The good news is, the work week has quieted down, a whole weekend off is just around the corner, and my sanity is preserved. Bad news is, I'm a whole chapter behind my writing schedule. For the moment, it won't affect my upload schedule, but any further delays will set things back.
I'll be doing plenty of cooking this weekend, including but not limited to homemade corned beef hash, chicken dumpling soup, Mongolian chicken stew, oatmeal chocolate chip pecan cookies (with baking soda, this time) and strawberry shortcake.
I'd answer this week's reviews, but this chapter pretty much does that for me, so go take a look at that instead.
Chapter Forty: Interview With a Seer Survivor
When Cardin came to, he heard two people arguing in the background. He recognized one as Winter, but while the other voice was familiar, he had no name or face to go with it.
"Why are we going up?" the man asked. "He needs Ozpin, now!"
"His wounds need treating," Winter said. "We might lose him if he goes into shock."
"We have that healing Semblance kid at Beacon."
Winter snorted. "A lot of good that did him last time."
"Look, you know what happened to him."
"And if that's true, there's nothing anyone can do for him."
"If anyone can, it's Ozpin. Get us down to Beacon before I start cracking heads."
Winter drew her rapier and pointed it at the Huntsman, but he made no move towards his own weapon. They locked stares as the Bullhead rose closer to the Defender, but eventually, Winter sheathed her sword.
"Take us down to Beacon," she told the pilot. The Huntsman smirked and leaned back in his seat, taking out a gray metal flask. The smell of alcohol filled the Bullhead. Winter grimaced at the harsh scent and scowled at the flask.
"I'm amazed you haven't drunk yourself blind yet," she snapped.
"I wish I have. That way, I'd never have to see James' ugly mug again."
Winter's rapier slid a few inches out of its sheath, but the impending fight was interrupted by the Bullhead touching down at Beacon's airdocks. Ozpin and Goodwitch were waiting for them, along with the school nurse, Jaune, and Cardin's teammates. In one hand, Ozpin held a steaming mug of coffee, printed with Beacon's logo, while the other held a cane, though his posture said he needed no help walking. His face held no emotion, but the twitching of his eyes as they scanned Cardin betrayed the thoughts and question spinning in the Headmaster's mind.
Winter and the Huntsman loaded him onto a stretcher, and they trundled him over to the nurse's office. Jaune reached for Cardin's wrist, but the nurse stopped him.
"We should remove the splinters first," the nurse said.
She started with the smaller ones in his palm, pulling them out with a tweezers. Beads of blood welled up and rolled off his hands. Once the smaller splinters were out, the nurse inspected the larger one, gently tilting it side to side and checking how deep it went. Once she was satisfied it wouldn't get caught on his skin, she eased the splinter out of his stomach.
"Now Jaune," the nurse said.
Warmth flooded into him. Within moments, the smaller wounds had vanished, while the larger puncture had scabbed over. Cardin flexed his fingers, feeling the tightness of the new skin on his palms.
"How are you holding up?" the Huntsman asked.
"I'm fine," Cardin reflexively said. Images the Seer had shown him flashed through his head, his capture, the torture, and Salem. His heart fluttered in his chest, and his breathing grew shallow. He told himself it was all just illusions, a trick of the mind played by the tentacled Grimm. If there really was a Queen of the Grimm, the Dukes would be aware of it. He'd have heard something by now. It was all just a bad dream, not real.
Ozpin took a sip from his mug. "Perhaps we should discuss what had happened in my office?" He turned to Jaune and the nurse. "Thank you both for treating his wounds. I ask that you do not go spreading rumors around campus."
The nurse nodded, but Jaune protested. "Aren't you going to tell us what happened?"
Ozpin paused, but Winter cut in, "Cardin was attacked by members of the White Fang. They planned to use him as a hostage. We wish to keep rumors from spiraling out of control before we issue an official statement on the matter."
The Headmaster raised an eyebrow at her, but Jaune nodded. "Thank you. I won't tell anyone."
Once Jaune was gone, Ozpin gave Winter a flat look. "Really, the White Fang? There's enough rumors about them as is."
"She wasn't lying," Cardin said. "The pilot had the mask."
Winter shot him a surprised look, but Ozpin sighed and took another sip of coffee. "Great, another reason for the Dukes to get riled up and impose sanctions on Menagerie."
"Well, who else are we going to blame it on?" the Huntsman asked. "Not like anyone else is going around kidnapping people these days."
Ozpin stared at the door. "My office has more seats. Does anyone else want coffee?"
The Huntsman shook his flask, which earned him a resigned frown from the Headmaster. Winter and Goodwitch both politely declined. Cardin, parched from the near-death experiences, accepted anything that would make his throat less itchy.
It took two trips up the elevator to fit everyone, and another trip for Goodwitch to fetch some extra seats. By the time she came back, Ozpin had laid out six mugs of coffee. He passed one to Cardin and left the others spread out on his desk.
Cardin took a tentative sip. The coffee was black, no hint of cream or sugar in it, but it lacked the usual acidic bite of straight coffee. It had a mellow, smooth flavor, more like hot cocoa than standard coffee for its natural sweetness and nutty notes. With a few gulps, he finished the rest of it.
"Shall we get on with it?"
"In a bit, Qrow," Ozpin said. "I want Doctor Oobleck to document what Cardin says, and I think Ironwood should hear this in person."
"I took the liberty of informing the General that we would be here," Winter told them. "He should arrive in a few minutes."
"Excellent. The coffee should still be warm."
As the group sat in awkward silence, Cardin leaned over to Russell and asked, "What happened?"
"They got us," Russell said. "Some other girl had an illusion Semblance and lured us away, short, pink and brown hair, uses an umbrella. They rigged a Bullhead to lock us in."
The description tickled Cardin's memory, but before he could inquire further, the elevator opened. Oobleck rushed in, carrying armloads of books and stacks of papers that leaned precariously over his shoulder. "Terribly sorry I'm late, I gathered all the materials I have on Seers. I also have a voice recorder so we can document the entire testimony, straight from the source." He spread the books out across Ozpin's desk and opened them up to bookmarked sections. "We can cross-reference with the texts as we go."
Ironwood strode in after the doctor, followed by Penny. The robot had a dent on the side of her head, though her long hair helped obscure it. She smiled and waved at Cardin when she saw him. After they had passed through, the doors started to close, but they froze and opened one last time. Everyone in the room watched the elevator, but they saw nothing else.
"I've been briefed on what had happened since Winter had arrived on the scene," the General said, sitting down with a last glance at the elevator. He gave Cardin a short bow, placing one hand on his chest. "Cardin, I must apologize. I had offered you protection, and it proved inadequate. Perhaps I can have Winter escort you as well."
Cardin shook his head. "They won't be able to pull this stunt twice, and people will ask questions if I start walking around with an armed escort. Penny will do for the moment."
Ironwood nodded, took a seat, and claimed one of the mugs. Winter grabbed one as well. Ozpin gestured for Oobleck to take one, but the professor took his thermos out of a pocket.
"Why don't we begin with how this abduction happened?" Ironwood asked.
Cardin opened the discussion with the forced trip to the hospital and the plan he had worked out with his escort. Russell filled in how they were led away with an illusory Cardin, how the copy hadn't spoken a word and made sure not to be touched, shattering on contact in a Bullhead rigged to keep them inside. Cardin finished the tale with a description of the man waiting outside the exam room and the White Fang member waiting to fly them off.
"We don't know for sure if the White Fang are involved," Cardin quickly added. "It could just as easily be a Duke's man in disguise."
"I'm inclined to think that as well," Ozpin said. "It's not like the Fang to take orders from a human. As for the mastermind of this plan, I'll send out a description to all the Huntsmen."
"The escape tunnel led to a dead end," Winter said. "There's no telling where he may be at the moment."
"It's safe to assume he is still in Vale," Ironwood said. "All the same, I will pass his description on to our forces in the outlying settlements, who will no doubt wish to help." The General finished that sentence with a glower at Ozpin.
The Headmaster returned a frosty stare. "We at Vale are grateful for their assistance. Now, back to the matter at hand." He gave Cardin a warm smile and refilled his mug from one of the unclaimed cups of coffee. "I have some idea of what you have gone through, Cardin. I've already heard Qrow's account of events, including their plans for the Scarabs from Mount Glenn."
"We searched the cabinet," Winter added. "The contents had been thoroughly scorched."
Qrow stretched his arms and took a swig. "That bastard went straight for the cabinet in that smoke. I didn't get a good look in there, but it looked like he had a lot more ready to go."
Ozpin cleared his throat, and the others fell silent, looking at him. Ozpin adjusted his glasses and leaned forward in his chair. "Cardin, what you and your teammates are about to hear is usually reserved for students in their final year. There is a certain kind of Grimm rarely seen, but whose presence signifies an age of hardship for mankind."
"The Seer," Cardin said numbly, thinking of the barbed tentacle reaching for him.
"Quite right, Mr. Winchester." Doctor Oobleck pulled up illustrations of the spherical Grimm and accounts of their past sightings. "In ages past, Seers acted as field officers for the Grimm, relaying orders to a large pack and coordinating their attack. Just one mixed in with a small pack of Grimm can destroy a town, and half a dozen could cripple an entire kingdom. Seers communicate with other Grimm via telepathy, giving orders to Grimm within a short range and coordinating with Seers at a longer distance. In a way, they are the Grimm equivalent of a CCT."
"That's not all they can do," Cardin said.
"Unfortunately not." Oobleck dug up more texts, outlining accounts of battles where commanding officers were captured and returned, broken in mind and spirit, raving about nightmarish visions.
"What's important," Ozpin said, "Is the fact that you appear to have come away relatively unscathed. The fact you are able to hold a conversation and answer questions is far more than anyone else in human history has ever managed, which means you are in a unique position to offer insight on how Seers break their victims. So, if you don't mind, I would very much appreciate it if you could give a full account of what happened. What did the Seer do, and how did you fight back?"
Cardin recounted the visions, the feeling of confusion that pervaded each scene, how, experiencing them, he had believed everything was real. He explained how he felt himself using his Semblance each time, and how it drove a recurring thought in the back of his head, that he felt the urge to bring down a roof even when there wasn't one overhead.
"The Seer could make you think your Aura was gone, but it couldn't hide the use of your Semblance, correct?" Oobleck asked as he was taking notes. "The contradictions your Semblance made likely allowed you to subconsciously recognize your situation and act accordingly. If anyone could use their Semblance to maintain their sanity during the process, we may never lose anyone else to a Seer again."
"I'm not sure," Cardin said. "I don't think I would've lasted much longer. I had no idea what was going on or what I was doing, and it was getting harder to concentrate each time."
Cardin went on to explain his last vision. The adults leaned forward attentively as he described the landscape where he last found himself. Oobleck's writing gained momentum, nearly tearing the paper with each stroke of his pen. He watched them carefully as he went into the last part, curious to see if his experience with the Grimmlands lined up with what they knew.
"There hasn't been any record of Dust on the lost continent's surface," Oobleck mentioned when Cardin paused for more coffee, "But it's not out of the question. The rivers had high concentrations of Dust in their silt. It may be worth another expedition to verify this theory."
The General slammed a hand on Ozpin's desk. "Are we going to trust a vision, brought on by a Grimm no less? We lost nearly fifty Huntsmen last time we tried an expedition and had nothing to show for it."
"Easy, James," Ozpin said. "Let's hear the rest of Cardin's tale before discussing what to do."
When he told them about the castle, Ozpin pressed him for more details. The Headmaster's expression grew darker as Cardin described the tall windows, stone walls, and the layout of the towers and keep.
"Ridiculous," James said. "The continent's been uninhabited for all of human history."
"All of recorded history," Oobleck countered. "It's entirely possible that it's a ruin from ancient times, maybe even before the Brothers' departure."
"But for it to be in the condition described," Goodwitch said, "With the windows intact, it couldn't have been abandoned for long, if at all."
Cardin told them what had happened when he attempted to walk away from the castle, and where he found himself after he was whisked inside. He spoke of the unseen person across the table, how the food parted to reveal a monster, and what she called herself.
Ozpin didn't twitch a muscle, but Ironwood, Goodwitch, and Qrow all glanced at the Headmaster with a mixture of alarm and uneasiness. Oobleck's scribbling rose to a fever pitch, and his hand, fueled by Dust-laced coffee, raced through page after page.
"Incredible," Oobleck said. "And you say this individual introduced herself as the Queen of the Grimm?"
"I knew it, from the Seer," Cardin replied, studying the interchange of looks and signals around him. "It mentioned that it would take me to her, said that it had to hurry up with breaking me. I have to say, that was a terrifying vision."
Ozpin leapt at the opening. "Indeed. It would be horrible to imagine that the Grimm had an intelligent mind directing their actions. Were it the case, undoubtedly mankind would have fallen a long time ago."
Oobleck looked up. "We're assuming the visions are a fabrication?"
"What else could they be?" James cut in. "The very notion of a Grimm Queen is absurd."
"But, to dismiss a theory without even testing it, shouldn't we at least prepare for the possibility?" Oobleck took a long swallow from his thermos and launched into a long-winded discussion of possible gambits and strategies that such a Queen could attempt and how they could counter them. What few snatches Cardin had picked out troubled him – Nevermore dropping smaller Grimm over their walls, Grimm forming actual battle lines, complete with air support and makeshift artillery. He was halfway through describing how to defend against nocturnal air raids when Goodwitch shoved the thermos into Oobleck's hands, prompting him to take another swallow.
"Shall we continue?" Ozpin asked in the renewed silence.
As Cardin continued the story, Oobleck went back to his notes. Cardin gave a detailed account of his discussion with Salem, telling her his life story, what she claimed her desires were, the Relics and the Maidens.
"The Seer must be gleaning facts from my mind," Cardin said, "Because I had the idea that Penny was made using the Relic of Creation, and Salem confirmed it."
"Oh really?" Ozpin asked, his voice forcefully calm as he lifted an eyebrow at Ironwood. The General returned Ozpin's stare without hesitation. "And, out of curiosity, did she say how she intends to get a hold of the Relics?"
He told them about Cinder, how she had only half of the key to Vale's vault, though he didn't know how the power got split in two. Aura-stealing with more Scarabs and/or forcing the other Maidens to open the Vaults would serve for the rest.
"What else did she say?" Qrow asked. Ozpin watched him, but the Huntsman continued, "Did you ask her what she wanted?"
"Yes, actually." Cardin cleared his throat, suddenly feeling every stare on him. "She took an interest in me and asked me to work with her."
At once, he felt the temperature of the room drop.
"Surely you didn't agree," Ironwood blurted out.
"I was planning on it," Cardin said. "She was holding me over a bubbling pit of death, what else would I do? But that's skipping ahead."
He repeated Salem's main goals and desires. Ozpin's expression didn't falter, but the others seemed intrigued and puzzled by the information.
"So, according to this dream of yours, the Brothers will return once the Relics they left behind are gathered?" Oobleck asked. "Is there a specific location to which they must be brought? Do they have to be used in a specific way?"
Cardin shrugged off the questions. "She didn't explain much. She seemed more interested in making it clear she had no interest in killing humans."
"Which puzzles me," Ironwood said, looking at Ozpin. "If that isn't her goal, why harass us with constant Grimm attacks?"
"She doesn't want you getting too strong, I imagine," Cardin answered. "If she really wanted to, in the dream, at least, she had more than enough Grimm to wipe us out."
It took him a few minutes to fully describe the vast scope of what he saw when she took them on top of the pillar, a landscape of Grimm, rivers choked with black bodies, clouds billowing under countless wingbeats, the haze of black specks that drifted away when she snapped her fingers.
"And then the sound of cracking wood came overhead. Salem heard it, and thought I did something." Cardin scratched at the back of his head. "Guess I did. She threw me off the cliff, and when I woke, the Seer was crushed beneath a fallen beam."
"You got extraordinarily lucky," Ozpin said with a sly smile at the Huntsman. "Good thing Qrow was there to get you out."
Cardin snorted. "I got him out. He got himself thrown in a bird cage."
"And then I got you out," Qrow finished. "Mission accomplished."
"As I recall," Winter said, "I'm the one that secured the premises. You're the one that let the criminal escape."
"Oh excuse me, not my fault you and your walking trash buckets were late."
"Enough, both of you," Ozpin said. He turned to Oobleck and gestured at the growing pile of papers with his mug. "Is that sufficient for your notes, Doctor?"
"Hm?" Oobleck looked up, glasses askew. "Oh, yes, quite! It was very informative. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking this back to my office. There's a few texts I'd like to reference before diving into a thesis. Once we can get a proper academic debate going, we might learn far more about the Seers than we could have ever hoped. I'll send you a rough draft in the morning."
The Doctor swept up the papers and books in one bulging armful and sprinted into the elevator. Once the elevator returned, Ironwood asked Winter to escort Cardin and his teammates back to his room. Her eyes snapped back to the remaining Huntsmen and authority figures, jaw clenching. Qrow chuckled and waved her goodbye, telling her to have fun with the other kids.
Winter stalked out, dragging Cardin and others in tow. Her expression softened as the elevator descended.
"You have my apologies, Cardin," she said. "I had been too late to properly assist you."
Cardin waved the apology away. "It's more than I expected. Thank you."
Looking up at her nudged his memory. They had focused so much on what happened with the Seer, that he hadn't said anything about Watts, including the first person to sit in that chair. He said it was a girl, and that they used Aura blockers.
The revelation hit him like a hammer. That sudden appendicitis, the glare Emerald sent Mercury when he mentioned his doctor arriving in Vale, the timing matched too perfectly. The frosty attitude, the sudden decision to head back to Atlas, and oh Brothers, she's heiress of the SDC.
"We have to go back up."
Winter shook her head. "They're discussing important matters. We cannot interrupt them." She sent a glare back up the elevator shaft."
"I just figured out Watts' first victim."
Winter froze. "There was a first?"
"He mentioned it while he was trying to make me afraid. He never said who it was, but he gave me enough details that I can piece it together." He looked up, unsure if he should continue. "We need to tell Ozpin."
Winter's hand hovered over the elevator, but she withdrew it. "Orders are orders. Tell me, and I'll send a team to recover them."
Cardin swallowed and cleared his throat. "It's Weiss. They poisoned her with something that made it seem like she had an appendicitis, and they got her while she was under the Aura blockers. That's why she wanted to go back to Atlas so suddenly."
Winter had stopped breathing. The elevator door opened, but none of them stepped out.
"Are you sure about this?"
Cardin nodded. Winter hit the up button, but the elevator didn't move. Winter dialed Ironwood's number, but it went straight to voicemail.
"Damn!" Winter shouted, slamming her fist on the button. "We'll fly up there! Break through the glass if we have to!"
As they raced outside, Cardin took out his Scroll and hit the power button. When it flashed to life, he found five missed calls from Klein. With a queasy stomach, he dialed up Weiss' butler. The phone was answered before the first ring ended.
"Thank the Brothers, Cardin!" The butler's voice was a panicked whisper. "I was worried I wouldn't get to you in time."
Keeping his voice down, Cardin asked, "What's going on?"
"Jacques sent a ship to pick Weiss up. We're driving there this very minute!"
Cardin grimaced and took a deep breath. "Is she alone?"
"Guards came for her. They have the Schnee logo, but I don't recognize any of them."
"I need you to listen to me, very carefully. I know what's wrong with Weiss, and it's very important that she doesn't get on that Bullhead. I won't be able to help her if she gets back to Atlas."
"W-what should I do? We're just a few minutes away!"
"Are you driving?"
"Yes. We're in a limousine going north Morgan Street.
"Stall for time. Take a few wrong turns, or get in an accident. Whatever happens, make sure you remain by Weiss at all times. I'll get her somehow." He hung up and grabbed Winter by the shoulder. "We don't have time. Weiss is leaving for Atlas right now."
"What? So soon? Why haven't I heard of this?"
"Probably because the secret about the Scarabs is out. They're trying to get her out of Ozpin's reach, so she can take over the SDC."
Winter looked queasy at the prospect. She looked up at Ozpin's office and asked, "What can we do?"
"Mobilize your troops and have them on standby. Make sure they can all keep a secret. I'll call when we're ready for them."
"What about you?"
"It's a long shot, but I have an idea."
Cardin dialed Blake's number. When she picked up, he said, "Hey, can you get Ruby on speaker? It's an emergency."
Changelog:
10/22/19 – the elevator doors get stuck after Ironwood walks in.