Of Diagnostics and Tinmen
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(Leonard POV)
"That went rather well." stated ms. Kitsukami as she, my brother and sister and I walked back into our room.
It only went well because because Ezdouche, as Ciel secretly calls him, wasn't around. Otherwise he would have made another failed murder attempt. One of many I assume. Great.
Look forward to mass destruction Remnant.
"I guess." Said my brother taking a seat at one of the desks in our room, "Kinda creepy that Anoel was able to read me though..."
"Did she read your mind or something?" Asked Ciel.
"No, I wouldn't say mind reading exactly. At least, it's hardly anything that simplistic. I don't entirely understand it yet, but if I have enough time…"
Brother would eventually figure out her ability. At that point…
"She did figure us out though. That we came from elsewhere."
"She knows that much?!" I asked.
I was almost shocked. Looks like Anoel might be more formidable than I gave her credit for.
"Not to worry. She said she would say nothing about the matter to anyone else. In a sense, our technical secret is safe with her." Said Ms. Kitsukami as she took a seat on the bed.
Always the optimist…
"So no trouble. Cool. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, we actually had a talk with Ezdeil last night while you guys took on the Hydra." Said Ciel.
Oh yeah. We did do that. Answered a few of his questions and he answered only one. There's a reason Ciel came up with "Ezdouche". Kinda fits well.
"And how'd that go?" Asked my brother.
"Well, he didn't attempt to annihilate us, so I'm assuming it went very well." I replied.
"I guess... So wait, weren't you guys doing homework? How'd you get to chatting up Niro?"
"Eh, we agreed to a break for the next two days. Besides, we're ahead like three weeks worth of written assignments. So we can afford a break."
Ciel has been surprisingly tenacious with keeping up with me in homework. It's almost impressive really. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Ciel's dumb. Not in the slightest. Years before we met brother, whenever we did homework, I was always the one with the best scores and did more than the others students? Ciel? She couldn't care less really. B average generally. C average whenever it was a bad day.
Now? Straight A's. And that's because she's actually trying.
"Cool I guess?" Answered our brother while checking his HoloScroll.
"Better keep up with the studies big brother, otherwise you'll be waaaaaay behind the two of us." Boasted Ciel.
"Unlike you two, I do my homework at my own pace. You guys want to keep going at it, fine by me. I'll just watch and be entertained."
Great… Our older brother's being entertained by our competition…
"You said we had two weeks to ourselves?" I asked brother.
"Yeah… Turns out someone made a typo in the mail they sent us. It's actually one week instead of two."
"Still, pretty sweet deal for just taking out an overgrown snake. I dig it." said CIel giving us a double thumbs up.
I do too. I guess. I mean, a week off? Nice and all, but what am I going to do for a week besides homework? Who does homework straight for a week? No one.
Ugh… So lame…
The others were busy having a conversation that I tuned out when I got notified of a message to my HoloScroll. I spun around and brought my hands together before spreading them out a short distance, my holographic display opening up.
One new message? From who?
…
What the-?! Bailey?! What does she want with me?!
I quickly opened the message after seeing the sender name and let my eyes scroll through the text.
"Simply Leonard,"
When will she drop that?
"I need your assistance. My teammates are not present at the moment, making the timing perfect for your assistance in this urgent, secretive manner. Meet me at our room which is the last one near the end of the hall. Room 312. Bailey Lianna."
Urgent? Secretive? There's plenty secretive with that girl. I barely know a thing about her except her name and that she's pretty badass with a sword. Makes me wonder how long she'd last against brother…
Anyway, she's got something she needs help with. The fact she asked me for help is...well...nice. Better see what it is.
"Something's come to my attention. I'll be taking my leave. And Ciel, we'll resume tomorrow. But from then on, we will be taking longer breaks. Deal?"
"Yeah sure, go ahead. Later." Replied my sister as she had her eyes glued to an article she was reading.
"Where are you off to?" Asked my brother.
"A friend said they needed assistance with a matter, so I'm meeting them to see what I can do."
"You have friends?!" Asked Ciel in mock surprise.
"Ciel!" Said Ms. Kitsukami quickly.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding."
"Alright, have fun. Don't do anything too crazy."
Yeah, not possible really. I don't have your problem of getting into trouble a lot brother.
I gave my brother, sister, and Ms. Kitsukami a silent wave while I closed my HoloScroll and stepped outside our dorm.
Let's see… Last door at the end of the hall, room 312… Here it is.
I knocked on the door quickly and waited. And waited.
She said she was in here right?
I turned around quickly only to hear the door unlock and find hands on my shoulders, pulling me inside the room.
"Were you followed?"
"W-What? No!" I told Bailey.
"Good."
She turned me around to face her at last, and like usual, she had that stoic expression about her. Also…does she not west anything else but her outfit? Better yet, does she even take off that tactical blindfold? So many questions…
"You seem perplexed." She said.
"Well, I was suddenly pulled into your room without warning. And...it is surprising to see that you are still wearing your Tactical Blindfold. Don't you ever remove it?"
"I was given strict orders never to remove it unless bathing."
"Do you also wear only that outfit?"
My curiosity was...intense at the moment.
"Not this outfit specifically. I have multiple outfits exactly the same as this one."
"Nothing else?"
"No."
Well that was simple.
"Don't you ever go shopping?" I asked.
"Shopping?"
Is this girl serious? She doesn't even go shopping?
"You can't simply wear the same outfit all the time ms. Lianna. You should try something new now and then."
"Something new… I'll keep that in mind. Where would one go shopping?"
Good lord…
"Um...ask ms. Kitsukami and my sister Ciel to take you with them next time. I'm sure they'll more than likely help you."
"Very well then. I'll pay close attention for when they announce their next outing and ask to accompany them."
Bailey and her team's room wasn't all too much different from ours. They did bunk beds too. I saw four desks, each of them...unique to their respective owners. The one that had a shrine like appearance had to be Nori's. The one with different crystals and jars full of...whatever was in them, had to be Kaliel's. Musashi's was definitely the one with the dragon wood carvings, and Bailey's… Well, her desk was perfectly organized concerning her school utensils and different books and folders. Her desk was almost like mine.
Neat.
The shelves were also stocked with all sorts of different books and trinkets too.
"Now then, what exactly did you need my assistance with ms. Lianna?"
"Simply Leonard… You're able to keep a secret, correct?"
"Um…"
I could only look at her awkwardly as she delivered what I determined to be a focused glare, waiting to see what my answer was. Though, I got the strange feeling she was hoping I would say yes.
Well…saying yes will definitely let me get to know her better. I'd be able to keep her secret.
"Yes, of course I am."
"You can't tell a single soul. The words I am about to tell you are to remain within the boundaries of this room. Understand?"
"Y-Yes…"
"Good. Simply Leonard, we may have only known each other for the week that we have so far, but I've come to be able familiarize myself with you more than easily. And...I find myself able to confide in you more easily."
"What about your teammates ms. Lianna?"
Can't she talk to them about whatever it is? I mean, I have no problem with the situation, but...
"I would prefer not to reveal my nature to my teammates. Not now anyway." She said looking away from me.
Nature? Wait a second…
"Ms. Lianna…" I saw her head turn to focus on me once again, I myself readied to ask "Would you happen to be of a persuasion other than human?"
She hesitated to answer given how she shifted uncomfortably. She wouldn't saw what she did otherwise if she were a normal human. Usually when someone talks about their nature, they're talking about their mannerisms and behavior. But we've seen quite a few replays of our brother when "on the hunt". Ciel and I know to be cautious when we hear the phrase "my nature" or anything similar.
"Yes."
Her reply snapped me out of my train of thought. If she wasn't exactly human, then what is she? I would have felt abnormalities using my Aura Sensing, but from the start, I've never been able to read her. Her Aura Type is completely foreign to me.
"I promise not to speak to anyone of this conversation, not even with my brother, Ciel, or ms. Kitsukami. Your secret is completely safe with me."
"Very well then…"
All I saw for the moment was Bailey standing up again before I got a notification on my HoloScroll, prompting me to quickly turn around and open up the holographic display and turn down the volume of the ringer, hearing a soft thud behind me that sounded like cloth.
Wait, what? Cloth?
I slowly turned around and immediately froze in place like a statue, my eyes widened with surprise when I saw Bailey Lianna's appearance.
She...looked normal… Still wore her Blindfold… Still wore her white elbow gloves with black fingers and palms… Still wore her thighhighs... Only now...her dress was absent from her person…
Gone.
She at least wore something underneath, but even that wasn't helping the plethora of indecent thoughts racing through my mind at the moment.
What she wore was what one could call undergarments, but not exactly so. In fact, what she wore was something I never thought could be worn as underwear. It was...a white leotard. Not just any white leotard, no… It was a thin fabric, highleg, strapless leotard, similar in appearance of "bunny suits" with how little it covered her...ample chest.
The fabric of the leotard clung tightly to her body with skin tight-likeness, showing off her lightly toned body, slender waist and beautifully wide hips, not too wide, but just right. There were numerous decorative gaps between the area above her abdomen and beneath her bosom, all highlighted with grey edges as well.
Human or not...she was devestatingly beautiful…
All I could manage was silent staggering of breath rather than words as we both stared at one another, my eyes slowly moving from her feet where her dress lay, all the way back to where her eyes would be if she didn't wear that Blindfold of hers.
"You're nervous…"
Any man would be in this situation!
"Is me revealing my non-human nature to you intimidating?"
"N-No! Nothing like that! I-I-It's just..!"
"Just?"
"Um… Well...i-is it necessary to remove your dress..?" I asked, constantly trying to force my eyes to look away, only to have them snap back to Bailey's alluring person.
"Yes. Otherwise I cannot offer you proof."
If she says so…
Without saying another word, I saw her left hand move towards her right elbow glove and slowly pull it down. I was able to force my eyes to her pale, lithe arm, seeing some charred flesh, but...that wasn't what caught my attention…
It was what lay inside.
Numerous bits of circuitry and wires, artificial blood vessels that remained intact, and bone of sorts made of a metallic alloy.
"Uh… Ms. Lianna?"
"Bailey will just do."
"R-Right… I don't think simply having a fake arm counts you out of the human persuasion…"
It's perfectly fine, but I don't see why she had to remove her dress to-
"It's not only my arm… It's the rest of my body as well."
Rest of her body..?
Wait, if her arm is mechanical, and she just said it's the same for the rest of her body...does that mean..?
"Are you...an Android?"
"You catch on quickly Simply Leonard…"
If she's an Android, then…
"How is it that you produce Aura exactly if you are an Android, Bailey?"
Using her first name still is weird...but I'll have to get used to it.
"The soul inside this mechanical body of mine is...human-like. It was never explained to me to great extent, but it was fabricated to mimic a humans soul. Hence why I am able to use Aura based abilities and even posses my own Semblance."
Fabricated… An Artificial Being then… My brother told Ciel and I once that there are living beings whose bodies are fabricated as well as their souls. Though...how would a human be able to make an Artificial Being? It's out of their reach unless someone other than human knew how, sat them down, and showed them the process. But there are those like my brother's old friend Darwin, who were once human and had the matrices of their mind copied and transferred over to a mechanical body.
Right now, it's a case of either or. She doesn't know exactly how it was done, and I know of two possibilities of how it was done unless there's a newer method that the people of Remnant found, or developed.
"Simply Leonard?"
Her mother… Could she actually be her biological mother? Or maker?
"Simply Leonard."
"Hm? Yes?"
My eyes turned back to Bailey, but quickly darted off to the side again when I remembered what exactly she was wearing at the moment.
"There are others as capable that can assist in repairing me, but I don't have as much trust in them as I do in you."
"I see…"
My skills in the mechanical and technological field are only decent in comparison to brother. In all honesty, she probably should have asked him. But how does she know I possess such skills? Was it from one of the documents we submitted? Did she look at those?
"Um… So how may I assist you exactly..?" I meekly asked, trying to keep my eyes off her.
"When I was completed, my mother didn't have the time to install all the features I was originally designed to have due to the need of me being needed to come here to Beacon before the start of the Semester. One such feature was an Auto-Repair unit that would heal damaged sections of my body after a set period of five seconds without further damage." she said showing me her damaged arm, "There were many other features as well, but like the Auto-Repair unit, there was no time to install them."
"So then...how would one repair the damage done to you? Not just that, but where could we make artificial skin to graft back in to the rectified areas?"
"It's a simple task really with the help of another. Since my Aura is made for pure combat purposes, I don't posses the healing mechanism Aura offers to all others virtually, hence why an Auto-Repair unit was meant to be installed in me."
"If I'm to understand correctly, we'll be using my Aura to repair your damaged arm and even your artificial skin, yes?"
"Correct. The wiring and circuits interacts with Aura substantially well, and would be repaired exactly like a human body would when being healed by Aura. But again-"
"Your Aura doesn't heal you given it's strictly offensive nature. Hence why until you have your Auto-Repair unit arrive, you need rely on others to repair you using their Aura."
"Only you."
"Sorry?" I asked gazing back up at her face.
"It's as I said before, Simply Leonard…" The glove covering her damaged right arm was slipped off, said arm moving slowly in my direction, "Only you know of my actual nature. And I would prefer to keep it that way."
"You won't mention it to your teammates?" I asked reaching for her hand.
Keeping something important such as this from your teammates could lead to future situations and heated conversations when, or if, they find out for themselves mid battle or through some other means. In my opinion, I think she should tell them, but I'm no one special to tell her otherwise.
"Eventually I will. But for now...this remains a secret between you and I. You will keep it secret, right?" She asked leaning in towards me, our faces only mere inches apart.
"U-Um… Yes, of course I-"
"Swear it."
Swear it? Well, doing so with a contract would be rather difficult, so instead…
"I swear to keep your secret safe from everyone, even my own family, Bailey Lianna." I said raising up my pinky.
She stared at my hand confused for a moment, but then mimicked me exactly and interlocked her pinky with mine.
Now that I think about it, her skin is so clear… And soft…
I shook my head a few times and let out a silent exhale.
"S-Should we get started then, ms. Lianna?"
"I thought I said to call me Bailey, Simply Leonard."
"Right, my apologies...Bailey…"
With the way her body moved just now, she appeared to be moving towards her bed. Although…her turning around with the apparel she was wearing only stirred those indecent thoughts once again with how much of her back was exposed...and...well...rear...
Thankfully she turned around and sat back down, extending her damaged right arm towards me once more as I gulped silently and stepped forward slightly, kneeling before her as her hand came into my grasp yet again.
Moving my left hand over the injured section of the underside of her forearm, I let my white and black Aura visibly manifest in small streams, those streams soon intertwining with the damaged wiring and circuitry, rectifying the damage slowly within a matter of seconds. When everything internally had been repaired, my Aura began to slowly form a thin veil to cover the damaged section.
Shortly after, the veil began to slowly collapse in on itself as artificial skin now covered the damaged area, as if the arm suffered no damage in the first place.
Good. The repairs went well. Still...if I only need to repair her arm, then why-?
"I'll have you perform a diagnostic scan using this." She said reaching into her desk drawer and pulling out some sort of tool with a wide screen, "This will scan my entire body and determine if their are any other abnormalities to be aware of. Just to be safe."
"R-Right… Is that why..? Um…"
"Why what?" She asked me.
"W-Well… Is that why you removed your clothes?" I asked meekly.
She seemingly stared at me for a few moments, but with her blindfold on, I couldn't tell.
"The clothes interfere with the penetrative, deep layer scans of that device. It's best to wear as little as possible, hence why I'm only wearing this."
"I-I see…" I said raising the device as she laid down flat on the bed, face towards the ceiling of the bunk above her.
I activated the device and watched a light blue hue of cone shaped light emerged from the back, and then moved the device slowly from Bailey's head, moving the scanner down towards her toes.
"Simply Leonard?"
"Y-Yes!"
I definitely wasn't distracted or staring anywhere too long! I'm sure of it!
"Did my revelation perhaps make you...uncomfortable..?"
"N-No! Not in the slightest!"
It was the honest truth. It wasn't what she was that was making me a nervous wreck…
"Then why do you seem distressed? Rather, embarrassed?"
If I told you that Bailey, I'd very likely die from pure shame on the spot!
"M-My sister told me something about me that was rather embarrassing… So I… I can't really push it out of my mind at the moment…"
That was a huge lie, but an acceptable answer.
"Does your sister enjoy teasing you?"
"As much as she enjoys eating doughnuts… Which is constant…"
I swear I heard something that sounded like a giggle just now… Maybe I was imagining it?
My eyes shifted back to the screen of the scanner as it beeped three times, making me aware of its completed process.
"Everything is operating at one hundred percent. No internal or external problems detected." I said quickly laying the scanner back down on her desk.
"Excellent." Said Bailey as she sat up and grabbed her dress from off the floor, putting it on while I looked away, "Thank you very much for your help...Simply Leonard."
"I'm happy to be of assistance any time. I may not be as skilled as my brother, but I'll do my best for you."
Wait, what did I just say?!
I was practically the only one who stared back awkwardly at Bailey as she kept up her stoic expression, except for when her soft lips curled into a warm smile.
"Thank you. I'm sure you were off to take care of your own tasks for the day, so it'd probably be best if you resume them. We can speak with one another again another time."
"Y-Yes… Another time then. Thank you." I said with a quick bow before opening the door and closing it behind me.
I'm not sure I'll be able to survive another session...
(Dante Pov)
"Alright, I'm gonna head out for a bit. I'll catch you later."
"Where are you going Master?" asked Inuba as I stood up from my desk chair.
"I"m gonna go check up on Chroma, see if he still has all his limbs. And brain. And other household necessities. And-"
"I think we understand." replied my partner.
"Cool, tell BeanBag I said hi." said Ciel, keeping her eyes on the article she was reading.
"BeanBag? That's your nickname for him?" I asked opening our door.
"Eh. It's an off day."
I only shook my head and sighed as I told them, "I'm off."
I closed the door behind us and looked around to see no one out and about. Well, we did have a week long break, and we finished up with the Hydra nonsense just last night. That and it's 10 am. Who gets up at 10 am? Then again, I don't really sleep so…
Let's see… What was Chroma's room number again? A quick look in the school directory told me room 308. Not too far from our own. Like literally across from us. Just a step or two forward.
Well...let's see how this goes…
Three knocks on the door and some wait. Let's see how fast their response time is.
"Kyzal, you get it."
"Fuck you, you get it."
"Both of you shut up or you'll wake Scarlet. I'll get the goddamned door."
They've been having a pleasant morning. I could just tell.
I'm going to put on my hood and have a bit of fun.
Footsteps on the other side of the door gradually drew nearer before a mechanical lock released and the door slowly opened.
"Howdy, what can I do you for, stranger?" It was Gabriel Stryker that opened the door, peering at me from beneath his tanned cowboy hat with tired, purple eyes.
"Ray Chroma..?" I asked in a deep and eerie voice.
"Nah, he's still sulking over his injuries."
"I heard that."
He heard that apparently.
"I have come for his soul… His time is due…"
"Take it. I don't want it anyway." spoke the monotonous voice again, who I assumed to be Ray himself.
Well he's full of sunshine and happiness. Just like Nosferatu in the dorm room behind us.
"I'm kidding. He's not due for a long time. Then again, I wouldn't exactly know. Never met the Reaper." I replied pulling down my hood.
That was a complete lie, I knew him. We played chess on Sundays.
"You must be Dante, right?" Questioned Gabriel, "Leader of DICL? Punching bag of Ezdeil?"
Seriously with that? Punching bag? They do realize his punch had literally no effect on me besides momentary bruising right? Maybe I should give them an example…
No no, we're here to be friends.
"Punching bag...you say..?" I replied with my eye visibly twitching slightly.
"We saw that uh…scuffle in the hallway… He straight up punched you, man." Gabriel replied hesitantly as he slipped his hand inside his blazer pocket.
"Yeah, I know you guys were there. Good on you to stay behind the corner."
"Me and Scarlet were in our dorm room and heard it, scared the hell out of her." Called Kyzal from the back of the room.
"The sound? Or the fact someone could have been actually, physically, realistically murdered?"
"We were less focused on the prospect of you dying, and more on the fact that Scarlet jumped out of her own skin."
"The sound was pretty loud… But yeah, all good."
"It was actually 162 decibels, but you know…" Ray mumbled as he limped to the kitchenette.
"Who cares, right?" I replied with an awkward smile.
A few moments of awkward silence and shuffling occurred before Gabriel finally swung the door open.
"Do you wanna come in, or…?"
"I would love to." I said stepping inside.
It was...sort of plain? I guess. I mean, there was singing trophies, a few books, and one desk that was completely littered with all manner of electronics. That must be Ray's. Or Kyzal's if he's trying to figure out how to build a pocket radio.
Pretty roomy overall.
Wait, someone's still sleeping? It's like, 10 am. Hold on a minute...
"I see you've noticed Scarlet, she's been up all night." Gabriel supplied, "And since we don't have anything interesting to do for the rest of the week, we're just letting her rest."
Noticed?! Do any of you feel that coming from her Aura? It's almost like a refined aspect of Darkness… How many aspects were there? There's mine and my siblings', which is Pure Dark. And…
Crap, I forgot the rest. I need to reread the Secret Histories again.
"How could you not notice a person sleeping?"
"Because she's 5'2 and can fit in any of our suitcases." Ray replied, pouring himself a glass of orange juice.
Well, I didn't want to say anything related to her height. That would be insensitive of me. But, he was right. She was…smol, as the hipsters say these days.
"Um… Fair point? I guess…" I replied shrugging my shoulders.
"Anyway, is this just a social visit, or is there anything we can do for you, man?" Gabriel asked, smiling, "I'm not opposed to visitors, but these losers hate company."
Definitely right on the mark when I said he was flamboyant and slightly arrogant…
"Social visit mainly? I came to check up on him to see if he still has his limbs and everything."
"I find that answer vague and unconvincing." Ray retorted, sipping his orange juice as he approached the bed on the far left.
"Your general well being, is that better?"
"I don't understand why you'd be so concerned, it's not like we're friends." Ray gently rolled Scarlet over so he could sit on the bed.
True, but…
"That doesn't mean we won't be. And hey, look at it this way. Acquainting each other now so become friends faster. Win win."
In my view at least.
"Have you met Ray? He's not exactly the most friendly of people."
"How flattering, Flyboy."
Kyzal sat up straight and glared at him, "What did you just call m-"
"Alright alright, no fisticuffs here gents. We don't need a mess early in the morning."
"Assuming he could even hit me with those feather dusters..." Ray murmured just before taking another sip of his juice.
"Never underestimate the feathers. Unless you want a quick passing to the Beyond." I lectured him, getting a subtle thumbs up of approval from Kyzal.
You're welcome dude.
Angels are scary man. Their feathers are like blades. Who's to say avian Faunus can't do the same?
"Besides, you two keep this up and you'll wake Scarlet, then we're all screwed." Gabriel added.
You wouldn't like her when she's angry..? That's assuming she can put us through the wall. I don't need an early repeat of wannabe One Punch man from her now. Ezdeil delivered on that already.
"You realize that she'd sleep through an artillery strike, right? Even Ray can't wake her up." Kyzal replied, swiping his scroll as he spoke.
"I'll pass on trying."
Ditto.
I looked to Ray for a moment and saw him turn to face Kyzal as he spoke. That's when I noticed...a black ring-like stud? What the heck is that for? I'm curious now.
"Yeah, please don't, we don't need that kind of ungodly, hellish nightmare right now." Kyzal returned.
Pal, you don't know the half of it.
Oh yeah, black nodes on the grumpy one. Must check.
"That reminds me, I heard about some residual, lingering effects when I visited the Medical Wing. Since you came into contact with the Hydra, you might have those same effects."
"Are you talking all of us? Or only some of us?" Gabriel asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as he sat on his own bed.
"The fluffy one with the really really happy smile." I said nodding to Ray.
"That is his happy face." Gabriel replied, smirking at me, earning a roll of the eyes from Ray.
"I could tell. My partner taught me how to take care of it in case an effects are present. She's really good when it comes to the medical field. Mind if I check you over real quick?"
"Actually, I do mind, you said this was just a social visit."
"And to see how you're faring. If I leave now and then something happens, some people would be upset. Maybe."
"Define 'lingering effects' first."
"Okay, so I'll simplify in comparison to my Aura as an example. My attacks are Aura based and infused. But what's important about it is that said Aura attacks have a lingering effect after dealing damage. For instance, a regenerator not being able to heal after being hit with my Aura. So almost like a lingering curse effect."
"So how does this translate to Grimm exactly? They don't possess a soul, thus cannot generate Aura." Ray questioned, his eyes narrowing a fraction of an inch.
"You don't need a soul to give someone a curse like effect. There's still some unknowns when it comes to Grimm. Besides, wouldn't it be better if you have a potential problem taken care of before it has the potential to be a potential irreversible problem?"
Are the confusion tactics working? Or at least giving me more ground? I must figure out what those nodules are!
"That also sounds vague and unconvincing, Dante. I know how to take care of myself."
Hey, he knows my name. Cool.
"Yeah… But…" I had to think a bit here, "Do you know how to take care of yourself when Supernatural effects are present?"
I don't think so mister.
"Wouldn't it be a better idea to bring your partner in on this instead? You said she taught you, but I feel like she might be better qualified…" Gabriel readjusted his hat as he spoke.
"She has homework and sent me instead."
That was a lie, I really don't know what she's up to right now.
"So, there's apparently some deadly, supernatural lingering effects that originated from the Hydra, that may or may not be infecting Ray, and your partner isn't here because she's doing homework?" Kyzal questioned, switching his attention to me.
"We're being very competitive with grades this semester."
That's actually true. For Ciel and Leo at least.
"So that excuses her from curing a magic ailment? Sounds legitimate, go right ahead."
Ah, nice.
I took a few steps forward and-
"That was a joke, Dante. Sounds to me like you're bullshitting."
"Oh sure, it's all fun and bullshit when an extra dimensional portal opens from your left eye socket and unleashes god knows what."
I actually saw that happen once. It was pretty disgusting.
"How about you tell me the real reason? I'm not blind, I've been watching you eye up the studs on my back for the past five minutes."
Mission failed, abort abort abort.
"Whatever do you mean?" I asked innocently.
Ray turned to face his teammates with a questioning expression, "Is he being fucking serious right now?"
Both replied with a shrug.
"Deadly serious. Your heart might actually pop out of your left eye. Or something weird like that."
"I'll just get it replaced, but it still doesn't excuse the fact that you're actually exhibiting all of the majorly known signs of a liar right now. Care to explain that one?"
Replaced? Hmmm… He may have just told me what I wanted without having to check those nodules. Still want to be sure though.
And don't judge me, I'm out of practice with this sort of thing.
"Unless you want those two to have ammunition on you in the future, I suggest you let me confirm something real quick. Not that I'd say anything about it to anyone else. But...some things of the supernatural persuasion wouldn't exactly work in your favor or agree with you, if you know what I mean. Especially if your constitution is a bit different."
I'm trying to be subtle here dingus, take the bait and let me question you silently under the false pretense of a medical check so they don't notice.
"Then what is it you're asking of me? Do you want me to step outside or what? Be more specific."
"Just a 'peek under the hood' to make sure everything's alright while Kyzal and Gabriel stand in the corner for like, two minutes."
Ray sighed before getting to his feet, "Or we can just step outside, you know, the easy way."
"But where's the fun in that?" I asked.
"Because I know what you're referring to and I don't want them knowing you idiot, so follow me." Ray whispered as he passed me.
"Fiiine." I said with mock dejection, "Back in a jiffy." I told the other two before stepping outside with Ray, closing the door behind us.
"Let's see… How do I do it again..?" I said to myself.
"Do what?" Ray snapped.
"Nothing bad to you. Um… Let's see… Visualize and…"
I remembered the lesson Inuba gave me once, snapped my fingers and watched a thin veil of my white and black Aura cover the door. The main purpose of it was to cancel out noise so no one could hear us. Speaking of which…
I quickly opened up my HoloScroll, something Ray eyed keenly for a moment as I looked for the speaker controls and shut them off for our floor, that way no one else could listen in either just in case.
"Nice. All good now."
"So, I already have a strong feeling that I know what you're referring to, but just to clarify, what is it you want to check?" He asked as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.
"How much of you is original?" I asked in a more serious tone.
"You talking physically or mentally? Because I can give you specifics for the former."
"How much of your original body is left?"
"82% give or take a few minor adjustments."
"82% huh?" I would have figured it was more given his...mannerisms, "Implants and such? No replacements?"
"Half of my brain was surgically removed and replaced with a modular quantum computer. Along with that, I have a series of multiple sensor arrays implanted down my spinal cord, compact defibrillators in my chest, and 90% of my skeletal structure has been reinforced with a titanium-steel alloy."
"Oh~ Sturdy. Still, could the nodules be any more obvious?"
I mean, they're literally out there for the world to see technically.
"If they were inside my body, I would be scanning myself, you moron."
"Not with the right artificial skin grafts you wouldn't. You'd be able to hide those nodes and anything else poking out and still retain full functionality."
I would know. I have an android for a best friend. Well, had.
He's not dead or anything, he's still on Primordial.
"I implanted them when I was 12, you think I could master genetics at that age when I was already studying mechanical engineering and a degree in chemistry?"
"No, but I'm sure whoever helped with your process would have been able to do that."
Maybe? I don't know who worked on Ray. Relative more than likely.
Ray's eyes illuminated briefly before he took a silent breath.
"I'm sure he would have..." he began, speaking lowly, "If he wasn't dead..."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive or anything."
"Don't worry about it, I wouldn't expect you to know if you've only been here for three months."
Yeah… Wait… Are you freaking-?
"How did you-?"
"It's kind of hard not to notice a fucking mansion suddenly erupting out of nowhere on your soil. I know who you are, I know where you live, but what I don't know, is why you came to this fucking planet."
I'm on his-?
Oh my god he knows I'm not from Remnant.
Crap.
Well, this is just great. Anoel knows because she used mystical voodoo magic, and now Chroma knows because he's more than likely been using the mountain for definitely non-nefarious purposes.
And we just popped out of the freaking sky basically. Great.
"Okay, first, I'm not some freaky Cthulhuean being from outer space that was waiting to eat the brains of every living person on this planet. Just to get that out there."
"No, but you built a goddamned mansion on my mountain. I'd kill a man for less." He scoffed.
"Well, how is anyone supposed to know you own a mountain? There wasn't exactly a 'private property' sign planted anywhere. Especially at the top of the mountain."
Who on earth owns a mountain? Much less needs one?
"That's because they're not supposed to know. Do you have any idea who I am?" He asked me a quizzical glare.
"Other than your name, no. And we're not paying rent for a mountain. That's just dumb."
"You've been here for three months, and you're telling me you haven't read a single book?"
I have, just not on you.
"We've been reading books to figure out more about where we were genius, we just didn't go looking explicitly for famous people. Or infamous. Whichever persuasion you're involved in."
"Well, the next chance you get, look up the name 'Orion Chroma'. That should tell you all you need to know. And on top of that, look my name up on the internet and search for articles relevant to six years ago."
And yet again I whipped out my HoloScroll and did a quick search on the web for Orion Chroma.
Let's see… Hostage rescuing, high bandit apprehension rate, run of the mill Huntsmen stuff. Pretty good at it too.
Woah, holy crud.
Quantum computer mechanics? Nice!
Hey...what's this?
"Avramosis?" I said reading the lines of the article.
"The only reason for me to ever set foot on these condemned grounds in the first place."
Sword must be special. Why though? What does it do specifically?
…
You're kidding me…
"Bending light? What hell kind of sword is this?"
Please don't be a mystical sword from The Plane of Angels. Please.
"The kind of sword people will steal, pillage, and kill for. Which is why I have to get its final piece and rebuild it before they can. I already have the other pieces."
So it's technically in safe hands.
"Please tell me this was human made…"
Ray practically chuckled at my inquiry.
"My father's journal notes how he made the physical blade, but its power source, the gem, is unknown in origin and one of its kind. That said, the alloy formula has been smudged over time, so it's practically impossible to recreate." Ray explained, "It does note where he found the gem though. But after visiting the tomb myself, it seems to have been completely wiped off of the map. Not a single trace that it ever existed."
Great, just when I escaped otherworldly nonsense, there's more here. We can't catch a break…
"Erased on purpose then?"
"Most likely."
Secret dies with the maker. Technically.
Alright, let's do a search on you then.
"Missing for six years? Did you go into hiding or something?"
"You can take a punch from that thing." Ray gestured to ELAA's dorm room, "but you can't dig a fucking hole? I've been living under the mountain for 5 and a half years, Dante. Hence why you had no idea."
So you're Gollum then? Nice.
"We're still not paying rent."
"That's nice, I don't need your money anyway." He said almost annoyed with my joke.
Come on, it's sort of funny. Laugh.
"Guy like you has more than enough I bet."
"Enough to build an entire vault spanning 30 kilometers underground, yes."
Vault?
"Is that what's under the mountain?" I asked.
Ray nodded.
Great. Gollum with potential super mega death weapons under the mountain. We're screwed if he wants to take over the world.
"Just to be safe… There haven't been...problems on the mountain, right? No stuff spontaneously combusting or anything?"
I worry about how curious Kareina gets sometimes. And I worry more for the potential victims that would dare attack her.
Ray shook his head, "None from my end. So long as you don't touch my gun emplacements."
"We'd have no reason to."
"Good. Well then, since you've taken the liberty to interrogate me, I think it's fair if I return the favour, no?" Ray asked, though it was a rhetorical question.
"Sure?"
I could only imagine what questions he'd ask me.
"What are you and where do you come from, because you're certainly not from here."
"No idea what I am and we came from another World, all of which all the different Worlds are separated by magical barriers. So even if you traveled into deep space, you wouldn't be able to access a different World unless with the right permissions to enter a Passage. But as of three months ago, those were all broken."
By yours truly. Why did I destroy those passages? Well...I didn't intentionally do it. But that's a story for another time.
Ray hummed in acknowledgement, "So you don't know what you are, but you know what planet you're from? Right." He said with a huff as he glanced off in the opposite direction.
"Not a planet, think different dimensional universe. Or whatever term the kids are using these days. And no, I haven't the slightest. I just know I heal rapidly and that my bones are way tougher than yours."
"Advanced regeneration isn't exactly unheard of, though as for your bones, I don't really care. That said, I know someone who has access to a pocket dimension, so you don't need to oversimplify that."
"Hey, my sister can make those too."
She can. Her abilities are also dimensional based.
"Good for her." Ray replied with a roll of his eyes, slipping his hands inside his pockets.
"Right… So, you didn't break the news to your teammates?"
"What they don't know can't hurt them and I don't want them knowing because it complicates things. My stance on this school isn't exactly pleasant, if you couldn't already tell. All I care about is getting the gem and leaving, that's it."
"It'll make things more complicated in the future. You're the kind of guy whom I'm assuming would rather avoid a hassle, right?" I asked, getting a nod, "It doesn't have to be now, but at least sometime in the future or something. Otherwise things could get messy."
"I prefer the term efficient. They don't need to know because I don't intend on staying long enough for it to become relevant."
"Heh… You say that now, but you might get a heart when you least expect it, tinman." I said nudging his shoulder
"Don't bet on in, extraterrestrial." He said brushing away my elbow.
"Not an alien. As far as I'm concerned, I'm human at best."
"By definition, the term 'alien' means someone or something that does not originate from its current location."
"Primordial, Remnant, same difference. Humans in both places."
"I'm only calling you that because 'other-worldly' doesn't make a good nickname, jackass."
"You're a sarcastic, snarky, cyborg. It's hard to tell what you're up to. Thinking and otherwise."
"Variety is the spice of life."
"Yeah yeah…"
That's all I had to say. For now anyway.
I'm going to have fun with this one. I can already tell.
"Well, your quote on quote check up is done. If you need help with something, I guess I'm your man for it. I worked on a sentient Android once, so if you've got some technical problems, also happy to help."
"You're making me out to sound like an old vehicle…" he said with a hint of annoyance to his tone, "The whole point of having mechanical parts is to take good care of them. But whatever, I'll keep it in mind."
"Alright then. See you later."
Please walk into it. Please walk into it. Make my day a happy one.
Ray approached the door, slowly making a grab for the handle before suddenly freezing, "Remove the barrier."
Damn, so close.
I snapped my fingers, and the veil of Aura covering the door became visible and shattered like glass into tiny fragments, dissolving in the air a second later to allow Ray passage back into his room.
"Have a nice day. You know where we are."
Ray opened the door a fraction before turning back to me.
"And tell that fox's fucking mother to quit snooping around my vault. She's fucking with the sensors."
Pffft. Nice one Kareina.
"I'll make sure to do that. Bye bye now."
And then door shut. Thus was the last time I ever saw Ray Chroma.
I'm totally kidding.
But like I said before, I'm sure I'll be seeing more of him around.
Nothing to say except in a rush.
So with that, I highly recommend you all go check out the freaking amazing collab Xera Stark and I are currently working on concerning his story XSRA's Flame. His story overall is absolutely fantastic and is a must read, so I suggest you read from the very start. But, if you're just interested in the awesome collab our two minds put together have created, then mozy on down to chapter 53 of his story for the start. I've said it once and will say it again, you won't want to miss out on this story, and especially this exciting story arc we've created.
Not only that, but check out his other awesome and highly entertaining story Rogue Huntsmen as I mentioned above. It's just pure awesomeness bundled into one story. Trust me, you'll love it. And hey! Go check out HydraFLow's story Lost in Binary! It's equally as awesome and entertaining, definitely worth spending the time reading and enjoying.
Questions? Ask them anytime. I will try to answer without spoiling.
Please remember to review, follow and favorite this story if you really enjoyed it and want to continue seeing more of it. And hey, even tell others about this story! Remember that your support is what helps make this story grow even larger and what helps improve it. With that, I bid you all an excellent week/weekend!
Bye-bye now!
