A/N
Normally I would try to upload more than one chapter, but this one is llllooooonnnngggg... and I haven't really had the time to edit the next few, so this one goes up early.
Chapter 10…
For a few excruciatingly long moments… Asher wasn't sure if he was alive or dead…
The grey-eyed boy had never been religious. Not out of derision towards the thought of a higher power, but because he had never really given the idea much thought. Asher didn't know much about heaven or purgatory… but if he was sure about one thing - his current situation was hell.
It was dark… and cold… and Asher's whole body felt as if it was buzzing. His ears were ringing, his heart thumping so hard against his ribcage that he could feel the muscle shrinking and expanding.
And yet… air still circulated in his nose, his throat…
Coughing and sputtering, the grey-eyed boy shakily rose into a sitting position. He could not see even the tiniest bit in front of him.
"Hello?" Asher coughed as he called out. His voice was muffled by his helmet, so Asher gently removed the headgear. Feeling an anomaly on the helmet's smooth outer surface, Asher groped the piece of headgear until he found a sizable indent in the plating.
"Always wear your helmet…" Asher chuckled, rapping his fist against the top of the helmet - producing a hollow sounding echo. "How many times now? Good…"
Tucking the helmet under his arm, Asher shakily got to his feet. He could hear water dripping around him, in addition to the crumbling of rocks and ice.
'Shit…'
Reaching behind him, the grey-eyed boy used his free hand to pull his rifle off of his back. Asher couldn't assess the condition of the Jackhammer MK III - but he hoped that the rifle was still in good shape. It was the third iteration after all, and Asher was getting sick of having to replace the damn thing.
"Hello?" Asher called out again as he raised the rifle up to his chin. No red glow emanated from the weapon's thermal scope, so Asher ran his thumb across the lens; much to his chagrin, Asher could feel a sizable crack. "Fuck."
The grey eyed boy could feel anger churning in his stomach. He didn't know what exactly made him angrier - him being trapped in a cave-in, or his rifle being busted once again.
Placing his rifle gently onto his back again and keeping his helmet tucked under his armpit, Asher held out his hands and began to feel around the area. He could feel moisture and rocks beneath his hands… but not even the slightest bit of light peeked through the rubble…
"No, no, no…" Asher hissed in rage. "Come on…"
The search was pointless… and deep down Asher knew that before he even began it.
What about the rest of his team? Marrow? Grey? Did they escape in time? Or was Asher the only one to get trapped? If they did manage to get out in time… well… Asher could be at peace knowing that they lived.
But he didn't know if they had escaped or not. Perhaps his friends had been even more unlucky - buried under the rock, never to be seen again. That uncertainty… it threatened to kill him…
'Sage, Rust… Mauve…'
"Fucking hell…" Asher seethed. The grey eyed boy threw his head backwards, his teeth grinding together in his mouth as he began to shout at the heavens. "Come on!? Have I not suffered enough!? Has my team not suffered enough!?"
In his rage, Asher smashed his helmet against the rocky wall he was leaning against. It didn't help his situation, but it made him feel a little bit better. Asher screamed and roared, repeatedly smashing his already damaged helmet against the wall multiple times in succession.
His legs gave out before his arms did… and Asher crumpled to the freezing cold floor of the cave.
It took the grey eyed boy a moment to realize that there were tears in his eyes. The sensation felt hot and wet, and almost alien to him. Asher could not remember the last time he had cried; but in his present situation, it felt justified.
"Mauve…" Asher whispered, drawing in his knees to his chest. "Please tell me that you got out…"
Asher was answered by near-silence, save for the occasional dripping and pattering of water down the cave walls.
"Sage… Rust…" Asher whimpered. "Are you two alright?"
Asher was, once again, answered only by the ambience of what would most certainly become his tomb.
"This is it then," Asher chuckled humorlessly. "Eighteen years has led up to this…"
Cold rock walls, the patter of water coming off of the ceiling…
Lights in the darkness…
Asher yelped in surprise when he spotted two glowing blue lights amongst the shadows. His legs drew in closer to his chest, and the Huntsman-in-training instinctively shot one hand down to wrap his palm around the grip of his pistol.
The two lights flickered and danced, their luminosity pulsating much like light cast by torches.
"Hello?" Asher asked aloud. "Is someone there?"
The two lights continued to flicker and dance. Asher could not tell how far away they were from him. In the darkness, the silhouette of something large could be seen moving through the air.
Tentatively, the grey eyed boy stood up from his spot, one hand dragging his pistol out of its holster. Asher's thumb dragged against the pistol's safety, flicking it into the "off" position with a gentle "click".
The lights moved as Asher moved…
Before, Asher could not see a thing in the darkness. But now, a new light had been cast, and Asher could now make out the ground below his feet.
Slowly, Asher… and whatever was emanating the two blue lights, circled one another. Neither sought to bridge the gap.
"What are you?" Asher asked.
Silently, the unexplained occurrence revealed itself. In the darkness a wispy, shadowy body formed around the two blue lights - which Asher now realized, with some shock, were eyes.
The entity's "body" struck a canine appearance. Four powerful legs, a thick streamlined body, and an angular head characterized by two pointed ears and a long snout. The creature circled Asher much like he was circling it, its gait a balanced and predatory lope. Its clawed feet made no noise as they softly impacted with the rocky ground - unlike the scraping drag of Asher's boots.
In its presence, Asher felt anything but at ease. The grey eyed boy could feel a prickly sensation behind his eyes as he observed the mysterious blue-eyed creature.
"A wolf…" Asher frowned. "But you're not normal, are you?"
How could it be normal? Its blue eyes shone like flickering torches as it silently observed Asher. Even in the near-darkness Asher could see that its form was not physical like his. Every few moments the wolf's body seemed to flicker - wisps of what appeared to be smoke rising off of its shaggy fur.
Without warning, the creature broke the circle formation it and Asher had fallen into. It began to lope away at a brisk pace - trudging off into the darkness.
"Hey…" Asher cried. "Hold on!"
Scrambling, the grey eyed boy followed the mysterious creature. He couldn't see a thing, but the entity's smoke-like form was the only light source that he had at his disposal.
"What are you?" Asher called out, stumbling as he jogged through the inky darkness. "Are you a Grimm? You can't be… you're not like anything I've ever seen…"
Whatever it was, the wolf-like creature did not answer. It continued to trudge onwards, leading the grey-eyed boy deeper and deeper into the darkness.
Asher heard the whistling of air through rocks, giving the boy momentary pause. In an instant he realized that the mysterious creature had stopped as well. The wolf slowly contorted itself, lifting its head to look over its shoulder. Its torch-like eyes viewed Asher with what seemed like indifference and if the creature was thinking something, Asher had no way of knowing.
"Asher!?" Cried a familiar female voice.
"Mauve!?" Asher cried out in surprise. He peered around in the darkness but could not find his partner.
"Asher!?" Cried another voice, also familiar.
"Sage!?" Asher breathed. The grey eyed boy once again heard the sound of air whistling through the rocks.
"Asher, are you in there somewhere? Can you hear us!?" Cried another familiar voice.
"Rust…"
Asher began patting at the walls, trying to find the source of the whistling air. Somewhere, there was a crack in the rubble large enough for wind to sneak through. If that was the case, then maybe it was weak enough for him to break through.
"Did you lead me here?" Asher asked breathlessly, turning to face the blue-eyed entity. It was standing where he had last seen it, its torch-like eyes still not betraying any thought or emotion. "Why? What are you?"
Leaving his question unanswered, the mysterious entity disappeared without a trace. In an instant, both its smoky body and torch-like eyes were gone; once again, the cave was shrouded in darkness.
"Asher…!?" Mauve's voice sounded again through the cracks in the rock. "Please… are you here?"
Gritting his teeth, the grey eyed boy took several steps backwards. He withdrew the Jackhammer MKIII from his back and gripped the weapon tightly. His thumb flicked a small switch on the weapon - ensuring that the gun was set to its secondary firing mode.
Asher put some pressure on the trigger… the indicator light blinked green…
Releasing the trigger, Asher's world exploded into light as a fire-dust imbued round obliterated the rubble in front of him. Above his head, Asher could spot starlight peeking out through the ceiling.
"What the hell was that!?" A gruff voice cried out in the distance. "Was that an explosion!?"
Asher wasn't going to wait around for his teammates to find him. Slinging his rifle onto his back, the grey eyed boy rushed through the new gap he had created. It was a wise choice, as his abrupt use of explosives had only made the rubble more unstable. Asher could hear rumbling around him as the walls of the opening began to collapse in on themselves.
With a colossal leap the grey eyed boy flung himself out of the collapsing hole he had made. Asher landed hard in the snow, tumbling for several meters before finally coming to a stop.
"Ow…" Asher grumbled as he rubbed his head. Much to his chagrin, Asher could feel the freezing sensation of snow running down the back of his neck. Blinking his eyes open, Asher observed the glittering stars above.
"Hello…" Asher breathed as he observed the glittering mosaic in the sky.
The stars, however, were outshone by the two miniature suns staring down on him - a pair of familiar amber eyes that had a noticeable glow in low-light conditions.
"Oh…" Asher swallowed. "Hey-"
A strangled yelp sprang from Asher's lips when Mauve flung a fist-full of freezing cold snow into his face. Asher spat out the melting water and rubbed his gloved fingers against his eyes.
"What the hell was that for!?" Asher cried as he blinked the last of the snow out of his eyes. He was greeted by Mauve's face, which was twisted into a rather nasty looking scowl.
"Because you are such a fucking moron!" Mauve seethed, lifting up one finger to jab it in the face of her still-prone partner.
"Well-"
Mauve surged her arms down to wrap her hands around Asher's jacket. With a silent heave and a yelp from her partner, Mauve tugged Asher back to his feet. She wrapped her arms around her partner in a tight hug and tucked her chin into the crook of his neck.
"You're a fucking idiot…"
"Thanks…?" Asher reciprocated Mauve's hug. "I guess…?"
Asher's partner felt hot to the touch. She was a beacon of gentle warmth in the otherwise bone-chilling expanse that was the Atlesian tundra.
Suddenly, Mauve broke off the hug and pulled away from her partner. She peered into Asher's eyes for a moment before looking over his shoulder.
"He's over here!" Mauve cried out, her eyes still looking over Asher's shoulder. "I've got him!"
Clearing his throat, Asher turned around to spot his two other teammates, his teacher, and the sole survivor of the convoy cresting the top of the snowy hill to meet them. Rust and Sage rushed forwards the moment they laid eyes on Asher.
"Holy shit, you're alive!" Sage half-breathed, half-chuckled as he held out a hand for a quick fist-bump.
"Don't sound so disappointed…" Asher chuckled as he held out his own fist to complete the bump. The grey eyed boy felt a strong hand clamp down on his shoulder and turned to find Rust staring down on him. The considerably taller boy gave Asher a nod, which Asher returned.
The tender moment between the four teammates was interrupted by the sound of a man blubbering and wailing. All four members of MARS turned their heads to find Grey visibly crying, his hands clasped over his cheeks and his fingers covering his eyes.
"Mister Grey!?" Mauve choked out in surprise. "Are you alright?"
"Grey?" Marrow called out softly, wrapping his hands around the older man's shoulders to restrain him. "Don't-"
With a strangled cry Grey stumbled forwards, parted Asher's teammates, and flung his arms around the fair-haired boy in a bone-crushing hug.
"Oh, kid!" Grey wailed, his face turned upwards to face the stars. "I was so worried!"
"Thanks?" Asher coughed. The grey eyed boy managed to turn his head to spot his teammates, who were viewing the strange display with identical looks of utter bewilderment. Marrow was an exception, the Atlesian Huntsman just looked embarrassed.
"You fell behind…" Grey coughed and sputtered, his beady eyes filled with tears. "We all thought you were dead!"
"Well, I'm not…"
"Grey…" Marrow cleared his throat. "I wouldn't-"
"Can you imagine my pain!?" Grey cried. "Do you know how bad it looks to lose a student like that!? Can you imagine the paperwork I would have to do!?"
"Uh-"
"I had to do that all once… not again!" Grey wailed. "I hate paperwork!
"Yeah, it's good to see you too…" Asher softly cleared his throat and gently pushed Grey off of him.
"I'm glad that you're still alive, Disappearing-Act…" Grey flicked a tear off of his eyelid. "For my sake…"
"Once again… thanks?"
"Maybe we should go?" Marrow cleared his throat and interjected, stepping into the middle of the small group. The Atlesian Huntsman had a pronounced frown on his face and he pulled his arms to conserve his warmth. "In a few more hours the temperature will drop even more. None of us can be out here for that long…"
"Right…" Rust nodded. "Uh… Mister Grey? The radio?"
"Yeah, yeah…" Grey sniffled, his eyes still leaking tears. The wiry man pulled the radio out from his pocket and raised the speaker to his mouth.
"Flyboy…?" Grey's voice choked with emotion. "You still flying around up there? We c- could use a pickup…"
After a few moments, the radio crackled in response.
"...asked you to stop calling me that…" The radio crackled. "Pop a flare so I know where you are…"
"I'll do it…" Mauve frowned and held out her hands.
Wordlessly, Grey pulled one of the remaining flares from the emergency pack and tossed it in Mauve's direction. The lynx girl deftly caught the tubular device and twisted the top to light it. A soft glow erupted from the top of the flare, bathing the small group in light and a small amount of warmth.
"Alright, I can see you… how'd you guys end up over there?" Crackled the pilot over Grey's radio.
"It's a long story…" Grey's breath hitched, his thumb still firmly clenched on the radio's open-channel button. The man peered in Asher's direction for a moment and released a small wail of emotion. "A long, terrible story…"
"Are you…?" The pilot's voice trailed off. Crying…?"
"No."
"Are you sure? Did something go wrong…?"
"Just pick us up already!" Grey spat into the radio before shoving the device into his pocket. The man pulled in his arms to hug himself before turning away from his small group. Grey lifted his eyes to the dark sky, where the running lights of a descending bullhead could be seen amongst the glittering stars. "Me? Crying? Ridiculous…"
Asher licked his lips at the strange scene and cleared his throat. His eyes widened when he felt a pair of fingers intertwining with his. Turning his head, Asher found Mauve's eyes; the lynx girl maintained eye contact as she squeezed his hand - an action which he reciprocated.
The interaction was short lived. As soon as Mauve slipped her hand into his she withdrew it…
Blinking and looking away from his partner, Asher finally took notice of the ragged state his teacher's clothes were in. The bottom of Grey's camo fatigues were heavily shredded and stained with dried blood - revealing the man's surprisingly muscular midsection.
"Grey?" Asher asked, his voice wavering in his throat. He resisted the urge to creep back as his teacher whirled around to view him with a quizzical look. Grey's eyes were ringed red from emotion.
"What is it, Disappearing-Act?"
"Don't take this the wrong way…" Asher frowned. "But… how are you-"
"Still alive?" Marrow interjected. The dog faunus was pacing a slow circle a few feet away, his arms crossed across his chest for warmth. "Come on… you guys know why…"
Marrow gave the teammates a knowing look; with said look morphing into one of confusion when the teammates stayed silent.
Blinking his blue eyes in surprise, Marrow turned towards Grey. "They don't know?"
"Know what?" Sage licked his lips, looking between his teacher and the Atlesian huntsman. "I mean… you were…"
"Bisected…" Grey coughed into his hand. "Yeah… and it hurt…"
Hearing shuffling sounds to his left, Asher turned his head to find Mauve looking uncharacteristically meek. The lynx girl was staring at the ground, watching silently as the soles of her boots carved grooves into the snow and soil.
"To answer the question I know is all in your minds…" Grey trailed off. "Well, we all have something that makes us special…"
"Your semblance is what kept you alive?" Rust's eyes shone with realization.
"Ten points to you, Zephryn…" Grey scoffed. "Anatomical Liberation… I can control every single part of my body… regardless of whether or not all my bits are hooked up…"
In a sudden motion, Grey reached into the shredded pockets of his fatigues and pulled out a small pocket knife. The wiry man placed the edge of the razor-sharp blade against his thumb.
"Anyone want a demonstration…?" Grey grinned at the teammates.
"Grey, no!" Marrow gasped, shaking his head before turning towards the teammates. "That's why I needed to find both halves of him. I had to put him all back together…"
"Believe it or not, it's hard to control one's legs when you can't see them," Grey shrugged, frowning as he slipped the pocket knife back into his fatigues. "Marrow just sped things up for me by shoving me back together. My skin and muscles took care of the rest-"
"I'm sorry."
All eyes turned to face Mauve. The lynx girl tore her eyes away from the ground to observe her teacher with an unreadable look.
"Sorry?"
"It was because of me that that happened to you…" Mauve explained. "If I hadn't been so reckless-"
"Water under the bridge…" Grey waved his hand dismissively.
"I-"
"No, really… don't go blubbering on me…" Grey narrowed his eyes at Mauve. "Lightning-Chick, I've been shot, stabbed, burned, stepped on… sat on… the list goes on and on… bisection is nothing new to me. Trust me when I say that I'd rather get torn in half then have to do the paperwork explaining how a student died under my watch…"
"But I-"
"Zip it!" Grey commanded. "Water under the bridge!"
Ignoring Mauve's mumbling, Grey turned on his heel to observe the bullhead descending through the clouds.
"Out of curiosity…" Rust spoke up. "What was the worst thing that ever happened to you?"
"Eh…" Grey rubbed his chin in thought. "Probably the time I stepped on a landmine. That was back when I was serving in Vale's army - a long, long time ago. It was the messiest day of my life… and my platoon mates had to spend the entirety of an afternoon tracking down all my missing parts…"
"I'm still surprised that you four didn't know about Grey's semblance!" Marrow observed the members of MARS with wide eyes. "Didn't he pull off his beginning of the year prank on your class?"
"Prank?" Asher blinked in confusion.
"Y'know…" Marrow paused. "Ladder mishap, slippery floor, accidental firearm discharge…"
Marrow's eyes flicked over to Grey. "No pranks this year?"
"Eh, the janitor's and the administration kept bitching…" Grey scoffed. "So I figured that it wasn't worth doing it anymore."
"That's a shame…"
"I have so many questions for you!" Rust spoke loudly as the bullhead touched down for a landing, its engines whipping up snow and sleet.
"And I just can't wait to answer them…" Grey grumbled as he began trudging towards the craft.
Asher watched silently as his teammates, his teacher, and the sole survivor of the convoy trudged towards the bullhead. Only Mauve took notice of his absence, the lynx girl turning her head to give Asher a curious look.
"Asher?" Mauve called out. "Are you coming?"
"Yeah…" Asher nodded, thoughts swirling around in his mind. "I'm coming…"
The grey eyed boy silently approached the flying craft with the rest of his team.
Unsurprisingly, Asher was elated that he was still alive. The dank little cave-in would not be his tomb. But the inexplicable circumstances surrounding his escape had left him with more questions than answers…
Questions that only one individual could answer… an individual that he hadn't spoken with in some time…
"The entire convoy…?" Ironwood muttered, his mouth hidden by his gloved hands. "All hands lost?"
The Atlesian General's office felt a lot colder now than it had earlier in the day. Part of the reason as to why was the time of night - indicated by the crawling web of frost that now coated the exterior of the office's window.
At the end of the room, furthest from Ironwood's elevated desk, stood all four members of Team MARS. Despite their battle-worn state the four teammates stood at attention, their feet pulled together and their hands clasped behind them. Slightly ahead of them stood Grey and Marrow; although the former had adopted a far more nonchalant stance, his fingers having been slipped into his pockets.
"All hands and the shipment they were guarding…" Grey nodded and frowned, rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Well, save for Marrow here…"
The sole survivor of the convoy looked down at his feet and cleared his throat, wilting under the critical gaze of the Atlesian General.
"What happened out there, Private?" Ironwood asked gently. The general was hunched over his desk, his elbows resting atop the wood and his chin hidden by his hands. "Can you recall?"
"Not the attack itself, General Ironwood sir…" Marrow lifted his head to look into the general's eyes. "It all happened so quickly…"
"And you…" Ironwood's eyes flicked over to Grey. "You said that it was a grimm? A yeti?"
"Big, mean, and ugly…" Grey nodded. "Must've been twenty feet tall or something like that. I don't really know why, but it wanted the dust in the shipment - wanted it bad enough to drag the tanker all the way down into its cave."
"The grimm that you all described is a known variation…" Ironwood released his hands and leaned back in his chair. "But it is a rare occurrence… and I do not believe that a yeti of such size has been spotted in the last decade."
"Permission to speak, sir?" Mauve asked aloud, her face drawn into a neutral look.
"Granted."
"The grimm was acting… strange…" Mauve frowned. "It was intelligent, no doubt. But during the battle it… ingested… the entire tanker of fire dust."
Ironwood's eyebrows raised in response. "It ingested it? The entire shipment?"
"That's when it began spewing fire…" Grey nodded in support of Mauve's claim. "I've been all over Remnant and I've seen a bunch of things that'll make me question my grip on reality. But I'll tell you now, I've never seen anything like that…"
Wordlessly, Ironwood rose from his desk, drawing his hands together by behind his back as he did so. The imposingly tall Atlesian General slowly descended the steps that connected the elevated platform on which his desk was placed to the rest of the room.
"I expect full reports from everyone by tomorrow evening…" Ironwood muttered as he descended the steps, ignoring Grey's muttered indignation towards having to do paperwork. "MARS, consider this report a higher priority than your ongoing schoolwork - I will override your professors to give you the necessary extensions, if need be."
"Thank you, sir," Mauve nodded.
"You four did well tonight," Ironwood gave the four members of MARS a critical look. "I'm going to give you four some time off from our other operation - unless, of course, an emergency situation develops."
Pausing his small speech, the general came to a stop in front of Marrow.
"Private Amin…" Ironwood began before briefly trailing off. "I could stand here and tell you that the rest of your company fought bravely, and that they died as heroes in the service of Atlas. There is no doubt in my mind that all of this is very much true."
Sage turned his head to give his teammates a confused look - Rust offered him a small shrug in response.
"But as someone who too started as a Private and rose through the ranks…" Ironwood frowned. "We both know that anything I say to you about the loss of your company, here and now, will only sound hollow and empty…"
"Yes, sir…" Marrow cleared his throat, emotion creeping up into his voice. "It will…"
"The Atlesian Military offers many services for soldiers, including grief counseling," Ironwood cocked his head. "You will be in attendance."
"Yes, sir," Marrow nodded and looked down at his feet.
"After, I will see to it that you are found a new placement - if that is your wish."
"I've got an idea about that, actually," Grey interjected, sliding up next to a surprised Marrow as he did so. "Say, Ironwood… I know that there is one team with an opening…"
Ironwood raised an eyebrow at the eccentric teacher. "You're not suggesting-"
"Yes, I am!" Grey interrupted, slapping Marrow on the back to make the younger man's chest puff out. "If I can be honest, Marrow's talents are being wasted on grunt work!"
"Grey-" Ironwood held up a hand.
"He's smart, whippet-quick, and saved all of us down in that cave…" Grey snarled, sweeping out a hand to gesture both to himself and the entirety of Team MARS. "By the way… did I mention that before the fight he had been hanging upside down by his ankles for god knows how long? And despite nausea, dehydration, hypothermia, and fatigue he still managed to kick ass? No? Because this kid is hard as nails!"
"Grey-" Marrow's eyes were wide with shock. "What are you-"
"Just give the guy a chance…" Grey adopted a softer, pleading tone. "Let him show you what he can do! Marrow's got the Grey seal of approval! And you know how hard that is to get! I utterly despise most people, and yet here I am singing this kid's praises!"
"What Grey is saying…" Ironwood muttered, turning to Marrow and observing him with a raised eyebrow. "Is it true?"
"Well-" Marrow coughed and wilted under the scrutiny. "It is a little exaggerated bit sir-"
Grey scoffed, but Ironwood held up a hand in silent gesture and continued to peer at Marrow.
"Of course some of it is hyperbole…" Ironwood chuckled. "I would expect such exaggeration from Grey after all. But I admire your honesty… and I am curious to see if you can live up to this sudden praise you've been showered with."
Ironwood drew his hands behind him and cocked his head. He lifted his gaze for a moment to view the four members of Team MARS before lowering his vision to look at Marrow again.
"There has been an opening in the ACE Operatives…" Ironwood frowned. "An opening that needs to be filled… and there are already several contenders. Would you like an opportunity to prove yourself, Marrow?"
"Yes…" Marrow breathed, his blue eyes shining. "That sounds like an incredible opportunity…"
"I still expect you to go through counseling," Ironwood warned.
"This kid will pull through with flying colours…" Grey waved his hand dismissively, grinning as he did so. "Brimming with potential, this one…"
"You two, stay for a few minutes so that we may discuss this further," Ironwood spoke to Marrow and Grey. Lifting his gaze, Ironwood directed his vision towards Team MARS. "As for you four, go get some rest, you've done well."
Eager to take Ironwood's suggestion of rest, the four members of MARS quickly filed into the elevator.
Asher frowned as the skin at the tips of his fingers began to crease. Metal pushed against the tips of his fingernails - an uncomfortable sensation; and his finger joints were beginning to ache from repetitive motions.
"Y'know…" Rust muttered. "That would be a lot faster if you just used a screwdriver…"
"Yeah…"
"So…?" Rust lifted an eyebrow as he stared at his teammates back. There was the audible sound of creaking as the imposingly tall boy shifted around in the covers of his bunk. "Why don't you just use a screwdriver?"
"Always finger-tight first…" Asher murmured as he finally withdrew his fingers. "There…"
Propped up atop the dorm room's single desk, and in the middle of the many stacks of school papers, was the Jackhammer MKIII. The long rifle had been placed atop two standing display racks so that it's internals could be easily accessed.
The focus of Asher's attention for the past ten minutes had been the thermal scope - which had been swapped out and replaced with a spare. After minutes of painstaking and finger-cramping work, the grey eyed boy had succeeded in screwing on the new sight by hand.
"So… now you're going to use the screwdriver…?"
"Well, yeah…" Asher coughed into his hand.
The grey eyed boy began gently pulling open the drawers of the desk in search of his toolkit. It was nowhere to be found in the upper drawers of the desk… nor the lower drawers…
"Possible stupid question…" Asher murmured a warning. "But where's the toolkit?"
"I didn't touch it…" Rust frowned, his large hands intertwining behind his head.
Asher sighed and tossed his head back. "Great…"
The grey eyed boy lifted his head back up to study his weapon for any other areas of damage. There were a few nicks and scratches on the paint - but nothing that a few touch ups with a brush wouldn't handle. The weapon's most complicated series of components, the dust repository and crucible, were thankfully free of damage.
Standing up from his chair, Asher turned to face the rest of his team's dorm room.
Sage, unlike his other teammates, had immediately rolled into bed. The faunus boy was wrapped up tightly in his covers, his form obscured by the mountain of cloth - save for his wolf ears.
"Sage-" Asher began but caught himself. "Ah, nevermind…"
"Wise choice…" Rust nodded at Asher from his bank. "Best to let sleeping dogs lie…"
"I heard that," Sage grumbled and rolled over in his covers. The wolf faunus' blue eyes, heavy with dark marks from exhaustion, viewed both Asher and the dorm room with a tired look of spite. "That better've been an unintended pun…"
"It actually was…" Rust coughed into his hand, peeking his head out from his bunk to view Sage with an apologetic look. "Sorry."
"I didn't mean to wake you…" Asher held up his hand. "Sorry, Sage."
"I was never really asleep to begin with…" Sage sighed and rose from his covers, the fabric tumbling to form a blanket mass around his torso.
"Let me guess…" Asher frowned. "You're feeling a little bit wired right now?"
"Yeah…" Sage cleared his throat. "I feel like I just pounded back three espressos… way too much adrenaline…"
Nodding at his teammate, Asher grabbed the desk chair behind him and took a seat.
"I don't suppose that you've seen the toolkit anywhere?" Asher asked Sage, one hand tossing back over his shoulder to gesture at the propped up form of the Jackhammer MKIII. "I need to tighten up a few screws…"
"Weren't you the last one to have it?" Sage shook his head. "I haven't seen it…"
"Damn it all…" Asher sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"Why don't you try asking Mauve?" Rust asked. "She might have used it…"
Rust pointed to the closed bathroom door. Throughout the entirety of the conversation the dull drone of the running showerhead had filled the air.
"Maybe…" Asher clamped his hands down on the armrests of the chair and kicked his feet against the legs; with a small chuckle the grey eyed boy began to quickly swivel around on the chair's moving base.
Rust heard a small grunt - not from Asher, but from Sage. The imposingly tall boy turned his head to peek out from his wall-mounted bunk, observing his green haired teammate with inquisitive brown eyes.
Sage was still wrapped up in his covers, but there were several small signs that Rust began to interpret. Sage's hands were curled up in his bedsheets, his lips drawn into a tight line, and his blue eyes briefly glanced between Sage and the bathroom door.
Rust considered saying something - having recalled he and Sage's heated disagreement in the gym locker room - but decided against it…
"Speaking of Mauve…" Asher murmured as his spinning chair came to a resting stop. "Sage… what was that about earlier?"
"What do you mean?"
"When we were walking…" Asher raised an eyebrow at his teammate. "You and Mauve were at each other's throats again."
Sage broke off eye contact and stared off at the bathroom door. "Mauve and I don't always see eye-to-eye on things… you know that-"
"That wasn't a little disagreement," Asher interrupted, his grey eyes as hard as stone. "What was that about?"
"Asher-"
"You called her an asskisser…" Asher leaned forwards in his chair. "What did you mean by that?"
Rust could feel the temperature of the room rapidly decreasing - or at least, it felt that way. For a moment, Sage looked as if he wanted to close his mouth and roll back up in his covers; but the faunus boy had been remarkably more outspoken the last few weeks, and this trend was not stopping.
"I was being vitriolic…" Sage cleared his throat, his tone diplomatic. "I'm sorry-"
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," Asher frowned and shook his head. "Mauve can fight her own battles… but as her partner I can't help but get concerned…"
"It's just-" Sage caught himself and cleared his throat.
"What?"
"Nothing?"
"C'mon…" Asher frowned and shook his head. "Sage-"
"Mauve's been acting strange lately."
For a long moment there was silence between the two teammates. Rust's eyes flicked between Sage and Asher, patiently waiting for either to continue the thread of conversation.
"Strange?" Asher lifted up his eyebrow. "How so?"
"It's just-" Sage paused for a moment. "She's been harsher lately, Asher."
"Harsher?" Asher frowned. The grey eyed boy glanced at the closed bathroom door for a moment. "I don't know… she seems the same to me."
"She spends all of her free time training…"
"Once again, that's usually been the case with her…"
"Look…" Sage screwed his eyes shut and held up one hand. "Level with me here for a second. Asher, do you trust Ironwood?"
"Of course I don't," Asher chortled. "We're basically his errand boys… and girl…"
"See, I share that opinion," Sage nodded. "So does Rust…"
Asher glanced briefly at Rust, receiving a nod from the imposingly tall boy.
"But where does Mauve stand?" Sage continued, suddenly looking a little bit guilty. "Do you know? Maybe it was wrong to blow up at her like that, but-"
"Are you saying that you don't trust her?" Asher scowled. "After everything she had done for this team? For you?"
"Asher-"
"A few weeks ago I was ready to cut you off and throw you to the wolves…" Asher's scowl deepened. Rust felt himself shudder as the grey eyed boy began to rise from his chair. "And although you two had been at each other's throats constantly Mauve still saddled up to pull you out of that mess!"
"Of course I trust her, but-"
"But nothing!" Asher hissed. "What the hell is the matter with you? What's changed? I don't remember you being like this back at Beacon…"
"Oh, and how did you remember me?" Sage shot back, heat rising in his voice.
"All I'm saying is that you're different…" Asher frowned, his hands balling into fists. "You've been meaner, short-tempered… more impulsive…"
"I think I had pretty good reason to be!" Sage spat. "What? Would you rather I be the same person I was back at Beacon? Small Sage, weak Sage, meek Sage?"
"Ah! Case in point!" Asher held up a hand in Sage's direction. "A perfect example of your recent behaviour!"
"Oh, fuck off…"
Over the growls of his two teammates Rust heard the shower head turning off.
"Guys!?"
Sage and Asher, still glaring daggers at each other, continued to argue.
"Guys!?" Rust repeated louder. "Hey!?"
Sage and Asher both broke their heated gaze to glare at Rust instead.
Silently, Rust pointed towards the bathroom door…
Clueing in, Sage and Asher immediately turned back to their prior tasks. Sage wordlessly rolled himself back in his covers and turned his back to the dorm room. Asher resumed the maintenance of his damaged rifle, his fingers tapping against the barrel and stock for any signs of twisting or damage.
Their timing was impeccable - their sudden coordination a dark mockery of their usual camaraderie; as only a few moments after the three turned around did the bathroom door slide open. Mauve emerged from the steamy confines of the bathroom. Despite her pajamas and the large towel bonnet concealing her hair the lynx girl's mere presence drew the attention of everyone in the room.
"Is everything alright?" Mauve asked, her sharp amber gaze scanning her teammates. "Were you guys discussing something?"
"Huh? No…" Asher awkwardly cleared his throat. "Oh, have you seen the toolkit?"
"You're doing maintenance now?" Mauve looked surprised. "It couldn't wait till morning?"
"It's past midnight - so technically it's already morning…" Rust joked. His comment earned him a soul-piercing glare from his team leader. "And goodnight…"
Rust awkwardly and abruptly rolled over in his covers.
Sighing and rubbing her teetering towel bonnet, Mauve quietly stepped over to the dorm room's dresser and pulled open its doors. She pointed downwards at a small compartment, where a familiar black and red toolkit sat.
"Toolkit…" Mauve murmured, pointing at the small box with an outstretched finger. Reaching down, the lynx girl retrieved the toolkit and placed it gently into Asher's hands.
"Far be it for me to tell you what to do…" Mauve frowned and looked at her bunk. "But can't this wait until later?"
"I-" Asher began but froze, his fingers gripping around the sharp corners of the toolkit. "Yeah, I guess so…"
Truthfully, the grey eyed boy felt dead tired… but he wasn't sure if he wanted to sleep yet. Classes would begin in just a few hours, but Asher didn't even know whether or not a pathetic few hours of sleep would be enough - assuming he even could.
"Do it tomorrow…" Mauve yawned and flopped into her bunk.
"Y- Yeah…" Asher cleared his throat and stood up to join his partner. "Sure…"
Mauve observed Asher with half-lidded amber eyes.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah," Asher licked his lips and tapped his fingers against his hips. "Everything is fine…"
"Doesn't look it…"
"I'm serious," Asher pursed his lips and walked over to the bunks. "I'm fine."
Mauve squinted her eyes and observed her partner critically. If she suspected anything she did not say so, instead rolling over in the bunk to make space for Asher.
Thankfully, sleep did come for Asher that night. The covers felt warm and comforting, and in this transitory period between sleep and lucidity Asher felt most confident in his chances to pursue his plan.
He had never really done this before. His body was one thing - he would imagine a door and suddenly he would shift into an immaterial plane. But the process required to bring only his mind to such a plane had always been a mystery to him.
Asher's mind had only ever visited "the place" without any input from him, always randomly. But now here he was, teetering on the edge of sleep, wondering if he could achieve the transition by will.
Closing his eyes, the fair haired boy imagined an ashen plain, studded with rocks and outcrops and surrounded by an ever-present ring of thick smoke. He concentrated further, imagining the smell of campfires, ignited gunpowder, and lilting sulfur.
For a moment, the grey eyed boy felt as weightless as a feather on the wind…
When he finally did open his eyes, Asher found himself not in his warm bunk, but in the dark and far-reaching expanse that he did not even know the proper name of.
How long had it been since his last visit? A few weeks…
Asher didn't know and he didn't want to know. In truth, he hated it here; this endless inhospitable expanse of swirling smoke, ash, rock, and black glass.
Peering around, Asher could feel the sand shifting beneath his bare feet.
'That's new…'
While his body certainly inhabited "the place" as if it was corporeal, Asher could not recall ever "feeling" the environment around him. Other than the grainy feeling of sand between his toes, Asher now felt the biting cold of the smoky air which surrounded him.
"Hello?" Asher called out into the dimly lit expanse. "Can you hear me, friend? Are you here?"
If the Stranger heard Asher's call, they did not answer.
"I actually managed to get here… somehow…" Asher frowned and observed his hands. The grey eyed boy rubbed his hands together and patted down his legs - noting the texture of his bare skin and flannel pajamas. "And I'd like to have an audience with you… or something like that…"
Once again, Asher was answered only by the sound of the sand crunching beneath his bare feet and the whistling wind which disturbed the settling smoke.
"Look, I don't know if you're here or not… maybe you are and you're just ignoring me…" Asher grumbled. "But it's been weeks since we've talked. That, and I just came face-to-face with something in that cave which I'm assuming that you know something about…"
Looking down at his feet, Asher clenched his hands into fists and let out a rattling sigh.
"Hello?" Asher asked aloud once again, lifting his head and cracking open one eye to peer around the chilly expanse. "Friend? You there?"
The smoke churned and swirled, not offering to give up its secrets…
Asher hated this place. He felt a strange sensation on the back of his neck, as if he was being watched…
"Fuck this…"
Closing his eyes and imagining a door, Asher felt that same weightless feeling come over him. Within moments he felt the warm covers his bed beneath him, his entire body having shifted so that he was lying on his back.
"Well…" Asher whispered as he opened his eyes to observe the top of his bunk. "At least I have something new to tell Doctor Fern…"
Not bothering to roll over and see what time it was, seeing as it was still dark out, Asher closed his eyes and readjusted himself in his covers to try and get some sleep. But something was wrong. His shift in motion had made it apparent to him that a familiar weight was missing from his side. Opening his eyes and lifting his head, Asher blinked several times and observed the empty spot beside him.
Mauve was gone…
Blinking and turning his head, Asher peered across the dark room towards the bathroom door, expecting to see a light peeking out from underneath the frame. However, the bathroom door was wide open - ruling out Asher's assumption that Mauve had gotten up for a bathroom run.
"Mauve?" Asher whispered, his gaze moving around to see if he could spot his partner in the dark. "You here?"
In the inky blackness, Asher could not spot a pair of amber eyes staring back at him.
'Not like I was going to get any sleep anyways…'
Quietly rising from his covers, Asher shucked on a pair of trainers that he would use for trips to the gym and exited the dorm room.
The hallways of Atlas Academy were (thankfully) devoid of any activity. Despite being a military academy there was no curfew of any sort - which meant that Asher did have to worry about sneaking around after hours.
Asher began his search at the cafeteria. It was an unlikely place for Asher's partner to be, since Mauve had never been much of a late-night snacker; but it seemed like a good place to start. After the cafeteria came the medical wing, but other than the late night staff Asher could not spot Mauve flitting around in the waiting rooms. After the medical wing, the recreation halls… then the libraries… only after all of this did Asher think to check out the gym.
As Asher entered the sprawling gymnasium, the first thing he noted was the rhythmic sound which filled the air. The sounds fell in sequence one another - the sounds of rubber soles impacting against a rough surface, nearly drowned out by a low-pitched mechanical whirring.
Asher knew these noises - they were the sounds of feet making contact against a moving treadmill…
In the center of the room Asher finally found the familiar head of silver and purple hair that he had been searching for. Mauve had her back to him and was unaware of Asher's presence, her small ponytail bobbing around with every footfall.
For a moment, the grey eyed boy considered calling out to his partner. He decided against it however, not wanting to startle Mauve while she was in such a position. Asher had questions for her - first and foremost why she was currently working out after returning from a mission. It was hypocritical of her, telling him to get some rest while she went for a very early morning workout.
But then again… both Rust and Sage had complained about having trouble sleeping. Asher was no exception… he could only assume that Mauve wasn't having it any easier. Perhaps it had been a bout of insomnia which had carried Mauve to the sprawling expanse that was the gym…
Deciding to question Mauve but not wishing to interrupt her, Asher quietly took a seat on a nearby weightlifting bench. His partner still had her back to him, and Asher allowed himself to hunch down into a more comfortable position as Mauve's feet finally began to slow.
Mauve loudly panted and wiped her brow - her skin and athletic clothing slick and shiny with a thin sheen of sweat. The lynx girl gradually lowered the speed of the treadmill until it came to a stop and then removed the safety key to shut down the equipment.
Asher moved his foot and felt something bump against the tip of his shoe. Looking down, the grey eyed boy spotted a reusable bottle of water next to his foot. Smirking to himself, the grey eyed boy picked up the bottle and held it tightly in his fingers.
He imagined a door… and the grey eyed boy disappeared into thin air just as his partner turned around…
From his immaterial standpoint, Asher watched as his partner stepped off of the running belt and walked in the direction of the bench he had been seated upon. Mauve was panting heavily as she walked, her gait slightly uneven from her recent exertion. The lynx girl coughed as she reached down to grab her water bottle, only to cock her head in confusion when her fingers brushed against thin air.
The grey eyed boy watched in half-amusement as his partner confusedly looked around for her water bottle. Changing his position, Asher rematerialized behind Mauve and stuck his arm out from behind her head, jingling the bottle in his hands.
"Looking for this-"
Asher's joking tone turned into a pained squeal as Mauve's rock hard elbow mashed into his nose. The grey eyed boy felt blood gushing from his nostrils and he promptly dropped the bottle to clasp his hands over the wounded area.
Not recognizing who she had just smashed in the face, Mauve spun around with raised fists to continue her assault.
"Wait!" Asher coughed and held out one bloody hand. "It's me…"
Mauve's eyes widened and she dropped her fists. A scowl twisted her features as she rushed forwards to assist her partner.
"Oh God, Asher…" Mauve spoke quickly as she steadied her partner. "I'm sorry!"
"Hey-"
"You know that you shouldn't sneak up on me like that…" Mauve chided, her fingers curling around Asher's hands, which had once again settled on his nose. "Let me see…"
Tasting copper in his mouth, Asher removed his hands to allow Mauve to assess the damage.
"You've got a mean elbow…" Asher chuckled through the searing pain. "You know that, right?"
"Asher…"
"Like… that could've cracked concrete, I think…"
"Asher, I broke your nose," Mauve deadpanned
Asher's eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously?"
"Seriously," Mauve replied, her lips drawing into a tight line. "Sit down."
"Wait-"
"We need to reset the bone…" Mauve continued. Asher complied as his partner gently lowered him into a seating position on the bench.
"It's fine…" Asher tried to push Mauve's hands away. "My aura-"
"Will heal the wound… but it might not reset the bone properly…" Mauve observed Asher with a look of tired annoyance. "Do you want a crooked, hooked nose for the rest of your life? Sit down and let me help you…"
Asher opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. He allowed Mauve to place her fingers against the tender flesh of his nose, hissing in pain as she did so. With an audible crack and a burst of pain, Mauve finally withdrew her fingers.
"There…" Mauve sighed as she wiped her bloody fingers against her athletic tights. "Now use your aura…"
Channeling said power, Asher sighed as a warm feeling spread throughout his body. He could feel the flesh and cartilage of his nose mending itself in a matter of seconds, his skin regrowing and stitching back together. Asher did not have access to a mirror, but other than the dried blood crusting around his nose he assumed that he looked normal again.
"Here…" Asher coughed as he reached down to grab Mauve's dropped water bottle. He handed it off to his partner, who took a seat next to him on the bench before unscrewing the top of the bottle to drink from it greedily.
Asher waited a few moments for Mauve to finish up.
"Once again, I have failed to get the drop on you…"
"Maybe don't do it while unannounced-"
"That's kind of the point, isn't it?"
"-while I am alone in the middle of the night and not expecting company," Mauve finished.
Asher raised his head to maintain eye contact with his partner. "Speaking of which…?"
The grey eyed boy swept his arm in gesture to the sprawling gym.
"Kind of early for a workout… and hypocritical, considering what you said to me earlier…" Asher watched as Mauve blinked and looked away. "Couldn't sleep?"
"Uhm…" Mauve swallowed, still looking away from him, before abruptly nodding. "Yeah… I mean, no… I couldn't sleep…"
Asher squinted in suspicion. His partner had never been one to mince words before… why would she be doing it now?
"I get it…" Asher nodded and looked down at his feet. "I had some trouble sleeping as well…"
A blanket of silence settled over the two partners.
"Do you want a spotter?" Asher asked, turning his head to view his partner out of the corner of his eye.
Mauve gave Asher a long, silent look before nodding in affirmation.
Rising from their shared bench, Asher followed Mauve to a clear area of ground. A mat was unfurled and Mauve laid down on her back, Asher quietly kneeling down to hold down her feet for her.
With silent heaves, Mauve began to do sit ups. Her form was excellent, her abdominal muscles visibly coiling beneath her athletic top, and the lynx girl quickly fell into a consistent pattern.
Asher waited for a few moments before asking a question.
"Y'know, I asked Sage about it earlier…" Asher spoke aloud, watching as Mauve flicked her eyes upwards to observe him. "What happened between you two earlier tonight? That blow up you had with one another?"
For a moment, Mauve's eyes turned glassy.
"I don't know…" Mauve admitted. "He's been short-tempered ever since… well…"
"Yeah," Asher nodded. "Since all that stuff went down a few weeks ago. Before that, even…"
"I think that he blames himself…"
"For what?"
"Everything…" Mauve heaved as she continued to perform sit ups. "Especially the news about Honey… and Vermillion's hometown…"
"Speaking about all that…" Asher cleared his throat and looked away uncomfortably. "I still think that we should tell Crimson…"
Mauve's movements wavered for a moment, her teeth peeking out to gently bite her lower lip.
"It's not like he can leave Atlas-"
"Still, Ironwood telling us to keep quiet about what happened to his home," Asher frowned. "It's not right…"
"There are white lies and black truths, Asher…" Mauve muttered, borrowing the phrase used by her teacher several hours beforehand.
"Maybe…" Asher nodded and looked away. "But going back to Sage… it's not healthy for him to blame himself. Everyone, and I mean everyone shares some blame for what happened a few weeks ago… we all made blunders…"
"Mostly me."
"Mauve?" Asher turned his head back down to face his partner. Mauve had not stopped her stride, her upper body still raising and lowering in controlled motions.
"I messed up a lot…" Mauve grunted. "My stubbornness, my hypocrisy, my pushing away Sage, my impulsiveness at the warehouse…"
"We all share blame…" Asher narrowed his eyes and reiterated.
For a long moment Mauve gave Asher an unreadable look.
"Sure," Mauve finally responded, although it was clear that it was a non-committal answer.
After dozens of crunches Mauve finally slowed and allowed herself to come to a rest on the ground. Asher watched as his partner panted and caught her breath. He offered his hand and Mauve accepted the gesture, allowing Asher to pull her up to her feet.
"All tired out?" Asher asked, cocking his head to the side.
"A little…" Mauve agreed, rubbing her tender stomach with her hands.
"Y'know, I think that we might have a good two hours before sunrise…" Asher shrugged, throwing one hand over his shoulder in gesture to the door of the gym. "If we're quick you might be able to grab a power nap before classes start…"
"I'm not ready to go yet…" Mauve mumbled. "You should go get some sleep…"
"It's the middle of the night and we just got back from the mission," Asher continued. "You need some sleep too."
"I'm fine-"
"No, you're not…" Asher's eyes narrowed. The grey eyed boy could feel the mood of the room shifting. "What is it? You're acting weird…"
Asher's partner was silent for a very long moment.
"I don't want to talk," Mauve finally responded. Asher took note of an icy edge that was creeping into Mauve's voice.
"Too bad… we're talking about it," Asher said firmly. "I understand that you're having trouble sleeping, but you need to come back and try-"
"Shut up."
Asher felt his claw clench. The boy leaned forwards and felt his hands curl into fists from frustration. Breathing in and out, Asher let go of the anger and once again let his hands go slack.
"You know… I don't want this to become an argument. But I have a funny feeling that it's going to end up as one…" Asher rattled out. "Please just tell me what's going on."
"Nothing is going on."
"I don't appreciate being lied to-"
"It wasn't a lie."
"Yes it was," Asher threw his hands up in gesture. "Please… just talk to me."
Mauve once again fell silent. The lynx girl was completely avoiding eye contact with her partner - finding far more interest in the floor.
"Fine, silent treatment it is…" Asher leaned forwards and twiddled his fingers together. "Sage was having some trouble getting to sleep too. So was I, but some sleep is better than no sleep. The mission… is the adrenaline bothering you?"
"It's not that," Mauve gulped.
"Then what is it?" Asher pushed.
Mauve finally looked at Asher - even making eye contact. Her amber eyes were difficult to read but Asher was familiar enough to know that she was deep in thought.
"Can you keep a secret?" Mauve near-whispered.
Asher felt his cheeks heat up a little bit. "I thought that we were past that point…"
"Please…" Mauve whispered.
Asher sucked in a breath. "Alright."
"Asher, I want to tell you something…" Mauve broke eye contact and looked down at her feet. "I don't know if I want to lead the team anymore…"
It took a few moments for the shock to set it… and Mauve hadn't even finished yet.
"Recently, I've been feeling… inadequate…" Mauve continued to stare at her feet. "This isn't the first time I've come here in the middle of the night…"
"What are you talking about?" Asher managed to squeak out in surprise. "How long has this been going on?"
Mauve tore her gaze upwards to view him again.
"Ever since what happened a few weeks ago…" Mauve breathed. "I don't know, it's just… I can't be a bad leader anymore…"
"Come on…" Asher chided. "You're a good leader. You've always been a good leader-"
"I wasn't finished," Mauve replied a little more hotly. "For a while I was confident in my abilities as a leader, but I realize now that it was just me being blind to my own faults. When we came to Atlas I realized just how bad I actually am at all this."
"Mauve-"
"Sage was right, I was a terrible hypocrite," Mauve's voice wavered. "I pushed him away instead of trying to understand him. Then, I led our team to that warehouse-"
"This isn't about-"
"Verdant Bulwark…" Mauve spoke in a low, hateful tone. Her eyes flicked back upwards to make contact with Asher's. "Yes it is. Because as much as I hate to say it… he had a point."
"Mauve-"
"We went- I went in there thinking that I was at the top of the food chain…" Mauve near-whispered. "And I got brutally dragged back down to Remnant… and you and Rust suffered because of my arrogance."
Mauve looked down at her feet for a moment. "Even during the mission today… back in that cavern… the only reason Mister Grey got ripped in half was because of me…"
"But Grey is fine."
"He's fine because he's Grey…" Mauve's eyes narrowed. "Anyone else would be dead, Asher; and they would be dead because I was the one who ended up getting them killed…"
Mauve's voice choked with emotion as she uttered the last word.
Asher stayed silent. He watched as Mauve silently seethed, curling her palms into tight fists.
"I'm just some girl from Mistral," Mauve spoke in a low tone. "No mom… and a dad who made just enough money to keep us from going hungry. I remember begging him to teach me how to be a Huntress… because I desperately wanted to be someone. The only reason I got my wish was because I stuck my hands into a bunch of wires like an idiot… and after that my dad had no choice but to train me…"
"Mauve," Asher spoke softly. "How long have you been carrying this around?"
"Long enough…" Mauve muttered. "Look at me…"
Asher did as she requested, looking deep into his partner's eyes.
"I'm just some girl from Mistral," Mauve repeated herself. "I've made mistakes in the past, I can't afford to make mistakes anymore-"
"Oh, be quiet."
Mauve's eyes snapped open in shock. "What?"
"Spare me the pity party," Asher grumbled. "You're not perfect, Mauve-"
"Asher?"
"-and neither am I," Asher continued. "I used to parrot whatever my mom and dad told me. I used to be a bully and I ended up breaking a girl's arm. I don't even have a last name! I'm as far from perfect as I can get!" Asher hissed, watching Mauve shrink a little. "I don't want to toss out what you're saying… but you're pretending as if you're the only person who has faults. You made mistakes, sure… but we all make mistakes, Mauve..."
Mauve stayed silent, her ears flicking. Asher straightened his back and narrowed his eyes at his partner.
"Is this why you're here?" Asher whispered. "What is your motivation for all of this? Are you here because you want to improve yourself? Or were you just looking for a convenient way to punish yourself?"
Mauve visibly swallowed.
"Mauve-"
"Just shut up…"
The lynx girl abruptly stood up. Asher tried to grab her hand but Mauve batted him away.
"So I was right then…" Asher also stood up. "The Mauve I know would stand her ground…"
"What do you want from me!?" Mauve whirled around. "Fine! I guess I'm just sick of failing!"
"Then talk to me!" Asher sniped back. "I'm your partner, Mauve! Hell, I'm a lot more than that!"
Asher gingerly stepped forwards and grabbed Mauve's hands. He held her gently.
"This isn't healthy…" Asher whispered.
"What do you know…?" Mauve tore her hands away.
"Mauve-"
"The only reason you ever told me anything about what was going on with you was because I cornered you," Mauve spat. "I forced you to open up. Do you know how many times you woke up thrashing just to look into my eyes and lie whenever I asked you what was wrong?"
"Mauve-"
"Shut up!" Mauve spat. "After all the shit you put me through? All of the worry? You have no right to criticize me! Even today! I thought that you were dead, Asher! I thought that I was never going to see you again!"
"This isn't criticism, this is concern!"
"Save it!" Mauve hissed.
"I-"
"Leave."
Mauve did not yell, she did not scream; but the single word she had uttered was full of venom.
"Mauve-"
"Don't come talking to me about what's healthy," Mauve spat. "You, who never told me what was wrong with you! You, the only person on the team that has ever taken lives…"
Asher felt his blood run cold. "What?"
"Don't play dumb…" Mauve shook her head. "You know exactly what I'm talking about…"
"I've never denied it…" Asher frowned. "Don't change the subject…"
"Well, I just did…" Mauve hissed. "You worry me, Asher. Every day you worry me! Not just what happened a few months ago… or even earlier today. You're the only person on the team who has ever…"
"Killed someone?" Asher finished, seeing Mauve flinch in response. "Yeah… I have."
"The first time it was to protect me - another one of my failures," Mauve gulped. "All of the other times… I put you in that position because of my actions."
"Our actions…" Asher's eye twitched. "You weren't in that bunker with me. You never saw what those men did… they were trying to kill me…"
"I understand why you did what you did, you're not a monster, Asher..." Mauve's voice wavered. "But you act as if it never happened."
"I-"
"You smile and laugh like it never happened…" Mauve continued. "Sage and Rust are worried too… I know that they do..."
Asher felt heat rising in his face.
"So what?" Asher growled. "What? Am I supposed to blubber about it? I can't pretend to be okay with what happened… of course I have regrets! But nothing can change the past!"
Mauve said nothing, but Asher could spot the glowering look in her eyes.
"You know what…?" Asher breathed out, feeling his chest quiver. "You're not wrong, alright? I guess you're right… I do act like nothing happened, it's just how I operate. But, while I know that I'm not the guy to be saying this… what you're doing here isn't healthy…"
Asher made eye contact.
"Please…" Asher quietly pleaded. "Just… come back to the room. We can talk in the morning-"
"I don't want to talk with you anymore." Mauve spoke coldly. She moved to brush past him, and did succeed in bumping his shoulder. The lynx girl stomped over to the barbell rack and wrapped her hands around one of the heavier bars. "You have no right to judge me on anything. Now leave…"
"Mauve…" Asher pleaded and turned around. "Please…"
Mauve wordlessly lifted the barbell back off of its rack, taking a moment to slide on some imposing weights.
"I love you…" Asher swallowed. "You know that…"
Mauve froze, the barbell hanging from her grasp.
"Of course I do… and I love you too," Mauve muttered back. "But please… just leave me alone. This is what I have to do now, Asher."
"No…" Asher muttered back. He saw Mauve whirl around and held up his hand in a peaceful motion. "I won't ask you to come back with me, and I won't interrupt you… but I am going to stay."
True to his word, Asher took a seat back on the lifting bench. Mauve looked unsure for a moment, but wordlessly turned around to hoist the barbell over her shoulders.
Asher would sit there for as long as Mauve needed...