Neela's arrow planted in the middle of the target as May Zedong peered at it down her scope and shook her head.
"It's one thing to be able to shoot a target that far with a sniper rifle, but with a bow like that is another thing entirely," May said impressed. She activated the remote in her hand and the target moved quickly back and forth across the field, May smirking as she stood beside Neela and shared her line of sight. "Two in the bullseye. Rapid succession." Neela smirked and gave an imperceptible nod as she did what was asked, the second arrow was fired well in advance but met the first arrow after it had planted and moved in front of its companion. "Easy when you're nerves aren't completely tearing you apart. The problem is that we need to simulate that stress… That fear."
"How do you plan on doing that?" Neela asked. May smirked.
"Two more," May told her. Neela let the first arrow fly but as she drew back the second, May hit her in the back with the butt of her rifle. "Fire! They're getting away!" Neela released the arrow as May butted her again, effectively causing her to miss.
"I don't know if I'd call that stress," Neela pointed out.
"Why not? You think that you're just going to have perfect conditions every time and you won't ever be attacked while you're trying to fire?" May asked. She took a step back. "Two more and this time try and be more aware of your surroundings. I know how your semblance works, you could become a damn good huntress."
Neela drew the arrow and activated her semblance, doing her best to divide her attention, or was she? Firing was second nature, she hardly had to think about the shot. The only thing she needed to focus on was May. She took a quick step forward, avoiding being hit by May who swung her rifle at Neela and released the first arrow, quickly bringing back the second. She took a step back, a move that took May off guard and elbowed her in the chest before letting the second fly. Both hit their mark and Neela flipped the bow into its sword form, clashing her blade against the rifle. May laughed.
"How was that?" Neela asked.
"You leave little room for doubt over your abilities," May told her. "You'll be a fine huntress."
"Anything else you want to cover today?" Neela asked.
"I think we went over on our session anyways, let's head back to the campus," May told her throwing her a water bottle. They made their way up from the target range which was a short walk into the Emerald Forest from the edge of the cliff, and slowly trekked back to the training board that listed which student would have a one on one with which instructor for that given day. "So I was reading through your application for Beacon the other day and you mentioned that you like to treat fighting Grimm as hunting for animals."
"Of course. It makes things go a bit more fluidly when I do so, it puts me more in control of the situation instead of attacking it outright or letting it surprise me," Neela explained.
"Why not fight others with the same mentality?" May asked. "You're a hunter before anything else, I can see it in your eyes and mannerisms. Your skill is a step above your peers, but the deciding factor in being the best could be your natural eye for hunting. It's not practical for the entirety of the battle, but I can guarantee you'll win more often than not if you stalk, track, and bait your prey into doing exactly what you want. Your teammates are merely tools."
"I used to stalk Yang once a week but she always got the best of me," Neela told her.
"Why do you think that is? Nerves? Excitement?" May pried.
"Variables," Neela stated.
"So eliminate them," May said. "Study your enemy before you engage and force them to react to you accordingly. You've done it before, Coco told me about how you forced her into a stalemate during the teacher pairing session in the woods."
"You guys have nothing better to talk about?" Neela asked as they reached the board.
"Neela, you truly are more capable than you think. Don't let all of this White Fang talk throw you off your game, wouldn't want the Maniac taking you down," May said with a laugh. "I'm going to check with the office quick to see if I had any mail come in today, can you wait here for a moment and tell my next student that I'll be back?" Neela nodded.
"Not a problem," Neela agreed with a smile. Neela watched May head for the administrative building and thought over what she said. May was right, the variables that Yang had used to throw off Neela were things that could have been accounted for if she'd gone all out trying to hunt her mother down during her weekly training. She activated her semblance and drew back her bow, aiming out toward the woods where she wouldn't strike anyone and watching her surroundings. A few students walked by on a sidewalk leading from the dorms at least fifty yards away. Jaune was filing through papers as he cut across one of the greens towards one of the training arenas. Neela released her arrow and it flew into the woods, striking a sign that read "Don't feed the animals" that was carelessly attached to a tree by a string.
"Wow," someone stated as they approached Neela and she dropped her semblance. Neela glanced back, recognizing the girl immediately from her white hair and large white wings. Ivory held a larger bow with limbs that appeared to be razor sharp wings. The girl was wearing a beacon uniform which Neela found slightly strange because no one did so unless they had an assembly, but the winged Faunus still found a way to accentuate her figure, her button up tight in the chest, appearing ready to burst. Neela stared for a moment before meeting eyes with the girl. "Damn. You're a hot mess just like the rest of your team."
"You must be Ivory, Eliana mentioned you," Neela told Ivory. Ivory laughed as she shook her hand.
"And I know I'm in the presence of greatness," Ivory told her. "It's a pleasure to meet the amazing Neela Xiao Long." Neela broke off the handshake and they stood in silence for a moment, staring off in different directions. "I hear that NITE is the top Year One team right now."
"It's true. Team CBLT has really kept us on our toes, but we continue to impress so we keep our ranking," Neela told her. Ivory nodded.
"I've watched you a few times now, you guys are just amazing!" Ivory beamed. Neela hated being rude to the girl, but the fact that she was a potential threat to steal Eliana from her didn't bode well. Neela sighed and rubbed her neck.
"So, Eliana seems to be pretty taken with you," Neela suggested. Ivory raised an eyebrow and held Neela's gaze before bursting into laughter.
"You're kidding right?! Neela this, Neela that. That girl is all about you, all the time. Plus I have my eyes on someone a little rougher around the edges," Ivory told her. She leaned in. "When Vin brought her home after she hit her head she looked so peaceful and vulnerable. She's showered over at the beach house once or twice, she has the cutest pinstripe tattoo that reads 'Huntress' in real gothic looking letters. Just thinking about it has got me all worked up." Neela looked at Ivory who had a devious smirk. Once again Neela you were all worked up for no reason.
"Ilia's cute but…" Ivory cut her off.
"You stay on Eliana, I'd hate to have to fight you," Ivory said, acting as though she was reaching for an arrow. Neela laughed.
"Same goes for Eliana," Neela told her. Ivory nodded as they shook hands.
"Deal." Ivory agreed. May returned and greeted Ivory, heading out to the woods. "We should train together sometime! Bring Ilia with!"
"Sure!" Neela called back as she headed back to the dorms to study. She reached the room and found Titus studying, Eliana napping, and Ilia nowhere to be found. Neela sat on her bed, browsing through her scroll and looking up news stories that would give her any information on the Stardust Gang.
"How was training?" Titus asked. Neela glanced up and smiled.
"It went well," Neela told him. "May gave me a new perspective." Neela stopped for a moment. No, it wasn't new, it was just presented differently. She would learn everything that she possibly could about Orion and Sirius, and when the time was right, she'd bring them in for Coco. "Or rather reminded me that I could use something I'd been doing all along in a different way."
"What was that?" Eliana asked appearing from the bottom bunk. Neela chuckled.
"I thought you were asleep," Neela said.
"Psh, nonsense," Eliana replied wiping the sleep from her eyes. "So what did she say?"
"She said to treat missions against other huntsmen and huntresses the same way I would if we were going to clear an area of a pack of Grimm," Neela explained. "I should set the situation up like a hunt and force the enemy into acting the way I want them to. If I limit their choices of counterattack and escape, I can defeat them more easily."
"Makes sense," Titus added.
"Is that what you're doing here?" Eliana asked climbing on to the top bunk with Neela and peering at her scroll over her shoulder. Neela nodded.
"I'm going to investigate the Stardust Gang and see if we can set a trap for them at their next site of attack or exchange," Neela said. Eliana leapt down off of the bed.
"Let's go to the library and devise a 'Think Tank'!" Eliana announced. Titus stood as he closed his textbook and cleared his throat.
"I'm in," he said. "We weren't prepared last time and you almost bit off more than you can chew. This is probably against the rules somewhere, but sometimes they need to be broken, right?" Eliana jumped up and down.
"Yeah!" Eliana exclaimed. Neela gave him a questioning look and he gave a subtle shrug as she climbed down. "To the library!"
"Alright, that's the bell! For tonight's homework, I want all of you to read chapter seven and write a comprehensive report either defending or speaking out against the Remnant Peace Council. I want you to do your best to convince me why you believe we should or shouldn't have a council that runs the governments and oversees the safety of all. I think you can all guess which stance I'm leaning towards, but I'll leave it up to all of you to decide for yourselves how you feel about it," Blake announced as the students stood to leave the classroom. "Now get out of here before I make the report even longer." Blake watched as they filed out, a few of the students talking to each other and shoving each other out the door as Blake turned back to her desk.
She needed to meet up with Glynda, she had no classes for the rest of the day and wanted to plan for tomorrow's lecture, on top of grading the papers had been turned in at the beginning of the morning. Blake gathered them up, filing through them to see whether or not every student made sure to turn the assignment over and answer the final question. She double checked, stacking the papers neatly before grabbing her planner and moving up the stairs, stopped by the sound of someone still in the lecture hall, clearing their throat to draw Blake's attention. Blake turned to face them as they stood, she found herself without words for a moment.
"Please hear me out," Raven said. Blake stared her down for a long moment, sighing as she set down her items and leaned against the ledge beside her.
"Raven, I don't…" Blake began. Raven removed her mask, her eyes cold, but beyond the ice there was pain.
"Please." Raven pled. Blake was unable to move. Was she faking it? She'd seen that hurt before in Yang and Neela's eyes, Yang with the trauma that she'd left her to deal with when she lost her arm, and Neela as the small building in the woods was moments from crushing her and she was yet coping with the loss of her parents. Raven placed her mask on the bench beside her and slowly made her way to Blake. "Your daughter and Tai both got me thinking. I want Yang to trust me."
"So that we'll protect you?" Blake asked. Raven gritted her teeth and turned away.
"Is it wrong that I seek safety? We share a common enemy, I only want to help eradicate the White Fang," Raven told her. "I can only do that with your help, and Yang's. Can't you talk some sense into her?" Blake folded her arms.
"It's not as easy as that Raven. This isn't your clan, you can't just put on a show of power and expect that Yang will want to help you. You have to show her that you care," Blake informed her.
"Is this not enough?" Raven asked. "What more does she need?! I want to help her now, that should be more than adequate!" Blake shook her head and gathered her things once more, moving up the rest of the stairs to leave. "Blake!"
"It's not enough! You're still only here to save you skin Raven. Yang wants to know that you care and sharing a common enemy is never going to be enough. She wants you to be there. She wants you to learn about her likes and dislikes. She wants you to at least act like you care about our children, and her. You were never there to hold her when she had nightmares, you weren't there after she defeated Salem. I'm not going to yell at you again, Yang did enough of that for a lifetime. But if you want Yang to even tolerate you, you need to feign interest," Blake told her.
"If wanting to help her is not enough, I don't know that she'll accept me," Raven said following after her, grabbing up her mask.
"Are you saying that you aren't willing to do more?" Blake asked. "Because if you are, you're lying."
"What do you mean?" Raven asked.
"I know what you did. Shadow told me that she was playing with a bird that sounded a lot like you. I wasn't entirely sure that it was you as I watched you help her build the snowman, or when you laughed at Neela when Shadow said that the snowman was her sister, but Neela confirmed it. I saw you stroking the top of Shadow's head when she laid beside you in bed at our apartment. Are you afraid of looking weak?" Blake asked. Raven didn't know how to answer. Blake wasn't completely wrong, the clan had learned that being emotional and loving meant that you were frail and weak. The clan didn't have time for such nuisances.
"I offer my services, that is all," Raven stated. They stared each other down for a long moment before Blake opened the door.
"I told you what you needed to do. Goodbye Raven." With that, Blake headed for Glynda's office. She closed the door behind her and took a seat beside Glyda, retrieving a notebook from one of the desk drawers and dating it at the top. Glynda looked at her for a moment before turning back to her computer without a word. "What?"
"I'm sure it's nothing. How are things around the campus so far today?" Glynda asked. Blake brushed her hair out of her face and jotted something down in her notes.
"Not too much to speak of. Camellia was apprehended by the Atlas military over the winter break, but I'm sure that you're of aware that. There haven't been any security breaches, but with the exception of the Fang, there's no reason to believe that there would be. Coco hadn't yet finished her progress report for the crime rate numbers over the last week when I talked to her this morning, but she did give me this instead…" Blake unfolded a napkin and set it on the desk, written on it in marker was "Need more coffee in the lounge" with a heart that Blake assumed was drawn by Velvet. "Lastly I am personally arranging the assignments for huntsmen shadowing, but it's been a touch difficult with all of the new Fang activity, not to mention the freak Grimm occurrences in Forever Fall, some of these kids aren't far along enough to hold their own against Beringels and the like."
"Interesting," Glynda said browsing her computer and more or less tuning Blake out. "Has Oobleck looked into these Grimm occurrences yet?"
"Should he?" Blake asked. "It's possible that they might just be migrating or adapting. No one knows how they get here in the first place, for all we know it might be possible for a Grimm of any kind to appear anywhere. Unless it's a new Grimm, I say we let him be, that's the only real reason we'd have cause for alarm. New Grimms can't be created unless the bridge to Salem's Realm is repaired, right?" Glyda stared hard at the screen and Blake stood so that she could view the screen over her shoulder.
"It would appear that your daughter and her friends are looking into robberies and other such significant events that have to do with the Stardust Gang," Glynda told her. "I wonder what they're planning to do?" Blake stood and made her way towards the door. "Where are you going?"
"To stop them," Blake told her. Glynda held the door shut with her semblance and Blake glanced back at her. "Glynda…"
"Let them be Blake," Glynda told her.
"Glynda-" Blake protested.
"I recall a certain cat Faunus acting the same way when she was afraid that the White Fang and Torchwick were up to something many years ago," Glynda told her. "Are you going to tell her to stop? She won't. I'm pretty sure that's the same approach that your teammates took on you at first and it didn't get them anywhere. Let her do this Blake, she feels the same as you did. She feels like the world around her is becoming more hostile as she just sits around."
"They almost killed her last time!" Blake shouted.
"And if Penny hadn't shown up to save you and Sun, how would the outcome have been different?" Glynda asked. "She's learning, and already she's learned what Stardust can and can't do. She'll be better prepared and I think she just might surprise us all." Glynda stood, leading Blake back to her seat. "I know that it's hard and that you're scared for her, but this will help her confidence more than you can know." Blake nodded and swallowed hard.
"Yeah, okay," Blake agreed begrudgingly.
"I'll send Coco to keep an eye on them whenever they do make a move," Glynda reassured her. Blake looked through her bag for her water bottle.
"Thanks."
One Week Earlier
"She wants to talk to you," Winter said as they opened the door to the visiting room and Ilia stepped inside. The walls were bare, white concrete which gave the place an even more eery feel as she approached the glass and sat, picking the phone up off of the hook and waiting for Camellia to pick up on the other side. This was it and Ilia knew it, staring into the woman's eyes. Titus had warned Ilia of her power, she would look Ilia in the eyes and ride her body out of the prison and back to freedom. Ilia wanted answers though. Why had the woman helped them after all of the hell that Titus claimed she'd put him through? She refused to talk to him, wanting to talk to Ilia instead.
"Ilia right?" Camellia asked.
"Right," Ilia answered with a nod. Camellia laughed and brushed her hair out of her face.
"Back when I was still working at Beacon it said in your record that you can use people's bodies by possessing them. I guess you and I are kind of alike in that sense. We always take on a new identity to try and preserve ourselves, but we're still just slaves to those around us," Camellia claimed. "Let me tell you why I helped. Let me start at the beginning, but before I do, you have to promise me that you'll never tell Titus."
"That depends on what you tell me," Ilia replied. Camellia nodded once.
"Okay," Camellia agreed. "Admon and I came from the far unexplored north of Sanus, north of the kingdom of Vacuo even. We had been there our entire childhoods, just having reached young adulthood as we were suddenly overrun by Grimm without warning, the population of the creatures had boomed at the moment of Salem's last stand, something that you probably weren't alive for. Our village was wasted and very few of us remained, Admon and myself had more or less been orphaned. Using our abilities we did the best that we could to make a living. At first, it was petty crimes and after a few years, we had enough money to get out of the wasteland.
Admon knew how to fight, our father had taught him how to survive, knowing that it would carry him farther than any other skill, and with that knowledge in hand, Admon set his sights on joining the military. Atlas was the only kingdom that saw the necessity in such brute force at the time and so we sailed across the ocean, hoping that we could make a name for ourselves. We ended up in Mantle and became merchants, but as Admon would quickly find out, Mantle was the same as our village had been after it was destroyed and was less fruitful that he'd hoped. We lived there for a few years, all of our previously earned money had been put towards passage and we were poor. The people of Mantle could only pay us with food, they themselves had no lien to spare.
We had never killed anyone. It had never once crossed our minds but as Admon grew restless, I could tell that something was changing. He wanted the false power that Atlas had 'promised.' He would do whatever he needed to in order to get his hands on it. He made trips weekly to The Academy and I stayed behind, helping the people of the town. I wasn't interested in the money or power like Admon was, I was more than happy with the gratitude and joy of the people that I helped. Admon was becoming more hostile, he would come home, telling me that despite all of the skill and ability he had displayed to Ironwood, it would still be several months before they'd have an opening for him to enroll.
He began beating me to take out his anger and I grew to resent and fear him. I began to resent the people. If only they'd had money. If only they hadn't been victims of the same circumstance then my brother wouldn't have caused me pain. I was ready to leave, I planned on running away from Admon as far as I could. That's when I met Titus' mother. She took me in and cared for me, treated me like part of the family as Admon returned home to no one, his rage could be heard and felt throughout the town. After months of hiding, I was informed that it was safe to return to my home, Admon had cooled off after finding a job with adequate means of pay. I couldn't possibly ever thank her enough, and Titus was far too young to remember meeting me. I wouldn't see him for almost another ten years.
One day Admon came home soaked in blood, he told me that the Dust mine had caved in and that all of the men inside had died and that we needed to leave immediately. I was reluctant at first, my mind slowly piecing together the truth as he dragged me out of our home and began rushing towards the capital without a plan. Admon had killed all of the men inside, but not before robbing the Dust mine's safe which after some time he'd gathered was emptied out every week at a specific time. Admon had killed Titus' father. I left Admon for a long time, but he kept the money which left me no means of travel or survival. I was trapped and forced to survive in the streets of the capital.
Admon tracked me down after paying the right people and they put him in charge, he told me that he wanted me to lead beside him, but the decisions that he made were only power trips and I found no joy or honor in what he did. I regretted every moment, but as the council threatened his power more and more, he became more paranoid and I knew that if I left him or betrayed him, he would end my life. That's when word of Titus reached us. Admon had no idea who he was, just another recruit, a tool that Admon could mold as he was himself in the boy, another power hungry soldier who had spent his entire life in the slums. It was then I made a promise to myself to protect him. Everything that I've done may not have seemed like it was to his benefit, but sometimes minor things couldn't be avoided if I wanted for both of us to live. I pushed him out of the helicopter the day that Admon broke him, but I had warned his mother of the attack and unjammed the comms so that Winter could arrive more quickly.
Please don't tell him. I don't want him to be blinded by hate any more than he already is the next time that he squares off against Admon. Once Admon is dead he can know, but no sooner. I'm sure that you understand. I had to tell someone and I know that you care deeply for him, I watched the two of you carefully back at the school. Winter would tell him if she knew and Ironwood would immediately have both of our heads. I'm not claiming that I deserve to live, I've also done my fair share of killing. If anything I should at the very least be locked away forever. But I had to preserve both my life and Titus's." Ilia was in shock, her mind processing all of the information that she'd been giving and mulling it over in her head.
"I… I won't tell him," Ilia said. "You and I are the same…" Ilia hesitated for a moment. "I got caught up in the wrong group of people in Vacuo. I was on the run from my abusive father and joined Strakh Dust in an attempt to get back at him. Things didn't go well, at first it was stealing lien occasionally from stores which escalated into stealing weapons and Dust from the SDC during their drop-offs to killing. I never killed anyone for Strakh and I tried to escape him, living on the streets for several months, killing to survive and eat. He found me. The things he did to me once I was returned to him were far worse than anything my father could have even dreamed up.
I escaped again. Killed some of his men. Managed to get away once and for all… or at least I hope. I know he's still trying to find me, there's no doubt in my mind. But just like you, I'm scared of what will happen when he finds me and what my teammates will think when they find out all of the horrible things that I did in Vacuo. It's not our faults, but both you and I don't think they'll understand, right?" Camellia nodded.
"Thank you Ilia," Camellia said as she hung up the phone and left the room. Ilia watched her leave before returning to her own exit. No, thank you Camellia. For listening. You're the first person that I've ever told. Ilia closed the door behind her and Titus gingerly rose to his feet, holding his side which was bandaged and wrapped.
"What did she say?" Titus asked.
"She said that it was all part of your training," she said. "What did you expect? From what you've told me in the past, it sounds like both of them can be pretty cryptic at times." Titus nodded.
"I guess it was nothing then," Titus said as he left the room ahead of Ilia. Ilia looked back at Winter.
"I can't discuss it at length right now, but can I make a request?" Ilia asked.
"That depends," Winter replied.
"Keep Camellia alive," Ilia said. Winter bit her lip and nodded.
"For now."
"Ilia, you look like you're about a million miles away, what's up?" Vincent asked as he sat next to her on the padded bench of their lane at the bowling alley. Ivory stepped up, wearing her school uniform from that morning and lining up her roll. She headed down the lane, overestimating and using her wings to keep her from crossing the fault line as she released the ball. Rowan, who was with them, laughed. He wore jeans and a wife beater, both stained from grease and oil, a leather vest over the top that used to be a jacket, but the arms had been torn off. His hair was red and spiked, matching the appearance of his flame-colored wings.
"Shut up Rowan!" Ivory growled as she knocked down five pins. He took a sip of his beer and exhaled in satisfaction as he stood behind her.
"Sis, you've got long ass legs, try starting further back," Rowan offered as advice. His black irises watched Ivory carefully as she tried again and picked up the rest of the pins. He chuckled and bowed as she glanced back at him and she sneered, flipping him off with both hands.
"I was thinking about something I learned during winter break, it's nothing," she reassured him. She glanced at him, noting his light blue button up and black dress pants. "Do you always look so dapper?" He laughed and moved out of the way as Ivory nearly sat down on his lap.
"Sometimes. Unlike Ivory here," he said. She stuck her tongue and chest out.
"I was going to ask Ilia here if she wanted to go back to the dorms and slip into something a little more comfortable," Ivory said with a lick of her lips and wink of her eye.
"Hands off Ivory, she's mine," Vin declared. Ivory rolled her eyes, folding her arms and turning away.
"Rowan, roll the damn ball already!" Ivory shouted at him. He set down his beer after another swig and gave her the bird as he picked up his ball and his wings burst into flames. It traveled the alley with incredible speed, a perfect strike that even threw some of the pins back out into the lane. Ivory leapt to her feet as Rowan posed. "You can't use your semblance, that's cheating!"
"Trying to impress someone?" Vincent asked with a crooked grin. Ivory shoved Vincent and sat back down. "You're up Ilia." Ilia nodded and brushed past Rowan, bumping into him and taking his body to bowl her next frame. Using his strength she also managed a strike and Vin chuckled as she took a sip from his beer. She jumped out and pat him on the shoulder.
"Thanks Rowan," she told him with a smile. He looked back at her slightly confused as Vincent stood to take his turn.
"No... problem?" Rowan stated.
"Hey, where is Yvonne anyways?" Ivory asked. Vincent concentrated on the pins before him and rolled the ball. Seven pins. He groaned and looked back at Ivory.
"She had some tutoring tonight," Vincent told them. Rowan made quotations with his fingers.
"Tutoring," Rowan repeated. Ivory chuckled.
"Who wants to head back to the beach house after this game for the night?" Ivory asked. "There won't be any more ships leaving for Beacon tonight, we could rent a movie."
"What do you say?" Vin asked Ilia. Ilia's mind returned to her conversation with Camellia. I know he's still trying to find me, there's no doubt in my mind. Ilia had to just live despite the fear. She was still hesitant around IVRY, but they seemed normal and much like her initial paranoia that surrounded her teammates on NITE, she was sure it would subside. She nodded.
"Sounds great," Ilia replied with a smile.
We have insight into what Camelia was doing, but is she telling the truth? Next week, NITE figures out Stardust's next move? Chapter 52 - Espionage!
A big thank you to Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, 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!