Upgrades
Cinder walks down a street in the middle of the night. She stops when she reaches a bar. Cinder's eyes narrow as she enters the bar. It is filled with the lowest of the low; criminals and other lowlives. As Cinder stands in the doorway, all eyes turn to her. Her eyes narrow further as she sees the variety of expressions from confusion to scheming. Cinder clenches her fist as she walks up to the counter.
"I'm here for Cole." Cinder tells the barmaid.
"He's taking a whiz." The barmaid states as she mixes some drinks.
Cinder's clenched fist tightens. She waits for a moment before a man steps up beside her.
"What's a pretty lady like you doing here by yourself?" The man asks, his breath stinking of alcohol.
"I'm waiting for someone." Cinder answers with a sigh.
"Oh it's a date!" The man exclaims, "Who is it? I guarantee that I can show you a better time."
"Cole Carne." Cinder states.
The man jumps at the name. He quickly backs away. Cinder rolls her eyes as she goes back to waiting. Cole exits the bathroom and walks up to Cinder.
"You're late." Cinder declares.
"Actually I was early." Cole corrects, "Started drinking without you."
"I'm here to discuss business, not get drunk." Cinder states.
"Then let's talk business." Cole says, "Follow me."
Cole leads Cinder to a backroom that's completely empty.
"The sacrifice is onto us." Cinder explains.
"Obviously." Cole responds.
"You knew?" Cinder asks.
"Of course." Cole answers, "He was at the docks, Tukson and the White Fang rally. He's clearly been tracking our movements or is incredibly lucky."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Cinder asks.
"A little puppy told me that everything is under control." Cole declares.
"A little puppy told you…?" Cinder repeats, baffled.
"That's on the need to know." Cole replies.
"I'm the Queen's Bishop." Cinder growls.
"Just because you're Salem's favorite doesn't mean I've forgotten your place." Cole retorts.
Flames burn around Cinder's fist. Cinder raises her hand but Cole grabs her wrist before she can do anything. He grabs her throat with his other hand and slams Cinder against the wall.
"I own you." Cole declares as he tightens his grip.
Cinder's eyes narrow in anger,
"Everything you were..." Cole continues as Cinder begins gasping for air.
"Everything you are…" Cole continues as Cinder closes her eyes.
"Everything you ever will be…" Cole continues as tears well up in the corner of Cinder's eyes.
"...it's because of me." Cole finishes as he lets Cinder go.
She falls to her knees and begins coughing roughly. Cole crouches down to meet Cinder.
"And you would be wise to remember that." Cole declares as he grabs Cinder by her hair so she can look him in the eyes.
Cole let's go of Cinder's hair and she falls back to her hands and knees.
"We proceed as planned." Cole declares, "I will tell you if there's something that you need to be concerned about. Understand?"
Cinder nods.
"Good…" Cole begins to walk out of the room, leaving Cinder there.
Cinder clenches her fists on the floor as her eyes flare up. She glares at Cole as he leaves but doesn't act. When Cole closes the door behind him, Cinder looks down, her fire fading.
Ash and Cora walk through the halls of the Providence building in downtown Vale. They enter the infirmary to find Carl sitting on his bed, flexing his arm.
"How're you feeling?" Ash asks.
"Better than ever." Cole declares as he stands up, "I'm ready for action."
"Easy there, big guy." Cora warns, "You're lucky to be alive."
"The blast that hit you is highly adaptable to Aura." Ash explains, "It changes its properties on the fly to trick the target into thinking that the attack is not harmful."
"Kismet said I had a mission." Carl says.
"Not until you are deemed to be fit for duty." Cora declares.
"It's a simple scouting mission." Carl argues, "I'll be fine."
"Better safe than sorry." Ash says.
Cataline and Iris are also in the building but on a different floor. They enter engineering where Kobicha is working. Many large crates are being rolled in by staff members.
"Careful with those crates, this material is very sensitive." Kobicha warns.
She turns and sees the two Gravity Meisters before waving to them.
"You called for us?" Cataline asks.
"I did." Kobicha states, "Generation Kavacha 17.5 are well underway."
"So what do you need?" Iris asks.
"We have plenty of new gear tested and ready for use." Kobicha explains, "You'll be provided with new earpieces and your weapons should be outfitted with new scopes that will connect to the HUD on your earpiece."
"A HUD on an earpiece?" Iris asks.
"Yep." Kobicha states as she presses a button on her earpiece.
A lens made of hardlight generates and covers Kobicha's eye.
"Cool right?" Kobicha asks, "You can configure the HUD to your liking as you can for your Kavacha."
"Anything else?" Iris asks.
"You and Ash have some upgrades to your Kavachas." Kobicha explains, "Since they were created relatively recently, they are compatible with some of the new hardware. I've compiled a list for you."
Kobicha grabs a tablet and taps it a few times. Iris gets a notification and holds up her wrist to check it on her watch. A hologram appears with the list.
"Full-Body Hardlight Shields, Active Camouflage, Active Mass Balance." Iris reads.
"That second one is exclusive to your Kavacha Ranger." Kobicha explains, "It uses your armor's cameras to scan your surroundings to update your camo."
"Why exactly is your armor equipped with cameras in so many places?" Cataline asks.
"It's tailored to my Semblance." Iris answers, "A normal eye can focus on a single point in their line of sight, my Semblance increases my line of sight and allows me to simultaneously focus on everything within that range."
"The downside is that her eyes are more sensitive." Kobicha states, "So flashbangs work especially well on her."
"Shut up." Iris laughs, "Don't go around telling everyone my weakness."
"What about the other two?" Cataline asks.
"The Full-Body Hardlight Shield is self explanatory." Kobicha explains, "Be warned though, generating the shield uses all the hardlight Dust in your Kavacha. If your shield breaks, it won't recharge. We'll have that sorted out by the time we rollout Generation 17.5. The Active Mass Balance allows your Gravity Dust to automatically adjust the weight of your limbs and body. It's designed to be used in the air for better maneuvering, but you can also use it on the ground to some extent."
Ash and Cora meet with the rest of the team in a waiting room outside the lab. Cataline and Iris hand Ash and Cora their new earpieces and Iris gives Ash the list of new features in his Kavacha.
"Wanna give the equipment a test run?" Iris asks.
Ash checks his watch, "We have time."
"So how're we doing this?" Cora asks.
"We'll pair up." Ash declares, "Cataline's with me."
Iris raises an eyebrow.
"I thought you'd pick your girlfriend." Iris nods her head towards Cora.
Ash rolls his eyes, "Cora and I have the most training, putting us together would be unfair."
"You say that but you picked Cataline because she can use her skill with tracking and agility to locate and outmaneuver Iris." Cora explains, "And you can counter either of us just by getting close."
Ash smirks.
"We'll start at long range." Ash declares, "If you manage to lose the advantage, then that's on you."
Team SCCI stands outside a training arena on one of the lower floors of the Providence building. They are all wearing their Kavachas but without their helmets, using their earpieces' HUDs instead. The arena takes up two floors with the upper floor being designed for spectating.
"Kismet." Ash calls, "Randomize the environment, one setting."
The floor in the arena changes into that of a forest. Iris and Cora glance at each other and smirk.
"Guess we have the advantage." Iris declares.
"I wouldn't be so sure." Ash responds, "I was a marksman once, I know what to look out for. And Grimm frequently inhabits forests so Cataline knows how to navigate undetected."
"Better get started." Cora comments.
The two split off into their pairs then go down to the lower level where the armory is located.
Cora and Iris grab their respective weapons. Cora takes a Bullpup rifle with a scope. She attaches an undermount grenade launcher before holstering the rifle on her back. Cora then grabs her revolver and a machine pistol.
Iris takes her sniper rifle, equipped with a new scope, and attaches a silencer to it. Iris also takes a submachine gun with an extended magazine.
"So what's the plan?" Iris asks.
"Stay in the trees." Cora orders, "Keep me in your line of sight, I'll lure them out so you can get a clear shot. I'm pretty sure Ash and Cataline will stick together with Cataline tracking us so they can engage."
"What about his silver eye?" Iris asks, "Ash can see Aura."
"Did he say whether he can see it through obstruction?" Cora asks.
Iris shakes her head.
"Then let's hope he can't, otherwise it won't matter." Cora declares.
"Shouldn't we have a Plan B?" Iris asks.
Cora grabs a few grenades and landmines and hands some of them to Iris, keeping the rest for herself.
"Use explosives to control the terrain." Cora orders, "Focus on Ash. He has more Aura than Cataline and his shield could make a head on fight difficult."
"Copy that." Iris responds.
Ash and Cataline are in a different armory on the other side of the arena.
"We'll have to stay together to avoid being picked off." Ash says as he takes his Blades of Astraea.
"Can you use your Silver-Eyes to find them?" Cataline asks as she takes a machine pistol with a sight.
Ash shakes his head.
"I can see Aura but only if they're within a couple meters." Ash states, "You'll have to be our guide if we find a trail. I'll take point, but stay close in case they flank us."
Cataline holsters the pistol on her thigh and takes a sighted rifle with an under mounted laser sight. Cataline removes the laser sight and attaches a vertical grip and flashlight.
"Planning on blinding Iris?" Ash asks.
Cataline turns on the flashlight and adjusts its brightness to be as high as possible.
"You know it." Cataline smiles.
Ironwood walks through the Providence building, following behind him is Glynda Goodwitch.
"I thank you for meeting with me on such short notice." Ironwood declares.
"What's this about, James?" Goodwitch asks.
"You've been a tremendous help to Providence operations in Vale over these past couple years." Ironwood states, "I'd like to ask you to join Providence."
"You can't be serious." Goodwitch comments.
"I am." Ironwood responds, "But before you decide, I'd like you to have a look around first."
Team SCCI are all in the arena.
"Kismet, start the countdown." Ash orders.
"5…" Kismet starts counting down.
Ash closes his eyes and crosses his arms.
"4…"
Cora takes a deep breath.
"3…"
Cataline hops in place.
"2…"
Iris jumps onto a tree branch, using her gravity Dust to boost her.
"1…"
The Gravity Meisters immediately move.
Cora and Iris find a small clearing and hold position there. They plant their landmines around the area and Iris retreats back into the trees, getting a line of sight on the clearing and Cora.
Ash and Cataline reach the other end of the arena, arriving at Cora and Iris' start point. Cataline spots Cora's footprints.
"Only one set." Cataline states, "Iris must be in the trees."
"Which means that she'll be covering Cora at a distance." Ash notes as they begin following the footsteps, "When we spot Cora, hang back until Iris takes a shot, then use the trajectory to find her."
"Think you can take Cora by yourself?" Cataline asks.
Ash nods.
Cora is resting against a tree with her rifle in hand.
"Look out!" Iris warns through the COMs, "Above you!"
Cora looks up and rolls out of the way of Ash's stab. Ash converts his free blade into its rifle form and shoots at Cora. Cora rolls to the side then shoots at Ash. Ash jumps into the air, backflipping over Cora. He shoots at her with both rifles, landing behind Cora. Cora focuses on dodging while also shooting back. A hardlight outline flickers around Ash's body as some of the bullets hit him. The moment Ash lands, Cora smirks. One of the landmines explodes near Ash, knocking him into the air. Cora then shoots her grenade launcher, hitting Ash while he is in the air. Ash is sent into a tree and his hardlight shield shatters. Cora quickly loads another grenade and fires at Ash. Ash dashes out of the way and charges at Cora again.
He converts his rifles into their sword modes and swings. Cora rolls underneath the blade and bashes Ash in the stomach with the butt of her rifle. Cora rolls backwards to gain some distance but Ash drops one of his swords to free his hand. He grabs Cora by the ankle while she is in the middle of her roll and, using his gravity Dust to boost his strength, throws Cora into a tree. Ash pulls his sword back into his hand with his gravity Dust before getting shot in the head by Iris. While his Aura took the hit, Ash is still disoriented by the shot. Cora takes the opportunity to reload her grenade launcher and fire a grenade at Ash.
Cataline's HUD projects the trajectory of Iris' shot. Using the trees as cover, Cataline begins making her way to the shooting position. Cataline jumps off of the tree she is currently on but is almost instantly hit by Iris' sniper. Cataline falls to the ground, landing directly on a landmine, triggering it. Cataline's Aura takes the brunt of the damage and she quickly recovers. Cataline rolls out of the way and behind a tree to take cover. She grabs two flashbang grenades from her belt and tosses them into the air.
Iris takes the bait, shooting one. The other then detonates and Cataline can hear Iris cry out in pain. Take the moment to strike, Cataline jumps into the air and tackles Iris out of the tree. The two crash into the ground and begin tumbling. They roll onto a landmine and it explodes, sending them in different directions. Iris' shield shatters as she slams into a tree. Cataline manages to recover and grab onto a branch. Due to her momentum, the branch breaks and Cataline quickly uses her gravity Dust to land safely.
Iris holsters her sniper rifle and draws her SMG, firing blinding in Cataline's direction in order to force Cataline to take cover behind a tree. Iris' vision is recovered but still blurry. She rubs her eyes before realizing that Cataline is charging right at her. Iris opens fire and Cataline slides underneath the barrage. Iris attempts to redirect her aim, but she runs out of ammo. Iris jumps into the air as she reloads, Cataline fires her rifle as Iris does so. Using the Auto Mass Balance, Iris rolls through the air to avoid the gunfire. Iris lands on a tree and rapidly blinks as her eyes continue to irritate her.
Ironwood and Goodwitch walk along the hallway observing the arena. They stop to watch.
"Tell me about Team SCCI." Goodwitch requests, "You didn't tell me much when you were requesting that I transfer them in without Ozpin's knowledge."
"As Agents of Providence, they're sworn to secrecy." Ironwood declares, "I can't tell you much."
"Then tell me what you can." Goodwitch responds.
"You're already well acquainted with the leader and CQC expert, Ash Snow." Ironwood states, "Cora Nilla is their firearms specialist. She's been in Providence the longest. Cataline Maple is the team's Grimm slayer. Her training is very similar to what huntsmen go through. Lastly, Iris Azura is the team's marksman. She is Providence's newest agent."
"They certainly are skilled..." Goodwitch declares, "But something is bothering me."
"What is it?" Ironwood asks.
"Cataline is a child." Goodwitch states, "Ash and Cora are so young they must have joined when they were children as well."
"Providence is very..." Ironwood pauses to think of the right word, "selective... when it comes to choosing its agents. Most of the agents aren't children and those that are a kept very close together so they can have something that at least resembles a childhood. I will admit that Providence tests the line between right and wrong on many occasions. This is one of those times"
"You're in charge of Providence." Goodwitch comments, "You could change that."
"I could..." Ironwood agrees, "but with the world the way that it is right now, hard decisions have to be made."
Cataline jumps into the air to dodge a sniper shot from Iris. Iris responds by drawing her sidearm and firing at Cataline. Cataline takes the shots, relying on her armor and Aura to protect her. Spotting an opening, Cataline throws another flashbang. Iris runs towards it, sliding underneath so it'll detonate behind her and out of her line of sight. Cataline pauses in confusion for an instant but quickly realizes that Iris shut off her cameras and is using her natural vision to avoid being caught off guard by a flashbang. Unfortunately, Iris used the opportunity to draw her sniper and shoot at Cataline. Cataline manages to lean back, the bullet only grazing against her chest but still taking away a large chunk of her Aura. Cataline loses her footing and points her rifle at Iris. Cataline doesn't get a chance to fire and quickly rolls out of the way of another sniper shot. Cataline jumps to her feet and charges at Iris. Cataline tackles Iris into a tree and then backflips while still holding Iris. Cataline slams Iris into the ground, directly on top of a landmine. The landmine explodes, sending both flying and depleting both of their Auras.
"Iris Azura and Cataline Maple have been eliminated." Kismet announces.
Ash kicks Cora's rifle outside of her hands. Cora takes a few steps back as she draws her sidearms. She fires both at Ash, who deflects every bullet with his blades as he gets closer. One of the shots from Cora's revolver hits the guard of the blade, causing Ash to lose his grip. Ash stabs at Cora who jumps backwards. He pulls the trigger on his sword, causing it to fire a beam, knocking Cora back. When Cora hits the ground she drops her pistol and it lands near one of the landmines, triggering it. The shockwave causes Cora to roll over.
"Since when could they shoot while in sword mode?" Cora asks as she gets up.
"Since always." Ash responds.
Ash charges at Cora fires two shots at Ash. Ash deflects both and Cora, realizing that she is out of ammo in the cylinder, rolls forward to get behind Ash. She kicks at Ash's head but he blocks with his free arm. Ash then grabs her leg before she can pull back and pulls Cora forward, causing her to lose her footing. Ash tries to stab at Cora, but she rolls out of the way. Cora then kicks at Ash's side, causing him to lose his grip on the sword. Cora quickly gets to her feet and tackles Ash before he can grab his sword again. They roll for a bit and Cora ends up beneath Ash, kicking him off of her. Ash grabs her ankle as he is knocked back, pulling Cora towards him before punching her in the face. Cora manages to turn her body so she lands into a roll. Ash lands on his feet but stumbles for a moment. Cora tries to reload but Ash has already closed the distance. He grabs her wrist and pulls it to the side, opening her body for a gut punch. Cora pulls her arm free, smacking Ash in the face with the revolver. She attempts to finish reloading but Ash throws out a right hook. Cora ducks underneath and elbows Ash in the stomach. Ash responds by dropping his elbow on Cora's back. Cora drops the revolver and falls but wraps her arms around Ash's torso to keep from hitting the ground.
"If you wanted a hug, you could've just asked." Ash teases before jumping into the air.
Ash backflips while in air, causing Cora to lose her grip. Both right themselves while in air and land on the ground.
"I'm surprise Cora can hold her own for so long." Goodwitch comments.
"While Ash is our Close Quarters Combat expert, he truly excels with weapons, primarily swords." Ironwood explains, "When unarmed, Ash is no more skilled than any other Agent of Providence."
"So they're equals?" Goodwitch asks.
"Not quite." Ironwood answers, "In order to qualify at such a young age, Ash had already received extensive combat training outside of Providence. If we don't account for the fact that he was a child and therefore less physically able than an adult, Ash was already on par with soldiers from standard kingdom military. Skills aside, it's a shame to imagine what horrors he had to go through as a child."
"You don't know?" Goodwitch responds.
"We only know what Ash has told us himself and what we could dig up during our background checks." Ironwood explains, "All that really matters is what that he learned, that he has cut all ties, and how the experiences affect him now."
"And how do they?" Goodwitch questions.
"You could see for yourself if you accepted my offer." Ironwood states, "What I will tell you is that Ash is incredibly stressed. He channels that stress in combat. Ash goes into something that resembles a trance and focuses purely on the battle, shutting everything out. I'm sure you've seen it yourself."
Goodwitch nods, "Doesn't seem like he's doing it right now."
"That's because he's not." Ironwood notes, "When Ash enters that states, he goes for blood. It's easy for him to lose himself in the rush of combat, so he reserves it for life or death situations or when the fight is so close to finish he won't have the time to get lost."
Ash and Cora take the same stance before charging at each other. Cora jumps into the air and over Ash, who turns to follow her movements. Cora lands on the side of a tree and kicks off of it to launch herself at Ash. Cora crosses her arms as she slams into Ash, who manages to catch her wrist and toss her to the side. Cora manages to grab a tree branch and spin around. Cora lets go to use the momentum to launch herself at Ash again. She outstretches her leg to kick Ash but he leans to the side. As Cora passes by, Ash grabs her ankle and slams Cora into the ground.
"Will you stop grabbing my leg?" Cora complains as she pulls her leg free.
"Will you stop trying to kick me?" Ash responds.
"Fine then." Cora smirks.
She pulls out a landmine from one of her pouches and plants it on Ash's torso.
"Shit." Ash comments as he grabs Cora to ensure that she can't escape the blast radius.
The landmine explodes, but it is extremely low yield. The explosion does little more than drain their aura and separate the two by a couple feet. Cora gets to her feet and spots her rifle behind Ash. Ash spots the Blade of Astraea that was kicked out of his hand behind Cora. The two immediately make a dash for their weapons. Ash begins walking to his left and Cora does the same. The two start to circle each other but stop once they swap places. Ash uses his gravity Dust to pull the sword into his hand and Cora does a backwards handspring, grabbing her rifle in the middle of it. Cora loads a grenade and shoots it directly at Ash. Ash converts Astraea into its rifle form and shoots the grenade. The explosion blocks both agents' line of sight. Ash takes the moment to turn his weapon back into its sword mode and charge at Cora. Cora uses the moment to load another grenade. She fires again and Ash leans to the side, letting the grenade pass by him. Ash then uses his gravity Dust to pull the grenade out of the air. Ash prepares to throw the grenade back, but Cora shoots it. The explosion sends Ash flying into Cora, knocking them both onto the ground.
"Ash Snow has been eliminated." Kismet announces as Ash's Aura depletes.
Ash groans as he rolls off of Cora, "I guess you win this one."
"I guess I do..." Cora says through heavy breathes.
"I think..." Ash is also breathing heavily, "...I'm just gonna lay here."
Cora crawls to Ash and rests her head on his shoulder, "I think so too."
Goodwitch seems a bit surprised by the outcome.
"It is indeed a rarity for Ash to lose a battle." Ironwood comments, "I'd wager that if Iris hadn't managed to get that initial shot off he would have won handily."
"Agreed." Goodwitch adds, "Though he should have used his shield instead of a second sword."
Ironwood nods, "He likely wouldn't have been fast enough to block Iris' shot, but the explosives would've been less effective against him."
"Ash and Cora are close, aren't they?" Goodwitch asks.
"They are." Ironwood comments, "It's nice to see that they're getting along again."
"What happened between them?" Goodwitch questions.
"I can't tell you that." Ironwood answers, "Accept my offer all you'll be able to find out by reading their past mission reports."
That first scene was added on a whim but is very important. This entire chapter is here to serve as a way to develop and show the relationships between the characters and how they differ from their canon counterparts.
This chapter was going to be a bit longer, but I find it'll be better to cut it off here and continue the rest as a separate chapter.