Author's Notes: Well after the heart pounding actions of the last chapter I think it's time we take a minute to unwind with some good old fashion teen drama. By the way I took to using '\' to signal a scene transition instead of relying on fanfiction's line break.
Chapter 8: Angels, Maidens and Warriors
Cerulean eyes snapped open and he sat ramrod straight, sweating and panting. His eyes scanned the immediate area, for a moment he forgot where he was, who he was and what he was supposed to be doing. After a full minute he seemed to gather his bearings
He was in his room, their room, JNPR's room.
He was Jaune Arc their leader
….and he was supposed to be getting ready for class.
He looked around, everyone was asleep, he looked at himself to find he was still wearing his school uniform minus the shoes.
Uh, weird-wait didn't he train with Pyrrha yesterday?
'Come to think of it, what happened last night?'
The most he remembered was that he tried asking Weiss to the dance…again and she turned him down…again. Then…Vergil came up to him and started asking him about his family and…his sword. Jaune's gaze shifted to Crocea Mors, hanging by his bedside, the simple sword and shield/sheathe had never looked very appealing to him, not like his friends' weapon anyway.
'What was I doing?' he wondered taking his eyes off the ancestral weapon and to the clock '5:43 am?'
Jaune was never an early riser, even Ren woke up earlier than him most times, then again Nora might have something to do with it. Speaking of, it looks like she snuck into Ren's bed again.
'They make a good couple' Jaune thought wistfully then sighed 'I wonder if snow angel and I would end up like that?' after remembering her latest rejection among the myriad of others he frowned dejectedly.
Another wistful sigh escaped his lips 'probably not. Especially with that 'cool guy' Neptune she likes so much' he frowned 'nah she just met him' he concluded.
Jaune would like to believe that love isn't that fickle, it has to be something more than just physical attraction and a few smooth lines. At least for him, sure Weiss looks angelic, beautiful, stunning and that might've been what caught his eye at first but there is definitely something more. He isn't a vain person, that, Jaune is sure of because if he was then he'd be fawning all over all his female friends.
Except for Ruby and Nora of course but despite their age and status, in their own way they are beautiful. Yet he doesn't, sure Yang is hot, like supermodel hot but he's not drooling at her feet. Blake's beautiful too but he has to admit they don't really talk…like at all ever. Ruby is cute and will no doubt be a looker once her maturity sets in but they're friends, best friends, pals, they hang out talk about weapons, comics or movies and being leaders of their teams.
Then there's Pyrrha…..
Nope, no matter how much he thinks about it, he just can't picture himself even measuring up to that level… over 9000 indeed. Between not only being beautiful, but a multiple tournament champion, cereal mascot and good friend he wouldn't think of jeopardizing that for a relationship.
Hell no he's at least considerate..
Which brings us back to Weiss and at this his head hit the pillow as he stared at the ceiling 'how am I supposed to get through to her.'
At this point he's beginning to wonder if it's a lost cause with pursuing Weiss. Obviously they got off on the wrong foot and she might've gotten the wrong image about him. So much for confidence
'Thanks a lot dad'
So he's been trying to put her opinion of him in a different light because Jaune Arc is not some playboy. Neptune fit that bill perfectly, yet that's the type of guy she responds to? The type that is obviously looking for a fling instead of commitment?
Not worthy…
Damn right he's not worthy! A woman like Weiss deserves nothing but the utmost respect. It was just a glimpse but he's sure he's seen something behind that icy exterior she keeps putting on. It's there he knows and he's going to try his damn hardest to pull it out! Even though it annoys her, even though he would do anything for her yet she shuts him down with an icy gaze and an insult every single time.
Even though she would rather favor a womanizer over a guy who would pour his heart to her because she's beautiful, smart, wonderful and…and..
Foolish…
He blinked 'what?' he looked around everyone was still sound asleep so he looked to the ceiling again.
Foolish? Weiss isn't dumb, heck she's one of the smartest girls in first year how is she foolish?
Well being attracted to that Neptune guy might not be a smart move for her but she's still
Childish….
'Childish, since when has Weiss been childish?'
Then the memory of her fight with the Boarbatusk in Grimm Studies came to mind. Ruby confided that she was having trouble with her partner. Then he remembered when the headmaster announced Ruby as the leader. The glare she sent her way didn't go unnoticed by him but he didn't think much of it back then, too overwhelmed with his own leadership status.
'Was, she disappointed with that?'
He's never been one to pry into other people's business so he dismissed it but maybe he needs to pay more attention to what's going on around him.
His eyes closed 'so she may not be perfect. So what? Everyone has flaws doesn't change the fact that she's-
A distraction
Jaune's eyes snapped open and he slowly rose from the bed 'and I'm..' he trailed off
"Above her.."
Jaune's head whipped to the side to come face to face with Crocea Mors. There was no doubt that he heard it that time, it wasn't just a tingle in his mind he heard that voice whisper in his ears. He could actually feel the sensation of her warm breath on his ear when she whispered to him.
But what does that have to do with Crocea…Mors
\
"Oh, okay" he hesitantly made his way towards Vergil and grasped the weapon "uh thanks?"
"Don't thank me yet"
\
That was the last thing he remembered before something bright and then he woke up here..in his bed. He kept his eyes on Crocea Mors, whatever he did had something to do with his family heirloom and
'What did he mean by "don't thank me yet"?' his brow furrowed.
The sun was barely peaking over the horizon and he looked back at the clock to find that it was 6:15 am. Class doesn't start for another two hours so he had maybe 30 minutes before the rest of his team woke up. Sliding his feet from under the covers he kept his eyes on Crocea Mors, eyes narrowing he tentatively reached for the weapon.
The moment his hands touched it he bit back a gasp as images began flooding his mind so fast he couldn't even identify them. All he could do was stare blankly as his body froze, his eyes glowing faintly with each passing second before finally they rolled to the back of his head and he fainted to the side of his bed.
\
Meanwhile three sets of eyes snapped open completely alert, Nero grabbed Blue Rose while Dante looked around the room. There was no denying that they felt that and it made them anxious.
"Was that what I think it is?" Dante spoke looking to Vergil whose gaze was in a specific direction.
A smile curved its way onto his lips "I believe it was."
"What the hell was that?" Nero asked groggily.
"You actually sensed that?" Dante turned to the young half devil.
"Yeah well" he placed Blue Rose on the nightstand "I've been sensing a lot since this arm."
The twins shared a glance "how do you feel about what you just sensed Nero?" Vergil asked leaning forward with curiosity.
Nero shrugged "I dunno, didn't feel demonic but" his brow furrowed "I don't like it" he finally said before dozing off.
Vergil ran a hair through his head "this may be problematic"
"Why?" Dante asked "what'd you do?"
Vergil gave him a wry smile "that's none of your concern Dante"
The raven haired twin narrowed his eyes "I know you Vergil. I know what you do when something get's your interest now tell me what you did."
"Just a project I'm working on" he said cryptically but Dante remained indignant so Vergil rolled his eyes "let's just say I don't believe that it was just demons that crossed over from our world to Remnant" he left no room for a reply.
Dante blinked 'well shit I should've seen that coming' he said before going back to sleep.
\
Blake yawned as she got off her bed, damn internal clock, some things never change, a sad truth that, unfortunately, didn't apply to most of the things in her life because everything is changing, from her to the White Fang to the world itself.
As if the existence of alternate worlds wasn't enough she just found out that the White Fang was teaming up with Roman Torchwick of all people.
Then to top off her long night they had to rescue her partner who got trapped in an alternate dimension fighting off hordes of actual demons. Demons that very likely have lived among them for Oum knows how long. Blake for once found herself stumped on what to do. After failing to apprehend Torchwick she was resolute into throwing herself into researching the White Fang and stopping their plans.
School and training be damned, the Fang was her responsibility and she would fix it!
Then she saw the demons, she saw limbo, she saw her partner fight demons in another dimension, she actually fought a demon herself and there are many more where that came from. And unlike the White Fang she can't see anyone making it out of this if they leave that problem alone, humans and Faunus alike.
Now what?
She can't very well just leave the Fang but at the same time she can't forget what she saw in that club, she can't. Then again she might not have to be involved, she trusted Vergil, it may sound dumb but she does and despite everything he's shown to be immensely reliable. He can sort out this demonic mess, if he needs assistance then she'll help as best as she can. For now she'll focus on the White Fang.
Blake stifled a yawn, she didn't get much sleep between the long hours and the court hearin-uh reprimanding by Glynda Goodwitch they managed to get out of this with only four detentions and that was only because they found a demonic hideout and got a prisoner who could hold valuable secrets.
Her slender feet hit the ground 'no rest for the wicked' she thought going into the showers and afterwards straight to the library.
She had a lot of thinking to do.
\
Breakfast was a lively affair with RWBY, JNPR, DVN and S(SS)N, mostly because there would always be a story to tell. This time though Dante had the floor instead of Nora
"…and while the thing was down she ran up behind it and gave it one swift kick to ass..and it exploded. I shi-kid you not" he corrected glancing at Ruby.
"You mean to tell me" Nora began in an uncharacteristic whisper "you guys went on an awesome adventure fighting demons and you didn't take us with you!" she exclaimed slamming her hands down "this is an outrage!"
"Nora" Ren tried to placate.
"No, not this time Renny" she spared each of them a glare "they have betrayed our trust"
"If she's mad about that think we should tell her about that giant mech we fought?" Sun asked Blake who had her nose in her scroll reading a newspaper article.
"You fought a giant Mech!" Nora shouted "you traitors!"
Ren actually thought about this for moment before speaking "you mean you guys were the crazy kids fighting that stolen Atlesian Paladin on the highway?"
"Where'd you hear that?" Ruby questioned.
"On the 10 o'clock news."
There was a moment of silence before Ruby's head dropped to the table "dad's gonna kill me" she muttered before clinging to her partner "hold me Weiss!" she cried dramatically on her partner's shoulder.
"There, there" the heiress awkwardly patted the smaller girl.
Yang turned to Dante "you never told me how you killed that demon."
And with those words Dante had everyone's attention again "well after Verg and I finally got to it…"
Pyrrha tuned out the conversation a bit to turn to her partner. With all that has happened the night before no one seemed to notice his behavior. Jaune hasn't said a word since he got there, he didn't even try to flirt with Weiss (and she's still deciding if that's a good or bad thing), he didn't express any interest in their adventure even she found interesting.
He hasn't done or said anything to anyone past the usual greetings and even then his usual smile looked forced. Even now he didn't look like he was even there; his eyes were vacant as he stared at his food. It honestly reminded her of the time Cardin was bullying him-wait could that be it? Was that bastard still going after him, even after everything that's happened!?
She frowned and was about to ask him a question when the bell sounded. Again Jaune didn't say anything, he just took up his tray, emptied it and walked presumably to class. His movements seemed normal enough yet there was a stiffness to them as if mechanical. Looking around she noticed none of their friends noticed his absence.
Then her eyes found Vergil who watched his retreating figure, his eyes caught hers and they stared for a moment before he averted his. Pyrrha's emerald eyes narrowed slightly, if she remembered correctly Vergil was the last person Jaune spoke to last night, the same night where he didn't make it to their training session and woke up acting different.
She would get to the bottom of this but for now she needed to make sure Jaune was alright.
Vergil watched as the redhead came out of the cafeteria and sighed 'I'll have to answer for that later I suppose'
Sun and Neptune had to go to different classes but they made sure to try and get into Blake and Weiss' good graces before. It was evident however that Blake was too preoccupied with whatever she was reading to even give the monkey Faunus a proper attention. Neptune on the other hand was better received with Weiss because it was an honest to Oum lapse in judgment.
That was true on his part plus given Yang's unrepentant nature she probably did that on purpose if the teasing weren't enough of a clue then she opted to forgive him for his transgressions, but just this once.
\
Ozpin walked along with Glynda by his side for once he did not have a mug of coffee before him nor did his expression reflect his warm aloofness he often wore around his students and faculty. Glynda looked to the man with worry. For all the years she has worked with him she has never seen him like this in a very long time.
For this man walking beside her was not Ozpin the headmaster of Beacon, no this man was Ozpin decorated war hero and one of the most if not the most powerful Huntsman on Remnant. It was no secret to any Huntsman and the few who have actually seen him fight, seen him truly serious would attest that he is not a man to trifle with.
Lately those legends have begun to wane with his inactiveness and she couldn't be gladder for it but now she could see it bubbling to the surface after so long. Glynda had known Ozpin not to be a man who can be angered easily. This demon though, the moment she saw him look at it she could feel the anger radiating off his cold calculating gaze.
They reached the room housing the demon when he suddenly stopped "Glynda, I'll be here for a while so I am placing you temporarily in charge of the school until my return"
Glynda's eyes widened "sir?"
"I can handle things from here" he said with his back turned to her.
This was unprecedented, Ozpin has never taken her out of the loop, she knew he trusted her, she knew more about him than anyone. So why is she being disregarded now? Her brow furrowed, she did not like this one bit.
Glynda stepped forward "sir I insist-"
"Glynda" his tone was the same but she could feel the edge in his voice, then he gave her an over the shoulder glance that made her joints lock up "please."
That one word managed to rouse emotions she thought buried when she adopted a strict persona. Her head was lowered as she took a cautious step back "a-as you wish, sir"
With that he went inside the room but Glynda lingered for a moment, she does not envy the demon facing Ozpin's ire.
Junior looked up as the doors opened and closed revealing Ozpin. Immediately that primal fear he felt from Dante crept upon him only doubled, no tripled. The headmaster left his cane by the door and took off his glasses all the while slowly approaching the demon who broke into a cold sweat.
"Now" Ozpin's voice sent a chill down his spine "you're going tell me everything you know."
\
Melanie found herself looking up at white ceiling tiles when she opened her eyes instead of the usual black. She sat up and immediately regretted it, she felt like a truck slammed into her.
"Sis?"
Her eyes glanced left to find her sister by the bed "Militia. Where are we?" she asked looking around.
The red twin eased her sister into the bed "we're in the infirmary, at Beacon" she added.
"As in the school Beacon?" Militia nodded "why are we here?"
"After what happened yesterday" she trailed off.
The memories of yesterday hit her and her expression turned from shock to a scowl "what happened after we got out."
Militia shrugged "I don't know, you collapsed after we came out and after we went to the bullhead then I fell asleep too then I woke up here an hour ago."
"Did they tell you anything?" she shook her head "fuck" Melanie allowed her head to hit the pillow.
Her boss being some kind of demon aside, the twins were officially screwed. The Club was everything they had, they worked, ate, slept and lived there. Without it they literally have nothing, they'll be forced on the street and have to find jobs.
"Dammit"
This was the type of crap she was trying to avoid in the first place. Melanie could remember when everything started going wrong, it was when that blonde bitch came into the club and beat them up. Her jaw still hurt hours after that finishing kick she gave her.
"What do we do now?" she heard her sister ask.
"….I don't know" the white twin answered truthfully.
\
Once again the teams found themselves in another class but for four teens they just couldn't concentrate. Dante Nero and Pyrrha found themselves staring Jaune who was staring blankly at…something. The devil hunting brothers could tell there was something different about the blonde today and they literally felt what it was.
Pyrrha was also worried for the blonde, Jaune was never so quiet he hadn't said anything, he didn't even try to sit beside Weiss or acknowledge her or anyone else's existence.
Meanwhile Jaune looked ahead but he wasn't looking at what was before him, his brow furrowed. He couldn't stop thinking about what he saw this morning, he caught flashes of it ever so often and he's been trying to decipher them ever since. He also didn't hear the voice in his head anymore.
The bell then rang signaling lunch.
Find it.
His head perked up and he looked around 'what?'
He did get a response but it wasn't from the voice "Jaune?"
He turned to see the concerned gaze of his partner "oh hey Pyrrha" he tried to smile but it came off as forced.
"Are you alright?"
"Me? Yeah, yeah I'm fine I…was just thinking about something.." he trailed off.
Find it
"Are you sure?"
Find it.
"You hardly said anything this morning."
Listen.
Pyrrha paused when she saw his eyes gain a distant look "Jaune" she waved her hand before his face but it was when she snapped her fingers did he blink back.
"I'm sorry what?"
Pyrrha frowned "you know you can tell me if something's wrong right?" she said.
Jaune stared at her as if contemplating her words then his eyes drifted to the door for a moment "Jaune?" his head turned back and Pyrrha's gaze widened when his eyes flashed for second.
"I…uh..I" his head turned back to the door "I have to go" with that he packed his bag and vaulted over the row of desks before heading out the door.
Everyone who witnessed this paused for a moment "what's wrong with fearless leader?"
Pyrrha turned to her other two teammates "I don't know" her gaze then shifted to Vergil who went outside, her eyes narrowed slightly "but I intend to find out" she headed for the door quite briskly.
Vergil was beside the door apparently waiting on her and before she could speak raised his hand "before you say anything I want you to follow me….alone."
Just then Ren and Nora came out and Pyrrha saw them and gained a contemplative expression before turning back to him "no, we're a team if there is something happening to our leader then we need to know."
Nora gasped "something's happening to Jaune-Jaune? Is it Cardin?" she smiled grimly "because if it is I'll break both his legs" her smile seemed to widen, bordering on psychotic.
Vergil's eyebrows rose at this 'it's always the hyper ones.'
"Alright but I'll trust you to keep this to yourself for the time being" he began walking while NPR followed.
"Does this have anything to do with the light coming from our room last night?" Ren questioned.
"Light?" Pyrrha gave him a quizzical look.
"You saw that?" Vergil chuckled "of course you'd notice it, there wasn't that much of a delay between it and when you arrived at the door" he mused "yes it has something to do with it."
"What happened between you two last night" Pyrrha said eyeing the Nephilm warily.
"We talked about his family's history and he showed me his weapon, Crocea Mors. It's a very interesting sword" he couldn't help the smile that formed.
\
Meanwhile for once Ruby wasn't nagging at Nero which was a welcome since Dante hid his headphones…again. Nero chanced a glance at the girl who was oddly quiet, in fact she was looking around as if trying to find something.
"You okay there Rubes?"
"Shh" the young girl shushed then paused, turning every which way "don't you guys here that?"
"What're you talking about?" Nero questioned.
"I don't hear anything?" Yang shrugged.
"What are you hearing?" Dante asked approaching the girl.
"Like someone singing" she said unsure.
Weiss looked to Blake whose bow twitched subtly "I don't hear anything either" she spoke.
"But I can hear it" her eyes widened "maybe if I get closer."
"Hold on a second" Dante blocked her way "what does it sound like?"
Ruby paused then her face scrunched in confusion "I don't know I can't pronounce-what is that? Na~ no, ne~ sa~"
"NI~ SHAA~ KO~ MA~ YAA~" Dante supplied.
"You can hear it too?" Ruby beamed "we should investigate" Dante however opted for a different solution and swung the girl on his shoulder "Dante~" she whined kicking and beating his back.
The Nephilm looked to Nero "you know what this means right?"
"Things just got even more complicated?"
"Exactly."
Weiss sighed "what's going on now?" after last night she shouldn't be surprised.
Dante grinned wildly "that ladies was Enochian"
"Okay and what is that?"
Nero frowned even as Ruby whined the further they got away from the 'song' "it's the language of the Angels."
Scratch that she could still be surprised "what!?" she and Yang sounded.
"It makes sense when you think about it actually" Dante informed "when there are demons there are also angels. What Ruby is hearing is a siren call used by angels to find other angels. If left unchecked it'll attract anyone who has been 'blessed' with angelic magic."
Yang looked at her sister who was looking behind her as if in a trance "then that means."
"Either your sister has come into contact with or is in position of an angelic artifact, has been 'blessed' by or is a descendant of an Angel" Dante finished.
Weiss looked to her partner in shock and for a split second she saw her silver eyes flash.
Blake had a deadpanned look 'it's just been one day.'
\
Ozpin tossed the napkin inside the garbage bin before his eyes widened and he looked in a specific direction 'it can't be' he grabbed his cane and left a broken Junior on the ground in a bloody mess.
\
Meanwhile Vergil and NPR weren't even hiding the fact they were following him but the Knight was so entranced he didn't notice a lot of things. For example that person obviously coming from that corner. Jaune bumped into someone, a girl from the sounds of it and immediately he paused when he caught sight of amber eyes.
Cinder glared at the boy who caught her off guard, a feat very few have managed to do let alone live to tell. She barely caught herself from performing an arm lock on reflex but took mild satisfaction from seeing his bewildered yet fearful expression.
She went to say something but was stopped by the sound of another voice "Miss Fall" her gaze switched to him.
She managed to curl her lips into a convincing fake smile "Vergil"
"I'm sorry for my friend" he pushed the boy away "we called out to him and he didn't see you" he subtly pushed him away.
"Sorry" Jaune mumbled before being pushed away.
"Come on fearless leader" Nora said hauling him away.
"Sorry" Pyrrha supplied.
Cinder's eyes followed them for a moment "are you alright?"
Her gaze snapped back to Vergil who had a small smile and she couldn't be helped but feel agitated by it 'stay calm.'
"I am fine, now if you'll excuse me" she went to go off in the same direction as JNPR.
"Actually I wanted to ask you something."
"What is it?" there was a slight octave change in her voice she hoped hadn't registered to the boy.
It had but Vergil didn't let it stop him "would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the dance this weekend?"
Cinder paused, her visible eye narrowing slightly. That was the one question she has been hearing when a boy gathers the courage to actually approach her. She could feel the disappointment, after the impression he gave during their first meeting she expected more.
Could it be that she was over thinking his bold gestures the first time they met?
Possibly, the truth was she still couldn't read him, this boy still remains an anomaly. She made good on her promise to investigate him but truthfully there was nothing to investigate. The name Vergil Sparda doesn't exist, so that begs the question
'Who is this boy?' and more importantly what are his intentions.
Cinder gave a charming smile, like a queen would to her subject "I would be delighted" she spoke.
Vergil beamed at her like any man would if a woman of her stature blessed them with a date. Cinder wondered for a moment if she'd been had.
"Until then" he gave an eloquent slight bow and went in JNPR's direction
'Vergil Sparda I will find out your secrets'
Now that that is out of the way perhaps she can solve the mystery of that infernal song. Her eyes narrowed as she went to another direction.
Jaune was leading his team to the weapon's locker in silence. As it was lunch time the place hadn't a single person present which was good. Jaune placed his combination inside and opened the locker. It wasn't a trick of the light when his team saw the faint glow radiating off of the weapon.
Jaune reached for the sword and the moment he touched it there was a flood of light that caused everyone to wince Nora even going so far as to exclaim "Ah my eyes!"
That's where the complaints ended however as a new sensation enveloped them in waves. It was warm, comforting and to each of them the greatest feeling they'd ever experience times ten. Ren felt like he was meditating in a garden filled with lotus flowers, Nora was in a pancake emporium and Pyrrha..was meeting Jaune for the first time only he ignored Weiss instead of her.
Then just as it came it was gone, as if someone flipped a switch, Nora actually groaned in disappointment. Pyrrha was the first to notice Jaune on the ground when Vergil appeared out of nowhere.
"We need to take him to the infirmary" he advised "Ren" the boy nodded but when he tried to take the sword from his grasp Vergil stopped him "leave it" Ren looked to him "trust me, I'll explain it later on."
They slung an arm over each of their shoulder and carried him off, Vergil's eyes snapped in the direction of a locker space a few ways down and his eyes narrowed but continued on his way.
"I think they're gone"
The 'empty' passage way shifted to reveal Cinder Emerald and Mercury "okay what the hell was that?" the grey haired mercenary questioned.
"…I don't know" Emerald begrudgingly admitted.
They all experienced the euphoric sensation when the light washed over them and Cinder had no idea what it was. She looked at her palms, she'd never felt anything like that before in her life. It would also seem that that boy was also involved.
"By the way, was it just me or was that guy staring right at us?"
'He was staring right at me' Cinder's eyes narrowed.
"It's all in your head, no one can see through my illusions" Emerald defended with a scowl.
Whether or not he saw didn't matter "Emerald"
"Ma'am"
"Add him to the list and both of you, see what you can get from his team" she said resolutely before walking away "I want to know everything about my date" her eyes glowed maliciously.
\
"It stopped" Ruby sighed.
"Hm-hmm"
"So uh, you can untie me now Blake"
The girl looked up from her book then to Dante who nodded "she isn't lying this time."
With a flick of her wrist Blake's ribbons loosened and retracted from the younger girl who pouted "that was mean Blake"
The Faunus looked unrepentant though even as Yang looked to Ruby as if seeing her for the first time "so~ angel huh?" she looked to Dante "I know dad always said she was his little angel-"
"Yang~"
"-but I don't think he meant it literally."
"I don't sense any from her either" Dante admitted "then again I wasn't looking for one but the fact that she heard the sirens call means she's affiliated with angelic magic."
Ruby began eating "I don't feel any different though."
"That means the power is dormant and needs to be awakened."
"How do you do that?" Ruby perked with interest.
"Lots of ways" he shrugged "you can wait for it to manifest itself with time or you can drag it out. To do that you'll need to experience a strong emotion but that's not something you'd want."
Ruby pouted "why not"
"Intense psychological trauma" Nero began and turned to her "you'd have to see something so traumatic that it kicks starts the power."
"What he said" Dante agreed.
"Yeah I think she'll take a pass on that" Yang spoke with a furrowed brow.
"You guys talking about demons?" Sun's voice suddenly interrupted.
He and Neptune took a seat across from Blake and Weiss "not this time Sunny we're dealing with angels now."
"….dude it's been one day since we fought off a demon."
Funny that's what Blake thought too.
Weiss spoke "ever since you three came here it's just been one thing after another"
Dante shrugged "eh, what can you do?"
"Maybe it's not a bad thing" Neptune suggested getting almost everyone's attention "I mean if they didn't come then we wouldn't know and if they suddenly decide to attack then…." He trailed off.
"We're screwed" Yang finished it anyway.
"Pretty much yeah" he sipped his drink.
"So Blake" Sun began.
'Oh Oum' said girl cringed internally.
"What're you reading?"
She snapped the book shut "nothing" she said a bit forcefully before finishing her tuna sandwich "I have to go."
Dante and Neptune could only wince at Blake's brutal shutdown. Nero could sympathize with being annoyed by overly enthusiastic people. His gaze shifted to Ruby, who he'd realize now sat beside him, well Dante actually put her there since she was being lured by the siren's call but now..
"I have to go" similar to Blake he also left.
To Ruby's credit she didn't even make a sad face "see you later Nero" she waved happily.
Unfortunately she's right Nero frowned.
\
Melanie and Militia relegated themselves to just sit around until the former fully healed and they can sneak out when the infirmary doors were opened" The twins looked on as five people came through.
Two boys were carrying another by the arms while two girls trailed behind one of them they definitely recognized as Pyrrha Nikos and…..Dante?
Militia watched in muted astonishment as they dragged the blonde onto a bed, not even bothering to remove his weapon still clutched in his hand.
"Dante?" Militia questioned.
The boy looked to them and aside from his face looked nothing like the boy they saw yesterday. For one his hair was platinum blonde, neatly groomed and he carried himself in a more refined manner.
"You must be the Malachite twins" Monty even his voice sounded like melted butter compared to Dante "my name is Vergil I'm Dante's older twin brother."
'Twin brother?' they both thought
Well that certainly explained it, though even they would admit it was a bit jarring seeing Vergil after meeting Dante. It was like looking at a distorted image really and despite being twins themselves, their differences aside from how they dress and hairstyle is a subtle change in demeanor. Vergil and Dante were like each other's antithesis in comparison rather than subtle opposites.
"H-hello" Militia greeted demurely
"Yeah hey" Melanie couldn't help but give him a once over "I'm Melanie her name's Miltiades but everyone calls her Militia."
Vergil nodded "how are you feeling?" he questioned coming closer.
"Fine" she answered.
\
Ozpin stood in his office, brown eyes staring out the glass frame. It was the view among other reasons why Ozpin chose to build a tower which no one seemed to frequently question the use of. Then again he'd built up a reputation for being a bit eccentric but that's neither here nor there.
He took out his scroll and tapped a few buttons and a moment later the face of James Ironwood came on screen.
"Ozpin?"
"James I need you to meet me at the tower"
"Did something happen?"
"Yes, I have chosen my champion"
The general's eyes widened "well, that was fast. May I ask why you've pushed your decision?"
"I have recently come across some information that has forced my hand, information that I cannot say over the scrolls."
"….I'm on my way."
The screen went blank soon after and Ozpin released a sigh.
\
Classes went on afterwards as normal with the absence of the blonde Arc. There were questions of course but no one not even Nora spoke of what they learned from Vergil. The same went for the other party who had not got around to explaining Ruby's possible connection to a certain species.
By the end of the final class both Vergil and Dante had a reason to go to Ozpin. What they weren't expecting was to be called there along with Nero and…Pyrrha Nikos? The redhead was just as confused by this.
"I wonder what the headmaster wants" she asked curiously and a little frustrated, she wanted to check up on her partner for a bit but Glynda was very insistent.
Just as Dante was insistent Ruby also join them, at first Glynda hesitated but once Ozpin allowed it they were all on their way to his office.
The six entered the office and to their shock found General Ironwood in the room "what's he doing here?" Nero gruffly questioned.
"I invited James here because he can be trusted" Ozpin spoke calmly before turning his attention to James "just as how they can be trusted."
James nodded before walking towards them "I know I may not have given the best first impressions but you must understand when faced with an anomaly one must deal with it under the highest scrutiny."
Before either of his brothers could retort Vergil step forward "I understand, you were suspicious and you took precautions" he held his hand out "I would've done the same thing if the roles were reversed."
James shook his hand already taking a liking to the boy, he was logical and practical unlike some who let their personal feelings cloud their judgment.
"So that's it?" Dante questioned.
"Yes Dante" Vergil sighed "we're all on the same side so there's no time for bickering."
The raven haired boy nodded when James spoke "Ozpin has also briefed me on your circumstances and the events of last night."
Now this was a shock to the teens, though not much for the twins
"I see."
"No kidding."
"So you know we're not human or Faunus."
"I do and I've also had the opportunity of viewing the…prisoner" his eyes narrowed.
They could see the disdain he had on his face and now they knew for sure they had an ally in the Atlesian general.
"We can discuss that later" Ozpin interrupted "now I believe miss Nikos would like to know why she's here."
The redhead nodded "then please, have a seat you as well Miss Rose."
"Um, okay" the young girl mumbled before sitting.
"Hey what about us?" Dante complained.
"You will have to stand on the sidelines until Ozpin finishes." James informed "what he has to say is important to both of them."
Both girls looked nervously at Ozpin as he spoke whilst reclining in his chair "now tell me ladies, what is your favorite fairytale?"
\
The door closed behind her and Cinder made sure to lock it. She had accosted the use of the bathroom the moment they arrived at the guest dorms to be used by the students. She wouldn't normally do this, after all she gave her free reign on this mission.
Cinder didn't have a choice though, whatever the light was surely wasn't a Semblance, it felt similar to when she took Amber's Maiden powers.
'No other choice' she sat cross-legged on the bathroom floor and closed her eyes.
\
It only took but a moment for small the feeling of fear and anxiety to tell her that she had been successful. Her eyes opened to view the dark expanse; it was always dark in this place. There was no sign of any life and the shattered moon was obscured by some clouds. Cinder paid no mind as she was addressed by the figure whose back was turned to her.
"Cinder" her voice sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.
"Mistress" she greeted while keeping her head down.
"I gave explicit instructions that you are not to contact me, especially now that you've made it into Beacon."
Cinder swallowed lightly, she had always had that affect on her but for the sake of keeping her dignity she maintained her composure "I am aware however I am experiencing difficulties, there are three new students who-"
"I am well aware of their presence Cinder" she cut off "they had dispatched the horde sent to bolster the ranks at Mountain Glenn."
Cinder's eyes widened in shock, she knew better than second guess her but she just had to clarify "the entire horde."
Salem chuckled humorlessly as she looked over her shoulders "indeed" her red eyes bore into Cinder's amber ones but just as she looked to returned her gaze to survey the expanse "imagine my surprise when the veritable army had been easily destroyed by three adolescents" she paused "without a single scratch to their person or any visible efforts on their part or any resulting casualties to the village of Faunus they were protecting"
"That's…"
"Impossible? Inconceivable?" she stated in an amused tone "I assure you Cinder it is very much true. I witnessed it myself, all of it and have come to a conclusion." Cinder could actually picture her frown when she spoke "they weren't showing their true powers."
She turned fully to gauge her reaction, her gaze remain calm "I can imagine you would be hard pressed to fight them even with the rest of the Fall Maiden's powers"
Now Cinder allowed some of her surprise to leak through "they are that powerful?"
Salem closed her eyes "that remains to be seen, though I would proceed on the side of caution" her eyes opened but were narrowed "especially-" she suddenly stopped much to her confusion.
Salem however didn't even have her eyes on her anymore she was looking beyond her. That's when another voice made itself known.
"Oh no don't mind me love, do continue."
Cinder was about to turn around but when two hands landed on her shoulder she froze "well what do we have here?" he began to message her shoulders and cinder fought the urge to melt in his touch "how are you my little Cinder~?" he whispered in her ears.
Before she could moan out a reply Salem spoke "you are late."
"Well I have been rather busy love"he said nonchalantly "not all of us can stay in such a dreary place all day and besides I like to do a more hands on approach"
Salem glared at him, an action that would make most men wither and die however the man simply chuckled and released Cinder from his tantalizing hold.
"Are there problems on your side?"
"There has been some" she paused to consider her words "complications yes."
He walked forward "I could tell" he said though there was a certain darkness to his mirth now "I haven't felt that particular power in a long while" he turned to Cinder "tell me dear you spoke of three individuals, what are their names?"
Said girl released a calming breath "their names are Nero, Dante and Vergil Sparda-" Cinder cut herself off at the expression he showed at the mention of that name.
Cinder swallowed lightly, in terms of immediate personality he was the polar opposite of Salem. While the Grimm queen carried herself regally like a queen should, he acted more like an irresponsible rich playboy. He was always smiling, belittling, in a way he was like Roman in that aspect and just like Roman he was dangerous in his own right.
If not for the fact that he could get away with speaking to Salem like he would any other woman then for the fact that like her he wielded tremendous power. He didn't show it though, unlike Salem or even herself he didn't need to show his power to prove his superiority. Salem has already known at some point before she met her and Cinder knew because her mistress tolerated him.
That is why she was so shocked when for the first time in her life did he reveal it, he broke the façade to show his true colors if only for a brief moment. It may have been because the situation was so fresh for her that in a way she felt that he was even more dangerous than the Grimm queen herself.
"So it seems my first assumptions were correct" he sighed "and it appears one of my establishments was attacked last night. I suppose it doesn't matter" he turned to Salem and did an eloquent bow "I sincerely apologize"
"You know those boys?"
"You can say that" his mirth returned as if it never left.
"I take it you will be offering your assistance."
"Of course, this is a personal matter after all" he smiled unnervingly before directing his attention to Cinder "I will send some people to aid you but until they arrive do your best not to antagonize them" he reached and touched her cheek "I've grown quite fond of you Cinder and I would hate to see you die" his tone was still playful but with a serious undertone.
"If that is all begone Cinder." Salem dismissed
She didn't need to be told twice
\
Cinder gasped as her eyes snapped open and she panted, she had always been wary of him. Her mistress Salem had always had a presence that demanded respect and fear however that man had always had the air of someone you could let your guard down around. His unnatural charisma made people adore him and on more than one occasion she had been tempted to let her guard down.
She touched her shoulder, although he wasn't touching her actual body she could still feel all the sensations. Cinder's eyes smoldered as she burned through her uniform and stepped into the shower.
\
Pyrrha was shocked and so was Ruby as for team DVN.
Vergil wordlessly opened his palm and Dante and Nero grumbled before throwing a few bills of Lien in his hand.
"A pleasure doing business gentlemen" he said counting his new profits. The Nephilm pocketed the money and turned to see both Glynda and James looking at him.
But before he could speak Ozpin beat him to it "it seems you three were aware of the nature of this conversation beforehand."
"That depends" Dante spoke and narrowed his eyes suspiciously "did you also hear the Enochian song?"
Ozpin's eyebrow raised "Enochian?"
Vergil stepped forward "it's the language of the angels" he began getting both of Ozpin's brows as well as James and Glynda's to rise "if I'm to understand what you said is true then it would appear that these Maidens and Silver Eyed Warriors are this worlds versions of Angels..or angelic warriors anyway." He added as an afterthought.
"How can you be sure?" James questioned.
"That song was a result of me applying angelic magic to a weapon, which actually turned out to be an ancient holy weapon/angel arm if you will. It was acting as a Beacon to draw anything that has been touched by angelic magic. Obviously with myself and Dante's status as half angels we heard the call and so did Ruby."
This piqued Ozpin's interest "whose weapon was this?"
Everyone's attention was now on Vergil with thick curiosity "Jaune Arc….I think he may be the descendant an angel..an angel from our world."
"Wait, then wouldn't that mean the entire Arc family are angels as well" Glynda wondered aloud.
Vergil shook his head "it's not that simple, in our world an angels true source of power are their wings unlike demons. They are not easily destroyed but they can be severed and when that happens, the angel loses the bulk of their power and basically becomes an above average human. With time those special attributes become diluted through the generations to the point where they actually become human just as the case with Jaune."
"You say he became human" James began "yet you claim he is an angel, explain."
"This is what usually happens in my world, however there's one thing the humans of Remnant have that the ones of earth don't."
"…Aura" Ozpin realized.
Vergil nodded "I could actually feel trace amounts of angelic power coming from Jaune. Naturally I wanted to investigate so I spent some time with him."
'So that's why' Pyrrha realized.
"What I discovered was that something was slowly pouring angelic power into him while using his Aura as a conduit. It's probably how so many of his ancestors were renowned heroes of their generations, though they never live long enough to receive the full benefits. The process could take decades if left naturally."
"Angels can't resist destroying evil and doing 'good'" Dante commented while rolling his eyes "remember the last time we met an angel?"
Nero scoffed "ugh don't even remind me" his eyes veered to the side.
James and Glynda shared a look before the man coughed "we're getting off topic. So you discovered this and..?"
"I merely applied my own angelic powers to speed up the process."
Pyrrha's eyes widened "so what's happening to him?"
"Jaune Arc is becoming an angel."
Dante grinned "an-"
""Arc Angel"" Nero and Vergil finished.
"Yes we know brother" Vergil sighed.
"Like we didn't see that coming a mile away" Nero grumbled.
"…tch, assholes"
Ozpin had a pensive expression "you said that you apply magic to an holy weapon, am I correct in assuming it is Crocea Mors?"
"Yes, apparently that is the weapon the angel used its wings to create when they severed it for whatever reason."
"Um excuse me" Ruby spoke up for the first time "but what's going to happen to Jaune now?"
"He'll be comatose for an undetermined period of time so his body can adapt to the changes that will be made to him" he answered "when he wakes up I want to help him adapt to his new changes."
Before James could even object Ozpin stood "I understand, now if you'll follow me"
\
"…so does that like happen often" Melanie questioned.
"Nope"
Right now Ren and Nora were currently in infirmary paying their leader a visit and had struck up a conversation with the Malachite twins. Well Nora did anyway and that's when Crocea Mors started glowing. It wasn't a bright glow but noticeable enough to garner their attention. Before they could act upon anything Ren drew the curtain back so as to avoid any unwanted attention and drew the sheets to cover the sword for extra precaution.
At the same time Nora's stomach growled "I'm hungry" she whined before smiling "I wonder what the cafeteria is serving for dinner!"
Dinner sounded very appealing to them at the moment and it just occurred to the twins that the food they served at the hospital wasn't that good.
"Hold on we're coming too" Melanie spoke getting out of the bed.
"Are you sure?" Ren asked.
"I've been stuck in bed all day. All I want to do is get something to eat then get the hell out of here."
It's only been one day since they got here and she could tell that there is more craziness to come and when it does she doesn't want her or her sister anywhere near it.
"Where are our clothes?"
Militia fidgeted "um about that.."
"What?"
"Our clothes got trashed in the fight last night-"
'I wouldn't call that a fight'
"-so the headmaster gave us some new clothes"
Melanie paused and warily asked "what new clothes?"
Nora, Ren and the twins all stepped through the infirmary doors in the beacon school outfit. Melanie was less than pleased they replaced their clothes and even more so they confiscated her weapon/favorite pair of heels. This would make leaving even more troublesome because they would have to see a teacher or go to Ozpin himself.
Her sea green eyes narrowed in suspicion at the thought of seeing the grey haired headmaster. She'd dealt enough business on Junior's behalf to know a setup when she saw one. Oh she can see it now, what the old man might think
Two misguided teenage girls with exceptional combat skills, working at a Night Club of all places?
Melanie bit back a scoff, it's not that she and her sister couldn't enroll in a combat school and become Huntresses it's just that they chose not to. They may have had a harsh life but with their level of skill they could've gone on one of the many scholarships they give out to kids with talent but no money.
They hadn't enrolled to become future Huntresses for the pure and simple fact that they didn't want to. They lived in poverty but at least they were alive, unlike 99% of kids their age they weren't bought by the propaganda the council advertises about Hunters. Not to mention the prospect of risking their lives to fight against monsters wasn't appealing.
They weren't cowards, no far from it but just because they could fight didn't mean they wanted to risk their lives for a lost cause. Lost in that the Grimm have been their long before they were born and will definitely be their long after they die.
And you can bet the twins planned on living a relatively long life.
While Melanie brooded over how to turn down Ozpin's future proposal Militia couldn't help but notice the stares they were getting, mostly from the men as if they've never seen twins before. Militia wasn't like her sister, actually she was almost polar opposite in terms of attitude and unlike her she didn't handle being stared at well. Following her sister's lead she gave each and every one of them a glare befitting someone whose worked alongside criminals for years.
The effects were instantaneous and the various students suddenly found anywhere else interesting. Militia couldn't help the small smile that appeared at her accomplishment, her sister would've been proud. If only she could stop brooding and pay attention but whatever.
At least nothing could sour her mood any further.
The moment they entered the cafeteria they saw the bane of their existed, the one responsible for all their misfortunes ever since she strutted into Junior's Club a few months back.
"You!"
\
'This is really awkward' Ruby thought 'and uncomfortable'
Right now she and everyone else were crammed into an elevator which was obviously not meant to carry eight people.
"Well this could be worse" Dante piped "at least you didn't put in some lame elevator music"
"That would be hell" Nero commented.
The doors finally opened and everyone walked out first, though Pyrrha looked uncomfortable, a nudge from Ruby and a comforting smile made her go.
"You know I always wondered why you needed an entire tower for yourself instead of just a building" Dante spoke as he surveyed the grounds "wow you really are just like the wizard"
Ozpin turned with a raised eyebrow "am I?"
"Oh yeah, see in the show the wizard disguised himself as some other worldly being to trick the heroine into believing it when he's actually just some normal guy hiding behind the curtains."
Ozpin kept his gaze on Dante a second longer before turning "I see"
Vergil narrowed his eyes at him but Nero beat him to the punch "I thought he was just some pompous prick" his voice was nonchalant.
Pyrrha and Ruby threw the young half devil scandalized gazes, how could he just disrespect the headmaster like that?
James couldn't help but raise an amused brow, he would have been indignant but it's rare to find someone blatantly disrespect Ozpin of all people like this, especially coming from an ally and a child at that. The freshness of the experience outweighed the insult to his friend and it also speaks that the young man wasn't afraid to question authority.
Contrary to what some would believe about general Ironwood, he could see the necessity of individuals like Nero, Dante and even Qrow. The rebels, who would go into action independent of any political agenda or orders for the simple fact that it gets the job done in the end. He may not support it or like it but he'd be willing to compromise.
Plus having someone who isn't under Ozpin's influence yet against the enemy could serve useful in its own way. The man may be wise but he's still a man and even he is prone to the same mistake even though it happens rarely.
Glynda managed to bit back a stern reprimand only for the simple fact that she knew it would not make a difference. For all intents and purposes Nero is completely unaffected by her words, in fact the only reaction she managed to get out of him would be his growing annoyance and if she were to use her Semblance then there was no doubt he would take it as a challenge, a declaration of war.
While Glynda is positive she could overpower the young man, she could admit he was skilled. Like licensed Huntsman kind of skilled and she wasn't too keen on having a full scale battle on school grounds.
"Watch your tone young man" she warned.
Nero clicked his tongue but said nothing and Glynda raised an eyebrow. No verbal retort, no teenage rebelliousness, could she actually be wearing him down?
Before she could properly contemplate this Pyrrha came close to her as she was the nearest "you said I was next in line to receive the Maiden's power. What do you mean by that?"
At this Glynda adopted a softer expression than even her lecturing mode "the Maidens have existed for thousands of years, no two are alike. When a Maiden dies her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host ensuring the seasons are never lost and that no individual can hold onto the power forever."
"So how does the power choose?"
"Before, we understood that the power is specifically passed on to young women but as time went on it was discovered that the selection process was much more….intimate"
"Intimate?"
"As we understand it now, when a Maiden dies the one who is in her final thoughts is the one who will inherit her powers."
"What if it's not a young girl?" Vergil queried.
"Then the power randomly selects a candidate who meets the requirements"
"Why are you telling me- us- this now?"
"Yeah" Ruby piped up a bit nervously "I mean why did you let us down here?"
As if being told she and her deceased mother were descendants of ancient warriors weren't enough she was being dragged into some heavy stuff she knew no one else should even know about.
"Because Miss Rose, we have less time than I originally thought" Ozpin spoke "there is a war coming and I fear we may have underestimated our opponents. The ones working in the shadows to bring about our destruction" his voice was grave "there is simply no more time for secrets and manipulations."
James continued "for years we have worked in the shadows to protect Remnant itself from the forces of darkness, however with your arrival, some startling information has come to light that has forced our hand." The Atlas General looked over his shoulders "and I fear we may not be enough to stop what's coming."
"So you're including us, even your students in your group despite their age and inexperience" Dante summed it up.
"In a nutshell, yes" Ozpin agreed.
Ruby still didn't know about this and neither did Pyrrha, they hadn't even been to Beacon a full year yet.
"Does it have to do with them being associated with us?" Nero questioned.
Ozpin sighed "not necessarily" his tone was wistful "truth be told I've had my eye on the members of both your teams for quite some time especially the both of you. Miss Rose like your mother bore the Silver eyes so she would be a great warrior. I also knew that just like her you would have been a target and advocated for your early enrollment into Beacon."
Ruby's eyes widened "w-what did you mean a target like my mom?"
James was the one to answer "there's a reason why the Silver eyed warriors have faded into legend. It wasn't until recently that we learned that many reported cases throughout recent history have stated that they have disappeared under strange circumstances."
"Y-you mean.."
"I was unable to save your mother in time" Ozpin spoke somberly "Qrow took her disappearance especially hard, he spends most of his time outside the Kingdoms gathering intelligence"
"Uncle Qrow's a part of this?"
"Yes Qrow is" Glynda informed.
"I-I" Ruby couldn't form the words to speak, it was too much information to process, she just- a hand was placed on her shoulder.
"Hey" Ruby turned to meet the grey-blue eyes of Nero and though his expression was set in a frown, his hand was oddly comforting.
She didn't even realize they'd stopped with everyone moving forward until Dante spoke "you guys going to stare longingly into each other's eyes all day or are you coming?"
The attempt to lighten the mood/embarrass them didn't seem to work- on both counts. Nero gave Dante a glare and Ruby was too shell shocked to be embarrassed.
"No we're heading back" he steered the red themed girl around "I think she's had enough happen to her for the day and frankly I could care less about any of this stuff" he was practically directing Ruby at this point but the girl made no moves of protest or any reaction at all.
The others looked on, the twins knew he was lying but let it go since they and everyone came to the same conclusion Nero did concerning Ruby. The girl could only take so much happening at a time. Pyrrha wished she could join them, feeling more, nervous and tense by the minute. She caught sight of Dante who offered her a smile.
It didn't ease her tension as much as one of Jaune's smile but she returned the smile and straightened some before continuing their trek. They came upon a machine of sorts with two pods and one of them had a body in it.
"Who's that?"
"The current Fall Maiden, Amber"
\
Both teens walked back the way they came, one of them had a pensive expression on her face while the other was frowning.
Nero's eyes glanced at the red hooded girl "you're not okay" he spoke.
Ruby snapped out of her trance "uh what"
"You're overwhelmed, too much information right?"
Ruby blinked, twice before slumping dejectedly "..yeah"
They walked into the elevator "well I don't know about you" he pressed the button "but I'm starving."
A few minutes later the duo walked to cafeteria but just as they were in voice the door opened and a disheveled Blake Belladonna came out "Blake?"
The girl spared her a glance "if you're going for dinner you can forget it, the food's all gone" on account that she's currently wearing it
The younger teens shared a glance before the leader spoke again "what happened?"
Blake's frown deepened "your sister started another food fight with those twins we rescued last night" with her peace said Blake stomped off angrily to spend the next hour getting the various foodstuffs out of her hair.
So they were having another food fight
A crash alerted them to the doors as a body flew through the doors. It was Sky Lark, covered from head to toe in melon bits.
The boy weakly reached out to them "sa..ve… your…selves" the boy then went unconscious.
Both teens stared blankly at him before Nero spoke "I've got some snacks in my dorm, wanna come with?"
Ruby nodded and they both walked away from the scene of carnage.
To Be continued
Author's notes: wow covered a lot of things this chapter, in fact I pretty much noticed the short time frame I there is with this. I've actually begun to question whether the pacing is too quick. I mean at this rate I don't see this story going past 30 chapters. Then again with how much words each chapter has it would be really tedious and downright weird to have over thirty chapters.
Also imagine the mysterious man's voice to have a British accent. Next chapter is all about The Dance and further revelations.
Anyway review and tell me what you think of this one.