I heard the panting of my companions behind me.
Luckily we were able to stealthily make it on board as the train was taking off. I guess I'm not setting a good example for Sun, but stowing away on public transport isn't exactly a terrible crime.
Sure on Earth they had to worry about unexpected pathogens, animals or insects that might interact poorly with the ecosystem of the destination brought by unexpected passengers...but we'll just have to deal with the consequences if that happens.
Not that I thought it would.
"Damn...I can't believe we made it!" Sun exclaimed after he caught his breath.
The others were in worse shape, but they didn't seem too winded. Good.
While there wasn't anyone else in the car, we really weren't supposed to be here. I knew there would be at least two hunters on board, and I'd rather not have to evade them once we got to Argus.
If we make it there in the first place. We don't know where Hazel went after all, he could have been closer on Cinder's trail than us and boarded as well.
I looked around the car we ended up in, which just so happened to be the final one on the train.
Seems the passenger train was also being used to transfer cargo, a majority of the boxes had the SDC logo on them, alongside the Sable family crest.
Interesting. Did they purchase some of their assets?
I investigated one of the larger metal boxes and once I decided it was safe I popped it open. That's...a lot of Dust.
Granted it's all mostly in crystal form. I could tell these weren't cut, all in various shapes and sizes with almost no smooth edges.
I wonder if the cut they implied they put on these crystals in episode one would actually make the Dust more effective, or if it's just for looks. Either way I guess I can't be picky with stolen goods.
At this point I decided to spend a minute casting Detect Magic as a ritual to test out its use on Remnant without wasting a spell slot.
I was most familiar with Faerun as a D&D setting and I was familiar with how Detect Magic interacted with the Weave, but Remnant has a few key differences that I wanted to test.
Opening a few more boxes I saw that each crystal gave off a faint magical aura. School-less magical auras.
I could also see a faint magical aura from my companions, similar in that they were school-less once I focused on them but still distinct.
I guess that means Aura itself is a form of magic...so what exactly is Dust? There's a slight difference in their qualities but I can't quite place it…
Hang on, isn't Detect Magic only supposed to show magic when it's in use?
Is it because Aura itself acts as a passive barrier, only becoming more effective when an Aura user is aware of a threat? Or is it just because it's a distinct form of magic from the Weave or any other D&D setting that it's picked up by the spell?
I know a Sorcerer wouldn't be picked up even with the magic blood in their veins...wait, I don't know if the debate over that was settled by a majority of players/dungeon-masters/rules-lawyers.
Not that I can figure that out now, being on Remnant and all.
Focus. There's a shit ton of Dust in here. I would argue that's not safe for a passenger train like this...I'm not familiar with this world's laws but...seems pretty shady.
Couldn't they just hook a few shipping containers to some Bullheads and take them to Atlas?
I don't have time to think about the logistics of this world's businesses right now. Just another question for later.
"Alright, I'm going to go search the cars ahead of us. Do not under any circumstances open this car up to anyone other than me, and remain hidden if anyone enters." I ordered. I got several nods, though I could see hesitation on everyone's faces.
Save for Emerald. Either she fully understands or she just isn't as worried about my well-being. Not that they should be, I plan to be extra careful. "I'll send a text before I return, that's our signal," I said just before I made my exit.
Once I was out I turned and examined the door in front of me. Damn, no slight openings and no window, can't just wild shape to get in. If I remember correctly the doors and the sides of the cars had windows so…
Is this a car dedicated to security systems? Well, it might be like the car I just left, meant for secure storage. Though...the storage wasn't all that secure in the last car either. Just another shady aspect there.
I shook my head to refocus myself. I lifted myself up easily thanks to my Mariner fighting style, which not only allowed me to use my bonus action for an off-hand weapon attack and let me get out of an enemy's reach easily similar to the Disengage action against that target, but also gave me a swimming and climbing speed.
That style was really made to give more classes a swashbuckler/buccaneer flavored option (hence coming out with the Aquatic adventures Unearthed Arcana,) but it's still extremely effective here and I'll take advantage of whatever I can.
I peeked out to the top of the train cars, seeing nothing but slight bumps at the center of each train car. Those must be the turrets I remember, the ones that attracted Grimm attention in...the first episode of Volume 6?
Right, the Grimm. I'll have to be extremely careful with fights here. If the passengers panic...I'd rather not have that on my conscience.
Now that I think about it, even if we get caught the huntsmen of the train would likely just hold us for the authorities in Argus to take care of.
With our abilities we could easily evade them once the train stopped there. Or maybe just get out once we get close enough to Argus and waltz in under the radar like nothing happened.
If the worst comes to pass and we get our faces up on wanted posters...well I doubt that. We're just kids after all. In any case, I'd just have to hack into their records and erase them. I'll figure out the where and how of that when it happens.
I got myself on top of the car and slowly moved up. The top of this train is pretty slick, makes me wonder just how anyone was even able to fight up here in the show. Not only that, but they were moving at...hm, if the train was moving at the same speed it is now then...maybe 80 miles per hour?
One slip and you could end up with some broken bones just waiting to be chewed up by Grimm.
Looking down I saw that the next car had a window, and could see a passenger's foot tapping away at the comfortable red carpet. I decided to move up one more car before going back inside.
I'd rather not get caught for making the dumb mistake of entering from what's likely supposed to be a restricted area.
Once I could see into the next car and I could see that no one was looking at the door I cast Misty Step. Thankfully even though there was a window between the target area I was still able to get inside without causing a scene.
I could see that this was likely one of the cars that had sleeping areas. There was a narrow hall and four doors to my right, three of them were closed with the furthest one ahead left wide open.
Once I got in close to the open door I could hear nothing from within. I looked inside and found that it was empty. Two bunk beds were on the wall opposite the side of the door I was on. Breathing a sigh of relief I walked inside and turned, hitting a button to close the door in front of me.
That's when I felt a gun's barrel at the back of my head.
I exhaled slowly to keep myself calm. I can't beat myself up over it. I should have checked both angles before I went in after all. I just have to make my next move carefully.
"You were a damn hard kid to track I'll give you that," I heard a gruff voice behind me. Similar to Qrow's, but deeper. "Funny how you just came up to me on your own. Easy money I suppo-"
"Let's just skip the monologue and get this over with. I'm not about to listen to some third-rate assassin who had trouble tracking a child," I said with a smirk, casting Vicious Mockery.
I felt the gun twitch against the back of my head, hearing a sharp intake of air behind me. Must have failed the save.
I quickly turned and sidestepped just before I heard the sound of suppressed gunfire. The door I was staring at just a moment ago now had a slight dent in it from the impact, and I could hear the sound of the bullet ricochet off into one of the beds at my side.
Damn, must be some thick metal for that to happen.
I quickly examined my assailant. I remembered him from a short scene, laying face-first in the dirt behind Mercury as a building was up in flames behind the both of them. Marcus Black, the man with the ability to steal Semblances.
He was almost twice as tall as me, wearing a red muscle shirt under a vest and black trench coat. He had short white hair and grey eyes.
The assassin had one hand on the side of his head, as if he had a severe headache. He raised his gun and fired at me again, but this time I could see him.
I don't have enough time to draw a weapon or get out of the way now, I just have to try it!
I focused my ki into my hands, letting my instincts take over. Time seemed to slow down as the bullet flew towards my chest before I trapped the projectile in my left hand.
Phew, thank you Deflect Missiles!
I decided to not use a ki point to throw the bullet back at him though. Better save those for when I really need them.
I rushed forth, seeing the surprise on his face. I was able to slam a right straight into his midsection, though the impact was largely absorbed by his Aura.
He still was forced to take a step back, bending over slightly from the blow. I then stepped forward, grabbing the gun while making sure I was still out of his line of fire and sent a left palm into his wrist, twisting my hips, baring all my weight into the blow.
Even with his Aura dampening the impact his arm was flung to the side, the gun still being held in place as he was forced to let go of it.
He drew another gun from his jacket and fired, but I stepped under his arm and pushed my weight into him to throw off his aim. Another errant shot blasted the roof above us, though I felt the wind of the projectile brush my back as it ricocheted across the room.
Seeing him step back to maintain firing distance I decided to change my approach.
I kicked off a nearby bedpost and grabbed onto the man's shoulders, slamming my right knee into his face. With my whole weight on him his feet lost their grip and the back of his head slammed into the room's window. Surprisingly it didn't crack.
I could see his aura flickering now. His eyes widened as he saw that detail as well. He probably wasn't used to not having complete control over his opponents, thanks to his ability to steal Semblances.
I kicked off his chest and landed just in front of the door, aiming his own gun at him. "Drop the gun. Any other move and I open fire," I spoke coldly.
I heard a sigh and the sound of the other handgun he had thumping onto the carpet. "You know what you're doing, and fight well with little use of your Semblance. Impressive at your age. You could make a lot of money as my apprentice," the assassin said.
"Stalling's useless. Tell me who hired you," I demanded. He clicked his tongue before continuing, "You won't get anything from me. My integrity is part of the deal, that's why I'm the best around," he smirked.
I heard the door slide open behind me and stepped quietly to the side in tandem. "Sorry I took so long grabbing lunch, there were so many choi-"
I grabbed the arm that passed through the door and pulled it hard, causing the figure to gasp in pain and bend forward.
I placed my arm onto the back of their neck, leading him further inside and to my right. "Don't even think about it," I ordered as I realigned my aim over Marcus who had bent down, reaching for the gun he'd dropped.
His eyes widened and he straightened up, this time with his hands in the air.
I heard whatever the other was carrying into the room fall onto the ground as I kicked the button to close the door once more.
From this angle I could see that the figure I had just restrained was Mercury Black, who looked to be around Cinder's age, if not a year or two younger. Still had his signature slicked back gray hair.
He struggled under my grip with surprising strength, but my aim held true even as I saw his Aura shine around him to strengthen himself. "What the hell?!" he exclaimed.
"Just asking your father some questions, Mercury" I explained, and Mercury stiffened.
I saw Marcus' eyes widen before they narrowed once again. "How do you know that? Our family's records were expunged."
"I know a lot of things, like how I'm the one asking questions here. Who hired you?" I demanded once again.
He sighed. "I don't know, didn't see their face. Normally I wouldn't have taken the job then and there, but the pay was too good."
"When did you start following me?" I asked. "Two months ago," he responded. I couldn't tell if he was lying or not with the straight face he's keeping now.
Seeing that I was still quiet he continued. "Part of what makes me the best is that I stake out my targets, getting a full grasp of their abilities before I strike. I could tell you hadn't shown your full hand against that crazy in Vacuo so I waited."
That's when I noticed he was taking slight steps toward me. Once he saw my eyes linger at his feet he lunged and grabbed Mercury's shoulder, a grey light passing through Marcus' arm into Mercury's Aura. His other fist barreled to my face but I bent my neck to the right, narrowly avoiding the straight.
I pushed Mercury toward him to throw him off balance and my eyes widened. Mercury had twisted with the momentum I gave him and caught himself on one arm, a pistol aimed toward my chin in his other hand.
I swayed back just as the gunshot rang out, hearing it ricochet behind me. I sidestepped and aimed once more, then gasped at the scene before me.
Marcus stood above Mercury, clutching the center of his neck. Blood splattered onto the floor as Mercury rolled to his feet away from the fluids.
Marcus went to say something but no sound rang from his lips, staring at Mercury as the light drained from his eyes. He tumbled onto the ground before us, lifeless in seconds from the ruptured artery.
I swallowed in response to my throat tightening. That was...I knew it would happen to me or one of them but still...a horrifying way to go out.
It wasn't like the movies, I knew that already...but I'm not sure I could have prepared for the reality of death.
I shook my head, putting it out of my thoughts. I can't let this stop me.
I heard Mercury slump over onto the wall and turned to see him slide down it until he was seated one or two feet from his father's body. "I...I killed him…"
Then I saw him smirk. "Damn bastard got what was coming to him," he muttered.
I frowned at him and shook my head. Mercury turned to me and got up, then spat at my feet.
"Don't look down on me like that. Bastard beat me and stole my Semblance, forcing me to train without it. Then when the hypocrite gets desperate he gives it back so we can turn it around. Should have known I'd turn on him," Mercury raved, eyes watering.
Wait...he meant to ricochet the bullet? "That bastard...he tortured me for years...but he's dead now. You should be happy...one less threat…" He sniffled.
"What are you going to do now?" I asked. Mercury let out a shaky breath. "I don't know. Guess I'll just sell my abilities like he did."
"Aren't you afraid you'll turn out like him?" I questioned. "Urk...that..." Mercury looked away, down to his father's corpse. Silence filled the air, along with the horrid sweet stench of blood.
"We've got to get rid of the body." Mercury said after a moment. I stepped over Marcus and pointed at the window. "Someone might see him if we throw him out, then I'm screwed," he pointed out.
I shook my head, then cast Invisibility on the body.
Thankfully a corpse is still a creature, albeit a dead one, so it can be resurrected or targeted by other spells as such. That was another rules debate I wasn't sure got solved, but it worked out in my favor here.
Mercury's eyes widened. "So your Semblance is Illusions in general…" he muttered.
He felt around for a good hold of the now invisible body and hoisted it up, myself grabbing the other side.
We both lurched forward, throwing Marcus as far as we could through the window. Thankfully we pulled that off without a hitch.
"What about the blood?" I asked. Mercury thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Marcus never bothered to get rid of it after any of his jobs. Police take note of it but they can't tell much from something like that."
I blinked. "What about forensics?" Mercury's brow raised. "What's that?" I put a palm to my face. "I guess neither of us were injured...do they track fingerprints?" Mercury raised his two hands, waggling his gloved fingers.
"We never go without them on the job," he said with a smirk. "What about hairs?" Mercury tilted his head. "Dude, you watch too many crime shows? That shit's bunk, courts found that out years ago."
I sighed. "Did Marcus say anything about the others tracking me?" Mercury nodded. "Yeah, you attracted a lot of attention. Dad said the Branwen tribe's after you, almost made a move earlier when he thought they'd get to you first."
"If you're planning on doing what your father did...I'll hire you," I offered. Mercury's eyes widened, then he smirked. "What do you need done?"
"We can iron out the details later. It'll be a dangerous job, starting now," I explained. Mercury sighed. "That why you've been travelling? Pay better be good."
I want to point out that he doesn't really have much of a choice here but I think he gets that.
I nodded. "Right now I'm on the lookout for a Midna Sable, here's a picture of her," I told him whilst pulling it up on my scroll.
Mercury looked at her and smirked. "A seven...good taste kid." I chuckled, shaking my head. "She might be dangerous. She's on the run after her family estate went up in flames."
"Oh yeah, I heard about that. Marcus worked for that family a few times...now that I think about it, he said she had a interesting look in her eye," Mercury added.
"What do you mean?" I asked. Mercury shrugged. "I dunno, I didn't ask that asshole too many questions. Half the time the answer'd be a fist."
I frowned. "Sorry, I wouldn't wish that on anyone." "Eh, we killed him so it's no big deal. I couldn't have done it on my own. Yet." Mercury said, turning to the door.
"Wait," I grabbed his shoulder. He turned, tilting his head in confusion. "Text this number when you see her and get me on call with her. But first," I cast Minor Illusion, creating an image of Hazel's face from my memory. He examined it.
"That's Hazel Rainart. See him, you get out without attracting attention. He'll only bring trouble," I explained.
Mercury's eyes widened, then he smirked. "Yeah, got it. I guess I should show you Marcus's "don't fuck with" list later. He's on there."
With that Mercury opened the door and left, closing it behind him.
I sighed, then started casting Prestidigitation over and over to clean the blood from the carpet. I'll probably be here a while.
Childhood on Remnant is a total shit-show huh?
***POV SWITCH***
It had been two days since he made it to Mistral and he finally got sight of the Sable girl.
From his bird's eye view he could see her lingering around the Argus Limited. He was about to confront her when she moved to get on the train as it left.
He made to descend onto one of the cars as it left city limits when he noticed a familiar face, along with four other children, stowaway in the back car.
Qrow had even more questions now, and boarded the train. He'd heard of the Argus Limited before, and made his way to one of the huntsmen keeping security there.
He showed his badge and apologized for the late boarding, paying a discounted price on account of being a huntsman.
With that thought Qrow began to move down each car, carefully examining each face he saw while remaining inconspicuous.
He didn't want security to question it too much and end up spooking the kid he came here for. Or the others. He'd have to talk with them.
Qrow just knew Ozpin would chew him out if he knew.
***POV SWITCH***
"You get a text yet?" Sun asked, gesturing toward Ren.
Ren shook his head, going back to meditating like his father taught him to calm his nerves. Sun groaned and went back to twirling a yellow dust crystal with his tail.
"You shouldn't be messing with that, even crystals can react to Aura if you're not careful," Emerald pointed out. Sun stuck his tongue out at her, waving the object in question at her. Emerald could only roll her eyes.
"Ugh, why did we have to end up in a car with no windows?" Nora whined.
"It's okay, we're the only ones in here. Set'll be back and we'll be one step closer to Atlas!" Sun gave her finger guns.
Nora frowned. "I just wish there was something to do…"
That's when they heard the front door of the train car slide open.
Sun almost gasped but Emerald covered it with her hand and put a finger over her mouth, looking amongst the group.
She slowly took hold of her short sword, the others following suit.
The door shut and silence filled the air in stark contrast to the heavy winds outside.
"I know you kids are in here! I'm not here to hurt you, just want to talk," a gruff voice rang out.
Emerald looked past them at the small mirror at the end of the car she had set up, getting enough of an image of the man at the door to use her Semblance on him.
She envisioned the car, empty from his point of view. She slowly, quietly moved out of her cover and towards him. It wasn't Hazel, but he still had some weapon at his back.
She'd seen huntsmen with strange weapons before, that could change their shape with the help of machine parts, making them even harder to deal with.
The man smirked, putting his hands up. "Neat trick, but I see your back in the mirror. Come on, let's talk."
Emerald gasped, quickly sheathing her short sword before letting the hallucination dissipate. Hopefully he didn't see that from the mirror.
That's when one of the two boxes that Sun was hiding behind fell over, revealing his upper body. "Shit, I shouldn't have leaned on it…" his muttering's rang out.
Emerald groaned and threw her hands up in frustration. "Really? You had to fuck up like that?!"
Sun scoffed. "You're the one who messed up! It was your idea to put it there and you walked right in front of it, so don't blame me! Right guys?" Sun gestured to the other two who were hiding behind some boxes to his left.
Emerald rolled her eyes. "Yeah just give away their positions too dumbass." "Stop calling me that!"
"You kids gonna stop bickering now?" Qrow asked, sighing as he failed to get their attention.
