Sun let out a sigh of relief as he took his scroll out of his pocket and navigated to his huntsman's license. The faunus boy paused for a moment to look over the information, and more specifically, the portrait of himself that smiled back up at him from within the digital space. It was an earnest, hopeful smile, filled with youth and enthusiasm. He recognized the photo as the one from his old Haven Academy I.D., though the familiarity ended there. What he saw in the mirror each morning and night was a far cry from the expression that greeted him within his scroll, and he considered the sight a little unnerving. All the same, he found that he couldn't bring himself to look away as he was reminded of simpler times.
His first day at Haven. Meeting Neptune, Sage, and someone else he was actively trying to push out of his thoughts. Seeing the poster for the Vytal Festival and discussing everything he wanted to do in Vale with his team. Skulking through the boat to Sanus after hours, snooping through supply crates, and looking for anything that might give his team an advantage. Disembarking, and seeing her for the first time.
Sun knew that it was a pointless endeavor, but he navigated away from his license for a moment and into his contacts to get a good look at Blake. Her portrait within his scroll was so different from his own- an unreadable expression to most, but one he knew practically screamed "I'm going to pretend I don't want to be here for the camera, but I'll subtly try to look cute all the same." It was a photo he had grown very familiar with as he looked at it every night before bed, and one accompanied by a bit of text that he hated seeing and kept hoping would somehow unexpectedly change.
BLAKE BELLADONNA
NO SIGNAL
Even though deep down he knew that nothing would be different, the words still caused his heart to sink ever so slightly. With a frustrated grumble, he flicked back over to his I.D. and swiped it across the electronic scanner outside of his borrowed penthouse. The metallic door slid aside with a soft shff, only to reveal just about the last scene he had mentally envisioned within.
Ilia Amitola sat upon the couch, wrapped snugly in the blanket from his bed as though it was her own personal cocoon. Though only her face was visible within the wrappings, it was enough to cause Sun alarm- her skin had taken on an unnatural shade of blue, opaque and dull enough to remind him of a drowned corpse. Her freckles were barely visible upon her cheeks amid the change in skin tone, and the light hues of her eyes had darkened to a deep shade of azure. In the lounge chair perpendicular to the girl sat Corsac Albain, wearing his vermillion robes and black breastplate beneath them.
"Ilia…?" Sun tried as she looked over to him. "Are you… sick?"
"Not quite," Ilia replied, sounding utterly exhausted. "Just… unable to keep it under control, anymore. My skin shifts with my mood, unless I actively stop it."
"I know, but I've never… seen you like this," Sun said softly as he made an approach toward the couch. "Can I get you anything?"
"Already working on it," a deep, familiar voice called from the kitchen. "Tea, right?"
Sun turned to find General Ironwood standing within the kitchenette, busying himself with setting out a collection of cups. The man looked distinctly out of place in the kitchen with his usual military uniform, and even more so due to his bulky frame and impressive stature. The sight of the man unexpectedly shuffling around dainty little cups reminded Sun of a child pretending in their plastic kitchen playset, though he wouldn't dare say so.
"Tea's good," Sun agreed. "I hate to sound rude, but…"
"What am I doing here?" the man finished for him. "I came to check on Miss Amitola. In all honesty, I should have done so during the emergency meeting, but… I've had my attention pulled in too many directions at once to think clearly, of late. Sharing information and considering our circumstances is important, and perhaps, priority, if I'm honest… but knowing that your team and the Aces are coping with those circumstances is equally important."
"That's a lot of words for 'I was worried'," Ilia teased with a knowing smirk.
General Ironwood paused and let out a sigh.
"…perhaps it is. To be completely honest, Harriet's admission last night about her own callousness got me thinking and led me here."
"Stress clouds the mind," Corsac added. "We are taking on the most stressful task in all of Remnant, and so, we need to lean upon each other. The general… filled me in on what exactly we're dealing with, in Salem."
"And yet, you're still here," Sun said half-jokingly as he took a seat next to Ilia upon the couch and let her flop sideways into him.
"I am," Corsac agreed. "I have much to make up for, and Sister Ilia has it the worst among us at the moment. I came to offer my support, much like our leader did."
"Weathering the storm will be impossible without stable foundations," General Ironwood added as he carried a set of four cups into the living room and set them upon the coffee table. He slowly sank into a lounge chair opposite of Corsac before taking one of the cups for himself. "Seeing you and yours support each other over the past few weeks has been a clear reminder of that. We may have limited time… but dedicating some of it to moments like these is important, especially when one of you is in crisis."
"I'll… be fine," Ilia reassured as she took her tea and cradled the cup in her hands. "Going through trauma as a kid gave me thick skin. Just… don't make me go back down there. Please."
"I see no reason for it," General Ironwood reassured. "That being said, where you're going next may prove stressful, as well."
"Mantle," Sun said as he sipped at his own cup. "Some people down there hate the faunus. Others hate the Aces, still more hate Weiss and her family, and everyone is tense in the face of the upcoming election. We're just going to have to… deal with it. Prove them wrong by example. Be helpful where we can and hold our tongues if and when we have abuse hurled at us."
"…those don't sound like your words," Ilia pointed out with a suspicious look. "What happened to the Sun that calls out injustice and grandstands in the middle of Kuo Kuana, even when it could get him killed?"
"They're mine," General Ironwood admitted without missing a beat. "Pin the blame on me, if you must."
"Wow," Ilia replied, refusing to look at the man. "So, you're really just going to tell the three faunus volunteering to help you to shut up and deal with it while we're down in Mantle… and presumably, up in Atlas, too."
"What is the alternative?" Corsac asked. "Realistically, I mean? Causing a scene will cascade into more bad will for the general and the Aces, and sow seeds of distrust among the populace. Yes, it is unfortunate that we must remain silent, but to put it simply… now is not the time. We will make a stand for the faunus once again… but it needs to come after Salem is dealt with. Once that happens, we will have significant leverage to push the faunus toward true equality. Even more so if the White Fang and Black Claw truly do manage to coordinate and legitimize Menagerie as a fifth kingdom."
"A fifth kingdom, led by the faunus," General Ironwood mused. "Once Salem is defeated, I will personally push for such of thing. Whatever state the council is in after all of this subsides, I'll bring forth the motion and start the voting process to move forward with that idea myself. You have my word."
"Just like that?" Sun asked, looking surprised. "You can just… do that?"
"You would be surprised and likely appalled by the amount of things I can simply 'do' if I want to," the man answered before taking a slow sip. "I have done what I can to show restraint with the power of two council seats, but in the coming weeks and months… there will likely be some hard calls to be made. Ones that the three of you may not agree with."
Ilia let out a long sigh and pulled down her blanket hood to let her short hair tumble free before fixing the general with a serious look.
"…listen… I'm not in the mood for games and doublespeak. I don't play well with authority. That being said, we're currently the 'inner circle', and the frontline against what we're being told is the literal apocalypse. If you have to step on some toes to give us a leg up, then do it. I might bitch and complain, but I'll stick with you for as long as Salem's a threat. After that… I don't know. I just want there to be an 'after that' at all."
"That's pretty much where I stand, too," Sun added. "I know you're under tremendous pressure… and I have a feeling we still don't know the full story about everything that's going on."
"You don't," General Ironwood confirmed nonchalantly. "But eventually, you will. For now- tonight, at least- I think it best that the three of you simply enjoy each other's company and focus on recentering yourselves. Clover will be posting a list of jobs for you all to take in the coming days. Have Arc and Xiao Long been brought up to speed?"
"I ran into Jaune in the training room and filled him in," Sun answered. "Dunno about Yang."
"I haven't been back to our room," Ilia admitted. "Haven't heard from her all day."
"Nor have I," Corsac offered. "I did see Weiss in the hall on the way to Marrow's room, but I've seen no sign of Yang."
General Ironwood let out a knowing chuckle and shook his head before taking a sip of tea.
"Weiss and Marrow… who would've thought?"
"Word's gotten that far up the ladder?" Ilia asked.
"It has," the general acknowledged. "More power to them, if and when they decide to pursue that path. My best advice would be to take what happiness you can get from wherever you can find it, especially in these times. It may be the only thing that keeps you sane."
"And what of your own?" Corsac inquired, tilting his head to one side. "Are you following your own advice?"
Neither Sun nor Ilia dared to say anything as their leader rose from his chair and drained his cup. He gave Corsac an unreadable look for a moment before turning and making his way to the kitchen, where he deposited his empty cup into the sink.
"I'll let you know as soon as I do," the man answered cryptically with a nod to Ilia. "I should be going. Thank you for returning the footage from Beacon."
"It was… something Corsac and I needed to see," Ilia explained. "I'm glad that Sun brought it to us, but… we don't have any further use for it."
"I should hope not," General Ironwood agreed. "Do your best to catch up Xiao Long when you get the chance. And… Ilia? Feel better."
"…thanks," the faunus girl replied with a weak smile.
General Ironwood gave her a quick nod in return before leaving the suite, his hands clasped behind his back.
"…that was weird, right?" Sun asked.
"Definitely weird," Ilia agreed. "I'll text Yang."
"I think…" Corsac began, only to pause for a moment to gather his thoughts. "I think, at some point, we may need to pry a little deeper into that man's thoughts about his own situation…"
"Yeah," Sun replied. "Yeah, I'll… see what I can do…"
"Authorized. Welcome, Yang Xiao Long."
Yang barely waited for the metal doors to slide open before walking forward and into the lab. The smell of cleaning solution was almost overpowering within the central room, where Dr. Polendina was sitting in his mechanical chair, tapping away at a tablet. The man looked up with a surprised expression upon his face, which was immediately replaced by a smile filled with warmth.
"Ah, Miss Xiao Long!" the man said in a fatherly voice. "What can I do for you? Weapon upgrades functioning correctly? How's the arm?"
"The arm's fine," Yang said dismissively as she waved the metal limb off to one side. She closed the distance to the doctor with hurried footsteps, causing him to raise a brow. "I… want to talk to you about something. Someone."
Dr. Polendina's expression immediately soured, and he shook his head.
"…oh. Oh, I see…"
Author's Note:
This should go well.
-RD