A Cosmic Journey
A/N: We're finally here at Year 5 of the Countdown Arc! I wonder if this is what it felt like for the writers of the Injustice Comic series, planning right up to the events of the series. In any event, Happy December as well! Now for some reviews.
Oblivious IJ: Now the image of Kakashi with the headband over both eyes, or some visor like Shino or Cyclops won't leave my head. As for eye transplants, Kouzai's firmly invested in keeping his in his skull.
The Crowned Reaper: Ah yes, throwing jabs at the lifestyles of acquaintances is a favorite pastime. In terms of Kouzai's team, I will not be making a team of OCs, considering how much work it'd be to add three other characters at this stage in the plot. Nor will Kouzai be joining another team as a replacement or fifth team member, so it'll be in the category of something else.
Raidentensho: Your ideas of earthly legends and mythology weaving is impressive as usual, but I have to be honest in stating that I know very little of the 3 Kingdoms story. Who knows, I might eventually be paralleling that plotline without realizing it.
Resurrection99: Haha, nice stats on the knife. If this were a Gamer-type fanfic, I probably would've structured it somewhere along those lines. You know, except for the bit where falling meteors are a possibility.
AlexFalTon: Thanks for the compliment. The good thing about walking into Remnant after having watched nearly all of the show is having a hopefully decent understanding of what drives a lot of the main characters. And so to have their psyches and thought processes dissected and dismantled by a relative stranger can be jarring for most. And I'd also likely ask for some of Ozpin's coffee if I ever met him, though I'd probably get violently rejected for trying to interfere with the wizard's most important possession.
Gabe2000: Thanks for the pinapple, I think? And you can certainly look forward to the inevitable accumulation of the changes that Kouzai's actions and existence on Remnant have caused.
PyromaniacRabbit: Got it in one regarding Amber, though you'll have to read on regarding how. Regarding the knife, I think sticking to the mechanics of whatever the passive semblances are stated to have keeps things more stable. So probably no lasting curse of misfortune when stabbed, but certainly a general affliction of misfortune that'll lead to an easier time of getting stabbed.
AxelLord20: Thanks for the compliment, and glad that you like the writing. I'm not exactly great at self-marketing and putting myself out there, but I trust that if the writing is good then it'll get noticed by others.
Alright, since that's done with, onto the last few announcements. As I mentioned back in October, the incoming onslaught of finals will require some intense focus and study, so I'll have to take a couple weeks off to focus on them. As previously mentioned, this means that there will be no update on December 9 or December 16, making the next and last chapter of the Countdown Arc on December 23. Yeah, it's unfortunate, but I managed to get Chapter 16 to you all to hopefully make up for things in the meantime. It feels strange and a little sad to pause on writing for a bit, but grad school calls. Hopefully the readership can wait that long, and I promise that my return with be swift, painful (for Kouzai, as usual), and delicious to read. Anyone get that reference? Eh?
Chapter 15: Where There Is Smoke
Chapter Date 12/02/19
"C'mon ladies, let's pick up the pace! I'm dying of boredom over here!"
"Oh MY gods, I'm going to sew your mouth shut if it kills me!"
"Also, you're the one who's losing to us right now!"
Heavy footsteps from the left. A glance showed a flash of red closing in. Something whistled through the air, and I brought Protector up to meet a set of gauntleted claws, a move that'd taken me hundred of failed tries to get right. The outline of red nearly filling my vision, I thrust Conqueror forward at the figure's torso.
"OW! That nearly hit my b-" Another hit with Conqueror sent the figure silently twisting to the side.
Click click CLICK
Distinctive steps came from behind, and I pivoted to guard my chest and face from a sharp-heeled boot.
"Damnit, how did you even-KUH!" Grabbing the pale blue-outlined limb against my weapons, I yanked the leg forward and backhanded with Protector, whacking the speaker across the face as she reeled.
"I said to mix it up! Get some more arm strikes or leg strikes in, and don't be afraid to grapple! Or you know, use your ranged options!"
"Listen, you smug sonofa-"
"Fine, you asked for it!"
The sounds of mecha-shifting filled my hearing, before two sets of footsteps took more immediate priority. I backed up to catch both figures rushing towards me in tandem, blue on the left and red on the right.
BANG BANG
An accelerated right arm swung straight into Protector, and I tensed my arm to parry the hit as a clawed left arm lanced towards my torso. Twisting sideways, I roundhoused the red Aura outline to the side and used the momentum to swing down with Conqueror.
CLANG
Mithril rod met bladed heel as I struggled to force the locked leg downwards. "Better, but not-GUHH!" A surprisingly strong kick powered into my back, shoving me forwards as a handstanding blue figure whipped my head around with her other leg. Turning involunatarily, I managed to raise Conqueror in time to block another clawed attack.
BANG
Frigid cold enveloped my arm from where the claws and Conqueror met, and in my shock I was swung around. A quick sweep to my feet prevented me from finding my footing, and I whirled around towards the blue-wreathed figure, a spot of red glowing at their feet.
I clenched my abs as tight as I could. 'This is gonna hurt.'
WHAM
A backwards roundhouse kick and Fire Dust-augmented weapon registered as a stabbing heat forcibly doubling me over. I felt my Aura shimmer as it dropped to disqualification levels, and the alarm on the scroll rang not a second later.
"Hah, hah, ok. Good spar, you two. That was much better than-GAAH! Miltia, watch the claws please, and easy on breaking the literal ice freezing our arms!" My Aura shimmered again as Miltia Malachite's claws raked across my skin as she yanked her arm out. "I do have to ask though, what's with the swapped Dust palettes?"
"Because you and your stupid idea of matching Dust types to our outfit colors was stupid, and Fire Dust suited me better than Miltia. She took the Ice Dust instead." Melanie Malachite flicked long black locks back over her shoulder and started strutting away. Or, at least it looked that way from the shape of the Aura outline.
'It's not my fault your outfits and Aura colors matched…with Remnant's dedication to color, I figured things like Dust preferences would line up with colors as well.' I shook off the last bits of ice on my body, then let Protector and Conqueror merge into a solid length of Mithril. Tapping left and right, I made my way over to the counter where burgundy Aura outlined an impressively tall figure.
"I still don't quite get why you've got a fully functioning bar in the same place as the workout facilities and sparring grounds, Junior." I felt my way onto a seat as the man in question snorted.
"Unlike the prestigious and infinitely-funded Hunstmen academies with trainers and staff galore, the equipment we've got here is much more barebones. No one'll accuse me of skimping out on making sure my men stay in shape, but there's a clear difference between what I can provide and what places like Beacon can. Something like this," Junior swept an arm around the counter, "helps keep the morale up some. Either way, I don't see or hear you complaining about it."
A glass of whiskey made its way to my hand and I raised it appreciatively. "And you likely never will. I'm hard-pressed enough to find bars and taverns in Vale that'll serve minors, let alone a huntsman-in-training who appears to be blind. Couple that with the ability for me to stay in shape without raising eyebrows, and you're golden."
"Speaking of, I noticed you're getting better at tracking their moves. Is it the hearing, or…"
"A sharpening of Aura vision," I responded simply, nursing my drink. Trying to adjust to going without vision, especially after having relied on Chronometry for years, was more than a little rough, and I spent a decent portion of my travel from Anima to Sanus just trying to get the basics of walking straight and going up and down the stairs right, let alone things like eating. Even after landing in Vale and getting acquainted with Junior, his men and the twins, going from navigating a passenger ship to one of Remnant's largest cities was daunting. I nearly gave up multiple times, but I knew I had to get Chronometry under control if I was going to avoid cracking under the strain of a permanently slowed life. It took over half a year, but now I could make out the barest outlines of people and animals and what color their Aura was. Getting another copy of Protector and Conqueror from Weylin to use as temporary weapons and a guiding cane helped as well.
"Looks like the twins listened to your advice on diversifying their moveset and adding in some ranged options," Junior commented, amusement obvious in his tone. "So what are Mil and Mel getting for beating you this time?"
"Ughh, they're clamoring about a new sushi place in the commercial district. Fresh ingredients, heart attack-inducing prices. You know, the regular wager," I groaned. "They have to know that I'm being paid by their mom to watch over them, including a stipend for situations like this, so I'm not really losing anything."
"Oh, you can be sure they know it's not on your dime, Kouzai," Junior chuckled. "It's more the satisfaction they get from being beating you, or rather being able to avoid the embarrassment of losing two-on-one to a teenager who's purposefully chosen to forgo using his sight, semblance and main weapon."
"Well, when you put it like that…" I grumbled, taking another sip of my drink. 'It's not my fault that I wanted to avoid accidentally hurting Mil or Mel, so I stopped using Mirror's Edge against them.' "I've already told them both multiple times about my semblance and how important it is to work around it, though."
"I thought that's what the fancy sunglasses were for," Junior pointed out, and I touched the shades adorning my face. One of the first ideas I'd thought of on the way to Vale were transparency-variant sunglasses, to control the amount of light filtering through to Chronometry. In a world like Remnant, acquiring such advanced technology was rather simple, so much so that Mil and Mel had given the sunglasses to me as a birthday gift. I'd also made sure my Specter mask was outfitted with the same technology. "They probably aren't too happy that you aren't putting them to use."
"Considering that I'm finally making headway towards developing my Aura-sensing capabilities, I'll have to take their grudges and complaints in stride," I grumbled, finishing off my drink as Junior passed me another. "Speaking of complaints, has there been any word from Lil' Miss about what exactly I'm supposed to be doing? The objective 'look after them' is extremely vague and very open to interpretation. Not to mention the twins kind of have you for that."
"No word from the boss yet, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't been giving it some thought," Junior replied. "It's true that I was also directed to watch Miltia and Melanie, but I'm more like a father figure to them. You clearly aren't, meaning that Lil' Miss had a different reason for asking you, one that utilizes either your skills or your sparkling personality."
"Junior, if we're being honest, those two have me beat in the sarcasm category, the witty comeback category, the biting insults category, and just about every one that doesn't involve fighting, academics, morality, or being a guy," I shot back. "And of those four, only three are even remotely in the realm of possibility."
"Then that's the list. Either you're here to protect them, teach them, or keep them off the darker gray path." Junior shrugged. "After all, you have questioned them about Beacon a couple times."
"Yeah, because I was curious about their employment plans beyond being employees affiliated with your 'business', and given that they're good at combat I thought it was an option. It doesn't mean that I'm pushing them to go or anything." My hand was on my face until I thought of a horrifying possibility. "Wait, Lil' Miss won't have me killed or anything for asking them about Beacon right? I swear I wasn't-"
"Relax Kouzai. Yeesh, Lil' Miss wasn't kidding when she said you overthink things. I doubt the boss would have you taken out just because you gave them a bit of advice. If it ends up panning out, there's nothing wrong with having a Huntsmen license in your back pocket, considering the number Lil' Miss has under contract," Junior mused as I shook my head. "More likely, it might have something to do with how insistent you've been with this information network of yours, and she's just being cautious about the things she cares for. Things like requests for information on Marcus Black, Adam Taurus and Roman tend to raise some eyebrows."
'Great, another change I might've caused with my inquiries.' I downed the rest of my drink. "Speaking of, has there been any recent information on any of their movements?" It was hard-fought transaction, but it seemed that the influence I'd curried with Lil' Miss was enough to tack Torchwick onto the surveillance list, in exchange for quite a bit less pay for looking after Miltia and Melanie. Oh well, it probably wouldn't be too good for an orphaned minor to have too large a bank account anyways, and if it helped me keep track of my enemies, two Nevermore with one stone.
"Not that I can tell," Junior answered with a shake of his head. "Marcus Black has remained nearly completely silent over the last two years, which leads some to believe he may be retiring soon. Taurus hasn't been spotted in any other kingdom recently, so it's safe to say he's still in Vale. Roman loves to make a scene wherever he pops up, a la every heist he's ever pulled, so he's also still in the city. My boys will be making the rounds. And still no information whatsoever on this Cinder Fall, which is probably more than enough cause for concern for Lil' Miss if she's got you spooked."
'Another dead end, at least for now. No matter, just more time for preparations.' I slid my glass over to Junior and stood up. "Just call it me being a concerned citizen paying attention to the Remnant-wide threads of the web, pun intended. If I find anything out, I'll be sure to let you and Lil' Miss by extension know. I trust that the same applies to me."
"Heh, just keep making Miltia and Melanie stronger. Whether you're supposed to protect them or teach them, just do what you've been doing and you'll be fine."
"You can count on that, Junior." I turned away from the counter. "After all, I've still got plenty left to-WOAH!" My guiding rod slipped as I stepped away, upsetting my balance and sending me towards the ground. Instinctively, I flared my Aura shield and braced my forearms wide apart to disperse the impact. As I did, my arm caught the edge of a table, upending it and sending whatever was on it tumbling.
CRASH
CRACK
BOOM
Glass shattered around me, and I was pretty sure one of my forearms had gone through the wooden floor. "Uhh…sorry…"
'Damnit, Qrow…'
… … …
"Sometimes I think that knife might be more trouble than it's worth," I grumbled, toweling off my hair as I stepped out of the bathroom towards the couch in my apartment. "Then again, the benefits are pretty good, and it's handy to keep around as a backup weapon."
Qrow's old knife, which I'd since named Luna, was quite the unique piece of weaponry, even among the eclectic and individualized arms of Remnant. By itself, it was a knife forged from orichalchum, giving it superior durability and sharpness, albeit not quite at the level of adamantium. However, with some of Qrow's Aura imbued into the blade, having it on my person mimicked the kind of passive effect Misfortune was displayed to have on Qrow and those around him. When personally wielding the weapon, the effect seemed to increase, like it exuded power to match its Aura-reinforced state.
Having Qrow's semblance definitely made Luna a contender in its own right, but the kicker was the passive semblance of whomever had owned Luna before Qrow. Whoever he was, his passive semblance, manifested in a yellow Aura, was to store energy or Aura into objects, and release it when prompted. Similar to Yang's Burn or Adam's Moonslice, the difference seemed to be that the Aura invested wasn't reliant on taking outside force and didn't seem to dissipate, meaning that stored Aura had no limit. I had witnessed the unknown semblance's effect while at a practice range for aspiring and current Huntsmen. While using Mirror's Edge, I was sparring with a training bot when a thrust from my Aura-reinforced longsword released what could only be described as a beam of my own silver Aura, one that tore through the robot and impacted against the wall. Needless to say, I was not allowed back in that facility, and I hadn't been able to and hadn't wanted to test the effect since.
"No need to add yet another dangerous and risky idea to the list, or I'll never get done at this rate," I muttered, plopping down on the couch. Picking up my scroll, I listened to the list of reminders and selected the most pressing of them to attend to. A minute later, my scroll finished ringing as my call got through. "Hello? Kouzai, that you?"
"Good to hear you again, Weylin," I chuckled. "I'd ask how Nora and Ren are doing, but I'll be calling them next so I'll skip straight to business. How is the project coming along?"
"Well, let's just say the next time you hand me something that's got a blueprint and ask for the impossible, I'm slamming the door in your face," Weylin growled, before laughing. "It's nearly done. I should have it done and ready to send along with Pinky and her boy. I've got a question though, and it's not about the device or its origin, cause that's pretty fucking obvious. It's about the other project you've been working on. What do you plan on doing with it?"
I had the scroll call set to audio only, but I kept a straight face regardless. "That function will only be used when absolutely necessary." I brushed my hand over Corona, feeling the different modifications I'd added to it.
"That doesn't answer the question, brat."
"…To do whatever it takes to do the job. You of all people know this, Weylin."
Weylin sighed audibly. "Yeah, I do know. Better than you in fact. I won't stop you from whatever you're planning, and really, how could I when I'm halfway across Remnant? Just know…some actions can't be taken back, and you can't erase a deed once the ink's on the paper. Just keep that mind, if not for yourself, then for Nora and Ren."
'…Sorry Weylin, but I was put on this path the second I was put on Remnant.' "I know, and I'll remember you advice. But on that note, are there any issues with the composition or structure of Corona and its modifications?"
"Nope, the piece should be fully functional and ready for whatever magic you're pumping into it."
"It's not magic Weylin, it's just some difficult science."
"Get adept enough in either, and they start to look the same."
'Huh, he has a point.' "Regardless, thank you for verifying the feasibility with your expertise. You've been a good friend, and a good, crazy grandpa to Nora."
"I'm a cautionary tale boy, and I won't let anyone in Wind Path or Yozakura forget it," Weylin growled. "And don't sound so resigned, you'll raise death flags for yourself."
We both shared a laugh at that, and I said my goodbyes before I hung up. Taking a moment to unwind from that, I turned to the next call on my list. 'Oh dear, this one's gonna be fun.'
One call later…"KOUZAI! YOU'RE NOT DEAD!"
"Nora, we spoke to him yesterday."
"Yeah, but that was yesterday. Think of how vulnerable and alone he is without us there! He could die at any moment!"
"I'm really loving the confidence in my abilities, Nora," I muttered into the call, before settling back down on the couch. "How are you both doing? Any new news on the state of things in Yozakura?"
"Save for the increase in tourism in the town since the relay tower's unveiling, life has occurred at nearly the same pace. Nora and I train daily, we are following your proposed study schedule to the extent of Nora's attention span, and are securing our preparations for the move to Vale soon. On your side, I trust that life in Vale has remained relatively peaceful and fulfilling?"
"Oh totally, let me tell you about all the landmarks that I've seen while I've been here." I grinned as Ren shook his head amusedly while Nora laughed.
"OOH, we have to go to some of Vale's big places after we get there, and you're gonna be there and helping us, mister." This time it was my turn to laugh.
"Talk about the blind leading the blind then. Alright, whatever the lady desires."
"Oh, and Pyrrha and Jaune have both said they'll be applying for Beacon as well! So we'll all get to see each other again!"
"Well, that's a huge surprise…any word on if Sun and Neptune will be doing the same?"
"Both have confirmed their desire to attend Haven Academy, but have promised to remain in contact with us."
The small talk was pleasant, and a dose of the insane normalcy I'd come to enjoy over the last few years. Eventually though, as the conversation reached a comfortable lull, I paused for a second. "Sooo, any other subjects you guys wanna talk about, hmmm?"
"EEP! I mean, no, of course not silly, what else could we even have to talk about, haha…"
"Really? And here I thought you might be trying to grill me on my potential list of conquests while I've been in Vale? Apathetic towards your friend's love life now?"
"Krr-Oh no-krr-the reception's-krr-cutting out-krrr-talk tomorrow see youuuuuu!" The call ended and I shook my head. 'Too bad they didn't fall for the bait, otherwise I would've been able to grill them back on how they're doing together. Seriously, after third-wheeling with them for nearly four years, you'd think they'd be all over each other by now. Ah well, I'll find out for myself when I see them.' Rising off the couch, I walked over to the wall by my dining table where a map of Vale hung. Pressing my hand on the flat surface, I felt around for the tactile markers I'd placed pinpointing where I predicted Amber's ambush would happen. It'd taken months of information gathering, vague clues and much frustration, but I had a general lock on the area. 'And that day is coming up soon.'
'Now, who's next on the list?'
… … …
"Alright, so tell us about Beacon again."
"What's left to tell? I've already mentioned the classes, most of the staff, the general schedule, the layout, the students and even the type of food they've got."
"I wanna hear about teams."
"I'd like more details on how hard it might be to graduate."
"Hah…alright, where do I start? Teams are made up of four students and are formed in initiation, from two pairs of partners. They usually match pairs into teams by how well they work together I think. As for graduating, I can't imagine that'd be much tougher than high school or college. If you show up, study and do the work, you'll be fine. It's not like Remnant has a surplus of Huntsmen at the moment." I raised my hand to my chin, trying to remember if I forgot anything. Across from me, Miltia and Melanie sat after having devoured an enormous amount of sushi. 'Aura-empowered appetites will be the death of me. Thank the gods I'm reimbursed for this, and won't have to worry about food costs once I'm in Beacon."
"Ugh, we have to show up to classes and study? What's the benefit of having Huntsmen licenses again?"
"Uhh, you mean besides the abundance of missions, increased clearance and access, and top-quality education by some of Remnant's most capable scholars and warriors? Let's see…Beacon has a massive population of supermodel-level insanely-fit men and women?"
"Aaaaand sold." I rubbed my face and called for the bill as Mil and Mel high-fived each other. "You wouldn't believe the trashiness of some of the people that come to Junior's club sometimes."
"Then again, Kouzai here seems pretty comfortable interacting with people on both sides of the legal line. Which makes it so surprising that you have no idea how to interact with girls."
"Untrue," I responded automatically. "I've had girlfriends before. Matter of fact, I-hmm? Oh, one second." Pulling out my scroll, I accepted the call.
"Kouzai, we've got a problem."
"Junior? What happened?" I frowned and ran through some of the possible scenarios in my head. 'Encroaching rival gang? Increasing White Fang presence? Oh gods, is Goodwitch at the club right now?'
"I've had my boys making their rounds combing Vale for signs of Roman. The good news is that we picked up a trail. The bad news is that trail leads out of Vale, and he's been gone for at least a day by the look of it."
"…shit…" I slapped down some lien cards on the table and made for the exit, shutting out Miltia and Melanie's indignant shouts. Slamming the door open, I rushed down the street and was back at my apartment within minutes.
'Based on the dates from that backstory episode in Volume 3, Roman should be busy making Dust robberies around Vale for Cinder's plan. Why would he leave? It's not to escape Cinder, since he couldn't manage it the first time around. Then…they went to help in the ambush…'
I froze on the spot, in the middle of grabbing Mirror's Edge and my 'go bag', then raised my scroll to my ear. "…Junior, are you still there?"
"Yeah. You wanna tell me what's got you so spooked?"
"Nothing that I'm certain of, but I'll need to take some vacation time."
"What? Now?"
"Yes. And Junior? If I don't call back within a week, inform Lil' Miss." I hung up before Junior could reply, and I took a deep breath. One…
'Roman…the introduction to the White Fang…'
Two…
'The ambush…the train heist…'
Three.
I slipped the sunglasses onto my face, and for the first time in nearly a year, I opened my eyes and saw the world in a slowed light. Angling my body, I started running for Vale's gates.
'I'll make it in time. I have to.'
… … …
… … …
"Kouzai? Kouzai!? Damnit!" Junior nearly slammed his scroll on the counter and pinched the bridge of his nose.
This was bad. Kouzai wasn't going rogue necessarily, but an unscheduled vacation away from Miltia and Melanie? Just as he reported that Roman was missing? That didn't bode well for anyone involved in this mess. And he didn't even know what the 'mess' entailed!
"What the hell is this kid's problem with Roman? Did he kill his family or something? No, the boss' dossier on him mentioned he doesn't remember much of his childhood, and isn't that just twisted?" Junior muttered, pouring himself a drink to think.
"The kid wants a week before phoning it in to the boss. Normally, vacation time doesn't require notification to the boss, but…" Kouzai was the Specter. An underaged operative with a skillset and knowledge that surprised even Lil' Miss Malachite. He placed restrictions on what types of jobs he took, and he wasn't as experienced as some of the more seasoned professionals, but he had unpredictability, drive, and air of faux innocence to make up for it. Whatever he was planning on doing, there was a chance he might die in the attempt. Was losing the Specter worth the risk of respecting the kid's privacy?
Junior sighed, then dialed on his scroll. "Miltia, Melanie, it's me…yes, I know Kouzai just ditched you…yes, I know he-wait, he left money to pay for the meal? Seriously, he needs to break more rules. Anyways, he has some unscheduled business to attend to, it'll likely take him about a week or so…yes, I'm aware of how obviously fake that sounds, but my men will buy it, so that's the story we're sticking with…no, I don't know where he went…no, I don't know what he's planning on doing…alright, now that's just rude. I'll see you both back at the club."
Hanging up, he rubbed a hand across his face. "Yeesh, they've gotten attached to the kid quick. Maybe that's what the boss was-nope, not thinking about it right now." Dialing another number, his call went through in seconds. "It's me. I need you and a couple men to pull back from the patrols for now. Head on over to the Specter's place, I need you guys to search around…yes, I know he'll probably be pissed…huh, he might actually have the place trapped, come to think of it…just be careful and try not to die. I'll deal with the aftermath in any case."
He hung up and gulped down his drink. "I'll give you your privacy from the boss, Kouzai, but I'm going to need some form of reassurance and insurance here. I am an information dealer, after all."
A/N: After careful consideration, I'll be pausing omakes until the Countdown Arc is over, since this year works better without adding in the other Kouzai viewpoints. Yeah, this chapter's a bit short this week without an omake, but hopefully the next chapter helps make up for it. All I'll say on that front is the countdown is coming, both in and out of the story.
-SE
Next Chapter Date: 12/02/19