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Chapter 13: Freelancer
In the week following Felix's birthday the weather had finally seemingly decided that it was done with the pretence of summer, a cool chill settling into the air and grey clouds blocking out the sun. Not that this had affected Felix Xiao Long, the Lion Faunus had started the week still bubbling with enthusiasm about his new car; even taking Eagle to the village outside of New Vale itself where the Arc family resided to visit her Grandparents as she'd been getting homesick while Arctus and Diamond were out somewhere together. His mood had taken a turn for the worse as the week progressed, Eagle's original hypothesis that it was a side effect of the lack of sunlight affecting his Semblance being proven incorrect when Arctus informed her that Felix was fine in Atlas; the source of their friend and leaders' increasingly irritable demeanour made soon itself clear however, the first of the second year students returned from their missions with no sign of Team CLIR.
"Come on, come on" Felix growled as he sat perched atop one of the benches lining Halo Academy's airship terminal. It was Friday night, classes having long since ended and the sun long since set leaving the four students among a scarce handful of others waiting, though most of the people around them were clearly waiting for a Bull-head into New Vale itself to begin a weekend of partying
"She'll be here, she'll be fine. They'll all be fine" Arctus assured him, breath misting in front of his face as he spoke, though truthfully Arctus was beginning to become concerned himself. Team CAMO the first of the second years to return had done so late Tuesday night and while Corvid had allegedly warned her brother that she may not have chance to recharge her scroll the utter lack of communication allowed countless unwelcome ideas to take root
"She should already be here" Felix's reply was tense, a low snarl as he fidgeted and his tail swished nervously behind him. He was brought from his brooding by Eagle nudging his shoulder gently, as he turned to face her she thrust something into his hand
"It won't help but hey it won't hurt either. It's home made" Felix looked down and saw that it was a slice that could better be described as a slab of home-made fruitcake "Everyone just assumes Gran makes 'em but nope, Granddad was the one to stay home and raise most of my Aunts after he was injured in the line of duty, so he learned how to cook and bake" the shorter blonde gave her a warm smile in return, beside him opposite Eagle sat Diamond who wore a baggy hoodie to protect herself from the milder than she was used to weather, though she'd been unable to hide a small smile when Arctus had offered to lend her his jacket. Her cherry red eyes alternated between scanning the air for any incoming craft and rereading the timetable to check off any scheduled flights, currently her eyes were focused on something drawing closer, Felix followed her gaze and picked out the blinking lights, the kind mounted on the wings of Bull-heads
"Is that-" he trailed off, refusing to allow himself to relax until he knew for sure
"It's not on the timetable" Diamond breathed out. Felix's heart hammered in his chest as the craft drew near, his stomach plummeting as he saw the countless gouges in its' hull, evidently made by sharp claws. Eventually the Bull-head landed and moments' later the side hatches mounted beneath its' wings opened allowing five individuals to disembark. First among them was an older man that Team FADE didn't recognise, though Felix if he had to guess would have said he was roughly his parents' age. The slender red haired and tattooed man walked briskly passed them into the waiting arms of a man that the students in their distraction had failed to notice behind them, fashionably dressed with vibrant blue hair
"It's good to be home" Scarlet David-Vasilias murmured into the crook of his husbands' neck though none of Team Fade seemed to notice, they were all preoccupied by the arrival of the other four people who had been aboard, Team CLIR was home
"Hey sis" Felix attempted to sound nonchalant, failing miserably as after less than five seconds of silence between them he pulled Corvid into a crushing hug
"Hey Fluffy" she managed to stifle a yawn "Hey, I'm fine….Just so tired"
"Where's the Omega Wing?" Eagle asked, noticing the drones' absence from its' customary place beside its' maker
"On the Bull-head, right thruster got crushed, time to work on those upgrades I had in mind" Corvid answered as she finally extricated herself from her brothers' hug before turning to her team-mates "Right after I take this idiot to a medic"
"I'm fine, it's a few scuffs and dents" Rusty drawled, his exhausted tone holding the faintest traces of laughter. Team FADE realised that the Vaccuan gunslinger was being held up by Lux and Iris, the former having an arm around his waist, the latter having Rusty's right arm slung across her shoulders
"It's a cracked skull, two broken ribs and a shattered wrist" Iris pointed out, causing Lux to give his boyfriend an indignant huff
"I still don't know why you thought that was a good idea, fighting an Oum damned Juggernoceros on your own!" Rusty merely treated them to a grin that displayed blood stained teeth
"Hell I've been punching above my weight since the day I met you darlin'. Didn't think one more time could hurt too bad" the cheesy line, most probably the product of a concussion addled mind drew a variety of reactions, Lux merely rolled his eyes and tightened his grip around Rusty's waist. Iris rolled her eyes, Diamond gave an 'Awww' that sounded almost out of place coming from her while Arctus hearing her reaction silently vowed to remember that line. Corvid merely sighed and pointed to Rusty
"You. Medic. Now." Iris and Lux helped the battered and bruised second year towards the Academy itself, before she could continue her conversation with her brother Felix managed to actually get a good look at her, noticing for the first time her split lip and the dried blood matting her hair
"You need to join them" he insisted, Corvid waved his concerns aside
"It's fine, happened a couple days ago and it's already healing" Felix gave her a disbelieving look before echoing her own words back to her
"You. Medic Now." Corvid merely laughed
"I'm going, I'm going. I just wanted to wish you guys good luck….it's tomorrow isn't it?" Team FADE shared nervous glances before silently nodding. Corvid placed a hand on Felix's shoulder though she addressed the whole team
"I'm not gonna lie, the first one is tough. It's supposed to be-"
"Really filling us with hope" Diamond muttered
"BUT" Corvid steam-rolled over the interruption "I've seen you work, you'll be okay. Just follow your Hunters' orders and stick to the plan and you'll be home safe soon with a real mission to your name….now go get some sleep"
"….You're aware that you're not my babysitter any more right?" Felix snorted
"She's probably right though" Eagle yawned. Felix shrugged deciding that he may as well follow his team to bed, Corvid was home safe and that was all that mattered to him right now, that and the fact tomorrow marked the start of his career as a Huntsman rather than just his training.
Late the following morning Team FADE where among the group gathered in the atrium of Halo Academy, Professor Goodwitch gazing down at each of the first year students with her typical stern expression; silently assessing each of them.
"It's normal to be this nervous right? I mean it's our first mission so of course it's normal, but I am really, really, really nervous right now….what if our Hunter just got roped into this and doesn't really-"
"Eagle" Felix cut off his partner with a gentle hand on her shoulder "It's fine. We're all nervous but we're gonna go out there and kill some Grimm. It'll be awesome" the team had managed to get a respectable amount of sleep the night before after all, this had however left Eagle buzzing with frantic energy, almost tripping over her own feet three times so far. Taking a deep breath she steadied herself and turned to Arctus and Diamond who were stood side by side behind them, the pair gave her reassuring smiles; managing to suppress their own anxiety about the upcoming mission
"Thanks guys" she sighed, patting Sentinel which was mounted on her left arm in shield mode for luck. Almost immediately after she spoke the screeching crackling sound of microphone feedback could be heard as the PA system was brought into life, Goodwitch clearing her throat before beginning what was evidently a pre-prepared speech
"First years, over the last few months you have begun your training to become the sword and shield that protects the Kingdoms. Each of you have made considerable progress and the professors have deemed you ready to face your first real test. An official mission" Team Fade shared nervous looks, the way she'd said the word 'official' made them a little uneasy, they would all swear that she was glaring directly at them when she said it. Goodwitch straightened her back and cleared her throat once more before continuing
"Over the course of the school year first year teams will each be sent on three missions of different natures to both assess your growth and capabilities and give you experience in a variety of situations so that you can make informed decisions about whether or not you wish to become specialised later on in your careers. As you are all no doubt aware this year will mark one hundred years since the end of the Great War, twenty years since the end of the war against Salem and ten years since Halo Academy's founding, as such all First Year teams will be spending their final assignment of the year assisting with security around the festival….yes this will still allow you time to participate" an excited murmur passed through the students at this, quickly silenced by the Headmistress "This however means that your first missions will be leading you into direct contact with the Grimm outside of a controlled environment. While it spares you the emotional trauma that may follow an engagement against other living people the danger will be real and I cannot overstate that fact; you will follow your respective Hunters orders without hesitation and conduct yourselves in a manner befitting students of Halo Academy" the doors of atrium opened automatically behind them, the students taking this as a dismissal turned and made to leave. Weapons and supplies had already been packed, they were heading to the terminal attached to the gargantuan anti-gravity platform the academy was situated on to meet the seasoned Hunters that they would be accompanying
"Team FADE. Please stay behind and see me" Goodwitch's voice cut through the excited chatter like a blade, identical feelings of dread forming in each of the specified students stomachs like cold dead weights
"What did you do?" Diamond demanded of Felix in a furious hiss
"Me? I've been polishing the car all week, where did you break into this time?" he countered indignantly
"Guys let's just go see what the problem is" Arctus suggested, unease creeping into his tone. The four of them turned and made their way towards to stage and podium that Goodwitch stood on, painfully aware of the eyes of their classmates upon them. They reached the headmistress only for her to remain stoic and silent until the last of the other first years had left
"Now we can speak openly" Goodwitch breathed out "As I said, today is the first official mission for first year students, though Team FADE's predisposition towards seeking out unofficial missions has been noted, yes I know about your excursion into the exclusion zone Mister Xiao Long. Rest assured there is no bribe sufficient to make the men and women guarding the walls lie to me" Felix's jaw snapped shut, his hasty justification of his teams actions fizzling out before it could begin
"That being said" Goodwitch continued "Though ill advised your actions highlighted that you are not completely without common sense and act well both as a team and in conjunction with other Hunters. As such your mission will be one normally deemed unsuitable for a first outing"
"Dude I think Goodwitch is gonna let the Grimm kill us and make it look like an accident" Diamond noted in a stage whisper which drew a furious glare from the Headmistress herself, a giggle from Eagle which she quickly struggled to mask behind a cough and a deep belly laugh from someone behind them. Team FADE span around to see who had managed to enter the atrium without alerting even sensitive Faunus hearing and were greeted by a tall man with a physique that was muscular though not to the extent of being bulky, similar to that of a sprinter. Standing at just over six feet tall, the already respectable height added to by the brown furred rabbit ears protruding from a mass of curly hair of the same shade. He wore brown combats that had clearly been torn and stitched back together several times with various ammunition pouches and unidentifiable gadgets adorning them and a matching sleeveless jacket with a black t-shirt beneath it, tight enough to display his musculature. Golden armoured ridged plates adorned his shoulders, elbows and wrists while a black leather glove covered his left hand. The man's right cheek was blemished by a thin scar tracing the bone from the edge of his nose to his eyebrow. Goodwitch gave him a nod of greeting
"Team FADE meet the Huntsman you will be assisting in the line of duty-" unable to contain herself any long Eagle surged forwards throwing her arms around the man with a squeal and exclamation of pure joy
"UNCLE FLAX!"
Felix was far from afraid of flying but nevertheless he couldn't help the waves of dread that washed over him with each unexpected jerk and rattle of the Bull-head he was situated in the rear compartment of. It was a pre-war model manufactured in Vale, typically somewhat boxier and heavier than their Atlesian counterparts though it had apparently been heavily modified, Eagle had explained that her Uncle Flax was a former Atlesian Freelancer much like his own Aunt Ruby and Aunt Penny and the Freelancers were known for their unconventional tactics, the craft had been adapted to suit such purposes. Felix had long since given up wondering just how many of those modifications were legal, safe or sane and was currently giving a baffled stare to Diamond who rested casually with her hands behind her head, seemingly half asleep before realised that her father was a pilot and she had probably flown countless times before. Casting his eyes around the minimalist interior of the craft his eyes landed on his partner and he found himself unable to ignore a question that had been in his mind for the entire time they had been flying any longer
"Hey Eagle, how many aunts and uncles do you actually have?" her freckled cheeks darkened slightly before she answered
"The Arcs are a big family and sort of adopt people as well so quite a few" She paused for a moment seemingly counting her relatives off in her head "Aunt Nora and Uncle Lie are pretty much adopted into the family. My Mum's oldest sister is my Aunt Vicky, Aunt Citrus is super cool but she lives in Mistral so I hardly ever see her. Uncle Flax is married to my Aunt Daisy, her twin Aunt Buttercup is married to Uncle Xiangya they were partners at Haven Academy. Aunt Poppy and her girlfriend Hana are travelling all over Remnant, then there's Aunt Hell"
"Aunt Hell?" Felix raised an eyebrow, almost sure that Eagle was making that one up to mess with him
"Hellebores Arc, the Hell-child, Aunt Hell….a fucking pyromaniac with emphasis on the maniac part" Flax Scarlatina grumbled as he stepped into the rear compartment on his craft, the divide separating it from the cockpit slid back into place behind him with a muted hiss "And that's not factoring in that every Arc who trained as a Hunter brought their team home and they're all Arcs by association now"
"And then there's the cousins" Eagle beamed
"Oh yeah, between marrying into the Arcs and joining the Freelancers I went from having two sisters to being related to pretty much everyone somehow….by the way how're Ruby and Penny? haven't seen 'em since the wedding, last job we did together was the night they got engaged" the question startled Felix and it took him a moment to answer
"Uh yeah, Aunt Penny's good. I saw her and the twins a few weeks back, Aunt Ruby was away I haven't actually seen her since the summer"
"So what's the mission?" Diamond asked suddenly, clearly not as tuned out as she had appeared. Beside Arctus gave her a concerned look, her tone had seemed a little harsher than normal. Flax merely gave them an evil smirk
"I'm so glad you asked, because it's gonna be fun-"
"If that sounds concerning good, because we should all probably be concerned" Eagle interrupted, though she wore an ear to ear grin that gave away her excitement. Flax merely rolled his eyes
"We're heading North. Out of New Vale and over the jagged mountains"
"There's nothing there" Arctus noted with a confused expression "Airships from Atlas pass over them but there's no settlements north of the mountains at all"
"Correct" Flax nodded "The mountains were part of Vale's natural defences when the Kingdom was first founded. I mean centuries ago, nearly impossible to climb. Downside is Hunters very rarely sweep the place so the wildlife of the tall dark and spiky variety gets a little out of hand"
"So we're gonna clean it out?" Felix surmised, earning himself a bout of laughter from the older Huntsman"
"A first year team 'clean out' what's over the mountains? Fuck no kid" he managed to gasp out before straightening himself up and wiping tears of amusement from his eyes "There's a specific Grimm that we're looking for. Atlesian ships have noticed a trail of destruction that seems to have a cohesive direction, it looks like something's heading towards the mountains. Our job isn't to directly engage" at this point the Rabbit Faunus reached into one of his myriad pockets and withdrew a series of vaguely familiar items
"Are those homing beacons?" Arctus asked, noticing the similarities between the items in the older Hunters' hands and the items Teams FADE and CLIR had used in Old Vale
"Yeah, some toys from my time in the Freelancers. Double the range of normal ones and their collapsible. Our mission is to get behind the target and deal with the packs of smaller nasties that are most likely following it, I already have a location set up for that. Then we catch up with the target, plant trackers on it and send word to Vale so they can send a couple of warships"
"Sounds pretty simple" Felix nodded "Team FADE can handle it"
"Course you can, you've got Eagle on your team" Felix watched his partner seemingly unconsciously puff up her chest at the praise "But don't get complacent, simple just means there's a broad spectrum of what can got wrong" the students shared grins at Flax's almost resigned tone, Felix, Arctus and Diamond were sure the man had some stories to tell whereas Eagle already knew several of them
"Anyway I'm gonna go switch the autopilot off. We can't all get our transports specially designed by the founder of Poly-Tech like Penny and Ruby and the Jackrabbit is in need of a serious tune up" as soon as Flax returned to the cockpit Eagle leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially
"He's being over dramatic. The Jackrabbit is fine, Uncle Flax and Aunt Daisy service it before and after every mission"
"So like Felix with the Killer Bee then?" Diamond noted with a playful smirk
"Exactly"
"You're just jealous" Felix grunted, shrugging dismissively. The four of them gradually returned to their customary good natured joking and teasing peppered with speculation about the mission. It was several hours since their departure, the sun having passed its' zenith and the Hunters having already made their way over the mountains, which Arctus naturally took pictures of before Flax's warnings about the broad spectrum of things going wrong rang true. The lighting of the rear compartment switched to an angry red as an alarm blared and the partition between the cockpit and the passengers slid aside allowing Flax to communicate with the students in his care
"Grimm swarm detected up ahead, we're not far from our landing area but it looks like we're gonna have to plough through 'em"
"You're sure it's Grimm?" Arctus asked, despite the glances it earned it him the question wasn't unwarranted given that the creatures of Grimm emitted no heat or electronic signals and were as such notoriously difficult to track digitally
"Yeah I'm sure" Flax assured them "Radar picked 'em up. Judging by the size and number of targets and the way they're moving I'm gonna take a guess and say Tormentors….this is gonna be a shit-show kids"
"I don't think Professor Bronzewing has covered Tormentors yet" Diamond pointed out nervously
"Oum damn it" Flax spat "Dove's an idiot I've telling him for years to stop babying you kids. Any dumb-ass with a stick can skewer a Boarbatusk….right Tormentors, dragonfly Grimm, not the smartest but their fast and manoeuvrable; they've got balded tails and a lot of reach. I'm gonna open up the side hatches and I want you to shoot down any that get behind us while I man the Jackrabbits' guns"
"Got it" Felix nodded as he motioned to his team, each of them drawing their weapons and partnering up before positioning themselves in front of the hatches and waiting. The roaring of the wind filled the craft as the hatches opened yet another sound could still be distinctly heard over it, a low droning buzz and Arctus chanced a look ahead. The Grimm had seen them and were closing in rapidly, several of them being reduced to nothing but wisps of fading darkness and burning husks as the weapons of the Jackrabbit opened fire
"Ready?" Arctus breathed out as he shifted Gefroren-Erbe to its' ranged mode
"Dude, watch this" Diamond grinned as she drew Lex Talions and promptly somersaulted out of the hatch. Arctus's heart leapt into his throat but before he could react his partners' feet had connected with the wing of their craft and her Semblance took hold, allowing her to balance upside down with her sniper rifle at the ready, picking off Grimm almost casually
"You keep forgetting I can do that don't ya?" she called to him, a soft chuckle in her voice
"Well sorry if I repress every memory I have of you jumping out of windows or off of roofs and bridges!" Arctus shot back over the report of his weapon and the shrieking hiss of the Tormentor that found itself spattered in burning plasma, falling towards the treeline as its' wings were burned away
"Aww, you're adorable big guy!" Diamond laughed and Arctus couldn't help but smile. Even if Diamond would deny to the end that she snorted when she laughed, she did and he loved it; he quickly returned his attention to the task at hand and resumed firing bursts of glowing blue death across the skyline
"They're still getting behind us!" Flax called back, before adding in a low mutter "If we had Ruby with us this'd already be over" behind Arctus, manning the other hatch Eagle and Felix were felling Tormentors by the score with ease, their rapid firing weapons more suited to the task
"How far out are we?" Felix demanded as he paused to reload
"Not far!" hearing the answer Felix returned to gunning down monsters before issuing an order
"Eagle switch sides with Arctus! The don't have any machine guns!"
"Right!" Eagle and Sentinel turned and made to relieve the Bear Faunus, Sentinel securing itself by locking one if its' claw mounted grappling hooks to the interior of the Bull-Head. Arctus prepared to line up one last shot before switching, a Tormentor had managed to weave around Diamond's assault and was now doubling back around
"Got ya" Arctus squeezed the trigger and the rear half of the Grimm disintegrated. His confident smirk was short lived as the dying monster continued to travel forwards until it connected with the wing mounted thruster keeping them airborne; the impact sending Diamond staggering, thus sending her falling as her feet lost contact with the underside of the wing
"DIAMOND!" reality seemed to slow to a torturous crawl as Sentinels' other claw shot forwards, grabbing the falling Huntress as she slipped out of view. A thud confirming that she'd connected with the outside of the hull. The seconds dragged on for Arctus until his partner pulled herself inside the confines of their transport, shaking slightly and glistening with sweat
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I shouldn't have-" Arctus pulled her into a tight embrace, the Grimm outside forgotten, Diamond punched his shoulder playfully and ruffled his hair
"Dude, it's okay" she murmured before briefly returning the hug
"Glad to see everyone's still breathing and all" Felix growled over the sound of Hack and Slash tearing through Grimm "But we're still being swarmed. Fuck this Nanobot time, I'm going Balrog!" as he prepared to load the highly explosive rounds given to him by Penny Flax entered the rear compartment
"Don't waste your ammo kid, you'll need it later" he ruffled Eagle's hair before cracking a broad smile "Autopilot's set, we're almost at our landing zone. Close the hatches behind me and don't do anything stupid….see ya" with that the Rabbit Faunus winked and threw himself backwards out of the hatch. Dozens of Grimm following him down. Eagle let out an alarmed gasp and instantly made to follow him, her sword finding its' way to her palm
"WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?" Felix demanded as he performed the considerable feat of holding his partner in place while Arctus and Diamond sealed the hatches
"We have to go after him, we have to-"
"We have to follow orders!" Felix cut across her, expression softening "We'll take out the rest of these Grimm when we land and then look for him once we're secure" Eagle looked close to tears and silently shook but eventually nodded
"Fine" the single word was forced out with more malice than her team-mates had ever heard from her "But if he's hurt I'm holding you responsible" there were a few moments of tense silence before Diamond noticed something and spoke up
"We're losing altitude, if we're going on the offensive when we land then reload now" Team FADE silently readied themselves; Felix regarding the Nanobot rounds before finally deciding that the situation didn't warrant them. The craft landed with a thud, automatically deployed landing gear bringing them rolling to a stop
"Ready?" Felix glanced around, the moment he saw his team-mates nods of confirmation he pulled the hatch open and launched himself into action, Team FADE behind him. The remaining Tormentors made to dive-bomb them and found themselves utterly outmatched by the combination of Sentinel's artillery, Arctus's Glyphs, Felix's screaming chain-swords and Diamond's unparalleled marksmanship. Within two minutes it was done, the students needed a moment to catch their breath and allow themselves their first real look at where they had landed. It seemed to be a military airfield of some description, the architecture of the buildings not all of which were complete suggested that the place was old. Eagle's patience was limited however
"Okay let's go" without waiting for an answer she began marching towards the treeline only to be brought to a halt as a Beowolf came barrelling towards them, fangs snapping
"I've got it!" a voice called from the trees and several gunshots rang out, one of the Grimm's hind legs shattering. Flax Scarlatina made his way into the clearing that the airfield occupied with an unmistakable swagger, gripping the still struggling Beowolf by the back of the head and twisting with enough force to turn its' skull one hundred and eighty degrees. Team FADE looked on in stunned silence until the older Hunter merely shook his head with an amused sigh
"Don't tell me you're getting jumpy already? That was a warm up"
The run down exterior of the abandoned airstrips' building, Team FADE had learned, was a ruse. After helping Flax secure his personal transport in a hangar they made their way into the adjacent structure and found that it had been modernised. The students stared in disbelief at the minimalist decoration interspersed with mismatched posters and notice boards haphazardly affixed to the walls. Flax couldn't hide a derisive snort as he saw their expressions. Pulling down a poster displaying a Mistrali tournament fighter that he'd taken issue with the Rabbit Faunus explained himself
"Yeah I know it looks like a wreck from the outside but the Freelancers fixed it up. Mantle built it during the great war to raid Vale, ended up abandoning it when they realised a base on this side of the mountains wasn't worth the upkeep. The Atlesian Freelancers found out about it in some old records and took it….We debated giving it to Ruby and Penny as a leaving present to be honest" the last part was directed at Felix. The older Huntsman looked around for a second seemingly considering some unknown options before continuing "Okay, there's bunks and a bathroom up there and a kitchen full of tinned crap that lasts forever that way. I'm just gonna go check and see if this place is stocked up for the easiest way to go about the mission" without waiting for an answer he set off vanishing through a doorway and turning down a dimly lit corridor; Team FADE shared a few glances that ranged from impressed to slightly concerned before their assigned Hunter returned wearing a victorious smile and a carrying what looked like an oil drum over his shoulder
"We're in business, which means it's gonna be a long night. If I were you I'd get a few hours sleep and something to eat. Then we start rigging the place"
"Wait, wait, wait….what's the plan?" Felix asked with a raised eyebrow. Flax's smile broadened
"This" he patted the oil drum with his free hand "Is a liquid pheromone that can convince Grimm that there's a battlefield nearby. Crop-dust everything nearby with this stuff and play a lot of pre-recorded screams….don't ask where from, and we draw the Grimm into a killing field. It won't be enough for the big one but it'll stop the smaller packs from falling into line behind it. Any questions?"
"Where are the screams from?" Arctus couldn't help himself. Diamond nudged him before adding her own question
"If this stuff can direct Grimm away then why doesn't everyone use it? Sounds like it'd be cheaper than Hunters?"
"It isn't. What we use tonight is gonna be worth a small fortune" Flax sighed "Besides it only works in places like this where there's no settlements nearby. You can't use it to draw Grimm away from a city, once they've smelled the real thing they go after it"
"Well that sucks" Felix noted "We could just dump it in the middle of the forest on Patch and let the Grimm chase their own tails"
"Still good for recon jobs" Flax agreed "I give my Dad a couple of bottles whenever his engineering firm are working in Grimm country….Anyway, as I said; either get some food or get some sleep while I see what else we've got to work with" with that Flax left once again, a noticeable spring in his step and the thought of the possibilities that operating from a Freelancer outpost again may present
"Okay I'm gonna grab some food, I will eat anything right now" Felix's stomach chose that moment to growl, as if to highlight his point
"I'll come too, I can't sleep right now I mean look at this place, we're in a secret base….and admit it, my Uncle Flax is cool, like super cool" Eagle chattered happily as she followed her partner, Felix's agreement could be heard as the blondes left what could be considered the living room or communal area
"You getting some sleep?" Diamond asked
"May as well try" Arctus shrugged before pausing "Hey are you okay? You seemed off earlier….when Eagle was talking about her family, wanna talk about it?"
"You wanna talk about that frown you're always wearing whenever Helios hangs out with us now?" she countered as she let her hair down, brushing silvery strands from her eyes
"I mean not really" he grumbled "I know you two knew each other before coming to Vale so I'm being dumb"
"Yeah you are" she sighed "Helios is cool, I can chill with him. You're my partner, you're the person I trust the most" Arctus could feel the blood rushing to his face at her words, his own attempt at an admission seemed laughably childish to him now
"As for the thing earlier" Diamond exhaled slowly "Honestly I was just a little jealous….You guy's all have these really big families full of cool aunts and uncles and adorable cousins. I've just got my parents and they work a lot. I always thought it'd be nice to have a bigger family"
"Well you can take my sister off of my hands, I'll pay you" Arctus snorted
"You'd miss her" Diamond countered
"Yeah you're right….well welcome to the Slate's then, my Dad will probably love you" Arctus's mouth clicked shut as he realised the possible connotations his joke could have, nervously he risked a look at his partner who seemed to have picked up on the way the comment could have been taken as well
"Dude….you are such a dork" she whispered as she tried to hide a smile and a slight blush "Come on let's get some sleep" Arctus finally allowed himself to breathe as he watched her leave, forcing his attention away from the way her hips swayed her suppressed a groan; silently accepting the fact that his crush may be a little outside of his ability to control.
It was already dark when Flax decided to wake the sleeping students up with a flash-bang grenade, thankfully toned down to not blind or deafen any Faunus subjected to it. Flax had justified himself by saying he needed to see how well they reacted when caught off guard, finding the plethora of weapons pointed at him satisfactory. Eagle freely admitted that her uncle while cool, was also a bit of a jerk when it came to pranks. That was several hours ago and Team FADE were currently planting numerous devices whose purposes could best be described as underhanded, a task Flax had given them thorough instructions on how to inform as well as strict orders to stay within sight of each other before climbing into the cockpit of the Jackrabbit and flying off into the night.
"Shouldn't he be back by now?" Diamond asked as she finalised the preparations on something that served a purpose that could only be defined as horrific when used on anything other than a creature of Grimm; growing up in Doupeng-He Bishou before moving to Mistral's capital of Anquan-Jia she had heard stories of such things happening. Shivering slightly from both the mental image and the night air which was far cooler than that of her native Kingdom she pulled Arctus's jacket around herself, it was sleeveless and far too baggy to offer her any real warmth but the sentiment had been nice
"I doubt he'll be much longer" Felix answered her, checking the time on a Scroll which had no signal before returning to his own trap
"Don't worry, uncle Flax knows what he's doing" Eagle interjected as she and Sentinel stretched a trip wire out between them, Arctus spoke up to defend her sentiment
"He's an Atlesian Freelancer. They're some of the best" he snorted "Second to Specialists obviously but I've heard stories from my Dad about some of the things Freelancers do….he says they're the shocking half of shock and awe"
"And there he is" Felix indicated to the night sky where in the distance, currently visible only to Faunus eyesight but rapidly drawing nearer was a Bull-head with a stream of pressurised liquid spraying from it. Team FADE dutifully completed their assigned task before congregating outside of the hangar which would house the Jackrabbit for the night, only a little time passed before the craft landed; a little less smoothly than its' pilot would have liked but the repairs to the damaged wing and thruster had thankfully held, the remote outpost was apparently prepared for a variety of eventualities, lending to the mystique of the Freelancers.
"Okay team, pheromones are set. What about the traps?"
"Ready to go" Felix informed him
"Good, everyone on the roof of the main building. Getting in the thick of it is fun but there's a time and a place" Team FADE followed the instruction without hesitation, scrambling up a ladder that was retracted after them. Eagle deploying Sentinel as they positioned themselves on the roof. Within minutes Flax appeared amongst them clambering through a hatch leading into the building itself.
"Okay, I hope nobody is of a nervous or overly squeamish disposition. False audio starts in three, two, one NOW!" the noise that began spewing from hidden speakers was terrible, there was the promised screams, amplified to a horrific intensity; punctuated by the sounds of gunfire, children crying, explosions and terrible snarling and snapping. Felix gave the older Huntsman a disgusted look
"This isn't fake is it? This is a recording of an actual fucking slaughter!" Flax's rabbit ears drooped at the accusation
"Yeah it is" Eagle's hands shot to her mouth as she regarded her uncle in her whole new light, he explained "A settlement outside of Atlas's Hive Cities, they had a shield generator so they were pretty well protected. It broke down during the winter and word got around the residents; all that panic in a snowstorm….they didn't even see the Grimm coming until it was too late, they were inside before the Freelancers were even called. This is a recording we managed to pull from a damaged Scroll"
"Well thankfully no snow tonight" Arctus whispered, nodding downwards where the first pairs of glowing red eyes filled with menace could be seen, shadowy forms that seemed to blend into the night slinking from the treeline. Flax quickly regained his composure and took control
"Eagle I want Sentinel scouring the sky. Slate, Glyphs over the entrances to stop any Grimm that slip through. Sustrai, pick off anything that stands out in a crowd; Alphas, bigger species you name it. Xiao Long you're with me. We're doing the legwork, once those traps are empty they're gonna rush us" Felix gave a low growl, lips peeling away from sharp teeth as his swords shifted into their machine gun forms. Flax readied his own weapons, the armour around his shoulders, elbows and forearms sliding and rotating as countless panels and components shifted into place, forming a pair of bulky armoured golden gauntlets, with an extra reinforced plate across the knuckles and machine guns slung under the wrists
"Yang and Coco helped me build 'em" Flax noted conversationally when he caught Flax staring at the design that clearly took cues from his mothers' own weapons. Any further discussion was halted by a piercing screech
"Nevermore" Eagle confirmed, Sentinel opening fire served as the catalyst for the Grimm currently stalking towards their base to abandon all hesitation and surge forwards, directly into waiting traps. Felix was left open mouthed by the fruits of his teams labours, the first Beowolf died as it stepped into a bear trapped which had had electric Dust placed in its' workings in a way that caused the crystal to shatter as the trap snapped shut; lightning coursed over the body of the howling Grimm as it was burned away by the voltage. Another stumbled over a tripwire and landed directly on something akin to a landmine, though rather than explode and potentially damage the landing strip it shot six inch long spikes made of Atlesian steel directly upwards; skewering the unfortunate beast and grievously wounding several others as they fell back towards the ground. The whole time the Hunters on the roof emptied a constant stream of bullets, Dust and plasma into the Grimm below
"Are we even making a difference?" Felix called out as he reloaded
"Of course-" Flax found himself interrupted by the roar of an Ursa that lumbered into view, only for Diamond to thread an armour piercing Gravity Dust round through its' eye "Of course we are, it's just gonna be a really long night" he chuckled before unloading twin streams of death from his weapons.
Flax's assertion had proved correct, it had been a long night. The Rabbit Faunus had allowed the students in his care a few hours sleep following their utter decimation of the various packs, flocks and swarms of Grimm that had assaulted their position; how much sleep the teens actually got was questionable considering the adrenaline fuelling them and the haunting sounds of a massacre ringing in their ears. Regardless they had been woken with breakfast and congratulations on a job well done, proof that Flax Scarlatina may have enjoyed the occasional prank but he was not cruel; currently Team FADE were in the final stages of checking the spent traps littering the scorched and bullet-riddled ground and ensuring that none remained active, it wouldn't do for the next Freelancer to use the outpost to be greeted by a pressure sensitive explosive with a payload of corrosive gas after all.
"Look alive" Flax barked as he strode over to them, having completed pre-flight checks on the Jackrabbit; paying close attention the slapdash repairs made the night before.
"Only look, not actually function….I can do that" Arctus managed to get out before yawning. Flax merely rolled his eyes
"Last night we killed over a thousand Grimm….each" Team FADE shared surprised looks amongst themselves, they knew there were a lot of Grimm but having a number was something different. Flax allowed them all, specifically his niece their moment of pride before dropping the twisted punchline "So now that the easy part's done today we're going to do the real work"
Authors Notes:
Another long chapter and it's a two parter (Technically a three parter with the way the mission leads into what follows but I digress)
I still wish I could get these out more regularly but it is what it is, the regularity of The Downward Spiral updates was the product of me being out of work for a lot of the time I was writing it. I'm making good money right now so sacrifices have to be made.
So I officially have a Fan base? Do you have a name? I wasn't aware….there needs to be a name.
Also TigersAndRoses and FleetOfWarships seriously you need to send me ALL of this Fan Art, I'll use it as a cover for the story (And obviously credit you)
Congrats to ShadowAlex2000 for being the 50th reviewer, you win virtual headpats.
Anyway, let's summarise:
Eagle 100% gets homesick, sharing a dorm is no substitute for having a family as big as the Arcs around, also Felix is a great partner.
Corvid and Felix's sibling relationship is great.
Scarlet David cameo (Also Neptune, though he wasn't explicitly name dropped….he will show up later though).
Omega Wing V2.0 is coming.
"Hell I've been punching above my weight since the day I met you darlin'. Didn't think one more time could hurt too bad" I can write characters like that but I wish I was that fucking smooth in real life.
Also Arctus taking notes on cute lines is priceless.
A little explanation and logic on how test missions work, also the centenary….you know damn well it's gonna be important.
Goodwitch knows all.
Flax Scarlatina, Velvet's baby brother….there's a Downward Spiral callback you didn't expect right?
I did mention Flax briefly at the end of "Our Happy Ever After" and stated that he was a Freelancer.
Diamond can sleep anywhere.
The Arc family….yes I had to go back and reread some of Downward Spiral to remember all of Jaune's sisters names.
I imagined Eagle and Flax as a double act kinda like Ruby and Qrow….which is hilarious considering.
Diamond is going to give Arctus a heart attack and several nosebleeds before she's done.
Felix going Balrog: He can do it whenever he has enough heat to fuel it, but I prefer to hold it in reserve or he's OP.
Eagle is a cinnamon roll….but she will also kick a mountain of ass.
Pheromones that attract Grimm and pre-recorded screams, that is the level of twisted shit the Freelancers use….they're like Hunter Anti-Heroes.
That cute little Diamond Dust moment (I'm calling Arctus x Diamond Diamond Dust, deal with it)
"The shocking half of shock and awe" Is probably the most backhanded compliment given to the Freelancers.
In the Epilogue of Downward Spiral Yang worked with Team CFVY as their fourth member, filling in for Fox Alistair. Flax's weapon being essentially a way to try and combine Ember Celica with Coco's Mini-gun makes sense.
Yeah they're going after the big Grimm next chapter….so remember the Gojirex from Downward Spiral; this is cooler.
Thank you to Ferrous, FleetOfWarships, ShadowWolf, ShadowAlex2000, Svette115 and JollyTheImmortal for their reviews on the last chapter.
Heart warming is good, I don't JUST break people emotionally.
You love the Battle-Cat ship don't ya (Felix x Helios).
Diamond doesn't do gentle….As Arctus may or may not find out (Bow chika wow wow).
The Killer Bee will indeed get upgraded over time.
Nothing is as dense as Jaune was, his density was thicker than plot armour.
I've actually never paint-balled so I had no frame of reference….why the fuck would you do something that makes you piss blood for fun, is this one of those "Humans are weird" posts from Tumblr?
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.