It took a solid minute after the winds calmed down for Weiss to realize how tightly she was clinging to Ruby. With a mortifying squeak of alarm she released her team leader, who blinked at her for a moment before letting Weiss go as well. The brunette's hair was a windblown mess, and her face was covered in a thin layer of dust. There was even a twig stuck in her hair, Oum knows where from.
"Uh—sorry, Weiss!" Ruby said.
"No, no, it's fine!" Weiss said, hurrying to reassure her.
"Well, that went well." Weiss heard. Looking past Ruby, she caught sight of the Britannian prince and his consort, who was laying across his back with the prince flattened into the space under the bench. Weiss clapped a hand over her mouth before a startled laugh could break free. Ruby, who turned to look, had no such reservations, and giggled freely.
"C.C., get off of me." The Britannian said, voice muffled by the ground.
"For all we know, Lelouch, this little spat will start right back up any moment. I can't have you having your head broken by a flying lunch box—how embarrassing would that be?" C.C. said.
"I do not have time for this." The Britannian said, pushing himself up. C.C. adapted quickly, wrapping her arms around his neck and nearly overbalancing the boy. He glared back at the green-haired girl.
"C.C., get off of me or I swear I'll dump your special-edition Cheese-Kun in the forest." The prince threatened, scowling.
"You will not." C.C. said, her voice suddenly steely and cold. It was startling to say the least, seeing the formidable prince face off in a battle of wills against what had seemed mere moments before to be just a green-haired miscreant. Eventually, C.C. sighed.
"Very well. Go tend to your troublesome friends, oh-so-noble prince." she said, releasing the prince. He stared at her for a moment longer, then nodded, turned, and strode away.
It was then that Weiss realized the oaf hadn't finished answering their questions. With a jolt, she started to pursue.
"Hey, wait, we still had more—" Weiss began, only to lurch to a stop as C.C. stepped towards her and stared at her unblinking, arms crossed.
"Excuse me?" Weiss said.
"You're excused. Now, shoo." C.C. said, making a shooing motion.
"Oh, you did not just say that! I'm trying to pass, here, so kindly move." Weiss said, crossing her own arms in response. The green-haired girl's golden eyes narrowed.
"He's not a little plaything of yours, ice girl. I suggest you stay out of his business." C.C. said. Weiss resisted the urge to shiver. Such was not becoming of a Schnee. Instead, she stood taller.
"How dare you—I'm just going to ask the man some questions! What are you, his mother?" Weiss retorted.
"His partner. Stop sniffing around, or else. I'll be watching." The infuriating woman said, before turning around and striding off in the opposite direction. Following her prince, most likely.
"Well, that was… weird…" Ruby said, standing up.
"Quite." Weiss bit out, glaring at the long green hair swishing away.
"You know, on one hand I really think we should leave them alone… on the other, though…" Ruby shrugged. "That lady was super weird. Kinda shady. I think we should try to talk to Lelouch more, see what's up with them. 'cause something's up with them." Ruby finished. Weiss glanced back at her, pleasantly surprised. She allowed herself a victorious smile as they walked back towards the rest of team RWBY.
"Yes… 'talk'." Weiss said. Sniffing around? She'd show that woman 'sniffing around'. Weiss had barely even begun.
"Come on guys, right through the wall? How is that even possible? Like, was that her semblance? Some sort of weapon? Tell me that wasn't amazing!" Yang said, for the third time since lunch had started. Not that Jaune didn't think it was good for people to express their joy when they felt it, like his mom had always said, but this was getting a little bit old. The only one who seemed as enthused about the terrifying maelstrom of destruction that had stolen Jaune's favorite Pumpkin Pete's lunchbox—and frankly could have seriously injured any of them—was Nora, who was grinning like a maniac. To be fair, she was usually grinning like a maniac.
"Yeah, that was… certainly something." Blake said, smiling thinly at her partner. "It seemed off, didn't it? Like they were really trying to hurt each other?"
"I thought the same." Ren said, nodding. "The banter was so hostile."
"Mmm. Talk like that would get you banned from any tournament from here to Mistral, and physically they were not pulling punches." Pyrrha said,
"Heck yeah they weren't. It was a real—" Yang, paused, a familiar fire lighting behind her eyes.
"No. Stop." Weiss said.
"Please don't." Ruby whined at the same time.
"Domolish-stration of their power?" Yang said, waggling her eyebrows.
"Ughhhhhh." Ruby said, putting her head in her hands. "That's not even a word!"
"Who cares? Didja see Goodwitch's face? It looked like she was gonna explode!" Nora said, munching on some crackers.
"She did look rather upset with the proceedings. I suppose it's her responsibility to repair the wall." Pyrrha said.
"Aw, that can't be fun." Yang said, wincing. "I didn't really think about that, ya know? I guess they can't just leave it like that."
"Such an indecent display. You'd think they'd have some sense of decorum or restraint, but no. Ruby and I ran into them shouting at each other in the hallway before the fight even started." Weiss said.
"Ooo… some kind of lovers quarrel? Did he leave her for another woman—or wait, did she leave him for another woman? Come on, dish!" Nora said, slamming down a fist and making the whole table creak. Weiss stared, apparently uncomfortable. Jaune knew the feeling. Nora took some getting used to.
"We aren't sure, they were fighting about some sort of betrayal or something. Lelouch said they were in the middle of a big argument." Ruby said.
"Wait, Lelouch? You guys were talking to the Britannian prince guy?" Jaune asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I was wondering about that! I saw you two sitting over there, getting all chummy. You warming up to him a little, Weissicle?" Yang asked. Weiss scowled.
"No, I am not. We were just gathering information." Weiss said. Gathering… information?
"Yeah… we were going to ask him about the tournament and everything, but we got interrupted by the fight, and then his weird girlfriend told us to stop 'sniffing around', so…" Ruby said. Yang let out a bark of laughter, earning a glare from Weiss, and Jaune shifted uncomfortably.
"Sniffing around? Are you for real?" Yang asked, smirking like a madwoman.
"What is so funny, Xiao Long?" Weiss hissed.
"Sounds like she's tryin to keep your paws off her man, Schnee. Doesn't want you barkin up his tree, if ya know what I mean." Yang said, winking outrageously. Even Jaune got that one. Weiss slammed her hands into the table.
"You insufferable miscreant! You know very well I would never have any such thing to do with that nefarious royal cad—" Weiss began. Jaune stared at her, and then slightly behind her, and balked.
"Uh, Weiss—" He tried, but went unheard.
"—that pompous, gloomy, miserable fiend! That shady, weasel-faced, rail-thin wretch! I will not have you impugning my reputation with such vulgar and ludicrous propositions, particularly when it comes to that Britannian menace! Believe me, if you continue to do so, there will be consequences!" Weiss declared, glaring down with such force that for a moment Yang looked genuinely cowed. Then she looked over Weiss's shoulder, and a sweet, victorious grin spread across her face.
"I am talking to you, Yang Xiao Long, and you will look at me when I am doing so!" Weiss said.
"Weiss, you should really…" Jaune pointed behind her. Ren and Nora, sitting on Jaune and Yang's side of the table, were both staring as well; Ren with shock, Nora with an evil smile.
"Jaune Arc, I am busy! What on Earth are you all even—EEEP!" Weiss said, glancing back and almost tripping over her bench in surprise. Lelouch vi Britanna stood a few feet behind her, watching with a strained but patient smile.
"Uh, gah, buh…" Weiss tried. Jaune sympathized, though it was kind of cute to see the heiress at a loss for words.
"…hello." Lelouch said, nodding at her. "Good to see you all… ah, Pyrrha, could I borrow you for a moment?" He asked. That was not what Jaune had expected him to say, and a glance at Pyrrha told Jaune that she hadn't expected it either.
"Oh, ah, of course." Pyrrha said, standing up. Jaune watched as she followed Lelouch out of the other end of the cafeteria. A still shell-shocked Weiss sat down and sipped at her tea. Ruby put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, silencing Yang's snickering with a glare.
"Never a dull day at Beacon." Ren mused. Jaune had to agree. What in the world could Lelouch want with Pyrrha?
The lecture had been tedious. Suzaku had had far worse, however. Even if Glinda Goodwitch was furious, he could tell that it came from a place of worry and care. He let it wash over him, bowing and apologizing where appropriate, until the professor allowed them to leave. He'd done his best to ignore Kozuki's barking as he made his way to lunch.
Lelouch's censure had been more difficult to brush off. He didn't say a word, either—not at lunch, when he left Suzaku to stew across from Kozuki, or in any of their other classes. But Suzaku could feel the censure rolling off of him from a mile away, and it angered him. Suzaku was hardly the one in the wrong, here—what in the world did Lelouch expect him to do? Pretend his former best friend hadn't just tried to murder Lelouch in cold blood? That she wasn't a wolf in sheep's clothing? It was so backwards.
Suzaku had expected Lelouch to report Kallen to the police. Or to the headmaster. Or to someone. Anyone. But he hadn't. That made it Suzaku's job.
He should have done it already. He'd had ample opportunity. He should have just walked up to Professor Goodwitch, or Professor Port, or taken the lunch hour to head over to the CCTS tower and talk to Professor Ozpin about it himself. Over the last few hours, he'd made up his mind to do it, even started walking.
But he couldn't. He just... couldn't bring himself to turn her in. And he hated that he couldn't do it. His stupid heart couldn't get past the fact that Kozuki, whoever she was, had been his friend. The thought of her running with terrorists felt like a deep betrayal, but imagining her stuck behind bars or worse… he just couldn't stomach it. Even if it was what was right. They'd known each other too long… a small, treacherous voice at the back of his head insisted that they couldn't all have been lies. Surely, something they'd had had been real. Suzaku hated that voice. It was just more proof of how blind, pathetic, and hypocritical he'd become. How despicable.
Lost in thought as he was, he only just managed to avoid running into Pyrrha Nikos as he turned the corner towards the dorms.
"Ah—my apologies." Suzaku said.
"No harm done! I was just looking for you, actually." Pyrrha said, shifting uncomfortably. Suzaku stared at her for a moment.
"Oh…?" He said. "Uh, well, you found me."
"Lelouch wanted me to tell you, since you and Kallen weren't getting along, he was going to take her to put an end to things? In the forest. He said that you'd know what that would mean." Pyrrha said.
Put an end to…? Oh no. No no no.
"With Kallen? He—did he take her out there already?" Suzaku asked. Pyrrha nodded, and Suzaku felt a sudden horrible fear drop into his stomach.
"Yes, into the part right next to the launch pads. I told him it wasn't wise, that there are a lot of Grimm out there, but he said something about that being a benefit instead of a problem? He looked so… well, grim. I'm a bit worried. I wasn't sure if I should tell Professor Goodwitch, it's not really my business…" Pyrrha looked Suzaku over, and Suzaku stood taller, trying not to let the panic show. "But maybe I was wrong. It looks like there's reason for concern—"
"No! No, ah, please don't bother the faculty with this." Suzaku said, trying for a smile. "Lelouch has always been fond of practical jokes. He gets it from his foster sister. I think he was just trying to mess with us." He said, turning briskly and walking back down the hall. "Nothing to worry about!" He shouted back down the wall. As soon as he turned another corner, Suzaku broke out into a run. Then, seeing an open window, he threw himself out of it, and soared.
It only took a few minutes to reach the woods. The sun was already setting, and Suzaku cursed it—it would be so much harder to find them in the dark, and his semblance was exhausting his aura, which the events of the day had already been painfully strained. He touched down at the edge of the woods and rushed in, heedless of the shadows. He realized, sprinting through the trees, that he'd forgotten Kusanagi, and he cursed his foolishness. There was nothing to be done, though—speed was of the essence.
Kozuki may have stabbed him in the back, but she'd failed in her attempt. Foolish, brazen, stupid it may have been, filled with ill-aimed hate, but she was no murderer. She didn't deserve to die like this, and Lelouch should never have to kill her. He was clever enough to lure her out here, Suzaku was sure, and he'd seen how terrifyingly strong his friend was. There was something horribly wrong with Lelouch. Suzaku had known it since they saw each other again. But Suzaku could imagine only one purpose for bringing Kallen out into the Grimm-filled wild, and it went beyond anything he'd thought Lelouch could be capable of.
They'd seen so many devoured by Grimm during the war. The thought of that happening to Kallen—the thought of Lelouch letting that happen—made Suzaku want to vomit.
C.C.; it had to have been C.C.'s influence. Who else could have twisted Suzaku's friend down such a depraved path but that shady, mysterious woman?
Nightmarish thoughts continued to flash through Suzaku's mind as he tore through the underbrush, calling out Lelouch and Kallen's names. He searched for half an hour, then doubled back, completely losing his way.
"KALLEN!" He shouted, desperate as the moon began to rise.
"SUZAKU!" He heard—Kallen's voice! He rushed towards it, slamming into her as his red-haired partner charged out of the bushes. They landed in a heap, then scrambled to untangle themselves and stand up again. They stood, breathing hard, watching each other.
"I… are you okay? Where is he?" Suzaku asked, looking around at the edges of the woods.
"What? Spirits, Suzaku, you can't just go running off into the woods on your own like this!" Kallen said.
"What?" Suzaku said.
"I—look, I'm, I'm really mad at you but, I couldn't just…" Kallen waved her hand at the woods. "Just come back, alright? Please? You don't even have to talk to me."
"I…" Suzaku shook his head. She wasn't making sense. "Look, I don't know what he told you, but you shouldn't have followed him out here. Something's seriously wrong with him, and I don't—I can't let him hurt you." Suzaku said. Kallen looked as confused as Suzaku felt.
"What are you talking about? I didn't follow anyone here but you." Kallen said. They stared at each other. Suzaku narrowed his eyes.
"Did Pyrrha tell you I came here?" Suzaku asked.
"Yeah… how did you…" Kallen's eyes narrowed too.
"She told me Lelouch took you out here." Suzaku said. Kallen frowned. Then she scowled.
"Okay, what the hell?" She growled.
"What the hell, indeed." A familiar voice said. Kallen and Suzaku both twisted to look at a boulder at the other end of the clearing, where the Vale-uniform-clad Lelouch vi Britannia was leaning.
"Damn it, Lelouch, what is this? Some kind of sick joke?" Suzaku demanded.
"You know me better than that Suzaku. I'm not so far gone as you think." Lelouch said, shrugging. Suzaku felt a pang of guilt at that, but it was drowned in his irritation with his violet-eyed friend.
"Well, I have no idea who you think you are, but it's just like a Britannian noble to play stupid mind games and manipulate people to get his rocks off." Kallen said, growling.
"Bold talk from someone who's spent months trying to manipulate her partner to become a tool for the resistance." Lelouch said, and Kallen's face grew red.
"That—that's not—" Kallen tried.
"Spare me." Lelouch said. "And Suzaku. You actually believed I was going to execute Kallen?"
"What else was I supposed to think? You were going out to give her a lecture? Play a game of chess? Do you think I'm a fool?" Suzaku said.
"Yes, actually. At least you're playing the part of one." Lelouch said, meeting Suzaku's eyes evenly. "You're angry you got betrayed, and deceived. But you still cared enough for the girl who did that to you to run after her into the woods, unarmed, in the hopes of saving her." Lelouch shrugged. "I admit, it was a gamble. You might not have come. But you did. You two have a bond. You can't just cut that off, if it's this strong, and you're a fool for trying. It'll hurt you in the long run, Suzaku."
"It—" Suzaku struggled for words. "It wasn't just for her. I… didn't want you to become a murderer."
Lelouch stared back at him, deep sorrow in his eyes. "I've already got blood on my hands, Suzaku. I think some part of you already knew that." He shook his head. Suzaku didn't know what to say.
"And you, Kallen—you came running too. I thought you would." Lelouch said, turning his focus to the nervous-looking redhead.
"I—look, I was just saving my partner, all right?" Kallen said, crossing her arms.
"Your partner, the Britannian-loving traitor? The pawn you were all set to throw away when he wouldn't go along with your plans?" Lelouch said.
"It's not like that!" Kallen cried, desperate. "It's—it's not." She said. Suzaku wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Lelouch or herself. She looked at Suzaku, and he could see her turmoil and fear. It hurt, and that small voice wanted him to reassure her, in spite of it all. Lelouch sighed.
"Let me tell you something. I honestly sympathize with your cause." Lelouch said. Kallen stared at him.
"You—what?" She asked, looking about as dumbfounded as Suzaku felt.
"It's true." Lelouch smiled an icy smile. "Do you think any loyal prince of the empire would have let you live, a number and an assassin? Do you think I would have come here, this kingdom of all places, if I had an ounce of love or respect for my supposed homeland? Here, half the world away from its edicts and creeds, its martial ideals and darwinism?" Lelouch shook his head, his voice full of a passion Suzako hadn't heard since they'd first met, his eyes alight with a madness Suzaku had only seen the edges of these last few weeks. "No. All it's ever done is cause pain. Its existence is built on unmeasurable casual cruelty, intense hatred, injustice on injustice on injustice… it is an evil thing, my father's empire. A cancer on the world. I think we all have that understanding in common—even you, Suzaku, though you've done your best to hide it." Lelouch said, nodding in Suzaku's direction. He was too startled to interrupt Lelouch… and what would Suzaku have even said?
He never put it into words, not in public. It would have been dangerous, even lethal to say anything of the sort. But he hated what Britannia was. He thought it could be changed… and Kallen had been one of the reasons he'd hoped it could, when he'd thought she was Britannian. Lelouch had been one of the other reasons. Now...
"We share this perspective, then. I don't question your convictions. But you've let them blind you to the harm you've done to Suzaku. The problem we have now is a personal one, not a political one. Being angry at Suzaku and blaming him for not living up to your expectations is a pretty easy way to dodge the fact that you've been lying to him for the last year, don't you think?" Lelouch pointed at Suzaku. "He trusted you. Knowing Suzaku, he trusted you without any real doubts, took your word, worked as a loyal partner. He probably felt close to you. And you didn't even trust him with your real name."
"I…" Kallen looked completely lost.
"Owe him an apology, I think." Lelouch said. He waited, staring at Kallen.
"I…" She looked back and forth between Suzaku and Lelouch, finally settling on Suzaku. He'd never seen Kallen look so... fragile, before. "I'm... sorry, Suzaku. I didn't… I was undercover. It's not something I meant to hide from you, there just… didn't seem to be a good time." Kallen tried, weakly. Suzaku looked at her, nervously shifting from foot to foot.
"You tried to murder my friend." He said, quietly. Kallen hung her head.
"It just… that whole day got to me, with the talk about the war, and the nightmares… I lost my head, I didn't even… I don't know what I thought I was doing. Trying to get some small revenge for our people, or something. They took so, so much from me, from us. They're still taking so much from us. But... it felt wrong even when I was doing it. It was a mistake, and I didn't even stop to think about what it would mean for you, to you… I'm so sorry, Suzaku." Kallen said, hugging herself close. She couldn't meet his eyes. Suzaku didn't know what to say. He looked back at Lelouch, who nodded towards Kallen. Speak, Suzaku's old friend gestured in their sign language, tapping a finger on his chin. Suzaku sighed.
"I… there's a reason Lelouch and I are friends. He and his sister were hostages at the Kururugi estate in Sendai before the war." Suzaku said. Kallen looked up at this, alarmed.
"He… what?" She said.
"My father thought they'd be better entertained with a companion of their age and status. He also wanted me to get some experience with the Britannians. There was a lot of talk about setting up some serious trade routes with the Empire, and my father wanted to start building connections. We lived together for a little over a year before… well, the war." Suzaku said, scratching the back of his neck. Kallen stared at him, then at Lelouch.
"But then… you…" She tried.
"Well, they didn't kill us." Lelouch said, smiling sadly. "That's what you're supposed to do with hostages in that situation, I believe. Apparently the dishonor of killing defenseless children outweighed any practical benefits in the eyes of the Kururugi clan. The empire was going to attack either way."
"It took about a week for the first wave of Britannians to hit Sendai. It was faster than anyone expected. Lelouch, his sister and I were out playing in the woods when the estate got hit, otherwise I don't think we would've survived." Suzaku said.
"We made our way towards Edo from there. It wasn't easy—too far away from the road and the Grimm would be on us, too long on the road and Cornelia's men might catch us. It was a delicate balance, and we had to keep a careful watch. I don't remember getting much sleep in those days. We passed through a couple of towns on our way… I was never grateful for my sister's blindness before then. An unexpected silver lining." Lelouch said.
"I think it was just outside of Adachi that we got split up. We'd joined a group of refugees trying to get through the northern walls of the Edo, but a group of knights caught up to us in sight of the gates. Most of the refugees died, but we'd had a lot of practice running and I managed to make it into the woods. I tried to find them afterwards, but we'd scattered too far. I made it into the city… and that was the last time I saw Lelouch until he walked through Ashford Academy's doors three weeks ago." Suzaku said.
"…oh." Kallen said, quietly. "I… I didn't know."
"I wasn't sure if it was my story to tell." Suzaku said, looking over at Lelouch. "You haven't exactly been forthcoming, and I didn't want to break your confidence." He finished. Lelouch shook his head.
"There's nothing wrong with telling her now. Especially if it helps smooth over this whole mess." Lelouch said, leaning back against the boulder. Suzaku looked at him, then back at Kallen, then shook his head.
"Look, Kallen… we've been through a lot. I don't approve of terrorism, or whatever you want to call it, and I'm not sure if or when I'll be able to trust your intentions again. I feel like, maybe I've never really known you. But… I still trust you to keep me alive. We're a good team. And since you didn't actually kill Lelouch, I guess I can forgive you for trying. I… well, I'd like to give you a second chance, give us a second chance, if you want it." He finished. Kallen looked back at him, frowning.
"…you know, you can be a really condescending prick sometimes." She said. Suzaku started to frown back. "But… you're my condescending prick. I'd like to keep it that way." Kallen continued, offering him a shaky smile. Suzaku nodded, reaching out a hand, and Kallen shook it.
"Wonderful. Can we go back now?" C.C. asked, stepping off of a tree branch and landing feet-first where Lelouch would have been if he hadn't rolled out of the way.
"Goddamnit C.C.–what the Hell?" Lelouch demanded.
"Got to keep you on your toes, prince busybody. Never know when someone's going to sneak up on you." She said, fluttering her eyelashes. Lelouch brushed off his jacket with a huff.
They began the journey back, when Kallen stopped. Suzaku almost ran into her.
"Wait a second, weren't there supposed to be Grimm around here?" She asked. Suzaku remembered suddenly everything he'd heard about these woods being a lair for the monsters… and they'd just had a tremendous bout of negative emotions. Grimm should have been flocking from all corners.
"They've been dealt with. You didn't think I'd risk my team having a big emotional blowout with Grimm around to cause problems, did you?" Lelouch said, continuing to walk. Kallen and Suzaku scrambled to catch up, once that sank in.
"But… how?" Kallen asked. Lelouch glanced back at her.
"How else?" He said, patting the sword sheathed at his side.
"You… the whole forest?" Said Kallen, mouth agape. Lelouch shrugged.
"Two-mile radius. I didn't have very long to prepare." He said.
Kallen stared at him, then back at Suzaku. Suzaku didn't have any answers for her.
There was something very wrong with Lelouch. But here, under the whispering leaves of the twilit forest, Suzaku didn't have the courage to ask.
Glynda Goodwitch was not an easy woman to disturb. She'd seen a lot in her time, many things that even a hunter or huntress of any lesser order would have had trouble dealing with. She'd long ago developed a keen eye for trouble and danger, an instinct she trusted with her life.
So it was with some trepidation that she noticed a feeling of wrongness in those first few weeks at Beacon Academy. She couldn't really put her finger on it.
There were the small but mysterious pranks, of course. The inexplicable salt in her tea, the odd piece of pepperoni on her desk, the occasional but brief thefts of The Disciplinarian, her riding crop. This in itself wasn't particularly worrying, though, just a distracting irritation. It hadn't been until that morning that she realized what the real issue was.
One of her duties as assistant headmistress was checking up on the camera system they'd rigged throughout the woods nearby Beacon in order to monitor the initiation trial. In doing so, she generally took the opportunity to clear out some of the Grimm along the way. In times of particular stress, she had occasionally taken this duty a tad more rigorously, purely for the sake of ensuring the safety of the students of course. True, it was a nice relief from the day-to-day organizational duties and it always felt good to stretch her proverbial combat legs, but it was also a professional responsibility.
But she'd gone into the woods a handful of times more recently—particularly following the disastrous brawl between Kururugi and Stadfeldt whose damages had taken hours to fix—and the space under the trees was emptier than it should have been. There were a handful of beowolves here, an ursa there, even a fledgling nevermore, but overall her visits produced only a quarter or less of the monstrosities she would have expected.
Two plausible explanations occurred to her. The first was ominous. Less Grimm in the forests around Beacon could mean that they were massing somewhere for an attack. If that was the case, they would need to send out scouts immediately and prepare. Such waves of Grimm were not unheard of, and could be devastating. It could even be the first step in one of Salem's schemes.
But there was a second possible explanation. Someone or something could be culling the Grimm. It seemed unlikely, particularly in the numbers of Grimm that would have had to be slain. A team of hunters could have accomplished it, of course, but they were all accounted for. Besides, that much work on an otherwise non-critical patch of Grimm was a waste—there were other Grimm that posed a far more immediate threat to far less secure communities. Still, it was the better option. Glynda could not help but hope for the better option. So, just to be sure, she checked the camera footage over the last few days.
Ten minutes later, Goodwitch had found her answer. Unexpected and horrifying, though less so than a Grimm invasion. It was hard to believe. She didn't really want to believe it. But the footage didn't lie. There was something unhinged in the violet eyes of the man on her screen, something joyful and terrible in his dancelike slaughter of Grimm.
Glynda grabbed her Scroll and pressed down on the contact 'mughead'.
"Headmaster—you need to see this." She said.