Researchers of Menagerie

by Arrixam

Ghira Belladonna didn't expect to see new neighbors move next door to Menagerie. Nor did he expect them to carry arms, possess Semblances closer to magic, or... be able to tame the Creatures of Grimm. He must learn if they are here as the refugees they profess to being, or if they are secretly here to conquer his people. (Cross with original works)

1. Chapter 1

Before we begin!

This story isn't relatively new. It was posted elsewhere and I decided to make it into an official story after getting enough attention. Anyone new to my works will... more than likely not understand what's going on. There are elements that come from my original works and I will describe things here and there. But, to be blunt, this story is for those aware of my works.

On with the show!

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It was another day as Ghira loomed over the reports of the island. Menagerie was an isolated archipelago, shoved into the corner of the world and as far away from the Kingdoms as could be. It was a plot of land willingly given by the other Kingdoms for the Faunus to call their own after the results of the Faunus War. It was too small to ever become a kingdom, and therefore too small to be anything more than a small reminder that it existed in the first place.

Be that as it may, it was still a place to call home for all Faunus. Here, no one was discriminated for their traits. Everyone was equal and could receive fair treatment and respect. Power could be given to only those who deserved it. It was as much an island paradise as it was an asylum.

However, the island was simply too small. Though large enough to rival one of the capitals on the mainland, well over ninety percent of the land was uninhabitable. The one and only city on the island had to be positioned towards the western coast. Buildings had to be cluttered, packed tightly, and some stacked on top of each other. There weren't any valuable resources within the desert beyond to expand it.

And there was the crux of his current problem. Sand was getting into the crops and the farmers on the outskirts were competing against nature to keep it at bay. They were requesting more men to help build the fences. They also needed materials to build aforementioned fences. Trees were scarce enough as it is.

It was but one of many problems he had to deal with. He placed the sheet down, stood from his desk, and roamed around the office. His hands were behind his back as he thought to himself. He was the sworn leader of Menagerie. The unofficial and nonexistent crown had been in the Belladonna family since the end of the war. He took his position seriously. But there was a burden as what decision he made today would benefit one side at the cost of someone else's loss.

He wandered about until coming to the window. His large hands rested on the flat of the windowsill. A dry breeze blew across his face. He watched as the people went about their business while his guards kept eye on anyone passing by his estate's boundaries.

His ears twitched. There was a sound coming from outside he wasn't familiar with. It was a low rumbling. He wasn't the only one to notice it as others with heightened hearing were looking towards the east. Their heads were up in the sky and searching. It sounded like a thunderstorm was coming… faster than what should be possible.

He was out of his office and on the tariff of his estate in the next moment. His hands clutched against the railing as his eyes scanned the skies. The howling of thunder was getting closer. Louder. The pitch was increasing.

It wasn't thunder. It was the sound of a vehicle breaking the sound barrier.

His eyes spotted something black in the endless blue sky. It was small but flying at low altitude. Nor was it a vehicle like he thought.

The object in the sky was humanoid. He blinked and squinted his eyes to make sure. Yes, the object was in human shape. A man was flying face-forward with their arms down at their sides. Fumes were coming out of their hands and back, creating a distorted tail in the air behind them. The suit he was wearing was completely black. The metal was foreign to him. Not unlike obsidian but the light of the sun did not reflect off of it. To Ghira, it looked like the sky itself had a hole in the shape of a man.

He flew over Ghira's head faster than any bullhead could. He swiveled around, leaning forward to keep track of the flying man. It flew too high and too fast for their rifles to shoot him down but also showed no signs of hostility. Ghira watched the figure lazily turn to the right, reaching the piers and going over the ocean. Only then did he make a sharp turn and fly back the way he came. The thrusters on his back flared and he accelerated faster than before, creating an even louder boom that shook the walls and hurt Ghira's ears.

Ghira could only watch the man fly back over the horizon and be nothing more than a black dot in the sky.

"What in the world was that?" he asked himself. He wouldn't wait for anyone to answer him. He needed to find the answer himself. He stepped off the railing and hurried around the house.

"Ghira, sir!" his head of security was already waiting for him when he entered the main loft. He didn't wait for a response. The two of them moved side-by-side towards the front.

"Reinforce the perimeter," Ghira ordered. "I'm going to the outposts. Make sure Kali and Blake do not leave the premises."

"They'll want an explanation," the man replied. "Are we under attack?"

"I don't know. It was just one unit. It didn't look like something from Atlas but we can't be so sure. It could be some new prototype of theirs. Regardless, it looked like a scout. It flew over the central part of the village before returning."

"We will protect the house with our lives," the man said firmly. "And if we are under siege, I will personally escort them to safety."

"Pray that it doesn't get to that," Ghira said in a low growl. The aged chief of security nodded as he held the door open for him. Ghira stepped out into the blinding sun and was already greeted by the city watch by the gate.

"Mister Belladonna," the young lad was but a messenger. His eyes were slightly frayed with fright. "Do you know what's going on? I-I mean… What are your orders?"

"Calm yourself," Ghira stood tall, towering over the young man. "We must first assess the situation. Lock the city down. We don't need to evacuate the civilians just yet. Send men to the outposts and keep a vigilant watch to the east."

"Yes, sir. Understood, sir!" the boy saluted and looked to his companions and nodded at them. The rest of them had heard and took off running. He watched them go before heading off himself.

The village below wasn't in chaos as he had feared. Everyone was discussing what they had just seen and wondered if it was either a new Grimm or a foreign invader. However dire either thought were, the regular folk were continuing on with their daily business. Some stopped to question him and he put them at ease with a few words and gestures.

He eventually reached the first tower overlooking the desert, a squat building made of mostly sandstone. It was the main station used to open and seal the gate that led travelers into the land beyond. It was rarely used but manned for the rare Grimm attack. What few monsters made it this far were quickly dealt with by archers and riflemen.

Now the post was active with activity. Men and women were up in their stations, overlooking the great wall that protected the village. They were all armed.

"Belladonna," the gruff captain of the watch greeted Ghira. The man had been expecting his arrival. "Not much point in you being here. I've already gathered the men. We're keeping watch and ready in case something comes this way."

"Good," Ghira nodded while his eyes peered up at the wall's edge. "Did any of your men manage to see anything we couldn't?"

The captain made a low growl while he placed his hands on his hips, "Pro'lly no more than you. It got us unawares. Flew past us and into the city before we could react. Lucky it didn't do nothin' else. We barely had time to assemble a firing squad before it left. It headed towards the sands due east before we lost it. The lads think we're expecting an Atlasian assault."

"Atlas has no reason to invade us," Ghira frowned. Though he said this, he didn't fully believe it. The SDC had a reputation of abusing Fanus in their dust mines while Atlas looked the other way. A terrifying thought had him question whether the Schnee Dust Company had assembled its own army and was coming here to acquire new 'employees'.

"Maybe not Atlas, but somethin' is out there," the captain snorted. His voice dropped in pitch as his eyes hardened, "We don't have the manpower for a full invasion. If any of the other Kingdoms are attacking…"

"Assume for now but don't act on it," Ghira told him. "We can't let the civilians go into a panic for any reason. Keep a constant watch and sound the alarm at the first sign. I will defend the wall myself while the guards escort the people to safety."

"That's noble an' all…" the captain rubbed his chin. "But you're the chief. If it gets to that, you need to be lookin' out for everyone else. Think of your wife and daughter."

"I am thinking about them," Ghira said in a solid tone that left no room for argument.

The captain could only grunt in acceptance. No other words were exchanged between the two of them. The man went back to giving orders to his men, relaying what Ghira suggested or doing so as it was always his intention. Ghira roamed around the area, talking to the guards and asking what they saw.

He did this to the next station and the one after that. He made his rounds across the wall, speaking to both the common guards as well as those in charge of their respective towers. All of their answers were the same as his own: they knew next to nothing about the figure in the sky. It had come too quick for them to properly react. Ghira himself had been at the right place at the right time to catch its sudden arrival.

Hours had passed since then. The guards were all armed and ready. Every available man and woman was at the ready, taking brief breaks for water or rations in a rotational shift. Archers and riflemen held their weapons on hand at all times. A spotter would overlook the desert with their binoculars or with their pure eyes if they had a Faunus trait that made their vision superior to their brethren.

"Ghira," he was surprised when one of his private security guards showed up at the wall. They extended a wrapped bundle in their hands. "Lady Belladonna sent me to give this to you."

He took it and unwrapped it. Within was a wooden box stuffed with meat, cheese, and slices of bread. He hadn't been out for very long but he had skipped lunch.

"How are they?" he asked while wrapping the bundle back up.

"She worries for you," the guard said. "But she understands. She is keeping Blake distracted for the time being. Should I relay a message to her?"

He couldn't help but smile. His loving wife. Though they had a staff to cater to their every need, she was adamant about cooking the meals for their family. He would have taken the guards' rations if she didn't prepare something for him. No, he actually wouldn't. He'd go through the day without eating now that he thought about it.

"Tell her—"

Shouting came from the guards at the top of the wall. A panicked shout. Seconds later, sirens began to flare. It was the alarm system used when Grimm were on their way to attack the village. It was only used when the threat level was high enough to possibly breach the wall.

"Get back immediately and see to my family," he ordered quickly. He didn't wait to see if the guard would reply. He rushed to the nearest post and stormed through the tower. Everyone was on alert and rushing to their positions. He joined them, climbing up the steps and reaching towards the top of the wall.

He stood there, momentarily frozen as he saw the sea of black coming from the horizon. A few hundred Grimm were coming from the east. He could make out Deathstalkers and Jakals. Bennus and Apophis. Ammit and Griffons. The worst the desert had to offer was coming their way.

Orders were being shouted by the captains of each unit. The guards readied their weapons, knocking their arrows and aiming down their rifles. Men and women behind them readied their swords and spears. Some shook with fear and Ghira could not blame them.

"What… in blazes?" one of the observers gasped. She had a pair of binoculars with her eyes going wide. She squinted and peered a little more.

"What do you see?" the nearest guard asked her.

"People," she answered. Heads turned. "I see people down there. They're… they're riding off of the backs of the Grimm!"

Preposterous. Impossible. Ghira stared at the woman before looking back over the wall. The sea of black was coming closer. He could now make out the white masks and spike protrusions from the evil monsters. And… he also saw rope and wood. He saw some of larger creatures pulling crude sand sleighs. But people? No he couldn't see anyone. At least not this far out.

"Let me see those," he extended a hand to the woman. She leapt at his presence but complied. She pulled the leather strap over her head and handed him the piece of equipment.

He peered through them, focusing the lenses to get a clearer picture ahead. He could make out the glowing red eyes and the blood-colored tribal marks on their masks. And— he pulled the binoculars off and blinked a few times before looking back in— he could make out a humanoid shape on the backs of the monsters. Not all Grimm had a rider. But he saw people in full black gear mounted on a select few. They were all human as far as he could tell.

He focused again to make sure. They were all wearing Grimm masks. At first he thought they were a variant of the Nuckelavee— horsemen Grimm with the conjoined bodies of a demented horse and its demon rider. But as he looked again, the humanoid forms weren't connected to the Grimm. Their legs were swinging about with each step, some riding in pairs, and there was no glowing red in their eyes unlike the other Grimm.

There weren't many. Maybe a third of the Grimm in front of him. Perhaps less. They were also riding on the sleighs, though he noticed some of them were lying down with another person keeping vigilant watch on them.

They were maybe five hundred feet away before the hoard stopped marching. A signal was given from the front and the riders following reeled back on their mounts. Grimm complied. He could not believe it.

Ten individual Grimm approached forward. Now he could make out the better details. They all wore black cloaks too thick for the desert. Those with fairer skin had the hoods drawn while others had their sleeves rolled or coat half-off at the waist. Some had the obvious build of a male while the rest were too difficult to tell.

The one leading the army of monsters wore a pure white coat, impossibly unblemished in contrast to his dirty fatigues. He rode on the back of a Griffon, wearing the mask of one over the top half of his face. His lips, parched as they were, were creased into a long, thin line.

From this close, Ghira could see that his eyes were glowing behind that mask. One was red, the other blue. There was something inhuman with the way they outshone the Grimm's.

"What do we do?" one of the guards asked, looking around.

"Hold your position," one of the captains commanded while cocking his rifle. The barrel was pointed at the front of the pack.

Ghira watched as the young man down below said something to one of his companions. The one he addressed rode his Jackal around, untied one of the many swords strapped to his side, and handed it over to the white-cloaked man. He accepted it, gave another order, and kicked his heel for the Griffon to move forward. He approached the wall alone.

Every weapon on the wall was pointed at him. His eyes examined the armed forces with an almost impassive look. Slowly, steadily, as to not alarm any of them, he began to remove his coat. Ghira watched as he tied the sleeves to the hilt of the sheathed sword… and wave it over his head.

It was… a flag of surrender?

"We have sick and injured," his voice boomed loud for all of them to hear despite the distance. Something on his person was amplifying his voice like a speaker. His Semblance, perhaps? "Can you help us?"

Rifles swayed. Bows creaked under strain. Heads turned toward one another, unsure of what to do. No order was given. Ghira found those in charge were looking his way. They were expecting him to give the command in their stead. They looked as lost as he felt.

It was the burden of being in charge. Even when he didn't have a single clue on what to do, he had to pretend otherwise. Chaos would follow if those below him saw his state of unease.

He had no idea what to do. He was unable to come to terms with the fact a strange group had been able to tame Grimm, mankind's mortal enemy. This had to be a ruse. There was a trick of some sort.

"Who are you?" Ghira shouted out. While he always had a loud voice, it wasn't amplified like the one before him. It almost sounded small in comparison.

"We are a company known as the Researcher Symphonies," was the reply. "We are not from around here. We were swept up by a storm and found ourselves on the shore of your island. You're the only civilization we've come across. Several of our men are injured. Some have contracted a disease we don't know how to treat. Can you help us at all?"

"This has to be some kind of trick," one of the captains muttered quietly. "Sir, we can't open the gates for them. They'll overrun the city in no time."

Ghira saw as how the captain spoke quietly, even with the great distance between them, some of the humans down below had their eyes lined up to the speaking captain. Their expressions shifted as though they had been able to hear him. Low whispers were exchanged between them while their eyes never strayed away from the wall. Their leader must have heard, for he turned his head without looking away from Ghira and raised his hand to hush them. They obeyed without hesitance.

"I do not know your company," Ghira called back. "If you require our help… send a representative to the front gates. Bring forth those in critical need. Those escorting them are to dismount from the Grimm and lay down their weapons."

Everyone was watching him. Ghira kept his head leveled as he locked eyes with the young man below. He saw the uncertainty in his eyes. Those eyes narrowed with distrust. But beside that distrust was desperation. Fear.

"I will go," the young man said back. "I will comply with your demands only if you are there to meet me. I want your word they will not be brought to harm."

"You will have it," Ghira said, sharpening his voice next. "But if you step out of line in any way, the guards here have their orders to kill you."

A grim understanding was made between them. The young man nodded once before turning on his mount. He gave orders to one of the smaller figures first before commanding two men to assist her. The three rode back to the main caravan and began to bring forth their most dire units. Deathstalkers pulling sleighs were brought to the front. The leader gave a signal to follow him as he kicked his heel against the Griffon. They all approached the gate at a slow and steady march.

"Sir!" another captain ran up to him as Ghira began to head towards the tower to descend. "You can't be seriously thinking about opening the gates for them! They have Grimm!"

"And that is exactly why I am going to meet with them," Ghira said. "I will only take volunteers to come with me. We all know we don't have the power to defend the wall if they decide to attack. If their intent is true, we might be able to learn something from them. But if they've come to conquer us… I'd rather save lives than throw them away."

"If they've come to conquer us, I'd rather die fighting than be subjugated by some humans!" the captain barked back in outrage. Several of the guards cheered back. But some looked so unsure as they looked at the army of Grimm awaiting them.

The leader of the Researcher Symphonies had ordered the infirmed to be lined up a hundred feet away from the gate. Once they were all laid out, he ordered the Grimm to move back into position with the army. He also dismounted from his Griffon and slapped its side; the creature moving back on its own accord, hissing once but obeying nonetheless.

"Then I will go alone," Ghira said aloud for all to hear. "I understand your fears and skepticism. But know if they have come to assault us, there is little we can do. Most of you will die. If there is a chance to reason with them, if there is a chance to make peace with them, I will do what I must to save lives."

He turned away from the officer and descended down the steps of the tower. He heard the barking of orders from on top, officers telling the garrison to keep their weapons ready. The steps he made felt heavier than usual, as if each boot would cause the wood underneath to crack and let him fall to his demise. It felt as though all of Menagerie had mounted itself onto his shoulders similar to how he used to carry Blake.

Menagerie was his responsibility. His child to raise and protect. It had always been his duty, inherited through both blood and oath. He knew there was nothing that could be done should the Grimm siege the walls. They would all be dead before the day was done.

"Open the gates," he commanded, saying those words before he had even realized he had reached them. The mountainous wooden doors, locked and reinforced by iron, was an imposing figure. "Once I step through, seal them back up."

"Sir, you can't go out there alone," one guard with a spear told him. "What if they take you hostage? What if they kill you? They have Grimm!"

"Grimm cannot be reasoned with," he answered as he looked at the gates but stared through them. He could almost see the man on the other side. "They are mindless and relentless. They hate all living indiscriminately. Yet the one who commands them has spoken out to me. He holds intelligence and can be reasoned with. If I can get through to him, there may be a chance to avoid bloodshed. Open the gates. If I am wrong, my life will be warning enough."

Guards exchanged looks once more. They weren't as disciplined as any respectable military from the Kingdoms. They were a group of volunteers. They were men and women who thought they could live easy lives standing here all day, fools who thought they could earn glory in killing what small Grimm they could without proper huntsman training, or those poor and desperate without anywhere to go. A situation like this had never crossed their minds, nor that of their commanding officers.

The iron tumblers groaned as they were pried open. The doors split open, creaking open just enough for a single man to come through. Guards pointed their spears at the entry, some shaking in anticipation for a siege. No further alarm was made.

Ghira crossed through. However, a surprise came when the guard who questioned him followed through as well as those who heard around them. With their pikes and rifles shaking in their hands, they stepped through the gates with him. They huddled close together and without formation.

The man in the Grimm mask was waiting for them, twenty feet in front of the infirmed. He was smaller than Ghira thought. Riding on the back of the Griffon made him into an imposing figure but the man, dressed again in his pristine white coat, couldn't even reach up to Ghira's chest. Still, he stood in front of his men with his legs spread out and hands at his side. His red and blue eyes scanned the entire ensemble behind Ghira, noting their weapons and their positions.

Those same eyes went over Ghira's shoulder, scanning the top of the wall and the dozens of weapons pointed at him. He kept watching them as he opened his coat. He undid his utility belt, drawing it out to his side for them all to see before dropping it into the sand. He also took out a pistol from a holster and a combat knife from within the inner pockets. He dropped those as well.

"Are you the one in charge or just some idiot they sent to die?" he asked when his eyes fell back onto Ghira's. His voice didn't echo like before. It was a natural voice, albeit surprisingly deep and aged for his size.

His choice of words made the guards behind Ghira tense.

"My name is Ghira Belladonna," he answered, spreading his arms out to show he meant no harm. "I am the chief of Menagerie and represent everyone beyond that wall. I've come to speak with you and to see whether your intentions are true or not. Understand I mean no offense but mean to do this as a precaution. From one man in charge of others to another, I am sure you understand this."

"...Menagerie?" the man asked while his eyes strayed towards those behind him. He was studying them differently.

"Yes, you are on Menagerie," Ghira nodded. "From what Kingdom do you come from?"

"Menagerie," he said. It wasn't his answer. He tasted the word like a drink. "It's a bit of a sick joke, don't you think? Did your people do so willingly or did others name it for you? Either way, I wouldn't be surprised if the name of your race is Chattel."

Ghira's lips thinned. Though sarcasm ran through his lips, the man was curious and without intentional insult. He was merely stating what was on his mind. It was as if…

"Where do you come from?" he repeated the question.

"Not from around here," was his answer. "Very, very far from here. So far, in fact, you wouldn't be able to find it on any map. I guarantee it. Menagerie is not a place we recognize. I have never seen your race before. And your constellations are different from ours. But, if you must know, we come from a place called the American Empire on this little rock called Earth."

"...If you want our help, as you claim, I would appreciate it if you took this a little more seriously," Ghira said in a steady voice. "You can start by taking off that mask and identifying yourself. I have shared with you my name."

"This mask is the only thing keeping the beasts at bay," the man said while tapping the tip of his mask. Ghira saw that some of his fingers were discolored as if they had never seen the light of day. There were also pieces of flesh missing and deep scars running on the back of his hand. "But my name is Chase Lance Rolan. I am the Second Symphony, Commander of the Researcher Symphonies."

As Ghira watched the man touch his mask, his eyes flicked over to the sea of black behind. Huntsmen would create mask replicas of the Grimm they had slain and mount them on their walls as trophies. This was because the Grimm would dissolve into mist and dust when they were slain. To claim a piece of ivory or porcelain was anything but was ridiculous.

"I see," he chose to say. "Is the technology you use to control the Grimm within those masks? Do you come from Atlas?"

"Technology?" he questioned back with a small dip of his head. "I suppose it would be, in a very archaic sense of the word. I can tell you everything we've learned since coming here. I could tell you how we tame the beasts. It's the only currency we have and I'm willing to pay if you can treat my men."

Ghira looked at this man, searching for a lie. There wasn't one. Though his eyes are hard and cautious like a wild animal backed into a corner, it was because he was backed into a corner was he honest. Desperation radiated off of him despite the front he put up. He spoke not to persuade Ghira, but to learn about him and see if he could be trusted.

"You would tell us how to control the Grimm?" Ghira asked with heavy disbelief. "Why? Do you have any idea what you are trading? Your commanding officer, maybe your entire Kingdom, would brand you as a traitor for giving out such a secret."

"Because I highly doubt what dollar bills we have would even be enough to afford any medical treatment," he snapped back, this time in irritation. "Assuming you even take our money here in the first place. And I am the commanding officer. Our King wasn't brought with us. Fuck if I know where she is.

"We are tired, Belladonna. Tired from the lack of food and water we could find here. We are sick from the local vegetation and the poisonous meat from both land and sea. And we were plagued by these beasts without rest until we were forced to learn how to subdue them. You are the only civilization we could find. I know pillaging through and slaughtering your pathetic excuse of a defense won't cure my men. We haven't the knowledge of the local diseases and poisons.

"The knowledge I offer to trade could be as worthless as a pebble or your weight in gold. Or whatever shiny rock you people value if gold isn't a thing here. I don't care. It's all we have. Can you help us or did I just waste my time?"

Standing in front of Ghira wasn't an ordinary man. Here was a soldier. Here was someone who had seen combat. More than a bandit but Ghira couldn't properly place him under a proper military. A mercenary, perhaps. But here was a man who didn't hide the fact he was prepared to siege them for their equipment.

Desperate but not fearless. He had a healthy amount of paranoia to keep watch of the guards standing near Ghira as well as those mounted on the wall. But it was right at the edge. Who knows what would happen if the man was pushed any further.

"Let me see them," Ghira demanded. "I need to know what I am dealing with."

"Are any of them medically trained?" Chase asked next, nudging his head to the guards behind. "Or at least aware of the symptoms of the local ailments?"

Ghira craned his head around and asked silently through his eyes.

"I-I am, sir," one woman raised her hand. "My father was a doctor and I helped him when I was growing up. I know the basics."

"It'll have to do," Ghira sighed before turning back to Chase.

"The rest stay there," Chase said before turning sideways, his head remained facing Ghira.

Ghira agreed and gave them the command. He gestured for the single guard to follow as he began to approach the row of sleighs. He passed by Chase, who followed him with his eyes, and the man began to follow him half a step away. When they approached, Chase stepped around Ghira and pulled off the sheet covering the infirmed from the intense sun.

The ones using this sleigh were a pair of humans. Two women, one slightly younger than Kali and the other a good decade aged. The younger was conscious but in a fevered haze while the older was undergoing a pained sleep. They both had black pepper spots on their faces.

"This is Grimm pox," the guard said, as Ghira had also suspected. She gave Chase an sideways glance, "Are you telling me you don't know how to treat it?"

"None of that now," Ghira put up a hand before she could say anything else. He addressed Chase, "Are all of your men like this?"

"Most," Chase dipped his head in confirmation. "The rest have been poisoned by eating exotic fish. The Grimm pox; does it have anything to do with the beasts or is it acutely named because of the black spots?"

"An old tale," Ghira explained. It wasn't exactly common knowledge as the generations went by. "They say a witch's Nevermore flew through open windows at night and pecked at the sleeping victim's faces. This, however, is nothing more than an illness caused by the fungi growing in damp areas. Swamps or caves."

"...We have been using caverns as shelter," Chase muttered more to himself than to Ghira. But he did address him next, "Can it be cured?"

"It can, relatively easily in fact," Ghira nodded. "As for the poison, we will need a description of the fish your men ate. Most of the sailors know better but we keep antidotes for just in case."

"Then my men will be in your care," Chase said but did not relax. "I will need my medical expert to go with them and learn about the treatment."

"So long as they do not bring any of the Grimm into the city," Ghira said in a level voice. When Chase nodded, he ordered the guard next, "Return to the city and see about gathering some personnel to bring these people for medical treatment."

"But…" the guard said as she looked to Chase, who watched her in a stalwart gaze, to the sickened lined up. When her eyes met back with Ghira, something in his expression must have made her stiffen with fear. "Y-Yes. At once, sir."

She took off running after that. Ghira let out a breath of air he didn't realize he had been holding before returning to Chase. "Once everything is in order, I would like to speak to you."

"A deal is a deal," Chase said as he watched the woman run off. "I will be leaving Amber to deal with the sick. Rose will stay with her as her escort. They are the Tenth and Seventh Symphonies respectively."

He turned away from Ghira to face the group of Grimm and their riders. He brought up his hands and raised fingers for them to see. Seven and ten, followed by a gesture that was a sign command. Two of the riders dismounted from their Grimm and began to march through the sand. One was a lithe figure with the hood drawn while the other was the slender figure with the many swords.

"How many are there in your company?" Ghira asked next.

"Ninety-six," Chase answered, dipped his head, and hummed. "Ninety-five, actually. The First Symphony isn't with us."

"And you said you were swept up from a storm? There hadn't been anything like that. Are you sure you weren't attacked by a Leviathan?"

Chase snorted, "I'm going to assume something like that lies in the ocean? No, Belladonna, I promise you it was a storm. Tornadoes came out of nowhere and consumed us all. We tried to get out of it, tried to outrun it, but they kept coming until… well, we're not in Kansas anymore."

Ghira studied the man in front of him. Nothing was revealed as the man awaited his approaching subordinates. He stood straight with his hands at his side. Only small details told Ghira how much of this was a front. The man's shoulders were slouched and he took deep, steady breaths.

"I want to believe you," Ghira said. "Rather, I want to place my trust in you. I want to believe you come to me with no intent of harming my people."

Chase turned his head to look at Ghira behind his mask. "Fuck do I care if you believe me. The fact is, we need your help. If you can provide it, I will tell you how to tame these beasts— the Grimm. What comes after that we can discuss another time."

"Yes, you're right," Ghira put his hands behind his back. "It might be a long discussion. Your men might need some refreshment. I'll see what we can spare while you and I talk."

Though Chase had been looking at him, something more than just a gaze locked onto Ghira. It was as if Chase now had his attention on the man and every exchange before was as real as the mask he wore. This time, Chase— the man behind the mask— was looking at Ghira.

He turned away to look at the infirmed. He looked at the officers marching forward. He looked at the gathering of riders behind them.

"Thank you," Ghira heard him say quietly. He pretended otherwise.

0-0-0

"Ghira, I've heard about you going out by yourself to meet with those invaders!"

"Sienna," a tired sigh escaped his lips as he regarded one of his understudies. Sienna Khan was always there whenever he gave speeches about human and Faunus coexistence. She was as much a critic as she was a supporter. She had protected him when exhibits had turned against him as well as boosting his confidence when he was burdened. She looked up to him.

Now wasn't one of those moments.

"What were you thinking?" the woman hissed at him. "What will Kali think when she thinks about this?"

"Don't bring my wife into this," anger flashed through him.

"I will if it'll get you think straight," she didn't back down and jabbed a finger at his face. "You went out there, in front of all those humans who brought an army of Grimm to our doorstep. What if you were killed?"

"I wasn't," he pointed out.

"By some miracle," she shot back. "You are the chief of the city. You have a responsibility to uphold. People are without direction if you are gone."

"I would not order anyone else out there," he said in a solid tone. "I knew the danger. I knew I might die if the wrong words were said or if they had no intention of making peace with us."

"Peace?!" she gawked and then began to growl.

He cut her off, "But I will not be the kind of leader that will make others die in my stead. A leader must lead, Sienna. For if I don't, how do I expect the people to follow me? How do I expect the world to change if I don't provide example and guidance?"

Sienna wanted to argue. He wasn't forgiven. She just had no means to argue against his logic, even if she believed with all of her heart he was wrong.

"The world is changing, Sienna," he said next in a softer tone. "Those people… they can control the Grimm. If they truly mean to teach us how, things can be different. We wouldn't need that wall anymore. We might be able to explore our own backyard. No one would have to live in fear of the Grimm ever again."

"...And what if they plan on using them against us once they get what they want?" she asked with a sharpened tone and gaze. "I heard you are treating some of them from Grimm pox. Ghira, what idiot contracts that? What idiot doesn't know how to treat it?"

Chase had claimed to not know anything about it. It could have been a lie. He could have intentionally ordered his men bedridden and let the disease get this far into their system. But if he had the power to control Grimm, he could easily overrun the city. He didn't need to make a deal with Ghira. He could have broken through the wall and taken the medicine himself.

A part of Ghira expected the entire hoard of Grimm to come rushing through once the gates were opened. But they stayed put as the city guards came through and took the infirmed into the city. Another group escorted Chase and a select few of his units into another area. Ghira had been here, right at the great wall. He had been organizing a supply of food and water while considering how to treat Chase and his company.

And then Sienna Khan showed up.

"I don't know, Sienna," he admitted. "But I would rather reason with them if it can be done. Since you seem to know so much, you must know how many Grimm there are on the other side. We can't defend ourselves from that amount. The Researcher Symphonies must know it."

"Some people can't be reasoned with," she said in a flat voice. "Some are just unwilling to listen. Oh, they'll give you replies and fake smiles, but they have their own agenda. You have to think that they're using you for something. I don't believe they came all this way, with Grimm, just to treat some of their men."

"Belladonna, sir?" someone spoke up at his side. He turned his head to see an anxious guard. "They're waiting for you where you asked."

"...You're meeting with them?" Sienna's eyes sharpened like a pair of daggers.

"Thank you," Ghira nodded at the man before regarding Sienna. "Yes, I am."

"I'm coming too," she stepped closer to him. Had it been anyone else, Kali would have been furious.

"I had figured no matter what I would say," he breathed out. "Understand this meeting is important, Sienna. More important than some celebrity or government official we've dealt with. All of Menagerie might be lost if anything is said out of line."

"I am aware," she said with a firm voice and a nod. She cocked her head to the side, "Lead the way."

He did, turning to head toward the main tower. It was used as barracks for those rotating shifts at the wall as well as an office space and mess hall. Here was where he had Chase and two of his men escorted into a private room while Ghira gathered his thoughts. He supposed enough time was wasted between the both of them.

Two guards were positioned at both sides of the door with five others in the hallway. They all stood at attention when he appeared and he waved a hand at them to put them at ease. One of the guards opened the door for him and he and Sienna walked through.

The room within was a meeting space for the officers to discuss important matters regarding the wall. It was rarely used as Menagerie was an isolated area with limited Grimm activity. It consisted of a long table to fit all the officers and then some, a projector that could stream live television from the main land, and windows to see out into the city beyond.

They found Chase staring out of the window. His mask was placed at the edge of the table along with the two others' he brought with him. His skin was naturally dark and riddled with scars and pockmarks. It was the face of a man who had been in the heart of violence and survived. The scars made him seem so much older, even as Ghira was surprised to find he was more than a decade younger than him. He couldn't be older than sixteen.

The two others he brought in also surprised Ghira. One was a young lady who couldn't be any older than thirteen with fair skin burnt by the sun, long golden hair, and pale blue eyes behind scratched glasses. She didn't notice Ghira enter as her eyes swam quickly through the book in her tiny hands. The other was a young man Chase's age with reddened fair skin, short blonde hair, and sea blue eyes. His face was plagued with blemishes and acne as one would expect from his age. He noticed Ghira enter but his eyes were transfixed on Sienna.

"What? Never seen a Faunus before?" she glared at him.

To be more precise, he was transfixed by the pair of ears on her head.

"Uh…" the blonde young man dragged out, looking at his compatriot sitting at the table (who didn't bother to look away from her book) and to the air as if it would assist him.

"No, we haven't," Chase said as he turned around. His red and blue eyes glared back at Sienna as a deep scowl marred his face further. "And is that really what you call yourselves? It's really not that better than Chattel."

The girl closed her book and looked up at Sienna. Her brows shot up as her eyes too went straight to the top of her head.

"What… did you just call me?" Sienna growled through gritted teeth.

Ghira coughed into his hand, "This is Sienna Khan. She—"

"Khaaaaaaaaan!" the girl shouted at the top of her lungs. She had quite the pair as it made almost everyone in the room jump. The only one who didn't was Chase, whose brows furrowed further as he knew she would act this way and couldn't stop it.

Ghira looked at Chase for an explanation.

"This is Alice Nyte," Chase gestured with one hand. "Third Researcher Symphony and vice-commander. Conversationally, she's as mature as she looks. I mostly keep her around for her intellect."

Alice gave a grin that was all teeth. It reminded Ghira of Blake when she was five and had drawn her first picture of her family.

"Yes, well…" Ghira needed a moment to regain his thoughts. "This is Sienna. She is a close acquaintance of mine. She asked to be present during this discussion."

Chase hummed at Ghira's comment as he regarded Sienna. "Chattel. It means animals that are—"

"I know what it means," Sienna now bared her fangs at him.

"Then you're perfectly fine with naming yourself after a god of forests, plains, and chattel while you live on a floating rock called Menagerie?" Chase asked with a cocked brow. He approached the table, placed his hands flat on its surface, and leaned forward. "Don't get pissy with me when you insult yourself."

"Actually," the girl spoke up as she turned her head but didn't look directly at Chase. "Faunus is the Roman god of forests, plains, and fields. The only correlation he has with animals in general is the fact he makes them able to have babies."

"That doesn't make it any better," Chase said as he gave her a sideways glance. "You know what? You people can call yourselves whatever you want. It's not like we're any better."

"What do you mean, 'you people'?" Sienna's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean, 'you people'?" the other boy countered with a straight face… and a smile in his eyes.

Sienna didn't know how to respond.

"The other idiot is Jeremy vi Ultimo," Chase said in a bland voice. "Fifth Researcher Symphony and, no, I don't know where the vi comes from in his name. He's here because he's also one of the highest ranking officers in our company."

Ghira realized he was dealing with a group of children. Children! These young adolescents had been able to tame Grimm on their own? They were far too young to be a part of any military. Not unless they were a part of some sort of secret experimentation. But that was just his imagination running wild.

"Why don't we all sit down and discuss what we're here for?" Ghira offered with a pointed look towards Sienna. She continued to glare at Chase, who stared back unblinking, before approaching the table and pulling back a seat for herself. She sat down, never once looking away from Chase.

Chase, meanwhile, pulled the seat between his subordinates and disregarded Sienna entirely. He acted as though she didn't exist.

Ghira took a seat of his own as he cupped his hands on the top of the table. A silence permeated the room as everyone took in another's presence. Ghira studied the ones in front of him. Alice was extremely youthful but did well to hide the intelligence and cunning behind those wide eyes of hers. Jeremy looked timid but his body was coiled and ready to act at a moment's notice. Chase hid nothing, openly studying Ghira and anticipating the next phase of their discussion critically.

"If I ask where you came from, will you give me an honest answer," Ghira asked, though he didn't hide how much he doubted to be answered.

"I have," Chase answered. "We had set up camp in this territory called Kansas. There's a small town there with an old facility used by our kind a long time ago. It was enough to house us until we could move on. The Special Intelligence Tactical Hunters learned of our location and staged an attack. We intercepted communications and were able to put up a decent enough counter. However, during the skirmish were we struck by that storm I mentioned. Tornado after tornado struck us, consuming my units.

"We were swept up by the winds. Next thing I knew I found myself being flung into a body of water. Imagine my surprise when I taste salt upon impact when the nearest ocean was supposed to be hundreds of miles away. The nearest source of land was this island and I wasn't the only one who swam to it. Some of us were here before I was. Some of us were scattered throughout the desert before they found our encampment.

"We had to make do with what little we had. But the land is unforgiving. Most of your fish are poisonous. Water is more valuable than gold. Oh, and there's these bloodthirsty black beasts that hit harder than trucks constantly after us. There was also the fact we had to deal with some of our injured from both the skirmish as well as the rough landing when getting here.

"We've been at the eastern coast for five days, hiding in the caves to avoid the beasts and the sun while we licked our wounds. Those that could still fight were put on guard to kill any beast that approached, another team was assembled to learn what they could about them, and another to scout the local terrain.

"On the fifth day, Ultimo was just strong enough to fly out to survey the island. It took him three hours to scan the entire place from coast to coast. Your settlement is the only one. And here we are."

He spread his hands out and gestured at the table.

Ghira remained silent, listening to the story and reading Chase's expression. The young man never lied. Rather, he showed no signs of deception. At the same time, as Chase told his story, he was studying Ghira just as intently. He was paying attention to Ghira's reaction, anticipating something to happen.

His eyes fell down to the masks sitting across of the Researcher Symphonies. One was that of a Griffon's, another to a Jackal, and the third the rare and exotic Afrit. He wasn't sure what expression he had when looking at these constructs, but Chase slid his Griffon mask forward.

Ghira took it as a sign of permission. Chase didn't say anything as he reached out to examine the mask.

As soon as his hand touched it… he jolted back in alarm.

Unrelenting rage had surged out of him like a storm. His deepest, darkest, barbaric thoughts rose out of his core and nearly consumed him. The suddenness of it all was what made him reel back in alarm. He found his heart racing and head throbbing. It hurt.

"What did you do to him?" Sienna rose out of her seat and slammed her hands onto the table.

"Give it a minute," Chase said, raising a finger for emphasis. His eyes kept watching Ghira.

"Sienna, sit down," Ghira grumbled out. It felt like he had been woken early and had to skip his morning coffee. He was grumpy, which was a significant difference compared to his sudden blind rage. "I'm fine. Just… taken by surprise is all."

Sienna gave him a sideways glance out of concern before going back to glaring at Chase. He didn't give her any attention. His subordinates, however, looked tense and were giving him wary glances.

"Not all of us could wear these things, at least not right away," Chase said as he leaned forward to drag his mask back in front of him. "But once we got the hang of it all, the beasts— the Grimm see us as one of their own. As aggressive as they are, they immediately fall under pack mentality and follow an alpha. They follow the strongest of the pack, which would be us."

"What are they made out of?" Ghira asked as he eyed the three masks again. This time… he felt them looking back at him. Something cold swam down his spine. It felt like an intelligence remained within the mask.

"You tell me," Chase shrugged. "I've never seen one of the Grimm be born. They all have these masks."

"I still want to propose my theory on how they're like Cubone," Alice suggested with a chipper tone. She even bounced in her seat.

Chase rolled his eyes but looked at Ghira, "Do Grimm kill their parents and wear their skulls as masks?"

"...No," Ghira said in a slow, almost shaking tone. "The Grimm… just appear. Nobody knows where they come from. Are you telling me… these masks… They're from the Grimm themselves?"

Chase didn't answer right away. Ghira could see him consider his options silently. Eventually, he answered, "They are."

"Impossible," Sienna spoke up, crossing her arms. "The Grimm disappear when they're killed. You wouldn't be the first person to try and rip off their masks. It's a part of them and will dissolve as soon as it's removed from the main body."

"We had the same problem too," Jeremy spoke up. He licked his lips as he looked at his commander, who nodded to grant him permission to continue. "Killing them was the easy part. Making sure they stopped coming at us was the difficult part. They always had a means of finding us. We tried to cover ourselves in their blood to conceal ourselves, but the blood evaporated quickly. We tried to remove the masks by force and don them, but, as you said, they also vanished."

"They're not like normal beasts," Alice added in. Unlike Jeremy, she didn't ask for permission and continued. "A lot of our weapons were useless against them. We had to cheat to penetrate through their skin and natural armor. It was actually by accident did we learn how to control them."

"What do you mean by 'cheat'?" Ghira asked through narrowed eyes. "Do you mean you used some Semblance or technology?"

"The word is lost to us," Chase answered bluntly.

"It means what it appears to be when in actuality is something different," Alice pointed out.

"Yeah, but it sounds like something a little more important," Jeremy muttered quietly to her.

Ghira cupped his hands on top of the table and humored their story, "Semblances are the innate and unique abilities huntsmen have. Some know what the weather will be like tomorrow, some can enhance their abilities further, and some can play tricks on another's mind. They say no two Semblances are the same."

He felt Sienna's eyes on him briefly.

"...Something like that," Chase answered the original question. "We wouldn't call them Semblances. We call them… affinities."

The hairs on Ghira's arm stood up. An electric sensation buzzed in the air. Sienna felt it as well as she suddenly became on edge, coiled and ready to strike. And as if he wasn't watching them earlier, Chase was focusing on the two across with an intensity that dwarfed his previous observations. Now he was searching them, watching them, anticipating and expecting something violent to surge out of them. He watched them as he lifted his hand off the table and put it at eye level.

His two subordinates were doing the same. Alice and Jeremy had their shoulders squared and focused on the two Faunus.

Chase merely flexed his hand and a flame surged out of his palm. He grasped it as though it were a material thing, curling around his fingers and never going beyond his reach. As he continued to stare at Ghira, his red and blue eyes were glowing with an unnatural light.

"You can create fire," Ghira said with amazement. "That's quite the impressive Semblance. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone capable of controlling the elements."

The light in his eyes dimmed out. As soon as they did, so too did the flame. Chase put his hand down flat on the table, "In any case, we used our affinities to deal with the Grimm. But we found the more we used them, the more that came afterwards. We found as soon as we activated our abilities did we become a beacon. Whoever used their affinities became the central focus of the hoard. And when we put them down, twice as many would show up in the next few hours."

"That much is obvious," Sienna said with a shrug. "The Grimm are attracted to those who have unlocked their aura. And considering the state your men were in, the amount of desperation and despair you all had would leave them salivating."

"Aura?" Jeremy perked up at the word. He looked over to his companions.

Alice looked over at the two of them, her eyes wide and full of excitement. "This makes so much more sense! We were right! The Grimm are attracted by our abilities. Not just that, but by our emotions as well. We're like an open candy bar to them!"

Chase looked away from the Faunus as he thought quietly to himself. Questions he had before were being answered. New conclusions were being made but even more questions were popping up. Ghira was able to read all of this in his eyes.

"You act like none of you have come across Grimm before," Sienna gave them all a flat look.

"We don't have Grimm where we come from," Chase spoke up, his eyes flashing towards her as his thoughts were put on hold.

"I might be able to believe you've never seen a Faunus before," Sienna's tone was cold and quiet. "Just like how we've never heard of your company before. But don't treat us like idiots. We weren't born yesterday. Grimm are everywhere. Don't try and pretend otherwise."

"Not where we came from," he pressed. His eyes were as sharp as daggers for a moment. He pulled himself back and reconsidered his approach. "Trying to convince you is pointless. I told you my story. This is how we're here with the things we have. Whether you believe me or not isn't my problem."

"That's where you're wrong," Sienna leaned forward. "Regardless of your story, you are a foreign force caught within our territory without request or announcement. You are invaders and it is within our rights to deal with you however we see fit. Enough with the charade. Tell us who you are and where you come from before we treat you as trespassers."

Chase didn't seem to like Sienna's tone. His eyes flashed with a simmering rage as well as literally. The electric current from before was stronger this time. Suddenly, Ghira found it difficult to breath as the air became thick. It felt like it was clogged in his throat. There was also a heavy pressure bearing down on him, making his body both heavy and stiff. It felt like he was being buried in the desert.

Sienna fared worse than him. She gasped as her body was pushed down flat onto the table by this invisible force. She grunted and tried to lift herself up. She was able to get a few inches off before Chase's eyes glowed even brighter. Sienna yelped as her face was pressed back down.

"I've killed greater people for less," Chase's voice was deceptively calm with a bellowing rage barely being kept at bay. "Don't piss me off, little girl. I'm not here because I want to be. I am here because the circumstances dictate it."

"Chase, stop it," Jeremy hissed. He went to grab Chase's shoulder but hesitated. His hand was extended halfway before deciding direct contact was a bad idea.

"Commander, I think you should try to look at it their way," Alice adjusted her glasses as she spoke to him in a calm, almost dispassionate tone. "They know nothing about us just like how we don't know anything about them. They want to learn and are assuming the worst. Isn't that what we would do if it were the other way around?"

Nothing happened for a dreadfully long moment. Ghira saw the cogs within Chase's mind turn as he glared at Sienna. The intensity in his stare faded but a childish stubbornness remained. It was the stubbornness that kept the invisible force alive a little longer. Eventually, with a twitch of his lips turning into a grimace, the pressure died down until disappearing entirely.

Ghira found himself being able to breathe again. As did Sienna, who took a large gasp of air and stood quickly. The chair she sat on was knocked back. She had her hands at her side, reaching for a weapon she didn't have equipped. Instead, her hands were curled with her claws exposed.

Chase regarded her natural weapons before making eye contact once again. They stared at another, daring the other to make the first move. There came another electrical sensation sweeping the air.

"That's enough!" Ghira roared as he stood. "Sienna, stand down. We are not here to fight. We are here to discuss matters diplomatically. If you cannot keep your emotions in check, you may leave."

Sienna glared at Chase and the others with ferocity. But she knew better than to create violence here and now. With begrudging effort, she lowered her hands. She picked the chair back up and sat upon it. She never looked away from Chase.

"And I would appreciate it if you didn't antagonize my colleague," Ghira said to Chase.

"The same goes to her," he replied while looking at Ghira. He spoke as if Sienna wasn't in the room with them. "The whole good cop/bad cop routine is going to get one of you killed. I have already agreed to tell you everything. I am not changing my story. It's your problem if you believe me or not."

Ghira took his time sitting down. He used what sparse seconds there were for him to calm himself. From the Grimm mask to Chase's behavior… no, this whole situation was exhausting him. He was being tried, he knew it. Some great deity out there was testing him.

"You will have to understand what you're saying is… difficult to believe," he chose to say in a careful tone.

"I understand the part about not being from around here," Chase admitted. "I also understand you're asking these questions to decide whether we're potential hostiles or not. Maybe spies from another country? Nothing I say right now will convince you otherwise. All we want right now is for our sick and injured to be treated. If you want, we can leave right after they're stable. You'll never see us again."

"And where would you go?" Ghira propped his elbows onto the table and cupped his hands together. He brushed the knuckles against his lips.

"Literally anywhere but here," Chase said bluntly. He looked around the room, yet those eyes were looking beyond the walls. "I get it's your home but… this place is a living hell."

"Then you'll be returning to your home country?" Sienna gestured with a wave of her hand.

Chase didn't respond right away. His grimace furthered. The other two beside him shared glances and mutual looks of distaste. Chase spoke up, "No. I don't think even if we could would any of us be willing."

"And how would you get off the island?" Ghira asked next. "The nearest continent is Mistral and the voyage there is dangerous. Aquatic Grimm lurk in the waters. Small ships will be swept up by them. And with how many you said were in your company, you'll need something large to transport them all."

"If that's the case then how do you get by?" Alice asked, more out of intellectual curiosity than to counter him. "I mean, the local plants and fishies can't be your only source of nutrients. Plus you have really nice clothes, which means you have access to materials that don't grow here. Unless you have some sort of magic teleportation device somewhere, you've got to have some means of importing goods from other countries."

"We have our means of getting by," Sienna spoke before he could.

Alice pouted. It wasn't the answer she wanted and she was sulking like a small child. It was like when Blake wanted to stay up but was told by Kali it was her bedtime.

Jeremy looked like he had something to say but kept whatever he had to himself.

"Unless you're trying to make a point here, it means you'll be stuck with sharing this wasteland with us," Chase spread his hands with annoyance before planting them back down on the table.

"We needn't be enemies," Ghira said steadily, lowering his hands away from his face. "Right now, my people are terrified. Outside the gates is a gathering of monsters all fear. But they are being kept at bay. They are being controlled— which is something no one has ever thought conceivable.

"You have shown me that even without weapons are you capable of defending yourselves. I understand that if you wanted to take the city, you could have. I have given you my word I would treat your infirmed. But what comes after that? Will you conquer us after you've achieved your goal? Or will you wander off into the desert and hope to find a way onto the mainland?

"Or… will you work with us? Menagerie is home to the Faunus but we do not bar our doors against anybody, human or Faunus. With your ability to tame the Grimm, you've opened up a possibility to explore the land without their threat. We can work together to find new resources and possibly an area to build a second city."

"...Why are the Grimm such a threat to you?" Chase asked as his brows furrowed into a flat line. "You've seen what I can do in this room. You act like it's commonplace. If that's so, then the Grimm should be nothing to you."

"Why are the Grimm—?!" Sienna scoffed but was cut off when Ghira raised a hand to silence her.

He never looked away from Chase as he let his hand rest on the table. "The Grimm have been humanity's and Faunus-kind's enemy for as long as anyone can remember. It takes decades to train someone well enough to use aura to fight them. Even then, the huntsmen are too few in number. The Grimm outnumber us tenfold, possibly even more. While I'm sure there may be another effective Semblance like yours, those are so exceptionally rare they are unheard of. Yours is the first I've ever seen."

He knew Sienna was wondering where he was going with this. He wasn't humoring the idea they never seen or heard of a Grimm before. He was trying to figure out what game Chase was playing and seeing how they would react. He wanted to see what direction Chase would take this conversation.

"...And no one, and I mean no one, has ever figured out a way to control Grimm?" the young man asked next.

"Never," Ghira answered simply.

Chase stared down at his hands. His brows furrowed in deep thought. Everyone in the room was waiting for his response, both Ghira and Sienna as well as Alice and Jeremy.

"Basically I'm handing you something that could make you king of the goddamn world," Chase sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He gave Ghira a blunt look, "And you want to use that power to look for prime real estate?"

The thought of global domination never crossed his mind. But now that Chase mentioned something like it, Ghira couldn't help but think how this could be weaponized. After all, he and everyone else on the wall had feared the Researcher Symphonies for being able to control them. The threat of Grimm being commanded to hunt and kill terrified him. And Chase was handing over this leash, so to speak.

"I will never allow anything like that to happen," Ghira said in a hardened voice. He sat up a little straighter as he looked down at the three children before him.

"I might almost believe that," Chase said back. "But can you make the same promise about your subordinates? Or the generation that comes after you? Or when your people are forced into the next war?"

"Then the secret will die with me, if need be," Ghira returned. "But what of you, Commander Rolan? What will you do with the Grimm?"

Chase closed his eyes for a few seconds. In this time, Ghira no longer saw a child. He saw an aged man, exhausted and aching from a burden he had to carry. When he opened his eyes again, the moment of weakness was washed away from him. His eyes were hardened. He had the look of a leader— of one who held the weight of the world on his shoulders and knew it.

"We are scholars first and soldiers second," Chase answered firmly. "We will study the Grimm. We will dissect them until we have them understood at a molecular level. But we will be examining them for both academic reasons as well as for warfare. The Researcher Symphonies was formed with the intention of seeking all forms of knowledge, both sanctioned and taboo. However… we have always been molded by violence and discrimination since its founding. We will be using what knowledge we find to protect ourselves."

Taboo. Yes, that was a good word to describe it. Most research on the Grimm was heavily regulated. The Kingdoms formed a treaty to forbid the act of using Grimm in times of war. Ghira was going against such treaties. But… Menagerie wasn't considered a Kingdom.

"Discrimination?" Sienna scoffed. "You have no right to say something like that. You're human. Unless others know you can control Grimm and have shunned you for it, you have no right to say you've been discriminated against."

"Sienna…" Ghira said in a low voice.

But Chase studied her briefly. Something flashed within his eyes. "Faunus. Menagerie. And the fact this place is a barren wasteland. Your people have been forced to live here, to be forgotten by everyone else. All because you're not human?"

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" Sienna gave him a warning tone.

"...I was wrong," Chase said, though it sounded like it cost him something to say. "This place isn't a living hell. It's a paradise."

"You're really starting to piss me off," Sienna growled but remained in her seat.

"I'm being honest," Chase looked around the room once more. "Imagine a place you yourself can call home. Everyone within it are similar to you. Everyone is equal. None of you are monsters in human skin. You are just people. Nothing more, nothing less."

Sienna watched him carefully. Ghira bided his time to see where this was going. He noticed how Alice had a thoughtful look while Jeremy was just as curious as he was.

"I will tell you how we control the Grimm," Chase spoke after the moment of contemplation. "Whatever you do with it afterwards is up to you. But you are right about earlier; there is still an afterwards to consider. We are in desperate need of supplies. More than just food and water— we need living quarters, raw materials, and information. You don't have to put up with us in the city. We can make do with a camp outside your walls.

"In exchange, as Second Symphony, Commander and ranking officer of the Researcher Symphonies, I propose a business transaction between us and the people of Menagerie. In exchange of the resources we require, we can provide services for your people. This includes scouting and mapping the territories beyond, locating anything of value to mine and harvest, and… I'm sure the specifics can be discussed later on.

"In the meantime, we will be abiding by your laws as guests. I, and the other officers, will personally take responsibility for any order of misconduct any Researcher commits while on your grounds. However, I expect the same justice to be carried out should any of yours do something against us. We will be your neighbors however long we need to get back on our feet. What happens beyond that will depend on the relationship between us during our occupied time.

"Do we have a deal?"

This was exactly what Ghira had proposed earlier. Chase had only turned it against him and acted like it was his idea. Ghira wasn't sure if this was a bit of immaturity on his part or because Chase was only now considering the proposal himself. He was using Ghira's words for the most part.

And yet… why did it feel like the Dark God himself was offering this deal?

Though he was chief, it wasn't his place to make a decision like this. All of Menagerie ran on a system. He may have the loudest and most influential voice, but the city was a city. He wasn't the only one with power behind it. Something like this would need to be discussed by the city's council.

"I will have someone draft a contract for you to review," he found himself saying. "In the meantime, Menagerie can provide provisions for your company as a sign of good faith. Unfortunately, I cannot allow your people into the city with the Grimm so close. I will, however, order the city guards to leave everything you will need to set up camp. I'm afraid none of them will be willing to go near the Grimm. Can I trust yours to sort out those things?"

"That's fine," Chase nodded. He took in a deep breath and rolled his shoulder. "I'm sure you have much to think about. And, frankly, we're tired ourselves."

"Yes," Ghira said but forced back any feeling of fatigue he might have had. "There is much to do in the meantime. I will have someone escort you back to the gates. We can continue discussions when you are ready."

"Don't you want to know?" Chase asked in a somewhat lighter tone.

"Pardon?"

"How to control the Grimm? That was the deal for treating my men."

Ghira placed his hands on the table's edge and pushed himself to his feet. "Perhaps another time."

"You know," Chase frowned. "I might not tell you after this."

"I don't believe that," Ghira looked straight at him. "I trust you, Commander Rolan."

"You clearly don't know me," Chase's brows fell into a flat line.

Jeremy audibly cleared his throat while giving his commander an intentional look. It went ignored.

"You're right, I don't," Ghira admitted plainly. "But nothing will be achieved by distrusting each other. I believe true cooperation and understanding between two people can begin with faith and trust. After all, how can I get to know you if I'm not willing to trust you? You might be a swindler who will attack the city I am sworn to protect at next dawn. Or you can be a man of your word. I am choosing to believe in the latter. Good day, Commander Rolan."

Ghira made to leave. Sienna followed behind him, silent with her thoughts.

0-0-0

"We learned a lot about them," Sienna commented out loud.

It had been a few hours since the meeting with Chase and his direct subordinates. Ghira found himself occupying the office space of a captain, rubbing his face with his hands as the migraine was setting in. He should be going home. He knew his wife and daughter were worried sick about him. They would also be thirsty for news. But he wanted to make sure everything was in order.

A part of him was here to see if Chase decided to siege the walls and kill them all.

"That we did," Ghira raised his head and leaned back in the chair. It groaned under his size and build. "He's just a child burdened with the mantle of office."

"It could all be a ploy," Sienna offered as she paced around the room. "He could have just been some puppet the real commander sent. You're soft for children, Ghira."

"Maybe, maybe not," Ghira recollected everything he learned about Chase. "His irrationality shows his age. But I saw something else in him. It was more than just the scars. I saw a boy who has been forced to be a man years before he should have. Even if it was a ploy, even if he's just a puppet, he acted as the man who would decide the fate of those behind him."

"Can we trust them?" Sienna stopped her pacing to lean against the desk. She sat on its edge and looked at him over her shoulder. "Can we really trust them? They have Grimm. They have those weird Semblances. I'm sure we can take them if a fight were to break out but… we'd lose a lot of people."

"We would lose," Ghira said sharply. "For the time being, we work with them. I've done all I can to protect this city. All we can do is wait and see what tomorrow will bring."

A pregnant silence filled the office space.

"He mentioned that kid, Jeremy, was the one who flew over us this morning," she commented.

"He mentioned it, yes," Ghira recalled.

"He also mentioned being in a skirmish against another party," she frowned and dipped her head in thought. "What did he call them?"

"The Special Intelligence Tactical Hunters," he supplied. "And no, I've never heard of them before. Perhaps… they're a special unit from whatever Kingdom they come from. Perhaps they were sent to deal with them because they know how to control the Grimm."

"They said they learned that here, after the skirmish."

"So they say."

Sienna hummed to herself and thought further. "They're dangerous Ghira. I don't think I need to tell you that. I'm not saying they themselves are dangerous— which they are. I'm saying what might follow them will bring the danger. What happens when they lose control of the Grimm? What happens when whatever they were fighting finds them here? What happens when the other Kingdoms learn what they can do?"

"...I don't know," he breathed out. Sienna and Kali were the only people on the planet he would ever admit this to. "We are damned if they become our enemies. And we are damned if they become our allies. And we might be damned anyways if we ignore them. I put everything I had to not let the city burn today. I may have bought us one day. Tomorrow, they might siege us. Or their enemies do it."

He wasn't sure what he was more terrified of; the group that could control the Grimm or this unknown party they were hiding from. Chase mentioned they had bunkered down before they were attacked. Someone out there was looking for them.

The Researcher Symphonies might be using Menagerie as a living shield.

"I think you should go home to your family," Sienna said in a rare, soft tone. "You've done more than anyone here could have asked for. Hell Ghira, you might go down in legend as the man who stopped a Grimm invasion by himself. I'm pretty sure the guards off duty are already telling your story at the local pub."

Ghira rubbed his eyes with his thumb and middle finger. "You're right. There's not much else for me to do here. Everything was delivered outside the gates and the Researcher Symphonies have already set up a camp."

"Go home, Ghira," she pressed. She stood up and began to head out of the office herself. "Rest while you can. I feel like the whole city won't be able to in the near future."

Without hearing his response, she stepped out.

0-0-0

Menagerie was her home. She knew it inside and out. She knew the city, its border, and its desert. She knew how shallow the reefs were and the best fishing spots. She was born here and breathed Menagerie.

Sneaking undetected in the middle of the night was a walk in the park for her. Even when the guards were on alert, constantly keeping watch on their new neighbors. She circled around the sand dunes until reaching the camp's flank, outside the viewpoint of the watchtowers.

She withdrew her hood as soon as she stepped into camp. The humans were watching her. They all wore the same black coats as they huddled near their fires. Some were running maintenance on their weapons. She made no sign of hostility against them. They all knew she was armed with her bladed whip.

"Can I help you?" someone called out to her as she passed by one of the tents.

She turned to see a man a few years older than her. He was very tall and lean, also dressed in the same black coat that fell down to his calves. His skin was fair and blistered from the unforgiving sun, hair cut short and bright blonde, and his eyes were as orange as a fruit. And glowing like a torch.

"I am here to see the one in charge," she answered. "Can you take me to him?"

"You're sneaking around with a weapon," he said while brushing the hem of his coat back. He placed his hand on a pistol. "And you want to see the commander? Why should I let you do that?"

"Because I have a proposal he might be interested in," she told him, making sure to not sound rude or uncompromising. While she was confident she could best this man, she was surrounded by several others watching the exchange.

"Really?" he gave her a blunt look and raised brow. "That's your sale pitch? Alright, come with me and I'll take you to the city gates. Don't make me use force."

"Tell him it's the woman from earlier," she insisted. "Tell him Sienna Khan is here to—"

"Khaaaaaaaaaan!" several of the Researcher Symphonies shouted as soon as she announced herself. They all laughed right after. Even the man in front of her couldn't hold back the amused smirk.

"Am I some joke to you?" she hissed. "Just what do you people have against my name?"

"What do you mean 'you people'?" she heard a few voices echo up and down the row of tents. More laughter came afterwards.

Irritation, embarrassment, and then outrage swam through her. She almost reached for her weapon. It was the eyes of the man in front of her that stopped her. She forced back her ire for the time being.

"Alright just… hold on," the man said as he reached for the collar of his coat. He pulled out a pendant with a small crystal dangling on the chain. He spoke into it, "Captain Gener to Commander Rolan. I have a woman here who wants to see you. Goes by Sienna Kha— Sienna."

Boos were directed at him. She pretended to hear otherwise.

The man, Gener, listened for something only he could hear. He nodded once, placed the pendant back behind his collar, and removed his hand from his firearm. "Alright. Come with me. The commander says he'll listen to what you have to say."

"Thank you," she said and followed him. He turned his back to her and began to head down one of the rows. She could easily kill him with the way he disregarded her. However… the tingling sensation following his trail told her otherwise. It was the same electrical sensation she felt when in front of the three children earlier.

She was led to one campfire. Circling around it, sitting on stones or boxes, were a set of nine people. Most of which were children. Eight of them had the black coat all other Researcher Symphonies wore. But the ninth had the pristine white to separate himself from the rest. Captain Gener gestured for her to take a spot while he went to sit in the circle.

The one proclaiming to be commander regarded her briefly before looking away and stirring the cup of soup in his hands. "I'm going to assume Belladonna doesn't know you're here. Well, what do you want? I doubt you came all this way to sing Kumbaya with us."

She didn't comprehend his reference; probably some song of his home. She chose to remain standing as she addressed him, "I can get you a ship to take you wherever you want."

"...And what do you want in exchange?" he asked, his tone and posture dismissive and uninterested in her proposal. However, he was still too young to deceive her. She had his attention. The others also gave away their intentions with the way they shifted around in their seats.

"I want to learn how you command the Grimm," she answered without hesitation. "The Faunus are oppressed everywhere all across Remnant. Some of which are forced to live like animals and sold off into slavery. This needs to change."

"So you think bringing the army of the damned is your best option," Chase didn't hide his mockery. "You're going to have to offer us something more than a boat."

"Ghira offered you medicine for the most common ailment on the planet," she pointed out.

"And I agreed because we needed that medicine," he turned towards her, his eyes glowing as his anger rose. "I didn't know what I was trading. But now that I do does the price change. Belladonna I trust with this knowledge. He's not enough of a monster to use it. But you? I know exactly what you'll do with it.

"As far as I understand, you Faunus are being tolerated. The rest of the world can afford to ignore your existence. Some abuse your status, as you say. But when you bring the beasts to the table, they won't be so willing to look the other way. Those that already hate you will now have the reason to get rid of you forever. And those few that support you won't have an excuse to stop them. You'll be damning your own people to extinction."

"And you think you're any better us?!" she bellowed. "You think they won't look the other way just because you're human. The creatures Grimm are the enemies of us all. You have become all of Remnant's enemy by being able to weaponize them. They will treat you exactly as you say they'll treat us."

"Maybe, but then nothing would change if that's so," he said while taking a spoonful of soup and eating it. He smacked his lips and looked at her once more. "Your people have been kind to us. You've treated our sick and injured. You're giving us food, water, clothes, and a bed. We are being tolerated outside your city walls. You might think this is pity. You might think you're doing the bare minimum courtesy. But to us, this is the most amount of kindness we have ever been given."

He stood and faced her. He gestured around the circle with his tin cup. Everyone was observing the exchange silently… with their eyes glowing. Only two didn't have their eyes lit up.

"We are neither human nor Faunus," he spoke in a voice full of spite. "We are monsters that need to be put down at first sight. Run from us if you can't fight. Kill us if you can. They didn't give us any mercy. No tolerance. The best kindness we ever got was a bullet through the skull— quick and painless death.

"Where we come from, everyone would look at us as if we were the Grimm. We can't be controlled. We can't be reasoned with. We will kill you without hesitation unless you kill us first. And they were right. We were forced to become the things they claimed we were."

A part of her believed him. To a certain extent, anyways. She had seen that look before. Unparalleled hatred burned behind those eyes. She had seen it in the eyes of those she saved, those who rallied behind her cause, and in the mirror.

"...Maybe we can work together," she found herself saying aloud.

He stared at her silently, waiting for her to continue.

"Word will get out about you and what has happened today," she explained. "Most won't believe it. But there are those who can't afford to ignore such Rumors. They might come with offerings for you to join them. Or they might bring their armies to crush you. Or both and enslave you all for denying them.

"I'm not arrogant to believe my influence can protect you. Nor can Ghira's or the entirety of Menagerie. We are no Kingdom; we have no army or huntsman academy. If the other Kingdoms come for you— no, when they come for you, there is little we can do to stop them."

"Then what are you offering?" he waved a hand at her with immature impatience.

"An army," she said. "Faunus are all across Remnant. They will stand up and take arms if they believe they have a fighting chance against their human oppressors. They will flock here when they learn we can stand against any Kingdom. With our numbers, the sun will never set on us."

"So what? Menagerie will fight for us if we get in trouble. And in exchange we'll bust a few slave camps and save innocent Faunus everywhere?"

"I'm choosing to ignore your sarcasm," she muttered in a low voice. "But ideally, yes."

He took a moment to drink the soup broth. His eyes never left hers. "If we accept, we won't be using the beasts."

She snarled, "The Grimm is what I came here for. Without them, the other Kingdoms won't listen to us. We can't fight against the SDC by ourselves. We need a reason for the Faunus to rally together."

"Yeah, I know," his brows fell into a flat line. "You offer a boat first and an army second. You either want us off this rock or marry us. It's clear you only want the beasts. But if you want them, you'll be damning everyone on this island. And potentially everyone else of your kind on the planet."

He turned away and looked at his subordinates. A silent conversation was made by the entire group as they all stared back at him. She waited for him. She had more to say, most of which was driven by her frustration, but she will wait patiently for him.

"There is something we need to learn," he said before turning back to her. "We're not in Kansas anymore. I need to know how you and your people will treat us. If you will tolerate us or… treat us like them. Tomorrow morning, I plan on giving a demonstration."

"...Of what?" she asked with edge in her tone.

"Al, take her out of camp," he commanded. Captain Gener rose to his feet with a tired grunt. "We can talk about that offer after I see your reaction. If you are what I'm hoping for… You'll find we don't need the Grimm. Good night."

She had more to say. But he had dismissed her as he sat back down on the crate. He looked so many years younger as his feet couldn't reach the floor. There was also the overbearing presence of Gener standing over her, breathing down her neck. He was giving her a pointed look.

She nodded once to the group before looking at Gener. He nodded back and started to walk off. She followed close behind.

"Oh, Khan."

She turned around. Chase was looking at her over his shoulder.

"We're neither human nor Faunus. Where we come from, we are called Acolytes. Remember that tomorrow."

0-0-0

The alarms went off first thing in the morning. Ghira bolted out of bed with Kali quickly behind him. She knew what to do. With a quick kiss and a wish to be careful, she hurried towards Blake's room. They would be taken by his security into the bunker. They would be kept safe.

His worst fear was coming true. The Researcher Symphonies were laying a siege on his city. The civilians were in an uproar as the Grimm alarms continued to flare throughout the public system. He pushed by them, hurrying toward the wall to see what was going on. He prayed he was wrong.

"Ghira," Sienna was there to meet him when he climbed the nearest tower and peered over the wall.

It was still earliest dawn. The light of the sun was creeping over the horizon. Thick clouds blocked the sky but a thin line of light peered through. And there, at the horizon, was the ocean of Grimm coming this way. Their numbers transcended what the Researchers originally brought.

The men beyond the wall were standing in formation. Their black coats swayed with the wind as they all donned the Grimm masks. A haze distorted their appearance. Some had their hands spread while other clasped as if in prayer. They were drawing upon their aura to summon the Grimm.

He saw a flash of red and blue beyond. Chase was looking this way. Upon spotting Ghira, he turned his back towards the wall and stepped out of formation. He, as well as two others, approached the oncoming onslaught of Grimm.

"Evacuate!" Ghira shouted out at the top of his voice. "Abandon your positions! See to the safety of the civilians! Get them off the island!"

"Wait," Sienna said in an unnaturally calm tone.

"Wait?!" He spun on her. "Sienna… you were right. Look at what's in front of us. We can't afford to wait. The city is lost."

"I said wait!" she barked at him. "I went to them at night. I spoke with them. He wants to show us something. And, honestly Ghira, do you think we have enough time to escape?"

That was the grim reality. No, they couldn't escape. The pier was too far away and there weren't enough boats for the whole city. The best they could do was put up a final assault. A last stand before their inevitable demise.

He had never seen so many Grimm before. He wasn't sure how long this defense would last. Ten minutes? Five? Many of the guards had dropped their weapons and ran as soon as he gave the command. Some of the captains too. Only the stubborn remained… and those too petrified to move.

Chase and his two others were between the coming Grimm and his company. They spread out. Ghira blinked; the one on Chase's right suddenly had a scythe and the one on his left had a glaive. Those weapons came out of nowhere. They had to be mech-shift weapons hidden beneath their coats.

A savage roar came out of Chase, echoed by the same ability used to speak over the wall. It was the sound of a man standing his final ground, challenging all others to come at him. It belonged to a man who had lost everything and would take as much with him before he perished. It was the scream of a man enraged to the point of madness.

Impossibly, the Grimm's advance stopped.

A fiery explosion erupted at the first wave of Grimm. It wasn't the first as a chain of explosions went off, spreading out as the first detonation triggered another and another. A large chunk of their numbers were dwindled in only a few seconds.

The man with the scythe howled; this one full of excitement. His scythe lit up with arc lightning, streaming behind him as he dashed forward with superhuman speed. He crashed headfirst into the legion of Grimm. Each swing of his scythe created a bolt of lighting that split the air. Every Grimm in his path and beyond were incinerated.

The last member at the front was hesitant. Ghira saw him scratch the back of his head as if trying to convince himself to carry on. He eventually did, grabbing hold of his weapon with both hands and swing it across the sand.

They all watched as the ground split open in a great crevice. Grimm by the dozens were being swept on, falling into a chasm before another swing sealed the land shut. He swing once more, this time creating spikes of sandstone that penetrated through the Grimm from underneath.

But such display of power only seemed to rile up the Grimm. They charged forward in a frenzy. Chase was there to meet them, hands spread out and taking steady steps forward.

No Grimm ever reached him. None came close. They tripped over another. Some stopped moving altogether. Those few that reached further than their brethren were rendered petrified. They were frozen in place in a running position, sliding and slamming into another before stopping dead.

Unbelievably, in the first time in the history of Menagerie, it began to snow.

Ghira and those brave or foolish enough to remain at the wall watched as three men took on what would require an army of huntsmen. This went beyond the use of Semblance.

It was as if magic had returned to Remnant after a thousand years.