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Chapter 23: A Brief Pause

A week had passed since the capture of Rhodium Torchwick, a week in which Team FADE had undeniably revelled in the almost celebrity status it had given them at Halo Academy. The media, while being denied access to the campus had been incessant in their reporting of the capture of one of New Vale's most notorious criminals, the fact that police and fully qualified Hunters had only arrived after a team of first year students had come to an older teams' aid and apprehended Torchwick giving them plenty of material for sensationalist articles. While all students involved in the incident had been instructed by Professor Goodwitch that they were not to give interviews while Torchwick's case was still ongoing the press had still managed to acquire several photographs of Team FADE.
Diamond and Arctus had been the least affected by the development; Arctus having been photographed by the press before simply due to his heritage, the Bear Faunus was simply happy to be being discussed for his own achievements for a change. Diamond seemingly shrugged off the attention with her usual effortless nonchalance and the pair were frankly still too absorbed in the novelty of their own relationship to pay any mind to gossip.
Eagle and Felix had been far more affected, while both blondes had mothers who spent a considerable amount of time in the public eye Eagle living with her grandparents had shielded her from much of the media's scrutiny and Blake Xiao Long had always gone to great lengths to give her children a normal life. The attention had given Eagle a noticeable spring in her step, students native to the crime ridden areas of the city Rhodium Torchwick operated out of randomly congratulating her in the hallways and more than one girl asking for her number had brought her out of her shell in a way that was amazing to see. Felix had frankly been insufferable, his usual confidence devolving into a cockiness only held in check by Diamond's withering put downs and Helios Nikos's willingness to remind him that he was far from unbeatable whenever the chance arose.

Currently the two blondes of Team FADE were away from any of their classmates, it was Friday and classes had ended for the week a few hours ago. Eagle and Felix, despite the biting cold and frost on the ground had decided to get a little extra training in and were currently facing off against each other in the outdoor colosseum situated to the rear of the gargantuan anti-gravity platform Halo Academy was built on.

"Crap!" Eagle yelped as she managed to parry one of her partners' blades only to be forced to duck under a vicious slash from the other, the Lion Faunus carrying his momentum through into a spinning kick which she managed to sidestep; the two of them were left facing each other and Eagle saw an opening, stabbing upwards at Felix's side. Felix's response was evidently to forget that they were working on their swordplay, he managed to block her attack with the blade in his left hand before dropping the blade in his right and step inside her guard. Reaching upwards he managed to get the girl who was taller than himself into a headlock

"There's a reason I'm one of the best in combat training" Felix laughed, Eagle responded with a bright smile as she dropped her sword

"There's a reason not the best as well" she wrapped her left arm around his shoulders and grabbed his leg with her right before simply forcing herself into a standing position, pulling Felix into the air as she did so and proceeded to slam him back first onto the ground with a dull thud

"How the hell are you that strong?" he managed to choke out as he rolled onto his front, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees only to find Eagle's sword pressed under his chin "Fine you win"

"Thought we were working on technique today?" Eagle teased while pulling him to his feet "That wasn't technique"

"I know, I know" Felix sighed as he retrieved Hack and Slash, replacing them in the sheaths on his back "I think we approach sword fighting differently though, you were trained by people who use swords right?"

"Yeah, I mean mostly, a few of my aunts use stuff like axes, artillery and flamethrowers" Eagle answered

"So you probably built your style around your sword, I just use mine for a little extra range"

"But you can't just go berserk like that all the time-"
"With my Semblance I can" Felix shrugged; though Eagle caught the way his smile flickered from his face for the briefest moment "I mean only for a limited amount of time, but it works" Eagle merely pouted

"Wish I had a fancy Semblance to fall back on" Felix nudged her gently

"Hey you'll find yours, don't worry about it. Besides you've got one of the coolest weapons of anyone here" he motioned to Sentinel who had been watching the sparring matches from the sidelines and now trundled over chirping and beeping animatedly

"I agree" a new voice chimed in causing both Eagle and Felix to turn around and see Professor Dove Bronzewing entering the amphitheatre, armour reflecting the glow of the floodlights and carrying a briefcase that seemed out of place with his attire.

"Professor Bronzewing" Eagle waved, using her free hand to gently nudge Sentinel's Mini-Gun as it had automatically trained on the supposed target.

"Your weapon is remarkable and certainly unique, I also didn't discover my own Semblance until later on in my training; after the war had ended actually. You have nothing to worry about"

"Thank you" Eagle breathed out, glad of the reassurance.

"See told ya" Felix grinned before turning to the professor "So is there something we can help you with?"

"Actually I was looking for you Felix" Bronzewing sighed "You've missed several classes this week. I was on my way to the garage and saw you training, I wanted to ask why"

"Sorry about that" Felix shrugged "I've been helping Corey. She was given some time off while she recovers and wanted to work on her weapon; she needs someone to give her a hand with the heavy lifting because she can't really put any weight on her leg"

"I understand" Bronzewing nodded "I can overlook the absences this week and I'm sure your other professors will do the same, although I'd prefer to have been told in advance"

"Thanks. And sorry"

"It's okay, also I wanted to apologise to your sister about what happened to her but I haven't seen her at any meals this week" Bronzewing looked concerned, causing Felix to snort

"Corey's been eating her meals in the workshop, seriously if there isn't a class in there then that's where she'll be until she gets the Omega Wing running again"

"What happened to Corvid wasn't your fault though" Eagle added.

"Team CLIR were exposed to Rhodium Torchwick because of Sky Lark's actions. I vouched for Sky to Professor Goodwitch" Bronzewing ran a hand through his hair in agitation "We were partners at Beacon, I'd hoped he'd grown since we last saw each other. Apparently not. If I'd known he would behave the way he did I wouldn't have bothered"

"I'll tell Corvid" Felix mumbled "In fact, she's probably in the workshop now if you wanna tell her yourself"

"Unfortunately I can't" Bronzewing motioned towards the briefcase in his hand "I have a flight home to catch"

"You don't live on the campus?" Eagle asked somewhat confused, it was common knowledge that the Professors resided in a restricted part of the Academy

"I do not" Bronzewing confirmed "I commute, it's easier than relocating my wife and kids"

"You've got kids?" Felix sputtered, Bronzewing merely rolled the eye that wasn't almost obscured by scarring

"Yes Felix. Despite your mothers' profession it apparently surprises you that teachers are people with lives outside of school. I have a son and a daughter. Redshank, my son will actually be attending Halo in two years" Felix fought the urge to answer back, knowing that he'd walked into the teasing from his teacher. Bronzewing made to turn away from them

"Anyway I'll see you both on Monday, also don't forget I want those assignments completed before your second mission of the year" as he left Eagle nudged Felix gently

"What?"

"You know what?" Felix glowered at her, the two of them having a silent battle of wills before finally giving in and calling after his retreating teacher

"Professor Bronzewing!"

"Yes Felix?"

"Look….I've been working on this assignment, I've been struggling with it a little" he fought the urge to growl and his tail swished in irritation at himself at his next words "I think I need help"

"No problem at all, I can stay behind after lessons on Monday. Visit me and my office and we'll discuss what you're struggling with" Dove turned and continued on his way

"He seems a lot nicer outside of lessons" Eagle noted before nudging Felix playfully "See was that so hard?"

"No….I'm just annoyed at myself, I should have been able to figure it out" the Lion Faunus grumbled

"Hey it's fine, you'll get it. Don't worry it about it" Eagle smiled, Felix unable to stop the grin forming on his own face at the role reversal.

"Thanks" he paused, smile widening "But you're still cleaning the Killer Bee though" Eagle slumped and grumbled to herself as her partner left, chuckling softly at her expense.

Corvid Xiao Long snarled a series of foul and inventive curses which were only partially muffled by the screwdriver currently clenched between her teeth.

"Use your words….Just not those ones"

"Go fuck yourself Lux" she grumbled around the instrument, her partner merely chuckled before stepping forward

"Here" he pulled the section of the Omega wing that she was working on higher, gently laying it on one of the workbenches before crouching down and allowing her to wrap an arm around his shoulders so he could help her back to her feet, her still healing leg having seized up.

"Thanks" she placed the screwdriver down and returned her attention to the wiring of the new addition to the battle suit, aware of of her partners' attention being on her. Eventually Lux spoke

"You don't think this is a little bit….extra?" Corvid snorted

"Nope" she popped the P before adding "And that's rich from the guy with purple hair and a tux"

"She's kinda got you there" Felix laughed, announcing his presence behind them. After a few moments of studying the Omega Wing, which had been upgraded since even the last time he'd helped his sister work on it a low whistle escaped him "So you've got the shield generator up and running?"

"Not quite" she admitted, sounding thoroughly displeased at the fact "Took a little longer than I planned to work around the rail guns. The wiring isn't finished yet"

"I told you moving them from the arms was dumb, you could build the new stuff around 'em" the Lion Faunus sighed

"And I told you it'll be the coolest damn thing you've ever seen when it's finished" Corvid countered

"You've seen my car right?"

"I've seen that the roof's a dented mess and it doesn't have it's own guns"

"Oh my Oum do you ever stop bickering" Lux groaned, making a point of being as theatrical as possible.

"Only when she's eating" Felix quipped "Which reminds me, the canteen had fish on the menu" he held out a yellow Styrofoam tray contained a meal he'd brought for his sister; knowing that she'd neglect eating in favour of work if allowed.

"Thanks" her ravenousness became clear when she devoured the food at a rate which toed the line between impressive and concerning while her expression bordered on ecstasy "Oh that tastes like home" as if summoned by the thought of Patch and it's famously fresh fish her Scroll began to ring, the tone indicating it was a video call.

"Hey Mum" she beamed as the golden locks and concerned expression of Yang Xiao Long came into view, calling to check up on Corvid as she had done every day that week

"Hey Corey, how is everything? Are you making sure to keep your weight off that leg?"

"Mum I'm fine, seriously" thankfully Felix came to her defence

"It's fine Mum, she's been getting help with the heavy lifting all week. Me and Lux are helping right now" he indicated to his sisters' partner, something that instantly caught Yang's attention

"Ah, Corey's partner. I don't think we've actually been introduced yet"

"Lux Lumière, pleasure to meet you Missus Xiao Long"

"Can you try and keep Corey from running herself into the ground for me, she's stubborn"

"I get it from my Mum" Corvid muttered under her breath, Felix heard her and made no attempt to hide his snickering at his sisters' expense.

"I just worry about you" Yang sighed "Torchwick very nearly severed an artery. You could have died Corey" the frankness of the and the haunted tone it was delivered in silenced whatever reply Corvid intended to make

"Anyway" Yang smiled brightly, choosing to move on swiftly "How've you been?"

"Better now no one's being dumb and trying to confine me to my dorm" Corvid chuckled. Felix took a few moments to consider before answering, finally admitting something that'd been gnawing at the back of his mind all week

"I'm not bad, but honestly I was thinking of asking Neptune, the student counsellor about anger management"

"What? Why?" Corvid demanded, utterly stunned. Yang took a moment to speak

"What's brought this on son?" Felix took a deep breath before answering

"When we caught Torchwick….what didn't get reported is that I was going to kill him" that made both his mother and sister perform the slightest double takes, Lux had realised this was not a conversation he needed to be part of and given them some space. Felix continued "His Aura was gone, I had him trapped beaten and disarmed and I just couldn't stop myself, I just kept hitting him until Eagle dragged me off of him. I was in my Balrog state, I would've crushed his skull if she hadn't"

"Felix" Yang's voice was firm, she'd heard about his and Blake's discussion and argument after Team FADE's first skirmish with Torchwick and wanted to make something very clear "There is nothing wrong with you. You reacted the way anyone would to someone attacking your sister; I'm not going to lie to you I made some choices that scared me when Ruby was in danger in the war. You're okay"

"Mum I-"

"That being said" Yang continued "You do have a lot of power at your disposal and your temper can do a lot of damage. If you feel like you need help controlling it then I'll support you every step of the way" the Lion Faunus, swallowed and forced himself to ignore the lump in his throat

"Thanks, it means a lot"

"Look at him being all responsible and stuff" Corey laughed as she playfully punched his shoulder "I still remember when he used to climb out the window when you tried to ground him"

"I distinctly remember that you gave him that idea Corvid Ruby Xiao Long"

"Your middle name is Ruby?" Lux called from a few work benches away, evidently still able to hear the conversation. Corvid's only response was a rude hand gesture, though she took care to keep her hand where Yang wouldn't be able to see it.

"Anyway" Yang yawned "I've got tests to grade, have I ever said having to take your work home with you is de-grade-ing?"

"So that's where she gets it from" Lux's voice carried over Felix's groan and the giggle that Corvid would deny if it were ever mentioned in public

"So I'll let you three enjoy your Friday, just promise you'll visit soon"

"Will do. Love you Mum" the Xiao Long sibling chorused

"Love you too" Yang answered them, a moment later the screen went blank as the call ended.

"So" Felix worked out a crick in his shoulder, most likely caused by his earlier sparring match with his partner "What're we working on tonight?" Corvid's steely grey eyes seemed to light up with enthusiasm

"Well I mean I've gotta finish this wiring on the shield generator, testing it should be fun. Then there's the weapons….I don't wanna test 'em until I've finished working on the helmet but we can still….what?" she stopped as she caught the way Felix and Lux were looking from Corvid to each other and shaking their heads

"Nothing sis" Felix smirked "I just realised it's gonna be a long night"

Eagle grumbled to herself as some of the water she was using to restore the Killer Bee's paint job to its' proper immaculate state splashed over the sleeve of her hoodie. As much as Team FADE had enjoyed the rewards of bringing Rhodium Torchwick to justice her partner had been somewhat miffed at the admittedly superficial damage done to his car in the process; by far the most severe instance of which was the clear dents left in the roof of the vehicle by her own weapon. Eagle had offered to be the one to clean the vehicle as a way to make amends, not that Felix had held it against her in any way. She was regretting it now, this was a far more demanding car to clean than her grandparents pickup truck she'd cleaned for allowance as a child.

"They've really got you doing skiv work?" someone behind her asked, an amused note to their voice; the voice itself was low, smoky and if Eagle was honest with herself, exceptionally alluring.

It was also a voice she recognised.

Rising to her feet she turned and faced Quartz Murus, instantly regretting taking her armour off and depositing it on the back seat of the car beforehand until she saw that Quartz herself hardly seemed dressed for battle; though with the amount of glares she'd been sending in the blondes' direction she took no chances.

"Doot da doot"

"Sentinel wait" Eagle motioned for the droid which had emerged from the other side of the Killer Bee to refrain from opening fire, yet not stand down "H-hey Quartz, what's up?"

"I think we need to talk" Eagle fought the urge to gulp before realising that Quartz didn't seem suitably dressed for a fight either, the leather jacket she was currently wearing a clear departure from her usual combat gear and her oversized halberd was nowhere to be seen

"O-Okay" Eagle braced herself, surreptitiously shifting her weight in case she needed to lunge forwards.

"I wanted to say sorry, I've been a total bitch to you for the last few weeks"

"Huh?" was the most Eagle could manage as her train of thought came screeching to a halt, Quartz let out a slow sigh before slouching against one the support pillars of the campus garage appearing to utterly deflate

"I know you have a thing for Aqua-"

"I, well, It's just I-" the blonde fumbled over her words until Quartz interrupted her

"It's fine, I know you're not the only one. It's just….We only just got back together and it was my fault we broke up. I just saw you two together and panicked. I'm sorry"

"Oh, it's fine. It's totally fine" Eagle mumbled, utterly unsure of how to respond. She was spared having to by the voice of another classmate sounding out, echoing slightly in the cavernous space

"Come on baby let's go" both Eagle and Quartz turned to greet Aqua Tsuyu, the Frog Faunus standing on her tiptoes and reaching up to kiss her partner and girlfriend. Eagle forced herself to look away from the moment and push the sudden surge of bitterness to the back of her mind.

"Hey Eagle" Aqua called over to her as she wrapped her arms around her partner's waist, the pair of them having climbed onto Quartz's chopper motorbike "We'll have to hang out sometime, seems like it was ages ago since we had the paintballing thing"

"Yeah, sure…." Eagle trailed off as the bike roared into life and carried its' passengers out of the garage. A soft huff escaped the blonde as she sat down and leaned against one of the Killer Bee's wheels, hugging her knees

"Doot da doot?" Sentinel's chatter seemed inquisitive as the droid trundled over to her

"No don't shoot anything" she sighed "It's just….I wish I knew what that was like. Come on let's get this car finished" she rose slowly to her feet, fighting to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach until she felt her Scroll vibrate. Removing the device from the pocket of her pullover hoodie a smile found its' way to her freckled face as she read a message from her Mother

'I'll be in New Vale in the next few weeks. I'll see you soon. We need to talk'

Arctus and Diamond were currently sat together on Arctus's bed watching an old movie they realised the both enjoyed and hadn't seen in years, naturally taken from Felix's collection. Almost every channel seemed to have something to add about Team FADE's capture of Rhodium Torchwick's capture and after a week the pair were bored of it; Though Felix had taken newspaper clippings and pinned them to a notice board he'd mounted on the wall; claiming it to be the first of Team FADE's 'Trophy case'.
Arctus was positioned against his headboard with Diamond leaning on him, clad in a baggy hoodie and yoga pants; her back against his chest and his arms around her waist. The Mistrali was still not fully used to New Vale's climate and her first mention of being cold the Bear Faunus had pulled her close and cuddled her for warmth; something both of them were more than happy with.

"Hey, how's your arm?" Arctus asked, the last lesson of the day had been combat training and Diamond had been the only member of Team FADE to be called up for a demonstration. The member of Team PSTL she'd fought against had managed to sweep her legs out and Diamond had left the arena clutching her arm in pain

"It's fine" she murmured as she nuzzled closer into her partner "Definitely not broken, think I just landed on it weird"

"Glad you're okay" Arctus punctuated his words with a gentle kiss against her shoulder, then another, slowly leaving a trail of kisses which made it's way up her neck; her breath hitching in her throat as his tongue ghosted over her pulse; a slow shuddering gasp escaping her as his teeth gently grazed against her flesh

"Babe, don't be a tease" she insisted before reaching behind her, hand running through his messy hair as she turned to face him. There were a few seconds which seemed to last far longer where neither of them made a move, until eventually Arctus whispered

"Oum, you're beautiful" Diamond didn't respond verbally, preferring instead to smother him in kisses; the pair repositioning themselves so that Arctus was pinned by Diamond straddling his waist, their bodies pressed together as her tongue seemed to dance around his. Arctus's hands moved to her hips, a part of her body he'd admittedly been captivated by since meeting her. Spurred on by the groan of pleasure that escaped her his hands trailed upwards, making their way beneath her hoodie and the tank-top she wore under it caressing soft skin and feeling the toned muscle beneath. The kiss end abruptly, Diamond gripping his arms sharply the moment his fingers brushed against the fabric of her bra

"Hey, easy there Big Guy" she panted out, resting her forehead against his "Not so fast….I don't wanna rush things with us"

"I'm sorry" Arctus swiftly removed his hands and replaced them on the outside of her clothing, resting on her lower back

"Babe it's fine" she assured him gently, planting a soft kiss on the end of his nose; there was a peaceful silence as they repositioned themselves once again. Turning their attention back to the movie they'd been neglecting; Diamond enveloped in Arctus's arms.

The moment was all too brief, interrupted only a few minutes later by Arctus's Scroll, the Bear Faunus chuckled at the annoyed noise Diamond made in response.

"I've actually been expecting this call" Arctus told her, though the number calling him was not saved to his Scroll. The voice of an exceptionally exuberant child rang out the moment he accepted the video call.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Hey squirt" Arctus chuckled "Happy Birthday, I take it you like the new Scroll?"

"It's a Hunter's Scroll it's so awesome!" Athena-Jade Slate, now seven years old beamed, her bright smile revealing a missing tooth "And it's my favourite colours"

"You have no idea how hard it was to find a highlighter orange Scroll with purple buttons" Arctus snorted, Diamond was unable to prevent the 'Awww' that escaped her as she watched the pair interact. The sound however, caught Athena's attention

"I know you!" the excited child exclaimed "You're the pretty girl in all the photos Arctus sends me. Are you his girlfriend?" Diamond could practically feel Arctus's blush from behind her and a mischievous smile crossed her face. Turning to face the Bear Faunus who was indeed blushing profusely she placed a brief kiss on his cheek before answering the question

"Yep" Athena's expression became one of incomprehensible shock, which Diamond honestly thought was the most adorable thing she's ever seen. Then the younger Faunus set her new Scroll down somewhere in what Diamond realised was her bedroom; both she and Arctus then clearly heard the sound of the child running along a hallway

"MUM! MUM! MUUUUUUM!"

"Cute kid" Diamond tried to sound nonchalant as the realisation that the situation may have moved beyond her control dawned on her. Arctus remained unconvinced and she could feel his smile against her skin as he returned the kiss on her cheek

"Well I've met your Dad, now you get to meet Mum" his own concern found its way into his voice; before either of them could assure the other that things would be fine despite whatever irrational concerns had suddenly taken root in their minds the door to Athena's room could be heard opening once more and when the Scroll was picked from wherever its' owner had left it, it was a smiling Weiss Slate who held it

"Evening sweetie, your sister tells me there's someone on the line that I need to talk to" Arctus fought back a growl, knowing that his sister being the irredeemable pest that she was had most likely phrased it exactly like that

"Uh, yeah….This is Diamond; my partner….and my girlfriend"

"Diamond Sustrai-Black" the silver haired Mistrali introduced herself "It's a pleasure to meet you Missus Slate"

"Oh" Weiss seemed taken aback for the briefest possible moment "It's a pleasure to meet you too, no need to be so formal. Call me Weiss. It seems the gossip rags were correct then, not the way I'd like to have heard the news but nevertheless-"

"Hold on, what!" Arctus sputtered

"Arctus surely you didn't think studying in New Vale would make you except from the Atlesian media, you stand to inherit the SDC. You know better" Weiss chided him gently before explaining "Team FADE's capture of that Torchwick reprobate received some attention from Atlas's press. Someone managed to get hold of better pictures of Team FADE and naturally speculation about the pair of you started"

"Oh my Oum" Diamond gasped out. Weiss gave her an understanding smile "They quickly lost interest, preferring to focus on my brothers' latest antics. I'm not ruling out the possibility he caused a scene just to achieve that result. I suppose it's worth mentioning that the press coverage was exceedingly positive" the news did nothing to stop the colour that Diamond could feel rising in her cheeks

"Mum, you're embarrassing her" Arctus grumbled

"I have your baby photos, would you like to be embarrassed instead?"

"Oh please do" Diamond cackled, the idea being too good to pass up on. Weiss chuckled softly before glancing over her shoulder
"Athena's friends from school should be here soon, she's having a sleepover. I have to go and prepare a few things. I'll let you two enjoy your evening. Love you son, call anytime"

"Love you too Mum, tell Athena she's a germ but I love her" Arctus replied. A moment later the call ended, leaving he and Diamond to adress the Goliath in the room

"So" Diamond breathed out as she turned to face him "The news where you live have been running stories about us, because you stand to inherit the SDC?"

"News is a bit of a stretch, vultures with pens dipped in bullshit is more like it" the Faunus muttered "But yeah, Mum and Uncle Whitley are the joint heads of the SDC and he doesn't have any kids….Is this gonna be a problem for us?" the thought occurred to him and he could immediately feel a cold dread seeping into his bones, only for it to be quickly alleviated by Diamond shaking her head

"It's gonna be something to get used to. The first person to imply I'm interested in your money is gonna get their ass kicked but we'll be fine" hearing this caused Arctus to pull her closer, a sigh of relief escaping him as they held each other. Another thought crossed his mind, one that made him smile uncontrollably. That was the first time either of them had referred to each other as boyfriend or girlfriend and it made things feel infinitely more real.

In the sea just off of the coast of New Vale, the cities' lights visible in the distance, a small lifeboat was being hoisted out of the frigid water and into place mounted on the side of the ship which was currently anchored, the crew of the ship allowed no lights on the deck of the vessel and maintained radio silence at all times; taking care to shipping routes and border patrols to avoid detection. Two figures sat within the lifeboat, both Faunus. Onyx Ursabane and Hellion Eudialyte of the Shadow Cadre were returning to the stolen ship they called home.

"Newborns have more muscle than these two" Onyx joked; the Panther Faunus then leapt from the lifeboat and grabbed the chain of the anchor, then proceeded to clamber onto the deck of the ship where the remaining two members of their diminished crew waited for them. Raffia working the winch while Carcharodon stood imposingly behind him, hood of his cloak lowered over his face. A moment later Hellion came into view, as did Marauder, the bird of prey shrieking as it swooped from the darkness and perched on her arm, in her other hand the dark skinned woman carried a large sack

"What did you bring?" Carcharodon rasped out, breath misting in front of him, though none of them seemed to mind the cold as they hailed from a far harsher climate.

"Food" she told him bluntly "I refuse to live on nothing but fish the way Raffia does when the city dwellers are willing to part with food so easily….Something called a food bank" the Dragonfly Faunus's jade eyes belied both her confusion and wonder at the notion

"Good" Carcharodon nodded, even the Shark Faunus was bored of whatever his diminutive ally could fish out of the sea "I've gathered some more Dust for us, the crews of these ships actually think that just because they're at sea they're safe….they would never survive Anima" he ended with a dark chuckle. His Semblance which allowed him to walk through walls and melt into floors allowed him to take a considerable amount of weight with him, though it was taxing, it made slipping aboard other ships and making off with whatever the Cadre and the tribe as a whole needed easy.

"You'll like what I have even more" Onyx boasted as he produced what appeared to be nothing more than paper than the folds of his clothing

"Information?" Carcharodon surmised, the Shark Faunus had sent Onyx into the city time after time in search of someone who could be coerced into repairing the weapons they'd stolen while he and Hellion handled supplies; Raffia had been relegated to keeping watch of the ship due to the Axolotl Faunus's propensity for causing havoc wherever he went.

"Some talk in a tavern about a woman who can do things with machines that other people can't even imagine. She's going to be in Vale within the next few weeks, the business she's here to deal with are looking for extra security"

"And they're recruiting the local sell swords" Hellion guessed as she pulled an apple from the sack of food she'd acquired

"Exactly" Onyx almost purred with contentment, Carcharodon nodded in understanding

"Integrate yourself with them, but ensure that there's nobody who recognises you from the Scavenger Guild"

"There's more" Onyx unfolded the paper, the group of Faunus could clearly make out its' contents despite the dark. It was a map

"What is this?" Carcharodon asked

"What lies beneath the city" his amber eyes lit up "And a way for the rest of you to make your way inside" Carcharodon's mouth split into a feral smile, one that would have unnerved most outsiders with the amount of jagged fangs it displayed, made more menacing by the bottomless pits of liquid darkness that were his eyes

"You've done well old friend, very well. All of you sharpen your blades and be ready to move".

Authors Notes:

Okay this one was more of a filler chapter, but it sets up the mission/finale of the Vol.2 arc (Which is admittedly going to be shorter than Vol.1) which starts next chapter.

So let's summarise:
You know that Team FADE would be the talk of the town, or at the very least campus after capturing Torchwick.
Eagle is the best buff lesbian cinnamon roll….even when she picks her partner up and slams them into the floor.
Eagle's Semblance…..She will find it at some point in this story. I know what it is.
Dove Bronzewing: Much less of a dick when he's not teaching.
Also Dove's son Redshank is a little set up for a minor character who'll appear later on. He's gonna be Amethyst Wukong's partner.
Upgraded Omega Wing: Pending….Yes it has a forcefield generator.
Corvid called out the Killer Bee for not having it's own guns; oh that's gonna linger.
"I get it from my Mum" Yes, yes I did that.
Felix is self aware enough to know that his temper needs to be kept in check if he's going to lead his team effectively.
Yes Yang just Full Named Corvid in front of people, yes her middle name is Ruby.
This is me shelving the whole "Quartz" thing, she may get mentioned anytime I need a butch lesbian character with a halberd/crossbow and a chopper but other than that it just served to have Eagle interacting people outside of Team FADE.
Also poor Eagle.
Momma Arc: Inbound.
Felix would totally put a notice board up in the dorm just to cover it in newspaper clipping about Team FADE.
I can hear the Diamond Dust shippers squealing from here.
Athena-Jade Slate is like the twins, doesn't show up much but whenever she does it's gonna be cute.
You didn't really think I was gonna fabricate Weiss/Diamond drama did you?
I'd say the Shadow Cadre are back, but despite what the protagonists think they never left.
Surely you can figure out who it is they want to kidnap.

Thank you to: ShadowAlex2000, Arkanes Shippou, FleetOfWarships, ShadowWolf, TigerRose, Ferrous, FluffyFirefly, SumoSnipe and JollyTheImmortal for their reviews on the last chapter.
Indeed, Sky Lark is a dick.
I love how much people loved the Rhode rage pun in particular.
I may find a way to bring back the shopkeeper….As for him being the Wizard…..I have plans for the Wizard.
Helios being the one to drag Felix back would actually have been out of character, think about the culture he comes from and how he reacts to any threat against his own family. He'd have let Felix kill him.
Why would Arctus and Diamond snog in the car when they can kick the others out of the dorm.
Oh don't worry the idea of adding weapons to the Killer Bee has already been considered.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.