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Chapter 82: Final Round
Svart Frost was an Emperor Penguin Faunus with a short and stocky build and an odd waddling gait which had been mocked since his childhood. Currently he was at his place of work, the yard and loading bays of a Schnee Dust Company situated in Lower Eisenstadt Zweite, more specifically a traditionally working class and chronically under valued district of the city known as Stahlhafen. As well as being a yard marshal for the site, a position of more authority than he would have dreamed of forty years ago when Faunus would never have been promoted to a position where they could give orders to humans, it allowed Svart to supplies details of shipments and any important goings on within the SDC to his higher ups within the White Fang.
"Come on, come on" he muttered under his breath which misted in front of him as he did so; pulling his parka jacket tighter around him he cast his eyes around the yard and what little of industrial estate beyond it that he could see through the perimeter fence whilst making his way over to a secluded corner which was hidden from the view of the cameras under the guise of going for a smoke. Ever since the White Fang cell operating out of the settlement of Machen-Rustung had attacked a land-train carrying Dust, an operation which Svart himself had provided information for, the SDC had been more cautious and the Penguin Faunus was understandably concerned about what it was he had been asked to do on behalf of the White Fang today, especially on considering that he had been told little about his contact only the enigmatic reassurance that he would know them when he saw them
"This is bullshit, gonna get myself sent to a fucking gulag for this" he grumbled to himself, fishing a pack of cigarettes from his pockets and reasoning that he may as well actually smoke while he waiting; it may help calm his nerves
"I assure you that after today the prisons will be emptied and every member of the White Fang who sacrificed their freedom for the cause will be rewarded" Svart let out a stream of curses in surprise as the pack of cigarettes fell to the floor; his eyes widened and face paled as he turned towards the source of the intrusion upon his thoughts. Though she wore a long and heavy black hooded trench-coat there was no mistaking the glossy black armour visible beneath it or the matching mask adorning a thin and somewhat sickly looking face, intense magenta eyes visible behind it
"High commander" Svart straightened out and stood to attention instantly, in a flash of barely perceptible movement part of the fence separating them had been cut away and Celeste Lupus slid Wilt back into its' sheath as she stepped into the Schnee Dust Companies' premises.
"It's done?" Celeste asked simply and Svart knew that to give any answer other than the one she expected would prove fatal for him, fortunately the Penguin Faunus was as efficient and thorough in his duties to the White Fang as he was in his job; a fact that had no doubt kept him alive and free of consequences where others had failed
"Everything's ready….If I'd have known it was you coming to collect I would have shut down the cameras as well-"
"Regardless" Celeste cut across him smoothly "Show me the vehicle"
"Right this way" Svart paused before removing the high visibility vest he wore over his coat, revealing a second yellow vest under it, one that bore the logo the company that provided the gargantuan haulage vehicles that the SDC used; he handed this vest to Celeste "If you're wearing a vest people won't even see the armour and mask, you'll just blend right in" with that he turned and led the High Commander of the White Fang out into the yard and towards a nearby vehicle. The Ansturm model trucks were huge, a little under two stories tall with a frame that was more streamlined and dynamic than anything of such a size had any right to be and sporting eight wheels each a little taller than the average man; attached to the rear of the truck were a quartet of trailers of a similarly impressive scale
"It's yours to take" Svart informed Celeste, unable to keep a hint of pride at a job well done out of his voice "I've filed reports of number twenty-six here losing power and struggling to drag anything above a certain weight; since it's still under warranty you're officially here to take it for a test drive to figure the problem out then take it in for repairs. They won't even know it's gone until they ask the manufacturer for an update in about a month I can look for another job in the meantime-
"You're coming with me" Celeste's words brought Svart to a stammering halt
"High Commander? Um I'm not a fighter, I mean I'm happy to serve the cause and all but-"
"Today you become one" Celeste answered bluntly as she produced a small pistol from one of her coats' pockets and pressed it into the Penguin Faunus's hand "Unless you have doubts?"
"No" he croaked out simply; his stomach lurched and ice seemed to course through his veins as a lifetime of hiding in plain sight and acting indirectly while others bled for the cause was brought to an end, though he knew it was still better than the alternative.
"The let's go" Celeste intoned, striding towards the Ansturm "There are cells scattered throughout the city ready to move in as soon as the signal is given, but we will be the first wave. Cells from the outer Settlements travelling into the city have been competing for the honour of being among those who ride into battle with us in this truck. Svart swallowed as the idea of fighting alongside the High Commanders' hand picked elite soldiers brought a terrifying though to his mind
"Are...they going to be with us?" there was no need to specify who was meant, there was only one group within the White Fang who were discussed in such hushed tones
"My most favoured are exactly where they need to be" Celeste answered enigmatically. With no more to be said the pair climbed into the Ansturm and brought the gargantuan vehicles' engine roaring into life, finding no opposition as they simply drove away; through from their raised position both of them failed to see a small, lone figure sprint out of a small side-street as they passed; sliding under the last of the land trains' trailers and using a pair of swords to pierce the undercarriage before simply hanging onto the vehicle as it set off.
The first singles' round of the Vytal Tournament was being hosted by the Lodernder-Stolz stadium situated within Upper Eisenstadt Zweite; a truly impressive structure whose massive architecture left Team FADE staring around them in wonder, if this stadium were packed to capacity it would be a bigger crowd than they had fought in front of as a team by far
"Keep forgetting how big this place is" Arctus noted as they entered the rows of seats "Haven't been here since I was twelve"
"Of course you would've been here before big guy" Diamond rolled her eyes and nudged him playfully "You sure you want me to come with you, this is a family thing?"
"Yeah I'm sure" Arctus squeezed her hand gently and betraying the sudden nervousness that he felt about a new addition being added to his family. Felix, who along with Eagle had been made aware of the situation regarding Weiss and Gangrel possibly adopting a child who had been used by the White Fang placed a hand on his cousins shoulder
"Go say hi to Aunt Weiss for me, and don't worry this is gonna be cool"
"Thanks….and good luck out there" Arctus nodded, Diamond gently punched the blondes' shoulder
"Seriously dude, you've got this….just keep kicking ass like you always do"
"Thanks dee" Felix grinned before she and Arctus left, making their way towards the V.I.P box which Arctus's family would no doubt be occupying.
"Are you nervous?" Eagle asked as the two blondes were left alone, Felix nodded silently and ran his hands though his curly mane of hair before speaking
"Yeah" a soft chuckle escaping him "You?"
"Yeah a little" Eagle admitted "Okay more than a little….I just, I really need this to work out" Felix pulled her into a bone crushing hug which Eagle gratefully returned
"It'll be fine, you and Hellion are cute together and when your mum sees that she'll forget about what happened before"
"Thanks Felix" Eagle murmured before grinning as they broke apart "You're the one going into a fight, shouldn't I be giving you moral support"
"I mean you could let me borrow Sentinel just to make sure I win?" Eagle's only response was to fold her arms across her chest and pout in a way that left the Lion Faunus howling with laughter, tail swishing behind him as he did so
"Go on" Felix waved her off "Go find Hellion, I'll be fine"
"You're sure?" Eagle asked adding "Are you heading to the locker rooms?"
"I'm already set" Felix answered, gesturing to Hack and Slash already slung across his back "It's a little different for this round, since nobody knows who they're up against everyone is in the front row" following the direction that he pointed in Eagle saw that there was indeed a partition between the front row which would keep the competitors free from being bothered by the fans. Eagle pulled her best friend into one last hug
"You're gonna do great"
"Thanks" he grinned "If I even end up competing tonight….could have to wait all weekend. Meet up afterwards?"
"Of course!" as the pair of blondes broke apart and went their own separate ways Felix found himself taking several deep and slow breaths in attempt to calm his nerves whilst he made his way towards the reserved seats for the competing students; as he did so he was recognised by several fans who cheered and offered their vocal support which Felix found did in fact bolster him more than a little. After presenting identification to the guards manning the entrance to the reserved seating he stepped through the partition and looked around him; it was a ring of seats filled with students who had proven themselves to be the best that the Hunter Academies had to offer and the fact that he could be counted amongst them suddenly hit the Faunus, filling him with a sense of giddy pride. After taking a moment to let the fact that he had reached this point sink in he began making his way around the ring of seats, exchanging pleasantries with students he knew in passing whilst searching for either Helios or Corvid with whom he was planning to spend his time unless or until he was selected to do battle. The first of the one on one rounds varied from the rest of the tournament in that it was fought without prior knowledge of ones' opponents; each bout being randomly generated on the fly; those who were victorious would then be matched up against each other until only one remained. As Felix searched he could hear Qrow and Oobleck announcing the rules and the describing the way the event would progress, though he was distracted as he caught sight of familiar swept back spikes of deep scarlet hair and golden armour so well polished that he saw his face reflected in its' surface as he approached
"Hey" hey greeted softly, the student previously sat to Helios's right doing Felix the kindness of leaving their seat so that the Lion Faunus could take it. Felix did so happily and kissed the long scar running along Helios's cheek as he laced his fingers through the armoured fighters'
"Sorry I didn't come and look for you sooner" Helios turned and kissed Felix's lips gently "I wanted to speak to my mother"
"How'd that go?"
"I offered to act as a mediator for another meeting with Qrow. She declined" Felix winced, he knew that his great uncle would be furious that Felix had shared the information he'd been given; in the Lion Faunus's mind that was a price he was willing to pay as he refused to keep secrets of such magnitude from people he loved
"Thanks for trying anyway" Felix sighed as he leaned against Helios's shoulder, the taller young man leaning against him in turn. After a few moments Qrow and Oobleck announced the first bout
"OKAY LADIES AND GENTS!" Qrow's amplified voice boomed throughout the stadium "WE'RE BROADCASTING LIVE FROM EISENSTADT ZWEITE, LET'S SEE WHO'S GONNA BE THE FIRST TO PUT ON A SHOW IN THIS STADIUM!"
"INDEED" Oobleck added, positively buzzing with excitement as the gigantic overhead screen which was used to display the Aura of competing students flickered into life, a clear division bisecting it vertically down the centre "OUR RANDOM GENERATOR IS SELECTING OUR FIRST FIGHTER!" the right half of the screen began to cycle through the names and faces of potential candidates at a speed which left them difficult to discern and Felix found himself squeezing Helios's hand a little tighter until the algorithm made its' choice
"HELIOS NIKOS, MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE ARENA!" Qrow called out
"Oh come on I just sat down with him!" Felix called out with a furious hand gesture
"Gonna wish me luck Fluffy?" Helios asked as he rose to his feet; needing no other incentive Felix wrapped his arms around the redheads' shoulders and pulled him into a deep slow kiss, resting his forehead against Helios's as they broke apart
"Now go get 'em" Helios made his way into the arena with a confident smile and as the crowd erupted into cheers Felix was by far one the loudest among them.
Gangrel Slate gently held onto one of Coral Scylla's pincers as he led her through the stadium; a broad smile on his face as he saw the bright eyed wonder with which she took in her surroundings. The Crab Faunus had been born and raised in the White Fang settlement of Tartarus and had only ever left it when the Cult of Taurus had used her for their attack on Gerat-Handlung; when added to the time spent aboard the Gespenst this brought the total number of place that the girl had seen in her short life to three; meaning that just walking through the crowds was her first time experiencing things that she had only ever seen on the rare instances of getting to use a television
"Wow do all hot-dogs smell that good?" she gasped as the intoxicating scent of junk food hit her nostrils
"Yeah pretty much" Gangrel informed "I'll get you one later" hearing this the exuberant six year old positively skipped alongside him. She'd been given new clothes and was currently a pale blue frilly dress and lightweight white jacket, tights to keep the evening chill off of her legs and a pair of white sneakers which she had squealed in delight upon learning lit up as she walked, Coral had combed out her rose gold coloured hair as best as she could with her unsuitable appendages though she'd been a little annoyed that she couldn't do more with it. Eventually the pair made their way to a doorway guarded by a pair of security guards
"We need to see your ticket Mister Slate" one of them informed the hulking Bear Faunus
"Can't afford to take chances" the other added, Gangrel merely nodded in understanding and produced both his own and Coral's tickets before starting up the stairs that led to the V.I.P seating as the guards allowed them entry; as they reached the top of the final flight of stairs he felt a tug on his arm as Coral came to a sudden halt
"You okay?" Coral's head sunk her pale brown eyes refusing to meet his as she mumbled
"I'm scared….promise they're not gonna be mean to me?"
"Pinky promise kid" Gangrel told her earnestly, making to ruffle her hair but stopping when he remembered how hard it would be for her to fix it. With that he opened the door and led Coral into the V.I.P seating where the Slate family had made themselves comfortable. Coral caught sight of Diamond Sustrai-Black, the silver haired Huntress she had seen on the television only to balk at the sight of the young man she was happily leaning into; greatly resembling Gangrel though he was perhaps a little shorter and less muscled, a lot paler and sporting pale and bright blue eyes. As welcoming as the toothy smile on the Bear Faunus's face was Coral found herself transported back to Gerat-Handlung where after she had been left in trembling and silent terror by Alpha's sadistic bloodlust one of her more distinct memories of the event had been an ivory haired Bear Faunus creating giant monsters from glowing light.
"Hello" Arctus waved at her and Coral let out a quiet whimper before quickly looking away, catching sight of Weiss Slate, formerly Schnee; a woman whom she'd been taught her whole life was the monster under the bed, she cut an intimidating figure in her attire which was a mixture of sharply cut business suit and military uniform, the Dust filled rapier hanging at her waist and the scar running down the left side of her face; though it was offset greatly by her bright smile and the fact that frankly Coral had thought someone who was supposed to be so scary would be a little taller
"Hi!" a voice demanded her attention and Coral found herself confronted by a young girl slightly taller and presumably older than herself with ivory coloured hair, an impossibly pale complexion and bright blue eyes set into a face with a slightly snout like nose though nowhere near as pronounced as Gangrel's and a bright smile filled with teeth just a little too sharp to be human
"Hi" the girl said again "I'm Athena-Jade, you can call me AJ, I like your shoes and your hair colour is so pretty and oh wow you have actual claws that's so cool, they're way bigger than mine" to highlight the point Athena held out her hand and showed that her naturally dark finger nails could extend out into sharp claws perhaps two inches long
"Easy AJ, give her some space" Gangrel warned gently which prompted his daughter to cling to his leg in a tight hug. The Bear Faunus merely smiled before speaking to Coral
"So this is my daughter Athena-Jade" he ruffled her hear which the she still wore in a style similar to Diamond's "And that's my wife Weiss, my son Arctus and you've seen Diamond on TV"
"Diamond's so cool right?" Athena beamed
"So what am I then spare parts?" Arctus asked in mock disgust before grumbling under his breath that he'd been cool once, much to the amusement of everyone present.
"Okay looks like the first match is gonna start soon if you two wanna get comfortable" no sooner had the words left his mouth than Athena had streaked across the room to the angled floor to ceiling window overlooking the arena and pressed her face up against the glass, Coral following her quickly and timidly accepting when the older girl offered her a piece of candy. Gangrel couldn't keep the smile from his face and had no interest in trying, everything had gone exactly to plan thus far and he made his way over to Weiss, though before he could sit down the door to the V.I.P area opened revealing Cimmerian Chiffon, the scarred and grizzled veteran currently in charge of the security detail that the Specialist Branch was providing to the Vytal tournament which had admittedly been scaled back somewhat since the White Fang had failed to take the bait that had been set for them
"You know I'm technically off duty tonight?" Gangrel asked, pre-empting any matters that his first mate would try and defer to him, Chiffon merely chuckled
"Keeping him out of trouble Weiss?"
"As if anyone could" while it was rare for Chiffon to be present at Schnee Manor it was not unheard of and Weiss did in fact like her husbands' first officer. Chiffon turned his attention back to Gangrel
"The Gespenst is one of four ships we have over the mountain, Hunters backing up police on checkpoints leading to the stadium and we've got the recruits due to finish the program mixed in with the stadium's security….Think it's secure enough for me to come and keep an eye on things from here"
"Can't argue with that" Gangrel noted, the recruits were already graduates of Atlas Academy and thus fully qualified Hunters in addition to being in the final stages of becoming the next batch of Specialists. With his mind at ease the Bear Faunus made himself comfortable beside Weiss, planting a gentle kiss on his wife's cheek before whispering
"So, I think it's going well" he nodded in the direction of Coral and Athena, where the younger girl was giggling uncontrollably at something the older had said
"You've created a monster" she answered dryly, kissing Gangrel in return and flashing him a bright smile before adding in a much lighter tone "I think Athena-Jade already loves having a little sister and I don't think any of us are prepared for the mischief they will cause"
"We don't stand a chance" Gangrel agreed
Helios had entered the arena to the sound of thousands of fans cheering his name, Olympus Enforcer finding its' way to his hands in its' sword and shield form as he waited for his opponent, who had not been selected until Helios himself had stepped onto the edge of the circular arena, to enter. His opponent was a fourth year student of Atlas Academy whose name and exploits in the tournament thus far Helios was admittedly unfamiliar with but as the stepped onto the opposite edge of the arena he saw that Trench Abyssal of Team CRAG was an Angler Fish Faunus whose appearance trigged something primal and instinctive in Helios the longer he looked at the man; he stood at six foot four making him a little taller than Helios himself, with an impressive physique boasting well defined muscles though slightly more slender than the redhead. Trench's face was pleasant enough if one looked no lower than than his nose, he sported immaculately styled strawberry blonde hair and bright, welcoming eyes the colour of topaz and somewhat rosy cheeks dusted with freckles; his mouth though, which housed his Faunus attribute was an entirely different matter and was distended to such an extent that his lower jaw could almost reach his collarbones when his mouth was open, Trench's teeth were long, jagged and needle-like things which were angled forward enough that the teeth of his lower jaw protruded when his mouth was closed. Trench's attire was the odd blend of stylish and militaristic that Helios had noticed that many Atlesians favoured, faded charcoal grey and loose fitting pants sporting several pockets which were easily spotted due to their darker colour; a white tank-top with a dull black armoured vest over it leaving his muscular arms on display, a powder blue bandanna was tied around his right bicep and both forearms sported mismatched armour pieces and his hands were covered with fingerless black gloves. The crowd cheered as Trench waved to them whilst drawing his weapon from over his back, a double barrelled rifle whose barrels sat one atop the other with a long and curved bayonet affixed beneath them whilst the butt of the weapon also appeared to house some manner of blade; putting Helios in mind of a more sinister version of Diamond Sustrai-Black's weapon Lex Talionis. Without a word Trench shifted the weapon into its' close combat setting; crowd erupted into thunderous applause as he did so, barrels forming a single shaft whilst the butt formed the head of a monstrously oversized executioners' axe, the bayonet falling into place on the rear of the weapon as a scythe.
"SPECTRAL TITAN GETTING A BIG REACTION FROM THE CROWDS TONIGHT!" Qrow declared, revealing the name of the weapon to Helios
"IT CERTAINLY INCORPORATES ELEMENTS FROM SEVERAL CLASSIC WEAPONS, WHILST AT THE SAME TIME CLEARLY BEING IT'S OWN ENTITY" Oobleck added, clearly impressed. The competitors themselves however tuned the commentary out for a moment
"Saw your fights, you're pretty good kid it'll be interesting to see how this goes" Trench's voice was gravelly, baritone and somewhat slurred as if he'd never quite managed to speak normally around his Faunus attribute though his tone seemed genuinely friendly, prompting Helios to give him a slight smile
"Indeed it should, unfortunately I can't honestly say that I've seen your performances thus far"
"Yeah, I got bad luck and ended up fighting on a Sunday in the last two rounds" Trench shrugged "Team CRAG do okay though….so what's dating Blake Belladonna's son like?"
"Excuse me?" Helios gripped his weapons a little tighter, the idea that the White Fang could have someone inside Atlas Academy suddenly chilling him to the bone
"Come on man every Faunus on Remnant knows who his mum is" the almost reverent tone in Trench's voice served to put Helios's mind at rest for the moment "Hell I quoted 'Til All Are One' to a guy trying to justify the White Fang's shit to me in a bar the other week….thinking about it, they might have trying to feel me out and see if I'd join"
"Well if you ever see them again be sure to bury that axe in their skull" Helios noted, unable to keep the hard edge out of his voice. Their conversation ended as Qrow's amplified voice alerted them both to something important
"SO, FOR THE SINGLES ROUNDS THERE'S NO TEAM COHESION OR TERRAIN TO WORRY ABOUT; BUT IT DOES GET A LITTLE MORE THREE DIMENSIONAL!" at his words the stadium began to modify itself; a central pillar rising a few feet off the ground whilst the outer periphery of the arena detached and rose to ten feet in the air powered by a Dust fuelled anti-gravity system, creating a tiered battleground.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN LET'S START THE FIRST MATCH OF THE EVENIG SHALL WE!" Oobleck's voice boomed out, quivering with anticipation "THREE! TWO! ONE!….BEGIN!" both Helios and Trench rushed forwards towards the central pillar and Helios with his years of traversing Anima by foot reached it first with ease, leaping onto the raised platform and using as springboard from which to dive at his opponent, sword held overhead in a reverse grip whilst his dark Aura crackled around him, his Semblance magnifying gravity and propelling his descent to lethal velocity only for him to realise that he'd been expertly out-manoeuvred as Trench drove the end of his weapons' shaft into his gut, sending the redhead crashing to the ground with force amplified by his own Semblance. Helios sprung to his feet and hastily flung his shield in front of his face, being forced to one knee as the aquatic Faunus somersaulted off of the raised pillar and brought the axehead of Spectral Titan crashing down
"THIS LOOKS LIKE THE HARDEST WORKOUT ANYONE'S GIVEN NIKOS YET!" Qrow noted as Helios was sent sliding back across the smooth surface of the arena floor, frantically blocking attacks Trench pressed the advantage with wide but impossibly precise swings of both of his weapons blades until he eventually managed to find enough of an opening to retaliate; parrying with his shield before stabbing at his opponents' face with his sword and following the motion through into a low spinning sweep at Trench's legs with the edge of his shield. Trench weaved around the attacks with ludicrous ease, leaping over Helios's shield before planting both feet on its' surface and flipping away
"Poor choice" Helios grinned savagely as he activated his Semblance in its' inverted state, reducing gravity to almost non-existence and leaving the Faunus rotating slowly in the air as they fell at a greatly reduced rate
"Well that seems a little-" What ever Trench intended to say went unheard as Helios' shield collided with his gut, the redhead catching the golden disc in mid-air before landing a flying kick and releasing his Semblance, sending Trench rolling to a stop halfway across the arena whilst the crowd erupted into cheers that reached a fever pitch
"Well okay" Trench sighed, sinking the blade of Spectral Titan into the ground as he pulled himself into a crouch "Since we're doing Semblances….gimme a sec"
"Excuse…." Helios trailed off, left dumbfounded Trench began unfastening his armoured vest simply pulling it over his head and discarding it before removing his boots
"LOOKS LIKE ABYSSAL HAS SOMETHING PLANNED" Qrow speculated
"NIKOS STANDING BACK AND ALLOWING HIM TO DO IT, ADMIRABLE BUT IT MAY COST HIM!" Oobleck mused at the same moment Trench rose to his, now bare feet
"I like those boots" the Faunus offered by way of explanation; before Helios could respond Trench's Aura began to become visible around him, a deep inky violet light rippling and swirling as veins began to bulge across his body; then he began to grow. Trench's body began to rapidly expand, clothes tearing under the strain as he almost doubled in height; his twelve feet tall frame now sporting a noticeably bulkier upper body whilst his previously topaz coloured eyes shone with violet light; his baritone voice becoming a monstrous growl as he spoke though it lost none of its' incongruous warmth and good natured tone
"The trick with gravity is cool, but this is my Semblance! I call it 'Deep Sea Gigantism'" Helios's acid green eyes widened in shock as he was forced to conclude that he had no plan for an opponent the size of a larger than average Grimm which also possessed the ability to fight rationally and Aura, simply noting
"Well….it certainly is interesting"
"Well that hardly seems fair!" Eagle exclaimed from her place in the crowd where she was situated at the end of a row of seats making herself clearly visible from the entrance; her feigned annoyance utterly failing to hide her excitement as she watched Helios deftly avoid blows from an opponent who now dwarfed him, Trench launching attacks whose thunderous impacts shook the entire stadium
"Of course it's unfair, the idiot has no idea what he's doing….sacrificing mobility like that against the first son of the Nikosi; there's only one way this can end" Eagle turned to her right where Hellion sat watching what Eagle assumed must be a completely different fight
"Uh Hellion….he looks mobile enough to me" the blonde noted as in the arena below Trench simply plucked Helios off of the ground and hurled across the arena, clearly hoping for an early ring-out. Helios responded by using his Semblance to control his fall, landing in a crouch on the anti-gravity ring around the outer age of the arena before leaping back into the fray in a dramatic aerial attack that seemed to be right out of one of the stories Eagle's grandfather had told her as a child; only to be batted aside once again
"Admittedly the stories the tribes tell about him neglect to mention that he's a slow learner" Hellion noted with an amused tinge to her voice; speaking thought a mouthful of popcorn
"Hey!" Eagle pouted as she saw that the popcorn her girlfriend was eating was being procured from Eagle's own tub
"Old habits" Hellion gave a wicked smile that made Eagle's heart race and freckled cheeks darken
"I would've bought you something if you wanted" the blonde mumbled as she placed the tub so that it was between them
"But making you blush is so much fun" Hellion whispered in her ear as she leaned close before planting a soft kiss on Eagle's still flushed cheek; Eagle merely laced her fingers through Hellion's only to jump slightly at the sound of a throat being cleared to her left. Standing beside her and wearing a comfortable and stylish outfit which was a notable departure from her usual lab-coat, her greying blonde hair tied back was Antonia Arc
"I didn't mean to interrupt"
"No, no it's...um….hi Mum" Eagle stammered out, squeezing Hellion's hand a little tighter as she suddenly found herself struggling to find words; beside her Hellion's wings could be heard softly colliding against her seat as they buzzed with sudden tension
"Miss Arc" the Dragonfly Faunus gave a low nod, she refused to bow to anyone but the elders of her tribe as a matter of principle but still felt a need to show proper respect; a sentiment she was not alone in feeling if the inky shadow moving across the ground was anything to go by
"We have company" Hellion warned the arc women a moment before Carcharodon rose from the floor beside Antonia, his body solidifying from the viscous liquid state his Semblance converted it to; Onyx could be seen standing nearby
"Oh well that brings back memories" Antonia hissed, every syllable laced with disdain "Although I assume you don't have a getaway vehicle ready and waiting this time and there are plenty of other scientists you could make off with"
"Mum!" Eagle gasped; Hellion braced herself beside the blonde as she waited to see how the Shark Faunus would take the insult. Against all odds he smiled, a rare genuine smile rather than one of the savagely intimidating grins he gave, displaying his jagged fangs to any who annoyed or challenged him
"Arc, insufferable as always"
"What do you want?" if anything Antonia's tone was exasperated and vaguely bemused, lacking in any malice
"To apologise" the words gave Antonia, Eagle and even Hellion pause; his fellow raider sure she had misheard him before he elaborated "Our decision to kidnap you in New Vale was one that went against our peoples' beliefs and one that Hellion advised me against at the time; I wanted to apologise for the trouble my failures as a leader have caused….and also to ask that you don't take your anger out on Hellion; her relationship with your daughter has been good for her. If you need someone to hate, then hate me" Eagle's crimson eyes widened as she turned to Hellion, silently mouthing a question
"Did you put him up to this?" Hellion silently shook her head in response, as gobsmacked as anyone else by Carcharodon's sudden care for the opinions of outsiders
"I see" Antonia murmured, clearly unprepared for such a conversation "I promised my daughter I would do my best to look beyond my previous experiences with your people and I intend to keep that promise"
"Thank you" Carcharodon nodded before turning and striding towards where Onyx stood; if he heard any of what Antonia sighed under her breath he gave no indication of it; after a moment Antonia turned to Eagle
"So that was a thing" the younger blonde noted, cheery voice laced with nerves as she struggled to predict how this meeting would go. Antonia, similarly nervous decided to ease the obvious tension between the three of them with a joke
"So Hellion, since I'm almost certain Qrow hasn't bothered to ask; what are your intentions towards my daughter?" Eagle's mortified groan coincided with the crowd erupting into cheers as Helios parried another earthshaking attack below them.
Helios slid backwards across the arena as he crouched behind his shield and blocked another obscenely powerful blow; the reverberating clang of metal ringing in his ears and drowning out even the mind numbing sound of the crowds' reaction. In Trench's Semblance empowered state Helios's head barely reached the Faunus's hips and despite the more top-heavy and bulky physique he sported in this form he was still incredibly fast and capable of fighting with all the experience of a student who would become a fully qualified Huntsman in a matter of weeks.
"NIKOS SEEMS TO BE STRUGGLING THERE!" were the first words the redhead managed to hear clearly when the ringing finally stopped, noting that they seemed to be something of an omen as Trench launched himself forwards again; rushing towards him and raising a foot in a clearly telegraphed attempt to stomp Helios into the ground.
"No" the redhead snarled, utterly refusing to be beaten in such a degrading manner; his dark Aura became visible around him once more and waves of dizziness washed over him as he engaged his Semblance to first reduce the effects of gravity and slow the rapidly descending foot threatening to crush his chest, then rushing towards the leg Trench supported his weight on and stabbing at the tendons of his ankle while simultaneously magnifying gravity to obscene levels. The entire stadium shook as Trench fell
"You little fucker!" the Angler Fish Faunus snapped as he clutched his almost certainly broken ankle that had twisted unnaturally as he fell. Helios relished the moment of victory only for it to be cut ludicrously short as Trench grasped his weapon, Spectral Titan seemed almost comically small in his now giant hand and when he hurled the axe at Helios the armoured Hunter had no time to react before his chest exploded into agony and he was sent flying across the arena, hitting the ground and bouncing several times before finally rolling to a stop perilously close to the edge of the arena.
"THIS LOOKS IT'S GETTING INTO THE FINAL STAGES!" Oobleck announced
"IT'S BEEN A GOOD FIRST SHOWING FROM NIKOS" Qrow added, seemingly in agreement "JUST GETTING TO THE SINGLES ROUND MAKES YOU ONE OF THE BEST OF THE BEST, NO SHAME IN LOSING HERE" Helios made a sound of pure disdain as he rose to his feet, sucking in lungfuls of air that shot lances of pain through his entire body as he planted his feet and braced himself. He was Helios Nikos, first son of a proud tribe of warriors and to say that there was no shame in defeat was beyond absurd; he would leave this arena victorious or he would leave it unconscious.
"HE'S BACK IN THE GAME FOLKS!" Qrow noted, his voice sounding as though he could barely keep his composure, detached neutrality fighting with the urge to root for the underdog
"AS IS ABYSSAL" Oobleck noted sounding equally enthused "THE ATLAS STUDENT HAS THE ADVANTAGE HERE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, NIKOS IS GOING TO HAVE TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX IF HE WANTS TO REMAIN IN THE TOURNAMENT"
"They say that as if I don't know" Helios grumbled as he twirled his sword, a habit he was sure he'd picked up from Felix. His shield had flown from his grasp after Trench's attack had connected and lay a good distance away; Helios discretely kicked Trench's weapon which lay on the ground at the his feet over the edge of the arena whilst Trench himself returned to his feet, a clearly vast Aura pool already allowing him to return to his feet though the aquatic Faunus still shied away from putting his full weight on the ankle Helios had attacked.
"Nice move" Trench complimented tone turning threatening as he added "Got another one in ya?"
"That remains to be seen" Helios dead-panned as he privately tried to fathom how he could turn the tide of the battle within the next few exchanges of blows. His Semblance seemed to be an obvious component of any plan he formed but simply applying an insane amount of gravity to a single point like he had done to the Krakatoa Grimm on his last mission wouldn't work unless he could climb onto Trench's back and stay there, an unlikely proposition; likewise applying his Semblance like a blanket to the arena as a whole the way he had to Carcharodon was unworkable, Trench was simply too large and too strong.
"This would be easier with terrain" he breathed out under his breath, eyes never leaving Trench who in turn studied Helios as he looked for an opening of his own. He looked at the central pillar and anti-gravity ring intended to create a tiered arena with some annoyance before his eyes widened and he fought to keep a confident smirk off of his face lest it give away his intentions. The redhead took a single deep breath before sprinting across the stadium, taking up his shield and heading directly towards the central pillar of the arena
"NIKOS IS MAKING A MOVE!" Oobleck's voice boomed out
"IS THIS A PLAN OR A LAST STAND?" Qrow demanded, clearly enjoying the match either way. Helios paid them no mind; Trench had had taken the bait and lunged into action now all the redhead had to do was ensure that he reached the pillar first and focus the entirety of his Semblance on a single point on the anti-gravity ring, directly behind where he expected his enemy to fall.
"NIKOS SHOWING OFF JUST HOW MUCH POWER HE CAN PUT INTO THAT SEMBLANCE!" Qrow exclaimed as the anti-gravity ring began to visibly tilt and dip, sinking as Helios applied more and more pressure until it almost touched the arena floor on one side; countless warning lights flickering across its' pristine surface. Trench slowed his already hobbled sprint as he looked over his shoulder to take in the effects of Helios's latest ploy; a mistake that would prove costly as Helios never stopped running towards his target. The redhead reached the central pillar and launched himself onto it, swiftly using it as a platform from which to leap into the air and land a kick to Trench's chest which was in turn used to send him arcing backwards, his body tucked in on itself. As Helios's arc reached its' zenith he had reached a height of almost sixteen feet in the air and without warning or hesitation planted both feet on the back of his shield, kicking downwards and into the face of his opponent whist focusing his Semblance on it. Two things happened it tandem; firstly the shield was accelerated to incredible velocity, striking Trench full in the face and sending him staggering backwards; secondly the anti-gravity ring, now freed from Helios's Semblance began to rise to its' previous height only to strike the reeling Faunus as it did so, the result was that the gargantuan fighter was sent head over heels, tumbling backwards and landing firmly outside of the confines of the arena.
"AN INCREDIBLE COMEBACK!" Oobleck cheered "I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE USE OF SUCH LIMITED TERRAIN!" Helios landed in a crouch and held his position for a moment, needing to take several deep breaths and wipe away the sweat dripping from his brow with a hand that trembled as much as the rest of his body after the exertion; panting for air he waited for the announcement that would make it official, make it real
"TRENCH ABYSSAL HAS LOST BY RING-OUT! HELIOS NIKOS WILL PROGRESS INTO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT!" hearing Qrow's words he exhaled slowly and rose to his feet, walking towards where Trench lay, legs shaking with every step he took. Before Helios reached the edge of the arena the Angler Fish Faunus hopped up onto the edge, revealing that the final blow of the match had broken several of his needle-like teeth
"Don't worry, they'll grow back" he assured Helios upon catching the redhead staring "Good game, really good game"
"It certainly was" Helios admitted, holding out a hand which Trench gladly shook
"But if you do feel bad about breaking my teeth….you can always try and get me a signed copy of Blake Belladonna's book; I'm sure you can work your magic on Felix"
"I will definitely try" Helios assured him with a bright smile before leaving the arena, eager to return to the Lion Faunus in question.
Blake was currently lounging on the sofa of her home on Patch whilst Yang made fresh cups of tea and snacks in the intermission between tournament matches. Whenever Blake was away from the family home for an extended amount of time due to her work she would return and immediately try to smother her wife in affection and see to it that she could relax as an apology for being away for so long; only for Yang to respond by giving Blake the exact same treatment, insisting that the Faunus relax and let the blonde take care of her now that she was home. It often led to well meaning battle of wills that amused their children to no end when they were around to see it, in this case Blake had been too tired to offer more than a token resistance.
"Hey do you wanna order out for dinner later?….or we could get the last ship to the mainland and go to a restaurant, maybe find a hotel after?" Blake could almost hear the wink that Yang added to the question as she called through from the kitchen and found her mind wandering to her first night home when she had made sure Yang understood in no uncertain terms how loved and appreciated she was and how much Blake had missed her
"We'll order something" she called back, silently reasoning that they didn't need a hotel to set the mood and frankly their own bed was probably far more comfortable. She was soon distracted from both her thoughts and the vast amount of paperwork that she had to work through now that she was returning to her position as head of the Coalition's New Vale Branch by the familiar voice of her former history professor and uncle in law as Qrow and Oobleck began announcing once again
"AND IT LOOKS LIKE OUR SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN PLANNED INTERMISSION IS COMING TO AN END!" Oobleck's voice rose above the crowd "RIGHT ON TIME AS THE BAND WHOSE PERFORMANCE WE'VE BEEN STREAMING FROM ELSEWHERE IN THE FESTIVAL IS WRAPPING UP!"
"LOOKS LIKE NIKOS'S FINISHING MOVE DIDN'T DO ANY MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE ANTI-GRAVITY SYSTEM, BUT IT STILL HAD TO BE CHECKED OUT" Qrow explained to the cheering fans
"Yang it's starting!" Blake called to her wife
"WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THE HONOURS QROW?" neither Oobleck or the crowd had to wait long for an answer
"HUNTERS, LOOK ALIVE! THE NEXT COMPETITOR IN THE FIRST SINGLES ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE…." he trailed off as the computer randomly selected a student, faces of candidates flashing by on the screens around the arena before finally coming to a halt as Qrow called out "CORVID XIAO LONG!"
"YANG QUICK, COREY'S UP NEXT!" Blake bellowed urgently, a moment later Yang could be seen all but sprinting into view, vaulting over the sofa that her wife was sat before making herself comfortable beside her
"Snacks are gonna have to wait" Yang noted with a grin as both of them watched Corvid, whose eagerness suggested that she felt she had something to prove after her previous bout, enter the arena. Their eldest child vaulted over the railings around the stands and striding with her back straight and chin raised into the arena, the Omega Wing falling into place hovering beside her in its' aerial drone form
"LOOKS LIKE THE CROWDS ARE STILL MASSIVE FAVOURITES, MISS XIAO LONG IS STILL CONSIDERED LIKELY TO PLACE IN THE TOP THREE WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE!" Oobleck announced over the sound of a roaring cacophony of applause, several chants could be heard from the crowd and as the camera panned Yang was almost certain she caught a glimpse of Felix's unmistakable mane of dirty blonde curls as he stood on his seat and urged those around him to cheer louder.
"LOOKS LIKE SHE'S PUTTING ON A SHOW FOR US!" Qrow added, both Blake and Yang seeing that it was true as their daughter pandered to the crowd for a few moments with deep bows before engaging the Omega Wing, the armoured and airborne battle-suit wrapping itself around her; at which point Corvid entered a few more commands into the computerised gauntlet on her left arm before reaching over her back and removing something which she held into the air for all to see
"That last match really got to her then?" Yang sighed as she realised what it was that Corvid had removed from the Omega Wing
"More than she lets on" Blake admitted
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THAT IS CORVID XIAO LONG'S CONTROVERSIAL SHIELD GENERATOR!" Oobleck announced, voice all but trembling with excitement, no sooner had the words left his mouth that Corvid calmly threw the generator aside, the dome shaped black and gunmetal device which had been nestled between the wings and power supply of her armour landing outside of the confines of where the arenas' own forcefield would manifest.
"LET'S GIVE HER SOMEONE SHE CAN PUT ON A SHOW AGAINST THEN SHALL WE?" Qrow demanded, clearly pandering to the crowds just as much as Corvid had been, the screens cycled through the faces of the competitors before coming to a stop and displaying a face that made the crowd erupt into a hitherto unattained level of excitement, whilst on Patch Blake and Yang were stunned into open mouthed silence
"No" Blake finally managed to gasp out, the Xiao Long family homes' living room still filled with the sound of the frenzied Atlesian audience
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN" Oobleck finally spoke when it became clear that Qrow wasn't going to, giving a pause for effect "THE NEXT MATCH OF THE VYTAL TOURNAMENT WILL BE CORIVD XIAO LONG VERSUS FELIX XIAO LONG"
Authors Notes:
Of all my cliffhangers, this might just be my favourite….and trust me I've got another one planned for the next chapter.
I needed my writing this week, work has been hell and writing and my girlfriend have just about managed to keep me sane.
On a related note, Chapter 86 will mark the end of Vol.6 and the second year arc, which also leaves us half way through this story as a whole. With my current schedule I can finish the volume and still have a week left before I'll be absent for two weeks due to seeing my girlfriend (I'm in a long distance relationship) so the question is, do I start Vol.7/Year 3? Do I take a three week hiatus? Do I write something new? Do I add a second chapter to 'Jiminy Cricket' since so many people wanted a continuation of the story? I'm open to suggestions.
Anyway let's summarise:
The same Penguin Faunus who gave the White Fang the info on the Dust shipment Team NEON were escorting is back.
It's not just empty words, Celeste would definitely empty out the prisons.
Seriously, just wear a Hi-Vis jacket and you can walk right into a lot of places.
You all remember the Ansturm from Vol.4 right? The gigantic trucks.
The Fang are out in force today, this isn't going to be like the co-ordinated but scattered raids during the last round of the tournament either; this is a hammer-blow that Remnant can't ignore.
I'm sure you can all guess where the Cult of Taurus are.
Raffia putting his raider upbringing to good use these last couple of chapters.
"This is a family thing" Diamond you're practically an honorary Slate/Schnee at this point.
I still need to write more Diamond and Felix interactions.
Felix and Eagle are seriously a pleasure to write.
Little Battle-Cat moment was cute.
When the Cult of Taurus bought Coral clothes they were black and white so that they looked 'Like a team' Gang bought her an outfit in white and Schnee blue….And also light up sneakers because she's six and has never had a pair.
Coral remembers Arctus's giant Eco-Dust powered Semblance constructs, that's gonna be a hurdle to get over.
I am perfectly willing and able to have Coral tell Weiss "I thought you'd be taller" to her face.
Okay so Arctus has a bearlike snout, just like his dad; Athena-Jade has a black, obviously not human nose but her face isn't slightly elongated like theirs, however she does have Gangrel's claws while Arctus just has fingernails that grow a little bit sharper than normal.
Also, Athena-Jade and Coral's introduction was cute.
The military presence has been reduced….that's not a good sign.
I imagine there are Faunus like Blake and Sun who are essentially humans with an extra piece, then there are Faunus like Tock, Tyrian or Yuma whose extreme physical divergence, body language and mannerisms mark them out as something entirely inhuman and there are Faunus like Trench who end up squarely in the middle; a nice, normal enough guy who just happens to have a Faunus attribute that leans towards the horrific.
That weapon is bad-ass and you know it.
He's a Blake fan-boy; he just became someone's favourite background character.
The stadium design was loosely based on Yang and Mercury's Vol.3 match.
I really wanted Helios to struggle in this round and have to work and think for a win.
Helios is the kind of guy to stand there and let the other guy power up because he wants the best possible opponent; anime logic.
Eagle and Hellion doing commentary is something I need more of, alas the tournament is coming to a close.
Great timing Toni.
The first actual face to face interaction between Antonia and Carcharodon in a year.
See, Car has some feelings in there.
Antonia is trying lol.
Helios does not back down, ever.
The twirling his sword thing is definitely from Felix, he does it all the time.
Helios is powerful, I felt like I had to explain why he can't just do some of the crazy shit we've already seen from him again.
He basically moved the stadium around so that he could trip the guy and make their own size work against them.
Seriously I love the idea of Blake and Yang both trying to be the one to take care of the other one when Blake comes back from a business trip.
Corey has physically removed her forcefield generator, she couldn't use it even if she wanted to now; remember that the whole reason she has that is because the wings of the Omega Wing reach out further than she can project her own Aura.
BOOM! And there it is, the whole Felix Vs Helios thing was a fake-out; I had bigger plans all along.
Thank you to SumoSnipe, Ferrous, iSassenach, Funlander, FluffyFirefly, FleetOfWarships and Garthraxxus for their reviews on the last chapter.
It could well be the same cell of the White Fang, just a full on collection of idiots.
I actually meant I wanted to see Jacques Schnee die on screen.
I think a therapist might have been able to do something for Celeste, possibly….the thing is that she's not wrong about the issues that she's identified in Atlesian society; it's her approach to fixing the problem that's the problem.
Coral and the whole Slate/Schnee family is adorable….she hasn't even met Winter, Whitley or Bjorn yet.
But I had to bring Luna up….the feels are essential.
I would love to see art of Eagle's tat.
Nope the Helios Vs Felix idea was a fake-out.
Celeste will be there soon.
Nope not Gamma vs Gang….you won't be disappointed with who gets to fight who.
I can't believe we've reached a point where we're discussing which of my characters is the top in their respective relationship/hook-ups.
Of course Raffia is going back to his people, they need each other.
Nope; you'll see what Oz is heading to Vale for at the end of the Volume.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.