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Chapter 73: Rebel and Outcast
Something was wrong, the unshakable, undeniable feeling had haunted Onyx and silently mocked the Puma Faunus the entirety of the journey back to Atlas Academy. The soldiers that had escorted them onto the craft and the crew of said craft had refused to engage them in conversation something Hellion had attributed to the typical Atlesian attitude to Faunus while Carcharodon had simply stated that these people didn't know the reasoning behind their orders and remained silent to hide their ignorance; Onyx and Raffia had shared glances, the Axolotl Faunus clearly experiencing the same inexplicable dread. There was nothing that could be done however, they had arrived at Atlas and were currently making their way through the darkened corridors towards the office of General and Headmistress Winter Schnee where whatever revelation, if any would become clear. The quartet, still tracking mud and filthy water from their tournament bout behind them reached the door and Carcharodon rapped firmly against its' surface
"Enter" Onyx tried to search for any clues in the tone of the singular word before Carcharodon complied and stepped into the generals' office, Team GORE followed him without hesitation and upon doing so Onyx came to a halt, greenish yellow eyes widening as his heart seemed to cease all activity and his blood felt as though it had frozen. Standing beside General Schnee, who glared at the Faunus with unmitigated fury and disgust was a familiar face; though the only name Onyx could attribute to the woman was the obviously fake moniker of 'Missus Snow' that she had used. The Scavenger Guild had made their play and Onyx was certain that the last remaining members of the Frost River Tribe would die here, snuffed out when their retribution was almost complete. His horrified daze felt as though it stretched out for an indeterminate amount of time but it was truthfully only a matter of seconds before the Puma Faunus was brought back into reality by the sound of a demented scream of rage from Raffia
"YOU!" in a blur of motion he lunged forwards, unsheathing his swords as he charged towards the now cowering Missus Snow. Team GORE didn't see Winter move, they simply saw the results of her actions; one moment Raffia was in motion and the next his weapons had clattered to the ground and blood had spattered across the wall of the office, Winter now stood between an utterly crumpled Raffia whose Aura was stitching the flesh of his opened belly back together as blood leaked through his fingers and onto the floor and his intended victim; the saw bladed Glyph she had attacked him him fading away while she drew her sword and pointed it at the Axolotl Faunus's throat
"Do. Not. Move. Any of you" the order came as Carcharodon, Onyx and Hellion reached for their weapons; the air in the office seemed electrified with the tension and for a few moments the only sounds were the pained and snarling breaths of a recovering Raffia and the whimpering of the woman he had attempted to murder; then Carcharodon rasped out
"What is going on?" Winter made no move to take her blade away from Raffia's neck but spoke to the woman behind her
"Missus Snow, while it may seem a moot point now I still need you to positively identify them"
"It was him. He did it….He was there too" she pointed first to Raffia and then to Onyx, who felt the demanding glare of his team leader upon him. Missus Snow continued, still indicating towards Onyx "He wanted to do business but only with the higher ups, we told him no and….and he killed my husband!" she pointed at Raffia as she sobbed. Onyx felt Carcharodon's gaze on him and felt more unrelenting fear than he could remember experiencing in his life; he had betrayed his Captain, he had hidden Raffia's actions. Either by Winter's hand or Carcharodon's the towering Puma Faunus knew that he would most likely be dead be sunrise.
"That will be all; my soldiers will escort you home. Thank you for your co-operation" as Winter spoke she created a plethora of Glyphs around Team GORE, forming a barrier around them as Missus Snow all but fled the office, tears still streaming down her face.
"What have you done?" Carcharodon demanded, anger battling the sheer disbelief in his voice. Winter cleared her throat when it became clear that an answer would not be forthcoming
"During your match I was contacted by the head of an organisation known as the Scavenger Guild. At this point I don't need to ask if you're familiar with them-"
"They paid the Hunters to massacre our people….We only ever came to Atlas and contacted the Cult of Taurus to avenge ourselves upon them" Carcharodon rasped out, voice trembling with rage
"Their chairman sent Missus Snow to identify you and deliver a message" without waiting for a response Winter turned to the Screen mounted on the wall and began playback, the message was in the form of a video; the subject being a figure whose identity was hidden by darkness and the modulation and distortion of their voice
"Greetings to the surviving members of the Frost River Tribe. I am the chair of the organisation known as the Scavenger Guild and I understand that you mean to kill me-"
"Oh we will" Raffia hissed out, the fact that the message was merely a recording irrelevant to him
"For obvious reasons I will not be allowing you to succeed in this venture and for equally obvious reasons I and the rest of the board of directors cannot allow you to continue to harass my organisations' shipments and employees-"
"If you mean to kill us then do so" Carcharodon demanded, voice icy "I will not listen to this man waffling before I die" Winter remained silent
"So it has been decided, in the spirit of co-operation with your handlers within the Atlesian military that we will agree to a truce"
"WHAT?" Hellion demanded
"We will do no such thing!" Raffia snapped, the all but disembodied voice continued
"I trust you understand that you have no say in this matter; you are murderers and thieves and can be proven to be such. Failure to comply will result in us pressing charges which will result in either a trial in Atlas where you will be found guilty and executed or extradition to Mistral where you will die in prison. One way or another hostilities between us are concluded"
"No" Onyx mouthed as the hope of justice was snatched from before him
"In return for your compliance and ceasing of all attacks against the Scavenger Guild we will in return have our subcontractors cease their scouring of Anima for any surviving members of your people. As a show of good faith an employee of the Guild was instructed to deliver an item I believe to be of some cultural significance to you that we appropriated from your sunken ships…..It has been informative, if not a pleasure, doing business" the call ended, the screen only becoming marginally darker. Carcharodon turned to Raffia; dark eyes showing as little emotion as always though the anger and betrayal the Shark Faunus was feeling was still conveyed
"You cost us everything" the words were whispered with crushing finality and there was a moments' silence before Winter spoke
"You've gotten away with murder" her voice shook "I am forced, by the importance of your mission to let you escape justice for murdering an Atlesian citizen….There will be consequences for this"
"And what of our justice?" Carcharodon demanded furiously though Winter seemed not to hear him, her own barely restrained fury overriding all else
"I have clearly given you too much free reign, from now on you will not leave this academy except to continue your mission. You will be monitored at all times outside of the academy and any deviations will be met with lethal force" Winter took a slow shuddering breath, trying to reign in her temper "At the conclusion of your mission you will leave Atlas and never return. If you are ever seen within this Kingdom, it's waters or it's airspace again I will have you killed without hesitation"
"Hellion….escort the traitors to our dorm. I need a moment to contemplate" the Shark Faunus's voice made it painfully clear that he had gone beyond anger and was not fuelled by a cold, ruthless fury
"Car-" Hellion's voice was a clear plea for him not to act rashly
"Get them out of my sight or I will behead them where they stand" Hellion's jade eyes widened but she clamped her hands down on Onyx and Raffia's shoulders, escorting them out of the office and left Carcharodon and Winter alone.
"I want to make it clear that I had every intention of waging war against the Scavenger Guild but not in Atlas. Raffia was specifically told that there would be no bloodshed here" Winter nodded in understanding
"I honestly suspected as much. If I had thought this was done on your orders I would have deemed the mission too much of a risk and your flight would have taken you out into the tundra where nobody would ever find your bodies" it was Carcharodon's turn to nod in understanding, the ruthlessness and refusal to fight with honour was something he had come to expect of Atlesians. Winter produced a small crate, roughly the size of a head from behind her desk and presented it to the Shark Faunus
"The item that the Scavenger Guild are returning to you" she said simply, Carcharodon carefully removed the lid of the crate and felt his breath catch in his throat at what he saw. Inside, carefully packaged was a helmet of tarnished silver, a faceplate reaching down to the cheeks but leaving the mouth exposed was covered in still discernable tribal marking which reflected the tattoos Team GORE carried; the helmet was decorated with a crown from which five swept back shark like fins protruded.
"A piece of armour?" Winter enquired, curious as to how something so trivial had caused such a reaction in the stoic raider
"The 'Stemma-Apo'Kymatista'" Carcharodon rasped out; tears falling from black eyes as he took the item in trembling hands and realised just how alone in the world he truly was "The crown of the Frost River Tribe"
The Vytal Festival sprawled out in every direction; now that the tournament had concluded for the evening the main focus of the festivities was the music festival taking place across several stages which Blake could scarcely believe had been allowed to take place in Atlas's capital of all places; similar parties were taking place all across the continent and as the Tournament moved between the hive cities and larger settlements each festival would grow more frenetic in turn. Blake however was taking a much needed break from celebrating in order for a much needed talk; nearby she could see Felix and his team-mates enjoying themselves among their friends, her son was talking animatedly to a younger girl who bore a striking resemblance to the young man he was dating; Arctus was holding Diamond's hand while Athena-Jade rode her brothers shoulders, getting ever sleepier if the way she drooped forwards onto the top of his head were any indication; Eagle was pointing to several points on her shield whilst in conversation with a small Huntress with an afro, Felix's old friends Nyanza and Grease were with them, the bushy haired feline and the pink haired member of Grease's team casting furtive looks at each other and blushing; their mutual interest in each other painfully clear. Adorable as Blake found the scene she returned her attention to the other occupant of the wooden bench situated near several food stalls she was sat at; finally free of the loyal and vocal fans that remembered her from Team CLIR's previous foray in the Vytal Tournament
"Sure you don't want me to go back and get you something?" Corvid asked before she bit into an absurdly oversized hot-dog slathered in, from what Blake could see, chilli, mustard and bacon bits
"I'll pass thanks" she grinned, considering the old Xiao Long family question of 'Where does Corvid put it all?' for a moment before her expression became a little more serious "How've you been Corey?" the way she looked away and refused to meet Blake's spoke volumes
"I'm fine Mum" Blake frowned a little
"Corey you know you can tell me anything don't you?" Blake reached across the table and squeezed her hand, Corvid screwed her eyes shut and when they opened again Blake was shocked to see the tears in them
"What's wrong?" concern laced Blake's words "Talk to me Corey"
"Mum" she sniffled "Please just-"
"Talk to me Corey" Blake repeated with urgency "If you've gotten yourself into some kind of trouble we can-"
"You should hate me" Corvid's words and the way her lips trembled as her composure failed her brought Blake to a stunned halt
"What?"
"You should hate me Mum….You're Blake Belladonna; saviour of the Faunus" Corvid buried her face in her hands "And I'm a fucking murderer!" understanding dawned on Blake and she hurriedly made her way around the table pulling a sobbing Corvid into a hug
"Gerat-Handlung" she sighed "The White Fang"
"It wouldn't have made a difference who they were" Corvid choked out "I couldn't see their masks through the Omega Wings' targeting system. I just showed up and started shooting, I killed a dozen Faunus at least because they were in the way and all I saw was a heat signature….I am so sorry Mum"
"Shh, it's okay" Blake soothed as best she could, stroking Corvid's hair like she had when she was a child
"No it's not" Corvid sniffled "How can you even stand to look at me?"
"Because you're my daughter and there is nothing you could do to make me stop loving you" the answer came easily although Corvid's response was to pull away and stare at Blake with equal parts hope and disbelief
"You remind me so much of Yang sometimes" Blake murmured gently "Being a Hunter is a dangerous, violent job and sometimes you have to make a decision of whether it's going to be an enemies' life or yours, or the lives of the people around you if you try to keep negotiating with people who aren't interested in a peaceful solution-"
"I didn't try to negotiate" Corvid whimpered
"And if you had they would have killed you" Blake answered firmly "Those….People. They used a child as a distraction and killed everyone in their way. I know how you feel right now because I've been there, I've been a Huntress and so has Yang; you think you're a monster but you're not. I've met monsters and they don't beat themselves up and suffer in silence when they kill, they justify it and carry on"
"You're talking about the White Fang….during the war?" Corvid asked as she wiped her eyes
"I am" Blake nodded "Adam Taurus became a monster, whoever is organising this new White Fang is a monster that would make even Adam sick. You made the choice you had to because your brother called you for help, you are nothing like them and I want to make sure you know that" Corvid gave a slow nod, still not quite convinced and Blake noted that the uncertainty seemed unsettlingly out of place on the face of the normally decisive and strong willed young woman
"Just promise me you don't hate me" she whispered "Because I feel like I betrayed everything you stand for"
"I don't" Blake assured her as she pulled her into another hug "Is that why you didn't bring the Omega Wing tonight? You were scared of hurting your opponents?"
"I mean kinda" Corvid sniffled before a smirk crossed her tear stained face and a flicker of the Corvid Blake recognised emerged "That and I wanted it to at least be entertaining to watch; we had those kids outclassed from the start….wouldn't have been fair"
"That's my girl" Blake chuckled, letting out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding when Corvid gave a watery chuckle of her own, signalling to her mother that she would be okay in time and maybe with some counselling
"So….wanna go join the party?" Corvid asked before taking a bite of the now cold but still delicious hot-dog "I think we've earned it"
"Yeah we have" Blake agreed, catching sight of Felix with his friends she decided to lighten the mood "And since you told on Felix I can ask your friends if you're dating anyone"
"Who on Remnant could handle me" Corvid snorted in response.
Whatever conversations had been taking place in Team GORE's dormitory ended the moment Carcharodon returned, entering by using his Semblance to leak through the gaps in the door frame rather than open the door, as his body reformed from its' liquid state he glared at Onyx who sat on the pushed together beds and mass of blankets that the team slept on, utter dejection written being broadcast by the entirety of his body language; then to Raffia whose closeness to Hellion implied that they had been having a whispered argument wherein he attempted to defend his actions. Upon catching sight of Carcharodon Raffia's eyes widened first in fear then in genuine surprise and something approaching awe as he saw the battered helm that his leader carried
"Is that-"
"Silence traitor" Raffia recoiled as if slapped at the accusation, Carcharodon cast his eyes over his team before gesturing to the helmet he carried "Raffia's opinion is null and void in this matter. It becomes more apparent to me that we are the last of our people, there is nobody left to find….that being said, as acting Captain of our ship and in my sisters' absence I have the right to nominate myself to the council of elders. Hellion, Onyx you represent the entirety of our people now. What is done here cannot be undone, what say you?"
"I vote in favour" Hellion answered without hesitation, Onyx paused for a moment before nodding and chiming in
"I vote in favour"
"Then it's done" Carcharodon spoke softly as he took the helmet and lowered it slowly over his skull; while outwardly the change was a simple one to those born and raised within the culture of the tribes of Anima it's significance could not be overstated. Carcharodon had been declared the rightful ruler of whatever remained of the Frost River Tribe and ascended beyond merely acting in the place of the late Mizu Gore to an authority amongst all of the tribes until his dying breath
"The first order of business is punishment" Carcharodon rasped out, Onyx's response was one that startled all present; the Puma Faunus took a knee before the man that was now his crew-mate and was now his rightful ruler and unslung his axe before presenting it to the Shark Faunus
"Do it" Onyx's voice wavered but he continued "I know it's coming, it's the only way….Just do it Car"
"Stand up" Carcharodon ordered, his own voice trembling "I have no intention of killing my oldest friend" Onyx rose on shaky legs and fought the urge to pull Carcharodon into a loose hug or playfully punch him the way he might have once done
"So where do we go from here?" Hellion asked as she stroked Marauder who perched on her arm, her wings betraying her trepidation as they fluttered behind her. Carcharodon paused for a moment, steeling himself for what he had to do before speaking slowly
"The Cult of Taurus will still face justice, they will die on the field of battle by our hands as honour demands….the same cannot be said of the leaders of the Scavenger Guild; they have escaped us and will never face our justice" he took a moment to steady himself "And I place the blame at the feet of Raffia Dirge; a traitor to our people"
"Car I-"
"Silence" Carcharodon cut him off with a hiss "There is nothing to be said. You knowingly defied my orders and while I can forgive Onyx for protecting you as much as it angers me, I cannot forgive you for what we've lost today. Every one of our people who goes unavenged does so because of you"
"You're right" Raffia answered simply, dropping to one knee much the way Onyx had before meeting Carcharodon's eyes as best as he could "Sentence me"
"Car" Hellion breathed out, hands trembling as she covered her mouth in terror at the thought of having to watch another of her people die
"I will not sentence you to death" Carcharodon rasped out before delivering his punishment "For your crimes you will walk Remnant alone save for the ghosts of those you failed haunting you"
"Car please" Raffia begged as he understood what would come next "Not this"
"Raffia Dirge-"
"Car just kill me and get it over with, don't-" the Axolotl Faunus was silenced by a backhanded slap, the only sound in the room being Hellion's muted sobs and the floor creaking as Onyx turned away, unable to look Raffia in the eye when the sentence was delivered
"Raffia Dirge I sentence you to exile. You will never walk amongst us again and the seas are no longer yours to roam, should we see you again it will be your death. Now leave here and never return" there was a moment where time seemed to stand still and a dozen possibilities presented themselves in Carcharodon's mind, one of the most prominent being that Raffia would attack him or simply refuse to leave until the Shark Faunus's hand was forced; instead Raffia nodded once with tears streaming down his face before sheathing his swords and silently following the last order he expected to hear from his Captain.
Team FADE were still amongst friends in Eisenstadt Prime several hours after the tournament had concluded; Weiss and Gangrel had departed taking Athena-Jade with them, Arctus's younger sister remaining staunchly defiant towards her own tiredness the entire time. Syneffo had rejoined the Nikosi contingent from which Helios was yet to return, the younger redhead having deemed her brothers' boyfriend 'Far too pretty, but acceptable' to laughter and a chorus of friendly jibes from the members of Teams FADE, NEON and GRAY who were present. Diamond had been gently nudging Arctus and directing his attention towards Nyanza and Razzmatazz who had at some point in the evening begun holding hands; much to the silver haired snipers' happiness, seeing her friend happy meant a lot to her. Obviously sensing that disturbing Nyanza would be somewhat unkind Olivine gently nudged Felix to get his attention
"Hey there's a band on one of the other stages me and Ether wanna go watch; Creatures of Grin supported them a while ago. If Helios comes back can you let him know where we are….and that I'm sorry for having an attitude earlier"
"Will do Ollie" Felix nodded "He'll get it, your teams' match came down to the wire I'd be snappy after that as well"
"Any of you guys coming with?" Ether offered "I can probably get us backstage"
"Any other day I would dude" Diamond lamented "But honestly everything aches right now, I'm not going anywhere near a moshpit"
"Won't help my headache" Eagle noted with a bright smile that the spectacular black eye she'd earned in Team FADE's battle with Team CNBR did nothing to distract from. Arctus merely gestured to his own thoroughly brutalised face to indicate that he shared her sentiments
"Wanna go?" Nyanza offered
"Backstage pass? Hell yeah dude" Razzmatazz grinned, as the four left Team FADE with Grease, Azure and Yuki of Team GRAY behind Grease shot Felix a sly grin
"So that's totally not Nyanza going for a double date"
"Let him have this man" the Lion Faunus chuckled; he knew that Grease meant well and that the jibes he gave Nyanza were something almost akin to sibling rivalry but it didn't change the fact that sometimes Grease had tended to push a little too far and Nyanza had always allowed it to happen.
"So" Yuki noted "Now there's only one team that's going forward here we can talk about the interesting stuff-"
"Who're you sending into the doubles round?" Azure finished, leaning on Yuki's shoulder as they spoke
"We uh….haven't actually decided" Felix admitted, realising now that his team had focused so much on training and preparing themselves individually that they'd left little room to plan ahead and work out the most effective ways to synergise their skills
"You're fucking slacking" Grease told him succinctly "We had different plans for who went forward based on which team we got in the next round-"
"And then you lost in round one" Felix pointed out bluntly, annoyed at the tone. Grease' mouth closed though several annoyed mutterings still escaped him
"Let's put it to a vote then" Diamond offered before adding to the surprise of no-one "I vote me and Arctus"
"Fair" Felix shrugged "I'm gonna say me and Eagle and honestly I'm glad you voted for yourself first, makes me feel less of a dick about it"
"Um Felix" Eagle shuffled awkwardly, not wanting to meet his eyes as she delivered the bad news "Sentinel's pretty busted up….I don't think I'm gonna be able to get him fixed before the next round starts"
"Oum Damn it" the Lion Faunus breathed out softly as he searched for a solution "Would a few more pairs of hands help? I can get Corey involved and-"
"I'm sorry but I don't think so, I need parts that have to be custom made"
"What about you big guy?" Diamond turned to Arctus who let out a slow sigh
"Babe don't take this the wrong way-"
"You wanna go in with Felix, nah it's fine I get it" she shrugged, the Bear Faunus's next words shocked her however
"No I want you to go into the next round with Fluffy. I'm gonna bow out" seeing the confusion on both of their faces Arctus explained his reasoning "I got my ass handed to me today; my weapon's built for fighting Grimm, I can't even use a plasma gun in this tournament….besides, partners are the first thing everybody is gonna expect; better to go with a different match up and throw 'em off"
"That's actually some pretty solid thinking" Felix admitted, annoyed that he hadn't had the idea as team leader
"You sure about this Arctus?" Diamond asked, wrapping her arms around her partners' shoulders
"Yeah" he nodded "I wanna see Team FADE do well, I don't mind watching from the sidelines"
"Okay then Dee-Dee, it's me and you….we need to work on some strategies, combo attacks all kinds of stuff"
"She's gonna throw you at people like a big angry furball" Grease snickered
"Are you still here?" Felix shot back with a roll of the eyes
"Apparently so….which begs the question of why" Grease answered in a stage whisper before snorting and adding "But seriously though what the fuck are we standing around for, let's go explore the place"
"Smartest thing you've said all night" Felix grinned, falling into the easy routine of good natured bickering with his fellow Patch native "I'll see if I can find where Corey's hiding"
"She's talking with your Mum, no telling how long she's actually in Atlas for" a voice now familiar to all who had competed in or watched the Vytal Tournament drawled
"One day I'll find out how you do that" Felix laughed as he turned to face the speaker "Hey Uncle Qrow" Felix's own greeting paled in comparison to Eagle who pulled the old man into a hug which he eagerly returned
"Hey kid, you did well out there. Proud of you, all of you" he added in a low murmur to Eagle "I didn't say anything about us being related because well….I wasn't sure if you want the whole world knowing I'm your old man?" Eagle, in a move that her shy former self would never even have considered turned to face the members of Team GRAY who were present while gesturing to Qrow
"Meet my dad" surprised sputtering from all angles ensued, not least from Qrow himself who eventually managed to choke out
"Oh you definitely get that from the Branwen side of the family" Eagle beamed with pride at his words
"So are you hanging out with us now?" Felix noted with a smirk, Qrow matched the expression and replied
"Nah kid, Vytal Festivals have been my stomping ground for decades. You're hanging out with me" the group of teens Felix considered his friends burst out laughing and the Lion Faunus soon gave up any pretence of having an answer to that. With the decision made they began exploring the Festival at large, rejoining with Helios along the way and thoroughly enjoying their evening which only came to a close when Eagle was contacted by a tearful Hellion whom it was obvious was in need of some kind of moral support.
Gangrel Slate had kissed his wife and daughter goodnight and promised to read Athena-Jade a bedtime story the following evening, he had also let Arctus know that he was proud beyond his ability to put into words, though due to his own schedule and the painkillers the younger Faunus had taken Gangrel had been unable to share a drink with the young man his son had grown into before departing. Currently he was attending to a matter that he had insisted on dealing with personally but had thus far had no opportunity to do so, as he strode through the corridors of a ship that was not his own listening to the captain of the vessel attempt to make small talk
"So that Slate kid in the opening match? That your boy?"
"Nah he must be one of those other Slate kids who're Bear Faunus's with Schnee features" Gangrel growled, sarcasm dripping from his words and the captain fell silent unsure of how to respond. The Flustern was a newer model of airship than Gangrel's own home away from home and it's captain was a member of the Specialist Branch with undeniable skill who had worked hard to obtain his station so young; none of that detracted from the fact Gangrel also thought the man was an insufferable social climber who would have crossed the street to avoid him based solely on his race and economic class before the war. They continued through corridors whose bright lighting combined with pristine white and chrome décor made for a harsh and glaring combination for a little while longer before Gangrel's snout like nose wrinkled in irritation, lips peeling away from his sharp teeth in a growl and the fingers of his cybernetic left arm flexing to extend the bladed claws hidden within as something occurred to him; he had instructed the Flustern to set course for Eisenstadt Prime so that he could speak with someone who was currently aboard the ship as per his instructions, he was more than familiar with the layout of Atlesian ships and knew that he was not being taken towards the living quarters
"You put her in the brig?" the snarl may have been phrased as a question but it was painfully clear to the ships' captain that it was really an accusation which demanded an accusation
"Sir I thought it was for the best, your orders were to keep her presence on a need to know basis and I-"
"And apparently you don't have even one person on your ship that you trust enough to stand outside of an officially empty room?" Gangrel spat as the blast door separating the brig from the vessel at large came into view, behind it would be a forcefield and behind that several cells; Gangrel noted that whomever was nominally on watch duty tonight had been dismissed for the evening.
"Sir" the Captain of the Flustern desperately attempted to explain while Gangrel equally desperately clung onto the last shreds of his professionalism and self control "I was under the impression that she was involved in the attack on the Poly-Tech facility? She could be a danger to-" his voice was reduced to a strangled gasp, lost beneath the sound of flesh thudding against metal as Gangrel grabbed the man by the scruff of the neck and slammed him against the wall, feet kicking futilely several feet away from the ground
"SHE'S A LITTLE GIRL YOU FUCKING COWARD!" he roared into the mans' panicked face "YOU PUT A LITTLE GIRL IN THE BRIG BECAUSE SHE'S FAUNUS AND WAS USED AS BAIT BY THE WHITE FANG! PEOPLE LIKE YOU HELPED MAKE ADAM TAURUS WHAT HE WAS!" unable to look at the man any longer Gangrel hurled him aside, forcing himself to control his breathing and in turn his temper
"Sir-"
"Get out of my sight; I'll have your First Mate promoted within forty-eight hours. You're done with the Specialist Branch" without waiting for a reply Gangrel entered his own personal clearance code into the terminal next to the blast door, a code that would grant him access to almost any electronic system within the Kingdom. The door slid open with less noise than one would expect considering its' size and thickness; Gangrel stepped into the brig and made his way passed rows of crewmen who had been segregated from the rest of the vessel for some failure or another, each of them rose and saluted the Faunus as he passed without hesitation.
"At least he didn't have the cells locked down" he grunted under his breath as he noted that the cells were only sealed by Atlesian steel bars, impassable but far less intimidating than the secondary blast door with only a thin slit to pass a food tray through allowing light in and only the buzzing of a small forcefield generator for company. His destination was the rear of the brig, a cell more dimly lit than the others whose sole occupant was a small child with hair the colour of rose gold whose arms ended in heavy chitinous and crablike pincers instead of human hand
"Hello Miss Scylla, or can I call you Coral?" Gangrel asked as he reached the cell, sitting on well polished metal floor in order to bring himself down to her level. He remained outside the cell despite being able to enter without an issue for the same reason he asked if he could use her first name; the child was never going to talk to him if he was just another grown up who didn't listen unless it suited them. The Crab Faunus slid off the bed she had been sat on, clad in pyjamas that seemed to be new and were most likely bought specifically for her by someone aboard the ship
"My name's Omega" she corrected, carefully rubbing her sleepy eyes with the point of her forearm where flesh met chitin "Can I go home yet?"
"Do you know who I am?" Gangrel asked, seeing her shake her head he continued "The man whose ship you're on, I'm his boss….the thing is I told him to give you somewhere nice to stay and now I'm annoyed because he didn't. Now I can't send you home just yet but I am going to have you moved to another ship, probably mine, where you'll have your own room with a TV and people will actually be nice to you. That sound okay?"
"It does….But Mum and Dad said I'm not supposed to go with strangers unless the High Commander says so" Gangrel forced himself not to glower at the thought of parents willingly indoctrinating their children into this iteration of the White Fang
"Well my name's Gangrel Slate, you can call me Gang" he held a hand through the bars for her to shake, instead she recoiled
"The High Commander talks about you!" she gasped in a small frightened voice "She says you're a traitor to the cause and Adam Taurus" this was something Gangrel had been oddly well prepared for
"I've honestly never met the new High Commander so I don't know why she doesn't like me" he shrugged "But I did know Adam Taurus and I don't think she did, because she's misunderstood a lot of the stuff he said and he didn't even say it first….I'd love to talk to her sometime but I don't know where to find her, do you?"
"Not allowed to tell, Gamma said Alpha would be very, very mad" she answered earnestly
"Did he now"
"Well he actually said she'd be um….P, I double S'ed" Gangrel couldn't help laughing at that despite himself
"Okay well here's the thing Omega" he averted his eyes for a moment, hating to use the moniker that these monsters had given her but it seemed important to the girl "Now you can tell if I'm wrong but I think that the High Commander moves around a bit, but the one place she always comes back to and calls home is where you're from; I really want to help you go home to your mum and dad but I don't know where to look. I won't tell anyone if you tell me"
"I can't" a note of real fear made her voice tremble "When Alpha gets angry she hurts people….a lot, with sharp things" Gangrel thought back to Kafsi's debriefing and remembered that Alpha was the Lionfish Faunus with the hypnotic voice and torture devices mounted on her gauntlets, a sadist of the highest order whom this child had been forced to watch work. Gangrel would be having her sent to the ships' counsellor as soon as she was aboard the Gespenst
"That's okay, I'll keep looking and I'll make sure that Alpha doesn't get angry at you" pausing for a moment Gangrel decided he was unlikely to gain anything useful from Coral tonight, he had anticipating this taking more than one session however and simply said "Well I'm gonna have to go and get some sleep, I've got a lot to do in the morning…..And I know that you shouldn't be up this late, but I'm not telling" the Crab Faunus giggled at this, reaching though the bars of the cell to tug at Gangrel's sleeve when he rose to his feet
"The High Commander said Hunters are bad people that hurt Faunus….but, you're a Hunter aren't you; you've got a cool weapon and everything" Gangrel became suddenly aware of the familiar weight of his sword across his back and the collapsed hand-cannon that had once belonged to his partner Perdu 'Squish' Callow hanging from his waist, he had honestly given them no thought when he entered the brig
"Yeah I'm a Hunter, I try not to be a bad person too much….I think that's another thing the High Commander got wrong" another casual shrug, another casual undermining of the leader that, if she were anything like Adam in his latter days would never stand for such a blatant challenge to her authority; each time Gangrel told the little girl before him that this woman who had filled her mind with poison was wrong and suffered no consequences would be a subliminal message to Coral Scylla. The Crab Faunus leaned close to the bars and whispered in a conspiratorial tone
"Do you have super-powers? The Cult of Taurus all had um….Semblances" Gangrel merely gave the child a smile and a wink before engaging his own Semblance; a dull and echoing crack filled the brig as the towering Faunus vanished in a cloud of black smog only to reappear near the exit
"THAT'S SO COOL!" Coral's cheer reached him from across the Brig "Goodnight Mister Gangrel"
"Goodnight" he replied, waiting until he was out of the brig and sure that he was alone to let out a slow shuddering breath and acknowledge the fact that his heart was breaking at the thought of what the Coral Scylla had been put through in her short life.
The room in which High Commander Celeste Lupus met with the Cult of Taurus was dimly lit though this presented little problem to the Faunus within; it was the hall in which she conducted her daily lectures and sermons when she was present and the four members of her most favoured and trusted followers knelt between the rows of pews. Celeste raised a thin snowy white eyebrow as she took notice of the way they were positioned, Alpha to the fore with Beta and Delta behind her and to the right while their was a clear empty space to the left of the Lionfish Faunus that Gamma had left open; a missing man formation in remembrance of Omega who was currently missing and presumed dead.
"Rise" she ordered, her voice even and carefully controlled; her followers did so and the only sound was that of Gamma's as yet uncompleted cybernetic arm moving as he stood. Even without the enhancements of her mask, power armoured suit or the sword which had once belonged to Adam Taurus Celeste exuded silent menace as she stepped closer, her body slowly becoming accustomed to the implants in her spine and the strain of walking and remaining upright for longer periods of time
"Alpha" she cooed as she came close enough to cup the masked face of the sadist "I understand you wish to report….a failure?" the pause in her words owing to a mixture of theatricality and genuine surprise
"Yes High Commander" Alpha answered, head sinking in dejection "The bastard children of deserters that dared use our name-"
"The Anima tribe yes" Celeste nodded in understanding
"At least four of them live. They've allied themselves with the Hunters, they were posing as students at the Vytal Tournament" the Ram Faunus's vibrant magenta eyes did widen at that, her best efforts to maintain stoic composure proving to be not quite enough
"You assured me that the matter was dealt with and that an example had been made of them"
"My apologies High Commander" Beta's clipped tones interjected "We can only assume that they fled while their people were being 'attended to'….correcting the mistake will be a simple matter, we simply wished to keep you informed"
"No….It won't" Celeste mused, Alpha taking her sudden shift in tone as displeasure
"If you wish it I will dispense the same punishment upon my own people as any others that failed you in such a manner" it was a testament to just how fanatically devoted to their High Commander the Cult of Taurus were that none of them protest at the Lionfish Faunus so casually offering up their lives alongside her own, Delta going so far as to silently bow their head and expose the back of their neck for a killing blow. The quartet of killers were left in shock when the next sound to leave Celeste's lips was not the order for them to butcher each other, instead she let out a soft laugh
"You've done well Alpha, very well indeed"
"I….High Commander I don't understand" the Lionfish Faunus admitted. Celeste paced as she began speaking, a habit she'd developed recently as she gave speeches from her platform in this very room
"While I expect my orders followed and tasks to be completed thoroughly….this instance has proven informative. Tell me, why do suppose that either the Atlesian Military or the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River would consider forming an alliance with the other?" behind her mask Celeste's eyes widened in comprehension, though it was Gamma who spoke first, showing the cunning and intellect beneath his monstrous appearance
"To kill us"
"Precisely" Celeste beamed "And now for another question, one that I will answer myself. Why would the Military have a group of raiders and bandits with years of combat experience waste their time posing as Hunters and competing in tournaments rather than have them hunt us directly? The answer is simple, they wish to draw us out and have us fight them on their own terms"
"They wanted to use our own dedication to our cause against us, they will suffer" Alpha hissed with obvious rage and disgust
"An artless ploy" Beta noted, a derisive snort underlining the sentiment.
"And easily turned against them" Celeste almost purred "They expect us to see the bait they dangled and then attack at the first opportunity. When the surviving children of deserters make their next appearance the Atlesian military will focus it's attention fully on the tournament, allowing us to move freely everywhere else within the Kingdom and settlements….and when we don't act as predicted they will lose faith in their plans, leaving us free to attack at a time of our choosing"
"We stand ready High Commander" Alpha assured her
"I would expect nothing less from my most trusted" Celeste cupped her masked cheek once again and the Lionfish Faunus almost nuzzled into the contact the way one expect a kitten to do
"Our enemies will fall, but our timing must be perfect" Celeste warned "The Fang will draw blood when Atlas least expects and when it does it will be a blow from which they cannot recover" The Cult of Taurus almost shivered in anticipation at the thought of the violence that was to come.
Authors Notes:
Another Chapter down and the plot is picking up.
I think it's safe to say that based on Vol.6 so far there is literally no way to reconcile The Downward Spiral, Our Happy Ever After and FADE Legacy with canon; I am completely fine with this.
I don't think I mentioned it in the notes of the last chapter but I've signed up for the "Prompt-Madness Challenge" in a Discord Server for RWBY writers and artists that I'm in, so watch out for my contribution to that at some point in December.
Anyway, let's summarise:
Onyx can read people and smell fuckery from a mile away.
We all knew that Raffia killing that guy would come back to bite them in the arse.
Raffia never had a chance.
Just to be clear the Scavenger Guild were already sending Snow to Atlas Academy before they ever called Winter.
The Scavenger Guild may be a technically legitimate business, but their leadership takes no chances….Also, aesthetic or die.
"If you mean to kill us then do so. I will not listen to this man waffling before I die" Admit it, Carcharodon's lack of fucks is great and you know it.
It's official, the Scavenger Guild had the Frost River tribe almost entirely exterminated; they had Hunters kill non-combatants and then they proceeded to dredge and loot their ships.
Winter is beyond pissed.
Carcharodon may be a violent thief but he has a code of honour, it's different to what most Hunters would consider honourable but he won't budge on it, not again. Hence his being completely honest with Winter.
So remember the crown that Mama Nikos wears, the Scavenger Guild gave back the Frost River Tribe's equivalent to that….Carcharodon has said that his weapons were a gift from the leaders of the tribe; he knew the person that wore that crown personally.
The mental image of Athena-Jade riding Arctus's shoulders is adorable.
Nyanza and Razzmatazz just being flustered dorks in the background.
Corey is five seven and slim but athletic….she also inhales just as much food as Felix (Because I'm assuming Aura takes some kind of toll on the metabolism).
Seriously, these kids need to start using the counsellor more and canon academies need to actually get a counsellor because even without the Fall of Beacon, even if everything had carried on as normal; those Hunters are gonna end up with PTSD.
Just how much of the line about negotiating with people who don't want peace was because of Blake having a flashback to Adam….Also the line about Corey being like Yang, if you've read Downward Spiral you can attest.
"Who on Remnant could handle me" who indeed Corey, who indeed.
There is nobody left to find….and with that sentence all of Carcharodon's hopes and dreams died.
Car in the tribes' culture is now of equal standing to Kataigida Nikos….whether or not another tribal leader acknowledges that is up for debate.
I think a key difference between the Cult of Taurus and Team GORE is the Cult are ready to die because they're fanatics, Team GORE know when they've crossed a line and are willing to accept the punishment that comes with it.
"For your crimes you will walk Remnant alone save for the ghosts of those you failed haunting you" Car just reeling out the memorable lines today.
So Winter made it clear that if Team GORE leave without permission they will be shot, Car just exiled Raffia; literally nowhere is safe for him.
'Far too pretty, but acceptable' Felix will get that as a tattoo.
Remember Vol.1 when Diamond threw Arctus into his first pit, fun times.
Dude – It's a Mistrali thing.
"And then you lost in round one" - Felix Xiao Long; not a known giver of fucks.
Arctus's reasoning makes sense, on top of that the Schnee Semblance is versatile but everybody has seen it and has most likely made plans on the assumption that they'll be facing Arctus.
Qrow making Batman entrances will be a running joke.
Look at how far Eagle's come, Vol.1 Eagle would never have dared do that.
"Nah kid, Vytal Festivals have been my stomping ground for decades. You're hanging out with me" is something canon Qrow would say and you know it.
"Nah he must be one of those other Slate kids who're Bear Faunus's with Schnee features" you see this sarcasm, this is the man that Weiss Schnee fell in love with right here.
The Flustern = The Whisper.
Captain no-name done goofed.
"PEOPLE LIKE YOU HELPED MAKE ADAM TAURUS WHAT HE WAS!" is the truth, Celeste is just following the same pattern and locking Coral in the brig and treating her like a criminal does nothing but start the cycle of Faunus kids with bad starts in lives being turned into monsters….Unless Gangrel breaks that cycle of course.
"Unless the High Commander says so" is tacked onto the end of every rule kids learn in Tartarus.
"Well he actually said she'd be um….P, I double S'ed" is adorable.
"When Alpha gets angry she hurts people….a lot, with sharp things" that poor child.
Because telling someone that the people who indoctrinated them were wrong isn't enough, you have to show them.
"Goodnight Mister Gangrel" - I can almost hear the people who read Downward Spiral calling me a bastard for that.
The idea of the Cult of Taurus leaving a gap for Omega in their formation gave me mixed feelings.
Remember that Celeste took control of the White Fang while confined to a wheelchair; she wasn't the dangerous fighter she is now, she had a way with words and a sharp mind; Atlas just tried to play her like another Adam and it's gonna go according to plan.
"Notice me Senpai" - Alpha.
Thank you to SumoSnipe, Bankerrtx01, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, iSassenach, Garthraxxus, FluffyFirefly and CanadianCavalier for their reviews on the last chapter.
Oh gaskets will be blown, don't you worry about that.
This bait might bite back….but it doesn't do it on request.
Kataigida and Yang have got to meet at some point in this story; I'll find a way.
Glad a few people caught the Silver Eyes.
So that's another person in favour of Corvid and Onyx.
About Salem, all I'll say is….Spoilers.
I live for the awww.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.