|It's happened again. I've been cutting this into pieces of other chapters, but it just wasn't enough to keep this initial chapter from inflating to the size of two. I keep breaking my own promises for the better, technically... You can still expect the chapter after this in July... If any of you are wondering why this is suddenly ahead one chapter, several chapters 17 and below were redone to include more team STRENGTH, primarily using content from the XTRA of their point of view, but with some new content as well that made the DARKMIRE section 3 parts, instead of 2. Not entirely needed to be read. - Aldiev
Everyday Activities
"It took you a while to get home." Mercury said, sitting with his legs crossed atop the handrail's end, at the bottom of the stairs leading to the second floor. He was here simply to watch over the front door, to intercept Alastor A'Reyons given he left his office and got here before Emerald was done tearing the place apart –like the man just had. They had recently tracked some of the names Obaz uttered in his semblance state, and being one of those who were 'authorized', Alastor must have had something in his home pertaining to the boy –and that would be something Cinder wanted.
Alastor stood in the open doorway, keys still in hand and briefcase sitting next to his legs. Mercury gave him a bored look when there was no reaction to the welcome, shutting the thick ledger in his one hand. "You know, I've been having this problem with a lot of you people in this city. All your books... have no pictures." The book went aside, and he grabbed another from the stack piled next to the railing, not bothering to open it just yet.
"You have ten seconds to walk out this door, and forget anything you've seen in this house." Alastor muttered the words like a bartender, telling his patron that they'd had enough to drink.
Mercury made a face. "Is that so? Alright, then you have nine to unlock that briefcase and hand it to me. Trust me; resisting is only going to make things more painful for you." There was a momentary stare down, and the slate-haired boy nodded as Alastor stooped down to the case. "Good decision."
"What's going on out here? Oh, Professor. Welcome home." Emerald said, trotting out from the annex room with a variety of loose papers. She looked to the door, seeing the Professor finding the right key on his ring of them and disengaging the lock on his belonging.
The lock on the case was undone, and the entire two-foot-tall box morphed with numerous spins and shifts, the result leaving both intruders stunned.
It looked like a miniature, robotic Velociraptor with no arms. The legs had blades jutting sideways from the upper thighs, and two claws for each large foot. More blades lined up along the machine's back where the spine would be, and a small-caliber gun was mounted on the chest. It glanced up at Alastor with a jet-black head full of blinking lights, and he pointed to the two in the entrance.
The mini raptor attacked, leaping at Mercury in a whirling mass of blades that he deflected to the side, having to block a bullet when it landed. Emerald shot at it, and upon turning to Alastor again, the man was unlocking his already-open front door with this special key of his, causing the slab of lightweight metal to collapse on itself and become a blocky, vaguely humanoid shape with mallets for arms. It lumbered after them both, wrecking the railing and most of the hallway on its way over. "Who even has home security like this?!"
Alastor smiled, walking casually after the two machines that were making an unreasonably good combination of strength and speed. The Doorman acted like a goalie, disallowing the two intruders from even taking aim at the Professor. "When you put up with attempts on your life for so long, security only increases. Eventually, when helping hands fail you want your very abode to fight for you, like this... Honestly, the two of you should be glad you didn't try to kill me in my lab." He drew some kind of handgun from the back of his waistband to fire at Mercury.
Mercury blocked the bullet with his arm guard, but blinked upon seeing that it hadn't been a bullet, but some sort of paintball, leaving a sweet-smelling cyan residue on his arm. Emerald turned from blasting the Doorman to aim at the Professor, but he tilted his head out of the line of fire while sniping her knee with another paintball. This quickly, he put the gun away again.
Mercury kicked the mini raptor into the ceiling, where it got stuck, but cut himself in the process. As the Doorman went to crush Emerald, she should have easily been able to dodge but wound up stumbling, landing on her side and slashing at the incoming mallet to veer it from making her a pancake. She tried to stand, failed, and reached out for Mercury to pull her up. He did so, asking; "What's wrong?!"
"My leg feels like it's frozen!" She shouted, clawing at the now darker-blue gunk coating her knee. It was changing color where it had struck her, while more of the lighter-colored cyan was creeping out from there, covering more of her leg. Her attempts to remove it only got some on her fingers... Mercury's arm was starting to feel it too, and his was spreading the same way. He gave a swift series of kicks to the Doorman, which left its torso in shambles, but the mini raptor dropped from the ceiling and nearly cut his head in half. He was forced to drag Emerald and retreat further into the house, back to the annex room.
Alastor's voice entered the room before he and his robots did, though about halfway through he was present himself; "The Cryophoriline microculture you were hit with is a nano-mould that thrives on body heat, with a diet of sodium and water. The harder you fight, the more you sweat and the faster your blood pumps and heats your body, making the substance grow faster and feed off more of you. When it darkens to black, the afflicted area will be frostbitten to high hell by then, and necrosis will start..."
The Doorman was blocking their offenses toward Alastor, the mini raptor was keeping them on their toes and the Cryophor was sapping their life away; a system built solely to draw out the struggle until they exhausted themselves to death, and who knew what other surprises Alastor had hiding around here. Mercury hefted Emerald so her arm was draped over his shoulders, his other arm dangling uselessly now as he fled to the main hallway. Emerald extended the blade off one her sickles on the built-in chain, swiping at the mini raptor and sending it screeching through a window.
The voice of this nightmare's owner again, as he wasn't actively pursuing them, "Oh, you two really don't want me to make it to the safe in the library. The garage will also get you both killed." That didn't leave them many options... Mercury stopped in the kitchen, sitting Emerald on the granite countertop facing the way they came.
"Cover me –I'm going to get the back door open."
Emerald looked agitated. "We're leaving empty-handed?"
"There'll be other chances. I think taking him on his own turf was a bad idea this time around..." He cringed, resisting the urge to grip the gunk lest he help it spread as Emerald popped another clip into the Doorman. "Guy's definitely worse than a Puma, that's for sure."
It was now that two more doormen came crashing through the wall south of the countertop, right next to Emerald and just behind Mercury, both getting caught in bear hugs by the machines. Mercury went to give a shot-powered kick to the one holding his accomplice, but the mini raptor scurried into the room and clutched his feet immediately. Alastor entered the room with a steady gait, confident that they were efficiently bound. "Goodness, look at this damage. I'll have to prepare better pursuit protocols for next time..."
The Professor reached into his cupboards as the two struggled, filling a glass with whiskey from the fridge and splashing Mercury's arm. The mould sloughed off like a big wad of wet gum that lost its ability to stick. With this, the duo quit making futile attempts at breaking free, curious. He soon washed the mould off of Emerald's leg and fingers, too, getting them both to just eye him warily. "Snuffing out two young souls like yourselves would just leave a bad taste in my mouth. Tell me who sent you, please." He took a sip of the alcohol left over in his glass, patiently waiting for one of them to talk.
"Oh, so now WE'RE getting grilled. Great." Emerald groused. Mercury shrugged.
"They came here of their own accord." Both fell into a look of actual concern when glass heels clicked the floor. Alastor turned to face the woman who seemed to appear out of thin air, the edge coming back to his demeanor. "... I'll have to give them proper punishment later for troubling you so, Professor. It won't happen again."
The teens both swallowed hard, and Alastor hesitated before he bade the doormen let them go. With another gesture, they wandered back to their respective doorframes to become part of the establishment once more, the mini raptor changing back into a box on the floor. Mercury nudged it with his foot while the adults began to converse;
"What do you want from me?" Alastor said, thinking that was the best place to start.
"A little birdie told me that you're 'authorized for interaction' with Amalgam subjects." Alastor shifted to look between the three in his broken kitchen.
"So you're hunters at Beacon... friends of Pierce, then. That explains quite a bit." The Professor grew suspicious again when the three failed to recognize the name, but dropped it just as fast. "Even if you aren't, it hardly matters. The only people that care about this long-dead issue anymore can't benefit from the information... not when the whole company's server was pillaged not long ago. Find a seat if you're still curious."
Cinder took the countertop Emerald had previously been sitting on, and the two subordinates kept a careful distance for the time being. At her prompting, Alastor proceeded to tell Cinder about Project Amalgam, its sister projects Novus and Catharsis, Obaz' part in this and the current situation of trying to reclaim him. The Professor wasn't entirely comfortable with the look she had in her eyes... The only point he paused in the explanation was to watch Cinder take the drink out of his hand, put some ice into it from the freezer, and sip enough to make him thirsty. Upon finishing the story she eyed him carefully. "So... How can we add or remove names from his 'registry', Professor?"
Alastor took his gaze and thoughts off of the female, returning to the matter at hand. "There is no adding or removing. The only way an outsider can have any impact on a subject's semblance is to commit to the verbal bypass. Even then, there are three stages, though you would need only one." She seemed perplexed by that, but kept her mouth shut seeing as he wasn't done.
"Verbal bypass is a code phrase that activates the semblance against the subject's will, with different variations of phrase for each subject. Due to what the semblance's purpose is, however, it needed to be applied in layers. The first bypass activates, as well as letting the one phrasing it gain control of primary commands. The second bypass rescinds core protocol, causing the subject in question to act out full combative capability regardless of rule violations; this is risky, because anyone authorized becomes a target if they show any sort of hostile behaviour. Third bypass... no one knows but DeCello. In theory, the third isn't meant to be undone, as it would overwork the body to overwork the brain; needing to process information faster, the heart would beat irregularly to provide greater blood flow to the brain, leading to heart attack or stroke."
The description was a bit surprising, but Cinder recovered quickly; he was right to think that all she needed was the first. "So, the first layer's phrase for Obaz would be...?"
He laughed outright at her, causing the woman's expression to fall somewhat. "For me to know any of the verbal bypasses would defeat the purpose. Only the CEO knows them; since they're terms prioritized above registry, using them allows he man to effectively halt any misuse by other researchers. He changes them frequently, though Pierce's would be the same as they were three –now four –years ago, so frankly I haven't a clue what the phrases might be."
"So he's useless to us, then." Emerald said, getting a look out of Alastor making her glare right back.
"Even so, it seems the Professor has nothing else to say on the subject." Cinder turned toward the backdoor Mercury had intended to leave through when the frying pan was getting too hot, gesturing for the teens to follow along, and the Professor watched them leave to be sure they actually vacated the premises entirely. Once he was satisfied that this was the case, he went back inside, causing her to speak again now that she was sure he was out of earshot.
"I wouldn't say that he's 'useless' to us. Even without complete control, Obaz can still be an asset. But... if DeCello can change the verbal bypass, so can the person who made that possible in the first place. We don't need DeCello; we only need to find Khiver Lybel."
Weiss and Blake stared down at the hat adorned by the doorknob to their dorm, at first puzzled by why it was there. First, Blake had jokingly suggested that it was much like the college trick of putting a sock on the doorknob, warning roommates when something intimate was taking place on the other side; Weiss gave her a quick glance suggesting that was hardly appropriate, around the time a moan came from inside the shared living space. They stood another few moments, unable to will themselves past the headwear and threshold as the noises continued mixed with heavy breathing.
Finally, Weiss took the hat and barged in, to see Yang and Ruby sitting in their respective bunks with cups of hot chocolate.
Yang glanced up from blowing on the beverage, while Ruby took another taste and made clear she enjoyed it. Their two teammates sighed at the foolishness of it all, but Yang pointed down to them. "He finally bugged you that much, huh?"
"What?" The Heiress questioned.
"That's Obaz' hat, isn't it? He's probably throwing a fit right now if you stole it on him." She looked to the item in her hand, having overlooked at first that it might belong to someone. It was indeed his, and she held it out further from her –it must have had a self-defense mechanism, knowing him.
Weiss hung it on the post of Yang's bunk. "If anyone stole it, it wasn't me. The thing was hanging on our door."
Ruby now peered across the room from her scroll to the headwear, interested. "Who would take it, only to leave it here with us?"
"Lemme see that." Yang picked it off her bedside, hopping down to the floor. As she looked down at it in both hands, she simply said; "Oh."
"Well? 'Oh' what?" Weiss asked impatiently.
Yang set it on her head, posing for the audience that was the mirror to the side. "This would look really cute with some jean cut-offs..."
"How insightful." Blake said with a bemused smirk, walking further into the room to get what she came for. Shortly after, a knock came at the door still left open; Sophia had come up to the dorm.
"Have any of you seen Obaz?" She wondered, zeroing in on Yang with his cap on.
Ruby shook her head. "Nope, just his hat. Weiss said it was on the door."
"So, Yang is wearing it because...?" Sophia was giving the other blonde a squint of irritation, earning a look of confusion back from the girl. She wasn't doing anything wrong, was she?
Blake sensed the tension and took her attention off of her own doings, getting closer to the member of RSOL. "Is there a problem?"
Since the statement could be taken in many ways, Sophia pried her eyes from Yang and answered Blake without touching base on what she was really asking about; "Obaz filed for a self-imposed suspension after he got out of the infirmary. We can't find him, and just a little while ago, his locker disappeared."
The subject change took over the conversation, Ruby now joining the others on the floor. "If his locker took off, shouldn't the school be able to track it?"
Sophia shook her head. "They haven't said anything, but it looks like he took the GPD out of that, as well as his scroll. He's dropped right off the map, with all of his gear." She paused, that look of annoyance coming back. "You four probably know better than I do what he's planning to do with it."
Weiss looked to be ready for a confrontation over that, but Blake stepped in once again; "Look, it just means we should find him. If any of us see or hear anything, we'll let you know. You are his teammate, after all."
Sophia locked eyes with her, followed by jumping to Yang again momentarily and back. She sighed, losing the edge to her demeanor. "Sorry. This hasn't been the best thing right after... you know." Osem Peaks was still a touchy subject, almost taboo from being mentioned aloud, especially around Steven. "I just really wish he'd trust us as much as he does you guys."
"We didn't really ask for it, to be honest. It just sorta happened." Ruby added. After a moment of deliberation, Sophia busted out her scroll and sent Ruby a message.
"I doubt he'll go where he thinks we'll find him, but this is as good a place as any to start... And I guarantee you'll love the breakfast menu." Giving the four a small smile, she included a meagre wave before departing from the dormitory, team Rwby wondering why a diner would be a good place to begin.
As Ruby shut her scroll, Weiss crossed her arms in thought. "Well, without a dubious plot from the White Fang looming overhead, we can focus on helping Obaz with the Omeghis conspiracy... but in that case, is the hat some kind of message?"
Yang, still wearing the hat, shrugged. "Was it ever a fashion statement to him before?"
"That's not what I meant, Yang."
"But that's the real question, isn't it?" She quipped, getting an exasperated look out of the Heiress. She went to argue, but for the third time, Blake intervened;
"She might be onto something. To know if he meant anything by leaving it here, we'd have to know why he wears it all the time in the first place..." Yang shook her head.
"It's to hide his eyes. They're actually really expressive, you know." Ruby and Weiss both gave a questioning head tilt at that.
Blake put a finger to her chin, dismissing it after coming to a conclusion. "It might not actually tell us anything, but we should probably speak with Mr. Petto anyways. If we get no clue on how to locate Obaz from him, Zero-three might have an idea."
The interlock had become tighter since last he wore it, enough so that it was chafing. His head felt like it was being crushed a little, even now that most of the swelling had gone from the interrogation. Regis' stood feeling like a kindergartener, and the advanced combat frame was an uncomfortable snowsuit he'd been packed into for fighting winter's chill.
"Yeah, we gotta readjust for at least a few centimetres. Ops in this thing would be asking for an ungodly rash." The equipment outfitters performing the routine checkup nodded, having expected as much; he'd grown in the year at Beacon. They allowed him to disengage, the suit opening at the seams between plating and letting him physically step out of the weapon. They took the machine with an overhang magnet into the next room, and Regis went back to the change room, picking at the skin-tight sleeveless shirt and pants to correct what the exterior had pressed down.
The uniform he was to wear wasn't standard issue; more reminiscent to the semi-formal wear he'd had at the Academy but in the signature colors. Teresa and Nicole had differed even less when they went to the school, since they didn't even know how to properly fight in something other than the body suits they were trained in. Now they matched even more than before, their eyes the only way to tell them apart. Getting the clothes out and shutting the locker, the only other person present just finished clipping on the helmet to a slightly different version of the mass-produced Mezzotzo models based off Sil and Zand.
"That looks new. Are you Keene's replacement or something?"
The man in the combat suit, lacking the feminine contours its predecessors had, shifted to face Regis. He didn't respond at first, and Regis had almost repeated himself before the person spoke; "No. Wyser is replacing Keene."
"Hm. Seems like a good choice." Regis mumbled, getting his pants on over the undersuit. The person across from him spoke again;
"Did you like being a Hunter?" It took him off his guard, seeing as the details of that operation had only now started to circulate. More so, the question was different from what others tended to ask about it.
Regis made a face, trying to come up with the right answer. "Can't say I didn't, even if I only got year one. Being the good guy is kinda fun."
"The good guy...?" The suit runner made a noise, like scoffing or a sharp exhale, the kind exclaiming disbelief at what you were hearing. "... the good guy." Suddenly, he grabbed the locker in front of him, lifting the whole thing and throwing it at Regis. Diving left, the container hit the ground hard enough to break the tile and bend the metal of the object, bouncing away. He stormed after Regis, grasping his head entire and lifting him off the floor, holding him not a breath apart. "It's just that kind of disregard for power that leads to misuse of it."
"Corporal Grau, stand down. I'm not saying it again." Xi stood in the doorway leading in from the hallway, and judging by the sports bra, shorts, and still-wet hair, she had hardly gotten halfway through changing in the women's side before hearing the dispute on this side. Cpl. Grau released Regis, stepping past the girl without so much as an apology.
Brushing himself off, Regis shot a smile at the brunette. "Thanks for that. He's some character..."
She nodded, leaning against the door. "Watch what you say around him, and tell the twins the same. He's got some serious beef with Hunters... not sure what that's all about." Turning around to leave the room she wasn't supposed to be in, she said over her shoulder; "You'll be seeing a lot of Mr. Grau. He's been put under our command but over the rest of the Mezzotzo unit, so since you're one of the stay-at-home suits, he gets to order you around."
"Joy." Regis sarcastically piped up, getting a quick laugh from the girl before she left. With the rest of his uniform in place, it was time to get out of here as well; perhaps the twins could be found in the medical centre.
Making his way down a dozen floors, Regis stepped out into what he liked to call the 'hall of clear mirrors', checking the right hand side for any patients being seen in the A'Reyon's subject lab. As he'd gone home for the day, it was another researcher performing the tests and injections on Teresa and Nicole; Lt. Wyser was here too, though, overseeing the process. She was the only Bondant of project subjects that wasn't a member of AR&D, although for what reasons, Regis couldn't say.
The two girls seemed more than content even with needles in their arms to be around the middle-aged woman, hair pulled back in an almost painful-looking black ponytail that wasn't exactly long in the back. Her glasses were set aside, and her face was set to an ease that was rarely maintained. As Regis walked in with his best soldier's stride, she managed to frown at him in specific, and return to placidness with the girls.
"You aren't a researcher, Bondant, or Catharsis subject. You have no reason to be in here."
"Well hello to you too, Lieutenant. Heard you were promoted." His ignorance was getting on her nerves. Nicole would have probably gotten up and punched him or something if she weren't preoccupied.
Wyser straightened her already straight skirt for something to do. "Yes, I was. Are you going somewhere with this?"
"Nah, just thought I'd congratulate you. I had a message to pass to the girls, though." He took a more neutral position to the room, looking at the twins. They weren't as opposed to his presence as they were a second ago, now that he had something to tell them.
Wyser turned to the girls. "Five, Six, you may listen and respond as needed."
"Bet you already miss having names..." Regis let the comment slip, getting the evil eye from the Lieutenant and going back to what Xi said he ought to tell them. They took his advice and asked that he;
"-Kindly take yourself elsewhere, and avoid interrupting our procedures in the future please." The choice of words got a look of approval from Lt. Wyser that made Regis livid.
Just another day in the corporation for Regis Agemont.
