Chapter 10: Argentum Detritus

I should be putting a disclaimer in front of my stories – May feature shocking content. I've always adhered to the philosophy of 'I want to write good stuff' so eh... Yeah. Can't really do much in the way of warning, because it'd spoil people's enjoyment. If I just put up warning signs, the impact would be lost.

She allowed herself a small smile as the car parked itself, Hazel pulling himself out of the driver seat and then opening the door for her. A smile that looked perfect, even as she looked at the busy times of the airport. 'The prey stalks the airport, in search of answers…'

A simple illusion shrouded her features. Her younger image was something that defied the expectations. A few changes to her jaw line, a little bolder in the nose… There was Selene Umbra and there was a Selene Alexandria Umbra…. An 'Alexandria', taught at the Mistral School of Fine Arts, an adopted daughter…

It made it easier to move between Kingdoms, where Selene Umbra would draw the attentions of the people, her daughter, a good twenty years her junior, would not. The clothing had been changed for something a little more 'modern', according to the stylist that she'd hired nearly a year before, and promptly disposed of.

"Let us go and find Mister Arc, Mister Rainart." She spoke with the accent of the woman known as Alexandria Umbra, the sharp features that belonged to Alexandria more of a contrast, as her blue eyes sparkled with a deeply held amusement.

"As you wish, Miss Umbra." The man was accustomed to the routine, as he cast a glance at their surroundings.

Salem spotted the father of her child immediately, the man's features not too shabby, in her estimation. Not the roguish handsomeness of his grandfather, nor the delicate features of his father, but something that would 'do' if the itch came and she had to scratch it. A look of worry on her face, as she hurried towards the man, her steps a little lighter, her expression changed to one that would appeal the most to the state of the man. "Mister Arc?"

The man looked up, his hand brushing through his hair, his gaze lingering just a little too long on her breasts for her liking, though any gaze there that was not her child's would not be appreciated. "Miss Umbra? My, eh… You look… awfully young."

She manipulated her expression carefully, as she gave him a sentimental look. "Selene Umbra is my adoptive mother… She's… She's indisposed right now." An excuse that would work just as well. The natural paranoia would not come to light so easily, even as she stood there before the man, apparently the age of his middle daughter. "She's sent me to get you to Argus. My name is Alexandria Umbra." The look of concern in the man's eyes was enough to rile a dark amusement within her, though her face was perfectly worried, as her hand touched his shoulder.

"It must be terrible for you to hear that there's been an accident with your daughter. Mama will be taking the boat, yet she has decided to offer you whatever aid you can. Is your wife accompanying you?" She spotted the woman nowhere. Nor did any other daughter seem to have joined the trip towards Argus… A relief, in a certain fashion, yet also something that brought with it a little complication.

"No, she's decided to stay home. I'm a Huntsman, I work… I work a lot." The information was known to her. She knew everything about the man. She knew his goings, his travel pattern… The little things that were often best kept secret, and the big ones. "So, eh…" The large backpack that sat there next to him looked well-filled, even as she made a smile come to her face.

"Everything will be alright, Mister Arc. I promise you, miss Umbra will make sure that you can hold your daughter within your arms again soon." Her eyes glinted at the sight of the man, the relief on his face visible. 'You're disgusting.'

"The flight has been arranged for, Miss Umbra. Your mother has informed me that she will be in Argus in a week's time." The pre-arranged message, giving her enough time to establish a rapport with the man and work her magic…

'Ahh, the ways of humanity and their frail little beliefs…'

Ashton Arc was a man whose skill in the arts of Grimm-slaying was moderate. Nothing great, according to the official reports, but nothing too grand either. He was perfectly average, but was not someone who was easy to handle.

"Thank you, Mister Rainart. Do you have lodgings yet, Mister Arc?" Through some vocal training near-on a century ago, she could carefully affect her voice to sound much like a mish-mash of Cinder and her own, enough to spring that wellspring of empathy open within people who just saw an innocent woman.

"I was thinking about staying with a friend… I've got a friend who lives in Argus. Since Saphron and her wife's home is now in ruins, I…"He looked flustered. She knew that he would need a few pushes, even as she smiled.

"It would be no trouble at all to set you up in a fancy hotel, Mister Arc. Compared to your friend's lodgings…" The bait was made, and yet… The man would not take it.

'A test for his principles…'

Not that she held high hopes for the man. His son was everything that Ashton Arc was not. The poor dear had such high expectations, even though he had pleaded with her to help his family.

'The help your family will get will be for the best…'

She knew well that a family was only strong when united…

"I'm afraid I've got to pass on that offer. I've… I've got to make a few calls when I'm in Argus, to see whether he's got some space." The man said to her, as they were led towards the hangar where the private craft was stored. She had usually maintained a few craft in each Kingdom, the revenue of her various ventures bringing in greater wealth than she'd ever have to spend.

"Understandable, I am after all, someone related to one who you dislike." The admission of knowing that she was one of the 'bad people here', the man's face softening a little, as they walked. Her luggage was unimportant. It could always be brought later, as she did not require much that would be unobtainable with a simple card of unlimited Lien withdrawals.

"Now, that's not… That's not right. We were worried for Jaune, thinking he'd managed to get a predator invested in him. My daughter Rouge went to school, thanks to your mother's support, so it's not like… It's not like we're ungrateful, but she's just…" The admission of suspicion was right, as Salem smiled.

"A lot of people would say something like that… But mama has always had a vision for the future." She always had a plan. It was rude to never account for eventualities, after all.

The truth was simple. Her vision was going to become reality for Remnant, eventually. It would be the tinder that would ignite a flame across the world, the kindling that would be fed into the flames of what she envisioned. "I… apologize. She's doing much for my son, and I…"

"You are right to worry. If I was a mother and cared for my children, I would be suspicious as well." She was not stupid, after all. The man smiled at her, whilst they walked across the asphalt towards the aircraft that stood there. "This will carry us to Argus, without any delay." She knew well that the man had a responsibility to his daughter to see her, to his family that had expectations for him.

"Saphron is going to be a mess… Losing Adrian like that…" The man said, as Salem patted his shoulder in a gesture that was meant to be comforting.

"I understand what it is like to have your world ripped away from you." The words weren't even a lie. There was always that feeling inside her of being cast adrift, as the man sat himself down, the bag with his supplies in hand.

"I will be grateful to your mother…"The man said, no doubt as he began to accustom himself to the seat. Hazel walked to the pilot in order to convey to the man that he was to take off, Salem adjusting herself in her seat.

"It is normal to do such a thing for a member of the family, is it not? Mama thinks highly of your son. She intends to make him inherit three-fourth of her wealth." The look on the man's was one of surprise and confusion. "I am unable to manage the wealth due to health circumstances. A frailty of youth, I will admit."

Nothing but the truth. Selene Alexandria Umbra had been noted to have a shortness of breath as well as minor asthma, due to a failing of her orphanage. The poor child had been put out of her misery the moment after it had been adopted, yet the façade had to be worn.

It had been so easy… an identity that would suit for a good twenty years, at the least, until the shadow games with Ozma would once more show up.

"Ah, I… I apologize."The man said, as he rubbed his chin, where stubble was starting to collect. The man hadn't shaved in a few days, and it showed in his face, which held a concerned expression.

"Your daughter Saphron is quite lucky." She said, as she pulled her Scroll out, the start of the aircraft announcing that they were on their way. "My condolences with your grandson, though… It must be… Tough. "

The man sighed, as she put her finger onto the right button, calling up the website. "Sometimes… Sometimes I wish that everything would just be alright in this world. Jaune shouldn't have become a Huntsman, he's not got the skills for it…"

The anger in her body was not shown on her face, as she smiled at him with the gentle nature that Alexandria Umbra would have. "A parent's concern for their child is never done, is it? My mother has stated that she will cover the healthcare expenses for your daughter's stay in the hospital, as well as revalidation costs, should they be necessary. A tragic accident like that is horrendous… The poor girl."

"I hope that you can become a friend to her… Saph's always been the bright little spark in the household, and… well, she could use a friend, together with her wife. I may not… I may not agree with what she's peddling, but she's not going to be… cheerful." The man's issue with his daughter's homosexuality was visible, and he was being honest.

"Would you enjoy a glass of wine? It takes the edge off the emotions, I find." She indulged herself with a decently poured glass, handing a crystal glass to the man, who took it with a gracious smile.

"Thanks… There's nothing that I can do, right now." The smile on her lips was encouraging, as she pressed the small screen, the broadcast starting.

"… damn demons, destroying our fair nation under the direction of them darn Vytalians! Curse em, I say!"The voice of Alexandrite Stones came from the speakers, as the image of the woman wearing a tight tank top appeared on the screen, her hands waving.

"And now, for some other news! An explosion in Argus, made by the darn hand of Cordovin and her squad of menacing men! Atlas interference in the fair city of Argus, or globalist conspiracy in order to make the world a worse place! You heard it first at Knowledge Wars, people! Bringing you the news in bite-sized chunks, for when you really want to be informed!" The woman's hands made gestures that were appropriate for her manner of selling the truth.

"Ah, that nutcase… Why someone hasn't arrested that woman, I don't know." Ashton Arc commented, whilst her gaze looked at the small screen.

"I find that she speaks highly of some topics that might bear repeating. It seems to be merely a passing mention on the international news, nothing more than a tragic accident…" The way that she spoke of the truth was as it was. The best way to waylay suspicion was to theorize about suspicion… and then have them be disproven by evidence.

'The knife of truth can cut out the lie… yet if the knife of lies is to cut out the truth, what remains is the lie.' She did not lie, on principle. She had little to do with the explosion, personally. It was as it was stated: A catalyst of Dust, exploding several appliances and houses due to an ill-managed container.

"No… I don't think that it's… it's intentional." The man said, convinced. "My daughter wouldn't offend someone who'd want to do that, and neither would her wife…" The man sounded convinced of that, yet Salem's eyes looked at the man, a faint internal smile threatening to break out on her face.

"I always have to keep an eye out… There are many who would wish to harm me, for the wealth of my mother. She has shares in the Schnee Dust Company and a seat at the board of directors…" The man's head nodded, even as he tried to muster a smile.

"You won't find danger with me around, Miss Umbra. Your mother… I'd like to thank her personally, if possible. She's… She's a good woman, if she's looked out for our little family like this. Jaune's… he's not good, at times. The boy lies and he's got… questionable choices, as far as friends go." Salem supposed that it was the man's opinion on the white-haired girl, but it was too early to make that count just yet. It was all the path towards greatness… But the man did not see that yet.

"Mama would like to meet your daughter, out of concern. I must be travelling towards Mistral later in the week. My alma mater, the Mistral School of Fine Arts, is hosting an alumni weekend." An excuse, carefully crafted in order to show up and make sure that there was enough to go on. There were witnesses who would be able to testify that Selene Alexandria Umbra graduated with fine honours from the institution, all convinced to speak with the power of Lien, given ample incentive…

"Death squads, I tell ya! Plucking innocent Faunus from the street and putting them into cans, milking them of their vital genes and making them into speed smoothies for Cordovan's ploy to grow taller! I tell ya, them darn Atlesians and their technology… I bet they've got killer androids ready now, to strike at the Atlesian people for their slights! The globalist conspiracies try to make sure that the world's in a messy state, but we know the truth!" A cough, as the woman went for a drink, her chest bouncing a little as she did.

"Had a fine conversation with a beast of a man about Ozpin's cruelty to children! Yes, people! Children! Seventeen-year-olds, fed to the Grimm for a wicked ploy! That big-wig up in his tower knows what's going on! Condemning innocent young kids to be murdered on 'training missions', having a deputy walkin' around like she's hot shit and some sort of camp guard… Here at Knowledge Wars, we don't have this funky business! I'm all woman, yeah!" The woman puffed out her chest, her face looking like it was half-twisted between being constipation and angry wrath.

A clear laugh escaped her lips at the ludicrous news, even as Ashton Arc snorted. "That woman is a laughable excuse for a reporter… She's only hawking what the people want to hear…" The man said, even as he frowned.

"I find her to be amusing. Such a perspective may be the dash of comedy that one needs to weather the storm of feelings." That the woman was off by a few degrees wasn't really much of an issue to her, as the feeling inside her roiled.

'The dominoes will tumble soon enough, Ozpin…'

A move on the chessboard, even as Alexandrite Stones made another gesture on the screen. "And that is why you need Super Female Virility! Guaranteed to bring you the balls that you need to punch out the globalists! A discount on the Knowledge Wars store if you use the code FREEDOMFORVALE within the next three hours after this broadcast!"

Sometimes, a few lunatics had to be suffered, for her plans to reach fruition…

He had slept badly on the floor, as his eyes peered at the ceiling, awake for most of the night. The news of Saphron's accident was bouncing through his head, even though he did not feel as disturbed as before, the calmness asserting itself, as he realized that there was nothing to be done about it.

There were several students already up, looking bleary-eyed out at the windows even though it was nearly six in the morning. As he had not really slept much the last night with Weiss being affectionate towards him, it was something of a sore point, yet he mustered himself.

'Alright… locker…' His weapon had been brought to a locker previously, when he'd ran into Ruby, reminding himself about the encounter with the girl, even as she'd disappeared off to a blonde girl, leaving him stranded there. The headmaster's speech had been interesting in what it unveiled as well as what it hid.

Selene had challenged him with little riddles captured within a block of text, with the result that had to be given in a manner that would fit the intellectual deduction process, the man's words being about 'wasted potential' and 'greatness'.

He interpreted it in the manner of them all having a waste of potential within them, as they would not grow under the thought of such labour as they had suffered. With his own relative lack of training, he had more or less been able to pass through the selection process based on the falsified papers that Selene had presented to him, an easy way in… and indeed, there was wasted potential within him.

If his father had trained him when he was younger, he would be in different straits right now. He would have had a different rearing, a different maturity… But he would likely not have time for Selene, a friend, a woman and someone he thought warmly of.

'There's nothing that I can do about Saphron and little Adrian…'

A small meal, a cup of yogurt and some fresh fruit, mingled with some chocolate sprinkles that he'd found stacked in the sides section of the breakfast spread, was enough for him. His stomach didn't agree with him flying much, so eating something light would alleviate the burden a little.

He noticed the tall redheaded young man standing over at the side, a sandwich with cheese in hand, giving a dismissive look at everyone around him. 'Well… Never hurts to make a friend, does it?'

"Hey there!" He said, trying his best cheerful greeting. All he received was a raised eyebrow, the mouth moving, as the sandwich was chewed. "Here for getting to become a Beacon student as well?" There was little response, even as the taller teen chewed his sandwich slowly. "Nervous yet? I am."

A swallow followed, as he was fixed with a look. "Go away, I don't want to talk to some weakling like you." The distaste was enough, even as Jaune frowned.

"Well, I was just trying to make a new friend… I see how it is. Well, good luck either way!" The redhead didn't give more than a grunt, even as Jaune moved along, putting the yogurt away, taking a moment to look at Beacon's cafeteria. He spotted several of the teachers already gathering, discussing in quiet tones something, the headmaster seated and enjoying a cup of cocoa it seemed. 'He looks serious…'

Something tugged at his mind, as the image of the Headmaster was replaced with the man who he had seen when he'd looked into Ruby's eyes, just for a flash. It returned to the regular form afterwards, as the Headmaster took another sip of his drink but it was still disturbing.

'Better go and get my weapon…'

He walked towards the locker that he'd found to store his gear, knowing that it would hardly be important for others to look at his clothing and the like.

"to my health! What even possessed you to go and waltz up to me, and Pyrrha Nikos, and say that you'd want to be friends!" The voice that he recognized reached his ear, as he saw Weiss standing there with her back turned towards him. He could feel exasperation from the girl, frustration and other things, even as her companion, the redheaded girl that seemed to have been caught in whatever crowd he'd waded through earlier, was merely looking at her, a smile on her face that did not reach her eyes.

The feeling of something inside her was enough to confirm it to him. 'She's not happy in the least…'

"You've got no right to talk to my little sister like that, you prissy stuck-up bitch." The wince that came from Weiss showed that she was faltering, as the busty blonde girl that he'd seen Ruby talk to before looked fierce and ready to fight. 'I better head that off…'

He tapped Weiss on the shoulder, a sound that was like a snarl coming from her. "And what do you wa-" She turned her head, looking at him and then recognized him, her sentence cut off half-way, as the blood drained from her face and then a flush settled on her cheeks. "Jaune?"

Her voice was a little between a squeak and a thrill of happiness, as she looked at him, turning herself to Ruby and her apparent sister, who looked at him, Ruby's eyebrows shooting up. "What… What are you doing here, I don't… I don't…" He laid a hand on her shoulder, something which calmed her down a little.

"I saw you getting a little too excited, Weiss, so I thought I'd come and make sure that things went alright." Her eyes were hesitant, even as she moved sideways, her steps with that gait of ease and some slight comfort, as he mimicked it. It was somewhat similar to a dance move, even as her breathing grew heavier.

"You could've sued. Your godmother told me that it was… unwise of me. I'm… I'm sorry, I should have…" He shook his head, pressing a finger to her lips. She opened them and then wrapped them around his finger. A tender expression on her face, as he could see Ruby's sister look surprised, as Ruby herself showed signs of being confused.

"It's okay. You needed it, and I am always ready to help a friend out." Her lips pulled from his fingertip, her hand laid on his chest.

"I… violated you. I held the cards and I… I made use of you."He could see the look on the blonde girl's face shift, as the redheaded girl's face turned confused, unsure what the conversation was about.

"I'm fine. Heh, dad was surprised, as were my sisters. You made quite an impression." She flushed beet red, as she coughed.

"Well… I… I protect my friends. If their father or sisters are being complete and utter miscreants, I will ensure that they have what comes for them!" She seemed to gather a bit of hope, even as she looked at him. "What are… what are you doing here… I mean… I'm happy to see you, but…"

"I'm here to become a Huntsman, Weiss. I'm not going to be the man who remains at home to watch after my children." The girls flushed red, even as Weiss breathed in deeply, as he looked at her. "And I am not going to lose any of my friends if I can help it."

"Well, this is darn romantic and all that, but little missy over there threatened my little sister." The blonde broke through the spell, as Weiss looked back at her.

"Now listen here, you bodacious brute! Your sister nearly caused a catalyst Dust explosion! There was Gravity Dust in that case! We'd all be bloody mist if that had gone off!" The heat in her voice exploded, even as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Her voice quieted down immediately.

"Miss… eh, Ruby's sister?" He looked at her, the blonde giving him a look.

"Yang. Yang Xiao-Long, blondie guy." Ruby looked at him, then at her, shrinking away a little.

"Hi. This is my friend Weiss. She's a wonderful girl, but sometimes eh… Yeah." He looked at Weiss, who smiled at him, the first part of the sentence making her light up. "I'm sure that she's just concerned about what could have happened. I don't want to see any of my friends hurt."

The redheaded girl seemed to perk up a little, as he looked at her. "Ah, and you must be… eh…" He looked at her sharply and tilted his head. "Damn, it's on the tip of my tongue…"

He hadn't really paid much attention to the comings and goings. The hoodie that he wore was comfortable, even though more of his clothing was locked in the locker. "Eh… You did some advertisement for cereal, didn't you? Yeah, the cereal girl! I got your hoodie! Pumpkin Pete's!" The blink was synchronous in many ways, as the girls looked at him.

"Eh, I sent in fifty box tops?" He amended, as Weiss started to giggle, shaking her head.

"May I introduce to you, Pyrrha Nikos, four-time winner of the Mistral Region Tournament, top of her class at Sanctum academy and titled 'The Invincible Girl' according to most of the international fighting circuit." The redhead looked a little uncomfortable behind the bland smile, and he could empathize with that.

"Hi. So, eh… It's just going to be Pyrrha, is it? I mean, I don't know about that 'Mistral Region Tourniquet' or something, or what Sanctum is, but yeah… I'm just here to become a Huntsman, find myself a nice team and then graduate, before saving the world." He kept it short, as he knew little about the way that she would react to that, the redhead stilled for a moment.

"Eh…" The girl's vivid green eyes looked at him, as she seemed to be taken aback by something.

"What? Is my zipper open or something?" He looked down, checking whether that was the case or not. It was not the case. Weiss flushed.

"Ah… It's a pleasure to meet you." The answer was soft, yet there was a splash of heat along her cheeks, and he smiled. 'I still got that Arc charm!'

"I'd love to be your friend. Whatever you did before meeting me, that's not a problem we should be concerned with. Weiss, who is damn adorable, just saying, has a dad who is a complete asshole. I mean, we're talking about like 'prime-grade doo-doohead dumbo', but she's now free to be her own girl." He smiled at Weiss, who smiled back, her eyes lit up.

"And sure, Ruby and I may not agree on everything when it comes to weapons…" The irritated look on Ruby's face wasn't as irritated as it could have been, as a little smile played on her face. "But she's a good girl. Nice. Honest." The girl smiled brightly at the praise, as he turned to Pyrrha.

"So, eh…" He stuck his hand out. "The name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls right off the tongue and some ladies love it whilst others don't." The smile on her face was genuine, as her eyes lit up.

"Pyrrha Nikos. Not so short, representing unhealthy cereal but loving it right at this moment, Jaune." He smiled at her, knowing that he'd made another friend at Beacon. 'This was going to be great.'

"Hey, wait a sec. You!" The blonde with the imposing set of chest space looked at him and fixed him with a look. "What's your plan for Ruby! Are you low-key hitting on my sister?"

He looked at the blonde, even as he turned his gaze to Pyrrha and winked. "Oh, would you like me to hit on you, Yang? I'll have you know… I'm a very dangerous man." His hands laid upon Weiss' shoulders, leaning close and stroking over them. The girl shuddered, a soft 'ah' coming from her lips. He domineered the conversation now, as he looked into her eyes. "A man of talent, a man of skill…"

A step, letting his hands slide off Weiss' shoulders. "Are you sure that you'd want to handle a man who's more than able to make friends?" He smiled at her, the confidence that he'd gained through his interactions with Weiss and Selene filling him. "Or are you the type who'd rather let her sister flounder in the deep, drowning in the way of social graces…"

A stab in the dark, as he looked at her face. "I'm not hitting on your sister, Yang." He said, his voice light, as he smiled. "But I like to make more friends. Weiss was my first friend that I wasn't related to…" Weiss preened, even as she took a deep breath. "Now I've added Ruby to that short, short list… But you know, there's always space on Team Arc. You can be a friend too… And of course, if you'll have me, Pyrrha?" He winked at her, the girl smiling at him.

"That'd be grand, Jaune." He turned his gaze back to Yang, who looked a little caught on the back foot.

"So, want to be friends?" The girl snorted, before she extended her hand.

"Sure, if you'll keep your mitts off my sister. No trying to give her 'special hugs'." A loud 'Yaaaannnng!' came from Ruby, who had gone the colour of her cloak.

"He does not give 'special hugs'. He is a gentleman, something that a boorish oaf like you would not understand!" Weiss leaped to his defence, even as the blonde seemed to get ready to speak up with a retort, her mouth half-opened already.

"Alright, can we shut up for a moment, get our weapons and get ready for Initiation? Who does what or to who is not important. I don't want there to be fights between my friends." He shut down the conversation, feeling a little nervous at the sudden feeling of urgency that welled up inside him. Ruby's eyes were a strange sight, and it was getting closer.

An announcement came nearly a minute later about the students being requested to head to the Beacon cliffs for the initiation, Ruby's sister and Ruby herself departing with a jaunty wave. The blonde seemed to have cooled off, giving him a look and a gesture of 'I'll be seeing you' as she departed, pulling a set of aviator glasses out of a pocket and checking whether the lenses were still intact.

"So, I should get my sword and shield… This'll hold up for a bit… I don't think there's a good time to change right now." It would be some armour and the sword and shield that he'd scavenged from the attic, but that would do.

'I'm going to be a hero…'

The hope inside him would not die.

Twenty minutes later, he would regret thinking that this was easy, as one student after the other was loosed into the sky by the catapult that had been installed into the platform, the feeling of weightlessness coming to him, even as the question 'What landing strategy?' trailed off in the air.

As he cartwheeled in the air, he spotted several other students, his lunch whirling in his stomach like a faulty washing machine, his whole body tensing up, even as something suddenly snagged onto his hoodie, careening away with him.

His arm broke in six different placed as he hit the tree with the additional force of the javelin behind it, the hoodie obscuring the majority of the wound, save for the blood that came leaking out of his arm.

His scream of pain was loud, though, as bone jutted out of the flesh from the break, the impact having been more than enough to make the pain almost mind-numbingly intense.

Birds scattered as the shriek of pain was heard.

This was not turning out a great day for Jaune Arc.

The monotonous beeping of the machinery around her was the first thing that Saphron Cotta-Arc heard as she roused herself from that comatose state, her eyes cracking open slightly as the pain swelled, the agonizing amount of effort that she had to use to raise her head enough, as muscles complained of the strain and the machinery started to beep with more urgency, as she recalled the moments that had led up to her awakening.

'There was… there was a bang, wasn't there? It hurts…'

She caught sight of a nurse opening the door, taking a look at her. She looked back, still somewhat dazed. "Are you alright, Miss Arc?"

'I'm… Cotta-Arc, right? It's hard to think…'

She guessed that she'd been entered under her maiden name. Some hospital systems still used the name of the family one originally had belonged to upon a registered partnership, keeping in line with the olden times of Pre-Great War sensibilities.

"Ev'rhting h'rts." She wanted to see Terra. She wanted to see…

'Adrian…'

"Wheres'sh m' wife?" The nurse looked uncomfortable for a moment, as she took a deep breath.

"I'll get the doctor, Miss Arc. Just… just press this button if you need something." The button that was pressed into her hand that didn't hurt so much was enough, even as she felt the strain on her lungs. Everything hurt, as if she'd been hit. "Just… Just calm down a little, alright? Doctor Matte will be with you soon."

She didn't know how long it took for the doctor to be present. She drifted in and out of consciousness, feeling the sensations of pain fade slowly, even as the door opened and a young man, decked out in a white coat, probably somewhat older than her, maybe early thirties, appeared. A look of seriousness was on his face, even as he took a deep breath. "Put in a dose of painkillers. She needs to relax a little. Miss Arc, I am Mark Matte, your attending physician at Argus General Hospital."

"Where'shh m'son? M'wife?"

Talking hurt, as her jaw felt like it was screwed shut, the pain stabbing through her whole skull, as she looked at the man, who seemed to be preparing himself. "Miss Arc, there has been an accident. A Dust explosion has leveled the home of you and your partner."

Fear crawled inside her, as she looked at the man. "Miss Cotta's son, as well as several of your neighbours, were unfortunate casualties of the explosion." A stab of hurt, as she remembered their faces. They weren't close, but she knew their faces. She moaned softly, even as a light feeling entered her head.

"Noohh…" She said, her voice pained. "N't Adryan."

"Your family has been notified. You managed to survive solely due to the hardwood door catching most of the blast before the secondary explosions happened. Dust explosions happen, Miss Arc… We have heard that the damages to the house fall under company insurance." She felt empty on the inside.

'My sweet little baby…'

"Your father is on his way, according to the latest news that we have received." The pain inside her body would not stop for an instant, as she felt tears well up. "We can get you back up on your feet in a few days, Miss Arc… We've got the technology. You and the baby's mother will need to have words."

She would curl up if she could, as the void inside her tore at her. Her little baby, Adrian, was dead. 'No… no… It must be horrible for Terra as well.'

She tried to gather hope, in order to speak to her wife. "C'n you n'nform m'wife?"

The doctor looked uncomfortable for a moment, undoubtedly due to the status of registered partnerships and the like, as he paused, taking a deep breath. "Miss Cotta is arranging for the burial as well as the other affairs, Miss Arc."

'Terra is like that… Always working for the betterment of our family...'

She tried to smile, yet could not. The doctor's soft look of understanding was enough. "We are going to give you something for the pain, to heal your body a little quicker. We don't awaken the Aura of anyone here, but we know some tricks to make sure that your body recovers a little faster. I will have them wake you when Miss Cotta comes to visit."

'Yes… We just have to work through this together… She's probably as devastated as I am… She's always been stronger than me.'

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. And for ZenithTempest - Fear not about the storyline consequences of things. I have a solid plan. Trust me!

Until next time, faithful readers!