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Chapter 81: One Step Forward

Following the conclusion of Vytal Tournaments' doubles round classes at Atlas Academy had resumed as normal; although with the prospect of the singles round fast approaching and the transfer students' from Halo, Shade and Haven Academies' time in the icy Kingdom rapidly drawing to a close the amount of attention being paid in classes was questionable at best. Such was the case in the second year Grimm Studies lecture that Team FADE were attending, presided over by Professor Tiffany Cornflower, a woman whose many prominent scars spoke of a lifetime spent facing the creatures of Grimm and whom was considered one of Atlas Academies' best teachers though how much she was actually teaching at present was debatable; Arctus and Diamond seemed to be paying attention and were combining their notes as they knew that they would most likely study together. To their right was Eagle who while attentive was not currently writing down anything that was said due to Hellion holding her dominant hand, the Dragonfly Faunus ignored the lesson in favour of sketching out tattoo designs in a notebook whilst beside her Carcharodon studied a different textbook laboriously with his still limited grasp of reading and writing in the Kingdoms' language, the Shark Faunus reasoned that he'd killed enough Grimm over the years to be able to safely ignore this lesson; Onyx was simply slumped over his desk seemingly barely awake. To Arctus and Diamond's left were Felix and Team NEON, the Lion Faunus and Helios chatting as animatedly as they could afford to without being noticed by the likeable but admittedly strict professor

"Holy shit" Felix breathed out, bright smile that had been on his face faltering for a moment "I just had an idea….we're both in the singles round; Heely what happens if we have to fight each other?" the normally studious redhead paused, lowering his pen and frowning a little as he considered the idea

"Then it will be the best performance of this tournament" his vivid green eyes seemed to light up at the notion "And I expect nothing but your best"

"Seriously, you want me to go all out on you?" Felix asked nervously

"Of course" Helios answered simply "Don't worry, I promise that whatever happens in the arena should we face each other will stay in the arena"

"Yeah but I don't wanna hurt your pretty face though" Felix joked, privately relieved by Helios's answer as the thought of having to risk his relationship for the sake of the tournament had worried him

"Likewise….an agreement then?"

"Not the face" Felix chuckled, unfortunately loud enough for Professor Cornflower to hear

"And since neither Mister Xiao Long or Mister Nikos are paying any attention I suppose now would be a good time to cut this lecture short"

"I was-" Felix attempted to find an excuse but was simply waved off

"The topic of will be covered further in third year, Grimm Studies I must remind you is a mandatory subject for all students which segues nicely into an announcement I need to make. There will be a seminar on Thursday evening regarding optional additional subjects and classes that can be taken and advice for which classes would be most suitable to make each of you as effective as possible at the kind of work you wish to do as Hunters; on Monday morning submission forms will be available in the cafeteria. Atlas students are required to submit their completed paperwork before the end of semester, the Academy will be happy to help transfer students deal with their individual cases" a ripple of excited muttering passed through the class, the professor having their undivided attention for the first time only for the moment to end as the bell rang signifying the end of the lecture. The buzz of enthusiastic chatter continued as the various students packed their belongings and filed out of the class, the majority making their way towards the cafeteria. Felix waited for the rest of Team FADE to regroup in the hallway before setting off at a leisurely pace

"Oh my Oum the new subjects are so cool!" Eagle gushed, unable to keep her excitement contained "You wanna learn to fly airships and fighters like Corey is?" Felix asked

"I mean I can already fly" Eagle noted with a proud smile "The Dust and workshop classes get way more advanced but some of the stuff we could learn would be amazing"

"I think we should take medical training" Diamond suggested "I know a little bit of first aid but we can't rely on a hospital being nearby if our Aura breaks….especially since I'm guessing everyone here wants to Hunt Grimm rather than go into law enforcement?"

"Yeah, yeah that's a good point" Felix murmured "You're right….I'd rather fight Grimm"

"Then there's litigation classes" Arctus noted "I mean if we're going Grimm Hunting we could be in other Kingdoms' territory-"

"Yeah but you're from Atlas and Dee's from Mistral" Felix countered "Between us Team FADE already know the laws in three Kingdoms….and it's not like anyone in Vaccuo gives a fuck about the law"

"Little racist there Fluffy" Diamond warned him

"Ugh" Eagle huffed "Only giving us a weekend to start making choices isn't fair, especially when there's people still training for the tournament as well" Felix paused

"Well Blake's going back to Patch tonight. Me and Corey are going to say our goodbyes, I'll talk it over with both of them and get some advice"

"I could call some of my Aunts but….yeah, family stuff" Eagle sighed stuffing her hands into the pockets of her uniform jacket as she seemed to fold in on herself

"Hey, it'll work itself out" Diamond assured her

"And if it doesn't….I have a family full of bad-ass blondes that you already have a membership card for" Felix joked, getting a small giggle out of his partner. Eagle wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders, simply declaring

"I'm really I happy I met you guys; I can't imagine having better friends to fight giant monsters with"

Celeste Lupus sat alone in a darkened room, barely large enough to be called anything other than a cell and containing only the uncomfortable bed upon which she sat cross-legged, a small desk upon which lay the original copies of Adam Taurus's writing, 'Towards Peace'which the Ram Faunus had recovered before having Tartarus put to the torch and her own armour standing like a silent and menacing sentinel in the corner of the room; its' glossy surfaces reflecting light the improvised recharging station that her followers had hastily cobbled together upon her arrival; said light being the only thing illuminating the spartan room, casting Celeste in an eerie hue as she considered how best to marshal her remaining forces against the enemy that had forced her hand.

Her current position was one that had quickly become the norm since she had arrived at this particular White Fang cell inside of Atlas; she had refused meals and had neither offered or requested counsel from any of those that ran her organisation whilst she was indisposed, instead retracting into herself as she contemplated the loss of her home and all those who had lived there. The Ram Faunus would never see the destruction of Tartarus as her doing, the lies and treachery spread by the traitor Gangrel Slate had condemned those living within her settlement the moment they began to listen; in her mind all Celeste had done was cleanse the Faunus race with fire and righteous fury of those who would sell their brothers and sisters to the human oppressors for scraps and to do otherwise would make her no better than they were; a coward who couldn't stay the course. Nevertheless the destruction of Tartarus and the ease with which it had been done shook her to her core, the fact that so many of her followers could be swayed so easily had tainted the recent string of victories and the knowledge that while she was rallying her troops after exploiting Atlas's distraction whilst their attention was elsewhere the Atlesians had exploited her own distraction in turn enraged her.

Celeste's first instinct had been to send the Cult of Taurus from one cell of the White Fang to the next, seeking out any others who lacked the proper dedication to the cause and making an example; the High Commander had quickly discarded the idea, reasoning that turning on her own people on a large scale was exactly the sort of thing that the human oppressors would want her to do.

The second notion to occur to her had been violent and bloody retribution against Gangrel Slate; to strike at his wife or children and make him understand loss, that too had been cast aside as Celeste realised that Gangrel Slate may be a traitor but he was by no means stupid and would expect such a thing; attacking Weiss Slate formerly Schnee in her own home or an SDC building would take monumental planning and was still all but certain to cost her several dozen lives in the process, attacking Atlas Academy were their son was currently studying was simply a foolish notion to even entertain leaving Celeste mentally running in circles as she sought an angle of attack.

"There must be an answer" she hissed out as she rose to her feet, joints aching from remaining stationary for so long crossing the room in a single stride she took the manuscripts penned by Adam Taurus and began to read the texts that she had long since memorised in search of answers; stopping with wide eyes as she read a paragraph in which Adam recounted his execution of Jacques Schnee

"I have been weak….inexcusably weak" Celeste cursed herself as she answer became clear; when Adam Taurus had been directly challenged by the leader of the then fledgling Coalition who had been working alongside the SDC his response had been direct and bloody retribution. Celeste had been similarly challenged, Atlas had displayed her failures for all to see in the form of Team GORE and her response had been misdirection, simply nipping at the heels of softer targets whilst the true enemy went unpunished. Celeste set down the writings, lest she destroy the nearest thing to hand in her sudden anger at her own cowardly ineffectiveness. A moment later the small room was filled with the sound of Celeste's armour being activated as she donned it and placed her mask over her face, sheathing Wilt she almost tore the door from the hinges as she left the room she stalked through the hallways of the legitimate business this cell was using as a cover until she encountered one of her followers, a young Spider Faunus whose presence Celeste found some comfort in

"High Commander!" the young woman stood to attention

"Take me to your commanding officer" Celeste ordered "I want word sent to every single branch and cell of the White Fang to begin preparations"

"Preparations for what?" the Spider Faunus covered her mouth as she realised that she had just openly questioned the High Commander; Celeste merely gave a smile that could only be described as feral before answering

"War"

Gangrel marched through the corridors of the ship that served as his home away from home, though nothing would ever truly have the same feeling as returning to the manor where Weiss and their children were. He neared his destination and was unable to shake a sense of trepidation as he considered if what he was here to do made him manipulative. Coral Scylla had been informed about the fate of her parents several hours ago, a senior Specialist aboard the Gespenst who knew of Gangrel's intentions taking the dubious honour of being the one to tell the girl, offering to spare him from having to be the proverbial bad cop in this scenario; now it fell to the Bear Faunus to present her with an option better than the ones he had been afforded as a child. As he reached the entrance to the quarters which had been given to the girl he gently rapped against its' metallic surface before opening the door with a soft hiss of air

"Sorry" Coral mumbled and what she was apologising for was plain to see, in her grief she all but destroyed the room; claws having ripped small gouges into the walls, the television suffering from a broken screen and the mattress that she sat on opened and gutted. Gangrel let out a slow exhale, forcing himself to swallow a lump in his throat at a sight that was hauntingly familiar before simply sitting down beside Coral on the ruined mattress

"It's okay….it hurts, trust me I know it hurts"

"How do you know?" Coral muttered, suddenly angry as she curled up and hugged her knees; Gangrel noted that as well as the dried tears on her face the pincers she had in place of hands had been scuffed and suffered several small chips to their chitinous surfaces, most likely when she cut into the walls

"I lost my Mum when I was three" Gangrel answered "I can't even really remember her….My Dad went to prison for five years when I was seven for being part of the White Fang. I know because I've been there kid, I know what it's like to think you're on your own and I'm really sorry that it's happened to you"

"I just wanna go home, I wanna see my Mum and Dad" Coral whimpered with fresh tears in her eyes

"I know you do kid" Gangrel assured her, privately refusing to add to her misery by telling her what had befallen her home and simply saying "But I don't think you're gonna be able to see your Dad" Coral stared at him for a moment with evident fear in her pale brown, almost amber eyes

"What's gonna happen to me?" she sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her claw "I don't wanna be stuck in an orphanage….bad guys always go after the orphans" Gangrel had to stop himself from bursting out laughing at that, the observation sounded so much like something Athena-Jade would say that it convinced further still that this was the correct course of action

"Well you can't stay on the Gespenst forever" Gangrel noted "But, I do have a pretty big house that's on top of a mountain, kinda like Tartarus….you could stay with my family for a while if you want?" he offered the solution as a temporary one, not wanting to appear as though he were attempting to replace the family Coral had just lost; knowing that she would resent the effort

"I thought you just lived here?" Coral gestured around her to the ship as a whole

"It feels like I do sometimes" Gangrel muttered, once again struggling not to laugh "But no, there's a big house in Atlas where me, my wife, my son and daughter, my wife's brother and for the moment my Dad all live….and our dog, it's nice and we've got spare rooms"

"They won't want me to come" Coral murmured sadly "Other kids don't like me….they call me 'fingers' and won't play with me because I haven't got hands" Gangrel immediately wanted to give the child a hug, the fact that even within an entirely Faunus community she'd still grown up being singled out for her Faunus traits was heartbreaking

"I can promise you that won't happen" Gangrel told her "I've already told my daughter that there might be another little girl coming to stay with us and she can't wait to be friends with you" Coral made a non-committal noise, as though she didn't quite believe what was being said but didn't want to speak out of turn

"Pinky promise" Gangrel stated simply as he held out is left hand, cybernetic finger extended; Coral absently hooked the tip of her pincer around the digit and gave the best pinky promise she could while asking

"Why are you doing this for me? Everybody said you're a bad person who hates other Faunus"

"Because I've always wanted to try and help people and make things better….The way the people that say that do things only helps one group of people, I'd rather help everybody"

"Okay" Coral mumbled, still seemingly unsure but choosing to change subjects rather than press the issue "Am I gonna be in trouble for messing up my room?"

"Not this time" Gangrel assured her "But you're gonna be helping to fix it" Coral let out a sigh of relief, clearly focusing her mind of the parts of her situation she could understand and use to allow herself some kind of normalcy, Gangrel made a note that he would see that she had another appointment with the ships' psychiatrist for her own good. Turning his attention to the thoroughly trashed room and in particular the broken television he decided to play his hand

"Well you're not gonna be able to watch the Vytal Tournament on that any more" he observed gravely

"Awww" Coral moped "But the singles rounds start soon, they're gonna be awesome!" Gangrel grinned, exactly as planned

"I know they are, did you see the match Felix Xiao Long and Diamond Sustrai-Black?"

"The Lion Faunus, yeah" Coral nodded "The High Commander says the same things about somebody called Xiao Long that she does about you"

"Well, when I was in an orphanage it was with Felix's Mum; which makes me his uncle" that wasn't quite how family worked but with the upbringing Gangrel had Blake and Yang's kids were his family, simple as that "And Diamond is actually my son's girlfriend"

"NO WAY!" Coral gasped

"So" Gangrel drew the word out, seemingly contemplating "I've actually got a spare ticket; do you want to come and watch the Vytal Tournament with me and meet my family before you come and stay with us?" Coral was almost bouncing up and down with excitement now, her previous woes forgotten for the moment

"Can I really?"

"Of course you can" Gangrel nodded, unable to keep the smile from his face "We'll get you some new clothes and everything"

Felix had left the Killer-Bee at Atlas Academy, noting that he would get far more opportunities to drive and push the muscle car to its' limits when Team FADE returned to New Vale. Instead he and Corvid had taken a flight to the capital of Eisenstadt Prime where they had met with Blake; their mother taking them to a small diner on the way towards the terminal that her cross-Kingdom flight would leave from, owned by a feline Faunus by the name of Luna that Blake had greeted as an old friend though neither of her children could ever remember seeing her before. Currently evening was fading into night and the artificial cycle of day and night within the hive cities was making its' presence known as the overhead lights mounted into the ceiling of each of the hives' layers began to dim to the bare minimum and the temperature noticeably dropped, an effort to both save Dust and discourage loitering and antisocial behaviour in the poorer districts buy simply making being out of ones' home unpleasant. Blake and her children were making their way through the streets leading towards the airship terminal which were filled at all hours with pan-handlers and street merchants attempting to make quick Lien from unwary tourists, as well as all manner of illicit activities if one knew where to look; though that was none of the trios' concern

"Shame you can't stay another week" Felix sighed "Would have been nice to have you at the tournament for the one on ones"

"Don't worry, Yang and I will be watching" Blake assured him before turning to Corvid "Both of you….don't let the way your last match ended get to you Corey, you're great at what you do"

"Thanks Mum" Corvid's steely grey eyes softened "Just got under my skin y'know….whatever it's fine, their opinions don't matter"

"You know you can talk to us" Blake offered, concerned as always by her daughters' propensity for masking her problems and dealing with things alone as long as possible

"Alright, alright….can we just go back to teasing Felix for being an adorable little sap"

"Hey fuck you" Felix shot back with a grin

"Language" Blake interjected, seemingly without even needing to think before doing so. The conversation at the diner had focused heavily on Felix and his teams' third year options and eager both Xiao Long siblings were to be back home, though it had been generously sprinkled with good natured teasing of the Lion Faunus for how utterly in love he clearly was

"Helios seems like a nice boy and I'm sure Yang is going to love him when she finally gets to meet him" Blake assured her son, before flashing Corvid a wicked smile "But if you want someone to tease Corey, how about you introduce me to whoever gave you that hickey that you think I haven't noticed?" Corvid's hand flew to her neck and her eyes widened as she barely managed to prevent a slew of curses from leaving her as adjusted her fur-lined collar

"Or….and hear me out; we could not do that" Blake merely sighed and shook her head as she tightened her coat around herself, the deep purple tailcoat with a fur collar that Yang had given her as a gift keeping the Atlesian chill at bay; before the conversation could go any further the sound of screeching tires and roaring engines reached both Blake and Felix's ears, Corvid noticing that something was amiss a moment later as the two Faunus turned

"What on Remnant…." Blake trailed off, eyes widening as the commotion became clear; a pair of unmarked and unobtrusive white vans of the kind used by tradesmen everywhere came barrelling down the street, sending pedestrians fleeing to avoid being mowed by until they came to skidding halts on either side of Blake and her children

"Kids" Blake warned "Go"

"Not a fucking chance" Corvid answered while Felix simply let out a guttural growl, both of them sharing their mothers' suspicions which were proven correct when half a dozen masked and crudely armed Faunus came pouring out of each van, pointing the assortment of baseball bats, crowbars and knives the wielded at the trio as menacingly as they could whilst one of them spoke

"Blake Belladonna-"

"Xiao Long actually, has been for years" Blake corrected as she began unbuttoning her coat and rolling her shoulders back; her aggressor continued

"On your knees and put your hands behind your head….you'll make a good enough prisoner for the High Commander on your own, don't put up a fight and the kids can go" Blake looked at the vehicles and weapons their attackers had used, combined with the utter lack of anything resembling strategy and saw the group for what they were; a bunch of disorganised opportunists eager to try and improve their standing within the White Fang. Blake easily dismissed them as utterly unthreatening and was about to make a counter-offer involving their surrender, then she saw Felix start walking towards the reptilian Faunus who had spoken.

Felix heard both Corvid and Blake's frantically hissed commands for him to stay where he was, however compliance was utterly beyond the Lion Faunus at that moment; hands balled into white-knuckled fists and deep blue eyes furious as all of the self control his anger management and therapy sessions with Neptune David-Vasilias came crashing down

"Back off kid, you'll get yourself hurt!" the Lizard Faunus who had offered terms warned, a switch-blade finding its' way into his left palm. Felix's response was instant and effective, he grabbed the mans' wrist with his own left before delivering an Aura fuelled punch with his right to his adversaries' elbow; breaking the mans' arm with a clearly audible snap followed by screams of pain which were soon cut short as Felix landed a head-butt with enough force to send a web of cracks across the surface of the White Fang grunts' mask

"This is what threatening my Mum gets you" Felix snarled savagely before hoisting the lizard Faunus up by the scruff of the neck and hauling them face first into the wind-shield of the van they'd arrived in. The sound of shattering glass seemed to break the stunned daze immobilising the other White Fang, all of whom promptly rushed towards Felix with their weapons at the ready. The first to draw close carried a golf club though before they could swing they found themselves tackled to the floor as Corvid launched herself into the fray, rendering the bushy tailed Faunus she'd floored unconscious with a kick to the face before setting about proving exactly why the name Corvid Xiao Long was feared on Patch.

"FLUFFY BEHIND YOU!" Blake's warning almost came too late, Felix span and instinctively raised his left arm, hand covering his ear and elbow extended forwards as he blocked; even despite his Aura the feeling of a crowbar connecting with his arm was unpleasant. Before Felix could counter-attack his assailant dropped to the ground clutching at a leg which now bent at a distinctly unnatural angle, the image of Blake Belladonna, a clone created by her Semblance fading away into nothingness whilst Blake herself shrugged her coat off of her shoulders and flexed her right hand causing the golden bracelet she wore to expand outwards and reveal the original right half of Ember Celica. Blake wasted no words and simply began her systematic and unrelenting decimation of the attackers in a way that impressed upon Corvid and Felix exactly why their mother was considered one of the best Hunters of her generation; Blake was seemingly everywhere at once and yet nowhere, disabling one foe with exactly as much force as required before her Semblance allowed her to slip away into darkness; evading retaliatory attacks and appearing behind her next target. Were her children in any state of mind for pop culture references Blake's onslaught would have put them in mind of both a ninja and the villainous monster of a slasher movie; as it was they were left in stunned silence when the ground was littered with injured and unconscious Faunus within a minute

"Holy Oum….Mums' a bad-ass" Corvid breathed out, attempting to add some levity to the situation

"Still one left!" Felix snarled as he caught movement behind one of the vans, the last remaining grunt sprinting down a side street as the Lion Faunus made to leap over the hood of the vehicle and chase them down only to be halted by Blake's hand on his shoulder

"You've done enough….don't follow them into a trap; we'll help the authorities when they get here" Felix, breathing ragged as the adrenaline left him pulled his mother into a hug

"Sorry for rushing in….they threatened you and-"

"I know" Blake assured him gently, a touch of amusement seeping into her voice "You're so like Yang"

"Thanks" Felix grinned, taking the comparison as a compliment; brow furrowing as he heard the sirens that signified the Atlesian police finally making an appearance "Looks like you're gonna miss your flight"

Eagle let out a hiss of pain through clenched teeth as Hellion's needles found their mark once again

"Almost done little canary" the Dragonfly Faunus herself soothed, planting a gentle but decidedly teasing kiss on the blonde Huntresses neck before leaning back and carefully scrutinising her work as she straddled Eagle's hips. The piece was large and intricate, easily one of the finest Hellion had ever designed and she had been ecstatic when Eagle had not only agreed to being tattooed but also decided that this was her favourite of the many designs her girlfriend had sketched. From her spine to her right shoulder a bird of prey was depicted swooping down on a pack of stylised creatures of Grimm whilst a double crescent moon evoking the Arc family emblem hung overhead, it's significance was clear to any who saw the tattoo however a close inspection would reveal that the body and talons of the bird were comprised of countless intricately tattooed gears whilst in place of feathers the birds wings were adorned with the glyphs of the Frost River Tribes' written language, detailing Eagle's victories. The piece was still incomplete as Hellion noted she would only be able to finish the line-work tonight however it was still impressive; that she had created such a work of art in the old way without any of the modern guns was a testament to both her own skill and Eagle's stamina; though if one were to glance at Eagle's left shoulder they would see that she had been more than adequately compensated for her patience. Eagle's shirt had naturally had to be removed for the tattoo and with the blonde's permission Hellion had unclasped her bra leaving her view of the toned and defined muscles of Eagle's back and shoulders' unrestricted, each time Eagle had let out a sound of pain of discomfort Hellion had kissed, teased and gently bitten at the soft and freckled skin until Hellion let out a quiet moan of pleasure; as Hellion delivered the last few pin pricks she noted that Eagle's left shoulder and neck were covered in fresh love bites

"It looks perfect" the Faunus purred as she took in all of her handiwork with a sly smile

"Can I see?" Eagle asked, Hellion kissed her cheek before leaving the pushed together beds that Team GORE slept on and plucked Eagle's Scroll from where she had left it before opening the dormitory window and allowing Marauder to glide into the room, the raptor letting out a disgruntled squawk at being forced to wait outside for so long whilst Hellion focused. Returning to the bed Hellion took a picture of Eagle's tattoo on the Scroll, noting both how adept she was becoming at using the devices and that the camera made the flesh around the ink look more reddened and raw than it truly was.

"Oh my gosh it looks so cool! Thank you so much I love it!" Eagle gasped as Hellion showed her the picture, her words speeding up to the blondes' customary excitable chattering; she made to roll over and talk to the Dragonfly Faunus face to face only for Hellion's hands to clamp down on her upper arms gently but firm enough to hold her in place

"I wouldn't suggest lying down on that so soon" she noted before giving Eagle a questioning look as the blonde's cheeks coloured and her breath audibly caught in her throat

"That-that was um, that was…." she trailed off, cheeks flushed scarlet and Hellion suspected that if she released the blondes' arms she would immediately hide her face behind her hands. Instead Hellion gently took her girlfriends' earlobe between her teeth and ran her hands from the blondes' arms along her sides and down her toned stomach

"Tell me you want this" the indescribably seductive whisper in Eagle's ear came as Hellion fumbled with the button of her jeans; speaking was utterly beyond Eagle at that moment and instead she responded the only way she could, by unfastening the jeans herself and reaching around run her fingers through Hellion's hair. A whimper of intense pleasure escaped the blonde the moment her lovers' hand slipped between her thighs, touching her gently through her underwear only for the moment to seemingly shatter around them as the unmistakable sound of Eagle's Scroll filled the dorm.

"Oh my Oum" Eagle gasped out in mortification "Why is my Mum calling now?" Hellion's only response was a stream of curses in her native tongue whose meanings the blonde wasn't exactly sure she wanted to know. Quickly pulling the bedsheets over herself and refusing to allow herself to consider whose part of the shared bed this actually was she answered the video call, Hellion slinking into place beside her and wrapping an arm around Eagle's waist as she entered the frame

"Hello Eagle" Antonia Arc pointedly refused to acknowledge Hellion's presence "I thought we should talk"

"I thought we were gonna talk before, you didn't turn up" Eagle answered coldly, the tone and harshness of her crimson eyes stunning both Antonia and Hellion

"And I called to apologise and explain myself properly" Antonia sighed, before taking note of Hellion for the first time "Can I have a moment with my daughter please?" despite the tone Antonia used being enough get under the Faunus's skin she still made to leave the bed, only for Eagle to gently take her hand in a silent request that she stay

"No" Eagle answered calmly "Hellion is part of my life whether or not you approve, she's staying"

"I see" Antonia ground out, brow furrowing in an expression that Hellion noted was remarkably similar to her daughters' before the older woman continued "Look, Hellion is it? I will put this as plainly as I can; your people kidnapped me and hurt several of my employees and no amount of tragic backstory will change the contempt and disgust I hold your actions in-"

"I-"

"That being said" Antonia cut across the interruption "I've lost family to war and seen what it does to people; and you clearly mean a lot to my daughter….so I am willing to give you a chance"

"Thank you" Hellion nodded graciously, personally she cared little for Antonia Arc's opinion of her but since it was important to Eagle the Faunus would do everything in her power to keep the two of them on civil terms

"So how come you didn't turn up?" Eagle asked, stony facade breaking as she added "It seemed important"

"Ozymandias….that bastard" Antonia hissed, shocking her daughter with the language "Has been selling guns and Dust to the White Fang as well as leaking information to them….that's why the security robots failed to respond when they attacked you in Gerat-Handlung"

"I'll tear his heart out!" Hellion spat, she didn't know this Ozymandias and didn't need to; the fact that he'd dared risk Eagle's life was a death sentence in the Faunus's mind, Antonia's lips twitched upwards at the corners despite herself before she continued

"He was caught attempting to steal assets from our headquarters, he was injured but is still at large and is considered armed and extremely dangerous"

"Oh my gosh" Eagle breathed out "Are you okay?"

"I am" Antonia nodded "I was just unable to leave the premises whilst the Specialist Branch were investigating….I would like to see you soon, we can meet at the next round of the Vytal Tournament if you'd like?"

"I would" Eagle admitted with a smile Antonia looked from her daughter to Hellion before letting a soft sigh

"I'll let you go, I'm sure you've got assignments to work on"

"Um, yeah sure okay" Eagle answered, the call ended and its' abruptness left the blond perplexed until her deep crimson eyes widened in horrified shock as the realisation hit her

"Oh my Oum" she whispered "I was just in a video call with my Mum in your bed with almost no clothes on" he cheeks almost glowed with embarrassment whilst Hellion's only response was to double over with manic laughter.

Whilst the Xiao Long family had elected to detain the members of the White Fang that had been subdued during their ill thought out attack, the lone escaping Faunus had still been followed as they fled through Eisenstadt prime, changing their clothes and burning their uniform as they plunged further into the lowest reaches of the hive city; all the while unaware of a diminutive figure shadowing their every move and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Raffia Dirge was currently perched on a stack of pallets outside of the small workshop manufacturing some manner of machinery that the lone Faunus had fled into and peering in through a grime encrusted window. The Axolotl Faunus highly doubted that the imbecile who had failed in their attack and then allowed themselves to be followed to their safe-house would be allowed to know anything of any value, though Raffia's face still split into a manic grin as he watched the Faunus be verbally reprimanded by other members of the White Fang; it was a simple matter of figuring out which was in charge and forcing the information he wanted out of them. Their were half a dozen on the dimly lit workshop floor in total, discounting the young man with webbed fingers that Raffia had followed left a pair of canine Faunus who had contributed little to the meeting taking place whom Raffia also dismissed, an insectoid Faunus with antennae who seemed far too jumpy to be in charge but could also give his position away, the Axolotl decided to deal with that one first before turning his attention to the remaining two; a gorilla Faunus who loomed silently behind a young woman with a distinctly reptilian tail who paced as she ranted. Despite being unable to hear what was being said it was still clear who was in charge after studying the group for a moment, all that remained to be decided was a plan of attack.

"Far too obvious" Raffia breathed out almost silently as he regarded the pair of swords at his waist; simply using his weapons in their ranged mode to tear through the workshop and lay waste to his enemies was out of the question, he was still wanted by Atlas and his weapons were certainly distinctive if not unique. Looking around he took stock of his surroundings and what was available to him, the pallets he was perched upon were situated in a small yard at the rear of the building where deliveries were processed and recycling bins were stored, as a patch of metal devoid of rust or corrosion caught the limited and dimmed light from the ceiling of the hive layer a notion struck the raider and he swiftly sprung into action, taking care to remain utterly silent as he slunk down from his position and over to a large container of Atlesian steel that was due to be recycled; a curse almost escaped his lips as metal scraped against metal audibly when he cautiously removed a length of steel pipe, giving it a few test swings before deciding it would suit his needs. He then plucked a small piece of broken machinery whose purpose he was unsure of but fit easily in his palm and had enough heft for a part of Raffia's plan which was admittedly simple but was one that had served the Shadow Cadre well several times. Returning to the pallets he took note of which fire escape the White Fang would most likely use to enter the yard and promptly hurled the piece of machinery at a nearby section of the fence separating the workshop from the other businesses around it, he didn't have to wait long

"Who's there!" the voice belonged to the insectoid Faunus with the antennae who reached into their jacket as they stepped out into the yard but didn't draw their weapon, their tone was an obvious attempt to mask their own fear despite the rest of the group following them out into the darkness. Raffia made his move and vowed to give no quarter as he attacked, he hurled the steel pipe like a javelin before leaping after it; the metal crashed into the insects' skull with a sickening crack and they fell to the floor bleeding, convulsing and unconscious

"GRAB HIM-ARGH SHIT!" the amphibious Faunus Raffia had followed to this place was first reduced to screams of pain and then just as quickly silenced as the raider clutched the pipe in both hands lashing out with first his left hand and breaking the young mans' leg at the knee and then striking them across the face with enough force to send blood and teeth littering the ground. Raffia simply moved onto his next target, weaving around a wild swing of the gorilla Faunus's meaty fists and rushing passed them to the two canines, one of whom had pulled a revolver and was attempting to take aim, Raffia hurled the pipe in his hands at the one without the gun and forced them to block as he rushed the gunman, seizing their wrist and using his momentum to turn and hurl them over his shoulder to the ground before breaking the wrist of the hand still holding the revolver and wrestling for control of the weapon. Six shots rang out before the weapon was emptied, one went wide but the second canine Faunus, who had picked up the steel pipe Raffia had used was now crumpled on the floor with blood trickling through their fingers as they clutched at a wounded leg; the gorilla Faunus lay motionless on the ground with four bullets in their chest and lifeless eyes. a cruel smirk played on Raffia's face as he lost himself for a moment, indulging in what had once simply been his way of life only for it to be replaced with mild annoyance as his cheekbone cracked and the coppery taste of his own blood filled his mouth when a heavy iron chain collided with his face

"WHO THE FUCK SENT YOU?" the reptilian Faunus whom Raffia was right to assume had been in charge demanded as she swung the chain in a circle like a lasso, building up momentum for another blow

"I ask the questions" he spat, launching himself into a series of acrobatic blows which were parried even as he forced the woman back until she lashed out again, Raffia leaned back and allowed the chain to pass over him before reaching out and snatching it whilst back-flipping away; the White Fang fighter lost her improvised weapon and balance and a moment later Raffia had used his freshly stolen chain to sweep her legs out from under her

"As I said, I have questions to ask" the Axolotl Faunus all but cackled as he wrapped the chain first around her neck, then dragged her towards the fence around the building which he promptly tied her to. She looked on with horror as Raffia crossed the yard to retrieve the steel pipe and found herself desperately struggling with the chain as she saw him deliver blows to the skulls of both canine Faunus who despite their injuries had remained conscious, the blood that arced up from the impacts and spattered the walls and floor made it clear that her attacker was perfectly comfortable with killing and redoubled her efforts as he stalked towards her once more

"Don't struggle" he warned simply, the pipe hitting her hand with a clear cracking of bone

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" she demanded

"The White Fang's plans….I want everything you know about what they're planning"

"I'll never tell you-" the defiance was silenced and the reptilian Faunus bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood as the pipe struck a portion of her foot not covered by the steel plating within her boot, another lance of pain through her body as bone broke

"If it wasn't for the gunshots I would have had time to convince you" Raffia chuckled menacingly, Aura rippling into view as the bruising around his face where she'd struck him faded away "But now the authorities are on the way and I have to work quickly" with that chilling thought vocalised he placed the pipe over her right eye so that the rim of the metal was pressed into her cheek and eyebrow and Raffia braced himself, taking care to tread on her scaly tail before stating simply

"I have enough Aura to spare as you can see….either you talk or I will put this pipe through your skull and get answers from someone else" she remained steadfast and silent until Raffia began to make good on his threat, applying pressure as he put his weight on the pipe which began to cut into her flesh; sapping her resolve in seconds

"Okay! Okay I'll talk"

"Good choice" Raffia grinned, the predatory smile never leaving his face.

The White Fangs' attack on the Xiao Long family had caused havoc for transport in the area, both within the Kingdom and the inbound and outbound flights from the cross-Kingdom airship terminal that Blake Xiao Long had been making her way towards. The delays and the massive amounts of additional screening and security checkpoints that had caused them, in addition to the laborious and monotonous process that came with giving a witness statement and being cleared to leave the Kingdom by the Atlesian police had led to a delay of several hours before Blake finally found herself in the air; settling into a seat with a view and opening a good book, one that Felix had borrowed and finally returned, as she knew that getting any sleep during the journey would be impossible for her. As the feline lost herself in the pages of the familiar novel she was blissfully unaware that she was being watched, her superior hearing tuning out the ambient sounds of the airship and the other passengers around her; including the footsteps of Ozymandias Eldritch as he turned away and made his way into a private cabin that he'd paid for.

"It would serve no purpose" he sighed, quashing the ever more insistent voice which whispered schemes into his mind and had become a constant pulsing drone in his psyche since the events within the Toy-box; the urge to maim the Faunus felt like an old grudge and was utterly at odds with the vaguely feminine voices' usual demeanour. Putting the matter aside the treacherous scientist ensured that any and all hidden cameras and listening devices Atlas may hide within the cabins of its' commercial flights were dealt with before making his way into the small en-suite bathroom attached to his cabin; staring into the mirror with detached distaste for the sight that greeted him. Whilst the powers of the Wizard and emergency measures that he put in place for just such an occasion and had allowed him to skirt many of the barriers between himself and escaping the icy Kingdom, he had been able to avoid facial recognition technology due to the mass of bandages utterly hiding his appearance; he noted that it was perhaps a high price to pay as he began unravelling the bandages and took in the sight of what remained of his face. The damage was catastrophic, even the unnatural powers that Ozymandias had found himself with being strained by just the task of keeping him alive; his left eye was simply gone and whilst his jawbone was now fully attached to his skull his mouth was pulled into a twisted and lopsided expression by the angry red, raw and still blackened in some places sinew, slowly being covered by a mass of scar tissue which spanned from his left cheek, almost touching the corner of his mouth and encompassed much of the left side of his face and the entire side of his head.

"A suitable mask will have to be found" Ozymandias noted, whilst he had never been a vain man and didn't consider the loss of whatever physical charm he may have had to be an issue, he was aware enough to note that his current appearance would attract far too much attention and would possibly be disconcerting to people whose trust he would need. Fortunately it had not been for nothing; whilst the object that he had sought to retrieve from Poly-Techs' most secret vault, the same five and a half foot tall container he had sent the White Fang in search of, remained within the possession of Antonia Arc Ozymandias had already put plans into motion that ensured it would not remain there for too much longer. Project Snare would continue to progress without his expertise and he knew he would be able to reverse engineer whatever developments were made with ease; all in all the mad scientist knew that his time in Atlas had come to an end, it was time to move onto the next stage of his plans and oversee other ventures more directly than he had been; as he prepared fresh bandages he murmured to himself

"Let's see what New Vale brings, shall we"

Authors Notes:

Okay so this one was filler, but it sets up the pieces for the finale which we'll be moving into next chapter; and gets some more groundwork laid for Vol.7-9/Third year.
I'm beyond hyped for Vol.6 Ep12 as I type this and I'll come out and say it Rooster Teeth have outdone themselves, RWBY Vol.6 is the best it's ever been and off of the strength of this volume I'm gonna give GEN: Lock a watch when it premieres.
Also I'd like to thank one of my readers, Garthraxxus for giving me a name for the Corvid x Onyx ship; henceforth the ship shall be known as "Air-Raid".

Anyway let's summarise:
The different study habits or lack thereof of the different students is interesting to write, like that scene with Team RWBY in Vol.1 where you can easily see the different character of each of them.
Car is serious about becoming a Huntsman with his team; even if he hasn't found Raffia yet and he's willing to study to get up to par on subjects he's lacking in.
Wonder why Onyx is half asleep lol.
Of course Helios wouldn't hold back, of course he wants Felix to go all out on him….I'm sure they'd make it up to each other after….if that's what happens and I'm not faking you out.
They're taking their options and advanced classes, Team FADE are growing up guys; by the end of this arc we'll be half way through the story.
I'm sending Blake back to Patch because honestly she'd tip the scales in the big finale battle; I only had her come to Atlas to give FADE another canon character to interact with and because you guys love seeing her.
"I'm really I happy I met you guys; I can't imagine having better friends to fight giant monsters with" Eagle, never change.
Of course she saved Adams manifesto.
Writing Celeste's scenes always forces me to get into her head; she is very much like canon Adam in that she is an utter sociopath who will always find a way to blame her victims for her own actions; with the difference being that she's an arguably more capable leader and that she uses more ideological and pseudo-religious framing for it.
Crazy as Celeste is, she knows that taking Weiss down would be a fight; she's not delusional about her enemies abilities.
Downward Spiral Adam executed Jacques Schnee on live television and honestly….I hope he suffers a similar fate in canon.
Kuro died and she found herself a new Spider Faunus as an aide.
The White Fang are going on one big offensive.
Poor Coral.
Gangrel originally saw a lot of "Jade" the Spring Maiden from The Downward Spiral in Coral….now he sees himself.
"I don't wanna be stuck in an orphanage….bad guys always go after the orphans" - I needed some levity in this scene; also what the fuck pop culture, lay off the orphans.
So, Coral and Athena-Jade are finally gonna meet.
If you read the Downward Spiral then you know who Luna was and you know why Blake taking Felix to meet her was important.
Blake is worried by Corvid handling things on her own; that's the pot calling the kettle Blake (Which is something I've gotta have Yang or Corvid say now I've thought of it).
You know exactly who left those marks on her neck.
"Xiao Long actually" is the final evolution of "It's heiress, actually"
So y'know how Celeste is at least smart enough to know that veteran Huntresses like Team RWBY are not to be messed with lightly….these guys aren't that smart.
Just remember what Felix did to Rhodium Torchwick for stabbing Corvid in Vol.2
I was imaging Blake used her clones in her fight with Adam for the fight scene, but even more experienced (If you haven't seen Vol.6 Ep11 yet then oh boy you're in for a treat).
So yeah Eagle now has a tattoo that's bigger and better than Felix's, let that sink in.
Hellion is definitely an artist at heart.
So yeah, Eagle just learned something about herself and what she's into lol.
Would it be if I didn't have them get cock-blocked at least once?
So Antonia is ready to be reasonable and all roads lead to the singles round of the Tournament.
I wanted to have a scene that reminds people that Raffia and the rest of Team GORE are still the Shadow Cadre; they might be going legit now but they still grew up learning how to hurt people and take what they wanted then vanish without a trace.
The fight scene was inspired by the scene in Titans where Robin takes a pipe out of the wall and fights the hospital guards; just bloody and visceral.
Yes Raffia just killed those guys, no mercy, no hesitation….but then again, that's what Team GORE are in Atlas for.
Also yes, he tortured her I'm not going to sugar coat it or dance around the subject, it was what it was because Raffia is not a hero or a likeable person; he just happens to be on the protagonists side because of circumstances.
The voice in Oz's head is getting worse….Phobos heard a voice in their head as well.
Oh yeah, his face is fucked and it's not gonna heal beyond a certain point….he's lost his left eye and his skull might have regrown but everything else is ruined; considering what he was shot with though that's still not bad.
So, Oz was successful or at least partly; what he was looking for in the Toy-box will be leaving sooner or later.
Of course he's heading to New Vale….I'm sure some of you can guess what his 'Venture' there is.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Funlander, Ferrous, FleetOfWarships, FluffyFirefly and Garthraxxus for their reviews on the last chapter.
I'm sure someone on the Atlesian council would rather Gangrel just used force rather than trying to negotiate….I would love to see the results of them sharing that opinion with Gangrel or Winter.
Celeste's power is being able to control and shape the narrative.
The rocket lockers in canon could fit Jaune in them and he's not a small guy.
The lack of page breaks was a mistake that I have corrected.
I see a lot of people had opinions about how Ranger handled their loss to Corvid; the only thing I can say in their defence was that Team RNBW worked just as hard as Team CLIR to get where they are and the feeling that they'd been cheated out of a win that they'd earned wasn't completely unfounded.
It's good that I have a recognisable recipe lol.
Sometimes showing off is the right choice, set the tone early on.
Are you implying something about Corvid there? Lol.
As we can see Toni was not kidnapped; it was just a matter of Poly-Techs' secret vault which some matters of national security buried in it was broken into and she can't exactly just walk out and say she's got things to do.
"Onyx wasn't the one doing the 'Stuffing'"….bold of you assume that Corvid Xiao Long isn't a top who pins Onyx down and rides him like the workhorse that he is.
I never actually realised just how badly I fuck up Scorpion Faunus until you said it.

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