"To be honest ma'am, with the exception of the fact that it is brutally cold this far north, the only other thing that I have a hard time enjoying is when the meetings are held here. I understand that the meetings are held once every two weeks and that the location is chosen at random so that there can't be an attack of any kind on the council, but Atlas is just too far overboard on their security measures. The first time that I came here after you appointed me and I had arrived late and separate from you, I was almost arrested because I wasn't yet in the system, and no one other than council members are supposed to know how to get in. It's a good thing that you had decided to pick up your scroll that day or else I most likely would not have never made it out of their prison and you'd already had to have looked for a new notary.
Is notary my official title ma'am? I realize that we've only… I mean, I… Have only gone to about five or six of these, but never once have I had to notarize anything. I'm more of a fill-in, correct? You're the head of the Vacuo government, but sometimes they refer to the others in my position as a spokesperson. I don't feel as though that accurately describes the position either though. I'm only a spokesperson for you when you aren't present. Why do I have to be here when you're here also? It would be just as easy if the council could send out a newsletter or memo of sorts, I read my email on a regular basis.
Or is there fear that there may be a cyber attack in the near future? The council could easily set up their own secure network if they really wanted to, so why wouldn't they make it easier on all of us? Think of all of the travel fees that could be avoided if we simply set up a nice video conference call. We even have the technology for holograms. We could be doing this from the comfort of our living rooms. I wouldn't have had to get on an airship yesterday, and I could have enjoyed a nice bowl of oatmeal with my wife Reese this morning. It more likely would have been fruit, but oatmeal sounds great right about now since I can't feel my hands. You would think that they would have the hand scanner as the last security measure, not the first one that's located outside," the man complained as the second set of doors opened after the ocular scan was completed by the security panel.
"Dorian," the woman that was with him spoke. His eyes were purple, which complemented the teal color of his hair, that was spiked just so, and he wore a tuxedo with a gold vest and matching tie. The suit hung open and he reached in, pulling out a pocket watch with a chain. He looked at the time, snapping it shut and placing it back into his pocket. "Do you ever stop talking? Or worrying for that matter? You've already checked that watch three times now and we aren't even halfway through security."
"If I'm going to be forced to have to leave the house and accompany you to council meetings, I would just prefer that you aren't late, that's all," he explained to her as they approached the guards that were blocking the next door.
"State your name," one of the Atlesian Militiamen requested.
"Dorian Bradbury," he said as he handed over his ID. The Atlesian looked it over and handed it back, nodding to the woman.
"Ma'am?" She chuckled.
"Olesia Lychnítis," she replied handing him her own identification. He looked her over for a moment and then looked back at her card.
Her hair was an intense red color with a dark purple hue in a reverse bob with bangs that were swept to the right side, partially covering her right eye as she flipped it back out of her face. Her grey eyes caught the guard in a trance as she pursed her dark red lips together, opening them slightly to smile at him. She wore a white professional top with a plunging V-neck, her average bust covered by a black tank top with subtle lace detailing along the hem. Her matching white business dress came down and stopped just above her knees.
"I would think by now you would remember what I look like Albus." The man chuckled before giving it back to her and opening the door for the two of them.
"I always look forward to seeing you Olesia. Orders are orders though," he replied. She smiled at him and nodded.
"I understand. Thank you," she replied. They headed down one last corridor, the floor made of a white marble that was shined to perfection, Dorian presumed that they must have polished the entire building that morning or the night before, just so that it would look perfect for all of the leaders arriving from the other kingdoms. He scoffed as they finally reached the last set of doors where the guards held out buckets to both of them.
"Weapons?" The one closer to Dorian asked. He handed over his pocket watch and Olesia felt herself over before shrugging.
"I must not have brought them with me today. You boys can feel free to pat me down unless you're comfortable just taking the metal detectors word for it," she told them. They both blushed and looked at each other shaking their heads.
"It's quite alright ma'am, go ahead," the other instructed her. She smiled at both of them and she stepped past them with Dorian into the massive meeting room as the doors closed behind them. Dorian leaned over to her.
"Did you really forget your weapons?" He asked. "Aren't they aware of the fact that you're a technopath?" She put a finger to his lips, effectively silencing him as she waved to the other members.
"You think that I would come to one of these meetings without bringing my weapons? I realize that we're meant to be a peace council, but one can never be too cautious," she informed him.
The council meeting room was deep underground, in a location that was only known to the same guards that were assigned to it during each meeting they had, and the members of the council themselves. This meant that there were no windows, and the room had to be lit with any artificial lighting that they could come up with. Seeing how the head of the council was married to the richest woman in all of Remnant, the Atlas meeting room was far superior in every way to the others. It had a large chandelier that was made of diamond and other crystals, the light from it was enough to illuminate every last inch of the room. The floor was made of white marble, similar to what was in the hall from before, and in the middle of the room, the Atlas Emblem was painted in such a way that it spanned the bunker. The walls were made of some sort of futuristic paneling that would absorb sound and nullify any Dust in the room, making it impossible to smuggle any inside, and making it impractical to eavesdrop from the outside.
The large wooden table ran the length of the round room, set up in such a way that whoever wanted to speak would stand in the middle of the room as the others watched and listened. When Olesia Lychnítis had been chosen for the job a few years ago, she was the youngest member that had been appointed to an executive title of any kingdom in the history of Remnant, and one of the few Faunus to also be given such an honor. The kingdoms were seated Vacuo, Vale, Atlas, and Mistral from left to right, and Dorian extended his hand, gesturing for Olesia to take her seat. She nodded at him in agreement and they moved directly towards their seats as a woman on the opposite end of the table stood.
"Well, if it isn't the little bunny Faunus of Vacuo. I have to ask you, do you have to have all of your clothes specially tailored due to that bushy little tail of yours?" The woman asked with a crooked grin on her face. Her hair was silver, swept to the left, with a black hair band that helped bring the pixie cut together. On the band was the Mistral Emblem, navy blue in color. Her eyes with brown, but intense, doing their best to cut the young girl down. Her motif was complete with a navy blue pantsuit, the top left unbuttoned and the tank top underneath similar to Olesia's despite being the same silver color as this woman's hair, and with more bust to cover.
"Siobhan Silver, how nice of you to join us today. I'm not sure if this cold brings out the ice in your soul even more, or if it just accentuates it better," Olesia replied as she sat at her spot across the room, Dorian sitting beside her and setting up a laptop, checking his scroll over for any messages that he might have missed that morning. "I'm leading an entire kingdom. If you think that making fun of my tail is going to drive me off, you are sorely mistaken. Where is your executive today? I don't think you could blame him if he was trying to avoid you. Maybe that's why he's always so late…" The doors swung open interrupting them, Olesia and Siobhan's eyes lit up as Mistral's leader entered the room.
"You're not entirely wrong," Sterling spoke. Sterling Stratford, easily one of the most successful men to ever run a kingdom, or at least bring it to power and continue to raise that power to new levels. Much like when Ironwood had first taken over the Atlesian Army, the only goal that Sterling could see at the moment was a world where his kingdom could live in complete peace by simply intimidating their enemies out of attacking. It wasn't bad in theory, and while most of Remnant felt that perhaps he had gone a touch overboard, the council respected him and were impressed by what he brought to the table each meeting. Sterling smirked as he let the doors slammed closed behind him. "I also stopped for coffee on the way in."
He was a bigger man, not one that anyone would ever plan on going toe to toe with unless that man was Ironwood or another powerhouse. He was handsome too, his smile contagious as he flashed it to each of the women that were arguing. Siobhan beamed for a long moment in the bliss that Sterling seemed to bring but Olesia averted her eyes and blushed slightly. He was easily five years older than she was, but no one could deny the fact that the man had an overabundance of sex appeal. He had a strong jaw to match his smile and Olesia shuffled through her papers, glancing up as he prepared to sit. There was more to him.
His hair was silver like Siobhan's, cut short, but spiked at his bangs. He had icy blue eyes that pierced through everyone that he looked at. He wore a light, dark grey button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up and black khakis. He sat and adjusted his chair, leaning in to listen to something from Siobhan, but never once taking his eyes off of Olesia.
"You want me to do something about his staring, because if anything, it's starting to creep me out," Dorian told her as he took a moment to look up from his work and acknowledge Sterling. "Self-entitled prick just thinks he's better than everyone else because he raised an army to match that of Atlas in five years flat." Olesia reached over and hit him in the arm. "What?!"
"Alright already, you made your point," Olesia told him shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Qrow sat beside Winter in the middle of the table, both of them acting as spokespersons for the leaders of Vale and Atlas respectively. Qrow stood, clearing his throat and drawing the attention of everyone in the room. He smirked as he looked down at Winter and then back out at the other four.
"I think we're ready to start then," Qrow announced. "Ruby took the day off today and Jimmy won't be able to make it due to a cold, so it looks like Winter and I will just have to represent our executives' opinions. I don't think we really need to go through all of the trouble of roll call, so let's just get down to business, shall we? I hate that we always start at the end of the table you're on Olesia, but why don't you tell us how things are faring over in your kingdom? Please wait until Olesia is completely through with her report before asking any questions or adding anything else that you feel needs to be addressed." Qrow nodded to her and sat. "You're up sweetheart."
"Good afternoon everyone," Olesia stated as she stood up and Dorian slid a stack of paper in front of her. She looked down at them for a moment before lifting them and eying them over. She moved to the middle of the table, slowly turning to meet each of their eyes as she spoke. "Currently things are going well in the Kingdom of Vacuo. The Capital's crime rate is lower than it's ever been, and we're about to begin breaking ground on the expansion around Shade Academy. Due to the fact that we haven't had any scares and bandit factions have been fairly scarce around the school, we should have no problems with extending our livable territory and maintaining it for many years if not decades to come. I expect this permanent extension of the school and city to be finished no later than 2 years from now." Siobhan stood and cleared her throat, staring directly at Olesia as a smile tugged gently at her lips.
"What about Strakh?" She asked. Dorian shifted in his seat, distracting Olesia for a moment before returning Siobhan's gaze.
"What about him?" Olesia asked with her teeth gritted. Siobhan shook her head and chuckled.
"I would think that he should soon become your primary concern, considering the fact that if crime is at an all-time low as you've just told us, he would be the one thing that's standing between you and near perfection. Imagine the capital of Vacuo being completely crime free. It sounds impossible, but everything comes to a head at Mr. Temnota and if I'm not mistaken, he recently acquired a few assets from the Vacuo Military somehow. Not to mention he is continually robbing the Schnee Dust Company reserves in the area, is he not?" Siobhan asked. Olesia cringed at every accusation and Dorian stood up behind her, pointing across the room at Sterling.
"How would you know any of that if you didn't have spies or informants within our government? We have done nothing but be trustworthy to this entire council, why is it that Olesia is being singled out? Doesn't fit in with the rest of you? Preying on her because she's the weakest, solely due to the fact that she has the least experience out of all of us? Qrow, you are here representing Mrs. Rose, please do something about this." Qrow shifted in his chair as he sat up straight, cracking his back and looking out at the three of them.
"Without proof, there's nothing that can be done about the ordeal. And even then it would take a bit of red tape and other paperwork to get anything done after the fact. There's no evidence of sabotage, and if anything, Mistral could sign a pact with Vacuo right now. It could be in Vacuo's best interest to allow one of the best militaries in Remnant to assist them in taking down Strakh," Qrow told them. "Even if I could do something about it, Ruby used her executive powers during our last meeting meaning that we can't override any decisions for quite some time." He turned his attention to Sterling as Siobhan and Dorian both sat. "Why do you have men in Vacuo?"
"I have men in Vacuo for the same reason that Atlas had its military in Vale before and now in Mistral. A threat has been detected and we have decided that the best way to take care of this threat is by offering our support. Besides, everything that we accounted just now was merely the witnessing of someone who is in my military that was riding a train back from Vacuo to Vale. There was no spying or espionage to be made note of. Simply a concerned official who thought that the government of Vacuo might want it brought to their attention. I know that Atlas is in my kingdom right now. I don't know why, but I assume that it's for good reason and once they find out more, they'll let me know. Isn't that right Winter?" Sterling told them. Qrow looked at Winter who avoided eye contact.
"Winter?" Qrow inquired.
"I would like to use my kingdom's executive override at this point. Our investigation has not been completed and saying anything regarding it would compromise the integrity of the information," she told them. She looked at Sterling who smiled at her. "It's nothing personal, just business." He nodded.
"I understand completely Mrs. Branwen. I commend you as well. Though sometimes we may not make the best decisions regarding our military resources, we both do it under the pretense that it's going to make our kingdom, and Remnant as a whole, a better place." Sterling turned his attention back to Olesia. "Our question still stands, however, and I think that Mr. Branwen will agree. Strakh Temnota is not someone that we can just ignore, and Strakh Dust is a threat now more than ever. If he has military assets, as well as that much Dust, it's really hard to say what he might do next. It's for this same reason that we've put Mercury Black and his group of vagabonds back on our radar. What does he need with so much lien? Aside from the obvious, of course, but we all know how Mr. Black has operated in the past. There's always someone else running the show."
"At this time, Vacuo is not able to maintain the situation with Strakh," Olesia admitted sounding defeated. Dorian stood but she shot him a menacing glare and he sat back down immediately. She wanted to show this council that she could be powerful as well. She didn't need to rely on others to always save her if she was in a tight spot or undesirable situation. "With his growing manpower and weaponry, we just don't stand a chance. Vacuo is still developing, which has largely been delayed for many decades due to the fact that most of my kingdom is a desert. Once we have begun the expansion at Shade, I intend to focus my resources on capturing Strakh." Sterling sat back and nodded his head.
"Good," he replied. "Ms. Lychnítis, if you ever need any assistance, Mistral is more than happy to help." Winter stood and motioned for Olesia to move back to her seat.
"While we are on the topic of your military Sterling, why do you need so many men? There has been no indication of an attack from any of the other three kingdoms, and Salem's forces have long been dead or arrested. Her reign is over. There are no threats that should test the power that you have assembled," Winter told him. Sterling slowly stood and peered out at the entire council.
"When I took over the Kingdom of Mistral nearly 5 years ago at the ripe age of 23 years old, I was honestly terrified of the Atlas Army. We had all seen the images that had come from Vale just before the tower was destroyed and all that I saw was pain and suffering in the wake of an attack from the people that were meant to keep them safe. So I began building a force that would withstand Atlas if the need ever arose. Once things calmed and the kingdoms were once again connected, we realized that we were wrong, but we now had a force that would rival any army that could be thrown at us, whether it was Grimm, Salem's, or another governing body. We have no fear in Haven or any of the other large cities for that matter. We are flourishing and we wish only to help and support the other kingdoms.
My only fear at this point is that we would fall prone to another attack as Vale had. All of it could have prevented, and that's where I agree with the way that Atlas has always conducted itself. Security should be tightened in every moment and instance of everyday life. From paying for food to having guards posted on every street corner. I don't want the people of Mistral to feel like they can't live their everyday lives, I just want to make sure that they are absolutely protected. That is why we use minimal automated equipment. It's prone to hacking as the knights were during the fall of Beacon. So you might call it overkill, but I call it precautionary. Or are you going to try and tell me that you shouldn't have been in Vale during the fall?" Winter gritted her teeth.
"I think that we should have been, but I think we were more careless than we should have been," Winter told him.
"Trust me Winter, and everyone else here, good intentions will always have the possibility of leading to the wrong choice. I'm not saying that my army is perfect in any way, hell, I'm not even saying that it is what's best for my kingdom. What I am saying is this…" He locked eyes with Olesia. "I believe that my military will protect Remnant for many years to come, just as Atlas' has. Don't think of me as a rivaling force, think of me as an ally Winter. The Atlas army is strong, but we can be stronger together," he explained. He sat down. "Let's be realistic, shall we? All of our kingdoms have done things recently that they are ashamed of, but at the time thought it was for the best."
"So you're ashamed of your choice to keep your army this large?" Qrow asked. The two of them smiled coyly at each other.
"Putting words in my mouth?" Sterling asked. He chuckled. "It's quite alright, I was purely stating facts. Vacuo has Strakh, Vale has whatever secret is being held north of Mountain Glenn…" Qrow twitched slightly at the mentioning of the Mountain and Sterling stared him down. "I don't suppose you would like to share what is happening there?" Sterling could tell that Qrow's patience was running thin.
"Aren't we supposed to be working together?" Dorian asked. He stood. "We can point fingers and place blame all day long if we'd like, but I think we'd get more done if we decide what we can help each other with, and just leave private what needs to be left private." Siobhan glared at him.
"Privacy is why this council was formed in the first place. If Ozpin would have let the other kingdoms help him, Beacon wouldn't have fallen and Remnant wouldn't have been placed in such danger. We all knew that Salem was out there somewhere, but somehow Ozpin thought it would be better if he played his game with every life on the planet in the balance. This wasn't a game, this is reality. Ozpin should have been open and told more than just a select few what was going on. That's why we have the rules that we do now. The council is meant to keep that from happening again, and it doesn't hurt to keep the other kingdoms in check at the same time," Siobhan offered. "That's why we're limited to one override every 4 months."
"So much distrust," Qrow laughed under his breath. "Back in my day we simply lived without having all of these issues. The huntsmen and women did their jobs and that was enough to keep the kingdoms safe." Qrow stood as Dorian sat back down. "Let's keep this moving right along, shall we? I have nothing more to report other than the fact that we have apprehended one of the more prominent members of Mercury's crew and we are hoping that he'll reveal to us where Mercury is hiding." He sat down. He looked at the other members as they watched him for a moment.
"That's it?" Winter asked. Qrow pulled out his flask and took a sip.
"Yeah. What else does there need to be?" He asked. "And before you all ask, the guard let me bring it in." He looked at Winter sitting beside him. "You're up." Winter stood and cleared her throat.
"The restoration project out in Mantle will be beginning soon, which will restore nearly eighty percent of the old city. In order to do so, the military and government have sought out financial aid from the Schnee Dust Company. Weiss has informed me that in the next couple of weeks, mining will begin in the desert in Menagerie. The inhabitants of the island have already agreed to our terms and in exchange will receive an abundant supply of Dust that should keep them stocked for years to come. The money that's brought in from this project should be enough to cover the restoration costs, though if Strakh can be brought down in Vacuo, it would help even more," Winter informed them as she sat. "Sterling?"
"Make Strakh our number one priority starting next month," Olesia told Dorian as she leaned over and whispered into his ear. "If I have to hear his name one more time without being told that he's been captured or killed, it'll be too soon." Dorian nodded and made a note of it as Sterling stood once again, puffing his chest out slightly.
"My research and development team have designed something that we only could have dreamed of for many years, but now is a reality using a very special kind of technology," he told them. He nodded to the guard at the door who nodded back and opened the doors, two guards entering in with a small case and setting it on the table in front of Sterling. He opened it and removed a small black blade. He lifted it high for all of them to see and set it back down for a moment. "What would be the best and most ideal way to deal with the most dangerous threats that could be thrown at us? Imagine if we had a weapon that could circumvent an enemy's aura." Qrow slowly stood. Winter looked up at him, seeing the fear and concern in his eyes.
"You don't mean to tell me…" Sterling lifted his arm and swung the blade, passing through his aura and leaving a cut on his arm that bled, refusing to heal right away. "Sterling…"
"Imagine the number of threats that we could instantly eliminate!" Sterling proclaimed. "The blade or ammo if that was the route one wanted to take, is made of a metal Dust alloy that has a similar signature to aura. It simply passes through and because your aura thinks the object is similar enough to its own self, it doesn't defend!"
"No," Qrow said. Sterling looked at him.
"No?" He asked. Qrow shook his head.
"It's too dangerous. Imagine if that fell into the wrong hands. Hell, if Olesia loaded it into her weapon, she could kill all of us without blinking an eye," Qrow explained. He looked at her. "As an example." She nodded, she knew he meant nothing by it. "Perhaps someday Sterling if we have no other choice, but for now, this technology needs to be kept locked up." Sterling looked at the cut on his arm and then back at the blade as he placed it back into the box. He looked at the two men and waved them off as they left the room with the case, closing the doors behind them. "Sterling, you have to understand…"
"You're right Qrow," Sterling said solemnly. "As much as I realize its value as an advantage, I overlooked the fact that in the wrong hands, it would cause disasters that even I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for." Sterling sat. "Thank you Qrow." Qrow smirked and nodded. Maybe Sterling wasn't as full of hot air as he had thought in the past. "That's all that I have to present at this meeting."
"That should be it then. A little shorter than usual, but I think all of us would like to keep these to the point and get back home to our loved ones. As per usual, you will receive a message on your scroll by the end of the week letting you know where the next meeting is going to be. Vacuo, let's get a plan for catching Strakh thought up. I'd like to have that issue taken care by the end of next year if possible. Vale will continue to work on capturing Mercury Black and I will work with Ruby to have information prepared on the Faunus Protest that occurred during the Fall Festival. Atlas, keep us updated on SDC's activity in Menagerie, we need things to go peacefully there. Mistral…" Qrow thought it over for a moment. "If Vacuo doesn't have a plan in place at our next meeting, I'll move to allow you to assist Olesia in taking down Strakh. But please hold off on making those aura weapons." Sterling nodded. "Dismissed!"
Crimson watched as the Geist was destroyed one last time on the video that she had managed to take and moved away from the cliff to avoid being spotted as she made her way back to the river that would take her to the waterfall. She clenched her teeth and smiled as she spotted the mask that had been left the night before and picked it up, preparing to chuck it far into the ocean as she reached the edge of Beacon's boundary. It had been all too easy to frame Hunter, and she knew that Athena wouldn't suspect her for a second. Ever since the day that Athena had spared her, Crimson had been at it. She was secretly working in Athena's favor, choosing the weakest in the clan and making sure that Athena had a valid reason for killing them off.
She was the one who had suggested most of Joseph's previous students, knowing that they looked good enough that he'd be willing to train them, but well aware that they would never be able to pass Athena's final test. She had killed countless others and made it look like the work of Grimm. Hunter's downfall was easy enough to stage, she knew that Athena wouldn't be around as they finished their preparations, and so when he forgot his mask, she took it upon herself to bring it with them and leave it in the forest. His story would have checked out, but now if Athena decided to validate it, his headgear would be nowhere to be found. It was too easy.
What had made her night even better was the fact that when they had reached the Emerald Forest to release the Geist from its containment unit they had run into a Prime Beringel, an act of Salem no doubt as Beringels weren't known for being in Vale too often. It killed several of the others that had come with, making Hunter look like even more of a coward when he fled, and proving that the others were weak as well. There was no room in Athena's clan for such Faunus. What if they had been protecting Athena, and she had died under their watch? No, weakness would not be tolerated, and Crimson would take the most extreme measures if it meant keeping her goddess safe. That's all that mattered to her now.
Her story was hardly one that anyone could consider tragic, sad things happened all the time in Remnant. Her parents had brought her to the White Fang, hoping to find a good place for her where she would be away from other people and Faunus. Why had they hated her so? Did they really think that she was a monster like everyone else? Before her parents could leave the camp, they were approached by Athena, who told them that they either needed to join or die, as they had been brought to one of the most secret camps by 'mistake', and if they were refusing to join, they couldn't be allowed to live. They refused.
It was the moment that caused Crimson to snap and she struck down both of her parents in a rage, she couldn't tolerate the fact that they could be so cowardly, and she knew then that they didn't deserve to live. If they weren't with the Fang, then surely they were against it, and that meant that they were against her. That's when the incident happened. Crimson didn't remember any of the details afterward, she had blacked out after killing her father, and when she came to, she was standing over Athena with the blade she had been given, Athena blocking her attack with Wither. Crimson trembled in fear as she noted the bodies that were lying dead around her, easily fifteen members and both of her parents. She was covered in blood from head to toe.
She was a new member of the White Fang, and she had tried to strike down their new leader, she deserved nothing more than death. Instead of killing her, Athena sheathed her blade and thanked her. Athena told her that Crimson was what she had been looking for for so long. She needed someone strong to walk beside her as she made the tough decisions of watching over the new Fang and showing her love to them by killing the weak. It wasn't that Athena hated the weak, she loved them too. For the sake of the whole, however, sacrifices had to be made on occasion. Crimson understood that.
From that point on, Crimson had been by Athena's side at every possible moment. To say that it was love was a massive understatement because Crimson didn't just want to be with Athena, she wanted to be Athena. It was that desire that drove her to make sure that Athena realized the full potential of her plans. It was the same reason that she sent the students that were too weak to be Athena's apprentice to fight the goddess. She knew what her mistress ultimately intended for the apprentice, and it was the only thing that Crimson wanted worse than Athena. The world was yet unaware of Athena's power, but they would know soon enough. Her plan would be put into motion soon.
Her scroll rang and she answered it as she reached the edge of the cliff, peering down at the waterfall as it met the water below, thundering against the bottom of the side of the bluff. She answered, clearing her throat so that she sounded more upbeat, and less dead set on ill intent.
"Athena is wondering how the initiation went," Joseph's voice asked her, sounding slightly annoyed as she chuckled and looked at her nails. She peered towards the school to make sure that no one was heading her way and stepped into the river, letting the water wash over her feet. She shuddered slightly, the autumn air had given the water quite a chill, but it helped wake her up and make her more alert, so she didn't mind, though her patience would shortly run out if the pilot didn't show up soon.
"Athena was wondering? Or were you wondering Joseph? Athena has been at this much longer than either of us, but even I know that we won't be able to find out the placement of the students for the first couple of days. However, if you really are reporting back to her right now as you say you are, let her know that the Geist was taken down without a single casualty. I'll give her the rest of the details that she wants when I arrive. I know that she'll want to see me," Crimson told him. She could hear the contempt and sly smile on his face as he laughed into the scroll.
"I'm surprised that you didn't ask me which one of your choices I'll be taking under my wing next," Joseph told her. The airship came into view and Crimson took a running start, leaping off of the cliffside and into the ship as it maneuvered slightly to ensure that she wouldn't be harmed and flew away. "It might interest you to know that all of your lovely students will be spared this time, meaning they'll have even more time to become stronger." Crimson was overcome with intrigue at his words, wondering what he was really getting at. Who would he have chosen instead? She knew that no one else in the village was capable of being strong enough for her mistress, so Crimson was sure that this one would fail as well and Athena would have no choice but to finally choose her as the one.
"I think that all of the clan members on my list will greatly appreciate the service that you've done them by choosing someone that you see more fit for the job, but rest assured Joseph, I have only picked the best of the best from our village for your consideration. It's not that I'm trying to undermine your authority, we're mostly on the same level, I just don't follow your logic," she told him. She laughed to herself. It wasn't completely true. Yes, in the eyes of the village and the others in the clan and the Fang, they were both equal in rank, but Athena had never come to Joseph when she needed pleasuring. "Perhaps if you explain it to me I can give you my honest opinion and assessment of the individual and we can work from there."
"Are you familiar with the Branwen Clan?" He asked. She froze for a moment as her eyes twitched, staring out at Patch as it disappeared on the horizon, the airship finally heading inland and towards the woods where the village was located. Everyone who belonged to the Fang or had ever traveled east of Vale was well aware of the Branwen Clan. A group of extreme and ruthless bandits that robbed towns and cities, before unleashing an ultimate power upon them and burning what remained to the ground. It was said that just a look from Raven Branwen could freeze the most esteemed and talented huntsmen and huntresses, leaving them paralyzed and helpless to her attacks. "I'll take your prolonged silence as a yes. They've been trying to eliminate us in Mistral for a long time. They're powerful, but it seems as though they were caught off guard this time."
"What are you saying?" Crimson asked him.
"They've been disbanded as of a few weeks ago, they're no longer a threat to us. They took a heavy loss when they attempted to attack a village on the outskirts of Haven, the Mistral Military struck them down, wiping out the majority of them. The death toll was too severe and they fled, Raven was unable to rally them. Now she's wandering around by herself, wondering what to do now that she has no one left and has allowed her family to completely alienate her. Some of her Faunus followers have come to us in search of refuge," Joseph explained. Crimson's eyes grew wide as she sat down and stared at her free hand, it trembled as she looked it over slowly. He had found someone from the Branwen Clan to train as Athena's apprentice. The thought humbled her slightly but pissed her off also.
"Who is this Faunus so that I might properly greet them when I arrive?" Crimson asked. If Crimson needed to, she would strike them down long before Athena could even learn of their existence. She knew that Joseph was sneering on the other end of the line and she balled her fists, her scroll cracking slightly.
"I'd like to keep that a secret until our Excellency has had a chance to meet her," Joseph replied. "I think that's fair, don't you?" Crimson hung up on him and threw the scroll against the wall, watching it shatter and parts of glass and plastic scatter across the floor. She took a deep breath in and out, wondering if she was lucky, perhaps she would hyperventilate and Athena would perhaps come to check on her. Joseph had done the one and only thing that could possibly ruin her plan, and she could do nothing about it but hope that Athena won against this new pupil as she always did. If that failed, perhaps Crimson would have to stage another accident. Only time would tell now. After an hour or so, she arrived.
She stepped off of the airship as it touched down and rushed to the temple where she knew well that she would find Athena at midday. She needed to have a conversation immediately with her mistress about her feelings towards allowing Branwen Clan members to join the Fang. She quietly entered the building and knelt beside Athena who was bowing to a shrine to her brother. The shrine included his mask and jacket, and a picture of him when he was much younger. Incense filled the air and slowly toyed with Crimson's mind as she inhaled deeply and remained silent as she waited for Athena to finish paying her respects. She came here every day, making sure that she never lost sight of what was most important. Her brother and father were the only ones that she felt had truly and deeply loved her, and one of them had been taken from her by Yang Xiao Long and former Fang member Blake Belladonna.
Athena sighed as she slowly stood and helped Crimson to her feet, slowly padding along to her throne, and draping herself over it as Crimson knelt before her. She avoided eye contact until Athena finally smirked, clearing her throat.
"Crimson. I trust that you have good news for me," Athena told her. "You may stand." Crimson nodded and stood slowly, looking her mistress in the eyes, avoiding seeming overjoyed, but melting inside. Athena treated her the same as everyone else, with a few exceptions, so why did such simple moments that everyone else surely shared with her drive her crazy? Crimson was completely and utterly infatuated with the woman, but she knew that their relationship would never truly be what she wanted it to be.
"I do Mistress. It would seem that the students were able to dispatch the Geist. They are a remarkable group this year. More so than the last couple of years, seeing as I watched the battles first hand. Absolutely incredible, perhaps the greatest class to attend Beacon since RWBY and JNPR. I think you're familiar with that group if I'm not mistaken," Crimson pointed out. Athena gritted her teeth and shifted on her throne.
"I am," Athena told her. She looked her handmaiden over and smiled. "What about Neela?"
"She's strong. If you wanted to get back at the Xiao Long family, I would advise against fighting the girl." Crimson told her. Athena chuckled.
"You think that she is stronger than I am," Athena asked. Crimson looked away. Athena stood and walked to Crimson, grabbing her by the jaw and forcing her to look at her goddess. "Then what would you suggest for me to get my revenge? What else can I possibly do to get back at them?"
"Once we find out who has been assigned to her team, we find the one who is the weakest and have them execute our back up plan," Crimson explained. Athena shoved her away and smirked as Crimson fell to the ground, trembling at the idea of Athena attacking her in a fit of displeasure.
"It could work," Athena spoke. She returned to her throne as Crimson stood and brushed herself off. "Very well. Is there anything else that you'd like to tell me before you excuse yourself from my presence? I need some time to meditate today before I head out for training." Crimson was impressed by Athena's current level of dedication to their cause. It had been a long time since Athena had left the village, and even longer since she had gone to train with her father. Crimson swallowed hard and looked at her mistress.
"Are you sure that it is in our best interest to allow members of Raven's Clan to join us? I have no problems with them joining the Fang as a whole, but are we sure that our sect is the best fit for these vagabonds?" Crimson inquired. A flame flared in Athena's eyes as she stared Crimson down, her mouth twisting into a sickening but amused grin.
"You don't trust my judgment?" Athena asked. Before Crimson could move, Athena had moved to her instantly and Crimson reached down for her rod, only to find that it wasn't there. Athena must have used her semblance to switch places with it and her sword lashed out, stopping inches from Crimson's torso. "I would be careful if I were you and choose your next few words wisely." Crimson's body shook as her eyes narrowed. Why couldn't Athena see that she was trying to protect her?
"What if Raven comes here?" Crimson asked. Athena gave an amused grunt and sheathed her sword.
"Then I shall strike her down." Athena reached her throne and picked up Crimson's weapon off of it, tossing it to her. "I will be back in a couple of weeks. Watch over the village until then, and tell Joseph to make sure that he has a new apprentice lined up for me by then." Crimson nodded as she reattached the rod to her hip and left the temple. Their meeting hadn't gone as she had hoped, but she had faith in the fact that this student would fail like the rest.
Blake moved to the kitchen as she sent Shadow with Yang to be tucked into bed after kissing her goodnight and watching her run off giggling, Yang chasing after her and sweeping her off of her feet, carrying her into her bedroom. Blake took a deep breath and sighed as she began to collect the dishes off of the table and noted the spot that should have been Neela's was empty. In the past, while Neela had still been attending Signal, Yang and Blake would make the trip back to Patch every night, picking up Shadow from Taiyang's 'Day Care' of sorts that he had opened, mainly for the teachers' children, after he had retired. This year, however, they were staying at the staff apartments that had been built on the campus, so that the teachers wouldn't have to travel back and forth between Vale every morning and night. Blake still felt emotional, it was their first night together as a family having dinner without Neela there. She sat down for a moment in Neela's spot and took a deep breath in as something caught in her chest and forced her to pause. The little girl that they had raised was on her own now. It was for the best. Even so, despite the fact that Blake had seen her several times that day, she missed her little girl.
She spotted Yang returning to the kitchen through her glossy eyes and sniffed, wiping her tears away quickly with her dish towel and moving back to the sink, turning the water on and letting it run until it was just the right temperature. Yang took the towel from her and set it on the counter, looking at Blake while leaning against the cabinets. She sighed and did her best to smile, but Yang was missing their little hawk as much as Blake was, though she was doing her best not to show it. Normally Neela would help Blake with the dishes after dinner was over, but this was the first night she had been gone. She had gone on sleepovers and stayed with Taiyang on occasion, but this time it felt different.
"It's going to be hard for a little while, isn't it?" Blake asked. Yang nodded.
"I suppose it is," Yang replied. Blake nodded slowly as she turned off the water and began washing the dishes, Yang drying them after they were rinsed off. "Something else bugging you?" Blake cast a sideways glance at Yang and shrugged.
"With this talk about these relics, I'm just worried. I know that we can handle something like that, but what if they decide to go after Neela or Shadow? I don't know if I can handle something like that," Blake explained. Yang looked hard at the bottom of the glass she was putting away and thought for a long moment.
"Neela will be fine. As for Shadow, she's always safe with us and during the day when she's with dad, she's fine too. We'll get Orion to talk, then we'll find the relics and it'll all be taken care of, no need to worry," Yang reassured her with a smile. Blake smiled back and concentrated on the plate in her hand.
"You're probably right," Blake replied.
"Of course I am!" Yang exclaimed. Blake laughed. "Now, what was it that you were telling me last night when you came home?" Blake laughed again and handed Yang some silverware.
"I busted Neela and Elli after they had snuck out of the Great Hall, but Elli was dead set on trying to convince me that they had been making out in the boiler room!" Blake blurted out. Yang's eyes widened for a moment. She was unsure of how to respond.
"Are you serious?" Yang asked. Blake nodded. "Do you really think that they were?" Blake shook her head.
"Elli's story was convincing enough, but the look of horror on Neela's face suggested otherwise. That wasn't the look of a girl coming down from the euphoria of a kiss. It was the look of a girl who was trying her hardest not to think of what it would actually be like if it happened." Yang laughed as she shook her head and put away some bowls. "I still remember our first kiss."
"I'm surprised by that, to be honest. You must have been terrified!" Yang exclaimed.
"I was sure that you were pissed that I left, but I knew that you would never hurt me." Blake explained. She sighed thinking about it and then thinking about Neela and Eliana. "I just wonder if Neela will be able to work up the courage before someone else steps in and steals Elli's heart."
"I worry about that too." Yang set down the towel and stretched, groaning slightly. "It's so hard to say. If only Elli showed any interest at all in pursuing a relationship. Not much that we can do about it now. This has to be something that the two of them manage to work out." She walked to the table and sat in one of the chairs, leaning back and yawning. "Classes start tomorrow for the first years. We should probably get to sleep pretty soon here." Blake nodded in agreement.
"I can only imagine what this year has in store for us," Blake told Yang as she drained the water. Yang smirked.
"Or Team NITE." Blake walked over to Yang and sat on her lap, wrapping her legs around her and kissing her. "And hey, don't worry, Neela will still have dinner with us on the weekends." Blake chuckled. She hoped so.
After some behind the scenes, we'll return to NITE next week and see how the team is doing in Chapter 16 - Study Hall!
A big thank you to Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. All of their artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.
Until next week, stay classy!