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I am making no money from this.
Chapter 133: The Interview
"Holy shit dude" Diamond breathed out, her awed and unusually yet unabashedly nervous tone enough to snap Felix out of his silent and dazed stupor as he stared at the building in front of him.
Team FADE had come to the head office of Styx and Stones Industrial and suddenly the preparations that the four of them had gone through in the weeks since being offered an interview seemed entirely inadequate.
Arctus had warned them from the offset that a company being contracted by the Schnee Dust Company to build an entire mining town and all of the necessary infrastructure would be no small affair, a sentiment echoed by Lux Lumière of Team CLIR when Felix had informed Corvid of the good news; his sisters' partner informing Team FADE that his own families' business had worked with Styx and Stones Industrial before and that they company worked on a vast scale. Arctus and Eagle were familiar with the unsubtle corporate displays of egotism that were a multi-billion Lien companies' head office, being the children of the women running the SDC and Poly-Tech respectively but even they were unable to help themselves from feeling a little intimidated and overwhelmed by the building; or more accurately what lay within and what it could mean for their futures.
The Building was huge by most standards, though it was dwarfed by the Hive Towers which formed much of the housing and commercial districts of inner city New Vale. Styx and Stones Industrial had built their head office at the centre of a vast industrial estate which the company owned the entirety of and had its' own dedicated monorail station and landing pads which gave those approaching the building which stood at a height comparable to a large apartment block or small skyscraper a feel of entering a separate jurisdiction, as if the company was its' own fiefdom within the industrial sector of the city dedicated to producing everything that they would ever require to continue their operations.
"Okay we can do this, we're gonna do this" Felix asserted, as much to instil confidence in himself as his friends "Come on let's go" without further ado he led them towards the entrance, Diamond and Arctus managing to make themselves look calm and unflappable whilst Felix's body language spoke of extreme tension and Eagle had suddenly become a ball of uncontrollably jittery energy, stammering as she greeted the stern-faced security guards at the entrance. The reception area was vast and pristine with countless busy and self important individuals wearing expensive suits hurrying though it into other parts of the building, though there were several other men and women and worn, stained and dusty looking work clothes sat in chairs around the periphery waiting to be seen and whose presence seemed reassuring to Team FADE somehow; eventually they reached the reception desk where a woman who could hardly have been older than the students themselves ceased typing and peered over her glasses at them with only mild curiosity
"Hi, I'm Felix Xiao Long of Team FADE; Halo Academy….We have a nine o'clock appointment with a Miss Teak-"
"Okay let me just check" the secretary replied, giving the four of them a quick once over and deciding that the four individuals clad in, the exception of Arctus far less expensive suits that were the norm who were all paragons of physical fitness and two of whom bore state of the art cybernetic limbs were almost certainly who they claimed to be
"Okay, you're on the system can I just see some identification please?" the secretary asked, deciding that protocol still had to be followed; each of Team FADE promptly produced their Scrolls and displayed their Huntsmen licenses which confirmed that they were in fact students of Halo Academy
"Thank you very, Miss Teak will be waiting for you in room fourteen sixteen, that's floor fourteen room sixteen, it'll be on your right"
"Thank you" Felix managed a weak smile before leading his team towards an elevator and taking several deep, slow breaths as it ascended; the ride was short and utterly silent as the four of them struggled to master their nerves. Once disembarking they entered a carpeted corridor lined on both sides with what were presumably offices and whose walls were covered in charts and notices, though they didn't have to search for their destination as tall, middle aged woman wearing a sharply cut suit with prominent shoulders waited for them in a doorway and it seemed obvious that she was the woman who would be conducting their interview
"Miss Teak, good morning" Felix held out a hand which was promptly shook
"Mister Xiao Long you and your associates are a little early, good" the woman a tone and overall bearing that was not dissimilar to Professor Goodwitch and that realisation managed to calm Felix as he and his friends entered the office and took their places in the seats arranged in front a sturdy desk, lined with countless documents.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" Miss Teak offered
"No thank you" they chorused, the older woman sat down and began to slowly and deliberately sift through the paperwork on her desk before finding the relevant articles
"You applied for a security escort role with one of our preliminary research and survey teams" she began slowly, pausing to double check some details "And I must say I was initially very impressed with the weight of your experience as students, whilst not an exact match for the job you've taken several missions that would give you suitable experience and you provided plenty of easily checkable references….although that did give me a reason for concern to be quite honest"
"Perhaps we can explain?" Felix offered, trying to keep his expression neutral as his stomach clenched with sudden fear
"Well let's start with your first year missions" Miss Teak murmured "Your initial outing with a professional Hunter was overseen by a Mister Scarlatina, whom I understand is Miss Arc's Uncle; your second mission was overseen by Penny Rose who you Mister Xiao Long are related to and your third was overseen by a Mister Tan who I understand was a member of the seam team of Hunters as Mister Slate's father, these are all matters of record. One of your Second Year missions involved working for the SDC which Mister Slate stands to inherit and one of your Third Year missions is difficult to gain any accurate reviews of owing to one of the Hunters overseeing it being a wanted criminal….you see my concerns regarding traceability and impartiality"
"So you're assuming that our families are all lying?" Eagle asked through clenched teeth, taking the open suspicion as an insult of the worst kind; Felix gave her a look that was both a warning and a silent plea before Diamond spoke up and took charge of the situation
"I understand your concerns Miss Teak, I was confused myself when I came to New Vale and saw that all the Hunters all seem to be related to each other" she gave a small smile and added "I mean Felix and Eagle are actually related and didn't even realise it until the Academy….It doesn't seem fair to hold those missions against us when we didn't chose who we would be shadowing"
"A fair comment" the older woman accepted, allowing herself a small smile in response to the comment about Eagle and Felix "There is also the matter of Arctus having a criminal record in Atlas"
"That was a….misunderstanding" the Bear Faunus winced, quickly trying to find a way to explain the situation away or turn it into an advantage "We were looking into the kidnapping of Antonia Arc….which I'm sure you can understand and I unintentionally interfered with the work of Atlesian Specialist operating in New Vale at the time. I would also like to note that my community service was served on an Atlesian military vessel where I took part in several anti-Grimm operations including the destruction of Spawning Pits"
"Certainly understandable" their interviewer nodded, quickly re-evaluating her position on the matter "And proactive that's good, you'll be required to think on your feet for this kind of work. Tell me, what other experience do you have that you think would make you a suitable fit for the role?"
"Patch has relaxed laws on Huntsman licensing and activity" Felix began "I've been helping keep Grimm populations down in the forests since I was fifteen"
"Without oversight?"
"Occasionally my older sister, although she was still a student at the time"
"Interesting" Miss Teak noted that particular detail down
"We've fought in every major Grimm incursion into the city for the last few years" Diamond added quietly, her gaze darting to her own cybernetic left hand which protruded from the sleeve of her jacket
"The Exclusion Zone was left essentially unmonitored and a Grimm spawning pit was allowed to grow inside of it, meaning that by any fair standards it would be comparable to an uninhabited area like the one in which we would be operating in for this job. Taking out large Grimm with little to no support has become something of a speciality of ours, it's how we managed to keep the Hydrakken from levelling half of the city until Ruby Rose could arrive"
"The Hydrakken?" Miss Teak cocked her head in confusion before comprehension dawned on her "That giant three-headed monster? You fought that thing? That's pretty….Oh my Oum I'm sorry" she trailed off, her clipped voice rising an octave as she caught sight of Diamond's mechanical appendage and made the obvious connection
"It's fine….risks of the job right" she shrugged and Felix watched as Arctus surreptitiously slipped a hand under the desk to gently give her a reassuring squeeze.
"Well um, experience aside" Miss Teak cleared her throat and tried to get herself back on track "Can you explain to me why exactly you want the mission?"
"Two reasons" Felix nodded "You haven't exactly promoted the project as such but the mining settlement that you're planning to build is being called the 'New Arcadia'….my sister fought at Arcadia"
"The second reason is to do with our thesis, the one we'll be submitting as part of our finals" Eagle quickly added
"Would you care to explain further"
"It's to do with studying higher intelligence in Grimm" Arctus began, Felix nodded and took the lead, taking on a slower and more deliberate tone than he was used to using as he explained the premise
"The amount of large scale Grimm incursions has been increasing; just looking at the last few years is enough to show that. Each of those attacks has been for lack of a better word 'orchestrated' by a single Grimm capable of leading thousands of others, of various species in something that both current migration and pack behaviour studies don't accurately explain. We think that the Grimm may be slowly getting smarter and we want to test that theory. A mission to a largely undisturbed location where Grimm encounters are likely would be useful for research"
"I see….that make a frightening amount of sense" Miss Teak nodded, her eyes holding the distant and fearful expression that those outside of the Hunter community developed when the subject of the Grimm was raised. After a moment she refocused herself
"Do you have any questions that you would like to ask?"
"I understand that it's hard to put a schedule on these kind of things but do you have an estimate for how long this mission will be?" Felix grinned sheepishly "We have a lot of assignments to work on, studying to do and training for the Vytal Tournament"
"Oh it shouldn't run to more than a couple of weeks" Miss Teak laughed
"And who would we be working alongside?" Eagle added cautiously "Will there be any other Hunters present?"
"No" Miss Teak shook her head "You'll operating alongside and liaising with a security firm that we employ, they will most likely be deploying several experienced individuals alongside a mechanised element"
"Understood" Felix nodded, fighting to keep the bad taste out of his mouth as he, along with the rest of Team FADE realised that these experienced individuals, if not Hunters were likely simple mercenaries.
"Thank you for coming in today, it's been interesting and I'm sure the company will be in touch" Teak held out a hand to Felix; sensing that there were no further questions and dismissing the students
"Thank you for your time" Felix replied, shaking the hand and lead Team FADE out of the office and back towards the elevator. The moment the doors slid closed Diamond breathed out a long sigh
"Dude that was intense!"
"You think we've got a chance?" Eagle asked, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other; Felix gave a nervous shrug and turned to his cousin
"We gave it our best try, it's out of our hands now….Arctus you speak corporate, what do ya think?" the Bear Faunus's bright blue eyes seemed to light up as he flashed a toothy grin
"I think we nailed it"
Ruby received several nods and waves of recognition as she made her way back from walking the twins to school, the cape that had been almost as iconic as Crescent Rose itself and allowing her to be seen by anyone she approached; though it was refreshing to her that those who had made Menagerie their home regarded the legendary Huntress seemingly no differently from any other of Port Alistair's defenders.
She had taken what was jokingly called the scenic route by the locals as she made her way home, one she would not bring the twins along for despite how minimal the risk was in reality; the route involved walking along the ramparts of the cities' perimeter wall and taking in the view. Where once Menagerie had been blasted and barren rock left desolate and inhospitable by almost a century of Grimm infestation and thorough bombing it was now covered in farmland as far as the eye could see owing to the efforts of some of Remnants most gifted minds working to make it possible and the Spring Maiden using her powers to accelerate the process enough for the farms to provide enough food for the city and several other, smaller settlements on the island; establishing a trade network on what would undoubtedly go on to become a Kingdom in its' own right one day.
Ruby was interrupted from her thoughts by a voice that managed to sound mocking and sneering even when the speaker didn't intend it to
"Don't like me much do ya buddy?"
Ruby made no attempt to hide her glower as she turned to face her current companion, Nickel Polendina. The androids' consciousness had been returned to her body days prior in a show of good faith on Ruby and Penny's part, though she was still far from being given free reign and her ventures beyond the Rose family home were limited and strictly monitored with her accompanying Ruby to the twins' school being one such outing whilst another had seen her taken into the city by Coco Adel to buy some clothes, simply to stop her from stealing Penny and Ruby's.
Nickel's current look was a vast departure from the baggy sweatsuit she had once worn and included black skinny jeans which had been artistically ripped in several places with a pair of almost comically overblown spiked knee-pads worn over them, the jeans were tucked into a pair of heavy combat boots with mismatched and vibrantly coloured laces and held up at least half a dozen belts all worn at odd angles. She wore a black corset that was notably similar to something that Ruby herself would have chosen over the top of a dark green hoodie adorned with studded shoulders and a rig across her torso and upper arms containing several pouches and pockets for Dust or other supplies which were currently empty as well as a pair of black fingerless gloves with studded knuckles; her hair had grown out and was currently tied back in a ponytail and had been dyed again, though rather than the platinum colour it had once been her natural copper colour was replaced by a glossy, jet black and streaked with a jarringly vivid highlighter green. The android had also taken to wearing dark make up and those around her were utterly lost as to where she had learned to apply it.
It looked as though she was trying to style herself after a Huntress and Ruby found the idea offensive in light of just how many Hunters Nickel had killed.
"Nope" Ruby admitted bluntly as she answered the androids' question "My uncle can't walk, you've tried to kill my niece and nephew as well Syneffo Nikos, you've killed Oum knows how many other people and you tried to kill my wife and you know what the worst part is Nickel….I know you're not sorry for any of it"
"Should I be?" Nickel shot back, trying to hide a suddenly hurt expression with a bored smirk and dismissive shrug "I was made to be a weapon, put in the fridge for years and then finally let out and told I was still supposed to be a weapon. The fuck else was I supposed to do?" a scathing retort and lecture was on the tip of Ruby's tongue before she halted; realising that any attempts to tell Nickel that she had a soul and was capable of choosing to do the right thing would fall flat as she had never been given any concept of right or wrong with which to make those judgements and the machinery which generated her Aura and provided her with a soul had also been rigged to a powerful explosive, Ruby was forced to admit to herself that Nickel had been a prisoner in her own body and any attempt to do the right thing would have seen her destroyed and the cape-wearing Huntress refused to become so jaded that she would consider that an acceptable situation.
"Well you're free now" she finally growled out, still not quite able to give Nickel any of her usual cheer; the android predictably replied with an amused and derisive snort
"You know what I mean" Ruby continued "You get a fresh start at life here, on the flip-side there's Ozymandias here so you get to make your own decisions but you've got to take responsibility for them….so what kind of person do you want to be?"
"The kind who can go outside and not get shot at by Hunters" Nickel sneered "You're really not getting it, the whole 'heroic speech' and 'super mum' routine just doesn't work on me….doesn't matter what Penny thinks I'm still just a weapon and we both know it. You definitely know it, you would have left me to die if it wasn't for her" the accusation touched a particularly raw nerve for Ruby and made the silver eyed woman look away; she had indeed been willing to simply leave the android who wore her wife's face to perish in New Vale and the realisation that it would have been for entirely selfish reasons and fuelled by anger and hatred had kept her awake for several nights as she tried to pinpoint where exactly that part of her character had changed.
"I disagree" Ruby finally sighed "I think Penny was right….I think you're what Penny could have been if nobody had ever taught her what it meant to be a person-"
"Aww are you gonna give me some power of love and friendship crap-"
"Oum no" Ruby snorted, laughing despite herself "It'd be wasted on you. You're more than a weapon and as soon as you see that you'll grow into who you could be….until then maybe consider at least finding something useful to aim yourself at; the city guard could always use more hands and it might be good for you. Besides you can't just sleep on our sofa forever, especially not when you have an actual bed" the last part was delivered with an amused sigh, Nickel had indeed taken to staying up late at night and watching documentaries on as many subjects as possible to lean about Remnant as a whole until entering her recharge cycle on the sofa; which had amused the twins to no end the first time they had found her
"Maybe" Nickel shrugged again, still clearly not sold on the idea that she could amount to more than the failed experiment she had been designated as. Ruby noticed after a moment that Nickel was no longer looking at her, rather passed her towards the open fields
"You okay?" she asked gently
"Yeah but….it's dumb" the android leaned against the wall and stared sullenly in a way that left Ruby wanting to make a sarcastic comment about teenagers before finally speaking up
"You're gonna say no so it's dumb even asking but….I missed flying, I missed having wings…." she trailed off and Ruby suddenly understood what she needed to do
"Go ahead" she smiled, gesturing to the open space beyond the wall "Flying is definitely fun, go enjoy yourself" Nickel gave her a disbelieving expression that slowly morphed into a gleeful smile as she deployed her wings which unfurled from her back and through holes that had been made in her clothing to accommodate them before hoisting herself onto the perimeter wall of the city and kicking off. Ruby was momentarily stunned by the she sheer speed and acceleration Nickel was capable of as she rocketed through the air; she was briefly concerned and wondered if she would be able to catch the android if she attempted to flee only to have those concerns quashed by a single sound; gleeful childlike laughter escaping Nickel as she pulled herself out of a steep dive and into an aerial backflip.
"Yep" Ruby chuckled to herself, popping the P as she spoke "Definitely a real girl"
"We'll catch up with you two later okay?" Diamond leaned to plant a kiss on Arctus's lips "Later big guy" with that she and Eagle turned and departed. After their job interview which Arctus felt had gone well, yet did not want to become overconfident about the four of of them had piled into the Lightning Bug and Eagle had made the observation that they would have to drive through the busiest areas of the city to return to the academy anyway and they had already been excused from classes so it would be a great time for them to shop for their outfits for the upcoming dance, it was only a matter of weeks away after all. Felix, Arctus and Diamond had agreed and the two pairs were now splitting up and making their way to different tailors and boutiques; with Felix having to remind his cousin that not everybody had access to the absurd amount of Lien that Arctus did and could afford to spend the price of a respectable car on a tuxedo.
"You know where you're going?" Diamond asked, the stores they were making their way through were decidedly more upmarket than where the students usually shopped "I mean no offence but you don't-"
"Dress up like a princess most of the time" Eagle grinned "I know but I've still had weddings and stuff like that to go to because the extended family….besides I thought about really changing my look before I settled on my leather jacket" she added with a shrug
"Can't wear armour over a designer dress though?" Diamond observed with a smirk
"Exactly" Eagle laughed. Eventually the two of them reached the establishment that Eagle had been leading the way towards; one who name was displayed on the door in such an understated way compared to those around it that it could be easily missed, though the products displayed in the windows made it clear that this was far from a problem as the business seemingly catered to a rather exclusive clientele
"Holy Oum Eagle" Diamond breathed out, coming to a halt outside the door "I don't-"
"They do discounts for Hunters and students" Eagle pointed out in a singsong voice "That's why the Arcs have a tab here….Do you know what a family with eight kids spends on outifts when someone gets married" Diamond breathed out a sigh of relief and allowed herself to be led inside.
"Good afternoon ladies, is there anything I can help you with today or are you just browsing" the speaker was a small and doddering old woman with greying hair wearing a suit which managed to make her diminutive stature somehow seem imposing and sported several tape measures and strips of different fabrics draped over her neck and wrapped around her forearms as if put there for safe keeping
"We're looking for outfits for the Halo Academy dance" Eagle explained "If you can put them on the Arc family tab that would be great" the old woman blinked several times
"Oh Eagle dear, it's great to see you….and no armour for a change, I tell you dear it is a little on the difficult side to get accurate measurements when you insist on dressing like you're off to fight a dragon"
"The dragons just don't appreciate a nice outfit though" Eagle gave an exaggerated sigh which made the old woman laugh and Diamond perform a double take, this sarcastic joking was something which always seemed a little out of place coming from the freckled blonde as though she were trying to emulate someone else, possibly even Diamond herself.
"Ghastly creatures" the woman sighed before straightening herself out and becoming businesslike "However with you two I can work wonders I am sure, let me look at you both now….tall, defined, powerful looking young women, oh yes I can make you the envy of the entire dance. The first question of course is will you be wearing a dress or tuxedo?"
"A dress please" Eagle beamed, a small blush creeping across her face as she added "I can't pull of a suit as well as Hellion"
"I would disagree but I sense you're too biased for it to matter" the seamstress noted with a knowing smile before turning to Diamond "And you dear?"
"A dress….but something with sleeves" she flexed her cybernetic hand unconsciously and the older woman caught sight of the motion before nodding
"I understand entirely, in fact if you'll excuse me for just one moment I think I might just have something for you in the back" her tone became steadily more excited and she almost scurried away as she left them.
"Hey...are you okay?" Eagle asked cautiously "Your arm-"
"It's fine" Diamond nodded "It happened and I can come to terms with that, the nightmares are getting easier, I'm getting used to using the cybernetic and building the muscle memory back up….but it doesn't mean I want to look at it all the time"
"I'm sorry" Eagle murmured "I wish I knew what to say but I'm worried I'll end saying the stuff I said to Iris when I was awkward and trying to flirt with her in First Year"
"Oh my Oum you didn't?" Diamond almost howled with laughter "Oh that is priceless"
"I know, I know" Eagle groaned, cheeks flushed scarlet "Hey, have you ever thought about painting it? I mean Iris and Yang have painted their arms, Felix painted his tail"
"Maybe it'll help" Diamond shrugged "But honestly I don't think of it as a part of me like….Lex Talionis is an extension of me, this is just a tool" she gestured to the arm
"Well you're gonna look great either way" Eagle assured her
"Thanks" Diamond grinned softly "Did Arctus put you up to this? He's been getting kinda nervous and cagey lately it's weird"
"No….he's probably just been nervous with assignments and stuff" Eagle assured her "It's just well….It's gonna sound dumb 'cos I know we're all adamant on staying together as Team FADE after we graduate but-"
"But this is the last big event we're gonna be at the academy for" Diamond nodded in understanding "I get it"
"Exactly" Eagle nodded "And you guys….you really are the best friends I could ever ask for, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I just want you all to know how much I appreciate you-" she found herself sniffling as the inescapable sense of finality washed over her and Diamond quickly pulled her friend into a tight hug
"Hey, we know" she assured her softly "We all know, we do and trust me Eagle you are the best friend any of us could have hoped to make as well"
"Thank you" Eagle mumbled with a watery voice as she pulled away "And sorry for being dumb" before Diamond could assure her that there was nothing apologise for they both heard the sound of the seamstress clearing her throat and holding up several dresses, one of which immediately caught Diamond's eye
"Okay Eagle, I swear I will pay you back for this….friends don't let friends bankrupt themselves just to make a point"
"Will you stop pacing you insufferable cretin" Pyrrha demanded sternly as she watched Yang Branwen wander aimlessly back and forth across the unfurnished living room of their latest base of operations. The two of them had abandoned the desolate house within the ruins of the Exclusion Zone that they had been living in as they had already intended to, the process being expedited by Pyrrha encountering Helios Nikos and Felix Xiao Long as they wandered dangerously close to run-down house. A predictable yet not less intolerable result of the altercation had been that the Chimera had immediately sought to hunt down the two young men and their teams and butcher them all the moment she had become aware of it, the excuse of following Salem's wishes for secrecy and discretion being a laughably thin veneer with which to mask her own insatiable and repugnant appetites; Pyrrha had however managed to contain her allies' more violent urges by appealing to her desire to appease Salem and arguing that eight dead students would certainly alert the attention of those they were trying to evade and dispose of.
"I'm bored" Yang replied simply "It's been weeks since the authorities dared interfere with our Queen's plans and we're no closer to delivering a blow to our enemies" with that she stared out of the window and took in the view from their new temporary home before continuing to pace.
The base that they had found for themselves was located within a hotel that had been located close to the cities' commercial and freight docks, catering to tourists and sailors on shore leave but had sat empty ever since the massive Grimm attack to come from the coastline at the same time Pantheon had attacked the opposite side of the city the previous year, where it had received structural damage and had sat unrepaired and vacant for months now since its' owners had simply cut their losses or gone out of business entirely; Pyrrha and Yang had made themselves at home in the upper floors of the building which afforded them a view of a large portion of the docks and the various vessels that were arriving in the city.
"Find a way you amuse yourself" Pyrrha growled irritably before turning her attention back to the stack of newspapers she had gathered that morning, deciding to keep abreast of developments within the city and Remnant as a whole in the hopes that an opportunity of some sort would present itself and that she and the Chimera would not be forced to take undue risks to fulfil their mission; as she had no doubts that Yang Branwen would almost certainly use such risks as a pretext to devour her and take her Semblance for herself.
After several minutes of scanning the papers the golden armoured warriors' vivid green eyes widened
"I've found something" she breathed our, immediately bringing Yang to a halt.
"What is is?" she demanded impatiently
"Read these job listings" Pyrrha indicated to several specific adverts that had been placed in the newspaper
"Job listings?" the Chimera spat incredulously "You think the key to defeating our enemies is being hired by a warehouse paying-"
"I think that it you don't learn to follow simple instructions you won't live long enough for it to make a difference" Pyrrha's voice was not raised as she delivered the threat, instead remaining conversational and flat; the implication of violence a simple fact to be observed
"I'll peel that armour off of you-"
"You and your innuendos" Pyrrha smirked, the Chimera had absolutely no fear of her and the Bandit Queen of the Nikosi found it oddly refreshing after spending years surrounded by those who had followed her only to stab her in the back to save their own cowardly hides, for a moment she felt as though she could almost understand her counterpart from this timeline; then Yang snatched the newspaper from her hands and quickly scanned the relevant articles with her fiery red eyes narrowing as she did so
"Working alongside student Hunters…..offers for Hunters to take students with them for training" she murmured
"Enough adverts for there to be more than one class of Hunters absent from the academy" Pyrrha nodded
"Most likely the First and Fourth Years judging by these adverts and the kind of work they involve" Yang mused, showing a level of analytical thought that Pyrrha had thought her to be too savage to be capable of "Half of the students, including the most senior would be away; depending on when we time our strike possibly even more….you want to attack Branwen and Goodwitch whilst the student missions are underway"
"Precisely" Pyrrha gave a savage smile.
"Excellent" the Chimera gave a menacing laugh "I'm sure we can make their deaths look like accidents….with all the repair work being done on the campus we could cause an explosion, I'm sure a few missing students could be-"
"You won't be setting foot on the campus Branwen" Pyrrha interrupted sternly and in a tone that made it clear that she would not be moved.
"Would you care to explain why?" Yang snarled, the muscles of her Grimm-flesh arm coiling as the clawed digits flexed yet Pyrrha simply rose to her feet and faced down the shorter woman
"Because I have business on that campus and I will not see my vengeance snatched from me in a second lifetime because of your….proclivities" she glared at Yang's arm with utter disdain.
"So you plan to jeopardise the mission?" Yang took a step closer
"No" Pyrrha answered firmly "Because you will be creating a distraction to draw the students and as many other Hunters away from the academy as possible, what you do with them is no concern of mine….do you think you have anything in your collection of stolen souls up to the task?" the last was delivered in a mocking tone yet the Chimera didn't seem to care, instead she seemed to be almost consumed by her primal and monstrous hunger for a moment before letting out a low chuckle as she reached out and stroked Pyrrha's face, the Grimm-flesh connecting with her cheek being enough for the warrior to manifest her Aura.
"Princess you have no idea how distracting I can be" this time it was Yang's tone that was utterly dripping with mocking contempt "When it comes to large scale carnage I am without peer-a" the Chimera continued chuckling as she stalked over to the window and gazed out at the docks in a way that Pyrrha couldn't help but be a little unsettled by.
Carcharodon was glad to be breathing in the sea air once again and inhaled deeply as he positioned himself precariously on the railings that surrounded the upper deck of the Nemesis Kharybdis.
The Shark Faunus was currently alone as the rest of Team GORE along with Team SNST who had offered to help were below deck working on various tasks that needed to be undertaken to make the vessel ready for an imminent departure including things such as checking the various automated systems were functioning properly and more mundane issues such as ensuring essential supplies such as rations, fuel and munitions were in order; working through a checklist he had complied Carcharodon noted that there was the matter of some slight damage to the rudder to be dealt with and that he would almost be the one to deal with it as he would be able to do so without having the ship dry-docked, owing to the fact that whilst he couldn't breathe underwater as some people assumed the Shark Faunus could hold his breath for a remarkable amount of time.
He was soon dragged from his thoughts by the sound of someone climbing onto the ship and his pure black eyes darted towards the sound, revealing Eagle Arc wearing what appeared to be a suit though she had shed the jacket and rolled her sleeves up as she clambered aboard. It had been explained to her by Raffia that from a young age members of the Frost River tribe were expected to climb the anchor chain to gain access to their ships from dry land and that ramps or boarding planks being offered was a sign of respect akin to rolling out a red carpet and was only intended to be offered to Captains, Helmsmen or Tribal Elders; the conniving Axolotl Faunus had neglected to mention that this tradition was one that had fallen out favour and was one that was rarely if ever practised by the tribe out of simple practicality though by the time Hellion had enlightened her Eagle had already taken the matter to heart and she now boarded the Nemesis Kharybdis almost exclusively by climbing its' anchor.
"Hey Car" Eagle waved as she hauled herself aboard "Hellion said you were here and I was already in the city so I dropped the others off and came to see if you need-"
"Hellion is below deck….she's also busy" Carcharodon rasped out, though he noted that Marauder was soaring overhead which meant that the Dragonfly Faunus would likely know of Eagle's arrival within moments.
"Oh, okay" Eagle only faltered for a moment, she was steadily becoming accustomed to Carcharodon's personality and the utter lack of effect that her otherwise contagious cheer and enthusiasm seemed to have on him
"I'll help out" she added "Are you planning on setting sail soon?"
"Team GORE were offered first choice of mission and I will be damned if I sail on another vessel whilst ours is available to us"
"Congrats" Eagle smiled, making to hug the grey-skinned Faunus then thinking better of it and instead offering her hand for a high-five which he, surprisingly accepted "What's the mission?"
"Escorting supply runs to and shipments from an offshore Dust mining operation" Carcharodon said simply "Hardly something worthy of a saga but I suppose it will be useful in learning the migration patterns of the Grimm that lurk in the depths for our thesis"
"That's still really cool, you're gonna be adding to the knowledge that all Hunters rely on….your work could end up in a textbook next Corvid, Professor Bronzewing and Peter Port's writing; every class of Hunters after you would learn from you" Eagle grew steadily more excited as she spoke and despite his taciturn and foreboding nature she could see that her words had an effect on Carcharodon, through dating Hellion for almost two years she knew Team GORE better than anybody else outside of themselves and understood what was important to the Shark Faunus, Lien and fame or adoration were of little value whilst private personal glory and a legacy were seen as far more worthy goals.
"Team FADE had an interview for our mission today and I don't wanna jinx it but we're feeling like we did okay" Eagle continued "We got outfits for the dance as well, I know you and Onyx aren't gonna come with anyone unless Corvid really manages to pull a surprise out but you're still coming right?"
"I hadn't intended to" Carcharodon answered, oddly growing less irritated with the freckled blondes' endless chattering than he might have done.
"Oh come on you've gotta come, everyone's gonna be there" Carcharodon treated Eagle to a blank stare in response to that particular comment, deeming it unworthy of a response yet she continued and met the stare with a determined look in her own deep crimson eyes "It'll mean a lot to Hellion to have you there. She'll never say it but not feeling like she has to choose between tradition and being happy for once will mean the world to her"
The words hit Carcharodon like icy water and he was left unable to rebuke them as the sound of several bodies making their way onto the deck demanded his attention
"It seems we're taking a break then" Raffia sneered if his usual reedy voice, shaking his head at the sight of the utter lack of work being done only to be all but thrown aside by Hellion as she sauntered over and placed her hands on Eagle's hips, Eagle herself practically melting into the touch.
Carcharodon had made his utter distaste for any kind of physical intimacy known but would not begrudge Hellion it so instead him simply stalked away
"Where's Onyx?" he demanded as he reached Raffia, the smaller man gestured vaguely to somewhere out of sight
"Decided to try and call Corvid, he misses her" the sneering contempt seemed to shockingly absent in Raffia's tone, as if he'd come to accept and tolerate the notion of the last members of the Frost River Tribe loving and caring for Hunters; something that Carcharodon would never have once believed possible
"And then who exactly is watching Team SNST?" he rasped out, Raffia let out a barely audible grumble before making to head below deck to either supervise the younger students or order them to stop working; he was halted by Carcharodon's hand on his shoulder
"I assume you have Lien left from our work over the summer….it seems as though we will attending the upcoming dance after all, buy some suitable clothes"
"Why exactly would I want to do that?"
"Because you're a degenerate whore and bedding a Hunter or Huntress would give you some sick pleasure" Carcharodon answered without missing a beat; Raffia proceeded to choke an air for a moment before bursting into a fit of his signature demented cackling
"Aye Captain" Carcharodon shook his head as he watched him walk away before turning back to Hellion and Eagle to see that the blonde had cupped the Dragonfly Faunus's cheeks and was kissing her slowly and gently.
He quickly decided that he'd shown enough good will today
"Get back to work or anything not prepared will be taken from your rations!" he snapped "The only think that makes my ship rock is the waves!"
The shortening days and the cold that came with them meant that by the time Eagle returned to Team FADE's dormitory night was well and truly upon the city.
"Hey guys, I'm back" she greeted her friends as she slipped into the room, gently kicking the door closed behind her as her hands were full with both the results of the teams' earlier shopping trip and also several pizza boxes which she struggled to distribute out to her team-mates one handed until Felix slipped down from his bunk to help her
"You didn't have to" he noted with a grin "But thanks….of and I've got Ollie and Nyanza's noted from the classes we missed today and I asked the professors if there was anything that we missed; I've already made you a copy"
"Thank you" Eagle replied happily as she passed Diamond's dress to her so that it could be put away, sealed in an entirely opaque bag so that it couldn't be seen by Arctus. The conversation was momentarily halted as Eagle began unbuttoning the shirt that she had worn for Team FADE's job interview and unfastening her tie, causing Felix, Arctus and Diamond to look away
"Anyone need the bathroom? I'm gonna get a shower" before Felix could answer he felt his Scroll vibrate in his pocket and quickly fished it out; beckoning for Eagle to stay where she was upon seeing the identity of the caller
"It's from Styx and Stones!" the air seemed to leave the dormitory for a moment and everything became still whilst the Lion Faunus's hand trembled more than he was willing to admit as he answered the call
"Good evening Mister Xiao Long, I apologise for calling outside business hours but we do try and handle important business as soon as possible" the now familiar voice of Miss Teak began without preamble
"That's no problem at all" Felix assured her, trying to slip back into the more professional sounding voice that he'd used during the interview and minimise the sound of his Patch accent.
"Excellent, how would you feel about accepting a role as a trial period prior to employment Mister Xiao Long?"
"Um….that would be something that I'd have to talk to my team about first, and we'd have to work that around prior commitments" Felix replied, utterly thrown off by the comment and entirely unsure how to proceed as nothing in the job listing had mentioned any sort of trial period; the thought that Styx and Stones Industrial were attempting to rip Team FADE off and use them for free labour began to occur to him though before it could solidify Miss Teak continued with a soft chuckle
"Oh no I think you've misunderstood me" she explained "We would like to not only offer you the role you applied for but also use it as trial period for your team; if successful and pending your graduation of course the company would be able to offer you regular missions across New Vale and Vaccuo's territories and Menagerie….if you're interested of course"
"That, that would be great thank you" Felix managed to stammer out, not entirely sure he was able to believe what he was hearing
"Excellent, all relevant details regarding your assignment will be forwarded to you including your rendezvous point, who you'll be reporting to and any equipment that you may need, although the company will reimburse any costs incurred. Congratulations Mister Xiao Long, we look forward to working with you and your team.
The call ended and Felix was left staring blankly at his Scroll for a few moment, barely able to take in the fact that Arctus, Diamond and Eagle were all staring at him expectantly
"Dude what is it?" Diamond eventually asked as the suspense grew unbearable
"We did it" Felix breathed out "We got the job….and they wanna hire us after we graduate" there was a moment where the dorm was silent as Felix's team-mates processed what he had said, then comprehension slowly dawned on each of their faces
And the dorm erupted into a cacophony of cheering as Arctus picked Diamond up by the waist and twirled her around whilst the sniper laughed uncontrollably, Eagle almost danced on the spot as she was filled with frantic energy in desperate need of release
"Oh my Oum we did it" she giggled "I can't believe it this is awesome"
"Dude, I'm calling my folks right now I can't wait to tell them!" Diamond exclaimed as she hoisted herself up on to her bunk
"Let's call mine after" Arctus added as he pulled himself up beside her
"Okay quick shower, then I'm finding my Dad and oh my Oum I've gotta call so many people" Eagle exclaimed and Felix couldn't help but laugh at her boundless hyperactive energy.
"I'm gonna go find Heely" Felix nodded "Arctus if my Mums are there when you call home then let 'em know I'll call soon" with that the Lion Faunus flung on a sweatshirt with the Academies' emblem emblazoned across it which matched the sweatshirts he was currently wearing and quickly departed with a noticeable spring in his step and a smile so wide it seemed too large for his face.
"Who are you?" Helios murmured as he stared up at the face of Pyrrha Nikos; the yellow brick road leading from the campus to the airship terminals was empty and the armoured redhead had taken the opportunity to leave flowers at the golden statue made his relatives' honour, currently he sat cross-legged before it and was deep in thought as he considered recent events.
There had been no sign of the mysterious attacker who wore the face of Pyrrha Nikos, even though he had spent several nights prowling the ruins of the Exclusion Zone, sometimes alone and sometimes with Felix or the rest of Team NEON who fortunately were willing to believe his claims without question after everything they had encountered thus far. He had spoken to Qrow about the women though the grizzled veteran has told him that there had been no further sight of her or any attacks involving the repulsive maggot and botfly Grimm that had been infesting the city; it was as if she had vanished from the face of Remnant entirely and that fact unsettled Helios more than he intended to admit.
The Nikosi were not an overly superstitious tribe and many of the their customs were simple tradition rather than any lingering belief in the supernatural yet the fact remained that Helios had been attacked by a woman who appeared to be Pyrrha Nikos, used Pyrrha Nikos's Semblance and had spoken as though she knew Helios personally; leaving the redhead to wonder what sins against his people he had committed that would anger the dead so much that they would return to haunt him.
Before his bleak and morose thought could spiral out of control however a distraction presented itself in the form of Felix skidding to a halt next to him and sitting beside him
"Hey I've been looking for you, Nyanza thought you were in the gym"
"I was, I thought it would clear my head but I still need to think" the redhead admitted before seeing that Felix was fidgeting and obviously had something to say
"You had your job interview today!" Helios realised, the two of them hadn't managed to speak before Team FADE had left that morning and he was now suddenly eager to here how Felix's day had gone "It went well?" he guessed
"Really well" Felix nodded "They gave us the job and they said they're interested in hiring us after we graduate"
"You've done great Fluffy" Helios purred as he snaked his arms around the Faunus's waist and pulled him onto his lap, letting out a low growl as Felix shifted his weight and nibbled at his earlobe
"Not here" Helios sighed
"Cameras" Felix nodded as he trailed kisses down the red-heads' neck
"That and….well, how did our last attempt to do anything in the open end" Felix couldn't help but laugh at that comment and pulled himself back enough to rest his forehead against Helios's
"Hey" he breathed out gently "Are you okay?….You've been a little off lately"
"Just distracted" Helios admitted, his eyes downcast as he continued "Pyrrha or whoever she is….I can't pretend that it never happened, I need answers but I feel like I'm sacrificing too much for them, that I'm failing as a leader-"
"You're not-" Helios waved Felix's assurances aside
"Team NEON have heard back from two of the companies we applied for missions with, they're not interested and I can't help but wonder if it's because I wasn't focusing on what I should have been"
"It's not" Felix assured him, shaking his head "Things just happen man, something is gonna come up….right Uncle Qrow" the blonde narrowed his deep blue eyes and stiffened as he heard the distinctive sound of multiple metallic limbs scuttling along the ground
"Relax Fluffy I wasn't spying on you I just saw you two having a moment and decided to give you some space" Qrow drawled as he came into view; Felix and Helios quickly rose to their feet as the six-legged walking chair that had returned some of the older mans' mobility to him drew close.
"I just heard from Eagle that Team FADE got their first choice of mission, congratulations" Qrow's attention turned to Helios "But it was actually you that I was looking for"
"How can I help you?" Helios asked politely, he did not take classes with Qrow and was a little confused as to what it was that the two of them needed to discuss.
"I have staff meetings with Professor Goodwitch and I heard that your Team aren't having any luck with missions in the city" the older man began "And Fluffy's right, these things happen sometimes; especially with most of New Vale's Hunters and quite a few people from out of the Kingdom being in the Capital right now; you've just got a lot of competition for those jobs….But something came across my desk today that I think you might be interested in"
"What's the catch?" Felix noted with a roll of his eyes, knowing his Great Uncle well enough to know that the well intentioned favour was almost certainly being offered with an ulterior motives even if Qrow didn't necessarily see anything wrong with that arrangement.
"There's been some issues with the power grid in and around some of the lower areas of some of the towers….a lot into the city deeper than when Penny took Team FADE in" Qrow began, mostly speaking to Helios but adding a small detail for Felix's sake "We're almost sure it's Grimm related and I happen to know a few people who work for the company that's going to be doing the maintenance, I can give your team a recommendation since this does come under your thesis and I think you'd do a good job"
"Thank you" Helios breathed out, relieved that a situation he'd been growing steadily more concerned with seemed to have been resolved.
"But Fluffy's not exactly wrong there is something in this for me" Qrow added with a sigh "So full disclosure, because you kids have definitely earned the right to be in the loop….The reason that it's taking weeks to organise this mission is because we've got a feeling that the Grimm that are eating away at the power cables are connected to the Grimm infested houses; nothing we can prove but we've got a feeling and we're finding grounds to evacuate some of the apartments in the area before we send anyone in"
"And if it's connected to to the Grimm infested houses then it's also connected to the false Yang Xiao Long and Pyrrha Nikos" Helios mused
"Most likely" Qrow nodded, Felix turned to Helios and gave a subtle nod; he already knew what his boyfriends' answer would be and he understood it fully.
"In that case Professor Branwen" Helios squared his shoulders and stood to attention "Team NEON would be happy to serve"
Author's Notes:
So, next chapter is gonna be the ball and then we're gonna be getting into the missions and the assorted fuckery that they're gonna bring.
Brace yourselves.
It looks like Chapter 139 is going to be where Vol.10 ends
That being said….I think I might actually end up taking a break next week just to plan a few chapters ahead in both of my ongoing stories.
Anyway, not much to add so let's summarise:
Ever had that feeling when you roll up to a job interview and immediately think "Oh fuck, I'm out of my depth" ever got the job after?
I'm still not sorry for Styx and Stones.
Can't have that corporate big dick energy if your mini-skyscraper is surrounded by bigger buildings; so instead put it in the middle of all your warehouses, vehicle depots and production/manufacturing buildings….Makes sense to me.
Also yes as a working class man who works in engineering/manufacturing the sight of someone in overalls who actually looks like they know what the fuck they're talking about in the middle of all the empty suits is a godsend.
Miss Teak….another pun I'm not sorry about.
Little tip for any of my younger readers who haven't had job interviews yet; if you're not five minutes early then you're ten minutes late.
As much as Eagle snapping is understandable so is the interviewer's position; if all of your references are from family it kinda looks a little suspicious.
Diamond pulled it back with a joke….which is something you shouldn't be afraid to do in an interview; because look realistically they've already decided that you'd be good for the job, now they're just seeing if you'd be a good fit for the firm and the people you'd be working with.
Always turn your weaknesses into a positive if you can, you've job hopped? Just means you've had more varied experience; get the idea?
Got any useful skills…..Yeah look at what we've stopped: Giant Grimm up to and including fucking Ghidorah, the mob, the White Fang and a literal demigod.
See, when you say "Hyper-intelligent Grimm" but in an academic way it doesn't seem so scary.
Using mercenaries instead of Hunters, because of course businesses are gonna cut corners.
Ruby's a living legend and an absolute mad-lass, but everyone living on Menagerie is an absolute mad-lass so it's whatever lol.
The Kingdom of Menagerie has a nice sound to it.
So, Nickel's up and about again….and she's got a new look which totally doesn't look more "Hunter" and may or may not have some elements taken from Ruby herself.
Also, she died her hair platinum before….now it's black with green streaks and she has studs and spikes; it's not just a phase mum!
Nickel is just a walking heap of conundrums that a simple soul like Ruby's might not be able to deal with.
Ruby came so close to giving the "With great power comes great responsibility" speech.
Of course Nickel wanted to give her rebuilt wings a try….and yep, definitely a real girl.
I wanted to have an Eagle and Diamond scene because those two don't get to interact enough and yes I know that it being to buy dresses for the dance is disgustingly cliché okay I know, but it was a great place to slip it in and we already had the Edna Mauve and Arctus scene for the second year dance.
Also yes Eagle knows where to get some nice clothes….she just chooses to wear jeans, a leather jacket and armour most of the time. And also a reminder that whilst the Arc family as a whole consider their little farming town to be home, Eagle's Mum is still pretty damn rich and Eagle is not short of money by any stretch of the imagination.
I didn't want everyone who has cybernetics in this story to just pick themselves up and carry on; older characters like Yang, Merc and Gangrel have had theirs for so long they don't even think about them any more. Felix painted his gold and made it his own, Corey hides hers under an eyepatch and Diamond is still struggling to see hers as part of herself.
I think on some level Eagle is worried that all these amazing friends she's had for the last few years are gonna be gone soon….which yeah, that part of getting older sucks.
I haven't actually planned out Diamond's dress….But I taking ideas from one of Cinder's looks and Arslan.
If the students are throwing parties out in the Exclusion Zone then Pyrrha and Yang have gotta move out.
Yang Branwen gives me serious Tyrian vibes.
"You and your innuendos" okay I'll admit I was actually planning on having the sexual tension be between the alternate universe versions of Yang and Adam but it just seemed to flow more naturally with Yang and Pyrrha. That being said it needs a ship-name now and since Yang and Pyrrha is "Greek Fire" how about for Yang Branwen and evil Pyrrha we use "Hellfire".
And now Pyrrha and Yang no when they'll be making their move.
"Princess" because evil Pyrrha is the Bandit Queen….so flirting, but also insulting.
So last chapter she said she could bring down an airship, now she's looking at the docks talking about large scale carnage.
Raffia is definitely a shit and told Eagle all kinds of ancient traditions and rituals that are utter bullshit just to see if she'd do them to impress Hellion.
Honestly I just wanted a Carcharodon scene because Team GORE have been a little absent, but now we at least know what their mission is.
Eagle has broken Carcharodon and wormed her way into his cold icy heart even if he'll never admit it.
Raffia has one of those voices where he just sounds like he's being a dick even when he isn't.
"Because you're a degenerate whore and bedding a Hunter or Huntress would give you some sick pleasure" can you tell me he's wrong?
"The only think that makes my ship rock is the waves!" Car was on point this chapter.
This is the same Eagle who used to bring snacks for everyone when the students had a field trip, of course she occasionally buys her friends pizza.
Team CLIR had their first job lined up whilst they were still in Fourth Year and Team FADE have just managed to get themselves into a similar position; I heard somewhere that a lot of Japanese college students basically already have their careers lined up by their last year of college so they can take it easy….this is like that, but with less of the taking it easy.
Yeah seeing Pyrrha has shaken Helios up….the thing is he never actually knew Pyrrha in life, she wasn't even raised within the Nikosi but she was always considered one of them and they see her as a hero even more than Remnant as a whole does.
Also Helios holds himself to an absurdly high standard….this guy works out in full armour whilst on a mission; if Team NEON don't get a job then in his mind it has to be his fault.
Faunus hearing, enough said.
Qrow doesn't mean to be sneaky half the time, he's just been working in the shadows for so long that he's always trying to achieve multiple goals and even doing people a favour looks sinister.
And now we know what Team NEON's mission is going to be; they're gonna be going underground and into the same power grid where Team FADE fought a Rat Hydra and the Minotaur that Arctus still summons….should be fun.
Thank you to SumoSnipe and Funlander for their reviews on the last Chapter:
Future detective isn't gonna get far….they need to remember that police have quotas to fill and teenagers are always guilty of something.
Raffia was probably holding a drink in each hand and had already been warned not to curb-stomp anyone who spilled them.
Wasn't so much going against the orders there as being forced to act; Felix and Helios were getting dangerously close to wandering into the house her and Yang were hiding out in….but also, following orders after being the boss for so long is jarring.
Oh god Weiss as a wedding planner…..that's gonna be intense.
Yeah, Nickel is…..Memorable.
Velvet had a teenage brother who got radicalised and joined the White Fang (I mean so did she but besides the point) so Nickel is a level of moody that she can deal with.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review