A/N: Happy Halloween!
Setting: VRSZ Duplex
The unforgiving, unrelenting sands of Vacuo. It was a place not meant for many. Only the strong could survive in one of the harshest regions in Remnant and such people existed in a specific spot. The budding settlement named Nexus was the home to many powerful individuals and three of them lived under the same household. The infamous Team VRSZ were once mercenaries for hire but were now denizens of Nexus who protect their home. And what were these individuals who inspired fear and respect doing at this moment?
In the kitchen were Silver and Violet, standing around the island, staring at an item resting on it. A cup of coffee.
"I don't think this is a good idea," Violet told the gunslinger.
"This could be the ingredient to the most powerful force on the planet," Silver said with enthusiasm. The smile on his face and the spark in his eyes scared Violet a bit.
She turned around to look at her other teammate, Remus, who was sitting in the living room and minding his own business. He was inspecting his weapon to make sure it wasn't damaged. Thinking about him, fondly, Violet didn't think it was wise to test Silver's hypothesis.
"It might not work… and even if it does, it's going to be dangerous. Shouldn't you try soda or anything else with less caffeine?"
"Nah. I prefer to start with this. I was lucky to find someone selling this in the trading district and almost had to give my arm and leg for it-"
"You swiped it when no one was looking," Violet stated accusingly, eyeing Silver to confirm her suspicions.
He remained silent.
"...Maybe," he tried to mutter under his breath but his mannerisms gave it away.
"Some things never change," she chuckled.
"Just let Remus drink this and he'll be unstoppable. I'm surprised our little speed demon has never had an ounce of caffeine in his life! This will be a great experiment," Silver said as he reached for the coffee.
"I'm sure Dr. Lupa didn't do so for a reason. It might be wise not to-" Violet tried to advise her friend, but he ignored her, grabbed the coffee, and sauntered over to the living room.
"Rey-Rey! I got something I want you to try!" Silver called out with amusement in every word.
It was late in the afternoon after a day of eliminating Grimm moving close to the town's borders and she was exhausted. If any chaos was about to ensue, she did not have the mental fortitude to deal with it properly. Violet began to turn and stop him, but her scroll went off.
Calls from Clair and other members of Nexus's council were constant. Missions to assist Nexus and the allied settlements were their new day to day lifestyle. Violet could admit it was better than how they conducted themselves as mercenaries in the past, but the lack of a schedule and doing things whenever she felt like was something she missed.
Violet answered the call, not looking at the caller I.D. and assuming it was a council member asking them for a job. "Hey. What mission do you have for us tomorrow?"
"...Hey."
That was the only thing Violet heard but she recognized the voice on the other end immediately. The first thing she did was look at her teammates. Silver was trying to sell Remus on trying the cup of coffee. Neither of them was paying her any mind which was fortunate. She didn't want them to know Ebony just called her.
She walked further into the kitchen before responding in a neutral tone. "What do you want?"
There was no response for a while until she heard Ebony reply, "I...um...just thought it was time to call and see how you guys are doing. It's been a couple of weeks since...you know."
"You mean since you tried to kill us… Yeah, it's been a while," Violet retorted dryly.
"...Right… Not my finest hour…" Ebony admitted.
"Not your finest year if we're being accurate," Violet responded.
Ebony could only laugh halfheartedly at the sounded like a joke, but she doubted they were at that level in their relationship. She couldn't deny the truth in Violet's words. Things weren't going her way in Mistral, just like Vacuo.
"You're right. Things haven't been doing well over here and it's been really getting to me. I thought calling someone familiar would help calm me down," she admitted and waited to hear what kind of response Violet would give.
"Since when are we friends?"
A direct statement. Very Violet-esque. It was blunt but a touch of familiarity Violet had for those acquainted with her. She said they weren't friends, and Ebony knew they weren't, but they knew each other long enough to be something close to it. Otherwise, she believed Violet would've hung up as soon as she answered.
Violet couldn't see it, but Ebony had the faintest hint of a smile on her face. She felt warmth swell in her breasts and the clouds in her head part. The image of Violet standing above her with such intimidating disdain was vanishing.
Laughing. Violet heard laughing on the other end of the scroll and it confused her. What did she say that was so amusing?
"That's just like you. It really is. I'm very glad we were able to speak. I needed this. Sorry, but I have to go. There are some things I need to finish up here, but I'll call you later."
"Don't act like this is going to be some casual thing. We're not friends so-"
"WHOA! YEAH!"
This was heard by both women, but it was louder for Violet. That was Remus's voice.
"Shit. Silver gave it to him…" Violet said with dread.
Ebony could only giggle at Violet's own imperfections. Zinnia was right about everything. "I'll call you later. Take care of your boys."
And with that, Ebony hung up, listening to the sound of objects crashing and glass breaking. Violet clearly has her hands full back in Vacuo.
Setting: Inn
"Laughing. I guess things are going well after all," Zinnia thought to herself as she waited for her liege to finish her conversation in the living room.
She sat in a chair and patiently waited with D'Rado and Alexandrite though they were more compromised than when she left them. The last time she saw them, Alexandrite was sleeping on the couch and D'Rado was sitting on the arm to watch her. Now, D'Rado was trapped in the snoozing behemoth's arm with a fearful expression like a gazelle in the clutches of a lion. When she saw this the first time, his pleading face looked so desperate. He wanted her help, but she didn't know what the right move was. Waking Alexandrite could anger her and realizing that she was spooning someone could make things worse. Alexandrite mouthed an apology to D'Rado and waited for Ebony who had a better chance of controlling her.
Zinnia kept her mind focused on helping Ebony recover, but she did glance at Alexandrite and D'Rado though her attention drifted to the former. To willingly use Supernova was incredibly dangerous, even more so now that she sat down with Rose who explained more of the drug with her earlier. Given their situation, Zinnia was fine with giving her a pass, but not if she did it a second time. Like most drugs, Supernova is addictive and with Alexandrite's desire for combat, her chances of taking it again were-
Ebony opened the door for all to see her and vice versa. The first thing she saw was D'Rado and Alexandrite laying together. Eyes trained on them, she remained silent for a moment while a bit of blush reached her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry. I'll give you all some privacy," she said, flustered and turning to return to her room.
"No! Help me!" D'Rado shouted which stirred the Bedazzled Behemoth from her slumber. Feeling her move and groan sent the young man's heart into overdrive as he feared his life was going to end any second.
The Next Day
In the lobby of the inn, Ebony was checking out at the front desk while the others waited. Zinnia took note of how Alexandrite and D'Rado were purposely keeping a far distance from each other. D'Rado did so out of fear and Alexandrite did so out of embarrassment. In a way, she did find it humorous and was glad Ebony could diffuse the situation like she believed she would. Witnessing her at that moment made Zinnia come to another realization. The spark Ebony had when they were in Vacuo had returned. Having her speak to her cousin was the correct move after all.
Ebony sauntered over to the group with a grin on her face. Zinnia knew she was back to her old self again. "So, is everyone well rested?" Ebony asked, looking at Alexandrite and D'Rado specifically. Both individuals refused to meet her gaze and she snickered. "Then let's go."
"We have a destination?" Alexandrite asked.
"Yes. There is one place we're going but we have two goals in mind thanks to Zinny."
Zinnia still didn't like that her nickname was catching on, but she ignored it to explain what she knew. "Yesterday, Rose shared with me more information about Supernova. The side effects, some other details I didn't fully grasp, and most importantly, the ingredients that make them. One item, in particular, caught my ear. It's something one wouldn't find in ordinary drugs and it can only be found in Mistral."
"What is it?" D'Rado asked with curiosity brimming in his eyes.
"Flower nectar from a specific plant: the subterranean umbral flower," Zinnia answered.
"Never heard of it," D'Rado admitted. He was born in Mistral but the umbral flower was something completely new to him.
Ebony glanced at Zinnia to explain further. "It's an extremely rare flower that grows in dark places rather than sunlight. You're more likely to find it in caves or caverns but even then the chances are slim."
"...But you know where we need to go to get one?" Alexandrite asked, realizing Zinnia and Ebony were very confident with their plan.
"Yes," Ebony answered, "and there's a good reason for that." She looked to Zinnia once again.
"Subterranean umbral flower is one of two names this plant was given. The second is the more common one: the Underland flower."
That statement raised Alexandrite's eyebrows.
Setting: Open Road
It felt more appropriate to explain everything on the way to their destination than to stand and talk, so Ebony had her group depart from the small town and head in the direction they were supposed to go. Meanwhile, Zinnia continued talking with the others.
"My family originated in Mistral. The oldest records of our ancestors are found here. It's something we're taught while growing up. We lived in these harsh lands and chose to make our homes in caverns to hide from roaming Grimm. Eventually, they discovered the flower and named it after themselves," Zinnia explained.
"That's incredible," D'Rado said, impressed with the Underland family.
"Not really," Alexandrite chimed in, pulling the cart full of items, "your ancestors sound like weird cave people."
"Ale-" D'Rado was about to rebuke, but Zinnia spoke before him.
"No, that's an accurate description. They kept to themselves when times were dangerous. It was the same for many when Grimm ran rampant, but none of that matters. What's important is the location of their old den. It was one of the things we learned while growing up and we took trips to Mistral to visit said location. It shouldn't be too far away from here. A day and a half distance."
Ebony turned around to speak with each of them. "We'll be crossing through a town on the way there. Resting in civilization will be better than camping, plus I think something in that town can help us learn about who's creating Supernova."
"How?" D'Rado asked.
"Last night, I thought about everything that has happened to us since getting here. My mind was clouded at first, but now it's clear and it feels like all the pieces are finally coming together. A certain someone should be somewhere in town or near it. I'm basing this on a guess, but it's a very educated one."
"Who are we looking for?" D'Rado asked, trying to understand the strategy of the Charming Vantablack.
"Cedar," she answered.
D'Rado tried to think about that name. It was vaguely familiar.
"The name of the faunus who was selling Supernova in Aeolus," Alexandrite reminded him.
"I'm very impressed you remember that," Zinnia commented.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Alexandrite asked, sizing up Zinnia who didn't flinch.
"Just realizing you have a very sharp mind beneath that muscle. That's a good thing," Zinnia responded and Alexandrite backed down.
Despite the familiarity she gave her, Zinnia still held a slight aversion to Alexandrite. She spoke about it with Ebony last night and they decided to let her lapse in judgment slide due to the situation they were in. She just hoped Alexandrite wouldn't use it again.
"According to his family, Cedar's trying to sell Supernova. Since he wasn't around his hometown and we scoured most of the northern area of Mistral, the conclusion is he's around the southern area. I suspect he's in the next town or the neighboring ones. We can gather information about him if he's not there then track him down."
Ebony walked ahead with her head held high and a bit of swagger in her step. Her mood was obvious but it was also honest. She felt really good about herself for once since coming to Mistral. Her behavior wasn't a facade like before. Ebony Vantablack was back in action.
They traveled along the road leading to the small town peacefully for most of the morning. They found a spot to rest before continuing with their travels. However, their journey was halted by roaming Grimm. Ebony sat back and watched D'Rado and Alexandrite battle the ten Beowolfs. Zinnia was going to join them, but her liege held her back so they could observe.
D'Rado used his lance to fight the enemy up close, but Ebony watched his movements carefully. The weapon was large and he was proficient with it, but his movements sluggish. His lance possessed tremendous power, but the trade for such strength was D'Rado's agility. Another thing she noted was something he didn't show once since he joined them. It wasn't as important, but Ebony felt like she should bring it up the next chance she has.
He swung his lance against one Grimm and sent it flying until it crashed into a tree, but another was approaching from his left while he was still in the momentum of his last attack. He couldn't react in time. When the maw of the Beowolf opened to crunch down on his windpipe, a halberd flew by D'Rado's head and rammed into the Grimm's mouth, impaling and killing it.
She lifted her polearm along with the dead Grimm before it turned to ash. Alexandrite glanced down at the young trainee with slightly cold eyes. The sign of vulnerability he showed did him no good in gaining Alexandrite's favor. Not waiting for any form of gratitude, she plunged herself headlong into the battle with the rest of the Grimm. D'Rado got back on his feet to fight with her.
Her fighting style was the same as usual in Zinnia's eyes. The side effects of Supernova were no longer present in her body which was a good sign, but her mental framework was something she couldn't read. She wondered what the Bedazzled Behemoth was thinking about after experiencing the high of Supernova.
"Strong. I'm strong…" Alexandrite thought as she ran her weapon through the chest of another Beowolf. "...but… I could do more. That stuff showed I could still get stronger, but how do I get there on my own?"
She reached her hand out and covered it in purple crystal, trying to forge a weapon from her own semblance as she did with Supernova. The crystals could only coat her arm. It didn't extend into another shape. She couldn't do it.
A Beowolf was running toward her to attack from behind, but instead of ripping her backside apart, the Grimm was met with Alexandrite's frustration. She swiftly turned around with her crystalized fist pulled back then unleashed her ire against her opponent, smashing her armored fist against its face and blowing its lower jaw clean off. A satisfying strike, but it wasn't what she wanted.
"What am I doing wrong? How do I create my own weapons, form crystals in the air? How?" She was aggravated despite being in the heat of battle. To know her capabilities could be developed further but have no clear way to reach them...
"...No. There is a way," she thought to herself. "Supernova…"
Team VRSZ minus one returned! It feels good writing about them again and it really shows how much I missed them. Silver being his usual, immature self and Violet monitoring her boys. It's so relieving. And Remus being the victim of Silver's pranks is always amusing. Zelt wasn't in this chapter but he's doing just fine with Lily.
Ebony has the contact of every VRSZ member and she will be calling them again when she has the time or needs to speak with them about something. She'd probably call Silver for in-depth information about the criminal world and talk to Violet to build their relationship into a friendship. Remus would be the person Ebony would call just to see how he's doing and have fun with him. Remus, on the other hand, might feel uncomfortable speaking with her knowing she likes to flirt. She would call Zelts for advice because of his wisdom. Once she got that, then she would flirt with him even though she knew he had Lily. Ebony's kinda hopeless with her casanova nature.