Nina joined Stephanie and the rest of the assault group on the designated airship as it began to take off. For a moment, she spotted Melanie's father looking at her. She'd seen it before too, and heard him say her name to Richard. She shifted her way over to Stephanie and cleared her throat.
"Um...excuse me, but...do you know why Melanie's dad was asking about me earlier?" She questioned.
Stephanie gave Richard's airship a glance, before turning her attention back to Nina. "I'd say it would have to do with your relevance to the mission, but...I know Phillip a little too well for that."
"Then...what is it?" Nina asked.
Stephanie sighed. "You...look like Sarah...she was his teammate, and...his wife."
"Oh..." Nina's ears flattened a little. "Melanie told me about her once, but that's the only time I've ever heard about her."
"She was...the most heroic person I've ever known." Stephanie said. "Kind...confident...brave...intelligent...she wasn't just a leader, she was a paragon..."
Nina smiled a little. "She sounds like a good friend."
"The best." Stephanie smiled back. "Though she could be a bit of a prankster at times."
"What...happened to her?" Nina questioned.
Stephanie looked out for a moment. "Close to seventeen or eighteen years ago...there was a riot in Vale...people started attacking Faunus civil rights protesters. She wanted to protect them...all of them. She just stood there between them, refusing to hurt anyone. The rioters didn't care that she was a Huntress, or that she was being peaceful, or even that she was pregnant...they swarmed her because she was just another Faunus. By the time Phillip found her, she was already half-dead...she died in childbirth that night. Melanie never got to meet her mother. She never really got to know her father either. Phillip hasn't been the same."
"I know what that's like." Nina muttered. "I don't know my parents either...I don't know my real name, what kingdom I come from, if my parents were heroes or just backwater farmers in some unnamed village...I don't know who I am."
Stephanie gave a soft smile. "You're a Huntress, Nina. You're brave and kind, and you've dedicated yourself to helping people. There's nothing more noble than that."
"Thank you." She smiled back. "Being back here, just...it brings back a lot of those doubts."
"Then hopefully tearing this place down will restore your confidence." Stephanie stated. "You should prepare yourself...the battle is about to begin."
Off in the distance, Nina could clearly see the compound that had been her prison for so many years. The building seemed to have another branch that stretched longer out, like a strange extended corridor. Seeing the size of it, Nina could only wonder how it had been built so quickly. She shook the thought from her mind, pulling a grenade from her belt as the others began to draw their weapons. Calmly, she lowered her goggles, the air around her already beginning to cool. She was going to enjoy this.
