Chapter 43 - Salt
"I know every word—all this cold talk of redemption—but the night can't hold a candle to shadows that I can't overcome..."
Nex flicked his scroll open, tapping Ironwood's mug. "Hey, boss-general."
The big man picked up the line a few seconds later, static crackling in the background. Even after building four towers and the CCT, buffering and bad signal was still a thing, especially since Atlas was hundreds of leagues up north from Vale. Between Grimm, inhospitable terrain, and turbulent weather, the CCT had its work cut out for it.
"Technician-Developer Shade," Ironwood said, sipping on some liquid. Probably his daily lunch coffee. "I trust you have something important to personally report?"
"Is the line secure?" Nex asked, whispering.
The iron railing chilled his arm.
"Of course it is," Ironwood said. "With the latest advancements in ACD encryption-tech."
"That's good. I'm gonna need a favor," Nex said, lowering his voice. "Something along the lines of access to the vehicle and train logs of Vale, your unofficial official data on the dust thefts, and your secret secret files on the White Fang and the Resolutionists. Sound familiar?"
"A deranged cult, nothing more. One that died out a long time ago," Ironwood said, scoffing. "What I fail to understand is the connection between the three, and why you want access to information beyond your clearance."
"Last night, I managed to install myself as a model member of the White Fang," Nex said, smirking. It was a pretty awesome achievement. "While patrolling the slums, I found a girl nailed to the wall, the Resolutionists' bloody calling card at her feet."
"Unsurprising. But impressive work. Hustling for a promotion, aren't you?" Ironwood said, chuckling. The good general did sound genuinely impressed. "You think there's a connection?"
"I'm rarely wrong when it comes to patterns and connections, so trust me on this one," Nex said. He had his semblance, after all. The world was just a giant jigsaw puzzle with it. "Know of any Tauruses in the White Fang? He's a big shot, apparently."
"Adam Taurus, a terrorist affiliated with the White Fang and wanted in all four kingdoms," Ironwood said. Something beeped on the good general's end. "His files say he was conscripted into the SDC mines at a young age. Now, he acts as a commanding officer of the White Fang."
"Conscripted?" Nex said, quirking an eyebrow.
It failed to line up with what Jacques told him. Surprising, considering how the man seemed honest with him. Or unsurprising, if one looked at it another way.
"Saying that he was taken from his home in the frontier and enslaved as a child would be carelessly blunt, yet much more accurate," Ironwood said. "You must understand, Developer Shade, that the SDC's methods have only mellowed out over the recent years, mostly due to the efforts of the White Fang."
"Right," Nex said, breathing a sigh. But still. He had to ask. "So, why aren't you doing anything about it?"
"The SDC supplies dust to the four kingdoms, arming our soldiers and powering our cities. I'd even say that their early years of cutthroat business policies were necessary for Atlas' development," Ironwood said. "At some point, Developer Shade, our hands are tied behind our backs, and we must look away and turn to see the larger picture."
Of course. Nothing new there. But still, to hear it from the good general's lips. From a supposed paragon of virtue who led one of the prestigious huntsmen academies - the so-called guardians of humanity, destined to lead all of Remnant in the fight against the literal, soulless manifestations of evil.
Well, not that he was any better.
"Just like how we overlooked your illegal and unsanctioned use of the Mantle Frequency," Ironwood resumed. "As the death of the SDC's heiress within Atlas' walls would deliver a widespread and crippling blow to our people's moral. It would send the Grimm marching."
To be fair, Ironwood had a point.
Maybe working on the side of - gods forbid - the good guys was pretty much the same as working on the side of the criminals. Only this time, the police and the huntsmen had his back instead of the other way around. Plus, he had a stable, high-paying salary an actual health insurance, and whatever resources he needed, whenever he wanted, to develop some new gizmos.
Maybe the Artificer could go look for greener pastures and just up and disappear from the underworld like a ghost. Well, after he tied up the loose ends and ensured they never came undone in the future.
It was something to think on at least. Weiss would probably appreciate it. Him becoming the real deal instead of just being phony and maybe even a fake.
"I'll update your credentials so you have access to the data you need," Ironwood said. "If you encounter the Resolutionists, do not use your mother's sword or shield. The Oathkeeper. Vigilance. They'll know who you really are."
What?
"Oathkeeper? Vigilance?" Nex asked, scratching the back of his neck. "My mom?"
Oathkeeper sat in the closet with Hrunting and Vigilance, practically waiting for Weiss to finish with her shower so they could prepare her disguise for the night. A brunch consisting of hotel food had been had so they could spend the afternoon at their leisure. Definitely a date even if neither of them said anything about it.
"Amariss never told you her history?" Ironwood said. He sighed. "Well, I suppose she never had the chance."
"You're going to tell me then," Nex said, licking his dry lips. "What's the connection between my mom and the Resolutionists?"
"A long time ago, a group of huntsmen-in-training stamped out the Resolutionists," Ironwood said. "Team STRQ and Team SSJW of Beacon Academy, working together on a first mission gone awry."
"That's my mom's team," Nex said. As well as his father's, his girlfriend's parents, and his friends' moms and dad. Fuck. "You think they're holding a grudge?"
"The criminally insane are unpredictable," Ironwood said. "It's best to be wary at all times, especially in our current situation." He cleared his throat with a short cough. "If that's all, Developer Shade, you're dismissed."
"Uh, one last thing. I'll send you a full report later, but," Nex said, "the White Fang will move in six days to quote unquote liberate some faunus. Taurus wants me to come."
"Keep me posted," Ironwood replied. "Dismissed."
The line beeped off.
By the time he finished sorting Ironwood's data into documents to be analyzed with his semblance, Weiss was already dressed in her combat outfit, Myrtenaster attached to her hip, her cloak falling down the small of her back. She stood by the glass pane, a beaming smile on her lips and she parked a hand on her waist.
"Ready, Mr Shade?" Weiss asked, arching an eyebrow. "I think we should look for clothes first."
Nex shrugged, returning her smile. She looked so much better than she did last night, the red rim around her eyes gone, her shoulders loose instead of bunched up in knots. "Ready as I'll ever be. What about your weapon though?"
Myrtenaster looked distinct, even for a plain Multi-Action Variable Dust Rapier. Some of the White Fang goons would probably recognize the weapon the heiress of the SDC used.
"I was thinking that's more of your department," Weiss said as they stepped out their room and locked the doors and windows via scroll. "You can make me a different one, can't you?"
Nex hummed, matching her pace down the stairs and through the lobby. "It'd take time to make a slightly different replica of Myrtenaster. Time we don't have."
"I see," Weiss said, a deep frown on her lips. "I seriously hope you don't expect me to go weaponless."
"Don't worry," Nex said, grinning as he unclasped his bracer and swiped his index over it. "Here. Try this on."
He tossed his nano-tech bracer at her as they stepped onto the bustling sidewalk. She caught it, fiddling with the silvery metal between her hands. Her eyes lingered on the golden wolf cut into its surface, even as the nanobots fizzled, melting down like mercury into the size of a ring. Even then, the wolf was still there - just smaller on the top.
"Put some aura into it, think of a weapon you like, and watch the magic happen," Nex said, his grin stretching up his eyes. "It's experimental, prototype Atlesian tech, but I managed to cannibalize my little inspirations into it. And a lot of dust. You could say it's one of a kind. Artificer-special."
It took a lot of work - partly the reason why he never did some of his assignments - and a lot of dust - exactly why he ran out of it. What could he possibly say? Fiddling with the tech killed boredom, and it was way more interesting than Beacon's curriculum. But now, it was turning out to be so fucking worth it.
Weiss huffed, shooting him an amused glance. "Already putting a ring on me, fiance of mine? This is surprisingly romantic of you."
Nex shrugged as he pulled down his coat's sleeve. "Wouldn't you prefer a ring of, I dunno, diamonds and pearls instead of nano-bots?"
Weiss smiled and bumped his shoulder. "A ring that turns into a sword has got to be the dream engagement ring of any huntress."
"You think Rubes might get jealous?" Nex asked, chuckling.
Weiss laughed - and he joined in as they strolled down the busy street, the mindless chatter of civilians filling his extra pair of ears.
Nex grinned at the blazing afternoon sun. His partner really was the gift that kept on giving.
And maybe - just maybe - the future would turn out to be okay.
"So, how do I look?"
Weiss beamed as she did a three-sixty, spinning on her heels like a ballerina upstage. The sparse, afternoon-shoppers in the huntsman boutique spared her a glance or two, but she did not garner as much looks as he did from the other huntsmen and huntresses picking out their own accessories.
But, well, it was nothing new.
Maybe it was better they glared at the filthy faunus instead of recognizing the heiress of the SDC and pulling out their cameras to snap some stolen shots like that one tabloid did. There really was no point in fame, despite what the important people in Atlas had the less-important ones believe.
"Mr Shade?" Weiss said, smirking as she parked her hand on her hip. "Don't tell me you're struck speechless now, after what you've already seen and touched."
Nex shrugged, blinking back into his current situation. Right. Shopping. The clothes. Her hair. "I dunno. I mean, you look a bit... Not you, I guess?"
Weiss Schnee wore a dark-blue jacket and cowl complete with his hood-turned-scarf looped around her waist, her emblem folded on the inside. The cowl shadowed her forehead down to the tip of her nose.
Well, at least when she put it on.
Right now, her new haircut - a shoulder-length bob parted to the left, with the tip of her waves resting on her clavicle - crowned her face and covered her scar like Winter's fringe did. It also made her look like the younger Willow in the old team portrait with his mom. But still, her signature side-ways ponytail was gone - a practical compromise due to the necessity of a cowl.
A black choker finished the look, while a golden, metallic wolf hung off one side of her neck. She also wore a pair of black jeans and steel-tipped, spiky boots.
All in all, it looked like Weiss Schnee just underwent an edgy phase and evolved from world-renowned, classical singer to just plain underground emo.
"That's the point of a disguise, isn't it?" Weiss said, arching her one visible eyebrow. "I doubt even my sister could recognize me in this... alternative getup." She sighed, scratching her cheek. "It does itch a bit though. I wonder how Winter could fight with this haircut."
Nex shrugged, reaching into his pocket. "We need to do something about your scent."
Weiss frowned, her eyes darting to the other patrons. "My scent?" she hissed.
"Some faunus could probably smell human up close," Nex whispered, pushing the contained into her hand. Well, like the ghost-ninja did to him last night. "Spray the thing all over yourself and you should be fine."
"Dare I even ask?" Weiss shoved the box into her tight-looking pocket.
"It's, well..." Nex said, heat creeping up his cheeks. "Contacts. And perfume. Distilled essence of wolf."
"Care to elaborate further?" Weiss asked.
"The contacts simulate faunus night-vision, and the perfume is basically a cocktail of my signature scent mixed with a wolf-ified version of yours," Nex said, tapping the tiles with the tip of his boot. "Other faunus... Well, in Mantle, I'm told faunus smelling like another faunus is practically-"
"I think I understand where you're going with this," Weiss said, smirking even as pink dusted her cheeks. "You're all kinds of romantic today, aren't you?"
Nex rolled his eyes, his lips tilting into an easy smile. "What can I say? I'm making up for acting like a real ass and leaving my girlfriend alone crying."
Weiss scoffed, raising her chin. "Just so you know, Nexus Shade, I didn't cry. Although I distinctly remember my boyfriend acting like he says he did."
"Of course, of course," Nex said, snorting as he killed the laugh in his chest. "Ice queens don't cry, right?"
"And edge lords do?" Weiss said, quirking an eyebrow, a lopsided grin on her lips.
Nex shrugged, his smile widening. Touche.
Weiss winked and stepped into the fitting room, probably to change back into her regular combat outfit.
It took her about ten minutes to change into her usual white coat and skirt combo, Myrtenaster clipped to her belt and her cropped hair let loose, framing her face.
They exited the boutique and stepped into the rest of the mall, with him carrying a couple sets of her new outfit in two big shopping bags. How some guys could actually bear going to malls everyday was a mystery, and-
"Miss Weiss Schnee!"
A tall, willowy white-haired woman dressed in a burgundy coat and skirt stood in front of them, adjusting her spectacles as she flashed them a smile. She clutched a pen and notepad, her hands shaking. Her eyes darted to his extra pair of ears, then down to his feet, her lips a taut line.
Right. Nothing new there.
"Is it true that this... man carrying your purchases is your lover?" the woman said, the tip of her pen hovering on her notepad. "I'm Caroline Lavender from The Valean Daily, asking for ten minutes of your time."
Weiss plastered a big smile on her face, raising her chin and squaring her shoulders. Political training in action. Flawless, if not for the microscopic narrowing of the corners of her eyes. Doubtful anyone else but him knew her tells intimately enough to see it.
"Yes. He is." Weiss nodded. "But I don't appreciate your tone, Miss Lavender. Now, will that be all?"
The journalist coughed, jotting down something on her pad of yellow paper. "I understand your time is valuable, Miss Schnee. But." She shot him a pointed glance. "May I have his name and his affiliation at the very least? It's for the official and reputable papers in town, you see, and I'd hate to disappoint our readers."
The smirk playing on the edge of her lips betrayed exactly what she thought his affiliation was, in important people speak, as well as what the official and reputable papers really were.
Fuck.
If Caroline Lavender was a small sample of how Weiss' birthday party would turn out, and probably the rest of their life after, then it was going to be harder than he thought. Pointless politicking, hidden meanings, and veiled insinuations...
Toss Nexus Shade the Artificer into the Grimm, the criminal underworld, or the lawless frontier any day and it would be much, much better. But still, maybe he could do something about their current not-so battle and turn the tables against their not-so enemy. Just another little perk that came with his impromptu job.
Besides, if it came down to it, Weiss could probably handle it on her own.
Nex shrugged, managing a smile, even as his girlfriend nudged his forearm and shook her chin no. "Nexus Shade. Faunus. Huntsman-in-training from Beacon Academy." His smile turned into a smirk. "Technician-Developer of the ACD. Atlesian Military."
The reporter huffed and wrote something down on her pad. "Do you have proof that you are who you say you are, Developer Shade?"
Weiss scowled, the microscopic narrowing of her eyes growing macroscopic. "I find this uninvited line of questioning quite preposterous and frankly insulting, Miss Lavender. What my fian-" Her tongue twisted as she coughed into her fist. "Boyfriend says is nothing but the truth."
She grabbed his hand, her nails digging into his skin even as his bracer-turned-ring brushed his palm. "While I'm sure it's a pleasure to spend a few more minutes entertaining your questions, we really must be going." She hmphed. "If you'll excuse us."
Weiss dragged him down the center of the mall. He smiled and shrugged, quirking both eyebrows at their thin ring of spectators.
They looked away.
He was definitely doing something right then, even as they whispered something about the Schnee and her pet, cameras clicking and flashing. The reporter gasped, her notepad clacking over tiles. It was the last thing he heard as the chatter of the crowd and the shuffling of feet deafened his extra pair of ears.
"I can't believe this," Weiss muttered as they exited the mall.
She released his hand, rubbing her forehead. The busy streets had long since dispersed, giving way to the chilly Valean breeze and the stars twinkling through the gray clouds. They flitted across the skies, bitter smoke stinging his nose.
"Can people really be that close-minded?" Weiss asked.
Nex shrugged, smiling even as her mouth dipped into a little frown. "Does it bother you?"
"Yes. Yes, it does," Weiss said, shooting him a look as they strolled down the street, just a few blocks away from their hotel. "What I don't understand is how it doesn't bother you."
"Come on, Weiss. It's nothing new. We're from Atlas, remember?" Nex said, chuckling as he kicked a stray pebble. It crashed into a trash bin, the stone clanging off and bouncing a few feet. "A lot of stuff happens everyday to faunus. Mostly by humans. Small and inconsequential things. But they add up over time."
"That's what's wrong with the world then," Weiss mumbled, her scalding hand slipping into his. "It shouldn't be nothing new."
Nex hummed, even as she turned away and stared at the cars zooming over the road, her lips taut into a fine line.
Weiss squirmed as she stepped on another puddle, the brown flaked with green sticking to her boots like fingers of the rising dead. Her lips twisted, her eyes definitely crinkling behind her ceramic mask. A brand new purchase off a curiosity shop. She tugged on her cowl, her fake lupine ears, white like her hair, stiff against the soft cloth.
Nex nudged her hand, his fingers brushing her new ring. He managed a smile. "Relax. We can clean it off later."
"No, it's not that," Weiss whispered, scowling as she stared at the rundown tents and the make-shift shacks on what must have once been another sidewalk in the Valean slums. "It's just..."
Horned children giggled as they played tag, the edges of their tattered shirts dragging over mud. Brown muck splashed the walls of the tents with every step they took. Embers crackled. The rancid smoke of some age-old meat and sewage wafted through his nose. All the while, the symphony of moans and giggles rang out of the darkness.
Just like last night and every day before.
The campfires lit by faunus in the slums chased away the shadows. Orange-red silhouettes danced under tall, wilted trees and sometimes even inside the cover of the tents. Black smog wafted off their open tops. Improvised exhausts. Like what he and his mother used to have in their old shack in his hometown, before they moved to Atlas.
"I never thought it'd be this..." Weiss said, her voice quivering. "Destitute."
"Yeah, welcome to the slums," Nex said. He licked his dry lips. "Pretty much how faunus live in the safety of the four kingdoms."
"So this is..." Weiss' mask turned towards him, her hair covering the slits on the left side.
"Yep. My childhood," Nex said, shrugging. "My mom left me a nice house in Atlas though, so I only had to go down Mantle to do odd jobs."
More like find an easy mark ripe for low-profile theft. The kind Atlesian authorities overlooked by virtue of it being in Mantle. Food, spare change, and the like. But Weiss did not need to know that.
Not yet, at least.
In hindsight, if he never went down Mantle, then he, Roman, and Neo - the wicked trio in his fellow thief's words - would have probably never met. And then he could have never earned enough lien to pay for Atlas Primary. He would have never met Weiss.
Maybe something nice came out of their meeting, after all. As odd as it was.
"Are we to blame?" Weiss mumbled, her shoulders sagging. "My family, I mean."
Nex frowned, placing a hand on her shoulder. He rubbed the tense muscle. "Not really. A lot of factors played into this. Don't beat yourself up for the sins of your father and every other corrupt bureaucrat out there."
The problem with the big picture was that it was hard to see - and it overshadowed the people living their lives in the smaller picture.
"But part of it is still my family," Weiss said, her lips tightening. "I promise. I'll fix this someday."
Nex grinned, even if his brain spat out that what she wanted was impossible and too idealistic. "Like you've already said before. I'm sure you will."
"I think it's supposed to be we, Nyx," Weiss said, her lips lifting into a thin smile. "We're unofficially engaged, remember?"
Nex shrugged, guiding her left around a bend, straight to the old hovel last night. "Yep. How does Fione sound?"
"I think it's fine," Weiss said, covering a yawn. The golden wolf on her ring finger glinted under the moonlight. "For a girl's name, at least. For a boy, not so much."
"Good," Nex said, deepening and rasping his voice. Just like his father. "Because that's your code-name."
"Oh," Weiss said, chuckling. Her eyes glowed red through the slits of her mask. "I thought you were referring to what we talked about on our last official date."
"Isn't that a little bit too soon, Fione?" Nex said, laughing as they stood just thirty feet from the hovel, the same dog-eared guy standing guard, his eyes glowing green in the distance. "We can't be thinking of our future daughter now. Not when we still have to liberate our brothers and sisters."
He leaned in, whispering to her ear. His lips touched her earlobe.
"Just roll with it."
Weiss nodded, her lips twitching.
"You're back, Nyx," the watchman drawled as they arrived, the door still creaking on its hinges, just one breeze away from falling off. Did it seriously cost that much to repair?
"And with a wolf instead of a cat this time." He sniffed the air, clicking his tongue three times. "Well, what do you know. Lucky bastard. What is it about you wolves and being aphrodisiac to women?"
Nex shrugged, even as Weiss inched a little closer, her sleeved arm brushing his. His perfume worked then. "Maybe it helps she's also a wolf? Look, I dunno, man. She just wants in 'cuz she's worried about me joining the White Fang."
The watchman nodded. "I get you. The ol' missus, the one with the dog ears, she's pretty much the reason why I'm here. Moved out of Mistral when it got too hot."
"We stick together," Nex said, grinning. "Love conquers all, huh?"
It was a nice thought, at least.
"You got that right," the watchman said, his chest jutting out. "Anyway, here."
He reached into the dumpster by the door - doubtful it was a dumpster at all - and pulled out another set of bags.
"The commander's not recruiting tonight. So you pass these out to our small quarters, then you and your gal can go home."
Nex took the bags, the weight tugging on his palm. They left the watchman behind and crossed the street. A certain, purple-hooded ghost-ninja stood by the corner, her amber eyes glowing in the darkness. Exactly like a cat. She crossed her arms, her heeled boots tapping the pavement.
"Nyx," Blake said, glancing at his partner. "We've got a problem."
"What is it?" Nex said. He raised the bags, waving them in the air. "We've got some stuff to hand out first."
"It's important," Blake said. She turned to his partner, frowning. "Something I've gotta show you. Can you..."
Weiss huffed, snatching the bags from his grip. "I expect you to be back in exactly fifteen minutes. Here. Preferably before I finish giving out charity." She coughed, her voice shrinking into a whisper. "And it's Fione, B."
They left Weiss behind as she knocked on the nearest shack, the wood thudding and shrieking as it hinged open.
Blake led him to the alley the night before, dried blood marking the way. The wall where the fox-eared girl once hung was barren save for graffiti. Exactly what the ghost-ninja wanted to show him was nowhere to be found.
Nex shrugged, cracking his neck. "So... What did you want to show me?"
The ghost-ninja crouched on the alley floor, running her fingers over something. A tiny patch of purple stained the pavement. Like someone tattooed a bottle of Mistralian Nightshade into it. Or maybe even spilled a glass of the stuff. They must have missed it because of all the excitement last night.
"Smell that?" Blake said, taking a cursory sniff.
Nex hummed, Pareidolia turning its lens on the tiny patch. "Half-faunus. Can't do it, B. But my semblance identifies it as animal-"
"It's poison," Blake muttered, hissing as she wiped her finger on her pants. "One of the few dozens used by White Fang operatives."
"I take it the White Fang likes going native?" Nex said, yawning. "You know, I could whip up something that could trace this. Find out exactly what species-"
Blake chuckled, springing to her feet. "I bet you could. There's nothing that the Artificer couldn't find out, huh?"
His legs stiffened, even as the ghost-ninja's glowing eyes darted towards him.
"I did some research last night. Something about you just didn't line up," Blake whispered, placing a hand on the alley's wall. "They say the Artificer's the ghost of the underworld. A legend. A myth. A fairy tale. Someone who knows things with no real way to know them. An informant who turns old newspapers into top-secret lucrative marks. Sought after by hardened criminals everywhere.
"But no one really finds him, right?" She pushed herself off the wall, prowling closer. Like a cat. "Because surprise, surprise. He's not a stereotypical, gray-haired criminal informant hanging somewhere in a bar in Vacuo." She chuckled. "He's a Beacon student who isn't even old enough to drink yet. An undercover Atlesian nark."
Nex licked his lips, his throat bobbing. "Sounds like a swell guy. Must be nice being so famous-"
"Cut the crap, Artificer," Blake said, her eyes boring into his. Even through the thin slits of their masks. "Your semblance. The way you move. The way you think. Your backstory, if any of it is even real. What you called yourself the night I left. It all points to one thing."
Shit. Why the hell did Weiss have to blab about his semblance?
His jaw tightened, his left hand clenching into a fist. Pareidolia shrunk back into its cave and screamed for him to draw his mother's fancy sword.
"Is this supposed to be the part where you blackmail me?" Nex said, his muscles loosening. "Maybe call the cops?"
"What?" Blake said. Like she just heard something incredulous. "No! Of course not. You gave me another chance when you didn't have to." She shook her head. "I just want the Artificer's services. For free. I don't have the lien to afford your usual price." She coughed, lowering her voice. "I promise to keep the Artificer's real identity a secret. Especially from a certain heiress."
"Right. Good to know," Nex said, his heart pounding up his temples. Cloying sweat stuck to the back of his neck. Dub dub dub. No choice then. "What's it going to be?"
"The White Fang," Blake said. "If I give you every bit of info I could gather, will you find out where the dust is really going? What Taurus is really involved with?"
Nex smirked. Maybe - just maybe - the ghost-ninja knowing about his dirty little secret had its uses after all. "It's funny you should say that. Ironwood expects me to do the same thing."
Blake nodded. "Then it's settled. The only thing I can't wrap my mind around is this stain and how the Resolutionists are connected to all this-"
A scream tore through the night, stabbing his extra pair of ears.
Blake jumped, just seconds behind him as he burst out the alley.
The horned boy crashed into the mud, just as the shadow leapt over a shack, ghosting across the rooftops.
A phantom.
Golden eyes burned, the murderer cackling as he - or was it she - flew past the broken moon.
"Damn it," Blake said, kneeling over the boy, his tanned skin abnormally pale. Blood spilled out the gash on his stomach. Bits of what must have been intestines flopped over the pavement. "He's dead."
No shit. Nex stifled the urge to roll his eyes.
A bloody, golden sword poked out the boy's pocket.
Fuck.
The Resolutionists were supposed to be a human cult.
"We got something out of that at least," Nex said, glaring the ashen skies. "The murderer's a faunus. Unless they're using night-vision lenses."
"What happened?!" Weiss skidded over cement, a silvery rapier already in hand. She froze as her feet stumbled over the corpse.
"What is-"
She heaved and covered her mouth, glaring at anything else but the blood-splashed pavement.
"Yep," Nex said, shrugging. "Pretty much a first-timer's reaction." He managed a smile. "Now, who wants to tell the watchman another one died on their turf?"
Blake and Weiss exchanged masked looks, their eyes glowing amber and red.
Nex sighed. Troublesome. Especially since it looked like the murders were going to happen pretty much every night.
Well, not unless Taurus got off his ass and actually did something to catch the killer.
Author's Notes:
Yes, I'm finally back. The reason why I didn't update for like a month was because I decided to take a break from fanfiction and novel-writing in general. My prose wasn't flowing as well as I'd have liked. Well, and also because 2021 is turning out to be super hectic and exhausting, work-wise and university-wise (F me for choosing a math-oriented, algorithm-heavy field). I'll probably be able to update once in a while, but not as much as before in quarantine.
Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing.
Fun Trivia: Weiss' code name in this chapter is a blatant nod to Guardians of the Unknowing and Maiden. It's derived from the birth name of their daughter, Fiona, which means white (relation to a certain canon character may or may not be there). Fiona Schnee, aka the Immortal Witch Queen Thunder Incarnate of the Darkstorm Galaxy Riding on the Wings of Doom Eternal (or simply Heroine Fiona), features as a protagonist in both stories. Guardians of the Unknowing is published, Maiden not yet 'cause it's a pseudo-sequel to Artificer. But, well, Guardians isn't for everyone with its eclectic storytelling (reader discretion is advised when reading semi-crack parody fics xD). Akane Taurus (basically gender-bent Adam from an alternate, medieval RWBY-verse) says it all in her signature quote: "You ain't seen nothing yet, Prince Jaune. The multiverse is a weird, weird place."