-Semblance of Brotherhood-

Chapter 11: No Rest

Later that weekend...

MASSACRE IN FOREVER FALL! BEACON FIELD TRIP LEADS TO 61 CHILDREN DEAD!

"Tch." Silva scoffed, turning his Scroll off and tossing the blasted thing across the dorm. "Two fucking days and the media's already at the school's throat."

"Well, what did you expect?" He heard Thrush mumble from his own bed. His eyes turned to the boy, furrowed in annoyance.

"I expected Ozpin to at least try and defend his school. He hasn't even mentioned Forever Fall since that speech right after we got back." It didn't make any sense to him. The Headmaster was acting guilty, like anyone could have been prepared for that. It irritated Silva on a fundamental level. How dare that son of a bitch tuck his tail after those students died on his watch? He should have stood his ground, told those pathetic reporters to try and run a Huntsman Academy any fucking better.

Things will always go wrong eventually. To throw blame around, to point fingers and bitch like a bunch of two-year-olds at a time like this...

His nostrils flared in anger at the sheer foolishness of it. Russel seemed content with dropping the subject, which was fine by Silva. It was hard to tell how the whole ordeal had affected them, he wasn't the best at reading people. Cardin was definitely the worst off of the three, if his inability to stop thinking about it was any indicator. Any time Silva tried to talk to his partner, the reply was tired, and distracted. Even now, he just stared into his scroll, reading news articles. Russel didn't seem that troubled, but there was a paranoia in his steps, now. Eyes traced every inch of every room, of every tree, of every person, waiting for Grimm to lunge out at him from the shadows. Silva was, at least, familiar with that particular symptom of trauma. After fighting for so long, the body gets so accustomed to acting on sheer survival instinct that it took a week or so for one's nerves to finally settle again.

Sky, on the other hand, was handling it a bit differently.

Suppose I should go check on him, it's almost been four hours now.

With a huff, he pushed himself up off of his bed. For a moment he stood there, stretching his back out, before falling wordlessly into his own shadow.

When he surfaced again, on the same rooftop Team SCRL always trained at, Silva could feel a distinct difference in the air. At first, he merely dismissed it as the usual feeling of instantly moving from indoors to outside, until he finally looked at his Teammate.

There Lark was, suspended almost ten feet in the air, floating. Silva could spot bits of dust and gravel swirling violently about him, a distinct offset from the perfectly zen look on his face. He edged closer, hoping to get a better look without making his presence known.

Though it seemed his decision was ill-timed, as the moment he did so, Sky's composure snapped. The whirlwind around him died out and his feet caught his fall weakly. The boy rested his hands on his knees and heaved for a moment, sweat streaking his face.

"Lark." Silva called to him, causing his Teammate to jump before turning to greet him.

"Oh, hey Silva. You just get here?" He breathed.

"I've been here for a few minutes, that hardly matters though. You can fly." Sky's eyes bulged a bit, his mouth drifting open as he tried to find his words. The Faunus decided to save him the trouble. "Is this a brand new application?" It would be easier for his Teammate to think if he broke it down into a single, specific question at a time. Kid was obviously exhausted.

"Got it right for the first time just today, actually. I'm still working on my balance, but if I can get that right moving should be a cakewalk!" He was almost giddy, a smile stretching wide even as he slumped back to sit against a nearby ventilation unit.

"That's good. Very good, in fact. How long can you manage it for?"

"Well, I haven't held it for more than, like, five minutes at a time? I wasn't keeping track, honestly. It's really sloppy right now, I'm moving way more air than I actually need to, but I feel like I'm trying to dial a number with really big, clumsy fingers." He explained, "It's because I've never really used my Semblance until recently, at least I hope. Assuming this gets easier as I practice, which it definitely feels like I have room for improvement, I should be almost untouchable in the air as long I don't screw up." The enthusiasm, the drive, the need to yield results, it all culminated into an image Silva couldn't help but feel pride in, and he smiled.

"Keep it up. Don't lose your momentum, come back tomorrow and we'll work on this exclusi-" The sound of Blake's voice cut him off.

"Silva! There you are, I've been trying to find you." He turned to her, an eyebrow quirked in confusion. She caught on quickly, "Oh, Ozpin wants both of us in his office. Phyrra too, for some reason. I'm just as clueless as you are." He let out a deflating sigh, scuffing the gravel rooftop with his boot.

"Damn it. Very well, let's get this over with." He looked back at Sky, "We'll finish this conversation when I get back. Tell the others I'll be back eventually." His Teammate nodded, giving him a thumbs up before letting his head fall back against the vent to rest. Silva found the sight amusing, rolling his eyes before turning and heading over to Blake. His mood soured.

The only real connection between Blake and I is the Fang. What could he possibly want in relation to that? And Nikos? He didn't like the implications.

Blake seemed on edge as well. They walked quietly, Silva was too caught up trying to figure out what Ozpin's objective was to strike up any sort of conversation. By the time they met Phyrra and her partner at the elevator, he'd reached two possible scenarios. Either A: Ozpin planned to utilize their prior Fang experience to gain information, or B: To use their combat experience, which at least lent some credence to Nikos being there. His eyes flicked to the blonde.

You, though? I'm missing something here.

Jaune Arc, Silva had learned over time, was physically useless. So much so that the kid literally had an ongoing 0-19 losing streak. Sure, his ability to strategically coordinate pieces on a board, even in the heat of combat, was phenomenal. That was overridden, though, by his sheer lack of knowledge and experience.

*Ding!*

The doors opened to reveal an office that Silva had seen before, yet hardly recognized. Tomes swamped the room in piles, both Goodwitch and the Headmaster himself sat at separate desks, thumbing through pages. Ozpin looked up as the four of them filtered out of the elevator, a strained smile replacing his prior frown with practiced ease.

"Ah, I've been expecting you all. I apologize for this mess, work has been... difficult, as of late." His face, more so than his words, betrayed to Silva the weight of this meeting.

Something's wrong. Something big.

With Ozpin...

He could see the uncertainty in their eyes, even in the poor lighting of the office.

Please, forgive me, Summer. It seems that I am in need of the aid of children yet again.

Was he truly so incapable? So weak in character? Ozpin knew that he knew the answer, it just pained him to admit it plainly, even in his own thoughts.

I wish this could be postponed. Even for a week, just for them to recover.

But Forever Fall had shifted the pace of things.

"What did you want to talk about, Professor?" Miss Nikos asked, quietly, clearly catching on to the grim tone of things. The Headmaster couldn't stop the defeated sigh that fell from his lips.

"Before I explain, I just want all of you to understand that this isn't what I wanted for you. I foolishly assumed that I had time. Time for you to develop, to grow into proper Huntsmen and Huntresses. Alas, recent events have forced me into action." He saw Silva's eyes narrow as he spoke.

"Don't speak to us in riddles. We joined the Academy to help humanity, and I can't see anything you have to say changing that. Just tell us what's happening, and what you need us to do." Silva deadpanned, and for a moment Ozpin was reminded of a simpler time, when their enemies were so easily distinguishable from allies.

"I wish this were such a simple matter, Mr. Taro, I truly do. But, if we must, I shall explain openly." He paused, before turning to the rest of the children, "I have a simple question for all of you, before we proceed. Do you believe in Fairy Tales?" He noticed the distinct shift in Taro's face. The boy didn't say anything, but his questions were plain to the Immortal. "Your friend had answered it in the past," He added, gesturing to Silva, "and now I ask the same of you three."

Each of them looked reasonably confused, but Belladonna was the first to come to an answer. "If you mean fantasy stories, obviously not. But, I don't get why this matters? Who cares if we believe in kid's stories?" Silva's voice cut in once Blake voiced the question.

"Yeah, why does that question matter so much? That's the second time you've asked it, and last time you didn't even tell me what my answer meant." The train of questioning was odd, he hadn't expected the two to be so critical.

So much for the old-fashioned way.

"To put things simply, 'Magic,' as you would think of it in children's stories, is very real. Specifically, the Tale of the Four Maidens alludes to actual people and events in history." He stopped there, giving them a moment to either come to terms with that or question it. He wasn't surprised when Silva quickly spoke up.

"Magic? The Four Maidens? What the fuck are you talking about?" The boy growled.

"Exactly what I said. I believe you asked for me to cease speaking indirectly, so I did. I'll allow you all a moment to think it over. If a question crosses your mind, feel free to ask us." Silence fell for a while, after that. This was why he preferred to ease people into the truth with metaphors and stories. It made it all so much easier to digest.

Nearly a minute later, the Arc boy asked, "So does that mean, like, Aura and Semblances are technically Magic? Or is that a whole different thing?" Ah, what a nice question. Ozpin could appreciate wanting to know the little things.

"In short, the Souls of both Humans and Faunus are fundamentally Magical. So yes, the projections of the Soul that we call 'Aura' and 'Semblances' are indeed Magical constructs." Jaune nodded, seeming satisfied enough with that answer.

"Why isn't this common knowledge, then?" Blake asked next, before shaking her head to herself, then rephrasing, "No, why are you telling us this?" And there it was. Right down to business.

"Because, Miss Belladonna, there has been a drastic acceleration in the movements of our enemies. As such, I have no choice but to respond in kind. Frankly, I wish for your help in these matters." He began to explain, but Silva jumped in again.

"'Our enemies?' What does that mean? The Grimm?"

Asking all the right questions already.

"Yes, and no. After what you've all been through, would you believe me if I suggested to you that there is a higher intelligence controlling the Grimm?" Silva, and the rest of them, pondered the thought for a bit.

"I would. Grimm move too fluidly and effectively for their numbers, such synchronicity wouldn't be possible without some driving force behind it." Taro replied, the others nodded in agreement with his conclusion. It was a relief to Ozpin, just one less thing he needed to explain.

"I'm glad you are all so open-minded. This makes what I'm about to say next much less difficult to accept."

"And what's that?" Silva prodded. Ozpin held up a hand, stopping him there.

"There are Huntsmen on the opposing side, all fighting against humanity for their own reasons. They have made it their mission to find and kill the current Maidens, and they nearly succeeded in murdering the Fall Maiden recently." He paused, taking the moment of shock to sip his Atlesian Black. After letting the drink sit with him for a moment, he looked to Nikos and her partner. "Would the two of you please go speak with Mrs. Goodwitch? She'll answer any questions and explain what you need to know." They nodded, numbly, shuffling over to her desk.

His eyes closed, he let out a sigh, and then levelled a heavy gaze at the two Faunus still staring at him. "As for how this connects to you, I have some questions regarding the White Fang if you're both willing to share." He realized his fatal error the instant the word both left his lips.

Belladonna's eyes shot wide as dinner plates, her golden orbs frantically flitting between himself and Taro as she edged away from her fellow student. "Both..?" She breathed, before locking onto Silva. "Explain, right now!" The girl hissed, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the other two hadn't overheard. She seemed confident they hadn't, turning back to them. Ozpin was impressed, she was at least giving him a chance to clarify the situation himself. Silva gave him a downright malevolent glare before he looked back to her.

"Yes, I'm ex-Fang. Emphasis on 'ex.' Ozpin let me in under the same circumstances as you, so I could start over." He quietly explained. Blake looked half-convinced, though she still stared at Taro like he was a ghost.

"You're Adam's old partner. From the Mistral Branch. I was suspicious after I saw your scar, but now I'm positive. How are you even alive!? He practically cut off your bottom jaw!" Ah, that explained that. Ozpin had been a bit curious about the wound himself, to be truthful.

"I got lucky. Anyway, now you know." He dismissed it all with a casual tone, turning the topic back to Ozpin, "What exactly are you asking for?" Belladonna obviously was not ready to move on yet, but now wasn't the time for their interpersonal connections. He needed to know if Qrow was right.

"First, do either of you know if any mysterious third party has reached out to the White Fang recently?" He tipped back his mug as he asked. Silva's eyes took on a look of realization at the question.

"Actually, I can even give you a name." He offered, and Ozpin had to stop himself from choking on his coffee as he sipped. He finished off his glass, setting it aside and sitting back in his chair.

"Please, do tell?" He prodded, and while the boy seemed a little hesitant, he answered.

"Cinder Fall. She's got Vale's criminal underground wrapped around her finger." Which at this point most people knew only really consisted of Roman Torchwick's Empire. That was... troubling. It meant that the recent Dust robberies could have a much more sinister purpose than they'd thought.

"Are you absolutely certain?" Silva rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't mention it if I wasn't sure." He then confirmed, sending a wave of relief through the Headmaster's chest. This was a massive breakthrough, for months Ozpin had been paranoid out of his mind, searching for any tiny fragment of a clue that might lead him to Her minions. Now, though, he had a name. A name that he was positive the enemy did not know that he knew. All it would take is for this 'Cinder' to register her name in any way while in Vale, and then they would find her.

"Good. Now, I only have one more thing to ask of you. A... suggestion, of sorts."

"Go on, then." Silva glanced at his classmate, who gave a stiff nod. "We're listening."

"I want you to keep an eye out for anything regarding the White Fang in the City. I don't want to jump to conclusions without ample proof, but..." He drifted of, not sure exactly how to word it.

"They could unknowingly be allying themselves with the Grimm." Silva hit the nail squarely in the head. Ozpin nodded in confirmation, and the boy turned away. A hand clasped over his forehead as a heavy breath left his chest. After a moment, he turned back to the Headmaster.

"I... Fuck," He cursed, before trying again. "Look, I am willing to help you where I can, but I have some serious reservations that we need to hash out." His eyes flicked briefly over to Blake, then back to Ozpin. He looked conflicted. "Not now, though. I'll come back after I've talked with my Team, probably this time tomorrow."

Ozpin smiled warmly, "That is perfectly alright with me. You've both had so much new information presented to you, I wouldn't dare expect you to fully grasp it all in a single night. So long as I have your word to maintain reasonable secrecy, you may go rest for the night." Blake didn't even wait a second before snapping around on a dime, grabbing the collar of Silva's shirt, and marching them both to the elevator. He didn't stop them, nor did he blame the girl for being so ready to get out of his office. The look she gave him as the elevator closed was so familiar. Exactly how Raven had always expressed her distrust.

Let us hope she isn't as stubborn. It would be a shame to lose such a valuable ally.

With a thought, he dispelled the sound-muffling barriers that had been attached to his and Glynda's desks. There was a light shift in the air around him, his ears popped, and then his co-worker's conversation with the other two was suddenly perfectly audible. It was simple Magic, one of the select few things he still had enough power to use casually, but it worked well is situations like these.

The dear Professor was just getting finished up as well, it seemed. He'd 'tuned in' just in time to catch the tail end of her bidding them a good night. They'd taken it well, if their pensive yet equally shocked looks were a good judge. He merely waved to them as they waited for the elevator, content to let them sleep in peace tonight. Once James arrived, Phyrra would become the Fall Maiden without anyone possibly being the wiser. By the Vytal Festival, they would be ready for Salem's next move, and with any luck, the element of surprise would be theirs for a change.

I will not allow this slaughter to go unpunished. Too long, I've been complacent for too long.

With Silva...

The instant the elevator doors closed he was violently thrown against the wall, and before he could even resist, a small blade was pinning his throat in place. His Aura caught it, obviously, but the pressure was so great that he couldn't squirm out to either side of it. Survival instinct utterly overrode all else in the brief couple of seconds that he panicked. Regalis was nowhere to be found in the moment, so instead he struck the elbow of the weapon-arm in an uppercut, with a fist shaped specifically to frog. There was a yelp, then her blade clattered to the floor as a her Ulnar Nerve spasmed from the blow. It had been a clean strike, even with Aura she probably couldn't feel most of her arm. She shot back against the opposite wall, grasping her arm and glaring at him almost hatefully.

"Did Adam send you?" She spat, like it was meant to be a rhetorical question. It was so random and outright weird that it caused Silva to snap out of 'fight-or-flight mode.' He didn't answer for a moment, instead making sure he didn't overreact. Just as she seemed to reach her own answer for him, he spoke up.

"No." He really didn't want to have this conversation right now. Much less in a main elevator. "You're quicker than I thought you were."

"And you're as dangerous as I thought you were." She snapped back, "Did you think I'd still believe that whole 'saved a dude from bleeding to death' shit after this? Who's blood was that?" Silva inwardly cursed himself for such a stupid lie. He'd never been good at deceit though, and frankly he was glad he didn't have a choice anymore.

"I-" The feeling of the elevator coming to a stop cut him short, in a flash he stamped his foot down on the small blade Blake had pulled on him and sent it spiraling through the air in her direction. She caught and stowed away the knife just as the doors slid open, Doctor Oobleck giving them a wave as his took their place in the elevator. They stepped out, and before Blake could continue this highly sensitive conversation in the middle of the hall he pulled her into the shadows along with himself, before reforming them up on his perch. She stumbled as they did so, and might have fallen from the tower if Silva hadn't reached out and caught her by the wrist. Her eyes were frantic, letting out a sound somewhere between a whimper and a hiccup as she realized how high up she was dangling from. He lightly yanked back her back to safety. "Sorry about that." He lied, layering his voice thick with sarcasm, "Just didn't need you outing us to the whole school." She scowled at the remark, but he moved on quickly. "Anyway, that blood you saw belonged to a couple different crime lords. Long story short, I made sure Cinder and the Fang could only work with Roman Torchwick in Vale, who I have relaying any relevant info straight to me." He explained openly, feeling much more comfortable now that they were away from any curious ears.

Blake's face was unreadable for a few moments, but he could see dots connecting in those golden orbs. "Why?" She eventually asked, but of all questions, that was probably the last one he wanted to answer. Still, he owed her this much. Or at least, it felt like he did. Without her literally smacking some sense into him that first morning he'd spent at their table, he probably would have been expelled for assaulting Weiss by now.

"Before, it was just to be in the know. I don't trust Adam or Sienna. They're both vengeance-hungry, and I certainly don't put it past either of them to consort with Cinder or Vale's criminal underworld if it means they get a stronger foothold in Remnant." He paused, his hands clenching into fists, "Now, though? I don't know what to do." The admission was like a tipping point, the moment he said it aloud he was able to reason his way through. "If Cinder is working for the Grimm, then that means she's trying to rope the White Fang into it so there'll be a scapegoat after she makes her move." Anger welled up in him at such an idea, his hands flickering with Aura as his grip strained against it.

"Hey." Blake's voice made him look up at her, the tone she used was much quieter, more alert and careful. "Do you hear that?" At first he didn't, but once he stopped and paid attention his Faunus ears picked up something very... odd. It was a voice, one he knew well, in fact.

"-eice of shit! You weren't there!" Cardin's roar, guttural and vicious as it was, didn't mask the hollow *crack!* of something heavy colliding with Aura.

Several things ran through his mind at that point. Mostly just anger, it felt like he couldn't catch a break to save his fucking life. First Magic and Maidens and shit, then Grimm hiveminds or whatever the fuck Ozpin meant by 'higher intelligence', then the stupid bastard spilled the beans on his Fang history to the one person he actively didn't want to know besides his Teammates. Which, given the sheer magnitude of everything he'd just learned, Silva felt it might be worse to leave them in the dark. And, beyond any of that shit, he had a meeting with Cinder tomorrow. "I'll deal with it." Silva stated, turning to meet Blake's gaze. "You get some sleep, and we'll talk after we've both had some time to think things over. That sound good?" He offered, and though she seemed more than a little doubtful, there was no denying how scatter-brained they both were.

"Fine." Was her simple reply, and without any more words she leapt from the perch. He had no idea where she'd been hiding her weapon, but she twisted gracefully in mid-air and sent Gambol Shroud in a perfect throw. The compact blade hooked into an unseen point to Silva's left with an audible *chink!*, and a second later she was gone.

Now, he had yet another Team problem to go sort out. Suffice to say, Silva's patience was beyond thin at this point.

Calling Karma an 'Evil bitch' may have been too optimistic. More like a sadistic she-devil.

So, when he emerged from a nearby wall only to be met with the sight of his partner and another student beating the shit out of each other in the courtyard, that already smoldering temper caught fire. An instant later he was between them, stopping a punch aimed for Cardin's face with his palm before planting his other hand on the unfamiliar student's chest and pushing. The boy stumbled back from the shove, but Silva had already shifted his focus to his Teammate. He snapped around to face Cardin.

"Care to tell me what this is all about?" He asked, earning a growl in return as the boy tried to push him aside. The effort was useless, Silva could tell that his partner was not thinking straight at the moment and the last thing he needed was for Cardin to accidentally kill someone. "Stop. I'm not letting you move an inch unless I get some dialogue." A single footstep behind him gave him a full two-second warning for the other student's next assault. He twisted around to face the shithead, snaking around his arm into an arm-lock. "And you," With a minor burst of Aura, he knocked the boy's legs out from under him with a firm kick while shoving his airborne body back into the floor. "Fuck off back to your room. You're lucky I'm letting you go in the first damn place, trying to sucker punch me in the middle of a conversation?" He spat angrily, slipping his foot underneath the still prone student and shoving him a yard or so back. To his credit, the boy caught himself fairly gracefully, though obviously shaken.

"Who even are you!?" He demanded in confusion, but Silva had already turned away once again. The Faunus gripped his teammate's shoulder.

"We're going back to the Dorm." In spite of the heated look of consternation plastered on Cardin's face, he didn't resist as Silva let both of them fall into the shadows.

When they reformed back in 072, both Russel and Sky were passed out in their beds. Cardin immediately ripped away from him, "Can you just stay the fuck out of my life for once!? That fuckface was Dove Bronzewing, he-" Silva didn't let him finish.

"Check yourself, Winchester. I am not in the mood for petty bullshit, let alone your classroom drama."

"Classroom drama!? Is that what the fuck you think that was!?" His partner was absolutely livid, it was a miracle he had to presence of mind to not shout.

"By all means, then, what was that ridiculous slug-fest I showed up to?" He asked. Cardin shot him a venomous glare, but couldn't seem to find the words to defend himself. "I don't care if he spat on their graves, Cardin. You have more self-control than that."

"Easy for you to say." It wasn't even a whisper, he breathed it so quietly. But, Silva caught it still.

"If you have something to say to me, say it." The Faunus growled, "Or did you lose you spine out in Forever Fall as well? Obviously it took your pride." That accusation, however, had a completely different effect.

"Do you even give a shit about them?" He asked in exasperation. "I mean, seriously, you act like nothing even happened!"

"People died. We did what we could." It was just that simple. Though, he supposed he could see why Cardin didn't feel that way. Silva had seen that kind of desperate, nearly hopeless combat against the Grimm more times than he'd like to count. It was hard to remember sometimes that his Teammates had rarely ever fought Grimm until Initiation, let alone been faced with an unending horde. Even if they were all relatively skilled in dismantling the beasts, skill meant nothing amidst an encroaching ocean of black.

"Seventy fucking people, Silva! Three-fourths of our entire year, DEAD!" The boy absolutely seethed, "And you chalk that up to 'oh well'!?"

"I 'chalk that up' to a worst-case scenario. Bullhead couldn't take off, a massive amount of Grimm so happened to be passing through Forever Fall at the time, and the panic drew them right to us. You're Freshmen, Cardin, not Huntsmen. As a whole, our defenses weren't up to par, and that is not your fault."

"So what the fuck are you then? Why are you so separate from this?" What? Silva stiffened at the unexpected shift of focus. He should have picked his words more carefully, but his temper was already a live wire. Worse still, Cardin definitely noticed his change in attitude. "Well? Fucking say something!"

What is even happening tonight? Did someone just cast a spell and expose all of my secrets?

Though, even as he thought it, Silva couldn't help but feel a little relieved. Just like with Blake, now he didn't have a choice but to cross the bridge. Or was that merely his own subconscious, justifying his desire to do away with the charade? He supposed it didn't matter, now. This was what he'd chosen, for better or worse.

"You know the White Fang." It wasn't a question, he knew exactly how his partner felt about them. Cardin's silence told him that the boy knew where this was going. "Well, up until about three months ago, I was their second-best fighter. Point being, Forever Fall wasn't my first time in a situation like that." It was hard to tell what the boy across from him was thinking. "If you're thinking I'm still a member, you can forget it. I was kicked out rather..." He gestured to the scar that marred his lips, "Violently."

"Anyway," He continued, "Back to my point. Like I said, that was far from my first time holding a line. After you've seen as many of your friends, your brothers-in-arms, get ripped to pieces as I have, it gets a little hard to ache over every one of them." He really hoped he wasn't sounding like a sociopath, but it was the best he could do to articulate a good answer. "So, sorry if I come off as uncaring. This just isn't new to me. Shit goes wrong. People die. All we can do is kill the Grimm who killed them." More pregnant silence. Cardin's jaw worked down, then up, like he was trying to figure out how to talk all over again.

"You..." Again, Silva couldn't read his partner's tone. "You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"Actually, I think they've got a reward on my head." It was only a theory, but he didn't see any other reason for those guys back Mistral to have tried hunting him like they had. The boy's head shook from side to side.

"So this whole time, my Team's been in danger."

"Team SCRL's been in 'danger' since we decided to become Huntsmen." Silva pointed out in turn, "Besides, the Fang's not stupid enough to try and send some wannabe assassin to the middle of Beacon. Even then, they don't have any way of knowing I'm here. Again, the last time any of them saw me, I had a foot-long trench in my throat. I imagine most assumed I died on the way to the nearest village." What Cardin said in return completely upended the tense mood that had taken hold.

"How did you live through that? I just thought it was a surgery scar, or some shit." He queried, as though the revelation was the now the most normal, interesting thing in the world. Silva didn't know how to respond.

"Wh... what?" His partner merely rolled his eyes.

"You really don't do subtlety, do you? Ah, the hell am I saying? I knew that. Look, personally I don't really give two shits about what you were before Beacon. We've been through a lot, Silva. If you say you aren't involved anymore, I'll take your word for it." He paused, nodding towards their teammates. "But this is something we need to talk about as a Team. That, and I want some god damned sleep. Let's clock out for the night and come back to it fresh tomorrow? I'm floored."

"S-Sure." Was all he could get out. He was glad that the room was so dark, else Cardin would have certainly seen the embarrassed blush that marred his face.

Reeaally need to work on that.

And then, contrary to his every expectation, his partner simply turned away, and casually slipped out of his uniform before flopping onto his bed. For a time, Silva was rooted in place, his mind frozen in realization.

He...

It wasn't inherently a bad thing, but it opened too many doors. Too many opportunities for pain.

He trusts me.

Somehow, that single fact scared Silva more than he cared to admit.

Hello again! Nothing much to note here, just hope you guys enjoyed.

Remember to review if it strikes you, I'm always stoked to see all of your thoughts.

Buh-Bye!