A/N: So yeah, I thought to myself, "Hey, let's do shorter chapters, since the longer ones feel bloated and laggy." And then, I... wrote almost eleven thousand words. Because... um...
Many thanks to KisaragiKei. Reader, go check out his profile and read his stories, you'll love 'em.
Oh, and I don't own RWBY, Stargate, or anything else you spot. Proper owners or GTFO.
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"This is a Goa'uld base. Its been floating above your heads this entire time." O'Neill said bluntly, unsmiling.
The General took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut to try to change the facts, but his efforts were fruitless. Everything remained the same, there was no changing the situation. When he opened them again, he narrowed his gaze at the Earthborn Colonel.
"How did this base get here?" Ironwood questioned, a sliver of undisguised suspicion in his tone. "And why did you just now find it?"
"Its fairly simple sir. For starters, we weren't looking for this facility." Carter said, standing firm under his gaze.
"Yeah, Goa'uld tend to leave artifacts and temples scattered all over worlds they control, but as a rule they're only concerned with the planet itself. Easier access to a Stargate after all." Daniel defended, tapping on the table for emphasis.
"I recall you mentioning your ship has an advanced sensor network. Why did it not pick up on this base when you arrived?" the General continued, likewise pointing at the display via his left hand. Despite his upset attitude he refrained from leaning over, the limp arm hanging by his side in a vaguely dignified manner.
"As Major Cater just said General, the amount of shielding here is quite impressive. Our upgraded sensors are better than a Goa'uld mothership's, yet its still having trouble getting readings. And since the facility wasn't broadcasting or receiving any transmissions, we never had a reason to look." Pendergast explained, arms crossed behind his back while he examined the incoming data.
"That appears to be the intention. Only a System Lord has the resources to construct a base such as this, and have the reason to hide it." Teal'c added his own insights.
"I'm curious." Ozpin spoke up, gathering the group's attention. "How exactly could a Goa'uld build something like this? I admit your understanding of space far exceeds ours, but our scholars determined the moon was airless centuries ago. Life is impossible there."
"It's not difficult as it seems actually." Carter leaned over to play with the controls, highlighting different parts of the burgeoning map. "Goa'uld shield technology is sufficiently powerful enough to hold in atmosphere, and they have the means to project a barrier over a wide area. This wouldn't be enough to protect against orbital bombardment for more than a few minutes, but it can work well enough to start a construction project. Creating a large artificial gravity field would be even easier, particularly if they decreased the strength to help with excavation speed."
"And the labor?" the headmaster inquired, raising a brow.
"Slaves. Lots and lots of slaves." O'Neill said simply, crossing his arms. The two exchanged a glance lasting only a second, yet the air seemed to chill several degrees. "Odds say the workforce weere disposed of once the place was finished. Don't wanna leak the location of a secret base, do you?"
"Ruthless and pragmatic. That narrows down the suspect list." Daniel idly said, peering out the bridge window for a moment.
"They were thorough too." Carter added, leaning in closer to the display. "The majority of the base is deep under the moon's surface, except for this area here." she pointed at a highlighted section of the display, numbers popping in beside it. "This appears to be the shallowest part of the facility, I think there might be a hangar or a ring platform down there. It should be permeable by beaming, unless we locate a set of working rings."
Ironwood and Pendergast raised their heads to her, the former raising a brow. "You're going down there?"
"Yes sir." she promptly replied, glancing up. "The subspace transmission is fairly weak, I doubt its covered more than a few lightyears by now. But it hasn't stopped broadcasting since we first received it almost forty minutes ago, so that signal is still going." Carter flashed a grim expression.
"And will do so until a hostile ship detects it." Teal'c finished for her.
"Exactly. We have to head into the base, even if all we do is shut the transmitter down. Before the Goa'uld find Remnant." she explained with a determined tone.
"Here's a question though." Daniel interjected, sweeping his head around. "Who turned it on in the first place?"
Carter grimaced. "I'm not sure. It could be an automated system, only triggering when a ship has been loitering in orbit for too long."
"But you don't know." Ironwood countered, frowning unhappily.
"No sir, I don't. There's no way to tell from up here." she replied, giving the image an uncertain look.
Pendergast nodded. "Understood Major. Colonel." he glanced to the older man. "I want you to lead the mission to shut this transmitter down. Take backup."
"Planned on it sir. Looks like you and your boys will do something after all." O'Neill flopped his head to Reynolds, who shrugged.
"Won't complain sir, the vacation was too good to last. If our luck holds, we just might win the pot." he replied easily.
O'Neill huffed bemusedly before setting his features in a hard line. "Alright, here's the game plan. SG-1 will go down first, make sure the place has air and gravity. Once we're good, SG-3 and SG-9 will join us, and we'll cover as much ground as we can. Our priority is that transmitter; when that's silent, then we can figure out who owns this joint and why."
"Acceptable Colonel. We have several spacesuits and a naquadah generator in the hold, you're free to use them." Pendergast gestured to the bridge exit. Ironwood frowned again, but he held his questions.
Carter switched her gaze. "Sir, perhaps we should take SG-25 for additional-"
"No." O'Neill interrupted, silencing her. When he glanced up, he was unperturbed at the multiple confused looks coming his way. "All we're doing is scouting it out. After we figure out what the place is for, then we'll bring in techs from Earth. In and out, that's all we're doing."
"Alright sir." she answered quietly, nodding quickly. Daniel watched the man with puzzled silence, while Teal'c reacted with only an aside glance.
"Any other questions." he glanced around, finding uncertainty but no disagreement. "Perfect, lets roll."
But before the meeting adjourned, Ozpin tapped his cane on the floor. "Someone from Remnant should accompany you."
"Say what?" O'Neill snapped his head over, milliseconds before everyone else laid their eyes on the headmaster. Despite the attention the man was undaunted.
"This is an affair that directly affects all of Remnant. An inhabitant of this world should play a role in exploring this place." he explained, turning his gaze from one person to another.
Carter nervously coughed into a fist. "That's not a good idea. The Colonel's right, we shouldn't get anyone else involved."
"Why not?" Ironwood questioned, raising a brow.
"Personnel attached to our mission have a tendency to perish, whether they be SGC forces or others. We have observed this happen on many occasions." Teal'c spoke flatly, despite the raised brows turned his way. "Whatever individuals you wish to join us will likely not return with their lives."
"Real comforting." Reynolds mumbled.
"Regulations tend to get played very loose at the SGC, but this is going too far. Risking personnel for vanity has a habit of getting people killed." Pendergast warned firmly, casting a displeased expression onto the headmaster.
"Nevertheless, I insist." Ozpin said forcefully, briefly locking gazes with O'Neill. The brief act made both men bristle.
"I'm okay with it." Daniel interrupted, breaking the duel of wills. "This is a risky mission, but if its to help our new friends, then why not?" he finished with an easygoing shrug. O'Neill creased his brow at the man, who replied with a wave in his direction. A quiet groan left him.
"Fine." he muttered ruefully, causing Pendergast to grind his teeth together. After rubbing his brow, he turned his eyes to Ozpin. "That leg of yours means you're out. Ironwood?" he switched to the general, who tried clasping his hands before stopping himself. "You in?"
"I'm afraid I can't join you. Even if regulations allowed me to enter potential combat operations like this without an escort." he grimaced, lowering his head to the arm limply hanging by his side. "My prosthetics malfunction every time I come up here. I doubt it'll be any different on the moon."
"Yeah, figured. Means you're gonna want someone you can trust on this job. I think I know just the guy then." O'Neill shifted his weight, feeling a smile coming on.
It died immediately when Ozpin shook his head. "I believe someone well versed in military etiquette would be a better choice."
"I agree." Teal'c rumbled, statuesque even when O'Neill shot him a glance.
Ironwood brought up his functional hand to rub his chin, the start of a smile crossing his features. "Actually, I think I have just the candidate. Send me back down, I'll have her briefed and ready in fifteen minutes."
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On a level, Pyrrha admired this Bael. She didn't know many people who could say something like that without any emotion, delivering such a shattering line in such a straight faced way. Her list of people who could keep their calm with a gun to their head was marginally larger, but it was no less impressive. Yet this stranger managed to accomplish both, not even batting an eye to the reprisal following her pronouncement.
At the moment however, she wasn't feeling charitable. In fact, Pyrrha was feeling as close to the opposite as one could get.
"You lie." she spat, her scowl deepening by the second.
She had dropped the bottle to yank Miló off her back, needing a second to transform it to the rifle mode. That allowed her to point the weapon's barrel a few centimeters from the horned girl's face, the gun quivering solely because she was shaking with anger. Despite the shivers, her curled finger was as steady as could be.
Bael flicked her eyes from the rifle's bore to the redhead. "Why?"
"Why what?" she snapped, applying more pressure to the trigger. Nevertheless she felt some confusion; she expected a plea, maybe an apology. Her calmness was distinctly off putting.
"Why would I lie to you?" she inquired neutrally. In spite of the gun hovering centimeters from her face, she leaned over to pick up the soda can, not reacting to the barrel tracking her movements. "How does lying benefit me in any way?"
"You..." Pyrrha clamped her mouth shut, realizing she had no answer.
Taking a swig, Bael once again laid her eyes on the guest. "You're ready to kill me, or at least hurt me, just for that. Without so much as a moment of hesitation you rejected my answer."
"You are, you have to be. Ruby could never kill anyone." the redhead shot back, though unease shown on her features.
"The truth of the matter is a tad complicated." the green haired girl replied, taking another drink. "Do you want to hear the whole story? Or are you thinking of shooting me first?"
Breathing deeply, Pyrrha considered the offer. The girl was lying, she was sure of it. There was no way her friend, a kind soul like no other she ever knew, could do anything like what she claimed. It simply wasn't possible, there was no other explanation.
Her certainty didn't stop her from lowering the rifle, letting the barrel point at the bed.
"Alright then." Bael nodded to herself, reaching for her pocket next. Ignoring the rifle twitching her way, she drew a scroll to open, and after tapping a couple icons she held out the device. "Here."
"What's this?" she questioned suspiciously, staying in place.
"My scroll, and a ninety seven second video which took a lot of trouble to get." the horned girl answered, wagging the outstretched device.
Breathing through her nose, the redhead took a hand off Miló to grab the scroll, turning it over so she could see the display. Keeping her finger looped around the trigger, she switched her wary gaze between it and the girl.
"Go ahead. I'd appreciate it if you didn't break my scroll though." she said, polishing off her drink. Though she held plenty of reservation still, Pyrrha tapped the screen.
The background manifested as a grainy mass of colors, almost painful to look at. But after several seconds the wash took shape, showing a low quality video of an amazing sight: a massive ring of people rising up in an inverted cone, widening the further it ascended. There were more people than she had ever seen on Remnant before, though she saw large gatherings like this on Earth television many times. At the bottom level was a thick barrier, separating the viewing stands from a large plain tiled circle, devoid of any objects. An arena.
Pausing the video, she glanced back at the owner.
"Thanks to the battle and subsequent damage to the CCT tower, the official footage of this duel was largely corrupted by the time things calmed down. Proper data backup procedures tend to suffer when impeding doom is on the way." Bael offered, waving at the scroll. "This video came from a small time reporter covering the finalist rounds. He managed to keep his camera intact throughout the crisis, and later published it in some unsavory circles. You'll have to pardon the lack of sound, its a fault of the model he used."
"How'd you get this?" she asked warily.
"Money and some good connections can acquire anything. Or rather Masculum acquired this, I just took it from her. Please, watch." Bael gestured, leaning back onto the bed.
Tapping again, the video immediately zoomed in on the first of the fighters, the redhead needing a few seconds to realize it was Ruby. Despite the low quality of the picture, she could easily see the boundless enthusiasm she displayed, nearly skipping into the field with her scythe in hand. When it switched to the second contestant, she paused again to squint. It was a girl, of medium height and topped by a bobbed hairstyle not unlike Nora's color. Her green and beige outfit was old fashioned, yet when she resumed the girl strolled out to meet the competition in a confident stride.
Just as the two came together to shake hands, Pyrrha halted upon hearing the girl clear her throat.
"Her opponents name was a girl named Penny Polendina, from Atlas. She was a newcomer to the city, but she fought her way to the finals, trouncing everyone she faced. If you can believe it, she and Ruby met before the Festival." she mentioned.
"Really." Pyrrha replied, cautiously intrigued as she glanced back to the scroll.
Bael nodded. "One of the earlier interviews actually had them together, it was pretty obvious to anyone watching they were good pals. I almost wanna say making friends that easily is Ruby's second semblance."
"That's ridiculous." she replied, giving her an odd look.
"Her record begs to differ. If you will." she waved at the scroll once again.
Nodding with a frown, Pyrrha resumed watching. The two girls stood right in front of each other bantering, Ruby apparently laughing at something this Penney said. Only when the camera briefly panned above did they split, taking up stances against one another. Even then, it was clear both were still in good spirits.
Rather than try to trail either competitor, the cameraman kept his device aimed at the general area of the melee. He obviously knew tracking the red toned huntress was next to impossible, given how she disappeared in a blur within a second of the match starting. A brief flash suddenly yielded Ruby lunging with her weapon held high, only to be met by a rack of swords sprouting from Penny's back.
Around and around she zoomed, periodically striking at her slower opponent. Yet the girl was undaunted, twisting her black swords around in amazing patterns that left Pyrrha confused. She thought the numerous blades were connected to her via a wire, but she never saw this level of control before. Her own semblance would be hard pressed to replicate this girl's feats with one weapon, especially once the grinning fighter brought out even more from her back. Whenever the two clashed, they seemed to be silhouetted together in a spark of light. It was clear both were smiling.
Ruby stopped a short distance away, twirling her weapon as Penny drew her swords closer, forming an outline of wings around her. She said something to the red huntress, quite plainly enjoying herself immensely. Her opponent laughed, the silence damping the otherwise jovial mood she clearly felt. When Pyrrha checked the runtime, her breath caught; it was close to over.
Crouching down, Ruby planted the scythe behind her and fired, launching her into the maw of the swinging swords. A half dozen meters away she twisted to avoid a slash, but then she jerked out of the way of something else, something Pyrrha couldn't see. She had to rewind the video a few seconds to check, but she was certain she was dodging nothing. Yet the girl acted like she did, doing the same avoiding motion as before.
Moving more and more erratically, Ruby parried a double bladed strike and launched herself into the air, before yanking the weapon around to swipe. Instead of the sword, she cut the nearly invisible lines connecting them to their owner, sending them tumbling out of sight. A few meters from the ground, Ruby raised her scythe in a wide diagonal slice towards a now completely exposed Penny. She made no effort to slow or stop.
Miló fell from Pyrrha's hand, the redhead gasping in utter shock. She recoiled at the scroll, horrified yet unable to look away. Unable to stop herself from watching the blow cleave through Penny's Aura, and into the girl herself.
Mouth agape, her wide eyes drank in the sight of Ruby landing in a crouch behind Penny, turning around to examine her handiwork. Around the camera people were bolting upwards, experiencing the same shock Pyrrha now felt. The cameraman still had a good line of sight on the arena however, though the video was beginning to shake uncontrollably. Just as she saw Ruby drop her scythe, the screen turned black.
Pyrrha's breath was coming out in short pants, her quivering hand just barely holding onto the device. Her hollow expression left the screen, falling on the calm girl observing her dazed silence.
"So, now you know the truth." Bael said simply. When she held out a hand, the redhead almost dropped the scroll before she could reclaim it.
She swallowed, forcing a lump down. "W-why?"
"Why did I show you, or why did she do it?" the green haired girl asked evenly, watching Pyrrha recover her wits. "I showed you because Masculum would've turned this into a game. You put a gun to my head this easily, so one of you would've gotten hurt if she were here." she said, briefly making the redhead grimace. "For why it happened, its simple."
Pyrrha watched her flop back to stare at the ceiling, sighing wistfully. She wanted to demand answers, but the sight of her cheerful friend in the video kept coming back, replaying itself every time she closed her eyes. The redhead couldn't reconcile Ruby, who had hardly changed from the excitable girl she met from the early days of Beacon, being capable of the act she witnessed.
"That happened because of a wanted criminal by the name of Emerald Sustri, who possesses a semblance which allows her to manipulate minds, so her wanted poster claims anyway." Bael explained, bringing her back to the present. "You'd have to watch the video again to see for yourself, but Ruby's last attack was likely meant to remove the last of Penny's weapons, not kill her."
"But why?" Pyrrha snapped angrily, before immediately shrinking back.
Bael flicked her head up, proceeding her torso rising. "Emerald made Ruby kill Penny at the command of Cinder Fall."
The redhead opened her mouth, but she suddenly stopped; the name struck a chord within her, dredging up memories of her research of the battle. But it also made her remember something else, during the flight returning to Beacon.
"I'm not aware of how much you know, but Cinder Fall was the mastermind behind the entire event. Using the White Fang and a number of Grimm, she orchestrated a campaign of terror to frighten Vale in the days leading to the Festival, culminating in this duel gone wrong. The outcome of this quite literally set Beacon ablaze." she said, tapping the scroll. "Its very likely she could've succeeded, and this place would've been infested with Grimm. Every account I've seen says the affair was dangerously close."
"Yeah." she agreed quietly. Still processing the information, she had to force herself to make eye contact.
"I'm not sure what her goal was though. Maybe weakening the kingdom for another party, vengeance perhaps, there's even a popular rumor that she wanted to steal the Fall Maiden. You'd have to be an idiot to buy that though." she explained, rolling her eyes at the last part.
Pyrrha swallowed another lump, right before a thought occurring to her. "How do you know all this?"
"I'm more connected than I appear to be." the diminutive girl offered, lackadaisically waving at her unassuming form. "I wanted to know what happened here when my team and I enrolled, and this is what my research came to. Plus, well." she looked to the far wall, adopting a sly grin. "Cinder has a bounty of one million lien, dead or alive. What could you do with that much money? I'm planning on being the first to claim her head."
The redhead sighed, slipping a boot underneath Miló to fling it upwards, snatching the weapon in mid air. Using her semblance or just bending over were options too, but she couldn't shake her suspicion of the girl, even after all she did.
"Thanks." she said softy, collapsing the weapon to place under her shield.
"In return." went Bael expectantly, causing Pyrrha to glance back guardedly. "I want a bit of information from you."
Turning to face her, she readied a stance. "Yes?"
"I told you a secret your friend didn't want to share. Now what are you going to do?" the green haired girl asked simply.
Pyrrha frowned, raising a brow. "What do you mean?"
"You came here seeking knowledge, and you apparently got what you wanted. What are you going to do with this information?" Bael slid off the bed to her feet, taking a second to straighten out her clothes. "Are you going to confront Ruby for keeping this from you? Will you tell your teammates? What?"
Taking shallow breaths, Pyrrha frowned in thought, briefly looking away. She hadn't considered what she would do after confronting Masculum, not anticipating anything like the bombshell she received.
"I'm... I'm not sure." she answered after a minute.
"A poor answer, but I understand why. It's not every day your world gets shaken up. But between you and me." Bael raised her arms to stretch for a second before heading to the mini fridge again. "If that were you responsible for Penny's death, how would you feel?"
Pyrrha looked away, frowning as unhappy memories bobbed to the surface. The redhead hardened her heart long ago to cope with the discovery of what Jaffa really were, and what the SGC expected her to do after she joined. It was easy to look at the matter from her current perspective, in spite of the outlook disturbing her on a fundamental level. She wasn't blind to her weaker moral code nowadays. But Ruby didn't have the views she did now, nor the experiences which shattered many of her beliefs.
"I'd be devastated." she got out, taking a deep breath.
"Would you want vengeance?" Bael idly asked, heading back to the bed while ignoring the sidelong look she received. "In her place, would you want to find the one responsible, and make them pay?"
"What's it matter to you?" she snapped, leveling a hard stare on her for the questions.
"Only curious." Bael shrugged, her eyes swiveling downwards. "You dropped your water."
Just as Pyrrha peered to the floor, a knock came from the door. Both girls snapped to the door, the green haired resident sighing before heading over, brushing past her without a word. When it swung open, the redhead identified the arrival from the forest.
"Hey Bael, you busy?" went Valentine, his young voice sounding nervous.
"Just finished up actually. Damage control in the south, you know how it is." the horned girl shrugged, deliberately glancing back to her guest.
"Yeah, sure. Is that about the online game you showed me the other day?" he asked confusedly.
Swinging the door open, Bael gestured for the boy to enter, and he complied in a light jog. The girl stayed in the same spot however, hand on the door as she made eye contact with her previous guest. Pyrrha took the hint and walked, steadying her nerves along the way.
"Yeah, so... hang on." Valentine caught, causing the redhead to stop to look at him. The jacket clad boy was frowning in thought, raising a hand to point at her. "I remember you. You were with Ruby the other day, she brought you guys back from the forest."
Before she could reply, Bael stepped between them. "You wanted to see me Val?"
Frowning slightly, Pyrrha resumed her exit, grabbing the door to swing shut behind her. She didn't try locking it; it was Bael's room, she could take care of her own privacy. But an impulse kept her by the door for a moment, idly curious as to what the two could be talking about. Leaning in close, she strained to listen in, steadying her breathing to minimize the interference.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Well, who else can I ask?"
"Someone besides me?"
"But you're, um, you know what I'll just say it. You're good at the whole people thing, reading them and stuff. All I can do is tell if somebody's lying or not. I just want some advice, okay?"
Backing away from the door, Pyrrha raised a brow at unseen duo. She had a decent guess of what the subject matter was, but she knew it wasn't her business, and she wasn't going to change that anytime soon. Ultimately, the best thing she could do was turn around and walk away, and she proceeded to do just that.
When she passed by a window the warmth seemed to vanish from the air, making her stop. Pausing to back up, she peered through the reinforced glass to the sky above, noting that a line of grey clouds hid the sun from view. Watching the dark masses for a moment, Pyrrha saw uneasily how the clouds were blanketing the sky, a slow but inexorable march to cover it all from view. An ominous feeling wormed its way into her gut at the sight.
Sighing to herself, the redhead turned away to stride off, her feet carrying her back to the guest dorm, and the tense atmosphere within. In no way was she looking forward to the upcoming encounter.
Seconds later her feet stopped again, the young woman taking a deep breath before turning to the side. What met her eyes was another door, just like the one she left a minute ago. But this one was different, even if it didn't appear to be. This door made her step forward, raising a fist to knock; a part of her hoped there was no one inside. Alas, she wasn't so lucky.
Pyrrha couldn't help flinching when the door cracked open, revealing the girl she didn't want to see right now. The red toned huntress needed less than a second to identify the arrival, a smile crossing her expression. "Hey Pyrrha."
"Hey, Ruby." she reluctantly greeted, forcing herself to make eye contact.
Her uncertainty took a nose dive when Ruby's smile vanished, the silver eyed girl poking her head out the door to furtively examine at the hallway. After a second she withdrew, affixing a weighted stare upon the redhead.
"You alone?" she questioned directly.
Raising a brow, Pyrrha nodded. "Y-yeah, just me."
"You sure?" Ruby stressed, unusually serious.
"I am. What's going on?" she asked confusedly, going so far as to glance at the empty hallway herself.
Sighing in relief, the girl nodded. "That's good. So, why'd you stop by?"
"I..." Pyrrha trailed off, sucking in a breath through clenched teeth.
Aside from the weird behavior, the redhead had no idea how to approach the problem facing her. How could she tell Ruby that she knew her secret? How did she say "I know you killed your opponent" without ruining their friendship? Nothing in her experience could help her figure this out; the indecision made her squeeze her eyes shut, the redhead needing to take a deep breath.
Fortunately for her sake, her crisis was put on hold when Ruby leaned back to peer at something inside.
"It's just Pyrrha, she's alone." she said, causing an audible sigh to be heard even from where she was. Nodding at the unseen person, she glanced to her and backed up, waving a hand in invitation. "Come on in."
Chewing on her lip, Pyrrha toed through the entrance, turning sideways when Ruby swung the door shut. Raising a brow again, the redhead swept her eyes around until they landed on the girl sitting on a bed.
Weiss looked up from the book in her hands and sighed. "Hi."
"Hey, um..." pursing her lips, she hesitated on her wording.
"You were alone right? No one sent you?" Weiss unexpectedly asked, a strong trace of worry in her tone.
"No one, why?" she answered worriedly.
Weiss sighed again. "That's good. Good." she flopped back to stare at the jury rigged bed above her. "That's very good."
With a hollow look Pyrrha glanced to Ruby, who sighed apologetically.
"Her sisters in town, and, well, she wants to avoid her." she explained with a grimace.
"Oh." Pyrrha's expression fell away, glancing back at the white toned girl. "Um..."
"Winter, she's... I don't wanna deal with her, okay?" Weiss shook her head, groaning when her gaze fell.
"I, um, didn't know you had a sister actually." the redhead admitted, causing Ruby to wince.
"I almost wish I didn't. Winter isn't like Yang, she's..." rubbing her temples, Weiss dropped her head to sigh. "I know this is a terrible thing to say, but I wish she was on the other side of the world now."
Ruby sighed before approaching the girl, hands outstretched placatingly; she gave every indicator of preparing for a hug. "It's okay. I told you this before, but if you really needed to my dad could take you in for a while. Help you get on your feet and stuff."
Standing in place awkwardly, Pyrrha could do nothing but watch the display. If waiting meant putting off the confrontation, then she would gladly do it.
"If only that'd work." Weiss shook her head, raising it to give the guest a pained smile. "I almost want to ask you to take me through the Stargate. Let's see my father try to haul me back then."
"That's, ah, little extreme." Ruby winced, sitting down next to her with her arms still held up.
Weiss huffed, rolling her eyes to peer at the ceiling. "Dunno where I'd go. Cimmeria was..." she shook her head again, grimacing. "Earth then, maybe?"
"Weiss, I think you're overreacting." Pyrrha raised a hand at her, which failed to stop the girl from snorting.
"Can't be worse than here." she muttered, making the redhead cough nervously. She didn't want to share details about recent events on Earth, knowing exactly how well that would go down. It was shocking enough when she found out about a terrorist attack which claimed three thousand lives and the subsequent invasion of the nation responsible, since she saw it in realtime.
"She's right, this isn't the end of the world." the red toned girl tried, her words having no effect.
"Don't think I could stay at Cheyenne Mountain though, too crowded, and too deep underground." she continued anyway, her gaze landing on the window. "Wonder how expensive apartments are on Earth? Jaune has one, so it can't be too bad." she sighed wryly, shaking her head. "I'm almost tempted to ask him if I can crash there for a while. Too bad he's a boy though, otherwise it'd be okay."
"Weiss, seriously. Stop it." Ruby frowned, lightly tapping on her shoulder.
"I mean, a boy and girl living together under one roof? It'd be like we were together." she shuddered dramatically. "I mean, don't get me wrong. Jaune's a nice guy and all, but I'm not interested in anything like that with him." she finished with a shrug, glancing up.
"Weiss, give it a rest. We'll figure something out, even if I have to hide you in my basement." Ruby consoled, her attempted joke falling flat.
Then the half smile on her face dropped, the girl blinking in confusion at her friend ignoring her. Following Weiss's wide stare, she turned to the redhead a couple meters away, who had clasped her hands behind her back and looked away. Before their eyes her cheeks were turning an interesting shade of red.
"What's the matter?" Ruby asked worriedly, rising to her feet.
Pyrrha shifted her weight, the redness deepening until her cheeks were the same color as her hair. Slowly creaking her head to them, she visibly fought the urge to present her back to them. When she opened her mouth, she audibly gulped.
"He, is, ah..." was all she could get out before clamping shut.
Weiss stood up, her own mouth opening while her eyes widened. "Pyrrha, is Jaune seeing somebody?"
The redhead's entire body seemed to flinch, but after a long span, she accomplished a drawn out nod.
For several seconds the room was deathly quiet, until Weiss unexpectedly pumped a fist in a sizable grin. "I knew it!"
"Ah..." with an empty look, Ruby let her arms fall. "Huh."
"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it." Weiss was all but dancing in victory, before standing tall to face the blushing redhead. "I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but I was sure you guys didn't make enough to afford your own apartments. Otherwise, all of you would've moved out of the mountain by now." she explained, shaking her head and turning away. "Wow, that's really something. Who would've thought he'd luck out like this? Congratulations Jaune, you found miss right after all."
"Uh, Weiss?" Ruby went insistently, tugging on her shirtsleeve.
"Can only imagine what she's like. They say there's a person out there for everybody, but I don't think that meant really out there. Still, good for him. I'm sure whoever he's with will be happy." the white haired girl waved her hands as she spoke, needing a second to realize Ruby was still tugging. "What?"
When the red huntress pointed, she followed the finger to Pyrrha once again. In the couple seconds she wasn't looking, the blush had spread across her entire face, her cheeks in particular were nearly purple. Shrinking back, the cringing redhead's eyes flicked to the window, like she was considering jumping through the glass.
Her joyful expression fell away. Weiss felt her features go slack, everything drawing back in agonizing slowness. At last she raised a shaking hand, pointing a single finger at the redhead.
"You?"
Swallowing a lump with a strong wince, Pyrrha quickly nodded.
"Wait, waitwaitwait." Ruby swung her hands in front of herself, nearly hitting her teammate. When she halted in a defensive posture, she too pointed at the guest, her dumbstruck face locked onto the older girl. "Wait. So, you. And Jaune."
"Y-y-yes." Pyrrha admitted weakly, looking as if she wanted to slip through the floor.
Weiss slumped, one of her eyes twitching. "Both of you, all this time. How... long..."
"Six months." she spoke in a near whisper, looking away.
"That... that explains a lot." Ruby said to herself, frowning in thought as she stared at the far wall.
Feeling the need to sit, the red toned girl backed up to plop onto the bed, Weiss joining her a moment later. Her brow was scrunched up, pondering the admission she accidentally received. After a moment, she looked up to the redhead and took a breath.
"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked confusedly, watching the older girl rub her hands together.
"Its... its complicated, okay?" Pyrrha replied weakly, a lackluster shrug failing to help her loosen up.
Weiss exhaled slowly, briefly massaging her temples. "Who would've thought?"
"Well, Yang's and my parents were on the same team, so it's not unheard of I guess." the red toned girl offered before going back to her blushing friend. "Speaking of Yang, she's gonna be all over this once-"
In the blink of an eye Pyrrha crossed the distance to clamp a hand over Ruby's mouth, the suddenness of her action forcing the smaller girl back on the bed. Weiss flinched back from the struggling pair, eyes wide at the unexpected move. Her surprise however paled in comparison to the older girl's raw shock.
"Don't!" she all but yelped, almost shouting. "Don't tell anyone!"
Staring fearfully with the redhead's hand still on her face, Ruby quickly nodded. Sucking in a breath, Pyrrha withdrew to shrink away, visibly shuddering while the girls watched mutedly. A shaky breath escaped her as she sighed, running a hand down her face.
"Its a secret, okay? No ones supposed to know." she explained, flashing a pained look as she slumped. "Ren, Nora, and my commander knows about." she hesitated, swallowing a lump. "About us. And now you two."
Ruby leaned forward, unsettled curiosity on her face as she composed herself. "Why's it a big deal? Not like there's a rule against dating a teammate, right?"
"Actually." Pyrrha sucked in a breath, aware of Weiss raising a brow. "Yeah. Its called fraternization. And its, its a criminal offense. Either of us get brought up on charges, and its a court martial."
"Really?" the smaller girl questioned in surprise, raising a brow too.
"Wait, hang on." Weiss swung a hand, frowning. "You two were on different teams, how would that be a problem then?"
"Jaune's trying to make officer, so he can get placed in command of his own SG team. If he did get brought up on charges, that'd be the death of his career." Pyrrha said forcefully, trying to steady her rough breathing.
"His own team? But, wait, he already has..." Ruby's confusion fell away, her eyes widening in understanding. "Oh. Ooohh."
"Exactly, its the only way all four of us could be together again. That's why we've been careful this whole time. But when he saw an ad for an apartment, I..." she sighed, dropping her head and crossing her arms. "I knew it was a bad idea, but, but..." her hair ruffled with the shaking. "I thought we could make it work."
"I get it." Ruby said quietly, pushing off the bed to approach the older girl. "But why are you still worried about what they think?" Pyrrha glanced to her in confusion, frowning. "You're home now. If the SGC won't let you be together, then why does it matter when you're here?" she offered, mustering a tiny smile.
"I agree. You guys don't have to go off and fight aliens anymore. Just tell the SGC you're through." Weiss tried, standing up as well yet keeping a distance.
Pyrrha sighed, finally meeting Ruby's gaze. "But... I don't want to quit."
Just as she feared, the hopeful look on her face disintegrated. "What?"
"I want to stay with Stargate Command." she said carefully, wincing at the hurt shock on her face. "I know it's dangerous, I know it's stifling. But in the past two years, I've done more good out in the wider galaxy then I've done my entire life here."
"But..." Ruby feebly protested.
Sighing, she planted a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I don't want to leave forever. I'll come back, but I believe my place is out there."
Weiss let out a breath. "So, once this missions over, you're heading back to Earth. Where there's rules for everything, where you and Jaune can't be open about being together."
"Yeah." Pyrrha agreed, averting her gaze as her hand fell.
"So that's how it is." Ruby murmured, sighing when she glanced up. "Then I guess we should make up for time?"
"Yeah, of course." she agreed, trying to smile.
Ruby nodded glumly. "You know, I remember saying we should take Eliane to visit the Stargate here. Is it okay if we make it a group trip?"
"Of course." Pyrrha repeated, finally gathering up a weak smile which failed to uplift the mood of anyone in the room. As bad as it was though, Pyrrha found herself a little relieved at getting the truth off her chest. If it meant she didn't have to confront Ruby, then she was fine with the admission. Nothing seemed to outright change, but she felt a little better now.
She wondered how long it would last.
...
00000
...
A flash of light announced three new occupants in the ring compartment, getting the eight men in the room to spare a look towards the newcomers. Two of the arrivals took the method of transportation well enough, given the circumstances. The last did not however, staying on her feet only by sheer force of will. When the light vanished one of the men held up an offered hand towards the woman, ready to help in spite of protocol dictating otherwise.
"Commander?" Ironwood checked, his tone layered with concern.
"I'm... I'm fine sir." the white haired woman replied shakily, arms crossed behind her back in an attempt to halt a breakdown. Her eyes creaked open, revealing brilliant blue orbs which roamed over the cramped room with raw astonishment.
"You can still choose to opt out of this commander." Ironwood offered, the soldier accompanying him standing nearby just in case.
She shook her head. "I'll be fine sir. I agreed to this mission."
Nodding, the General glanced at his temporary assistant. "Major Washington, thank you for the help."
"Its what I do sir." the leader of SG-9 replied, giving a brief salute to the Atlesian which was promptly returned. That done he turned to join his awaiting team, accepting a vest of equipment from one of his already prepared men.
Straightening herself up, the new arrival followed the limping General across the tiny space, meeting the eyes of the several men in the room. Her gaze roamed over their splotched uniforms and black weapons, and they responded in kind to her highly visible outfit and rapier on her hip. Despite the attention neither side did anything, the men around her resuming what they were doing after a moment.
Adjacent to the room was where Ironwood took her, the woman halting at his side. A glance at the people in this one left her more dumbfounded than ever.
"Colonel." Ironwood greeted flatly, making one of the four separate masses of white and grey end their stooping, his two green suited assistants backing off. When he turned, the head of a greying man entered their view, the strange bulky covering ending at his neck.
"General, that was fast." the man replied, eyes swiveling to his companion. Sighing, he half waddled in the thick outfit to the side in order to face him.
The General was clearly nonplussed by the man's getup, but nevertheless he gestured at his companion. "Colonel, this is Commander Winter of the Atlesian Military. She leads a unit of Specialists I brought directly from Atlas, they're special forces as you would define them." he introduced, promptly reversing himself to the woman. "Commander, Colonel Jack O'Neill, of Earth."
"Commander huh? Nice to meet you." O'Neill offered a hand, or rather a thick glove.
"Colonel, Sir." the stiffening woman responded with a salute instead, which he sighed and returned as best as he could.
"Yeah, you'll have to pardon the spacesuits. Without these, we'd be dead in seconds where we're going." he said, grimacing as he tried to flex. "I hate these things."
"Sir, your oxygen tank?" went one of the technicians, eliciting a fresh groan as the man returned to whatever he was doing.
Ironwood coughed into a fist. "Right. Commander." he said authoritatively, causing the woman to come to attention. "For the duration of this mission I'm placing you under Colonel O'Neill's command. Until you return to the ship, you are to obey his orders as if they were my own. Understood?"
"Y-yes General, sir." Winter answered nervously, yet she saluted regardless.
"Excellent. You are a representative of all of Atlas on this mission Commander, and by extension all of Remnant. I expect you to act accordingly." he commanded, before cracking a thin smile. "I have faith in you Commander. I know you'll do splendidly."
"Thank you sir." she responded, clearly awed as she stole glances at her surroundings.
"The pleasures all mine Commander. Now, one more thing." Ironwood held out his functional hand. "Your sidearm."
Winter was still for a second, plainly uneasy at the order. Nevertheless, she reached to her holster to withdraw a pistol, carefully placing onto his open palm.
"I don't believe this will work where you're going. Consider it a precaution." he told her, stuffing the weapon into his jacket. That done, he glanced to another of the suited team. "Major?"
Following his gaze, Winter first saw a pair of crewmen lugging a weird metal object to a bespectacled man in a spacesuit, who took a deep breath before accepting the heavy load. Her internal questions ceased when a blonde woman lumbered over, somehow accomplishing the task with more grace than the Colonel (although that wasn't saying much).
"Sir?" the blonde replied, coming to a stop a short distance away. Her attitude was definitely military, unlike the more laidback Colonel before; risking a peek, Winter noted the measured respect the General displayed to this woman.
"Major Carter, could you please give the commander a weapon? Any will do." Ironwood requested, a weird sight unto itself.
"Of course." she turned to an awaiting crewman. "Lieutenant, your M9."
The man in question hesitated for a moment, but with a gulp he drew a small black pistol from his hip to offer, only to raise an eyebrow at the white haired woman disregarding him. For a second she ignored the man, creasing her brow at the blonde instead.
"Commander?" Ironwood questioned, frowning. Carter likewise wrinkled her expression at the woman's staring, until she raised a finger to point.
"I'm sure I've seen you before. Yesterday I believe, I asked you if you saw my sister." she said, roaming her gaze over her counterparts face.
Carter stiffened. "I'm... sure you're mistaken."
"I'm certain I did." Winter pressed, finally noticing the offered weapon; with a nod she took the pistol and placed the black weapon in her holster, pushing her curiosity aside.
"Anyway." Ironwood interrupted, catching the Major sighing. "I'll be on the bridge. Colonel, I leave her in your care."
"Fantastic." went O'Neill a short distance away, right before he grunted at something a crewman did. "Daniel, Teal'c?"
"I am prepared." a tall man with a golden emblem on his forehead rumbled, peering to the arrival while a tall staff stood upright in his grip.
Beside him the bespectacled man groaned under the load in his arms. "All set. The gravity better be weaker down there."
"Great." from across the room, O'Neill jabbed a hand back at the other space. "You, go wait with the other teams. You'll head down with them."
"Yes sir." Winter replied with a perfunctory salute, the Colonel giving her a lackluster one in return.
Exchanging one more look with Ironwood, Winter turned back the way she came, leaving him behind as she came into the cramped room. It was there she stopped, coming under eight pairs of eyes, each one seeming to bore into the lone woman in their midst. She crossed her arms and straightened up, subtly preparing to draw her rapier if any of the men tried a hostile act. A few broke eye contact, turning to appear busy with anything else.
One middle aged man detached from the group, clearing his throat into a fist as he stopped an arms length away. She took note of his splotched green and black uniform, briefly letting her attention focus on the digital pattern of the camouflage; while it certainly stood out where they were, she imagined it might be effective in a woodlands area. The flat billed cap he wore seemed more like officer's headwear, and his demeanor supported her guess.
"Hi." he greeted, giving her a friendly smile. As if by reflex he adjusted the strap his rifle was attached to, the short black weapon looking disquietingly utilitarian to her point of view, not to mention a touch menacing. That done, he stuck a hand out. "Colonel Albert Reynolds, United States Marine Corps."
"Commander Winter, Atlesian Specialist Operations Unit. Sir." she greeted back, giving a brief shake before letting go. Idly squeezing her hand, she noted approvingly his rough grip was free of any clamminess.
"Nice to meet you. This is my team, SG-3." Reynolds jabbed a hand over his shoulder, drawing her gaze to the three men clad and armed like him. "I know they don't look like much, but these are some of the best men in my nations armed forces." he then creaked his head around to narrow his brow. "And are very respectful."
Winter saw blankly how the three men behind him abruptly looked away, two opting to check their short rifles while the third appeared engrossed by the metal ceiling. All of a sudden, her already substantial list of questions multiplied, although a high pitched whoosh noise from the adjacent room managed to solve one. Resisting the urge to glance, she opted to clear her throat instead, catching the man's attention before he could return to his team.
"Yes?" he checked, giving her an expectant look.
Swiveling her eyes, Winter spied the other team of four watching the exchange with dry looks, wanting to ask why their uniforms and weapons were different. But there was a more pressing matter she needed dealt with first.
"Colonel, to the best of my knowledge there is no life on the moon. Its a barren desert." she began, earning a nod. "So why are water trained soldiers like yourselves being brought in?"
For a second Reynolds did nothing, before unexpectedly dropping his head and covering his mouth, shifting his weight like he was upset. She was certain he was mumbling something into his palm, but she couldn't quite tell. Frowning to herself, she caught one of the so called marine troops giving her a brief shake of his head.
...
00000
...
Creaking open, the door made a quiet squeak on its hinges as it swung, moving until the tiny amount of force behind the action vanished. All the while, the hand on the outside slid along the surface, allowing for a mass of blonde hair to stick into the guest dorm.
"Weird, doors unlocked but nobodies home." Yang observed, carefully striding in while she glanced around.
After her came another girl, this one black haired and far less cautious, though she too spared a look at the room. "I told you no one was inside."
"Wrong, you said you didn't hear anybody." the blonde corrected, stopping in the center of the room to plant her fists on her hips. Slowly rotating in her spot, she swiveled to examine as much of the space as she could, her search turning no one but her teammate.
"You should've called ahead." Blake said dryly, crossing her arms as she leveled a displeased expression on her friend. Behind her the door creaked again, slowly closing on its own. Neither girl paid attention to the movement.
Yang waved her off, finally coming to a stop. "Not a big deal. Shouldn't be hard to track them down anyway, they're somewhere on Remnant this time."
"Real understanding. Since they're not here I'm out." Blake uncrossed her arms, looking over her shoulder when she heard the door latch. "It's just the movies, so I don't know why you needed my help in the first place. So let's get going, I'll call... what are you doing?"
Yang froze with her hand outstretched, centimeters from the tiny knob of the closet. Despite being caught, the blonde mustered enough confidence to flop her head over to smirk.
"You wanna check out their stuff?" she asked devilishly.
"No. For one, its their belongings. Second, that's not our business, and..." Blake sighed tiredly, slapping her face. "You're not gonna listen, are you?"
The pop of the closet was her reply, the faunus running the hand down her face with a drawn out groan. Slumping, she did little to hide her disapproving mood. It crossed her mind to physically yank the blonde away, but she dismissed the thought; she was stronger, so forcing her wouldn't work. Still, grabbing her by the ankles to drag her out did sound appealing.
Ignoring her friend's attitude, Yang rummaged inside for a moment until she withdrew, one grin and one alien weapon richer. "Awesome."
"Why did you pick that?" Blake questioned dryly.
"Because." Yang replied, turning the Zat over in her hand. "When am I gonna get the chance to see one of these bad boys ever again?" Even though she was smiling, the blonde was clearly taking pains to avoid pointing it at herself this time.
"One of those things put you out of commission." the black haired girl reminded, standing up straight to level a mild glare at her.
"Yeah, but that was because I didn't know what it was then. Now I do." she shrugged off, popping the top piece with a tiny whirring noise.
"That doesn't mean you're an expert." Blake told her, grumbling when she placed it on her gauntlets, evidently testing how well they fit together. "Seriously, put it back before-"
Her bow flicked, the growing frown vanishing in an instant. Yang ceased her playing to snap her head over, her own half grin dropping. The deep inhale from the black haired girl was clue enough to what she heard, a moment before she too heard a faint voice from beyond the door, growing louder by the second. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the blonde overreacted.
A yelp escaped Blake when Yang grabbed her arm, yanking her across the room to the closet. Ahead of any protest, the blonde threw it open to shove her inside, the black haired girl tripping over the duffels on the floor before she caught herself. Just as she grabbed a coat peg to steady herself, her partner dove inside the tiny space as well, pulling the door closed behind her. However, she did leave a tiny crack open, allowing a sliver of light into the closet. Right as Blake opened her mouth to chew her out, the main door swung open.
"Huh, weird. Coulda swore I locked the door before we left." went Jaune's voice, along with the barely audible sound of the latch being tested.
"Small wonder, I almost dragged you out in the first place." Ren pointed out, a moment later closing the door; the faunus strained to hear, but she only detected two sets of footsteps.
Upon realizing Yang was hunched over the tiny crack, Blake sighed and tried approaching the entrance. A powerful hand landing on her shoulder caused her to look up, a scowl meeting the blonde's wide eyed expression. With a sour groan Blake rolled her eyes and nodded, getting her to sigh in relief. With little to do until the boys inevitably discovered them, she crawled under Yang to peer into the light, blinking as her vision adjusted.
Jaune strolled into her sight, unclasping the sword from his belt. Behind him trailed Ren, taking a second to rub his shoulder on his way to a bed.
"Feel better?" he asked, pulling out a small shopping bag from under the bed, a glance confirming he was grabbing clothes.
Stopping by the desk, Jaune sighed. "A little." he answered, peering over his shoulder. "Taking a shower?"
"Yeah." the sable haired young man replied, setting Stormflower on the bed. Next came the sleeves, the fabric being unceremoniously tossed onto the bed. "I really needed the practice, but there's no way I'm using the arena washroom."
Blake heard Yang's breath catch, for reasons she understood in full. Before their eyes Ren undid the front of his over shirt, allowing him to pull it off to join the sleeves. For a second the black haired girl forgot to breath, watching him turn around as he grabbed the bottom of his shirt to lift. What lay underneath was something she could only gape at: a toned chest like few she had ever seen, rippling with muscles. From six pack abs to a pair of well defined pecs, he was like something out of a dream. Although his form was still relatively thin, his build was nevertheless jaw dropping. Even a couple thin scars on his side failed to take away from his appeal.
Both voyeurs hardly noticed Jaune approaching the sable haired young man carefully, too engrossed in the view to take their eyes off him. Coughing into a fist, the blond composed himself before his partner.
"So, clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. Wouldn't you say?" he half joked, his tone strained. For an idle second Blake wondered if he were jealous.
"Obscurity and a competence is the life best worth living." Ren said back, stopping as he flicked his head over. "I read that book of quotes too you know."
"Yeah. Yeah..." Jaune turned his head away, as Ren grabbed a towel. "Hey, do you mind if I check on it?"
"I do actually." he stopped, his voice suddenly cold. While not enough to break their interest, Blake exchanged a look with Yang, raising a brow.
Jaune held up a hand placatingly, keeping a safe distance. "I'm not trying to be nosy or anything. Look, I'm your friend, that means I worry for you."
"Don't, I'm fine." he replied coldly. Dropping his arms to face the blond, the view he presented to the unseen girls was enticing in all the right ways, yet his attitude shift was putting a damper on their enjoyment.
"Well I'll do it anyway. Please? Just for a sec, see if its healed up." he insisted in place.
"It's fine." Ren repeated, narrowing his eyes. The girl's excitement suddenly weakened, Yang sputtering in shock when an icy feeling settled over her mind. Luckily she was almost silent, and it appeared as if the boys weren't paying much attention.
"You're not gonna get over it acting like this." the blond continued, finally planting a hand on his shoulder. Although the sable haired young man flinched, he didn't try forcing the limb off, and after a moment he sighed in defeat.
"Alright." he muttered, reluctantly turning around with a clearly unhappy look. Taking a breath, Jaune moved his hand to push the mass of black hair out of the way, unknowingly in view of Blake and Yang.
On the back of his neck was a thin scar, perhaps fifteen centimeters long and maybe one thick, the faint discoloration showed it was long since healed. It was small and unassuming, looking more like a thin cut than anything else.
Jaune's fingers ghosted over the scar for a moment, before a shrug dislodged him. "Okay, okay."
"There, its fine, like I said." Reaching behind him, Ren fluffed the hair back over his neck. "I'm taking a shower now."
"Its okay, I just wanted to check." Jaune backed up, waving a hand in front of himself. "Say, got any plans for tonight?"
"Think Yang had something she wanted to do. You'll have to check with her." Ren answered, grabbing a towel and powering towards the bathroom without a backwards glance.
"Yeah." Jaune stood in place for a second, taking a deep breath. "Could've handled that better." he muttered, reaching for his pocket only to pat repeatedly. "Did I forget my scroll...? Crap." Tapping on his forehead in self reproach, he jogged to the door and vanished from sight.
A moment later Yang slowly opened the closet door, allowing her and Blake to finally leave. After the dark haired girl shut the closet behind her, the two carefully toed across the dorm, mindful of every step. For a heart pounding second they had trouble with keeping the main door silent, although the sounds from the bathroom told the faunus they were in the clear. With a quiet click the latch sealed, and the pair quickly strolled away.
Identical looks of shock covered the girls the entire time; whatever feelings of excitement they felt had shriveled up into nothing. One little scar had ruined the entire experience, just one unassuming imperfection turned happiness into fearful shock.
Stopping a short distance away, the blonde took a shuddering breath. "Okay, Ren is actually pretty ripped, that's, uh, impressive. Yeah."
"Yang."
"I mean, y-yeah, they seem to have a tough job so that makes sense, haha." she said quickly, forcing a smile on as she gestured.
"Yang." Blake repeated, swallowing a lump.
"Still, he's a-actually hot. Wow, great. Good for you buddy." Yang's voice had risen in pitch, her eyes darting around.
The blonde flinched when Blake roughly grabbed her arms, forcing them to look at each other. Inhaling unsteadily, the dark haired girl kept her features set in a hard line.
"You saw it, don't pretend you didn't." she said, her tone strained.
"Yeah, I saw a hot bod on my friend, and I never knew about it." the blonde replied, battling a grimace.
"Yang." Blake warned, only for the blonde to shove her away. "We can't ignore this."
"No, we can't. Ren is hot, that's what I saw, okay?" Yang snapped, a glower taking over.
The dark haired girl stabbed a finger at her. "You know what that was. You were right there when Jaune told us what's out there."
"And how do you know!?" she snarled, briefly taking Blake aback. "Its a big world out there. Galaxy, whatever. There's a thousand things which could've made a scar like that."
"Then why'd he hide it?" she retorted. "Face it, Ren is, is..." the faunus gulped, unable to get the words out.
"No. Way." Yang planted her fists on her hips, narrowing her eyes. "If he had one of those things in him, we would've been able to tell by now. They're evil, remember?"
"Everything the host knows, remember? We'd never be able to tell just from looking at him." Blake shot back. Right then she blinked, the color draining from her features. "Which, means... they could all...
The blonde grabbed her shoulders, briefly yet violently shaking the smaller girl, despite her quick struggle to push her off. With her point made she let go, breathing deeply while she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
"No a chance, okay? It's Ren, not some parasite controlling him." Yang said forcefully.
"That's right."
Whipping around, Yang and Blake jerked back from the speaker, who stood a body's length away with her arms crossed, watching them.
"I mean, a body controlling parasite? Silly." Nora said, offering a relaxed shrug. A smile was on her face, but it wasn't her usual bubbly grin; instead it was thin and cold, showing none of her usual bubbly cheerfulness.
"How long have you..." Yang trailed off, unwittingly forcing her arms down.
"Long enough." Nora replied, her tone neutral. She was almost still, watching the two with eerie calm.
Blake gulped. "Nora, Ren has..."
"A scar on the back of his neck?" she guessed, stopping her mid sentence. "You saw it. Did he show you, or did you catch a peek?"
The teammates exchanged a fear tinged look. Nora was calmer than either of them had ever seen before, an unnerving experience to behold.
"Thought so." she dropped her arms, the smile flickering. "Say it."
"Say..." Yang tried, gulping.
Nora's brow creased. "You want me to do it? Fine. Ren was taken as a Goa'uld host."
Blake's mouth opened, but no words came out. Yang gaped, unable to believe her ears. All the while, the orange haired girl's tone didn't waver, and her thin smile failed to reach her eyes.
"Was taken. He's fine now." Nora continued, closing her eyes to tip her head back. "You know what's funny?"
"What?" Yang asked nervously, a brief check on Blake showing her to be in no better condition.
Nora opened her eyes to affix a cold look upon them. "Its safe to say Beacon was your whole world back then, or at least the most important part of it. And eight months ago, it was nearly destroyed." a mirthless chuckle escaped her. "Funny thing, your world went up in flames almost at the same time as mine."
Shocked by the revelation, Blake and Yang were locked in place, an audience to Nora sharing her tale.