3-1: Experiment

"...ra! Lyra!"

Her head hurt.

Sure, it wasn't like the rest of her body was in any better shape, but the Sentry made note of her potential head injury first. Even now, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her, biting back a groan as the sensation arced through her skull. It wasn't quite the feeling of electricity, but it was something close to it. Thankfully, that feeling dulled after a few moments, giving her enough strength to turn her attention away from the pain. She brought a hand up to the back of her head, fingers running throu-

Wait, what? Why was she handcuffed?

That thought was all it took for the woman to collect herself, taking in a deep breath as she began walking through her memories, trying to recall the previous encounter. Yes... They had tried to attack the Armoury, only to stumble on the humanoid grimm itself. It stole her dust crystal, examining it for just a moment before... before...

"Lyra! Are you okay?"

The voice of her companion instantly snapped the Sentry out of her thoughts. Relief washed over her, now knowing that her friend as okay, as she turned towards the Lieutenant. That feeling swelled as immediately caught sight of two other survivors; Both the Captain and the other Lieutenant were okay, seated beside Iris with concern plastered on their faces. Lyra would've hugged them all if it weren't for these mysterious handcuffs, so she settled on verbally voicing her emotions instead.

"Owen, Sienna, Iris... You're all okay..."

She couldn't find it in herself to say more than those three words. After everything that had happened, after the attack and the abandonment of the Fort... She was just glad to see some of her friends survived. To say the deer-faunus had worried about them would've been an understatement, and she was truly glad that they were fine. Even if they were...

"Wait... Where are we...? What happened?"

The rest of her mind soon started turning, and she finally took notice of their surroundings. Massive metallic gears encompassed the space around them, a sort of makeshift room without any visible openings. There were a few gaps between the cogs and sprockets, as well as in the center of the gears themselves, all too small to fit through but large enough to act as a window for their strange cage.

And her friends confirmed that this was definitely a cage.

"We're being held captive..." Captain Owen was the first to speak out, the tiger-faunus wearing a weary expression as he turned his gaze towards one of the gears. Beyond the metallic walls, through the space in the metallic construct, the Sentry spotted the humanoid grimm hunched over one of the workbenches. It was poking and prodding at ... something, generating some sort of light as it muttered to itself.

"That person's been keeping us here for a while now, and we have no idea why."

""...Person?!""

To say that it was surprising would be an understatement. She was the first to see the humanoid grimm approach their encampment, and she knew full well that the thing couldn't even be remotely considered a person. Yet, the Captain quickly branded it with such a label, and this earned him an incredulous shout from both Iris and herself.

"What do you mean person?" Iris was the first to continue, her gaze caught between the humanoid grimm and her superior. "Isn't that thing a grimm? It was commanding the monsters that attacked us! And even now, it's communicating with the Beowolves and Ursa around it!"

As if to prove her point, the armoured mummy began speaking, an unnerving tone that echoed out into the room, carrying a hint of mirth as it turned its attention to one of the Alpha Beowolves.

The Sentry took this opportunity to examine it, only to confirm her suspicions once again. Just as before, she could feel no Aura emanating from that thing as it busied itself. Its body was wrapped in dark bandages which covered the telltale blackness that all grimm held, but it still wore an ominous mask with crimson eyes. It couldn't be anything but grimm, and she intended to confirm that fact with her Captain, as she turned around to face her superior.

"I don't sense any aura from it, either. Why do are you calling it a person?"

"Because it is." Captain Owen simply nodded at his words, which prompted more confusion from the two. He couldn't even chuckle at their response, as he cast a tired gaze between his subordinates. "You two don't believe me, do you?"

That was a difficult question to answer. Both of them trusted their Captain implicitly, but that didn't change the fact that it held no Aura. Lyra had seen many things in her time as a Sentry, and she knew full well how impossible a humanoid grimm was. Despite that, she was fully certain of her appraisal, as that thing carried no soul inside it, no mark of aura or life. Instead, its unnatural eyes peered out, walking alongside the rest of its twisted brethren, all whi-

"It took me to the bathroom."

That was more than enough to stop the Sentry's thoughts.

"... What?"

Thankfully, Iris still had enough sense to ask that obvious question, while the Sentry simply tried to search her Captain's face for something. Anything. An indication that this was a joke, or that he meant it ironically, or something beyond what he was suggesting. Instead, he was completely serious as he took off his mask, letting the two women fix their eyes on his.

"I mean it. It, no he, thought I needed to use the bathroom, so he escorted me out of this cage and walked me over to it." His face was solemn as the Captain took on the same tone usually reserved for briefings. There was still the off-chance that he was messing with them, but no one present dared consider that as a possibility. This was far too serious of a subject for him to be joking about.

"... And the reason why I was captured in the first place was because he tricked me. With subterfuge and body language."

That last part worried all of them. Even the other lieutenant, Sienna, widened her eyes in response. It seemed that, despite having spent time in the same cell as the Captain, he never mentioned that bit of information. But now that he had, they had even less of an understanding of their captor, which only unnerved them further. After all, Grimm existed simply to kill, so either their jailer was truly an ancient grimm from horror stories, or it was something beyond their understanding of the world.

Neither of those possibilities brought them any comfort, and it seemed the creatures of destruction outside their cage picked up on their thoughts, as a nearby Ursa released a low growl. The sentry turned her attention to the grimm, having a newfound sense of dread, only to notice the mysterious being in question rise from its seat. It... He made his way over to the cage, giving only a glare to the Ursa, silencing it with a single glance before shifting its crimson eyes back onto the group.

Crimson eyes. Weren't they purple before? Yes... She remembered it clearly, how the humanoid grimm wore a coat of Nevermores on that first approach, while its baleful eyes glowed with a dull violet light. And yet, its eyes were anything but dull, shining as brightly as the Dust crystals she had used to-

The ambient grimm growled once more as the Sentry came to a revelation. This earned the Ursa a backhand from the humanoid creature, but Lyra ignored it as she turned her attention back to the group.

"What happened to the dust? What did it do?!"

Her three companions picked up on her panic, and it only took a moment before a pall of realization flashed on Sienna's face. The grizzly-faunus spoke out, her eyes turning to another spot outside the cage, focusing on a glowing pile of gears. "... So that's what it was..."

"What what was?"

"When he returned with you two, he was also carrying a small box. We couldn't see what was in it, but whatever it was caused him to... laugh." Sienna flinched in recollection of the sound, pausing for just a moment before she forced herself to continue. "He put it into something that he constructed, and everything began to feel... different. We didn't know wh-"

Before Sienna could continue, a metallic voice echoed out, interrupting the rest of her statement as the four White Fang members turned to the source. Standing at the entrance to the cage was the armoured mummy, its eyes glowing ominously, with a single hand pointed at Lyra. And even if she didn't understand the words that it spoke, she knew full well what the intended message was.

'Follow.'

The journey from Patch to the wildlands of southern Vale was not a long one, but it was significantly more difficult when he had to maintain some semblance of stealth. Sure, Ozpin had pulled a few strings to make the trip easier, and an experienced huntsman like himself was hardly a stranger to subterfuge, so he didn't actually have any complaints. Still, the entire process of going from Patch to Vale, then from Vale to a south-bound train headed for the borders would draw a lot of attention.

Which was one of the many reasons why he wasn't going by train. You didn't think a Huntsman of his caliber would use something so silly, did you?

Qrow was a seasoned traveler, and honestly, the most tedious parts of his journey had been navigating out of the city of Vale. Once he made it passed the outer perimeters, he was in his element, able to cover far more distance on foot than others would by vehicle. It was certainly a skill that many huntsmen picked up on, but Qrow's ability to go from place to place was on another level.

And he was currently making use of such an ability. It had only been a day since he'd left Patch, and a few hours since he had crossed beyond the last security perimeter. In fact, the Huntsman was already approaching the southern wilds, if he wasn't considered within them already. It'd take him a little while longer before he was officially off the grid, but for all intents and purposes, he was in the wilderness. From here on out, it would simply be him, countless grimm, and whatever elements that decided to make their home outside the Kingdoms.

Well, all those and a phone call. It seemed that Ozpin didn't care for his current situation, since his associate decided that this was the best time to call him up. The huntsman quickly settled himself in a nearby tree, using it as a vantage point as he reluctantly answered his Scroll.

"... Ozpin."

"Hello Qrow. Have you departed?"

The experienced Huntsman scoffed at his friend's question, watching him on the holodisplay. As always, Ozpin had the same neutral expression that he was so fond of, idly sipping at his mug as his eyes fixed on Qrow. So, the huntsman in question decided to mirror that gesture, taking a moment to reach into his coat, before pulling out a familiar flask.

"... I'll take that as a yes, then." The Headmaster of Beacon gave his associate a bemused smile as he took a sip of his own drink. Both men stood in silence, idly enjoying their various beverages, simply content to watch the other.

Or, at least they would be, if one of them wasn't Qrow. The black-haired man was quickly growing tired of his associate's silence, especially since he was the one who called him. Yet, here he was, drinking his mug of whatever without a second thought, not bothering to explain himself. Normally, he'd mirror his friend, but Qrow was kind of on a schedule, especially since this entire mission sounded urgent.

"Alright Oz, I'll bite. What is it?"

"It seems that Ironwood has made his own accommodations regarding the... object of interest." It was an interesting way for the man to phrase it, and Qrow didn't miss that detail. His red eyes narrowed as he stared into his Scroll, trying to read Ozpin's mood beneath through light. Of course, he never could, and this time was no different, so the man gave up halfway through.

"Object of interest, huh? And tell me, what's the illustrious colonel planning on doing?"

"He wasn't exactly forthcoming with the details, but from what I can tell... he's sent an Atlesian Operative to investigate the area."

The Huntsman sighed at that new bit of information. This was already going to be a headache, since he knew one of the mining companies were already poised to move in a few days. Adding one more player to the group just makes things harder, especially if he was supposed to keep a low profile. No stepping on anyone's toes, and all that.

Though, with this change, maybe Ozpin would-

"And before you get any ideas, you are to avoid direct confrontation with this operative."

Goddamnit. So much for that idea. This made things far more complicated than they should've been, since he now had to actively avoid this second huntsman. Sure, depending on who they were, it might make no difference to what he was initially doing. If they were someone problematic, however...

"Alright Ozzie. Do you at least have any idea who it is?"

The huntsman didn't miss the smile that flashed on Ozpin's face, a single flicker of amusement that almost formed into a complete chuckle. Instantly, Qrow regretted his question, letting out a tired sigh as he prepared himself for Ozpin's answer.

"Indeed I do. I'm sure you remember a talented huntress by the name of Winter Schnee?"

God damn it.

It took a few tries, but Nox was eventually able to overcome the language barrier.

Well, that was the generous way to put it. It was probably more accurate to say that he had used his powers to forcibly drag his captive along, as he took one of the test subjects away from their cell. Surprisingly, none of the shadow creatures lashed out this time, and the worst the Xelor had to deal with was a particularly noisy bear.

And a noisy person, but that was an unfortunate reality when it came to dealing with people. No doubt she was complaining or something in her native tongue, but Nox ignored it. At least this woman's voice wasn't as grating as his Grambo minions. Sure, she couldn't hold a conversation the same way Igole did, as she'd simply freeze up whenever he talked at her, but it's not like that mattered.

Still, there was no harm in trying; perhaps something would stick, and at the very least, he wouldn't be bored by the silence.

"Test Subject #4? You're going to show me exactly how you used your weapon, and you're not going to make any complaints. Understand?" Once more, Nox threw a glance at the woman, and once more, she stayed silent. So rather than try to push the issue, the Xelor simply shrugged, sighing as they made their way to another part of the building.

His companion soon settled into silence, no longer saying whatever it was she tried to say, simply content to gaze at his work. A far part of that likely came from the fact that he was dragging her by the handcuffs, be he made sure not to damage her wrists during the entire procedure. Which was surprisingly easy, as she was far more durable than her physical stature suggested.

Subject #4's eyes darting from wall to wall as she took in the sight of countless gears. By now, most of the concrete and masonry in this part of the building had been completely replaced with reforged metal, all working on concert with one another as assembly arms slowly moved along the ceilings, pulled by an intricate network of chains, sprockets and gears. Slowly, steadily, he was recreating his clockwork home.

With major modifications, of course. His old system of piping and ventilation may have been suitable for Grambos, but they were woefully inadequate for anything that actually needed clean air and water. And the Xelor did not want his experiments expiring prematurely.

Thankfully, the only bottleneck to his constructs was time, and even that was becoming less of an issue. There were still a fair amount of raw materials within his influence, and the new fuel system he was using to power his dial helped immensely in his efforts. Once he figured out how to converse in their language, he'd have to thank them for supplying him with so many resources.

After finding out where they came from, of course.

Nox was no fool, and he knew that these things would eventually fade. The powders were short lived, even if Wakfu was used as a catalyst, and while the Wakfu would eventually return to his dial, this was not true for his other resources. He fully expected the crystals to act the same way, powering his Dial for a time before they too faded into something inert. And while he could extend it for a time with his Wakfu, it would still eventually fade.

Which meant that he had to figure out where these crystals came from. Were they like Wakfu or Stasis, in that they crystalize naturally in certain circumstances? Or are they perhaps extensions of the locals' mysterious power, made physical through some unknown process? One more question he'd have to ask, which was why he unleashed Noxines into the world.

Ah, yes, his Noxines.

While he was content with the progress of his new base, the Xelor had been most pleased by the reintroduction of his machines into this world. They truly were one of his most versatile creations that he had gleaned from the Eliacube, and would help immensely in his efforts on this new world. Though, to call them machines would be... inaccurate, as they were almost an extension of himself. More than the metal and powder that fueled them, these creations improved the reach of the Xelor by a considerable degree.

Of course, there was no Wakfu in this world, so they'd need to return to recharge and borrow his power, but that was the only limitation that these insect-like creations had. Beyond that, they truly were a part of him, as sound and sight were conveyed to him instantly. He could simply see through them should he choose to, no matter their distance from him, a property that...

That... He didn't remember having. Nox frowned. Or gave the closest approximation to one, as his mask whirred.

There was something else affecting them, wasn't there? He was certain that something else, something beyond Wakfu, gave life to his creations. In the World of Twelve, he needed to create something to connect his Noxines to, so that he could see through them. But here? Here, that was not the case, as the Xelor realized that he had not yet constructed a nexus for his creations. The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed, as it felt like those creations around him truly were a part of him.

Noxine, Armature, even his modified workbenches.

His focus quickly turned to his Dial, gazing at the Crystal held in its center. He had no doubt that this fuel was related to it. Which mean that it was more than just fuel. One more thing he'd have to research later... But that was for later.

For now, he had another experiment, his thoughts returning to his current situation as the Xelor mummy led Test Subject#4 to one of his refurbished rooms.

In the room was a single shadow boar, as large and angry as the rest of them. The beast gave Nox a glance before settling on Test Subject #4, giving out an aggressive huff. But beyond that, it did nothing else, as if it were waiting for his permission. It was a property that seemed common in all the creatures that had decided to follow him, and until he gave the word, the boar remained pacified.

Yes. Until he gave the word.

Nox gave an ominous chuckle as he held out a hand. One of his clockwork armatures responded a moment later, descending from the ceiling as placed something in his open palm, before retreating to the mass of gears that hung above. Without wasting another moment, the Xelor handed the object to Test Subject #4, then gestured towards the shadow boar.

Sure, his subjects might not be able to understand his words, but surely they could tell what to do when they're given a weapon and pointed towards a murderous beast.

This would be an interesting experiment to watch.