2-1: Subjects

The Alpha Beowolf knew not what it had witnessed.

In all its years of survival, this beast of grimm had no recollection of anything remotely similar to the journey that it had just taken part in. This entire hunt had been a new experience.

From the very moment the Other fell, it and its pack had been drawn to the mysterious creature. Its shape was not unlike prey, yet the creature itself was very much a predator, and bore a terrible power that it had used time and time again. Its very presence drew grimm, both young and old, and instinct drove them to follow the beast. The younger ones, frenzied and shortsighted, lashed out at the Other, only to be silenced. At the same time, a few of the older ones chose to ignore the Other, having approached for only a moment, before disappearing back into the wilds.

The rest that remained, including the Alpha Beowolf, followed it on instinct, drawn by the pressure of the Other. And this proved fruitful, as the Other brought them towards another fog of darkness. And this fog contained prey.

The hunt that followed was swift and brutal. Many fell, but many more had feasted, as the beasts found their victims. Familiar victims, to the delight of the Alpha, for they had stumbled on one of the burrows that had persisted in these woods for many years. The fact that they had finally shattered this pen brought an animalistic glee to the beasts of grimm.

Yet, their frenzy was short-lived, as an explosion of fire and light finally ended the hunt, with the prey fleeing. And though many of its kin survive, many more fell.

Most of the creatures of grimm left after that slaughter, but a few chose to remain by the Other, still driven by the same bestial instinct that drove the younger ones. After all, the beasts of destruction congregated around its betters by instinct. And the unnatural... presence that Other held far exceeded anything the Alpha and its pack had seen. They knew that the Other was clearly their better.

Once recognition had finally occurred, the other instinctual pulls of the grimm followed: whether it was the pack mentality for Beowolves or the swarm mentality for the Creeps, a new pack had been formed. Then, the survival instincts of Ursai were next, some choosing to submit while others chose to leave. A smaller group, however, chose a third option, but the few that attempted to challenge the mysterious being quickly disappeared to ashes.

And just like that, a new pack had formed. Another new experience.

But new experienced did not end there, as the Other made a surprising act; the leader of the pack had found survivors, but had chosen not to rend apart the two crippled prey. This technique of leaving its victims alive was one the Alpha had never witnessed before, but its instincts told it not to protest. Yet, some of the younger of the pack ignored the actions of the leader, protesting as they tried to attack the two.

The pack dwindled in size. There were no more protests.

Time passed, and the creatures of grimm found themselves settled in the burrows of their victims. None questions why this building remained unburned, for none had the capacity to.

Instead, they simply watched the Other—their leader—as it began... shaping. It used something akin to the Light of their prey, except it was wreathed in shadow and destruction. Using this not-Light, it shaped metal into something else. Something else that made a sharp, constant, noise. Then, the Other tore off a piece of itself, and melded it into this something, causing that strange not-Light to wash over the entire area.

And then, the not-Light changed into something else, turning back into a light that was... unlike light.

Of course, the Alpha was a mere beast of grimm, and it could not hope to describe nor comprehend what it had witness. Instead, it merely watched.

Watched as the Other began feed the Dust of prey into the something, only to feel heat and light flare up. Then, it fed Dust of another scent, then Dust of another taste, all seemingly burning away without purpose, feeding that unknown something.

Nox laughed.

Well, no, that's not quite accurate. Laughing with imply some sort of merriment, amusement, or joy in the person, and that certainly wasn't the case for the Xelor. Still, he let out a sound that was close to laughing, merely because that's what he defaulted to whenever he made a breakthrough. Whether it was his first discovery of the Eliacube, the first time he unlocked the secrets of siphoning Wakfu, or when had finally found the ancient dragon, the armoured mummy had always let out a bone-chilling cackle.

So this time would be no different.

"Isn't it grand, Igole?"

Nox turned to the closest of the shadow beasts, a large wolf creature with a distinctive plate pattern. It stood well above its lesser brethren, its piercing red eyes gazing back at the Xelor as its fur bristled. Sharp quills of bone also flared up, the ivory spikes dotting the beast's black coat at uneven intervals. Though a far cry from the name's previous owner, the wolf's appearance still bore some semblance to Nox's late pet. And in the eyes of a madman, one who clung onto things from a lifetime ago, it was enough.

"We may be without Wakfu, and the cube has abandoned me, but this place still holds something: This."

And at that very moment, Nox held up a vial of powder to the wolf, a vial containing the same strange substance used by the people of this land. It was certainly interesting to behold, as the Xelor had already witnessed it act as a fuel source. Already used it as a fuel source. At least, the red one. The blue and green were less successful in that regards, as he found out. Still, there were more colours of this powder, and it would take a fair time to properly research their full potential.

But he was not worried. Time was something he had plenty of.

Nox's attention fell to the structure he had constructed earlier, a metallic monument of gears and clockwork. It had been costly to mold, both in terms of materials and energy, as Nox had to tear apart much of the firearms stored within this building. Not only that, the Xelor also had to burn away precious Stasis, forcing it back into Wakfu through a painful process. It was necessary, but this action had ultimately cost him his left gauntlet, as the Stasis raged out in defiance, shattering the metal and splintering the focusing lens.

But, in the end, it was worth it. After all, he had managed to created his Dial.

Were he a normal Xelor, the construction of a Dial would've been a simple action, one he could've manifested with innate power alone. Through it, he could've attuned himself to the power of the God Xelor, to borrow a thin fragment of the deity's power, in order to combat foes for a few minutes.

However, Nox was not a normal Xelor, and this was not Xelor's Dial.

This was his Dial.

Far more permanent and far more powerful than any simple Dial, this was a monument to Nox's true power, a conduit that allowed him to access his innate abilities as a Xelor. And as Nox. The Wakfu within him could finally flow, allowing it to stretch outwards and influence the world. However, its reach was short, and its power negligible as the Dial itself was a crude construction. At best, it was a shadow of its former glory, and it was even less if it had no power.

But make no mistake: It had power.

Nox turned to Test Subject #2. Really, he had this person to thank for that. Even as he fell unconscious, the masked man smirked, and explosions sounded out. Nox was no fool, and he knew that these explosions were the result of his test subject, which mean that these explosions had a source. And at its source would be the fuel.

That had been more than enough reason for Nox to freeze time once more.

And from there, it was a simple task of finding the source of the explosions—A structure filled with vehicles, each containing crates of powder and crystals—and Nox could extrapolate from there.

It was a shame he couldn't actually save the powder, but he had seen enough to know that the red powder was not unlike elemental fire. And he could use elemental fire.

So really, he had Test Subject #2 to thank for his Dial's new, if primitive, power source.

"It may not be the elements, but it's close enough. You'll see, Igole... In a few weeks, I'll know enough about this powder to use as a proper power source. Then, we can find out what sort of energy my test subjects are using"

Nox chuckled, then turned to his "test subjects". The man and woman had awoken now, no doubt having heard his monologue. The Xelor didn't care, as he would have use for them later. For now, however, he had plans to-

A rumbling sound came forth, reverberating from the stomach of one of his test subjects.

"... Really?"

The Xelor threw a glance towards the female test subject, his mask squinting as the lens caps narrowed. All she could offer in return was a nervous cough.

"How are the preparations coming along?"

A stern voice echoed forth from the Veteran's Scroll, one filled with equal parts boredom and concern. It was an odd combination, but one he couldn't ignore, as this voice belonged to a very important person: his boss's boss. So, instead of complaining, the experienced security officer stood at attention, his face focused as he returned the woman's inquiry. "Ahead of schedule, ma'am. The third convoy of combat bots came in earlier this morning, and the fourth is expected to arrive in the afternoon."

"Good. Keep me appraised of the situation." And with that, the connection was cut.

The Veteran immediately dropped his posture, his shoulders slouching as he let out a sigh. Honestly, this was far too much logistical work for someone in his position. But, the fact that he's held this position for so long was reason enough for the company to push this onto him, and the Veteran found himself at the forefront of an operation that involved four platoons of Security personnel, and over two hundred tri-pedal combat drones. Then there were the fifteen fire support mechs, four-legged metal monstrosities that had a single laser cannon fixed where a body would normally be.

Sure, this may not have been the largest military campaign he'd had the pleasure to oversee, but he was working for a mining company, for god's sake.

And that's to say nothing about the air support he'd be in control of. Four full wings of combat VTOLs, Bullheads that had been converted into weapons platforms. Even if you ignored the sheer numbers, the modifications that these things went through could only be viewed as legal if you were drunk, and squinted hard enough. Rhinestone's legal connections had a field day with that.

Of course these numbers might've been overkill for a normal White Fang encampment, but this was no normal encampment. There was no argument that these faunus had something important, and the flight data he showed to his superiors were more than enough to convince the higher ups that this entire venture was worth the risk. Best case scenario, they get a new piece of tech; worst case scenario, they destroy it and suppress a threat.

A threat that had the power to freeze a flock of Nevermore. Definitely something worth worrying about, which was why the Veteran had the unenviable task of organizing this entire venture.

Just before he could return to his wonderful job of filling out manifests, his Scroll came to life once more. It was a silent call this time, and one from a very rare caller. A very important caller. The Veteran immediately scowled as he answered the call.

"You're lucky I'm out in the middle of nowhere."

"Apologies, Jared, but you and I both know I wouldn't be calling unless this was important." A middle-aged man appeared on his scroll's display, his black hair and sharp eyes immediately recognizable.

"Don't I know it. Now that you've partnered up SDC, you can't exactly afford to look buddy-buddy with the rest of us." The Veteran's expression was sour as he spoke out, in contrast to his non-committal tone. However, both of that vanished as he spoke his next words, his face serious. "It's about the video, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." His contact's eyes narrowed, a complicated expression on his face as he let out a tired sigh. "My contacts in SDC assure me they have no knowledge of whatever technology was in use during that footage. This means that we must conduct our own investigation. I was hoping you'd assist in that venture."

"Shouldn't you be running that by my boss, rather than through me?"

"Normally, yes. However, the operative I'm deploying for this assignment has a complicated relationship with your company. I'm sure you'll understand once you've seen her profile." And with that, his contact made a gesture with his hand, the file arriving seconds later.

The Veteran quickly opened the file, his eyes falling on the document for just a second before shooting back up to his associate. "Oh hell. You're kidding, right? Why her of all people?"

"She's the closest operative in the area." The man's eyes told the Veteran that he was most certainly not kidding. "But do not worry: She's a trained huntress, and as long as you provide her information about your group's movements, she'll stay out of the way."

"... You realize that I can't help her if she reveals herself, right?"

"I know. All I ask is that you give her the information she needs. Here is her contact information."

There was a pause, as the Veteran shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. This was the last thing he needed today, and if he were caught doing this, suspension of duty would've been the least of his concerns. But, at the same time, he couldn't very well refuse this just because his job was on the line. Taking in a deep breath, the man gave out a tired sigh, before finally fixing his gaze back on his contact.

"... Alright."

"Thank you, Jared."

A short nod was all the Veteran gave in response, before his associate cut the call. And with that, the man turned his gaze back to the document on his Scroll, a frown forming on his face as he read over the file of a certain white-haired huntress.

"Tch. 'Trained huntress'. Barely a graduate at best."

The Captain poked at his food. Honestly, it was surprising, given his predicament.

They had interrupted the armoured mummy while it was in the middle of ... communicating? with the grimm under its control. That alone unnerved the Faunus, and he had fully expected his captor to lash out at them. To threaten them. To unleash the grimm that he somehow controlled. To do something.

Instead, the mysterious being walked out of the room, only to return twenty minutes later with some of their military rations. Sure, that was technically doing something, but it wasn't exactly what the Captain expected. Of course, neither of the White Fang soldiers actually touched the food, since the source was far from trustworthy. This elected a glare from their captor—he assumed, as the glow in its mask narrowed for a second—but nothing else. And after a few moments, it seemed content to return to its... communication, as it began talking at the Beowolf without another thought.

This allowed the Captain plenty of time to examine the room, and now that his mind was no longer addled, it barely took him a few seconds to come to a startling realization: they were still at the fort. He didn't recognize it at first, and that ticking noise was doing him no favours, but memory told him that they were in another part of the armory, and the equipment lying around the room, forges and workbenches, told him where in the armory they were. Well, that and the bars.

He was in one of the weapon lock-ups, by the forges, apparently re-purposed to act as jail cells. He immediately turned to his Lieutenant, and he could tell that she came to the same startling realization. Did this mean his orders had failed?

The Captain immediately clamoured up to his feet, drawing the attention of the masked mummy once more. However, the Tiger-Faunus ignored it, looking around as he tried to find some hole in the wall, or a window, his gaze shifting from spot to spot as he hopped about in place. This continued for a few moments longer before he heard the sound of metal impacting metal, a dull clang echoing through the room. He turned to the source.

There, he saw the armoured mummy from earlier, with its palm flat against its face.

This sudden motion was worrying, and while he was unsure of what this meant, the Tiger-Faunus still stopped his motions, ready for anything. His eyes never left the humanoid monster as he watched the figure approach, the glowing lens of its mask fixed on him. The Captain's eyes widened in alarm, as something at the edge of his vision caught his attention: various bits of metal, the discarded scraps that littered the room, began levitating up behind the mummy.

The metal debris twisted in the air, as unloaded firearms and blades were gathered up in a bundle, as if pulled along by invisible hands. His captor quickly produced a vial, one he recognized as a canister of fire Dust, and the air ignited as he tossed it into one of the forges. The bundle of weapons quickly followed, flying into the raging flames as it melted back into metal. Far quicker than it should've, but the mysterious energy that quickly pulled it out drew most of the Captain's attention.

And now, there was a floating orb of molten metal that hovered behind the mummy.

The Captain didn't have time to ponder this, however, as the unknown forces that held it up began forming and twisting the molten metal into... handcuffs. And then a second one. He threw his companion a look, but she was just as lost as he was, and neither of them had any answer as the masked mummy it made its way over to their cell. The floating handcuffs followed, quickly slipping between the bars as they snapped around the two faunus's wrists. Both White Fang soldiers flinched, expecting to feel the heat of freshly forged metal, only to find nothing of the sort.

The confusion on their face was visible, even with their masks on.

And, apparently, confusion was not to be tolerated, as the Mummy cleared its throat in visible annoyance. The cell doors opened, and the metallic monster pointed at the Captain, making a motion for him to follow.

Which confused the two more.

Seeing the lack of movement, the mysterious being made a gesture with its hand, and the handcuffs came to life once more, yanking the Captain forward as he stumbled, barely able to catch his footing. The cell door immediately closed behind the Tiger-Faunus, locking back in place as he found himself being dragged away by invisible hands, tugging at his handcuffs as he was forced to follow his captor.

One of the grimm, a Creep, made a motion to attack. And just as quickly, the mummy made a motion to destroy, as a blast of blue energy shot out. Much like the purple energy, this destroyed the Creep utterly, and nothing else dared oppose the masked being.

There was little the Captain could do but glance around his environment, wrenching his eyes away from the eerily still grimm as he walked. It took him a few moments to collect himself, but gradually, his eyes wandered, searching for a window or something, some form of hole in the wall that let him see what condition the Fort was. If this armoury was still standing, what else remained? Were there other captives like him?

His fears were quickly answered as he found himself one such window. Nothing survived.

Or rather, very little survived, as the little pane of glass showed him that most of the fort was nothing more than rubble. Many structures were completely destroyed by the grimm attack, as well as the subsequent explosion. The courtyard told him all he needed to know, as blood splatters and irregular craters were all that remained of the battle. The faunus clenched his teeth, dreading the worst as he saw the lack of bodies. He didn't even notice when they came to a stop; at least, not until he heard a voice.

A metallic voice. His captor.

The Captain quickly turned back to the mummy, anger in his eyes. Of course, this was blocked by his own mask, so his mysterious jailer didn't react. Instead, he saw a wrapped arm gesture towards a door. Even in his fury, the Captain's gaze followed.

Oh.

And just like that, his anger immediately dissipated, transforming into embarrassment as he realized the mummy had led him to the bathroom. He quickly excused himself.