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Chapter 69: Turning Point
Felix was unsure of what time it was exactly, the hours had seemed to run together into a blurry and indistinct haze ever since the battle on the outskirts of Gerat-Handlung had ended in the White Fang's retreat. The first Atlesian ship affiliated with the Specialist Branch to arrive on the scene had been a light cruiser named the Silberfutter; the surviving Specialists had carried the dead and wounded aboard the ship, followed by the captured insurgents whilst those who had fought in the battle began the lengthy process of debriefing. Kafsi Asteri showing a rare moment of kindness and empathy when she chose to answer many questions on Team FADE's behalf and insist that the ships' captain make a diversion to Atlas Academy so that the students' could receive medical treatment in a more timely manner; casually noting that the fact that among the team were the head of the Specialist Branches' son and nephew, whilst his niece led the team of older students who had responded to the call for assistance no doubt influencing the decision somewhat. Upon returning to the Academy the students had been promptly escorted to the medical wing where their injuries had been treated, fortunately the majority of which could be done by simply stimulating their own recovering Auras; this had been followed by a second and notably more demanding debriefing courtesy of Winter Schnee, whom after what felt like an eternity of questioning had been unable to uphold the illusion of detached professionalism any longer and had pulled Arctus into a hug and almost broke down in tears of relief that the students had returned safely. They had been dismissed with assurances that they would not need to attend classes for several days and that Team CLIR's rapid intervention and heroism had been noted and would earn them a commendation from the Specialist Branch, something which would be almost invaluable on a students' record.
Currently the majority of Team FADE were returning to the dormitory they were still yet to truly think of as theirs, Team CLIR had gone their separate ways whilst Eagle had stated that Sentinel needed to be repaired and made her way to the campus workshop, countering her friends' concerns with several assurances that she was fine and that the deep purple bruising around her eyes caused by a broken nose looked much worse than it felt. Felix lumbered down the hallways with one of Arctus's arms slung around his shoulders whilst Diamond held the other, despite the bandages wrapped around Felix's broken ribs and the stitches in Diamond's back and shoulder blade. The Bear Faunus's excessive use of Eco-Dust to power his Semblance had resulted in some non-lethal but unforeseen circumstances and he was currently struggling to support his own weight or see clearly enough to be able to walk anywhere safely. Eventually after what seemed like far too long they rounded the corner that brought them to the correct hallway where upon seeing a familiar pair of faces clearly waiting for them to return Felix came to an abrupt halt.
"Hey" Felix gave a tired smile to Helios and Nyanza, both of whom had glanced in Felix's direction at the sound of footsteps.
"Go on" Diamond prompted "I can get big guy to the dorm from here"
"You sure?" the Lion Faunus asked, the door was mere feet away but he didn't want to put an injured team mate under any unnecessary strain, however seeing her nod and tighten her hold on Arctus Felix made his way over to Helios and Nyanza
"What happened?" Helios demanded urgently, cupping Felix's cheeks and seemingly studying his face for any sign of injuries, vibrant green eyes clearly worried
"We got your message" Nyanza murmured "We were already on the way back from our own job and we couldn't get the Bull-Head pilot to change course"
"It was…." Felix trailed off, seemingly staring passed them as he forced painfully fresh memories to the back of his mind "It was rough and I really need to lie down"
"Come, Ether and Olivine are elsewhere" Helios took his hand and lead him towards Team NEON's dormitory; no sooner had Felix made his way over to Helios's bed than the redhead had pulled him close their foreheads resting against each for a moment before they kissed, slowly and tenderly at first but becoming steadily more intense until a decidedly irritable Nyanza spoke out
"Seriously? Fucking seriously?"
"Die mad about it" Felix retorted, the effect somewhat lessened by the fact he was still panting for breath
"Yeah yeah, glad you're still alive too Fluffy" the bushy tailed feline chuckled "So what did happen out there?" Felix didn't reply immediately, first taking several moment to make himself comfortable by nuzzling into Helios's chest and pulling the taller mans' arm around him as tightly as he could without agitating his injured ribs
"The White Fang are back" he said simply, giving the gravity of the statement chance to sink in before continuing "An army of nut-jobs showed up and some bitch calling herself the High Commander told me and Arctus to hand over Obsidian Eadala and call our parents traitors or they were gonna kill everyone"
"Holy fucking Oum" Nyanza breathed out slowly, Helios may not have fully understood the gravity of the situation as well as Felix and Nyanza, in part due to his people living outside of the politics which governed much of Remnant and in part due to the fact that matters regarding the White Fang would always affect Faunus differently; nonetheless he kissed the top of Felix's forehead and gently stroked his messy dirty blonde curls in an effort to make him feel at ease whilst handling him as if he were made of glass that could shatter at any moment
"I assume you declined those terms?" Helios murmured softly into Felix's hair with a smile "You don't have to explain any more if you don't want to"
"I can add 'fought a terrorist' to my resume" the blonde grinned tiredly before deciding that simply not speaking about what had transpired at the SDC refinery for the moment appealed to him. Nyanza seemed to realise that his long time friend wanted to change the subject and causally noted
"So pulling insane stunts on a mission is your 'thing' as a couple then" he grinned wickedly "'cos Heely pulled some shit out there" Felix repositioned himself to gaze at his boyfriend so fast he winced as his ribs protested against the movement
"What did you do?" the concern in his voice was overwhelming and if Corvid had been present to hear it she would have joked that he had sounded like Yang for a moment
"He one-shotted a beast of a Grimm, an absolute unit if you will" Nyanza added, Felix peered intently at the red head who was still gently stroking his hair. Helios gave the proud smile of a Nikosi warrior who had conquered a truly monumental foe
"For honesty's sake it was Olivine that delivered the killing blow" he admitted "But it was a moment of glory for Team NEON….one that deserves a better telling than I can give right now" Felix made a noise somewhere between an irritable huff and a soft chuckle before resting his head on Helios's chest
"Fine but you can tell me about it when I wake up" he let out a long yawn before closing his eyes and quietly mumbling words that caused Helios to hold him a little closer "I think I love you"
Corvid made her way back to Team CLIR's dormitory alone, her steely grey eyes physically burning with tiredness. Iris was already in the dormitory and most likely asleep after being excused from the debriefings, the overuse of her Semblance that had kept their damaged Bull-Head in the air long after the destruction of its' engines had left her barely able to stay conscious. Lux had sustained several minor injuries including cuts, burns and bruises in the battle as well as a few hairline fractures which while far from serious to someone with an unlocked Aura cumulatively caused considerable discomfort, Rusty had taken him back to the campus's medical facilities in search of suitable medication. As she approached her dormitory she became aware of a hulking figure lurking in the shadows of the hallway
"Well this is Onyx-pected" she beamed, a low rumbling chuckle escaping the form in the shadows a moment before Onyx Ursabane stepped out into the light, greenish yellow eyes twinkling as he came close
"I heard there was a battle, I wanted to see if you had any tales of conquest to tell" the Puma Faunus explained
"Uh huh I'm sure you did" Corvid snorted with a roll of her eyes "That and you wanted to see if I was in the mood to work some stress out" she let the implication hand in the air for a moment and Onyx merely shrugged in response, utterly unashamed
"I wouldn't say no if you were, you're one hell of a woman" he answered simply before his face betrayed his concerns "There are rumours about the attack being the work of the White Fang, apparently your brother contacted everyone he could think of and word spread quickly….I just wanted to make sure you were okay, I've seen how they fight" Corvid let out a slow breath a sauntered over to Onyx and as she closed the distance between them she traced a single finger along his chest, drawing out a low rumbling purr of contentment from him
"Well I was pretty stressed out" Corvid gave a sly smile and waited for comprehension to dawn on Onyx's face before promptly flicking the end of his nose "But no thanks….You're cool but I'm not really interested right now; what happened after the dance was a one off" Onyx nodded in understanding and stepped back
"That's fine with me" he assured her, seemingly honestly despite a slightly crestfallen expression "Raffia and I have to be elsewhere tonight anyway….but if you ever do need to talk I'll be around"
"This time last year you were sailing around New Vale stealing whatever wasn't bolted down" Corvid noted "I'm gonna pass on advice from the um….cat burglar"
"How about from someone who's more used to coping with violence than you?" the hulking Faunus retorted before merely shrugging and walking away. Corvid frowned and glared after his retreating back, thoroughly displeased that he'd managed to see through the calm and in control mask she had kept in place; pushing her competing emotions down she stormed over to the dormitory, managing to calm herself enough to not tear the door open furiously and wake Iris, whom Corvid saw upon stepping inside was curled up on top of the sheets of her bunk, her breathing slow and even. Keeping the lights off Corvid kicked her boots off and shed her jacket before almost silently hoisting herself onto her own bunk and withdrawing her Scroll and wincing at the sight of over a dozen missed calls, all from her mothers.
"Fuck" she breathed out before dialling Yang and selecting a video call option, certain that her mothers' would want to see that she was okay. Within seconds the faces of both of her mothers' flickered into view
"Oh thank Oum, what happened?" Yang demanded frantically, Corvid making a shushing gesture in response
"First off, I'm not wearing headphones and I've got a sleeping team-mate" she fixed a bright smile onto her face "Secondly, it's okay. I don't know what you've heard but it's probably exaggerated" Blake stepped into view, yellow eyes worried and at the edge of the screen Corvid could see her squeezing Yang's hand for support
"We heard" she started, voice wavering with uncharacteristic nerves "That the head of the Atlesian branch of the Coalition was murdered by the White Fang and both you and Felix were there when a small army arrived" Corvid closed her eyes for a moment, unable to stomach being the object of Blake's concern right now
"We're fine….I promise we're fine" her voice came out as a hoarse, choked whisper.
"Corey?" Yang prodded, Corvid shook her head in resolute silence
"We're Hunters. Some stuff happened and we did our jobs….look Mum I really don't wanna talk about it right now okay" Yang looked as though she might press the issue but Blake interjected
"That's okay, I promise we'll be here if and when you need to talk about it" Corvid once again found herself looking anywhere but at Blake, taking several long slow breaths to steady herself
"Yeah….thanks Mum….I love you" she croaked out, suddenly blinking away tears that stung her eyes
"We love you too" Yang assured her "Do you know where your brother is? I know you said you're both okay but he isn't answering his Scroll?"
"The medical wing checked him out so he's probably either asleep or with his boyfriend-" Corvid's jaw snapped shut, Felix's relationship was by no means secret but Corvid was sure that if he hadn't told their parents yet it was because he wanted to do it on his own terms
"His what now?" Yang's tone was immediately much lighter and Corvid bit back a curse and decided that honesty would have to be the best policy in this situation
"Yeah him and that redhead he's had a crush on since first year finally hooked up at the dance, it's cute" Yang made a noise of pure happiness that made Blake smile and caused the corners of Corvid's mouth to twitch despite herself
"I can't wait to talk to him, I want to know everything-"
"Mum" Corvid sighed irritably "Don't….come on it's first time really dating anyone" Blake was once again the one to sense that something was a little off
"Corey do you want us to let you get some sleep? I know you were already on a mission when you went to help your brother, you must be exhausted"
"Yeah….thanks" she nodded slowly "I was just checking in to late you know everything's okay….well, we're coping. I love you Mum, both of you" with that Corvid ended the call and took several deep shuddering breaths, no longer able to stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks she buried her face in her pillow and wept until she blacked out from fatigue.
On the other end of the call Yang and Blake sat beside each other in the living room of their home on the island of Patch, the line went dead and the Scrolls' screen faded to black before returning to the display image one of the Xiao Long family perhaps five years ago, there were a few moments of silence before Yang turned to her wife and spoke quietly, every syllable laced with concern
"There's something wrong with Corey….tell me I'm not the only one of us that can see that? Something happened out there-"
"I know" Blake answered simply before squeezing Yang's left hand a little tighter in reassurance "But it's Corey, she'll tell us on her own terms or not at all….If we try and pressure her into telling us she'll just clam up"
"I know" Yang sighed resting her head on Blake's shoulder "But it doesn't mean I'm not going to be worried the whole time until she does" Blake nodded in understanding and planted a kiss on the blondes' forehead. The Xiao Long children had not been part of their mothers' lives for very long before both Blake and Yang had come to the understanding of how best to deal with them; Felix was strong willed but not secretive, he would find a way to do something regardless of discouragement which had caused no end of problems for him at school but he was reliably honest about his actions. Corvid had a secretive streak and an undeniable propensity for finding for trouble that reminded Blake of herself when she was much younger. The feline Faunus saw that Yang still looked unsettled at the thought of their daughter keeping something important from them
"I'll talk with her when I'm in Atlas" Blake assured her gently, causing Yang to lean up and plant a gentle kiss on her cheek before asking
"So you've made your mind up then, you're definitely going?"
"I have to" Blake answered with a sigh. She and Yang had heard the news of what had transpired in Atlas first from Obsidian Eadala himself, the snake Faunus stating that he would understand if Blake wished to decline the offer but he needed an interim leader of the Atlesian Branch of the Coalition and she was a prominent and well respected figure across Remnant as a whole, as well as being someone more than capable of defending themselves should this New White Fang choose to strike again. Seeing Yang's expression Blake explained
"There's something that isn't being made public, Obsidian has been informed of this but told not to leak it to the press. This White Fang's leader, she calls herself the High Commander and she has….Yang she Wilt, not a replica, she has Adam's sword" Yang looked at Blake dumbstruck for a moment before asking
"How, you said you got rid of it"
"I did" Blake nodded in agreement, the sword that had belonged to the demented Bull Faunus had found its' way into her ownership following his death at Eisenstadt Siebte and Blake had disposed of the blade following the end of the war "When I first took a job with the Coalition I took a business trip to Atlas….I went to where Adam died, where he blew himself up. I threw Wilt into the hole down into Eisenstadt Siebte. I wanted to be symbolic, a final severing of ties….and besides, as much of a monster as he became I felt like she should have had some kind of memorial"
"This isn't your fault" Yang assured her, knowing how Blake's mind worked and what message she was most likely to take from this turn of events "That sword showing up again in the hands of another maniac does not make this your fault"
"I still feel like this is something I have to make right" Blake whispered
"Okay" Yang nodded as she rose to her feet "Then there's something I want you to have before you go" Blake's feline ears twitched with curiosity as Yang quickly bounded into a cupboard filled with cleaning supplies and retrieved a package whose wrapping alone seemed needlessly expensive, seeing Blake looking at her quizzically Yang explained
"It took some convincing to get Edna Mauve to make this without having you come in for measurements but I wanted it to be a surprise for when you next went to a conference in Atlas….I saw you were looking at the old pictures of your dad" Blake took the package and slowly removed the wrapping before a gasp escaped her as she opened it
"Yang this must have cost a fortune" she breathed out as she examined the deep violet tailcoat lined with thick white and fur and sporting a matching collar which would cover the entire back of Blakes' neck and was fastened with highly polished silver buttons while sporting what Blake realised was the blazing heart that Yang had taken as an emblem in the same material upon the left breast pocket
"You like it?"
"I love it" Blake answered without hesitation, Yang wrapped her arms around her wife's waist and held her close
"I wish I could come with you….I don't like us splitting up" the blonde admitted
"I've always got you with me" Blake answered, flexing her left wrist and causing the golden bracelet that adorned it to unfurl into the original left half of Ember Celica which she had worn since the Battle of Vale and the fall of Beacon Academy. Yang gave a soft smile before asking
"When do you leave?"
"Tonight. Last ferry to the mainland then an early morning flight to Atlas….security is gonna be a nightmare after this"
"Promise me you'll give the kids my love?"
"Of course" Blake promised before pulling Yang closer and burying her face in her neck, Yang grinned as a thought occurred to her
"And go say hi to Weiss, it feels like forever since we spoke in person"
"I'm sure I can find an excuse" Blake smiled as she realised that it had indeed been far too long since she had spent any time with her former team-mate, anticipating Yang's next questions she added "I'll talk to Corey….and yes I'll ask Fluffy to introduce me to his boyfriend; I assume by the fact Corvid hasn't chased him off with a pitchfork that she approves" Yang gave a hearty laugh at the thought before pulling Blake in for what promised to be one of their last kisses for some time
"Oum I love you so much"
"Rise" the word sounded harsh as it left Celeste's lips and when Alpha complied her entire body language seemed to scream 'defeat' and 'dejection' an oddly pitiable air surrounding the masked sadist. The two of them were amongst a group of White Fang fighters present at the attack on the SDC plant to have rallied at a small bolthole in the city of Eisenstadt Vierte, one of many such locations around the Kingdom of Atlas and the settlements scattered across Mantle, this particular hiding place a nightclub which had sported signs that stated the business was closed for renovations for several years. The Ram Faunus sunk into a mercifully comfortable chair and adjusted clothes that were noticeably too large for her somewhat frail frame; Celeste had had to remove her armour due to both its' damaged state and the fact she had reached the limits of her endurance and wearing it had begun to cause immense pain, as had the act of merely remaining standing for so long. She took a moment to adjust herself whilst taking care to still appear commanding even when sat and having to peer up at her most loyal follower, a skill she had perfected over the years.
"Report" Celeste instructed simply, making a concerted attempt to appear in total control of her surroundings despite her exhaustion; Alpha's head turned ever so slightly and Celeste Faunus knew that the Lionfish Faunus had spotted the sickly yellow bruises marking her pale flesh and was currently deciding exactly how to make Felix Xiao Long suffer for his crimes against the High Commander, it took Alpha no more than a moment to focus and respond
"Many of our people were killed or captured; we already have a list of who was taken and are contacting their cells to alert them of the potential risk"
"Prudent" Celeste noted "We should also mobilise as soon as possible. Bring the Cult of Taurus to Tartarus, you have injured do you not?"
"I do" Alpha admitted, bitterness and fury seeping into her tone "Delta and Beta suffered minor injuries….Gamma-"
"I saw" Celeste cooed in a soothing tone "I will have Kuro, the one responsible for my armour, attend to his arm"
"Thank you High Commander….I should warn this Kuro before he operates, he is not to touch our masks"
"Oh?" Celeste raised an eyebrow, she knew that her most devout followers had their own particular proclivities but had never truly sat down with the Lionfish Faunus and discussed the reasoning behind each of them
"You gave us a purpose when you found us High Commander" Alpha explained almost reverently "We gave up our names to reflect that, our purpose is our identity and the White Fang's cause is our purpose….nobody may remove our masks until the last of the human threat has been removed and you reign supreme" Celeste took a moment to revel in feeling of pure, unadulterated power having such influence ever individuals like Alpha gave her, magenta eyes glistening for a moment before she spoke again
"Anything else to report?"
"Yes High Commander, I've selected a dozen individuals present at the attack to form a search party….Omega is unaccounted for, with a suitable vehicle-"
"Call off the search" Celeste ordered, keeping her tone as even as possible whilst giving an order that seemingly contradicted the word of Adam Taurus himself
"High Commander?" Alpha's confusion was apparent for the briefest moment before it was firmly forced down "It will be done"
"Our enemies will be searching the same places you would look, searching for the child would only put more of our people at risk. No one Faunus is greater than the cause but those we lose to the humans will be avenged when the time comes" Celeste explained "Our mission was successful Alpha and our plans will go on"
"But the blasphemer lives, as does the Schnee" Alpha replied, toxic spines interwoven with her hair twitching at the thought. The Ram Faunus slowly rose to her feet and made her way across to her follower, the pained expression on her face growing in intensity with each step yet she forced her back to remain straight
"And for now they can live in fear" Celeste answered with a menacing smile, gently she reached up and cupped the cheek of her followers' mask and brushed her thumb against its' surface "The aim was to deliver a blow to the enemy that they cannot ignore, one that would serve as a rallying cry to our people. Atlas will answer with a heavy hand and when the Faunus see that the traitors like Obsidian Eadala are nothing but puppets the revolution will begin and the Fang shall truly draw blood….And your place at my right hand is promised Alpha"
"Thank you High Commander"
"Our time is soon Alpha, I promise you" Celeste murmured, eyes shining with the unwavering certainty of a fanatic.
Antonia Arc sat rigid behind her desk in her office at the Poly-Tech headquarters, the office was a large, open space whose many features and comforts could be easily concealed from view; it was seemingly designed to intimidate anyone who found themselves stepping through the offices' door and coming under the scientists' scrutiny, a design choice which Antonia would vehemently deny had been conscious as she did not consider herself to be that kind of employer. Nonetheless when an intercom beside her personal computer buzzed Antonia answered with a voice that could at best be described as frosty.
"Send him in" she instructed without preamble or hesitation, she knew who it was that would be entering her office. She was proven correct when the large sliding doors, whose size served no purpose other than to make those entering feel small, opened with a hiss of decompressing air; a program running on Antonia's computer informing her that the offices' self contained security system, a design partially inspired by the defences in Penny and Ruby Rose's home, had locked onto the visitor.
"This seems a little much" Ozymandias Eldritch noted with a questioning tone
"In light of recent events security measures are being reviewed and expanded" Antonia answered tonelessly, before almost snarling out "What happened?"
"Firstly I must stress that the issue has been resolved, our security robots are functioning within normal parameters and though our market value has….fluctuated somewhat, people more versed in that field than myself assure me that things will return to normal as our products and services continue to perform as expected" Ozymandias saw the fury slowly creeping across Antonia's expression and hastily continued "The root cause of the malfunction seems to have been a few lines of code within a software update, the products were unable to process the update or cancel it without a manual override, effectively rendering them useless….I understand that it could not have come at a more unfortunate time-"
"Or a more fortunate time, depending on whose side you're on" Antonia noted coldly "If that software update was so defective it should never have been allowed to be rolled out like that. I need answers Oz….The military wants answers that we don't currently have"
"Surely they don't suspect any-"
"It's not the first time a mass failure of security robots has preceded a terrorist attack….I heard from Eagle, she tells me it was the White Fang….I lost my brother in the battle of Eisenstadt Siebte and now they're back and my daughter had to fight them, while Winter Schnee all but accuses me of being complicit!" Antonia hadn't realised she was raising her voice until she bellowed the last few words with enough force to leave Ozymandias visibly shocked.
"I see" he answered after a few moments pause "I can have a shortlist of everyone who had the necessary clearance to alter the update ready within a few hours, I presume that the military will be holding their own inquest? I'll see to it that they're kept informed of any developments"
"Get the list" Antonia nodded "Beyond that I'll handle this personally, Project Snare is your priority"
"I understand….Toni, was Eagle harmed?"
"No" Antonia sighed, relief permeating every fibre of her being for a brief moment "But I wasn't there for her Oz….as always I wasn't there for her. We can't do this any more"
"By this you mean-" Antonia cut across him her voice fragile sounding, as though it could crack at any moment
"My daughter called me for help, she called me half a dozen times while those monsters were attacking and I didn't answer her because we were too busy having sex in your office….I'm sorry Oz, but we're over, I….I just can't"
"I understand" the silvery grey haired scientist breathed out "And I hope we can maintain a professional relationship"
"We can" Antonia answered tonelessly "Now if you would go compile that list for me. I have other matters to attend to"
"Naturally" Ozymandias answered before turning and striding purposefully out of the office without glancing back once. As the doors of the office hissed closed Antonia allowed herself to slump in her seat and run her hands through her lightly greying blonde hair. She had already compiled the shortlist of Poly-Tech employees who could have altered the software update herself, upon seeing Ozymandias's name near the top of said list she had been unable to shake a cold and creeping feeling of dread and several doubts that nagged at the back of her mind. Antonia didn't want to believe that she'd been played for a fool but she was a scientist first and the cold hard facts of the evidence were undeniable; her companies security robots had been compromised, the attack had come at a time when Antonia had been indisposed, Ozymandias himself had been in the unusual position of his own office when she had come to him and most concerning of all, in her earlier discussion with Winter Schnee the general had told her that the White Fang had been armed with weapons that seemed to have been manufactured by one of the subsidiary companies Poly-Tech owned; one that of all the people on the shortlist Ozymandias alone had access to the production facilities of, the only question was the obvious one of what could a human scientist possibly gain from aiding a militant Faunus group. With that in mind Antonia entered several commands into her computer which caused a section of wall to slide away and reveal a large screen which in turn began to flicker into life as a video call was made. Antonia was objective to know that while she had always done what she thought best for her daughter she had fallen short as a parent on several occasions, this would not be another such instance, whoever was responsible for the terrorist attack which put Eagle in danger would answer for their crimed regardless of the cost. Such was Antonia's thought process as the call was answered and General Winter Schnee came into view wearing a stern expression
"General" Antonia said simply "I have a list of suspects for you to inspect….I also have suspicions of my own"
Hellion had found Eagle Arc in Atlas's Academies' workshop, lovingly and painstakingly buffing out every dent and scratch that had been left in Sentinels' chassis during the battle that had left the golden haired Huntress with deep purple bruises around her eyes and wincing with pain anytime she moved too suddenly due to the soreness of her back. Hellion had slung her arms around Eagle's waist and turned her to face the Dragonfly Faunus whose wingers fluttered with concern and agitation. After ensuring that Eagle had indeed eaten something since returning and had messaged her family to let them know that she had returned from battle safely Hellion had all but marched her back to Team GORE's dorm where she was currently giving the exhausted blonde a massage to ease the soreness and tension in her back on the pushed together beds the all Faunus team shared. Sentinel was currently recharging in a corner of the room near Marauder's currently empty perch, the scent of still drying paint wafting over from the automatons' general direction; beside him was Eagle's discarded armour which still bore countless scratches, dents and scuffs. Hellion worked Eagle's sore muscles and listened to her soft mewls of tired pleasure before leaning down and kissing her neck, teeth gently grazing skin as her hands trailed down to the bottom of the hoodie the blonde wore
"May I?" she breathed out huskily
"What about your team?" Eagle whispered, the heat from her suddenly reddening cheeks only prompting Hellion to nuzzle into her a little closer and whisper reassurance in her ear
"Onyx and Raffia had business to attend to in the capital. Carcharodon is meditating outside….the cold and snow remind him of our home and he wanted to focus himself after our mission" Eagle paused and considered for a moment before pulling both her hoodie and the t-shirt beneath it over her head and allowing Hellion to return to her ministrations, the Dragonfly Faunus unclasped the blondes' bra to allow herself better access.
"You are a work of art" she breathed out softy as she watched the sculpted muscles of Eagle's back and shoulders stretch taut beneath her freckled flesh, currently marred and discoloured by a mass of bruises
"I feel like I got vandalised" Eagle muttered, from her current position she was unable to see the way that the woman currently straddling her bit her lip as she stretched out
"I'll take the hands of whoever did this to you" Hellion hissed before calming herself and returning to massaging Eagle's back
"I'm pretty sure he already lost one" the freckled blonde noted, crimson eyes closing as a sigh of contentment escaped her
"He still has two lungs, I'll carve those out instead" Jade eyes narrowed narrowed in anger at the mere thought of one of the monsters who had slaughtered the Shadow Cadre laying a finger on Eagle. While planting another lingering and possessive kiss on the blonde's neck that sent shivers down Eagle's spine and caused a whimper to slip from her lips, Hellion's hands became more bold and trailed along the blondes' side and cupping her small breasts
"Hellion!" Eagle gasped out as a thumb brushed against her nipple "Can….can we just cuddle a little"
"Of course little canary" Hellion assured her, pulling back to admire at the physique of her girlfriend, a word that still sounded foreign to her
"In my peoples' culture" she noted while lazily tracing abstract patterns against Eagle's bruised skin "You would have certainly earned the right to wear war tattoos….I could do it if you wanted me to?" Eagle's brow furrowed as she considered the idea
"Your tattoos are really, really cool" she began earnestly "But I'm not sure….I know my Granddad really doesn't like tattoos-" she found herself cut off by a soft chuckle of amusement
"Of all the reasons your family could dislike the thought of us being together I think me suggesting that you get tattoos is a small concern" she paused and ceased running her fingertips against Eagle's skin for a moment as she privately considered several ways to apply a design she had in mind "Our markings are not for no reason, wear your victories with pride"
"I'll think about it" Eagle promised before letting out a sigh "And yeah….I haven't told my family about us yet, I'm honestly kinda worried about how they're gonna react"
"I'm sorry for making things difficult" Hellion murmured quietly as she laid beside Eagle and gently wrapped an arm around her waist; the Shadows Cadres' kidnapping of Antonia Arc was a lapse in their code of honour that it seemed that she would have to continue to atone for.
"It's fine, we'll deal with it when we have to" Eagle promised as she turned to face her, Hellion drank in the sight of the blondes' partially uncovered body, her wings falling still against her back before she leaned in for a slow, passionate kiss
"In the meantime get some rest" the Dragonfly Faunus said, Eagle fixed her with a nervous expression, cheeks darkening before her hand found its' way to Hellion's waist and travelled upwards in a rare display of boldness
"Okay but….can I take your shirt off as well?" Hellion gave wide smile of satisfaction before moving to oblige.
Diamond studied Arctus's dozing form with concern evident on her features, according to the resident doctor the Bear Faunus's over use of Eco-Dust had, due in large part to the unique way the Schnee Semblance interacted with the substance, caused unexpected side effects; the effects were not expected to be long lasting or especially harmful, rather he seemed to suffering from what could best be described as accelerated withdrawal symptoms. Diamond had seen what the Dust infused narcotic known as Booster did to people and the idea of her partner suffering though that was almost physically painful to her
"Hey big guy, you still there?" she whispered as she readjusted herself, trying in vain to get comfortable despite the stitches in her back which tugged at her rapidly healing skin regardless of how many soft pillows she propped herself with; Arctus's head was on her lap, his brow soaked in cold sweat which only made the vaguely greenish and sickly tinge to his pale skin seem more unpleasant, his breathing came out in wheezing gasps while slight tremors shook his entire body; his eyes were glassy with several ruptured blood vessels around his pale blue irises giving them a truly unpleasant appearance, however upon hearing Diamond's voice they focused on her and he managed to answer
"Yeah….yeah I'm still here" he managed to croak out before pulling himself upright "Can I get you anything?"
"Dork I got a scratch, you nearly poisoned yourself" Diamond paused as she caught sight of Arctus's face, his lip trembling even beyond the shakes caused by the Eco-Dust "What's wrong"
"I almost lost you today" the words left Arctus's lips and the first tears fell from his eyes
"Hey, come on we're okay….we made it home okay" Diamond assured him whilst at the same time pulling him close and burying her head in his chest as though she couldn't fully believe her own words until she'd held him and felt that he was real
"But we almost didn't" with that the Bear Faunus gave a shuddering sob, wrapping his arms around her as tightly as he dared; the shock and adrenaline had long since worn off and now the severity of the situation they had escaped was unavoidable and it left Arctus terrified beyond his ability to process in his fatigued state
"Fuck….the one who killed Umi could have stabbed you instead of slashing, their High Commander would have killed Felix if Team CLIR hadn't shown up, Eagle could-"
"I know, I know" Diamond kissed his forehead gently, tears falling from her own cherry red eyes as the events took their toll on her "But all we can do is try and be better"
"I know but….Dee I'm so scared, I don't what I'll do if anything happens to you" Diamond cupped his cheeks and kissed him before resting her forehead against his, ignoring the feverish clamminess of his skin
"Then it's a good thing I've got the best partner I could ever ask for watching my back"
"I love you so much"
"I love you too" the pair held onto each other until their tears subsided and they lost track of time, neither wishing to give up the comfort that they found in the other until Arctus's Scroll began to vibrate audibly
"It's your Mum" Diamond stated as she handed Arctus his Scroll; she had assured her own parents of her safety during a call earlier but Arctus had been too unwell to do the same
"Video call as well….damn it" he muttered as he sighed and wiped his eyes with his forearm before answering the call
"Hey Mum" he greeted with as much enthusiasm as he could as Weiss's worried face flickered into view
"Arctus I'm so glad to see you….Oh my Oum what happened to your eyes?" she gasped covering her mouth with the hand not holding her Scroll
"Lemme see, lemme see!" Athena-Jade's urgent voice insisted before he could reply and a moment later the screen was being reoriented as Arctus's younger sister stood on her tiptoes and jumped to try and catch a glimpse of her brother.
"I'd rather you didn't see me like this" Arctus murmured
"Nonsense" Weiss huffed "I heard what happened from Whitley and Winter and I needed to see that you were okay myself"
"Did you get hurt?" Athena interrupted, honing on in what was truly important
"Just tired and a bit sick….I overdid it and used a bit more Dust than I should have" Arctus assured her, forcing his voice into the most cheery his tone he could manage before turning his attention back to his mother "The new plant is pretty much gone….sorry but I had to do some damage to the place as well"
"Arctus there is nothing more important to me than my children's safety, rebuilding what was damaged is just a matter of time and resources"
"What about Diamond is she okay?" Athena-Jade demanded, seemingly refusing to let the conversation progress until she was certain that her brother and his exceedingly cool girlfriend were indeed okay
"I'm okay AJ" Diamond assured her "Just a cut on my back that stings but I'll be fine, pinky promise"
"'Kay" the younger Faunus nodded
"Is Uncle Whit okay?" Arctus asked "I saw him getting everyone out"
"He's a little rattled" Weiss admitted "But Winter said she's going to come and visit, she's seen a lot of soldiers shaken up after their first mission….he'll be okay I promise" both teens nodded, glad to hear that the man had indeed managed to get himself and others to safety, a thought occurred to Arctus and he immediately felt a need to voice it
"Where's Dad?"
"Winter needs him working on this" Weiss explained and Arctus's stomach seemed to sink though the sensation was overwhelmed by his own annoyance at himself, he should have expected that answer. Weiss evidently realised something was wrong "He knows you're okay and he wants you to know how proud of you he is" Arctus digested that information, understanding the urgency of the situation as the High Commander of the New White Fangs' terms echoed in his mind and his stomach lurched as a horrible thought presented itself
"Hey pest can you give me and Mum a minute please?"
"Ugh, fine" Athena-Jade grumbled, a moment later he caught a glimpse of her leaving the room from a door behind Weiss, both she and Diamond giving Arctus curious looks
"Mum how secure is the Manor? I mean really secure….the White Fangs' leader, she offered me and Felix amnesty if we handed over Mister Eadala and said we renounced our families" Arctus paused, letting out a slow sigh "I'm scared of a retaliation"
"Trust me when I say that what happened to Schnee Manor during the war will never happen again" Weiss answered him, her tone icy "Winter had her best work on fortifying our home and I let Ruby and Penny add to it. We're safe"
"What about Athena's school?"
"All of the teachers' are vetted and most are retired Hunters" Weiss assured him "Arctus I hate having to say this but I've known that there was a very real chance of my children being used against me since before either of you were born….we're prepared for this"
"And if they ever find out my name….well, my parents know how to get out of trouble" Diamond added with a playful nudge to Arctus's shoulder, the Bear Faunus gave a sigh of relief before Weiss spoke again
"They know how to get into trouble as well if I recall….But these terrorists, they will learn your name Diamond. You've already been spotted with Arctus by the media and the Vytal Tournament is in a few weeks" that statement hung in the air for a moment before Weiss's tone lightened "Which reminds me, I did manage to speak to Winter briefly while you were away; the fixtures for the first round of the tournament should be available for students by now"
"Awesome" Diamond grinned, Arctus merely gave a tired nod which prompted Weiss to decide that the two could do with some rest
"I'll let you get some sleep son. I love you"
"I love you too Mum….tell everyone I love 'em please?"
"Will do" a moment later the call ended and Diamond and Arctus took a moment to reposition themselves, her head ending up on his chest while his arms encircled her waist
"So, wanna see who we're up against?" Diamond suggested, suddenly eager despite her tiredness; the friendly competition so far removed from what they had been a part of that it seemed effortless in comparison
"Sure" Arctus replied before accessing the network of shared documents that Atlas students and those who had transferred had access to; the fixtures were not hard to find and it took only a moment to find Team FADE listing
"Holy Oum dude, look at when we're on" Diamond gasped pointing at the schedule, Arctus however shook his head and pointed instead at the Team listed beside them, the identity of their opponents for the match eliciting an exasperated response from the Faunus
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me"
Onyx's heart hammered in his chest and his hands shook with a mixture of nerves and excitement as he and Raffia made their way towards a nondescript office in an equally nondescript part of the capital city. Brick Mulligan had honoured their deal and given the Puma Faunus the name and location of a purchaser for the Scavenger Guild who could in turn get them to someone higher up the chain of command in return for the dog-tags they had stolen from Iskald Grey.
"We should kill them" Raffia snapped suddenly, caudal fins laying flat along his skull in a sign of agitation "Kill them and make an example"
"Car wants us to do this quietly" Onyx countered "We don't harm people who didn't give the order….no collective punishment, we're not like them"
"I worry Carcharodon is losing his way" Raffia whispered, the anger that seemed to cling to him at all times being broken for a moment by the fearful admission "I worry that all of you are. 'Dating' Huntresses, moral conundrums….helping 'train' Hunters in New Vale. Are we the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River Tribe or are we lost little orphans desperate to be accepted by people who hate us"
"You worry about nothing" Onyx assured him "We know who we are….there's no shame in taking time to recover and recuperate"
"If we forget everything that makes us who we are in the process then there's plenty of shame in it" the Axolotl hissed irritably. Onyx said no more, privately evaluating the small grain of truth in Raffia's words; the Puma Faunus was frankly tired of living on rations and the constant tension that came with being both a fighter and one of the few mechanically inclined members of his people. While he still wanted vengeance against all those who had killed his people the question of what to do afterwards was much less certain as the appeal of simply staying within the Kingdoms continued to grow.
"No more talk about killing" he eventually stated bluntly, Raffia made to argue prompting the larger man to simply point at a building ahead of them "We're here and I'd rather they didn't get suspicious before we get inside" their destination was a small office located above a shoe store in an area of Atlas that leaned towards the upper middle class while still being clearly a commercial area, they were still within close reach of the Prime Promenade and by extension several ways out of the city in the event that the meeting failed to proceed as planned. The pair neared a small side door which evidently led to the rented office space and Onyx pressed the buzzer of an intercom, the ground around which was littered with cigarette buts.
"Can I help you?" a somewhat nasal and decidedly snooty voice enquired
"I have a meeting here" Onyx grunted
"Name?"
"Ursabane" with no further reply the line went dead and the door audibly unlocked allowing the two Faunus entry to a narrow passageway which led to several flights of stairs which they began to climb, the entrance to the office having the air of being much more well kept before its' current use as a meeting place for the Scavenger Guild. At the top of the stairs was another door, this one wooden
"Come in" another voice, equally snooty answered as soon as Onyx's gargantuan paw had connected with its' surface. Stepping inside revealed a comfortable office much more in line with the legitimate air that the Scavenger Guild portrayed than the grime of the stairwell, deep scarlet sofas of a plush material and small tables with drinks waiting ready greeted them with a row of desks and computers towards the rear of the office, sat in the nearest sofa were a man and a woman of indeterminate age clad in business attire; Onyx sized the pair up and saw no visible weapons
"Mister Ursabane, we didn't realise you were bringing an associate" the woman, owner of the more nasal of the snooty voices noted
"I'm here about the 'Grey' dog-tags that were stolen from you. We recovered them" he punctuated his statement by removing the items in question from his pocket, their chain rattling quietly
"Well" the man spoke up "These have been unaccounted for quite some time and I do believe that we owe you quite a bit of Lien-"
"Send payment to Brick Mulligan" Onyx interrupted hastily, the instruction bringing looks of utter confusion to the faces of the Scavenger Guild purchasers as if the idea of simply giving away ones payment were ludicrous
"Well I can certainly do that" the man purred "Though I'd be curious to know what he promised you for that" Raffia visibly tensed up beside Onyx, coiled and ready to strike which prompted the Puma Faunus to answer
"Well Mister…." he trailed off, clearly expecting an answer
"Mister and Missus Snow….Not our real names, but they'll do for now" Onyx nodded in understanding before continuing, choosing his words carefully
"We represent a group that would like a meeting with your employers; the upper management, specifically those who have the authority to make large scale decisions affecting….shipping matters" Mister and Missus Snow took several moments to peer first at Onyx, then at Raffia before sharing a look a seemingly conducting a silent conversation before the man answered
"Unfortunately I cannot do that"
"You can and you will" Raffia spat, striding forwards until Onyx's hand clamped down on his shoulder; though the Puma Faunus's blood pounded in his ears and his free hand shook with rage at the thought of being denied so close to his goal
"Despite your….associates' outburst" Mister Snow cast a snide glance at Raffia "Mister Ursabane I can offer you more regular contact with members of our organisation and have a branch manager rely any concerns you and what I assume to be your fellow students looking for work may have-"
"That's not good enough" Onyx snarled, the fact that despite the stubble on his chin and the tattoos they wore had not been enough to disguise their age going unnoticed "Deals were made and you 'Kyrie' will honour them" the obviously foreign insult may not have been understood but the tone it was delivered in required no translation
"Now listen here-"
"No more listening" Raffia all but roared, crossing the room in a single bound and pinning Mister Snow against the wall and dragging him down to the Faunus's eye level, hands squeezing his skull in a vice like grip
"No more deals, no more terms, no more compromise" Raffia's words came out in a frantic almost crazed snarl before he cast his wild gaze over to Missus Snow "You're going to deliver a message. You're going to go the heads of the Scavenger Guild and tell them that the Frost River Tribe live. We demand retribution through blood and we are coming to collect….do you understand" the woman who had pressed herself as far back against the wall gave a frightened nod while a noise that could generously be described as a squeak escaped her. Onyx saw the glint in his friends' eyes and realised that something terrible was about to happen before it did
"Good….it only takes one person to deliver a message" the Axolotl Faunus twisted and a moment later the sickening crack of Mister Snow's neck breaking filled the room, followed by terrified shrieking and the dull thud of the mans' body hitting the ground, his head twisted almost one hundred and eighty degrees. Onyx Ursabane had seen death before, he'd been surrounded by violence for as long as he could remember but something about what had just transpired sent chills down his spine and struck him as against the natural order of things; he was in no mental state to articulate these thoughts and simply mouthed
"What have you done?" Raffia glared at him before answering
"What was needed. I've shown you the way"
Gangrel Slate marched through the corridors of the Gespenst, the ship hanging cloaked and ominous above the tundra which encompassed much of the Kingdom of Atlas and the continent of Mantle as a whole. His footsteps echoed through the empty corridors while the majority of the ships crew were at their stations and helping co-ordinate the effort to locate the White Fang insurgents; Gangrel himself was returning from the medical bay of the ship where several of the Specialist strike team led by Kafsi Asteri had congregated, though three were still in intensive care aboard the ship that relieved them and Kafsi herself had already returned to the field the moment her cybernetic limb had received a slapdash repair; and that was to say nothing of the four members of Gangrel's crew who had laid down their lives in the battle; the Bear Faunus felt bile rising in his throat at the thought of having to be the one to inform their families, however the idea of delegating the task to someone else was unthinkable.
There was also the matter of Donner, Gangrel let out a sigh at the thought of the conversation the two of them had shared only moments ago; the blue haired Huntress had responded to his concerns by simply quoting one of the chief medical officers' maxims 'You die in the field or you live forever' with a smile that did nothing to distract from her missing eye or trembling hands; the Bear Faunus knew within a minute of speaking with her that he would need to speak to the doctor and have her medical leave extended to deal with the trauma and have her subjected to a psychological evaluation, both things that Donner would resent. He was in a way thankful for the jamming signal that his vessel gave off, he had managed to contact Weiss on a secure line and enquire after Arctus; his wife had informed him that Rover and Artemis Tan had been in touch and were offering their services to their old team-mate. Gangrel's response had been a firm refusal, he would not be putting their safety at risk when he knew they had a small child at home, which was not to say he wouldn't have appreciated the assistance they could provide. His musings were interrupted by his comm beeping insistently until he answered
"Slate here" he answered
"It's me Sir" the tired voice of Specialist Commander Chiffon answered, the first mate had been leading the search on the ground "I'm on the way to your office. I have something that I think you need to see"
"Understood. I'll be there in a few minutes, Slate out" he ended the call and allowed an irritable growl to escape him as the admittedly dim hope of being able to speak to his children before the days' end faded away. His pace increased and his destination changed, Gangrel proving to be true to his word as a brisk walk brought him to his office within minutes; entering he found that Chiffon had already entered and working at the computer upon the main desk, his breach of privacy an indication of both their close working relationship and the urgency of whatever it was that the grizzled Hunter had found.
"What have you got?" Gangrel asked without preamble whilst making his way around the desk and seeing that Chiffon was in the process of de-encrypting a file from a flash drive.
"Video footage" came the reply, followed by hasty assurances "Originals are being seized and records altered, Kafsi is in the process of having everyone who knows about this sworn to silence"
"What in Oum's name did you find out in the snow that's classified?" Gangrel wondered aloud, the answer coming in the form of the decryption process finally ending and the video opening in a separate window but not playing, it's thumbnail alone enough to give the hulking Faunus pause, a fact which Chiffon noticed
"Highway patrol spotted her wandering down the road on her own a few miles outside of Gerat-Handlung, opposite side of the settlement to the SDC….Apparently she was covered in blood when they found her and they spotted a Beowolf pack stalking her nearby; they assumed that she'd been in a car accident"
"Fuck" Gangrel breathed out as a notion of where things were going formed in his mind "Have we run forensics on the blood?"
"Waiting for results" Chiffon answered before pausing and giving his commander, with whom he had been friends since they had been put through the enhanced training of the Specialist Branch together, a knowing look "About the same age as your youngest right?"
"Younger than AJ by the looks of her" Gangrel noted in a detached tone, too distracted to notice how easily his first read him. The Bear Faunus had a deeply ingrained need to protect those around him, a trait most likely developed in Sienna Khan's orphanage, a need which was only amplified where children were concerned and as he took in the sight of the small, scared looking girl with hair the colour of rose gold and oversized chitinous crablike pincers instead of hands he seethed in barely contained anger.
"Even Adam Taurus didn't do this" he snarled
"Sir?"
"Adam fucking Taurus didn't bring kids into battles….I want these fuckers found and dealt with" Chiffon made to comment, only pausing as he remembered the extent of the personal experience Gangrel Slate had in the subject of just where Adam Taurus drew the line.
"Play the video" he ordered simply, Chiffon did so and almost instantly the soothing tones of a police officer who, as far as Gangrel could tell, was only trying to help could be heard
"I understand that you're scared and your parents have probably told you not to talk to strangers, but I'm a police officer and I need you to talk to me so I can help you find your family, is that okay"
"Okay human" if the wording seemed unusual to the officer she didn't show it, the child delivered the answer with such naive innocence that Gangrel found it telling, though what it indicated he couldn't be sure
"Can you tell me your name?"
"I um….I was told to say my name is Coral Scylla"
"Fake names?" Gangrel mouthed in disbelief "For a kid?" the officer interviewing the little girl obviously shared the sentiment and pressed on
"You were told, so it's not your real name?"
"It was" the little girl answered and the officer seemed to relax, perhaps thinking that the uncertainty regarding her name may be the result of something as simple as a divorce between her parents
"Okay, can you tell me what your name is now?" the Crab Faunus gave a wide smile and answered, just as she'd been instructed
"My name's Omega, my family are the Cult of Taurus"
Authors Notes:
So that's volume five over and done with, next we'll be moving into one of my favourite tropes in anime: The Tournament Arc.
I want you to know that it took me serious willpower not to title this chapter "Nice"
I seem to have picked quite a few new readers lately so I want to a moment to say hello and thank you.
I think this chapter makes FADE Legacy longer than Downward Spiral
Also I'm debating taking a week off of writing, my desire to plan a few chapters ahead is grappling with the desire to have my Vol.6 and actual Vol.6 start at the same time….Although that decision may be taken out of my hands if I get handed some overtime at work.
The trailer had me vibrating with excitement, the hype train is now leaving the station.
Anyway let's summarise:
Yes the ship that picked up Team FADE was called the Silver Lining because I am about as subtle as blunt force trauma.
Even Kafsi has some redeeming qualities.
I image having a commendation from an Atlesian General before you've even left the Academy is basically having the ability to write your own cheques when you graduate.
In a subversion of all expectations, it's the other blonde that came home with two black eyes and a flattened nose.
You know damn well that Helios and Nyanza didn't stop worrying from the moment they got the S.O.S to the moment they same Felix and they definitely tried to get there and help.
We've all been Nyanza at some point haven't we.
No but seriously I don't think Helios would be able to appreciate the threat of the White Fang the way Nyanza does, he hasn't really grown up hearing the stories the way the Faunus kids in the Kingdoms have.
Felix is definitely Yang's kid.
Yes Nyanza referred to the Krakatoa as an "Absolute Unit".
Helios seriously sees fighting a Grimm that size as totally worth it if it means he has a story to tell, it's a moment of Nikosi culture shining through.
FELIX SAID IT! I can hear my Battle-Cat shippers losing their minds.
The Frost River Tribe and the Nikosi share their love of tales of conquest if nothing else.
Look at Onyx being all concerned.
The mental image of Corvid just flicking his nose made me giggle when I thought of it.
Also, Cinnabar….this is how you handle rejection without making yourself look a twat.
Onyx is good at reading people.
That moment when you see a dozen missed calls from Mum and your life flashes before your eyes.
There will be a Corvid and Blake scene where why Corey doesn't want to even look at Blake is explained, early Vol.6
Also, parents will be met in Vol.6….I have plans.
Someone give Corey a hug please, she's an older sibling and us older siblings get way too used to putting a brave face on.
Of course Blake and Yang knew straight away.
I can imagine raising Felix and Corvid to be a lot of hard work; as much as we love them as characters they were both in trouble on a pretty regular basis.
Corvid kinda comes off as "Blake without a cause" in some ways.
Blake is heading to Atlas.
Interim leader, I already know who the next leader of the Atlas Branch of the Coalition is gonna be….readers of The Downward Spiral can probably guess.
And that's how Celeste has Wilt, it was thrown into the ruined city that Adam died to defend; the same city where the Atlesian military left a nine year old Celeste paralysed from the waist down in their failed attempt to take back control….To Blake it's almost like seeing Adam rise from the dead.
Imagine a cross between the coat Ghira wears and Blake's time-skip outfit….I just wanted her to show up in Vol.6 looking bad ass.
Domestic Bumblebee is fun to write, it lightens the mood and those two deserve the happy marriage and two great kids they've got.
The White Fang have places and people pretty much everywhere in the poorer parts of the Kingdom.
Alpha is somewhere between Emerald and Tyrian in terms of dangerously devoted…..closer to Tyrian on that scale.
Yes Gamma is getting a robot arm….but it's not just an arm. Stay tuned.
A little insight into the Cults' thought process.
Celeste is a fanatic but she isn't stupid, she wouldn't still be alive if she was.
Celeste knows exactly what the consequence of her actions will be for the average Faunus living in Atlas and she's counting on it; more attacks means more hate crime against Faunus, which means more Faunus become radicalised and join the cause.
Oz you slick talking bastard.
Antonia is smart….and oh boy is she pissed off, that Jaune shaped wound is never really gonna heal.
Antonia is making Oz compile the list that she already had a copy of to see if he leaves anyone off of it, a way of spotting potential accomplices. Obviously she doesn't know that he's a time bending Wizard.
So, Oz is under suspicion….let's see how that goes.
I think Eagle, who never really had many friends would definitely use maintaining Sentinel as a distraction and a coping mechanism.
Yes Carcharodon will happily sit outside in the snow, just because.
Protective Hellion is the best Hellion.
Eagle with tats anyone?
I will freely admit that this scene was nothing but self indulgence because y'know what Eagle has earned some free time to just have topless cuddles with her girl and be cute okay.
The Eco-Dust sickness thing is partly to keep consistent and have the drug 'Booster' remain relevant for third year when we're back in New Vale and partly to stop Arctus from becoming OP.
Arctus was ready to blow the Dust and die rather than be captured, I think having a little breakdown afterwards is a completely understandable reaction.
"Oh my Oum what happened?" is pretty much the theme of this Chapter.
Do you really think Weiss would leave her children's safety to chance?
I'm sure I don't need to say who Team FADE are up against in the first round.
Raffia is pretty much constantly angry, he can't heal and progress as a person in large part because he doesn't really want to.
Onyx on the other hand and I think Hellion too are open to the idea of a new way of life.
The "Snows" and their office was inspired by recruitment agencies I've had to deal with….never met snottier little scumbags in my life.
Look at Onyx trying to sound professional.
He called them a pair of whores.
Somewhere along the line Raffia became more bitter and hard-line than Carcharodon and everyone he cared about was too busy and distracted to notice.
Yes the "It only takes one person to deliver a message" line was based on Mulan.
Oh that's gonna have consequences.
Gang is a man with a lot of worries.
If Missy and Rover came over they could find the White Fang in a week at most, but Gangrel won't risk it.
The blood obviously won't have any useful results, it's all from the guard that Delta brained.
Seriously when I wrote Downward Spiral even Adam had a clear moral stance against the harming of kids; I suppose we could use this as a chance to highlight how often religious extremists have no real interest in the tenets of their faith and are really just power hungry….but anyway.
And now Gangrel knows about Omega.
Thank you to SumoSnipe, Bankerrtx01, iSassenach, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, CTFenix, FluffyFirefly and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.
Appropriate bird noises will be made.
…..I mean if Eco-Dust is green then Pooh Bear actually went Legendary Super Saiyan Broly.
Of course, not to make people sympathise with the Cult of Taurus but because I find villains that can act like everyday people and have human emotions more interesting and scarier than a one dimensional monster.
Yeah the Academies are teaching them mainly how to fight Grimm, killing literal monsters made from literal darkness is different to killing people.
I'm glad people loved the violence.
Yeah I feel like I managed to pull a fake out here….remember, this was the end of Vol.5, but Vol.6 is the end of the whole second year arc.
Oh yeah if they were left to fight uninterrupted Felix and Celeste would probably level everything around them.
Of course we all know who the insider is.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.