Chapter 27…
Rust blinked once, then he blinked twice… he blinked a dozen more times for good measure.
The tall boy rubbed his fingers on his eyes gently to clear away the last of the morning gunk before carefully sitting up in his bunk. He extracted his legs from the covers and pivoted to plant his bare heels against the cold floor of the dorm room.
Rust hissed in pleasure as he stretched out his legs for the first time in eight hours, hearing several cracks and feeling instant relief from the multiple cramps he had developed. Sleeping in a wall mounted cubby was preferable to the ground, if only slightly; the design of the bunk meant that he had no place to stretch out his legs while he slept. Granted, his legs hung off the bed back at Beacon academy, but at least they weren't shoved up against a wall for several hours without respite.
Angling himself so his legs hung off wasn't an option either, the chill he had developed from his first night of trying that thwarted any more attempts to come.
Rust shook himself away from his musings and stood up with a stretch, making sure his back was stretched fully before padding over to the dresser. He reached into the small closet and pulled out his usual clothes, resolving himself to take a warm shower before changing in the privacy of the bathroom.
"Rust…" Mauve called in a quiet tone, making her teammate freeze in place.
So much for that then…
"Whats up?" Rust asked, looking over his shoulder to spot his leader. Mauve looked far more alert than she had been the last few weeks and was still in her bunk. The lynx girl was propped up in a sitting position and had her hands wrung in her lap. Her face was impassive, but Rust knew her well enough to know when she was deep in thought. "Mauve?"
"I need to speak with you… once Asher comes back," Mauve explained, each word that rolled off her lips was carefully annunciated. "Okay?"
"Is it uh… something serious?" Rust asked, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Of course, Rust knew what it was probably about, but he wanted to hear her say it.
"Once Asher comes back," Mauve repeated with a nod, her gaze still stony and unreadable. "Why don't you take your shower… I'm sure he'll be here soon."
"Speaking of Asher…" Rust muttered. "Why did he spend the night in the infirmary again?"
"Just a little problem he's been having… the doctors needed him to come in for a few tests."
"So he had to sleep there?"
"Look… it's-" Mauve huffed. "I'm sorry… but I don't think he wants me talking about it."
"Is it life threatening? Should I be worried?" Rust asked carefully, feeling a bubble of anxiety curl up in his stomach.
"Nothing like that…" Mauve assured. Her gaze flicked down for a moment before snapping back up to find him again. "Look… if it makes you feel better… he's been having some weird dreams recently… okay?"
"Dreams?" Rust repeated, quirking a thick eyebrow. "What's so bad about dreams?"
"He just wanted to speak to the doctors," Mauve shifted in her covers, breaking her gaze away for a quick moment; it was because of those gentle movements that Rust deduced that she was withholding the full truth.
Should he push the issue? Get Mauve to spill the beans? He wanted to do that… but if things went wrong and Asher found out then the team dynamic would once again be damaged… perhaps irreparably.
Rust had known Asher for a while now… the guy was tight-lipped and would certainly not appreciate his meddling.
"Nevermind," Rust shook his head and hoisted his clothes over his arm. "We'll talk when he gets here…"
Rust had just spun around when the door of the dorm room swung open with a rush of air. Asher was standing there in the same clothes he had worn the night before. His hair was messier than usual and his eyes had a bloodshot quality to them that made Rust concerned.
"Asher!" Mauve choked out, rising up from her spot in the bunk. "You're here!"
"I am?" Asher spoke confusedly, shaking his head at his two teammates. The fair haired boy walked into the dorm and accepted a hug from his girlfriend before turning to Rust. He stretched out his hand towards his much taller friend, revealing a plain white envelope that was clenched in his grasp.
"Oh!" Rust exclaimed, gingerly accepting the envelope and inspecting it.
"It's from Vermillion," Asher smiled. "I found it in the mailbox next to the door… I also found this letter here…" Asher showed his teammates the second letter he was holding, it was from Honey and addressed to Sage.
A tense silence fell over the trio for a moment, the sadness of their friends disappearance covering them like a blanket.
"Might as well just leave it on his bunk…" Mauve mumbled out, receiving a nod of affirmation from her partner. Asher walked off to gingerly set the letter down on the stale covers of Sage's bed.
"Anyways…" Mauve shook her head. "I need to speak with your two… it's important."
"Shoot," Asher shrugged.
Mauve walked over to the dorms desk and pulled out the chair. She turned it to face her teammates and took a seat, crossing one leg over the other. "I don't think Ironwood is doing enough… and we can't trust him for a second."
Another tense blanket of silence enveloped the room.
"You heard what he said a few days ago about us taking this matter into our own hands," Asher muttered under his breath, his bloodshot eyes wild. "He made it pretty clear that he wants us to be backup, not vigilantes."
"Asher has a point," Rust added, shrugging his shoulder in the grey eyed boys direction. "Ironwood wouldn't be happy if were found out…"
"Frankly, I don't really care what Ironwood thinks anymore," Mauve responded tersely, crossing her arms across her chest. "While I understand this is a sensitive situation-"
"This isn't like fighting Grimm, Mauve!" Asher shot back hotly. "Were talking about people here… criminals! We can't just go in guns blazing on some half-assed rescue mission!"
"I never said anything about guns blazing!" Mauve responded. "Ironwood says he would keep us updated but its been four fucking days with radio silence!"
"Mauve-" Rust began, but he was quickly cut off.
"Let me ask you two a question," Mauve snarled, shooting up from her seat and sticking an accusatory finger in the direction of her teammates. "If the worst happens… and Sage gets himself killed… do you think Ironwood is going to intervene at all? NO he isn't… he'll write a neat little letter of consolation and then wax on to us about how he is 'sorry' for what happened."
"And what if we're the ones who get him killed!" Asher snarled back, stamping his foot indignantly. "Ironwood says that this is a sensitive situation! If we involve ourselves… we could be destroying a fragile plan we don't know the full scope of!"
Rust cleared his throat, a booming noise that stunned his teammates into silence; he held up his hands as a peace gesture. "Why don't we take a step back here… Mauve, you're suggesting we involve ourselves directly and try to find Sage. Asher, you're suggesting we follow Ironwood's request and take in information as it comes."
"Okay…" Mauve muttered, squinting her eyes curiously.
"These are both flawed ideas…" Rust explained. "Mauve, if we involve ourselves and Sage is trying to maintain his cover, we might place him in massive danger. Asher, Mauve is right about us not putting out faith in Ironwood… maybe he's not a bad man but he is always going to put his interests ahead of ours."
Rust stopped for a moment, anticipating responses from his teammates; to his pleasant surprise they both stayed silent and allowed him to finish. "Look Asher… while Mauve's plan is far from perfect… I think it's the better one."
There was once again silence from his teammates. Mauve's face was impassive but she gave Rust a quick nod. Asher did his best to keep his face neutral, but he looked like he was trying to swallow something unpleasant.
"I understand your concerns, Asher," Rust held up his hand in a peaceful gesture. "But I think it's fair for me to assume that you don't trust Ironwood either…"
"No point in denying it," Asher shrugged and rubbed his temples. "But I still don't like this…"
"There's no impasse here, Asher," Mauve spoke softly with a shake of her head. "It's either do or don't… and waiting around isn't going to help us here. While I'm team leader… I think it's only fair that we vote on this."
"How is that fair?" Asher quirked an eyebrow. "I already know what side you two are on…"
"Then you know it's futile to disagree," Rust smiled, patting Asher's leg gently.
Asher squeezed his eyes shut and growled out a breath that made his teammates shrink back a little. "I hope you two realise that we won't be fighting Grimm… there is real potential that we could seriously hurt people. Right?"
Mauve blinked. "Asher… is this about?"
"Of course it's about that!" Asher snapped. "I'm the only person on this team that took a life! Even if it was in the heat of the moment… I don't want to be in that position again."
"Then why didn't you complain when Ironwood sent us to retrieve the prototype?" Rust asked. "We were fighting people then…"
"That was different!" Asher complained. "We had a plan, all of our team members, backup in the nearby building, emergency services on standby! We don't have any of that now…"
"None of us are out for blood," Mauve placed a gentle hand on Asher's shoulder. "We'll plan out our moves and be careful…"
Asher sighed again. "No casualties?"
"Of course not…"
Asher stayed silent for a long moment, his bloodshot eyes scanning the faces of his teammates.
"Fine," Asher relented. "Let's do it…"
The tension in the air seemed to clear up a little bit. The three team members regarded each other with soft smiles, happy that they finally had a plan of action.
"Are you going to shower, Rust?" Asher asked, turning his attention to his friend.
"I think that I'll read Vermillion's letter first," Rust answered, setting his clothes down on his bed. "You can go ahead."
"Cool, I could use one..." Asher nodded, heading to the dresser to grab some fresh clothes. He was about to enter the bathroom when Mauve reached out an arm to stop him. She pulled him down to her level and whispered something in his ear, pulling back with an expectant smile on her face; Asher's face burned a shade of crimson at her unheard request.
Asher nodded at Mauve and she slowly stood up, walking to the dresser to grab some clothes before pulling Asher towards the bathroom.
"WAIT!" Rust roared out, catching the attention of the two partners. "I don't wanna pry… but are you two gonna… y'know…"
"That might happen," Mauve confirmed, her face turning several shades redder than her boyfriends.
"You two are anything but obvious," Rust grumbled. He stood up with a huff, grabbed his clothes and stomped into the bathroom, shoving past them as he did; he tossed Vermillion's letter on the desk as he passed. "I'm taking first shower now… you degenerates can have it after."
He shut the door before he could hear a response.
Ten minutes later…
Rust exited the bathroom in a blast of steamy air, sighing contentedly as he grabbed Vermillion's letter and returned to his bunk. He jerked a thumb in the direction of Mauve and Asher, who gathered their clothes in a flash and then disappeared into the bathroom.
"Young love," Rust chuckled at their frantic display. He shook his head and leaned onto his back, hanging his legs off the side of the bed to gain a little comfort.
The deeply tanned boy held Vermillion's letter above him, using his fingernail to tear the top of the paper and remove the contents. He unfurled the letter and began to read:
Dear Sexy HUNK
I know it's only been a few weeks but it feels like it's been a lot longer. Was that a suitably sappy way to start off this letter? Good…
Anyways, the village is bustling as usual. I wish you could have come with me after the Vytal tournament like we originally planned, but we'll have to postpone it for the time being. I've been alright, the training that my team has been doing is a lot harsher than Beacon's was, but I know that we're getting stronger by the day (except Honey, she's basically a walking sunburn… poor girl)."
My family is alright too! My father was pretty sick a few months ago but has recovered and my little brother is so much taller than I remember! Speaking of family, thank you for delivering my letter to Crimson. He sent us all nice letters and it means a lot to us to have some sort of communication with him again.
I can only write so much… unfortunately.
I hope this letter finds you in good health. Say hi to the rest of your team for me!
Love,
Vermillion
P.S. Thanks for the pictures… I expect you to dress like that the next time we see each other. In the interest of being fair, I included some of my own in this letter. I know this goes without saying… but be careful where they end up, alright?
Rust blinked at the final statement in her letter. He picked up the envelope again and shook it, hearing paper rustle inside. Reaching a brawny hand in Rust pulled out several small pictures that Vermillion had enclosed for him.
It took only one quick glance at the first photo for his pants to begin tightening uncomfortably. Vermillion had taken it a step further than he had and her pictures were notably more risque.
One particular photo made him pause. Vermillion's skin was more tanned than he remembered, a golden hue replacing the paler one he was familiar with. She was wearing a dark red swimsuit that left little to the imagination and was pulling down the waistband of her…
"Rust?" Mauve's voice jolted him out of his thoughts. "Are you listening?"
Mauve and Asher were standing before him, dressed in fresh clothes and their hair still damp. Rust quickly and crudely shoved Vermillion's pictures back into the envelope and hid it under his back.
"You guys were fast!" Rust questioned, getting suspicious looks from his teammates.
"It's been twenty minutes?" Mauve blinked in confusion.
Rust quickly checked his scroll, discovering the Mauve was right. It appeared lewd photos had a temporal effect...
"Mauve and I were talking," Asher's gaze flicked between Rust and his girlfriend. "It's good to know that we reached an agreement on our game plan… but we have no leads."
"He has a point," Mauve mumbled under her breath.
"I mean… we've been grounded for a long time. The only thing we know is the location of the nightclub Sage's uncle owns," Asher added.
Rust nodded and looked down at his lap. Asher had an excellent point, they had nothing to go off of and Ironwood certainly wouldn't tell them anything.
How would they manage to find Sage?
Rust's mind slowly dragged itself away from the problem at hand, focusing again on the pictures Vermillion had given him. Golden skin, long red hair, piercing blue eyes… the body of a warrior goddess she kept concealed under her red jacket… wait a moment… Vermillion…
Well, not specifically Vermillion, but someone of close relation.
Rust snapped his fingers. "I know how we're gonna do it!"
"Great!" Mauve's eyes lit up. "How!"
"We're gonna pay a visit to a friend… one who knows how to track people…"
"I see where you're going with this…" Asher smiled, nodding slowly. Mauve picked up as well, her eyes widening in realization.
Rust smiled at his friends. "But before we do… I need to take another shower."
"Another, why?" Mauve snorted in confusion.
Rust deftly tucked the envelope full of pictures into his jacket sleeve as he stood up. "I didn't use enough shampoo… I don't want dandruff… long story."
The tall boy rushed back into the bathroom before his teammates could call him on his bluff.
Later…
Crimson Fiamma crossed his arms behind his head as he stared at the unremarkable ceiling of his bunk bed. He closed his eyes and breathed in a breath of the early morning air, trying to relax for a moment. Breakfast wouldn't be served for another thirty minutes or so, which gave him enough time for a lightning fast shower.
Maybe…
"Carmine you asshole!" Sable hissed, slamming the bathroom door with her small hands. The dark haired girl was practically dancing with need, hopping from foot to foot. "Open up, you know that I need to go!"
"What was that?" Carmine's voice sounded muffled from the door. "I couldn't hear you…"
"You heard me fine," Sable hissed, kicking the door with her exposed foot and yelping. "If this is about yesterday… I'm sorry!"
"Are you?" Carmine responded. "Remind me what you did!"
"I called you an 'emo-loser!" Sable huffed. "I'm-"
"And!?"
"I promised you I wouldn't do it again," Sable groaned, her hands grabbing at the waistband of her pajama bottoms. "Look, I'm sorry alright!"
"Something tells me you don't mean it…"
Crimson sighed and rolled his head to face away from the fight. He cared about his team… he really did… even if they were insufferable at times. Well, insufferable save for one…
"Whats going on?" Liz weakly groaned from the bunk above. She poked her head down to view Crimson with bag-adorned eyes. "How long have they been arguing?"
'Thirty minutes,' Crimson mouthed back, seeing a look of derision settle on Liz's pretty face.
"Ugh…" Liz groaned. "Right after I pull an allnighter in the lab…" The lizard faunus pulled her head away from view; Crimson could hear covers rustling above him, indicating that she was trying to get settled again.
A knock at the door ceased the argument…
Sable shot Crimson a confused look before waddling to the door, her legs still twisted with the need to relieve herself. She raised herself up and peered through the peephole.
Sable groaned and turned to lock eyes with Crimson. "I think it's for you…"
Crimson shook his head and stood up from his bunk, making his way to the peephole. Sable moved out of the way and Crimson stuck his eye against the glass. He could make out the athletic form of Mauve Tempesta, as well as the two chests of whom were undoubtedly her teammates.
"Weird… this early?" Crimson mumbled. Sable grumbled something under her breath and returned to the bathroom door, continuing to knock and begging Carmine to finish up.
Crimson opened the door as quietly as he could and stepped into the hallway, receiving greetings from three fourths of Team MARS.
"What's up you three?" Crimson questioned as he rubbed his eye. "You know it's a little early for social visits…"
"We're sorry for the hour but it's urgent," Mauve explained, her amber gaze piercing.
"We need your help," Rust added, gently sliding in front of his leader.
Crimson blinked. "With what?"