Author's note: I've decided to add a little extra spice to this chapter. Also, some more info on a previously established concept.
Ruby and the foxes stood in front of the door to the cellar, which was held shut by an iron chain and a padlock. She hesitated a little, not sure how she would best fight these Grimm. Suddenly, a red portal opened in front of her, and a belt holding Emerald's weapons fell out of it. The belt was soaking wet, but Ruby put it on anyway and adjusted it until it fit comfortably. She reached for her weapon to cut the iron chain holding the door shut, when a white glyph appeared on either side of the lock. Ruby turned around and saw Weiss, Blake and Yang standing in the door, and the lock snapped open.
"You knew exactly what you had to say, didn't you?" Weiss asked and said, "But, thank you. We all needed that."
"The maidens were created to protect mankind," Blake said, "Not to sulk around in a corner while the world gets destroyed." She growled slightly, and a faint tail made from purple energy manifested from her hip for a few seconds.
"If those things think they can make me stop protecting you," Yang said, "They're as wrong as they can be."
"It's good to have you all back," Ruby said, and Maria made her way over to her.
"If you want to use your silver eyes like I used mine," Maria said, "Just focus on what's important. Your friends, family, life as a whole. You have the power to protect it all. Never forget that."
"Thanks," Ruby said and turned around to open the hatch. She kept her weapon in its assault rifle form and went down the stairs, followed by Blake, Weiss and Yang. The group found themselves in a wine cellar with a hole in the wall. Ruby went through the hole and covered the path to the left, Blake covered the right side, Weiss went left again, and Yang covered Blake. Suddenly, a large group of Apathy approached from both sides. The Grimm let out an ear-piercing screech and the team felt their weapons suddenly weigh ten times as much. With each consecutive screech, the girls felt heavier and more exhausted, until they ended up lying in the shallow water that filled the tunnels.
"I offered you to live," Weiss heard a female voice say, "But you refused. Now, face the consequences." Weiss knew she had heard that voice before, she just didn't know where. She dug deep in her memory to find a face or name to the voice. Then she remembered. Salem. The Queen of Grimm. The woman trying to kill Ruby. The woman trying to take away her only real family. Weiss knew that she couldn't allow that. She wouldn't.
"I… am Weiss Schnee," Weiss said as she got back up, "And you… will not see the end of this day!" She used her sword as support, and was filled with pure determination. Two sets of half a dozen lime green lightnings appeared around her sword and zapped across the water, and disappeared in every direction. Weiss coated her sword in water-dust, dashed forward and hit one Apathy with an upward cut, sending a wave of water into the Grimm. She rushed forward and stabbed a Grimm through the heart. As it dissolved, Weiss turned around and decapitated another one.
"Weiss…" Blake said, still not feeling any better. A swarm of bats made from cobwebs, which were coated in lime green energy, came flying towards them and distracted the Grimm, their screams countering the Apathy's ability. One of the Apathy tried hitting Blake with its claws. Blake jumped back and left a fire-dust clone in her place. Yang turned into her dragon form and spread her wings a little, shielding her friends from what she had planned. She pulled her head back, yellow energy flared up around her eyes, and she threw her head forward again, unleashing a powerful wave of fire onto her enemies.
"Blake, let's go," Ruby said.
"Got it," Blake said and began using Mithala's semblance to make the water harm Grimm on contact, while Ruby used Jaune's semblance to amplify her aura. Yang stopped breathing fire, and the remaining Grimm evaporated. More Apathy came through the tunnels, but snakes made of rocks and coated in lime green energy attacked them. A human skeleton, held together by the same energy, threw a rock at one of the Apathy, then started attacking the Grimm with its fists. Weiss kept attacking the Grimm, sending waves of water into them, and created more and more minions with every step she took. The foxes scattered through the tunnels and went looking for more Grimm, though one remained with the group. Blake stopped using Mithala's semblance, and Ruby stopped using Jaune's. Weiss stopped dancing through the Grimm after she had killed the last few and looked around, and Yang turned back into her human form.
"That… was the most beautiful and brutal thing I ever saw," Yang said.
"Thanks," Weiss said.
"Where did those snakes and bats come from?" Blake asked.
"It's Lux' semblance," Ruby answered, "Weiss copied it, apparently."
"I did," Weiss said, "But all I did was give Mother Nature the strength to fight the darkness. She chose to aid us in this battle, and it is up to us to show our gratitude."
"Are… you feeling alright?" Ruby asked, somewhat concerned that her friend sounded nothing like herself.
"Of course," Weiss answered, "Now, we should probably ensure there are no more Grimm remaining."
"We're good," Blake said, "Mithala's semblance and the snakes and bats will make sure Grimm cannot survive in these tunnels."
"Good," Weiss said, "Then I believe we should rest."
"Am I the only one who doesn't like the walking skeleton?" Ruby asked.
"This was his home in life," Weiss answered, "He died defending it, and I allowed him to continue his service even now. It is what he would have wanted, I believe."
"And I thought you were a necromancer before," Yang said.
"Anyway, Weiss," Ruby said and asked, "How did you manage to get back up?"
"That is a matter best discussed tomorrow," Weiss answered and said, "As for you, Yang, the sanctity of life is no matter to joke about. I merely offered Mother Nature my strength, and she chose how to use it." Maria came down the stairs.
"Are you done down there?" Maria asked and said, "It's getting dark."
"Yes, we're done," Ruby answered, and everyone left the tunnels.
"One thing, though," Maria said, looked at Ruby and asked, "What was that about copying semblances?"
"Well, it's complicated," Ruby answered, "But essentially, when I use my silver eyes, and someone looks into the light, I copy their semblance, and they copy mine."
"It would be more accurate to say you provide them with a mold," Weiss said, "The other person can then pour some of their aura into that mold, achieving the same effect as you do with your semblance."
"That is… interesting," Maria said, "Anyway, off to bed, everyone." The group went back upstairs and went to bed. Ruby had some trouble falling asleep at first, due to how Weiss had acted, but eventually her exhaustion won, and she drifted off to sleep.
~o~
As she drifted off to sleep, Ruby felt something pull on her mind. Initially, she tried to resist, but then she just gave in and found herself in her soul core shortly after, with Sirena standing in front of her.
"Sirena!" Ruby exclaimed happily, then stopped and asked, "Wait, how did you do that?"
"I know many things you have yet to learn," Sirena answered, "For one, you must be careful when using another person's semblance."
"Why?" Ruby asked, "Is it related to how Weiss acts weird after using Guardian's Gambit?"
"It is," Sirena answered, "One's semblance is a reflection of who they are. Your aura is a manifestation of your soul. If you force your aura to change, it affects your soul as well."
"Wait, what?!" Ruby exclaimed in shock and said, "Please tell me there is a way to fix this."
"There is," Sirena said, "If Weiss uses her own semblance, it will affect her in the same manner using Guardian's Gambit has changed her, reverting the initial effects. Also, she can enter her soul core to easily reverse the effects, if using her semblance is not viable. Still, her core will never change, only how it is expressed."
"Come again?" Ruby asked, tilting her head at the last sentence.
"Imagine you have a white flashlight," Sirena said, "If you put a red filter over it, it is still a white flashlight, but the light turns out red due to the filter. Weiss' soul is the flashlight, and Guardian's Gambit is the filter."
"I see," Ruby said and asked, "Did this kind of thing ever happen to you?"
"Yes, from time to time," Sirena answered and said, "Luckily, I have a list of responses to most situations memorized, so I can still act like myself even if I am not thinking that way. It also helps that I am aware of this effect."
"But, why didn't you tell me sooner?" Ruby asked, "Also, why does this happen in the first place?"
"I intended to wait until you and your friends realized it," Sirena answered, "But I practiced with your semblance, and changed my mind. As for why it happens, I believe it is a trap set by the God of Light. If ambitious people knew this was possible, they would seek out silver-eyed warriors to copy their semblances, as they are quite useful in combat. If those people used these semblances, they would slowly become more and more inclined to protect the innocent, and thus be less likely to fall into Salem's hands. Also, if the spark of light within those people grew strong enough, it would manifest in their children."
"Wait, really?" Ruby asked, "So, if someone used my semblance often enough, and then had children, their children would have silver eyes?"
"Yes," Sirena answered.
"That's… interesting," Ruby said and asked, "Anyway, how are things in Mistral?"
"There is no need to worry," Sirena answered, "I have everything under control."
"I'm pretty sure that would make Qrow more worried," Ruby said and chuckled a little.
"It certainly would," Sirena said and chuckled a little as well.
"But, there is one thing I still want to know," Ruby said and asked, "What about Emerald? Will our souls merge over time?"
"No," Sirena answered, "However, when you have children, they will need a soul."
"And that would be Emerald's?" Ruby asked.
"Exactly," Sirena answered, "She may have dreams of her past life when she is younger, but she will forget about them as she grows up. However, I suppose I should leave now. There are still things I need to take care of in Mistral."
"I see," Ruby said, "It was nice talking to you again, even if it was a bit shocking."
"Yes, it was," Sirena said, walked off into the forest and was gone. Ruby stood around for a bit, thinking about what she had learned.
~o~
The next morning, Ruby still didn't know what to make of the things she had learned, and just looked at her food.
"Hey sis, what's wrong?" Yang asked.
"Do you want more salt?" Weiss asked with a slight grin.
"No, I'm fine," Ruby answered, "Just, Weiss, how could you get back up yesterday?"
"I heard Salem's voice in my head," Weiss answered, "I remembered what I went through in my first dream training with Niob, and a promise I gave someone some time ago, so I decided to just ignore the Apathy's screeches and my exhaustion, get up, and fight. I didn't think about it, I just did it."
"Sounds like you're a true huntress now," Qrow said, and everyone turned to look at him. He had his field flask next to his plate, and was looking at the group.
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.
"There's something they don't teach you in school," Qrow answered, "Because they can't. A heightened state of mind, where you don't think, but instead react out of trained instinct."
"Sounds like when I get really into a game," Yang said with a chuckle, and Ruby gave her a slightly amused, yet disapproving look.
"Come on, Yang," Weiss said, "This is serious business, and has nothing to do with your games."
"It's actually the same thing," Qrow said, and everyone looked at him in surprise.
"Say what now?" Weiss asked.
"It's the same thing," Qrow answered, "What gamers experience when they get in The Zone. It's the same thing that happened to you yesterday. You ignore everything around you, react faster than you could normally, and I'm sure you felt your aura surge as well."
"Wait, you mean my gaming skills can help me in combat?" Yang asked.
"Only the mental stuff, like reflexes," Qrow answered, "But yeah, to an extent, it can help you."
"In any case," Weiss said, "I would like to stay just a bit longer. Oscar, if you could please come with me. There is something I wish to investigate, and I could use your expertise on the matter." She got up and left the house, but waited at the door.
"Are you sure?" Yang asked, "What about protecting the relic?"
"We can embark before noon," Weiss answered, "But this is as important."
"Alright," Ruby said, "Oscar, you can go with her, we'll take care of things here."
"Ruby, are you serious?" Blake asked.
"Yes, I am," Ruby answered. Weiss and Oscar left the house, and everyone gave Ruby a curious look. Ruby had to resist the urge to blurt out what she had learned, since she wanted Weiss to hear it too, but she also wanted to see how Weiss would be affected.
~o~
Weiss and Oscar entered the shed, and Weiss looked around the shelves, with Oscar nervously standing in the door.
"So, what are you looking for?" Oscar asked.
"Seeds," Weiss answered.
"Seeds?" Oscar asked, "Like, for plants?"
"Yes," Weiss answered.
"Why?" Oscar asked.
"Mother Nature helped us against the Grimm yesterday," Weiss answered, "I simply wish to show my gratitude by planting a few trees that can survive here. It will also help those who may seek shelter here in the future."
"I see," Oscar said, "It's definitely worth a try. But, the ground is frozen, and even if we thaw it, the trees won't grow fast enough to break out before it freezes again."
"I can use time dilation to make them grow faster," Weiss said.
"Alright then," Oscar said, walked over to her, looked around a bit and said, "Here, those should work." He showed Weiss a bag of seeds with an image of an apple on it, which had a mostly red coloration, but a faint ice blue hue.
"Is that edible?" Weiss asked, eyeing the bag with suspicion.
"Yep," Oscar answered, "It's a special kind of plant that can survive in extremely cold environments, and their leaves give off a natural anti-freezing agent when they decompose in fall, so the ground near them won't freeze as fast. It's a bit of an incentive for squirrels to bury their nuts near them, since they can retrieve them more easily in winter. Of course, this means that there will be other trees near these rather quickly. They're basically the center of most arctic or sub-arctic ecosystems, which is why humans crossed them with apple trees."
"Well then," Weiss said, "Let's go." They left the shed and headed to a small open area behind the farm. Weiss drew her rapier and sent a wave of fire across the snow, melting it and thawing the soil. Ruby came up to them.
"Hey guys," Ruby said and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Hello, Ruby," Weiss said, "We are planting trees to support those who may seek shelter here after we are gone. I would appreciate if you could amplify my aura, as what I am about to do will be very taxing."
"Sure," Ruby said, "Just say when you're ready."
"Thank you," Weiss said. She held out her right hand and created a time dilation glyph over it, as well as a regular momentum glyph, and Oscar poured some seeds into her hand and through the glyphs.
"Let's see," Oscar said, looking at the bag, "It says to spread them out at least ten meters away from each other, but fifteen are recommended."
"Got it," Weiss said, "Ruby, if you would."
"Alright," Ruby said and began amplifying Weiss' aura. Weiss used her glyphs to plant the seeds the appropriate distance away from each other, and then switched to using time dilation to speed up their growth. Slowly, the seeds began sprouting into saplings, and into small trees. The trees had a golden glow from the time dilation glyph, and Ruby felt her aura drastically dwindle.
"This isn't good," Ruby thought, "I need to keep this up a bit longer. Weiss hasn't used her own semblance enough to be back to normal. I need to keep going. I can't let my friend stay like someone she's not." She felt dedication well up in her, and her aura started regenerating faster than normal.
"Are you still good?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah, kind of," Ruby answered, "But, maybe slow it down a little."
"Alright," Weiss said and reduced the amount of aura she put into her time dilation.
"I think that should do it," Oscar said after a few minutes, and both Weiss and Ruby let out an exhausted sigh. Weiss cut the flow of aura to her glyphs, and Ruby stopped amplifying Weiss' aura. Oscar walked over to one of the trees, put his ear against it and knocked on it a few times, then repeated the process with the other trees.
"And, how do you feel?" Ruby asked.
"I feel… oddly accomplished," Weiss answered, "But I'm a bit confused, too. After yesterday, I had this weird urge to help plants grow and stuff, which I never had before. Not that strong, at least."
"I guess I can explain," Ruby said, "But, let's get back to the others first." After checking on all the trees, Oscar walked back to the two.
"They're fine," Oscar said, "They'll adjust to the season, drop their leaves, and create an environment for other plants to thrive in as well." All three headed back to the entrance of the farm, where the rest of their group was already waiting for them.
"Now, Ruby," Weiss said and asked, "What was that about me caring to plant some trees all of a sudden?"
"Well, it's because of Lux' semblance," Ruby answered, "Basically, last night, Sirena visited me in my dream and told me that, when you force your aura to behave like someone else's to use their semblance, it affects your soul as well. It can't completely change who you are, but it still has a noticeable effect. And, if you use the semblance of a silver-eyed warrior too much, your children will have silver eyes as a result."
"Wait, what?" Weiss asked, and everyone was shocked to hear that.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Blake asked.
"Sirena just told me last night," Ruby answered.
"So, what now?" Weiss asked.
"Well, I'd say you're fine," Ruby answered, "You used your own semblance quite a lot, so the effects should have canceled out."
"And what about you?" Yang asked and said, "I mean, you used Jaune's semblance yesterday."
"And back there, to help me," Weiss said.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Ruby answered, "Jaune's semblance reflects his desire to protect people, so it doesn't change me too much when I use it too often." The foxes looked over to Ruby, still standing on the farm ground.
"I think they want to stay here," Qrow said.
"Looks like it," Ruby said, turned to the foxes and said, "You guys keep an eye on this place for me, please. And make sure it stays nice, in case anyone comes to stay here for a while." The foxes yelped happily and scurried away, disappearing into the main house.
"Let's go," Yang said, and revved up her bike's engine. Everyone sat down on the flatbed, and Yang started driving away, towards Argus.
"Anyway, who wants to hear the story of how I got these?" Maria asked, pointing at her prosthetic eyes. Everyone gave each other questioning looks, not knowing if they should make her tell this story, but realized that it had likely been a long time, and Maria would probably know what topics bring bad memories, so they nodded and listened intently.
~o~
Maria finished telling the story of how she lost her eyes, and Yang stopped in some distance to a small hill. Everyone looked at Maria, making sure the story didn't bring up any bad memories. Suddenly, Ruby's scroll rang, and she looked who it was.
"It's Jaune!" Ruby exclaimed happily and picked up.
"How?" Weiss asked, but Ruby shushed her.
"Uh, hello?" Ruby asked.
"Ruby?" Jaune asked and said, "Oh, thank you. I've been checking my scroll for your signal ever since we made it to the city."
"The city?" Ruby asked, and Yang drove onto the hill, revealing the city of Argus.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived in Argus," Yang said, and Ruby put her scroll away again. Before she could get going again, Weiss drew her sword, coated it in earth-dust and created a group of small pebbles, using Lux' semblance to make them form small serpents. The pebbles rolled around on the ground and gathered up a few more stones, before forming into small snakes and slithering away into the undergrowth. When Weiss sheathed her sword again, she noticed the others giving her strange looks.
"What?" Weiss asked.
"I thought you didn't like how it messed with your head," Blake said.
"I didn't like not knowing sooner," Weiss said.
"Are we ready to go now?" Yang asked.
"Sure," Weiss answered. Yang drove off the hill, rocking the flatbed a bit and almost throwing Weiss off, who warned her to be more careful.
~o~
Yang locked her bike and the flatbed in a garage and the group wanted to get going again, when they heard a familiar voice from the crowd.
"Cute! Boy! OZ!" Nora exclaimed, tackled Oscar and hugged him. Jaune and Ren followed her, though much more composed.
"Are you all ok?" Ren asked and hugged Yang.
"We were so worried," Jaune said and hugged Blake.
"It's been kind of a crazy trip," Yang said.
"That's an understatement," Weiss said, "Also, Ruby has something to tell you." Jaune, Ren and Nora turned to look at Ruby.
"Where did you get those weapons?" Jaune asked, pointing at Emerald's weapons.
"Sirena got them for me," Ruby answered, "Emerald wanted me to have them. Also, Sirena visited me in my soul core to tell me that, if you use another person's semblance, you become a bit more like them every time. It can't completely overtake you, but I still think you should know."
"Hold on, who's the old lady?" Nora asked, pointing at Maria.
"My name is Maria Calavera," Maria said angrily, calmed down and said, "I believe a friend of yours told you about me." Qrow gave Nora a stern look to warn her not to blurt out Maria's secret identity, and they all went back to the house where Jaune and the others had stayed.
~o~
Halfway through their first year at Beacon, Argent and his team arrived for their second mission. This time, instead of saving a beach from Grimm, they were helping the Vale police force. Argent wore brown leather boots, black pants and a brown leather vest over a black t-shirt. He had his black hair tied into a wolf's tail, and had two leather bracers on his arms, which could extend a single blade each. Niob wore black heavy combat boots, black jeans and a maroon t-shirt under an open black hoodie. His black hair was short and unkempt. Sirena wore her copper-colored combat skirt, blue tank top and black headband, holding her reddish-brown hair in a ponytail. Talia wore dark gray boots, silver-gray cargo shorts and a matching vest over a black t-shirt. Her black hair was shoulder-long and loose.
"That's him?" Sirena asked, looking at a man seated in an interrogation room. He wore a normal outfit consisting of black shoes, blue jeans and a white pullover, and had black hair and green eyes.
"Yes," Officer Baker answered, "He won't talk to us, but he's the only suspect we have so far."
"They scared him," Niob said, "Fear is a powerful weapon. One that shrouds its targets' minds in darkness and clouds their judgment."
"I shall give it a try," Sirena said and walked towards the door to the room.
"Don't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't work," Officer Baker said, "I tried a lot, and we had all of our specialists try and get anything out of him, too."
"You cannot defeat the darkness with brute force," Sirena said, "You need light." She went into the interrogation room, closed the door, sat down opposite of the man and looked at him.
"What is she doing?" Officer Baker asked.
"What she can do best," Argent answered. They looked through the one-way mirror and saw that neither Sirena nor the suspect was talking. After a few moments, Sirena leaned forward, turned off the recording device and leaned back in her chair again.
"And what would that be, exactly?" Officer Baker asked.
"Getting scared people to trust her," Argent answered. The man started talking, and when she realized the severity of the situation, Sirena moved her tongue, which Argent could pick up with his seismic sense, to let him know what the man said. Argent focused his aura to let Niob and Talia know through Morse code what the man said.
"I'm bored," Talia said after a while, "I'll go play elsewhere." She turned into a ghost, possessed Officer Baker's scroll and sent herself as a file to a detonation charge he had planted in the suspect's house.
"Is she using her semblance?" Officer Baker asked and said, "Because, if your friend in there uses her semblance to get a confession out of him without a license, we can't use it in court, and would actually have to press charges." Argent turned to the officer, and gave him a cold stare.
"I can assure you, she is not using her semblance," Argent answered, "It's something different. Something about her makes it so that scared people trust her more. She is like that stranger you see sitting at the mall, who looks just a bit more trustworthy than the rest when you need to ask someone to look after your things while you go to the bathroom."
"Do you think he'll tell her anything useful?" Officer Baker asked.
"Yes," Argent answered, "And when he does, she'll move her tongue in accordance with a system we established, allowing me to 'hear' what he says, thanks to my seismic sense. Then I'll use my control over my aura to relay this information to Niob and Talia, and while Niob stays here with me to make sure the witness doesn't get hurt once the criminals figure out that their secret is out, Talia disarms the bombs and contacts our parents, who are licensed huntsmen and can arrest the criminals." Suddenly, the door to the room between the main building and the interrogation room was thrown open, and a man walked in. He wore rust brown leather boots with red straps, black jeans, a hooded red pullover, a brown hat, and had two wrist-mounted needle launchers. His large mosquito wings buzzed behind his back and his dark orange eyes angrily fixated Officer Baker.
"What? How?" Officer Baker asked and said, "Doesn't matter, he had his warning." The officer pulled out his scroll and pressed a button. Argent just sighed.
"I just told you what we did," Argent said, "Dad, please take him away."
"Wait, dad?" Officer Baker asked, "You're… Swara Star?"
"Yes," Swara answered, pulled out his scroll, displayed his license and said, "Officer Adalbern Baker, you're under arrest for attempted murder on multiple accounts, blackmail and corruption."
"Y- you can't do that," Adalbern said, "I know my rights."
"You have the right to a fair trial," Swara said, "Also, if I think that you are unsafe, I can call my wife to keep an eye on you while I take a look at the surrounding area from above."
"That- that's a threat, you can't do that," Adalbern said. Swara walked up to him, holding a pair of handcuffs, and the officer backed away.
"I didn't hear anything of the sort," Argent said and asked, "And you, Niob?"
"Negative, boss," Niob answered.
"Hey, wait a second," Adalbern said as Swara came closer, "I think I know you."
"Sanctum entrance exam, yes," Swara said, and handcuffed the officer.
"How about you let me go?" Adalbern asked, "You know, for the old time's sake."
"You mean the times when you called me a useless insect?" Swara asked, "Or the times when you made fun of me because I hadn't unlocked my semblance yet?" He stayed calm and professional the entire time, only unnerving the criminal more with each second.
"C- come on, that was just a joke," Adalbern said.
"You said the same thing about my life," Swara said, "And you know what? You were right. Because jokes have meaning, and people actually care about them. That's why yours is no joke. Also, I unlocked my semblance since then."
"R- really?" Adalbern asked, "That's great, congratulations. What does it do?"
"It lets me store kinetic energy in any object I touch," Swara answered, "Once I do that, I can let it detonate remotely at will. The size of the explosion depends on how much energy I use. Different objects can hold different amounts of energy, depending on the material, purity and mass of the object. Metals are great, to be honest. I usually use small things like needles, but anything up to one kilogram is no problem for me to turn into a bomb that can kill a Big Ursa."
"I see," Adalbern said, looked down to his wrists and realized with sinking horror that he may just be carrying the explosive equivalent to a few fire-dust crystals around his wrists.
"Now, come along peacefully," Swara said, and led the horrified corrupt cop out of the room and into a holding cell.
~o~
Argent was sitting on a tree branch in the forests of Menagerie, with his tail curled around a branch, and thinking back at one of his team's earlier missions.
"What's so funny?" Trifa asked. She was clinging to the tree, hanging upside down and looking down at Argent.
"I was just thinking about something," Argent answered, "The first time my team officially took down an organized crime ring."
Author's note: Swara is based on Strix, a swara-titan from Huntik: Secrets and Seekers, whose whole deal is exploding. They fly up to the target, latch onto it, and go boom. Heat-seeking sentient grenades with wings. You can't even hide from them, because they're smart enough to fly around stuff or look for openings, or wait for you to come out again.
Adalbern told Sirena everything she wanted to know the following day, mainly out of fear of what the other criminals would do with him in jail, and got a nice deal out of it. All he had to do was tell her all his contacts and accomplices. But yeah, Swara did threaten him. In court, he'd get away with it, because the way he phrased it made it sound like he was offering additional protection. However, that additional protection would be Eis Star, and you saw in Chapter 4 what she can do. And Adalbern threatened the other guy's kids, so he definitely wants as much distance as physically possible between himself and Eis. At least until she finds out about it, because once she decided to tear someone a new one, it's over.
There is a bit more to how semblances affect a person's personality, but because the phenomenon is incredibly new, having just shown up for the first time ever, it's not very well understood in-universe.
Back during that mission where the team helped the police, Sirena was actually a below average fighter, around the skill level of Team CRDL. A few weeks after that mission, Niob noticed that he had trouble astral projecting, and asked Argent about it, which ultimately led to him sharing his dream training technique with the others and helping Sirena catch up to the rest of the team.