them, was wearing a red evening gown with black accents. But of course, they weren't actually wearing those things. Eve looked down and saw that she was wearing a black halter dress.
"Ooohhh neat," Jet said with a grin, "A party." The helmet caught everyone's expressions and was able to simultaneously place it into the simulation. Or at least, that was what Eve she figured. She brought her hand up to her face and observed the sparkling black glove she was wearing. Entranced, she clenched her hand into a fist, watching as the sequins flashed brightly. There was a slight fizz, allowing her to see the suit, and then it disappeared and she was wearing a sparkly glove once more. The science behind the simulations had always confused her to an extent. All she knew was that the creators of Humanity were incredibly rich and had countless tools at their disposal.
"A masquerade party to be exact," Silver added. She was looking around, her bright turquoise eyes taking in her surroundings. There was a brief pause before a message appeared in bright blue text on Eve's helmet, which she knew had also popped up for everyone else. It flickered briefly. "Location: Atlas, Masquerade Ball. Time of day: 10:05 p.m. Evening." It slid away and then another appeared. "Mission: Kill the faunus CEO and escape alive. Bonus points if death is not discovered. Difficulty: S+" It disappeared after a few brief seconds.
"She gave us an S+ mission?" Jet exclaimed, bewildered. "What the hell?"
"I thought those were off limits," Silver hissed. Her glasses, Eve noticed, were gone in the simulation.
"Not off limits. Trainees don't usually do them is all," Eve replied. Her palms were sweating. They had only done one S mission before, the rest had been A's. They had never even attempted an S+. Pointedly, she scowled at Jet.
"Wha- It's not my fault!" He replied upon seeing it.
"It's your fault that the teacher hates you so much," Silver countered, "If it wasn't for you, we'd probably be doing an A right now. I hope you know that if everyone wasn't already in groups, I would never have joined you in the first place." Jet rolled his eyes.
"Please. You don't mean that. You know you love me." Silver opened her mouth, enraged, but Eve held up her hand.
"Stop it," They glanced at her,"Focus."
"Fine," Silver snapped, crossing her arms.
"At least we don't have to survive a blizzard again. I hated that," Jet muttered. But he had a point. There were no obvious dangers that they could see. No Grimm, nothing. It made Eve uneasy.
"That's because this is probably a stealth focused mission," Silver said.
"We don't know that for sure," Replied Eve.
"Guys-" Yukina was cut off.
"Split up?" Jet inquired. "We can find the minster faster that way."
"No…" Eve said softly. "I don't trust this simulation. We should stick together."
"We'll be able to cover ground a lot faster, we're on a time limit," Silver countered.
"Guys-"
"What is our time limit for this again?" Eve asked, ignoring her.
"An hour," Replied Jet. Eve glanced at him and noticed there was a watch on his wrist.
"Jet, keep track of the time for us."
"With what?" He asked.
"Your watch."
"I'm wearing a watch?" He glanced at his wrist, and then grinned. "Awesome." It fizzed out of view briefly and then flickered back.
"Um-" Yukina was fidgeting.
"So we're splitting up?" Silver asked.
"Guess we don't have a choice," Eve replied, "This place looks pretty big. We'll split up in groups of two. Meet back here in twenty minutes."
"I call not being with the newbie," Jet hissed.
"Guys!" Yukina said, frustrated. Finally, they all looked at her, mildly annoyed. She froze and then cleared her throat. "U-Um...is that him?" She timidly pointed to the middle of the room. They all followed her finger. Surrounded by guests, was a young male faunus who had men in black scattered around him. He looked to be no older than twenty. He laughed hardily and then accepted a glass of bubbling champagne from a waiter who stopped by him.
"So it is," Said Eve flatly.
"Well that made our job a lot easier," Silver muttered.
"How should we kill him without alerting anyone else?" Jet inquired. His golden eyes observed the faunus man with some disgust.
"We're going for the bonus points then?" Eve inquired.
"Obviously."
"Well, the easiest way would be to draw him away from his men," Silver observed." The three all spoke in soft, hushed whispers.
"We should get Silver to seduce him." Jet said blatantly. Silver tilted her head to the side to ponder this. A few seconds passed.
"Yeah I'll do it."
Jet blinked. "You usually don't accept that easily."
"It's because she thinks he's cute." Eve said, deadpan. Silver flushed slightly.
"No! Of course not. He's a faunus-I-I wouldn't-"
"Silver," Eve interrupted. Silver pouted.
"Yeah fine," She scratched her face, "He's pretty hot. Shame this is a simulation."
"You're terrible," Jet muttered, "He's like fourty. You're not even seventeen yet."
"He is not fourty," Silver snarled. Yukina cleared her throat. It was a little, petite sound. Everyone ignored her as she began to speak.
"Maybe we should get going-"
"Anyways," Eve interrupted, "Once you get him away from his men, get him out of the ballroom, someplace secluded—a room preferably. And then give us a signal."
"The usual?" She asked. Eve nodded.
"Jet and I will be watching nearby, dancing. We'll finish this quick and quietly. I don't know why this ranked S+, but if everything goes smoothly we should be fine." Eve finished. Silver nodded. "Ready?" Eve asked.
"Ready."
After Silver had disappeared into the crowd, Eve and Jet had told Yukina to sit down somewhere and 'watch' before they joined the dancers, and began waltzing to the music in the background. Their eyes were locked onto Silver, who was a few feet away from them, engaged in conversation with the faunus prime minister. The people and enemies in the simulations were intelligent and acted like real people. Conversational skills were necessary in many situations for getting what one wanted. If someone was acting suspicious, the simulation would notice almost instantly.
Silver timidly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked up from underneath her eyelashes. She smiled warmly and laughed at a joke that was lost in the clamor of the ballroom. The faunus male seemed to be entranced with her. He was fairly attractive, with side swept chestnut hair, piercing green eyes, and sharp cheekbones. The two shared a smile. His brown ears on the top of his head twitched slightly.
"Guys don't actually fall for that," Jet muttered, his eyes narrowed as he watched the two out of the corner of his eye.
"You fell for it," Eve replied calmly. Jet opened his mouth to reply and then frowned.
"Did not."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," The two executed a spin and then continued to waltz. Eve observed Silver closely, who slowly rested her arms around the faunus' neck as the two began to dance.
As predicted, it took approximately ten minutes before the faunus couldn't seem to wait anymore. He began to pull her away from the crowd. The black bodyguards around the faunus started in the same direction but after he said a few inaudible words they reluctantly stayed behind. The simulation flickered slightly and the buzzed. The room briefly disappeared and then glimmered back into existence. And then, Eve and Jet saw the signal. It was a small, almost unnoticeable gesture, but across the swarms of people they could see Silver wink at them. Within seconds, the two were gone.
"Let's go," Eve murmured. They wove their way through the crowd, after the two.
"What about the transfer?" Jet muttered.
"Forget about her," Eve replied, "Once we finish we can find her," Jet nodded slowly.
The ballroom led into a long winding hallway, carpeted with crimson. Framed windows lined the right side of it. When Eve glanced out of one, she saw nothing but black. The outside world hadn't bothered to be designed.
"I'm in the first room to your first left," Silver whispered. Each headset came with a mouth piece that all participants could use to communicate with.
"Coming," Eve replied. The two continued down the winding corridor. The music of the ballroom had now faded, and now sounded like a distant memory. The candles flickered as they walked by.
"Weapon reveal." Eve muttered. The air around her buzzed and slowly, her chains came into view. In every simulation their weapons would be hidden by default before they chose to use them. Her chains clinked together slightly, making almost an eerie sound as they rounded a corner and stopped at a door that was closed. She pressed her ear against it. Nothing. Jet stared at her, silent. Eve briefly waited and then carefully slid her hand over the doorknob. She nodded at Jet who lowered his stance slightly. They were ready. Instantaneously, she pulled the door open and flung her chain inside.
It was dark, lit only by the small crack of a window in the back of the room that cast moonlight across the floor. The faunus was standing there calmly, Silver in his arms, a knife to her throat. His green eyes were lowered slightly. Eve's sword hovered an inch from his forehead, where she had made it stop after seeing them. Silver breathed slowly, her neck slightly brushing against the knife every time she took a breath. Oh no, Eve thought.
"Who are you?" The faunus asked softly. His eyes slid to Jet whose lips were taught. Then back to Eve. "Why are you after me?" Eve's chain moved a centimeter closer but the faunus gently pressed the tip of the knife into Silver's throat, cutting through her skin. A bead of blood formed and then dripped down her neck. Silver's face was emotionless, but Eve knew that she could feel it in real life. "Are you here about the deal?" The faunus questioned. He brushed his lips against Silver's neck, taunting them, before they curved upwards into a smile. "Hmm?"
This was bad. Every simulation that existed was its own world. Many had their own created problems and would run on those problems despite the actions of the participants. This faunus was a CEO. He was apparently connecting them to the created past of his own life. The danger was that you couldn't just say it was a simulation, they wouldn't believe you—like in real life.
"I told you that I'd get the money," He snarled softly, "I didn't expect you to try to kill me." Eve swallowed. Silver eyed her silently, jaw clenched. The simulation buzzed in and out of existence briefly.
"Let her go," Eve demanded. Good. Her voice was clear, strong, not reflective of the panic that she currently felt. She knew that her classmates were watching her right now—her teacher. With her pen poised over her clipboard, waiting. Everyone was waiting. Jet was waiting. Silver, waiting. The Faunus' eyes narrowed. How could they have been so stupid? This was an S+ mission. The main target wouldn't fall for seduction, not so easily.
"I want a written contract," The faunus demanded finally, "That you won't harm me. I don't trust you after this."
"Let her go." The Faunus' eyes narrowed.
"What did you think would happen?" He asked with a sneer, pressing the knife slightly deeper. Silver stiffened. "Do you think me a fool? Falling for such a trick? She's beautiful, yes. But if you were going to kill me I would think that you'd try a little harder than that," He spat.
"We weren't going to kill you," Eve replied calmly, "This was merely a warning."
"Warning?" His eyes narrowed, "You dare warn me?"
"We can work out a...mutual agreement. Let her go and we can sign a contract." Eve's grip around her chain tightened fractionally. The faunus hesitated and then his lips parted in realization.
"You're not them," He said finally, eyes wide, "You...you can't be. They would never agree to that. But I don't understand...who are you? What do you want?" Eve froze. Silence. Then his eyes hardened and he turned towards Silver. Eve snapped her fingers. Her sword that hovered in the air flew towards his skull. But it was too far, those inches were too far. It would take too long. Silver would be impaled. The next few seconds seemed to pass in slow motion. The knife pierced through Silver's skin, moving further in before the faunus stopped and went still. Eve's weapon did as well as she watched him, horrified. He began to shake slowly before his eyes went wide with terror. Using the opportunity, Silver pushed him away, the bloodied knife falling out of his grasp, leaving a deep gash on her neck. The faunus twitched uncontrollably before he began to scream. His screams echoed throughout the room, into the open halls. He fell onto the ground and writhed in pain, his fingernails digging into his suit, creating parts of it that ripped open. Eve covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She had never heard such screams before. Such terrible cries of pain. And then they abruptly stopped.
Eve slowly opened her eyes and then blinked. Standing in the middle of the room, was Yukina. She was looking down at the faunus on the ground who wasn't moving. On each arm were pairs of claw like blades, jagged and sharp they did not seem to match their wielder in the slightest. They came out a considerable distance past her hand and one set of blades were currently embedded in the faunus' skull. The Faunus' eyes were wide with fear, mouth agape. There was silence as she quietly pulled them out of the corpse. She stared at them, silent, as if she hadn't committed the act herself, and then wiped them on her black dress. There were shouts in the distance. Yukina glanced at them over her shoulder.
"You were taking a while," She said softly, "So...so I thought I'd check it out." A blue message flashed across their interfaces. "CEO Assassinated. Extraction point determined." There were loud thudding footsteps that seemed to be coming from the hallway next to them. Suddenly, Eve remembered the other part of the mission. Escape alive.
"Go!" She yelled, breaking everyone out of their trance. "Go go go!" Jet nodded and darted out of the room, in the opposite direction of the footsteps. Silver staggered after him. Yukina watched them and then looked at Eve who swallowed. There was silence before the pink haired girl dashed out the door. Eve glanced at the faunus on the ground, at the bloodied gashes in his head and then looked away. The simulation flickered slightly. She sprinted out of the room.
The four trainees dashed down the hallway, dodging gunshots that whizzed past them. It looked no different then the first hallway they had been through, except that this time, no one was taking the time to observe it.
"Kill them!" A voice yelled from behind them.
"What the hell happened back there?!" Silver demanded, casting Eve a quick glance over her shoulder. She had her hand over her neck, trying to stop the bleeding but failing to in the chaos. "Why'd he-"
"That...was my semblance," Yukina stated softly, looking as if she was ashamed of it. "I can make people see their fears..." Silver gave her a glance and then looked away. Right now their top priority was getting out.
"Where's the extraction point?!" She demanded.
"I don't know!" Eve yelled back. Gunshots spiraled past them as they turned a corner. At the far end of the windowless hallway were wooden doors outlined in a bright blue.
"Oh, convenient." Silver muttered. The exits out of a simulation appeared after parts of a mission had been completed, and were always outlined in a bright blue. Jet was several feet ahead of them, dashing towards it. The footsteps behind them were getting closer.
"Get them!" A man yelled.
"Do something!" Silver gasped. Eve grit her teeth and then ran her fingers across the wallpapered walls, activating her semblance. There was a slight rumble as wooden boards tore through it, splintered and sharp, and flew threw the air towards their pursuers. There were shouts. Eve risked a look behind her and saw a few of the men dashing past them, others helplessly holding up their hands as the large wooden boards ran through their stomachs. More gunshots, she felt something nick past her ankle and then felt a searing pain. She ignored it. Jet was already at the door and opened it, filling the hallway with light. It was so close, and yet so far. More gunshots. She saw Yukina running a few feet ahead, her pink hair fluttering through the air as she sprinted. The light grew, expanding through the hallway. Jet had already disappeared through the door. Silver was a few feet away from it. The light sucked her up.
Slowly, the simulation began to crumble, the ground rumbling beneath her as parts of the wallpaper were torn away, black nothingness replacing it. It was slowly slipping away, as it always did when the time limit had gone out. Had they really taken that long? Eve gasped as a searing pain went through her leg, making her stagger. A gunshot. She fell onto the ground and looked up helplessly. The hallway was folding in on itself, flickering like a monitor. She saw the glass room briefly, a ghost, a fold in her world before it disappeared. A large crack ran through the ceiling before parts of it fell onto the carpeted floor. Eve staggered slightly as she tried to get up. A piece of concrete fell on her leg, making her scream in pain. Yukina was only a foot away from the door. She looked behind her. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling. Eve wouldn't make it. Everyone would have escaped before her. Eve tried pulling her leg from the debris but it wouldn't budge. Gunshots rained behind her. Yukina stared at her, silent. Help me, Eve thought desperately. But Yukina wouldn't help her. And who could blame her? They had all treated her awfully. Yukina's pale blue eyes narrowed. Right…? Eve stared back, helplessly. Her eyes widened when she saw the girl run toward her, away from the blinding light, into the chaos. Eve couldn't believe it. She couldn't understand as the girl grunted, using both of her arms to lift the concrete off her leg. She couldn't understand as the girl hoisted Eve onto her back. She couldn't understand as the girl ran into the light, as she heard the simulation collapse behind her.
...
Eve gasped, breathless, as she weakly looked up. She was in the glass room again. She could see her peers on the outside of it, watching those inside, amused. She had made it. There was a small timer on the upper right corner of her interface that was blinking red: 00:00. Jet and Silver were leaning against the wall, breathless, their helmets off. Eve tore hers off and threw it onto the ground, panting. Yukina was beside her, breathing heavily. Her pink hair was sprawled on the floor.
"Lovely. Good job." The teacher opened the glass door and walked inside the room, observing the four. "You made it." She said icily. Many had often asked why the simulations collapsed after the timer had run out, and one day the teacher had let it slip.
"When the timer runs out, everything collapses. It ensures that anyone still left will feel pain. It gives the participants something to be afraid of. If it was merely a failed mission, you wouldn't want to complete it so desperately. You wouldn't be so terrified." She had said it with a smile, as if it had been the most ingenious thing ever invented. In that moment, Eve had never felt so much hatred in her entire life.
The teacher was observing them with that same smile now. Eve sighed slowly and pressed her hot cheek against the cool glass of the floor. She glanced at Yukina who was staring at her, silent.
"Thank you." Eve murmured. Yukina blinked and then looked away. Jet and Silver were already out of the glass room, grinning as their peers patted them on the back. Even though she understood, she couldn't help but feel betrayed that they hadn't looked back. That they hadn't checked to see if everyone had made it—that she had made it. Eve's eyelids lowered as she slowly caught her breath. And yet, here was someone that she had never known before, someone she had ignored even. Eve's eyes fluttered shut from exhaustion, aware of Yukina who was watching her.
D'art gently set his partner into bed, placing the covers over her. It was almost four in the morning now, and he was impossibly tired. After she had fallen asleep, he had watched the ocean in thought before picking her up and carrying her back into the dorm room. D'art sighed. He was about to go back to his bed before he heard a soft sob. Surprised, he glanced at Eve. Tears were running down her face as she mumbled in her sleep.
"She didn't leave me," Eve whispered to herself, "Leave me. Left. I left." She shook a little, her hands trembling. D'art observed at her, silent. Then he knelt beside her bed and took her hand in his. Eve's lips stopped moving and she exhaled softly, her hand instinctively tightening around his. A tear fell from her chin and onto the bed sheet before disappearing into the white fabric.