Chapter 28…

"I'm sorry," Crimson stuttered out, adjusting his glasses carefully with his finger tips. "You need me to do what?"

He had pulled the three members of Team MARS into the room with him and had shut the door behind them; they were all sitting on the ground just near the bunks. Mauve was closest to him, a burning look in her piercing amber gaze.

"We need you to find our teammate, Sage," Mauve repeated herself.

Crimson felt his pace quicken a little bit. "Sage? Is something wrong? Is he alright?"

The three members of Team MARS looked a little sheepish.

"We think he's ok," Rust said slowly, he was arching his back and supporting himself with his hands. His brown eyes were seemingly stuck to the floor, darting around at odd intervals. "But… it's a long story and I don't know if we should get you four involved."

There was silence for a moment before an unlikely voice spoke up.

"I'd like to hear the story," Carmine muttered, looking uncomfortable when everyone turned to face him.

"Carmine," Liz shook her head and gestured with her hands. "Is it good to pry-"

"I agree with the emo-loser," Sable butt-in, ignoring Carmine's glare and leveling a heated look at Mauve. "You guys are weird and we want to know why."

"Weird?" Asher blinked.

"Blame Crimson," Sable toyed with a lock of her hair, her dark eyes squinting into half-lids. "You four came seemingly out of nowhere, you stay locked up in your dorm at all hours of the day-"

"None of us have ever seen you in classes-" Carmine added with a grumble.

"-and you guys are a tad bit evasive whenever we ask…" Liz mumbled out. Her gaze flicked away from the Beacon team and she shuffled uncomfortably in her spot. "Sorry… but you can understand where we're coming from?"

All three members of Team MARS looked between each other for a moment, each sported a neutral and unreadable look.

"Look," Rust rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You guys are right about all that stuff… I guess we have been a bit suspicious-"

"Rust…" Asher interrupted, giving his teammate a wary look.

"Right," Rust shook his head slowly. "But… you see… the thing is…"

"Quiet!" Mauve huffed, turning to face Crimson's team. "Were not here to be students… we were brought here by Ge-"

"Mauve!" Asher hissed. "You agreed we wouldn't tell them!"

"Tell us what!" Sable leered, her eyes widening with expectation.

Crimson shuffled uncomfortably in his spot. On one hand he wanted to know why Team MARS was so weird. On the other hand, perhaps some things were best left unknown.

"If we told your four…" Asher huffed. "Well… you guys might get in trouble…"

"I say we just tell them," Rust argued.

"I agree," Mauve leveled a long look at her partner. "As long as they don't share it we should be fine…"

Asher looked conflicted for a long few seconds before weakly shrugging. He turned to face the other team and gave a long sigh. "If we tell you… do you four promise that it won't leave this room?"

Crimson looked back at his teammates, who were all nodding. "Alright," Crimson sighed. "Why don't you tell us?"

Mauve cleared her throat. "We're here because General Ironwood himself wanted us. We've been assisting in operations around Mantle for the past month."

"Ironwood?" Liz blanched, her mouth hung agape. "Wow…"

"Why you four?" Crimson lifted an eyebrow. "And what's going on with Sage that has you worked up?"

"Sage has some personal connections up here," Mauve continued. "He's a good person… but he is related to some awful people who Ironwood wants to arrest. We think he's in trouble… but Ironwood isn't being helpful by telling us where he is…"

"And now you need to find him," Crimson took in a sharp breath. "I get it now…"

Things suddenly made sense… their reclusive nature, their exemption from classes… everything. They were here on official business, not as transfer students.

"Look, I want to help you three," Crimson explained, his breath quickening when he saw three faces drop in disappointment. "But my semblance has limits… I can only track people that I know and am familiar with… I've only spoken to Sage like… once."

"So you can't help?" Mauve stuttered out. "That puts us at square one…"

"Well," Crimson shrugged, feeling Liz's warm hand clamp down comfortably on his shoulder. "I might be able to give you a rough location…"

"How?" Rust demanded.

"Crimson's semblance has a bit of a workaround," Liz interjected, rubbing her partners shoulder affectionately. "It would work better if he knew Sage personally… but even basic information might give him a clearer picture…"

"So we just tell you about him?" Asher mumbled.

"That might work," Crimson nodded. "Anything that you think will help…"

Team MARS looked between each other for a moment.

"His semblance allows him to ricochet objects…"

"He has a girlfriend named Honey… she's waiting for him back in a village near Vale…"

"He's always been a little self-conscious about his looks…"

"He fights with a riot shield, a submachine gun and a grenade launcher… he left them up here in the lockers…"

"Sage loves eating red meat… I think it's because of his faunus heritage…"

"He used to hide his ears under this awful beret… until he and I had a fight and he eventually felt comfortable enough to take it off…"

"He's not a very good dancer… but he tries his best…"

Crimson was keeping his eyes shut throughout this whole ordeal, focusing on his memory of Sage's appearance. He saw the flickering that indicated his semblance was working, albeit slowly, as well as the tugging sensation in his gut that accompanied it.

But not yet… he needed more…

"Okay," Crimson held up his hands and opened his eyes. "He's in Mantle… but I'm guessing you need more than that?"

"Well duh," Sable snorted from behind Crimson. "You might as well say 'Remnant'..."

"I need more personal information," Crimson explained. "I know that perhaps some things are best left unsaid… but I need more…"

"We could tell them about… y'know," Mauve mumbled, receiving two strange looks from her teammates.

"Are you sure?" Asher questioned, his eyes softening. "It took him a long time to tell us… in fact, I only learned it secondhand from you guys."

"Anything to help," Rust patted Mauve on the shoulder. The very large boy twiddled his fingers nervously and turned back to face Crimson. "I'd appreciate it if this information wasn't shared…"

"We can keep our mouths shut," Liz nodded. "Right?"

Sable and Crimson nodded back at her, both of their faces were a little more serious now.

"Okay," Rust breathed. "Sage was abused by his parents… badly. His uncle took custody of him and sent him to Atlas prep… his uncle is also the man Ironwood is after."

Crimson had closed his eyes shut again and with Rust's confession his dark world exploded into light, the information he had on Sage was now sufficient. He could isolate quick images of a location, it appeared to be some sort of warehouse. The building itself was dilapidated and in poor shape, the streets themselves were equally neglected.

"I see a warehouse," Crimson stuttered out. "I can't make out which one… but it's probably in the industrial section of Mantle…"

Crimson sighed and opened his eyes, Liz's hand was still clamped down on his shoulder. "I'm sorry… I don't think I can push it anymore…"

"Thank you," Mauve rose with a nod and a smile, her teammates standing up along with her. "It's not much… but it gives us a head start."

The three members of Team MARS broke off in the direction of the door. Asher turned around to face the other team for a moment.

"Remember," the grey eyed boy warned. "Nothing leaves this room… you guys don't want to get wrapped up in this…"

"Right," Carmine stuttered.

With some respectful nods the Beacon team exited the dorm, quietly closing the door behind them.

"What a morning," Carmine muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose and stalking off towards his bunk bed.

"Poor Sage," Liz sighed. "I hope he's alright…"

"He will be," Crimson smiled sadly, placing his hand on Liz's and massaging her palm. "He has a good team…"

Later…

"Are we good to go?" Rust questioned, his eyes moving across the forms of his two teammates.

"Should be everything…" Mauve muttered back. The lynx girl adjusted the sleeve of her catsuit as she broke off in the direction of the cockpit. With a few words of confirmation to the pilot the civilian bullhead they were riding in began to gain altitude, lilting gently to the tundra breeze.

Leaving Atlas Academy by the airdocks would have been risky, Ironwood no doubt had informants on the tarmac who would relay their exodus. Thus, Team MARS had no alternative but to search for a civilian alternative. They had found transportation at one of Atlas's air-taxi services… flights weren't cheap… but the circumstances called for it.

"Okay," Mauve sighed, plopping down in the seat next to her partner. She leaned in to speak to them in hushed tones. "Everyone remember the plan?"

"We get to the industrial sector and split up," Asher whispered to his team leader. "We investigate every warehouse and use our scrolls to call for backup if necessary…"

"Is everyone armed?" Mauve's eyes flicked between her teammates.

A quiet chorus of 'yesses' sprang from her teammates.

The remainders of Team MARS had left their weapons and armor pieces behind, storing them in the rocket lockers Atlas Academy provided for them. Walking around the streets of Mantle armed to the teeth would arouse suspicion… especially if they were in a bad part of town.

Each member of MARS had concealed some form of weaponry on their person. Rust had borrowed Asher's shotgun and slipped it into the folds of his bulky coat, Asher tucked his pistol into his waistband and Mauve had Asher's knife hidden up the sleeve of her windbreaker.

Naturally… if things went sour they would call in the lockers… but it never hurt to be prepared.