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Chapter 107: Mission Failure
Everything was painful.
That was the first thing that occurred to Corvid as she regained consciousness; a dull ache permeated most of her body, the light streaming into the room she found herself in was distinctly uncomfortable and a dizzy nauseous feeling threatened to make her retch as the ceiling swam lazily into focus overhead; its' clinical white surface and the unmistakably medical stench that filled the air making it clear to her that she was in Halo Academies' medical wing; a realisation which only raised more questions which Corvid needed immediate answers to and promptly bolted upright, a hissed curse escaping her in her discomfort as the world seemed to blur out of focus before regaining definition; the sudden and inexplicable heaviness of her own head prompting Corvid to gingerly reach up to touch her face, though before she could do so she felt a pair of hands gently take her own and an instantly familiar voice whisper
"Don't"
"Mum?" Corvid whispered, annoyed at how frail and panicked she sounded "Yang?" as her vision slowly came back into focus, yet was still not correct in a way that she couldn't quite articulate in her current state. Yang was indeed there, as was Blake, Felix and Eagle as well Qrow; the worn and exhausted expressions they each wore spoke volumes about the seriousness of the situation and Corvid's mind seemed to race in several directions at once as questions demanded to be answered in her mind
"Where are my team?" Corvid demanded, her voice rising in volume and pitch as she was forced to consider the unthinkable
"They're here, they're safe" Qrow assured her "A few cracked bones and Aura depletion and general cuts and bruises but they'll be fine"
"They're only letting family in right now" Felix explained, seemingly determined to look anywhere but at his sisters' face "Granddad is here, he took them to the canteen….Lux was pacing and Rusty looked ready to lose it; Aunt Ruby and Penny are gonna come when they can" Corvid nodded in understanding before asking another question that she couldn't ignore
"How bad is it?"
"Corey" Blake breathed out, taking one of her daughters' hands and squeezing "You-"
"Not me, never mind me right now" Corvid forced herself to remain coherent and not rant, lest anyone think it was merely the cocktail of drugs that she had assuredly be given affecting her judgement "Arcadia, how bad is it….how many people died because I-"
"Stop that right now" Qrow growled out gruffly, his tone making it painfully clear that no matter how much he loved Corvid he was not speaking to her an uncle at that moment, rather a more experienced Hunter and a commanding officer "Casualties were….lower than they could have been"
"You did everything that anyone could ask of you" Yang assured her
"Except take out the Goliath that hit the gate" Corvid spar venomously, knuckle whitening as her fists clenched "Except take out the Nevermore dropping Ursa onto the weapon emplacements, except stop that talking Grimm that was leading them"
"Talking Grimm?" Felix asked, both he and Eagle sharing terrified glances at the revelation
"It's being handled" Qrow swiftly cut off the line of questioning before it could start, as much for Corvid's sake as the inherent secrecy involved in the matter. Corvid simply sat in shell-shocked silence
"Corey?" Yang prompted gently placing a hand on her shoulder "Corey talk to us, you know we're here for you" Corvid, still refusing to acknowledge the fact that one side of her face was firmly encased in bandages and what it was reasonable to assume she would find beneath them, pushed on with the subject of what was, in her mind at least, an unforgivable failure
"Aunt Ruby has gone to Arcadia hasn't she?" Corvid hung her head in shame "To fix it"
"Ruby was off of the continent on a mission" Qrow informed her "She's trying to track down the Grimm, they didn't stop at Arcadia"
"They've split up into a bunch of little groups and broken off, so who knows maybe that weird Grimm that was leading them got taken out?" Eagle attempted to sound hopeful, although it was clear that she was struggling to believe her own optimism.
"The SDC refinery exploded, the east of Arcadia is gone" Qrow sighed before searching for a silver lining "The south and west of the city are relatively intact and its' estimated that over seventy percent of the population were evacuated, it can be rebuilt, we can pick up the pieces. We wouldn't be able to do that without you and your team Corey"
"And the Garrison" Corvid muttered, repeating herself when she saw her families' eyes on her "And the Garrison; they fought and died on that wall and if they're not gonna be honoured for it then I don't want to be either"
"I know how you feel Corey" Felix offered the statement up with clear hesitation but quickly explained "The White Fang attack on the SDC, Team FADE were there to help the security teams and you had to save our asses….I saw people I was supposed to be protecting die right in front of me; so I know how you feel and please Corey, don't blame yourself for this. You gave it everything you had, I know you did"
"Then I should have had more to give" Corvid's attempt at a furious snarl failed as her voice cracked and a single choked and wavering sob escaped her
"Corey-" Blake reached out but her daughter gently moved her hand away
"Just….just stop, please" Corvid sighed, attempting to wipe her eyes only for bile to rise up in her throat as she felt the distinct wrongness that was below her bandages
"Oh" she gasped, face draining of what little colour it held "Oh fuck….is that why none of you wanna look at my face right now?"
"Corey" Yang's tone was firm yet warm as she cupped her daughters cheeks and gently turned her to meet the older woman's amethyst gaze "Corey it's gonna be okay, I promise"
"Eagle spoke to her Mum while you were unconscious" Felix informed her "Poly-Tech can replace the eye….I've been thinking about it and I'm gonna look into getting a cybernetic tail-"
"Great, it can be a fucking family tradition then!" Corvid laughed bitterly as she gestured to Yang's cybernetic arm "Arm, tail, face….hey Blake, ever thought about losing a leg?"
"Hey" Yang's tone became a little more stern "You're angry, I get it….honestly then anger helps; but not towards Blake" Corvid took several deep breaths, a futile attempt to rid her mouth of the taste of vomit and as she did so she saw the faces of her family, each of them sporting dark rings around their glassy, bloodshot eyes and it was clear that however long she had been laying motionless in this hospital bed they had been watching over her, refusing sleep and food; which in turn only made Corvid's disgust towards herself deepen
"Sorry" she whispered barely audibly "Can I have some space?"
"If that's what you need" Yang nodded, leaning forward to kiss her forehead "I love you" as she rose to leave Blake and then Felix drew closer and hugged her before preparing to leave in turn, Eagle following them. Qrow hung behind a moment to speak to her
"You're one of the best there's ever been Corey, don't ever believe differently" he hung his head for a moment, considering something before adding "And call me when they discharge you, if you need space then I've got a spare room and you won't be bothered"
"Thanks" a moment later Corvid was alone, having been granted a private room within the medical wing and all the privacy that came with it; it took only a few more moments for her to gather the fortitude to stand on shaky legs and stagger into the bathroom and stare into the mirror. The sight that greeted her was an unpleasant one, bandages wrapped been wrapped diagonally around her left cheek up to the right side of her forehead, covering her left eye entirely though the rest of her face was a mess of purple and yellowish bruises; with unnerving calmness and determination she began to unravel the bandages until the true scale of her injuries was revealed. Pantheon's trident had been devastating, a trio of ragged and hastily stitched together wounds ran in parallel diagonal lines along her face; the lowest running from the bride of her nose along her cheek, the highest running from her forehead and through her eyebrow whilst the middle scar served to highlight the most shocking aspect of the injury; the left eye was simply gone. The empty socket had been covered by a separate bandage which Corvid ripped away, staring aghast at the wound; her remaining eye wide and filling with tears as she backed away from the mirror as if scared of what she saw and slowly slid down the wall; curling up on herself and hugging her knees as she desperately tried to convince herself that things were not as bleak as they suddenly seemed.
The fall of Arcadia had been less than a day ago and in that time Syneffo Nikos's temper had gradually drawn closer and closer to what seemed to be an inevitable breaking point. Ruby had returned from her previous assignment, one that had seemingly been undertaken at Qrow's request with haste and had arrived late morning; mere hours after the battle for Arcadia had been declared over and a resounding loss. The silver eyed Huntress had wasted no time with luxuries such as sleep or food and had simply restocked her supply of Dust and ammunition; kissing the twins who had been kept out of school for the day whilst she and Penny left to assist in the relief efforts, Ruby had suddenly morphed from relaxed and carefree into every bit the stern and imposing war-master that Syneffo had expected to be trained by and stated that she would ensure the Grimm came no further into the Kingdom.
It was now mid afternoon and every moment that Syneffo had been forced to wait behind rather than join the fray like the warrior she was born to be had felt like a personal and deliberate insult to the redheads' pride and abilities; a fact that was soon picked up on by the children who had been placed in her de-facto care who then proceeded to comment with the utter lack of tact that their age afforded them
"Neffy are you still sulking?" Tai-Jaune demanded with utter disbelief "We can play all day!"
"Yeah!" Summer-Pyrrha agreed, hands on her hips and pouting at the sheer absurdity of grown-ups and teenagers "We can have candy for lunch and nobody can stop us"
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that" the computerised and obviously synthetic voice of Pearl, the AI which operated many of the day to day functions of the house announced and the sound of the cupboard in which Ruby and Penny kept the candy being locked could be heard even in the living room where the three of them were currently sat, causing Summer to frown irritably.
"I'm not sulking" Syneffo growled "I'm annoyed"
"Sulking" Summer countered in a sing song voice, her silver eyes boring into Syneffo's own "You're definitely sulking"
"Did you wanna go to work with out Mums?" Tai-Jaune asked "Is it like a field trip?" Syneffo merely sighed and absently fiddled with the fabric of the baggy t-shirt and sweatpants she was wearing in place of her usual armour; though her ornate bracers still adorned her forearms. After remaining silent for a few moments she decided that she may as well explain herself to the children, even if they didn't understand voicing her concerns might be of some help
"I feel useless here" Syneffo sighed "I'm supposed to be learning to use my Silver Eyes the way Ruby does but I can't, I just feel like I'm not doing anything and that I should be….I mean look at this house, it cooks and cleans and does everything for you; I am a princess to my people and I would never dream of living so easily, if you two had been raised in the Nikosi you would be gathering firewood, helping skin animals and prepare food and learning useful trades; all this comfort makes you lazy" Syneffo stopped herself, aware that she was close to launching into an ungrateful sounding rant and criticising the way in which Ruby and Penny raised their children.
"We're not lazy, doofus" Summer shot back, always the more brazen of the twins
"If you're not enjoying it here then why not go home?" Tai-Jaune asked "We'll miss you but I bet your Mum misses you too"
"I'm certain she does….and I miss her" Syneffo admitted, swallowing a lump in her throat before continuing "But I can't. I have to learn from Ruby….but it feels like she isn't letting me; if I were out there now-
"You'd get eaten" Summer said simply, forcing Syneffo to bite her tongue
"I am a Nikosi Pathfinder" Syneffo gestured to the tribal markings adorning her arms "Each of these is in honour of a battle I have won so no little girl I wouldn't get eaten; I would cut down Grimm like any of the Kingdoms' Hunters and they wouldn't be able to touch me" she ended her words by lightly activating her Semblance, the bubble of crimson light that enveloped her underlining her point
"We could train you?" Tai-Jaune offered earnestly
"I will not be lectured by a child" Syneffo huffed
"But we could swap" the copper-haired and freckled boy insisted "We can try and teach you how Silver Eyes work and you can try and unlock our Semblances"
"Please?" Summer added, peering up at Syneffo with a puppy-like expression of boundless hope. The teen had no chance of resisting. Within the Nikosi she had been just as much of an icon held up by the children of the tribe as her brother and whilst Helios was away many of their parents had pointed to Syneffo as an example of what a Nikosi and a warrior should be; Summer and Tai-Jaune's request wasn't just for them to learn from Syneffo, in the redheads' mind it was a chance to be given back something that she felt she had lost with each successive failure to unlock her own mystical powers; her sense of purpose
"Let me change into my armour" she said simply "And I promise I will make you two of the greatest warriors that this Kingdom has ever seen"
"If you're bringing your armour then you're gonna bring your weapons too" Summer noted "Do we get weapons?"
"Absolutely not" Syneffo answered quickly "You can use a stick and imagine it as a sword or spear until you're older" as she ascended the stairs to the room Ruby and Penny had provided for her she heard exclamations of enthusiasm from both children and couldn't help a wide smile from forming on her face. It seemed that no matter how inseparable the twins were there was still a primal part of every child's brain that found the urge to beat their siblings with a tree-branch irresistible.
Winter Schnee was in her office within Atlas Academy, a rare occurrence of late with all of the other matters that demanded the Generals' attention. Though there were countless reports from Professor and former Specialist Ciel Soleil, her right hand at the academy as well as various other members of staff detailing the progress of the various student teams Winter had unfortunately been unable to give them the attention that they deserved and required.
The fall of Arcadia represented a significant risk to Atlesian interests and her peers on the icy Kingdoms' council demanded answers; several of them going so far as to cast aspersions and make dangerous claims of misallocated resources and borderline dereliction of duty, there had been a Schnee Dust Company refinery in the settlement after all and Winter knew that there would be many more such accusations before the matter was resolved. Teams from the Atlesian Hunter Corps were being sent to bolster Vale's forces, Atlas, Mistral and Vaccuo had each agreed to take refugees where possible and both the Kingdom of Atlas as a whole and Whitley, speaking on behalf of the SDC had promised to aid their allies in New Vale however they could.
Winter now had to deal with the more pressing matter of the true nature of the attack on Arcadia and the secrets so dangerous that the public could never be allowed to know. Checking that her office was properly secured, privacy and safety protocols befitting the role of the Spartan offices' occupant were put in place and Winter began a video message on a secure and encrypted channel from her computer
"Winter" Gangrel nodded, her brother in law being the first to join her; his scarred and weary face flickering into view
"Gang" Winter nodded back "Matte will be unable to join us, as will Coco"
"She'll be kept in the loop" the Bear Faunus assured her, silence hung over them for a few moments; both veterans had read the same reports and knew the scale of what had been lost and knew that there was nothing to be said that would offer more than empty platitudes.
"So, I just spoke to Eagle" Antonia Arc announced her presence as she broke the silence "Thank Oum she wasn't in Arcadia but Qrow's niece was-"
"We know" Gangrel grunted "She's our niece too" Antonia paled and flustered a moment before continued
"Poly-Tech will provide Cybernetics to any students injured in the line of duty" she asserted firmly before letting out a nervous sigh "But Qrow is still gonna be upset about this"
"Yes, I am" Qrow snarled savagely, Antonia, Winter and Gangrel all jumping at the sound of his voice as none of them heard him enter the call
"Qrow-" Winter was immediately cut off as Qrow continued to speak, voice becoming more and more furious with each syllable until it reached a roar of uncontrolled anger
"Corvid lost her eye Winter! She is lying in a hospital bed blaming herself, because she thinks she should have been able to hold the line against Pantheon! But this isn't Corey's mistake is it Winter? IT'S YOURS! I TOLD YOU THAT PROJECT SNARE SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED! IF YOU HAD JUST LEFT WELL ENOUGH ALONE THEN PANTHEON WOULD STILL BE BURIED IN THE NO MANS' LAND BETWEEN VALE AND VACCUO! ELDRITCH WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO USE POLY-TECH TO WORK ON THE PROJECT! ARCADIA WOULD STILL BE STANDING AND OUR NIECE WOULDN'T HAVE NEARLY BEEN KILLED WITH A FUCKING TRIDENT LAST NIGHT!"
"For what it's worth I'm sorry" Winter offered "The intention was always to make Remnant a safer place for everyone, thousands of lives could be saved every year-"
"And sacrifices have to be made" Qrow spat bitterly
"Qrow" Gangrel warned "This was a tragedy, but don't ever try and act like we put Corvid in harms' way on purpose" the older man still visibly shook with rage though he took several breaths to calm himself before speaking
"Glynda won't be joining us, she has to address the students" an apology was notable in its' absence though in truth neither Winter or Gangrel truly expected one "So why don't you two tell me that you've managed to do something useful and that last night wasn't a total catastrophe"
"My operative in Arcadia covertly assisted in the defence and evacuation procedures" Gangrel growled, growing annoyed with Qrow's tone though still understanding the mans' vitriol "It gives us a lot more information to work with, we know how this Pantheon thing attacks, we know how it thinks and fights and how it directs other Grimm….My operative is also making headway on Eldritch; we're almost certain we know where he's hiding and are working on a way to detain him with minimal casualties"
"Where is he, I'll kill him myself" Qrow snarled bitterly
"You'll die trying" Antonia chided him with equal force
"There's also the matter of Project Legacy" Winter stated, getting the attention of all present before promptly explaining "The Grimm destroying the SDC refinery is a cover story; reports indicate that the refinery was in fact detonated prior to the Grimm's breach of the walls"
"You think that Oz sent Project Legacy to Arcadia?" Antonia asked with some confusion "Why?"
"Another attempted retrieval?" Gangrel offered
"No" Qrow stroked his bears as he considered "Eldritch hasn't been able to build a Grimm containment unit, that's why he had Project Legacy intercept yours….this wasn't a recovery, this was a distraction to make sure our forces were split and that the Grimm could get through Arcadia. That's why the Hunters heading there were targeted, to reduce resistance"
"But wait" Antonia gasped, fully capable of following the logical inferences yet being far more terrified by the answers they provided than her more battle hardened companions "Oz is trying to lead this sentient Grimm to him; that means it's-"
"Heading for the capital" Qrow confirmed "Exactly"
"But now we know what the plan is, which means we're more prepared to stop it" Winter assured her
"Preparations are already being made" Qrow promised
"Good" Gangrel growled, claws of his cybernetic hand flexing "We can't go back to how things were, we can't put Pantheon back where we found it….but we can make damn sure things don't get any worse" it was a sentiment that all present wholeheartedly agreed with and with that in mind each of them set about their tasks to ensure that the plans of the corrupted Wizard never came to fruition.
The news that the treasonous and demented scientist Doctor Ozymandias Eldritch was hiding in a secret bunker beneath the club that Rhodium Torchwick had taken as his base of operations had come as a blow to Kafsi Asteri; the nightclub was open seven nights a week and the hours it was closed were during daylight hours which, when one considered the venues' location meant that the streets around it would be crowded; rendering a stealthy solution largely untenable. The use of naked force was likewise unsuitable even if her commanding officer Gangrel Slate would allow it, the bunker which Ozymandias's lair inhabited was designed to, and in fact had, weathered a Grimm incursion which was to say nothing of the complications posed by both the civilians filling the nightclub and the presence of Torchwick's underlings who were always heavily armed; there was then the threat posed by Torchwick and to a far greater extent Project Legacy or Ozymandias themselves, Kafsi had seen the reports of what the Scientist had been able to do in Atlas and was under no delusions about their ability to apprehend the traitor in single combat.
Upon relaying this information to her allies within the Kingdom she had been told unequivocally that there would be no chance of acquiring a warrant to search the premises, not that the bunker existed within any official plans or documents regarding the nightclub anyway; Rhodium Torchwick would not allow the centrepiece of his criminal empire to be sullied by a police presence and would have both his remarkably crooked lawyer and the elements within the New Vale Police Department who were on his payroll ensure that all efforts to do so failed, Fawn Bordeaux had explained with utter disgust filled her words.
Kafsi had then been forced to concede that a new angle was required and as such had contacted Gangrel Slate's former operatives; deciding that Team GORE had skills that would make them suited to the kind of task she had in mind.
"This is the place?" Carcharodon rasped into a headset connected to his Scroll. Upon being contacted by the Specialist he and his team had been sent to a decidedly more prestigious area of the Hive City than they would have expected.
"It is" Kafsi assured the Shark Faunus "Though Ignavius Silvertongue keeps an official office in another location, this is where he has all physical copies of his records regarding his clients stored"
"Understood" Carcharodon noted as he took in the sigh before him. The building purported to be a tailoring business, most likely one that had supplied Rhodium Torchwick with many expensive suits though keen Faunus eyes could see that at least one room on the buildings upper floor was an office of some sort.
"You have the floor plan?" Carcharodon hissed into the headset
"I do" Kafsi confirmed, taking a moment to consider the unasked but obvious question "Considering your Semblance your best access point would be the rear left corner of the building, it'll bring you into a storeroom beneath the stairs"
"Understood" Carcharodon said once again before turning his attention to his team-mates
"Hellion, Raffia you're lookouts….have Marauder shriek if anyone suspicious approaches" he then turned to Onyx "I have need of your people skills, let them know you're a Hunter and convince them that you're looking for a suit; just keep them talking and distracted whilst I search and we'll let you know when to leave"
"What if they have cameras?" Onyx asked fairly
"They won't call the police" Raffia noted "They don't want the attention"
"He's right" Carcharodon agreed "Now let's go" Onyx nodded and made his way towards the entrance of the establishment, trying his best to carry himself in away that made it seem as though he were not painfully out of place. With the Puma Faunus at work the remaining members of Team GORE attended to their own tasks, Carcharodon engaging his Semblance and allowing his liquid state to melt into the ground before directing himself towards the rear left corner of the building as Kafsi had instructed; coalescing and reforming inside of a cupboard whose contents he realised, after allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness, included cleaning supplies and other such sundries. Waiting for a few moments longer until he could hear Onyx's gruff and booming voice speaking with the one of the tailors or perhaps their assistant; then he used his Semblance once again and began to travel upwards, seeping through the ceiling and onto the stairs, slithering along the upper floor of the building and into the room he had seen from below was an office
"What am I looking for?" he demanded into the headset as he reformed in a room filled by expensive mahogany furniture and countless books and files
"Use the camera on your Scroll" Kafsi instructed Carcharodon quickly complied and began a video call, using his Scrolls' camera to show the Specialist the contents of the room "Can you pick the locks on that filing cabinet?" she asked as the camera panned over a cabinet in a corner of the office
"With ease" Carcharodon answered, more than a little affronted by the question. Stalking across the room, his Semblance allowing him to move silently as his body muffled its' own sounds he began breaking into the filing cabinet
"Take them all" Kafsi instructed and he did so, emptying the contents of the drawers into a sack which he had kept hidden beneath his hooded cloak
"Good, check the drawers on the desk as well there might be something there" Carcharodon did so, taking more files, a stack of photographs and a sizeable wad of Lien before using Semblance once again, this time to seep in the walls and floor of the building and make his escape with the occupants of the building having never realised he was inside. Once outside again he gestured for Hellion and Raffia to join him and addressed the Dragonfly Faunus first
"Contact Onyx" Hellion simply sent a message to their friend and a few moments later several crashes and loud booming noises could be heard from within the establishment, closely followed by Onyx being ejected by a furious looking tailor
"I had a coughing fit, must have been the fabrics" the Puma Faunus chuckled; the idea of just what Onyx's Semblance would do to the interior of such an upmarket and fancy business drawing faint smiles from the rest of Team GORE
"Raffia" Carcharodon nodded to the office which he had just looted and the diminutive Axolotl Faunus quickly produced and lit a Molotov cocktail, hurling it through the window and setting fire to the office.
"What are you doing?" Kafsi demanded
"Covering our tracks" Carcharodon rasped, his tone implying that he felt it should be obvious "Our quarry are many things but they are not fools. Torchwick will know that we've robbed him but now he wont' know exactly what was taken, which means he doesn't know how much you know….it gives you more freedom"
"Well done" Kafsi nodded, accepting that it was a well reasoned move; if a little crude "Return to my base of operations, I'll contact you again when we have a plan of action in place"
"Come" Carcharodon gestured to his team as he ended the call, setting off in the general direction of the disused watchtower which the Specialist had made her residence.
What none of them saw was a curtain twitching across the road as a deeply worried gang member hid themselves from view and began making calls even as the building opposite them began to burn. Rhodium Torchwick was indeed not a fool and following the spree of attacks both legal and otherwise against his businesses had seen fit to put one of his lackeys to work keeping an eye on his lawyers' secondary office. Said lackey had been hiding from view ever since Team GORE had arrived due to the fact they had only recently been released from North Vale Correctional Facility and almost two years ago had been part of a gang paid by Torchwick to handle a certain Dragonfly Faunus who had crossed the mobster; the lackey would never forget the face of Hellion Eudialyte after she had put him on a life support machine for six months.
The students of Halo Academy had come together and unified in the wake of the fall of Arcadia; the news that some of their own had been at the forefront of the fighting and were currently laying injured in the campus medical wing had been sobering to say the least; though the true scale of the horror had been keenly felt during the first lesson of the day when Wisteria Bone of Team GLOW burst in tears and ran out of the classroom, her team-mates had learned the cause of their friends' breakdown and soon the word had spread to the other students, Wisteria Plum was a native of Arcadia and had been unable to contact either of her parents since the Grimm had breached the settlement. By the end of the day 'Do it for Wisteria' had become a rallying cry amongst the students who had begun petitioning their teachers to be allowed to take part in the relief efforts and whilst many of the Professors at Halo Academy had been immensely proud of their young charges dedication, with Nora going so far as to hug one particularly vocal student, finding graffiti that declared anyone opposing their intentions as a traitor to the Kingdom and several students trying to coerce Bull-Head pilots to take them to what remained of Arcadia had been considered a step too far.
Then Professor Goodwitch had summoned all first, second and third year students for an announcement in the amphitheatre and the mood within the campus shifted, many students being worried that they may have unintentionally put their futures at risk with some of their particularly fiery rhetoric.
"What do you think it's gonna be?" Eagle murmured as Team FADE found seats "I mean I know it's gonna be about Arcadia but what do you think she's gonna say?"
"I honestly don't know" Felix mumbled, the Lion Faunus had been forlorn all day; choosing not to attend lessons and refusing meals and although Eagle could perfectly understand, seeing family wounded was always a horrible experience and one that she had lived through far too many times with the amount of Hunters in her family, she still attempted to lift his spirits and make sure he didn't begin to neglect himself
"Probably just gonna tell us to keep out of it and not interfere" Arctus noted with clear irritation; as well Corvid's injuries the loss of the lives of so many SDC employees had stung the Bear Faunus deeply, the company had after all had progressed immeasurably from its' time under the control of Jacques Schnee and even the higher ups within the company were encouraged to consider their fellow employees as part of a large extended family. Even Arctus, who had never had any interest in taking the reigns of his families' business knew many of the plant managers from branches all over Remnant by name and had met their families at various formal events.
"Hey" Diamond gently nudged his shoulder before leaning against it "Even if we can't go and help directly we can find out where the supplies for the relief effort are being shipped from and help out there….It's not all about killing Grimm"
"No but that's the part we really wanna do right now" Felix chuckled darkly, knuckled cracking as he spoke.
"Shh, shh Goodwitch is here" Eagle silenced them all hurriedly as the Headmistress marched out onto the stage, surveying her students from over her glasses with her customary sternness before speaking into a microphone; her calm but firm oratory ensuring that all conversation died out instantly
"As I'm sure you are all aware, a great tragedy as befallen the Kingdom of New Vale. To the north of us, Arcadia; one of the largest settlements' within our territory as fallen to the Creatures of Grimm" she paused for a moment allowing the severity of the situation to sink in for anyone who had been somehow unaware "And I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of the response from the student in response to these events"
"Wait for it" Arctus muttered, arms folding across his chest
"This is why" Goodwitch's voice continued to fill the amphitheatre "Two days from now second and third year students will be deployed to lend their aid to our Kingdoms', frankly stretched defences. I apologise for the limited notice you are being given but time is of the essence. Are there any questions?"
"What kind of help are we giving?" Arctus barked out, hand flying into the air as he spoke; his pale sapphire eyes wide with open disbelief at what he was hearing
"A fair question Mister Slate" Goodwitch answered, nodding in recognition "You will find yourselves aiding qualified Hunters in important tasks such as bolstering the nearby mining settlements and combing the surrounding area to ensure that no further attacks on our people take place; you will be serving aboard vessels transporting refugees to the other Kingdoms and representing Halo Academy to Remnant as a whole, you will be escorting engineers and the like into what remains of Arcadia to assess the damage and what can be saved"
"Holy shit" Diamond breathed, eager to make a difference in any way that she could. Another hand flew into the air and Team FADE could each tell by the heavy bracelet that was Gemini Kong's collapsed form adorning the limb that the hand belonged to Amethyst Wukong
"Miss Wukong?" Goodwitch allowed her to speak, the Faunus's previous failings and indiscretions forgotten in the face of a far more important threat
"Only second and third years?" Amethyst demanded "That's bullshit, what about the rest of us?" there was a collective intake of breath from the assembled students at the sheer temerity of this first year.
"I will overlook your language on this occasion considering the circumstances" Goodwitch answered sternly "Many of our Fourth Year students are yet to return from their final missions and cannot be recalled, those that are presently on campus are in no fit state to return to the field. As for First Years, which I assume to be your primary concern Miss Wukong….You are simply not experienced enough for missions of this magnitude; these may be desperate times but I will not send my students to the slaughter" the use of such visceral language from such a stoic individual was enough to rob the impending storm of counterarguments of their momentum, though there was still some disgruntled muttering from First Year students who wanted to play a more active role; their Headmistress it seemed was unusually willing to compromise and made a suggestion
"Those First Years who wish to contribute to the relief effort will still be able to do so; in the atrium I will have the requisite paperwork to join the numerous charity and Council-funded efforts to provide essential supplies to those displaced by the fall of Arcadia, any of you who apply will be recommended to the relevant officials by myself. Are there any other questions?"
"Goodwitch took your idea" Arctus noted, squeezing Diamond's hand gently
"Yeah….Uh what about our assignments and stuff? We're gonna miss a lot of classes-" the speaker trailed off, silenced by a cacophony of outraged backlash from their fellow students; Felix was almost certain he saw the student behind them prepare to punch the speaker in the back of the head for their perceived cowardice before being stopped.
"A valid question" Goodwitch asserted firmly, making it clear to all that any attempt to harass this student over their concerns would be punished severely "Your assignments and test results for the rest of the year will be adjusted accordingly, in effect these deployments will serve as an additional training mission in regards to your grading. Now if there are no more questions, there are things that I must attend to" the students understood themselves to be dismissed though even as Goodwitch retreated from the stage many of them remained to shocked to move; the dull buzz of conversation began to fill the amphitheatre once again as the students discussed their upcoming missions
"So, what do you think we're gonna get?" Diamond asked
"Oh I hope we're on the Grimm patrol" Felix snarled, his eagerness to seek revenge against the monsters in Corvid's name all too apparent
"Kinda wanna help the engineers" Arctus sighed "I don't want to see what happened, but I think I need to….what about you?"
"Honestly I wouldn't mind getting the refugees somewhere safe; that's what's important….there's plenty of settlements on Anima that could take 'em" Diamond's words made Eagle's mind race and her crimson eyes narrowed as they scanned the crowd; only to widen as she realised that she couldn't find Team GORE anywhere.
Sleep was utterly beyond Corvid Xiao Long that night, though being as obstinate and immovable as she was, she continued to try anyway despite the plummeting, roiling sensations in her stomach every time she made to rub her eyes only to feel the absence that bandages and padding failed to hide. Team FADE had visited her following the announcement that Professor Goodwitch had given to the majority of the students, her brother and his team vowing to rain fiery vengeance on the Grimm on her behalf which had admittedly made her chuckle; many of the students who were native to Patch or had attended Signal Academy had come to see her, though many had been turned away. Team CLIR had been just as much of an immovable rock in their support as Corvid herself was noted for being; each of them clearly suffering from their own, admittedly lesser injuries but refusing to leave her side until Corvid herself asked them to, stating that the sight of them sharing too-small chairs or trying to sleep on the medical wing floor was simply depressing. A small silver lining had come when Iris had informed Corvid that the majority of the Omega Wing, damaged and desecrated as it was, had been salvaged from the battlefield; though that was small comfort to Corvid now when her head pounded incessantly and the various medications that she had been forced to take left her more sickened than even her own reflection currently did.
She was given respite from her misery when the door to her room opened
"I came as soon as I heard" a hulking figure slipped inside, their vibrant greenish yellow eyes shining in what little light from the broken moon seeped into the room "What did that monster do to you?"
"What's the matter, am I not pretty any more?" Corvid snorted as she propped herself up on the bed and took in the sight of Onyx Ursabane; even in the gloom he appeared a broken shell of his usual self
"You look every part the fighter you've always been and your scars would be a badge of honour among my people" the Puma Faunus assured her before making his way over to the bed, his deep voice cracking and sounding impossibly fragile as he added "And you're still beautiful"
"Sweet talker" Corvid laughed, a noise of surprise escaping her a moment later when Onyx knelt beside the bed and pulled her close to him, strong arms enveloping her and his face nuzzling into her neck; her surprise only deepened upon realising that the Faunus was sobbing as he held her
"I am so sorry" he cried, words muffled but still clearly discernable "This is my fault, I should've-"
"No" Corvid interrupted firmly, pulling him back and resting her forehead against his "We're not doing this, we're just not. This isn't Lux's fault for following orders and leaving me behind, this isn't Uncle Qrow's fault for not getting there fast enough, it isn't Fluffy's fault for not disobeying orders and following the Professors, it isn't Aunt Weiss's fault for not having Whitley double the amount of Hunters in Arcadia and it's not your fault either, got it?"
"It is" Onyx disagreed with a shake of the head "Your team-mates told us what happened….Team GORE fought the Grimm that calls itself Pantheon during our last mission; if we'd managed to kill it then you wouldn't have been injured, you were hurt because I was weak"
"Okay fuck it, if we're playing this game" Corvid shrugged "I should have killed the damn thing, I was hurt because I was weak, the Arcadian Garrison was almost wiped out because I was weak, all those people who lost their homes or died, that was because I was weak too….Wanna keep going Onyx, I'll sit here and beat myself up all night if you wanna make it competitive?" Onyx pulled back, taking a moment to simply stare at Corvid in awe; she was resolute and unbreakable to the end and the Puma Faunus silently promised that he would have the same indomitable spirit for as long as he could manage, eventually taking her hands in his and tenderly kissing her bruised knuckles
"I love you" he whispered "And I know you have your own destiny to follow but I wish things could be different"
"I love you too" she admitted it freely as she tangled her hands in shaggy midnight black hair and pulled him close again "And who knows, maybe once we've both graduated and things don't seem so crazy….maybe we can give things another go"
"I would wait a thousand years if I had to" Onyx promised her so earnestly that Corvid couldn't keep the smile from her face but soon found herself gently cupping his cheeks as she chided him
"Don't you dare wait for me if you find another chance to be happy-"
"There won't be; not like you" Onyx's padded fingers gently ran through her hair which cascaded around her shoulders and Corvid's heart hammered at the gentle contact and at that moment there was only one thing that she truly wanted
"Stay here tonight" she whispered, tugging at his arm and gesturing to the space in the bed beside her; Onyx complied with haste and clambered into the hospital bed which was admittedly too small for the two of them and within a few moments the two of them were wrapped around each other in a comfortable tangle of limbs with Corvid's head resting on Onyx's chest as contented purring sounds reverberated within the Faunus's chest
"Wipe the grin off your face" Corvid chuckled as she interlaced her fingers with his "I'm not gonna fuck you tonight"
Much like his sister Felix Xiao Long found sleep completely and utterly beyond his grasp as the thoughts cascading through his mind refused to allow him a moment of peace; his concerns for Corvid and the twisting feeling deep in his gut that came with thinking about her injuries in conjunction with an electrifying mixture of apprehension of bloodthirsty eagerness for his teams' upcoming mission had left him unable to sit still for any amount of time and with first Team NEON and then the rest of Team FADE turning in for the night the Lion Faunus was left at something of a loose end.
Which explained how he had come to be jogging around the outer perimeter of the gargantuan anti-gravity platform that formed the campus of Halo Academy in the dead of night; hood pulled over his face to protect his ears from the biting cold that his hair was no longer long enough to shield him from whilst his breath misted in front of his face with each gasping pant, the icy air beginning to feeling like shards of glass as he exerted himself. Eventually he found himself at the rear of the campus and neared the coliseum like training area to the rear of the academy whose built in hard-light and hologram projectors as well as a plethora of drones linked to its' operating systems served to make it a versatile tool; capable of simulating a vast array of situations that the lecture hall in which Nora often taught her combat classes was simply unequipped for. Felix intended to take few moment to catch his breath before either returning to his dormitory or possibly using the privileges extended to older students to activate a training simulation in order to thoroughly exhaust himself, he was however surprised to find upon entering the coliseum that the hard-light and hologram projectors were already in use and in a configuration that Felix had not seen before.
The snow coating the ground had the faintest blue cast to its' surface and the rippling of the water was not quite what one would expect to see but overall the illusion of a small stream whose water was filled with some form of bioluminescent life running alongside a mountain whose peak was far beyond the limits of what the arena could produce and simply vanished into mist was a convincing one; Felix stepped onto the raised platform of the area, a small boulder flickering as he came into contact with it showing him that this landscape was created solely for its' appearance rather than any practical use and paying more attention he saw a shape in the water that was revealed to be he robed and motionless form of Carcharodon Gore, the Shark Faunus was wearing the five pointed crown of the Frost River Tribe as he sat cross legged in the water, or rather Felix noted with a shock, sitting on the water as if it were a solid object
"So is that a glitch or can you just do that?" he called out by way of greeting, Carcharodon slowly turned toward him; rising to his feet and removing the crown that obscured part of his face as he did so. Felix noted that the Shark Faunus sank below the artificial water as he did began to wade towards the edge of the stream
"I was meditating" Carcharodon noted pointedly, the water once again proving itself to be a simulation as it failed to slosh around him as he stepped onto dry landscape
"And that let's you walk on water?" Felix asked, suddenly genuinely curious
"Apparently not" the Shark Faunus gestured to his pants which were soaked almost to knee "When I reach a certain point of clarity it's like a weight lifts….apparently not just metaphorically, I suspect it's something to do with my Semblance"
"Like oil on water" Felix added, nodding in understanding "So you can't sleep either?"
"Evidently"
"You heard about the missions right? Nobody saw you at the announcement"
"We were away from campus and couldn't return in time" Carcharodon answered simply, choosing not to offer any explanation before changing the subject "We encountered Team CLIR when we returned….I'm sorry to hear about your sister"
"Thanks" Felix felt a shudder pass through his body that was nothing to do with the cold and his voice dropped to a suddenly hoarse whisper "I could have lost her"
"Fate was merciful" Carcharodon nodded and something about his tone prompted Felix to look more closely at him before things seemed to click into place in his mind
"Your older sister?" he asked "The one that led your team before you….what was she like?"
"I…." Carcharodon trailed off, his pitch black eyes wider than Felix could remember seeing them; the Shark Faunus equally hushed as he added "In all the time we've been here no-one has ever asked"
"Seriously?" Felix exclaimed before he could stop himself, Carcharodon didn't seem to mind and was consumed by his own thoughts for a moment
"Mizu was everything a Captain of the Frost River Tribe is supposed to be" he rasped "Wise enough to know when to trade and when to simply take, decisive, cunning, fearless and a fighter without equal….She also had a singing voice like a tortured animal and would neglect the supplies we needed when we raided if she saw toys for the children that she could take….And I worry every day that she would hate me for the path I've taken"
"She'd know that you've changed because you had to and honestly I think she'd see that you're happier now" Felix assured him before adding, as the thought occurred to him "She sounds kinda like Corey in a way"
"In a way" Carcharodon nodded, given a rare genuine smile of the kind that didn't bare his teeth "By my ancestors….did you ever think that this is where we would end up when we first met each other"
"When we first met you were trying to steal a warships' weapons and then trying to kill us; I wasn't exactly thinking long term" Felix pointed out with a chuckle "But I could go kick the crap out of Raffia for old times' sake?"
"I'm sure you would make a valiant effort" Carcharodon laughed softly, compelled to defend his team-mates' honour even if Felix's comment were a joke.
"Hey Car" Felix spoke slowly, unsure of what compelled him "Good luck man, whatever your mission ends up being, take care out there….And if you see Pantheon again, cut the fucking things' head off"
"I fully intend to" Carcharodon assured him, the grin that accompanied this statement being filled with serrated fangs "And good fortune to you too Felix….Something tells me that we will all need it"
Authors Notes:
So another chapter down, and now we're getting close the finale of Vol.8
Five more chapters left, two for the missions, two for the finale and then one for the wrap-up.
Remember that this only the middle volume of third year as well….I've got the set piece Grimm for the Vol.9 finale already planned and oh boy.
Anyway, let's summarise shall we:
I know it feels like I use words to the effect "They woke up and everything hurt" for someone after every major battle but here's the thing….Y'all ever had the shit kicked out of you? I mean thoroughly by half a dozen guys with brass knuckles and work boots; I have, that shit hurts and it's the absolute least painful equivalent I can think of to the situations the Hunters find themselves in.
Corey is a leader to the core, she thinks of herself last.
Reminder that Eagle and Felix and Corvid are actually related.
Yeah the failure of Arcadia is gonna be something that haunts Corvid for a while.
So Pantheon has had their forces split up into smaller, normal sized packs to avoid detection….and for another reason.
Arcadia was bad but it wasn't a total massacre; Qrow figuring out the attack was coming and Kafsi optimising the defenders strategy behind the scene probably saved thousands of lives.
So Felix is officially gonna have his tail replaced at some point, probably Vol.9; also Corvid's comment about it being a family tradition was fucked up….but kinda funny.
So yeah, Corey got kinda wrecked.
Seriously Ruby turns into a bad-ass when duty calls and it must kill Syneffo knowing that she doesn't get to see that side of her when they train.
Kids: no tact, no chill, no fucks given.
I had to pull the Hal 5000 reference there, there was no other choice.
So there's where Syneffo is at mentally right now; homesick, crisis of faith, loss of identity and questioning herself on pretty much every level….So the question is, how long until she does something stupid?
Summer-Pyrrha Rose is ballsy as fuck, she just called the literal warrior Princess (Though the Nikosi don't use the title) a Doofus.
Also, Syneffo's comment gives a little more insight into life with the Nikosi and you can rest assured that both her and Helios can do all of those things she said.
Gotta admit, Syneffo has kinda got a right to be annoyed at being kept on the sidelines, she's far from useless even without her Silver Eyes and her Semblance is one that could save a lot of people fleeing Arcadia on their own.
People from the Anima Tribes seem to make great teachers...Especially if they're the brooding types.
If you don't want to beat them to death with a stick are they even your siblings?
The fall of Arcadia is pretty much an international incident, its' biggest industry was one that Atlas had a massive stake in.
I feel like Antonia feels utterly out of place in the secret society and honestly she should do, everyone else is a Hunter with decades of experience of combat and covert operations; she's an Arc but she's not a fighter.
Qrow can do a Batman entrance via Skype, let that sink in.
Okay, Qrow went off there but come on he's not exactly wrong; he did warn Winter that Project Snare would have massive consequences, possibly even a civil war if it worked and she went ahead with it for the greater good, and now his niece is paying for it….he's got a right to be pissed"
Seriously Qrow would die within half a second if he went after Oz directly.
So Pantheon is heading for New Vale proper, which you all already knew but now the characters are starting to figure it out as well; so looks like the finale is gonna be fun.
Admit it, Oz siding with Torchwick and holing up in plain sight under the club was a stroke of genius; it limits pretty much any options to come after him.
Of course Kafsi used Team GORE for a stealth op/Breaking and entering.
So Kafsi now has all of Torchwick's lawyers documents.
And also Torchwick is gonna find out who it is that's going after him real fast.
Seriously, Hunter Academies are filled exclusively with people that actively head towards the most messed up situations imaginable; of course some of the students would try and strong arm a pilot to take them into a war-zone.
Considering she grew up with her Grandparents Eagle has almost certainly seen most of her Aunts in some state of injury.
The idea of Arctus having met some of the SDC employees who worked in Arcadia didn't occur to me until I was writing the scene but it makes sense.
Diamond as always is the voice of reason.
Fair to say that none of the students were expecting that.
So yeah, right as Pantheon's horde is coming for the capital the students are being sent away.
Was there anywhere else that Onyx was going to go, other than to Corey?
Honestly, I toyed with the idea of Onyx and Amethyst hooking up at some point but I think I've started shipping Air-Raid more than I intended to.
Yes he purrs.
So Carcharodon meditates out in the freezing cold and has programmed the training simulator to make a rough copy of the Frost River….Or at least gotten someone else to do it.
He can also walk on water, to a very limited extent….for the moment.
So I felt like it was time to officially put any lingering animosity between Felix and Carcharodon to bed and having them bond over their sisters seemed to be a good way to do it.
Thinking Raffia is a bit of a dick will never change though.
Thank you to SumoSnipe and DizzyDwarf for their reviews on the last chapter.
Glad you liked the demolition and the violence.
Yeah Felix is gonna beat himself up, Corey is gonna beat herself up…..They're Blake and Yang's kids, they learned from the best.
Exactly, Nickel could have used the Booster in her system to power up her Photon weapons and wiped out the Hunters from a distance, she specifically went for the most violent and bloody methods available because she's sadistic.
Corey its something of a child prodigy, remember that Winter offered her a chance to join the Atlesian Specialists.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.