p class="MsoNormal"A flurry of technology encircles Yahto as he enters the room, its walls canceling out the entire hullabaloo outside and a certain redhead's demands. Grimm lay scattered about like puppets without their masters, limp and fragile without someone pulling the strings. Not but 3 minutes have gone by and some of Yahto's catch is already prepping for stasis, their limbs constrained as a psychiatric patient. A worker tightens a muzzle on each one, and the shackled Grimm are wheeled out of sight through a large reinforced door. Yahto takes a gander around the room, taking in all the lovely manipulation of the monsters that attack humans and faunus so. Dozens of restraining tables, each eager to smother Yahto's wolves, have their brown leather straps dangling from the sleek metal tops. Workers align the tables, each tailoring to a specific type of Grimm's body shape. There are standard humanoid tables for the beowolves and some strange scoop-shaped cradles meant for boarbatusks. A couple types of indentations Yahto didn't recognize, their metal carved out into odd spindly shapes seemingly for tails or God knows what. Burly workers in durable armor took the Grimm off of the stacks and strap them into to their respective tables. /p
p class="MsoNormal"They wheel off many of the Grimm out the back end towards the cryo room, but a few remained in the containment stage. Armed guards circled around these select few-including Yahto's captured alpha-and rush the tables out through a large back door. Raising Yahto's curiosity, he followed the guards out of the chaotic mess into a wide-open area. The sun blinds Yahto for a moment, his eyes readjusting to the bright light. When his vision comes through, he is facing off against a growling beowolf. The wolf swipes a paw at intruder, only for its claws to rebound off a sturdy reinforced glass screen. Yahto jumps back nonetheless, excepting his left arm to be rolling on the floor at any given moment./p
p class="MsoNormal""What in the-?" Yahto spurts out./p
p class="MsoNormal"As the wolf slinks away from the screen, it perks it head up, ears flattening at the sense of danger. A clanking of gears catches its attention and immediately runs to the sound. It soon lost its momentum as a flurry of shots bore into the back of the beast. Yahto looks puzzled, as the guards he chased after enter the containment area. They rush into the encampment, hurriedly releasing the wolf onto the ground. It groans and its eyes flutter, alarming the young soldiers. They scurry out in the blink of an eye and slam the door behind them, locking it with some type of 4-digit code. Yahto walks on over to the relieved men./p
p class="MsoNormal" "Hey there! What's going on in this joint?" he asks./p
p class="MsoNormal"The ranking soldier turns to see Yahto in his pajamas, staring him down with his question. His helmet blocks any sort of facial expression, but his voice wavers with uncertainty./p
p class="MsoNormal""Uhh..This is the new live study area? It's construction was completed a couple days ago. Its meant to study Grimm behavior and interaction in fine detail." /p
p class="MsoNormal""Cool beans." Yahto replies, hands on head peering into the prison. Sand covers the floor, and only one bush lies in the corner of the area, far back off in a corner. The alpha beowolf gets back on his feet and prowls his new territory, keeping his eye on the door and wall besides it./p
p class="MsoNormal"The soldier murmurs to the rest of his squad and then finally confronts Yahto./p
p class="MsoNormal""So, who are you exactly, and how did you get in here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Friend of your boss and I snuck in." Yahto cheerfully replies./p
p class="MsoNormal""Did you just say you emsnuck/em in here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah? Whats-it-too-ya?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hands where I can see 'em!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Members of the squad move in and point their guns at Yahto, who reaches for the sky./p
p class="MsoNormal""Really? Twice in one day?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Yahto's eyes widen and his jaw drops. His hands poke the air, pointing towards the entrance the soldiers just exited from./p
p class="MsoNormal""Uh….guys? Did you hit the correct numbers on that pad? Cause that dog you put in there is shoving it open!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""What!?" The patrol turns for a brief moment back to the door. Yahto's alpha is pushing on the door, its muscles flexing under their power. However, the entrance does not budge; its sealed shut from the bar locks. Yahto takes that as his cue. He knocks one of the guns pointed at him into another squad member. Instinctively firing, the dust bullets bury into the armor of Yahto's lead captor and sends him reeling over from the impact. Yahto bolts for the door and out of the squad's line of sight. He clings to the wall right on the other side and focuses his semblance. Sparks swirl around his body and he vanishes under semblance and shadow. A couple seconds go by before the squad bursts through armor clanking and guns at the ready./p
p class="MsoNormal""Go! Go! He couldn't have gotten far! I want him detained!" The leader growls out, hopping along with them./p
p class="MsoNormal"They blaze a trail out into the docking area missing Yahto by mere feet. He snickers to himself and fazes back into view./p
p class="MsoNormal""Best be on my merry way."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He strolls through the prepping station and into the cryogenics lab. Scientists typing away at their computers. Their lab coats bob back and forth, as some get up to check on a serum contained in glass vials kept far from reach. The air is much more frigid than the other rooms and goosebumps appear on Yahto's skin to prove it. Lines of gigantic glass pods flowed with super-cooled water, bubbles endlessly rising to the surface. Grimm float in each pod in suspended animation. Each body has tubes burowed deep into the skin of the monsters, a frosty blue liquid seeping into the flesh like molasses. Yahto receives a few odd stares, but he plays it off and waves back at the scientists. He meanders his way through the complex until the alarm sounds./p
p class="MsoNormal""Couldn't leave me in peace, huh?" Yahto says, picking up his pace to a sprint, shoving the pencil pushers out of his way./p
p class="MsoNormal"He dodges incoming workers, and side-steps past a speeding fork-lift on its way back from repair. Parkouring over a desk, he flings himself at a staircase and jumps up it two steps at a time. Yahto crashes through the door at the top to the next room. Finding himself in a narrow hallway, his view draws to a long window overlooking containment area three. Metal girders crosshatch the ceiling and the cement floor stretches for dozens of meters on end. A large number of armed workers scurried about, securing the claws of the recently caught deathstalker by enormous metal restraints. It still seems to be incapacitated, but dents in the metal walls surrounding the huge beast suggest otherwise. Yahto shrugs and picks up his speed. No time to worry about that now. Navigating through a maze of corridors and offices, he comes up on a gray-blue door with a golden handle. Geometric designs riddle the door's strangely colored wood. Engraved in-between the two doors, a smooth dark blue rock holds resolute in signifying the man behind this operation; Jakob Cobald. Yahto kicks the door open with a loud crash and comes face to face with a line of high-powered rifles./p
p class="MsoNormal""Take one more step, and we blow your brains out." A guard calls from the side of Cobald's desk./p
p class="MsoNormal"Her body armor is ornate with pink streaks flowing around her limbs. Her attire is in gruffer condition than the rest, and an upside-down triangle plate edges down her helmet. Shoulder guards careen down her arms as a waterfall, and a metal plateskirt cuts the air where she stands. Cobald himself sits in front of a window overlooking the entrance to the facility, his outline taking a veil of shadows from the light streaming into the room. Cobald folds his hands and slouches his back. Light reflects against his navy blue eyes, which stare directly at the intruder in front of him./p
p class="MsoNormal""Great job remarking to the Sentinels you snuck into the place they were guarding." Cobald flatly remarks./p
p class="MsoNormal""I had to make it interesting somehow."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Indeed. How do you like my part of the show?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Yahto pans around the room, looking down barrel after barrel snapped directly to his face./p
p class="MsoNormal""Needs more guns."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Cobald furrows his brows and straightens his back. His head tilts back to burst out laughing. His partner next to him smirks and crosses her arms over her chest./p
p class="MsoNormal""Alrighty boys, you can leave now." Cobald says./p
p class="MsoNormal"The soldiers look back to him and then and back to Yahto, who now leans against the side of the doorway yawning to his content. They try to find answers in their leader who stands next to Cobald, but instead she just raises her palms to them. No help for her. They shift uncomfortably, guns still raised at the kid./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hold your fire! Didn't you hear me the first time? And turn off that damn racket while you're at it, it's giving me a headache." Cobald rubs his forehead and winces from the pinging of the alarm./p
p class="MsoNormal""I whole-heartily agree. Nothing to see here." The woman says nodding./p
p class="MsoNormal" One of the soldiers in line finally pips up and asks,/p
p class="MsoNormal""Uh sir, what about the intruder?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Bah! He's no intruder. Yahto here just has a flair for the dramatic."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Then why were we called up here to protect you? We could have shot him down had you not have said 'hold your fire'."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ah, but you didn't. You wouldn't want to risk to go against an order from your boss, would you? Might ruin your paygrade. As for the reason? To have some fun! Liven things up a bit. I'm sure you guys were a little bored down there patrolling the grounds. Gotta get the heart pumping every once and awhile!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Cobald smiles and beats on his chest./p
p class="MsoNormal""Now then, you can return to your posts, I'll take care of the lad. Also, enjoy the rest of the day! It turning out to be beautiful out."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He waves them off and each soldier files out of the room scratching their heads. Yahto waves as they pass by./p
p class="MsoNormal""Got some greenies, eh?" Yahto asks./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah. A whole new wave of employees started training a few days ago, figured it would be best to keep them on their toes. I don't want tinmen as guards; all armor and no heart."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Cobald reclines back in his chair, clunking his sneakers on his desk. Folding his arms behind his head, he lets out a content sigh./p
p class="MsoNormal""You know, Abby and I here have been working super hard the past month. However, I think we are on the verge of a breakthrough. The Jotun embalmer has doubled its potency, and can now even suppress alphas for days, weeks in theory. But damn am I tired."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Cobald squints his eyes, nearly dozing off on the spot. He jolts himself awake soon enough./p
p class="MsoNormal""No kidding. Training these kids takes a toll on me. Their so uptight coming from Midbay and Noir's watch that they cringe at the slightest mention of their names." Abby said, biting her lower lip. "Any job they take nearly causes them to have a panic attack. No bend and all break."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, I mean, you two are quite the prestigious duo. They are probably just intimidated by your reputation. Maybe you should have a day off and hold a cool party to show them that you are still human." Yahto says, walking to take a seat in a cushy leather chair in front of Cobald's desk./p
p class="MsoNormal""That's not a bad idea…..I'll clear off Saturday to have a little fun." Cobald responds./p
p class="MsoNormal""Err Jakob, what about the inspection that day?" Abby asks./p
p class="MsoNormal""Screw 'em. They can come back next week. This Saturday, we are shutting down and living it up!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""And that's why you're the best boss around." Abby sighs./p
p class="MsoNormal""Anyways, enough corporate jibber-jabber, how's it been going with you? I haven't heard from you in nearly a week Yahto." Cobald says, shrugging his arms./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ah ya know, lounging around, swinging on trees, fighting and capturing dangerous monsters that threaten the very existence of world. The usual."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Sounds boring."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I have to trudge through every day." Yahto slackens his posture, sinking into the cushioned chair, becoming one with the upholstery./p
p class="MsoNormal"Cobald chuckles and scratches his temple; his widow-peak ever regressing into a short spiky forest of hair. He leans forward on his chair, places his elbows on his desk, and tilts his head on his hands./p
p class="MsoNormal""If you want something to liven it up, I think I may have a little job for you."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Abby gives Cobald a look of playful worry, folding her arms in front of her. Yahto on the other hand, shoots out of the chair, eyes gleaming with the prospect of adventure./p
p class="MsoNormal""Do tell Colby."/p
p class="MsoNormal" Smirking Cobald asks, "How would you like to go on a boating trip?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"They wheel off many of the Grimm out the back end towards the cryo room, but a few remained in the containment stage. Armed guards circled around these select few-including Yahto's captured alpha-and rush the tables out through a large back door. Raising Yahto's curiosity, he followed the guards out of the chaotic mess into a wide-open area. The sun blinds Yahto for a moment, his eyes readjusting to the bright light. When his vision comes through, he is facing off against a growling beowolf. The wolf swipes a paw at intruder, only for its claws to rebound off a sturdy reinforced glass screen. Yahto jumps back nonetheless, excepting his left arm to be rolling on the floor at any given moment./p
p class="MsoNormal""What in the-?" Yahto spurts out./p
p class="MsoNormal"As the wolf slinks away from the screen, it perks it head up, ears flattening at the sense of danger. A clanking of gears catches its attention and immediately runs to the sound. It soon lost its momentum as a flurry of shots bore into the back of the beast. Yahto looks puzzled, as the guards he chased after enter the containment area. They rush into the encampment, hurriedly releasing the wolf onto the ground. It groans and its eyes flutter, alarming the young soldiers. They scurry out in the blink of an eye and slam the door behind them, locking it with some type of 4-digit code. Yahto walks on over to the relieved men./p
p class="MsoNormal" "Hey there! What's going on in this joint?" he asks./p
p class="MsoNormal"The ranking soldier turns to see Yahto in his pajamas, staring him down with his question. His helmet blocks any sort of facial expression, but his voice wavers with uncertainty./p
p class="MsoNormal""Uhh..This is the new live study area? It's construction was completed a couple days ago. Its meant to study Grimm behavior and interaction in fine detail." /p
p class="MsoNormal""Cool beans." Yahto replies, hands on head peering into the prison. Sand covers the floor, and only one bush lies in the corner of the area, far back off in a corner. The alpha beowolf gets back on his feet and prowls his new territory, keeping his eye on the door and wall besides it./p
p class="MsoNormal"The soldier murmurs to the rest of his squad and then finally confronts Yahto./p
p class="MsoNormal""So, who are you exactly, and how did you get in here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Friend of your boss and I snuck in." Yahto cheerfully replies./p
p class="MsoNormal""Did you just say you emsnuck/em in here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah? Whats-it-too-ya?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hands where I can see 'em!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Members of the squad move in and point their guns at Yahto, who reaches for the sky./p
p class="MsoNormal""Really? Twice in one day?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Yahto's eyes widen and his jaw drops. His hands poke the air, pointing towards the entrance the soldiers just exited from./p
p class="MsoNormal""Uh….guys? Did you hit the correct numbers on that pad? Cause that dog you put in there is shoving it open!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""What!?" The patrol turns for a brief moment back to the door. Yahto's alpha is pushing on the door, its muscles flexing under their power. However, the entrance does not budge; its sealed shut from the bar locks. Yahto takes that as his cue. He knocks one of the guns pointed at him into another squad member. Instinctively firing, the dust bullets bury into the armor of Yahto's lead captor and sends him reeling over from the impact. Yahto bolts for the door and out of the squad's line of sight. He clings to the wall right on the other side and focuses his semblance. Sparks swirl around his body and he vanishes under semblance and shadow. A couple seconds go by before the squad bursts through armor clanking and guns at the ready./p
p class="MsoNormal""Go! Go! He couldn't have gotten far! I want him detained!" The leader growls out, hopping along with them./p
p class="MsoNormal"They blaze a trail out into the docking area missing Yahto by mere feet. He snickers to himself and fazes back into view./p
p class="MsoNormal""Best be on my merry way."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He strolls through the prepping station and into the cryogenics lab. Scientists typing away at their computers. Their lab coats bob back and forth, as some get up to check on a serum contained in glass vials kept far from reach. The air is much more frigid than the other rooms and goosebumps appear on Yahto's skin to prove it. Lines of gigantic glass pods flowed with super-cooled water, bubbles endlessly rising to the surface. Grimm float in each pod in suspended animation. Each body has tubes burowed deep into the skin of the monsters, a frosty blue liquid seeping into the flesh like molasses. Yahto receives a few odd stares, but he plays it off and waves back at the scientists. He meanders his way through the complex until the alarm sounds./p
p class="MsoNormal""Couldn't leave me in peace, huh?" Yahto says, picking up his pace to a sprint, shoving the pencil pushers out of his way./p
p class="MsoNormal"He dodges incoming workers, and side-steps past a speeding fork-lift on its way back from repair. Parkouring over a desk, he flings himself at a staircase and jumps up it two steps at a time. Yahto crashes through the door at the top to the next room. Finding himself in a narrow hallway, his view draws to a long window overlooking containment area three. Metal girders crosshatch the ceiling and the cement floor stretches for dozens of meters on end. A large number of armed workers scurried about, securing the claws of the recently caught deathstalker by enormous metal restraints. It still seems to be incapacitated, but dents in the metal walls surrounding the huge beast suggest otherwise. Yahto shrugs and picks up his speed. No time to worry about that now. Navigating through a maze of corridors and offices, he comes up on a gray-blue door with a golden handle. Geometric designs riddle the door's strangely colored wood. Engraved in-between the two doors, a smooth dark blue rock holds resolute in signifying the man behind this operation; Jakob Cobald. Yahto kicks the door open with a loud crash and comes face to face with a line of high-powered rifles./p
p class="MsoNormal""Take one more step, and we blow your brains out." A guard calls from the side of Cobald's desk./p
p class="MsoNormal"Her body armor is ornate with pink streaks flowing around her limbs. Her attire is in gruffer condition than the rest, and an upside-down triangle plate edges down her helmet. Shoulder guards careen down her arms as a waterfall, and a metal plateskirt cuts the air where she stands. Cobald himself sits in front of a window overlooking the entrance to the facility, his outline taking a veil of shadows from the light streaming into the room. Cobald folds his hands and slouches his back. Light reflects against his navy blue eyes, which stare directly at the intruder in front of him./p
p class="MsoNormal""Great job remarking to the Sentinels you snuck into the place they were guarding." Cobald flatly remarks./p
p class="MsoNormal""I had to make it interesting somehow."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Indeed. How do you like my part of the show?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Yahto pans around the room, looking down barrel after barrel snapped directly to his face./p
p class="MsoNormal""Needs more guns."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Cobald furrows his brows and straightens his back. His head tilts back to burst out laughing. His partner next to him smirks and crosses her arms over her chest./p
p class="MsoNormal""Alrighty boys, you can leave now." Cobald says./p
p class="MsoNormal"The soldiers look back to him and then and back to Yahto, who now leans against the side of the doorway yawning to his content. They try to find answers in their leader who stands next to Cobald, but instead she just raises her palms to them. No help for her. They shift uncomfortably, guns still raised at the kid./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hold your fire! Didn't you hear me the first time? And turn off that damn racket while you're at it, it's giving me a headache." Cobald rubs his forehead and winces from the pinging of the alarm./p
p class="MsoNormal""I whole-heartily agree. Nothing to see here." The woman says nodding./p
p class="MsoNormal" One of the soldiers in line finally pips up and asks,/p
p class="MsoNormal""Uh sir, what about the intruder?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Bah! He's no intruder. Yahto here just has a flair for the dramatic."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Then why were we called up here to protect you? We could have shot him down had you not have said 'hold your fire'."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ah, but you didn't. You wouldn't want to risk to go against an order from your boss, would you? Might ruin your paygrade. As for the reason? To have some fun! Liven things up a bit. I'm sure you guys were a little bored down there patrolling the grounds. Gotta get the heart pumping every once and awhile!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Cobald smiles and beats on his chest./p
p class="MsoNormal""Now then, you can return to your posts, I'll take care of the lad. Also, enjoy the rest of the day! It turning out to be beautiful out."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He waves them off and each soldier files out of the room scratching their heads. Yahto waves as they pass by./p
p class="MsoNormal""Got some greenies, eh?" Yahto asks./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah. A whole new wave of employees started training a few days ago, figured it would be best to keep them on their toes. I don't want tinmen as guards; all armor and no heart."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Cobald reclines back in his chair, clunking his sneakers on his desk. Folding his arms behind his head, he lets out a content sigh./p
p class="MsoNormal""You know, Abby and I here have been working super hard the past month. However, I think we are on the verge of a breakthrough. The Jotun embalmer has doubled its potency, and can now even suppress alphas for days, weeks in theory. But damn am I tired."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Cobald squints his eyes, nearly dozing off on the spot. He jolts himself awake soon enough./p
p class="MsoNormal""No kidding. Training these kids takes a toll on me. Their so uptight coming from Midbay and Noir's watch that they cringe at the slightest mention of their names." Abby said, biting her lower lip. "Any job they take nearly causes them to have a panic attack. No bend and all break."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, I mean, you two are quite the prestigious duo. They are probably just intimidated by your reputation. Maybe you should have a day off and hold a cool party to show them that you are still human." Yahto says, walking to take a seat in a cushy leather chair in front of Cobald's desk./p
p class="MsoNormal""That's not a bad idea…..I'll clear off Saturday to have a little fun." Cobald responds./p
p class="MsoNormal""Err Jakob, what about the inspection that day?" Abby asks./p
p class="MsoNormal""Screw 'em. They can come back next week. This Saturday, we are shutting down and living it up!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""And that's why you're the best boss around." Abby sighs./p
p class="MsoNormal""Anyways, enough corporate jibber-jabber, how's it been going with you? I haven't heard from you in nearly a week Yahto." Cobald says, shrugging his arms./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ah ya know, lounging around, swinging on trees, fighting and capturing dangerous monsters that threaten the very existence of world. The usual."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Sounds boring."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I have to trudge through every day." Yahto slackens his posture, sinking into the cushioned chair, becoming one with the upholstery./p
p class="MsoNormal"Cobald chuckles and scratches his temple; his widow-peak ever regressing into a short spiky forest of hair. He leans forward on his chair, places his elbows on his desk, and tilts his head on his hands./p
p class="MsoNormal""If you want something to liven it up, I think I may have a little job for you."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Abby gives Cobald a look of playful worry, folding her arms in front of her. Yahto on the other hand, shoots out of the chair, eyes gleaming with the prospect of adventure./p
p class="MsoNormal""Do tell Colby."/p
p class="MsoNormal" Smirking Cobald asks, "How would you like to go on a boating trip?"/p