Chapter Twenty Two: Terra Vaterra
The bulkhead transport locks into place. A mechanical rumble ends in a thud, the craft shuddering to a stop. The hum of engines dies down as smoking fumes peter out. The helmeted pilot clicks off all the main systems before he pulls out the speaker microphone. His plain voice sounds over an intercom throughout the craft. "Allllright, passengers. Uhhh, we have arrived at our destination. Please remain seated until the doors open. We thank you for your flight."
Clicking off the intercom, the man exits the cockpit into the cabin area. A dozen and a half people mill about, only half having listened to his request to remain seated. He sighs before reaching the large platform door. Hitting a switch, the large metal wall pushes out, falling forward to provide a ramp to exit the transport.
The pilot turns and gives a showman smile. "You may depart-"
The people file out, moving by the man without any warning or care for him. The man remains frozen, his helmet and visor covering twitching as his forced smile remains. Left along on his own ship, he kicks at the floor, pouting. "Selfish commoners not showing a shred of appreciation!" He grumbles under his breath.
Exiting, he comes to a couple platform officials, bringing up his craft's manifest. He wags it. "Hey guys! Got today's load-"
"We know." One of the platform engineers comments without looking, pointing to the back of the bulkhead. Looking over, the pilot sees the dock workers already unloading the supplies from the back. "Same restocking for businesses and 17 passengers. Just go get ready for the next flight in two hours." He finishes with flicking his hand to dismiss the pilot entirely.
The visored man huffs, turning and stomping away. "Fine. Pardon me for some damn work ethic!" He marches away from the group before he freezes in place... "Wait...17 passengers?" He looks at his manifest... "There were 21..." He turns to return to the foreman, but stops. "Eh, whatever. Screw those assholes."
Four people mysteriously missing from his head count... Well, they didn't care, so why should he care.
. . .
The grand floating islands shadow the ocean waters below. The cliffs of the mainland in the distance cover the entire end of the horizon. Floating land masses gently hang and sway aloft. Each mass varies greatly in size, from the scale of a six wheel truck to hulking city block sized stones.
However, all pale in comparison to the meteor sized blot in the sky, center of the field of floating masses. While many of the floating isles held their position decorating the sky around the largest mass, many more gently sway with some unknown current.
Upon the central land mass sits a central hub, a micro city of simple hardy metal and concrete structures. The buildings were smooth, with domed roofing, with an architecture based on arches and chiseled murals crafted into every structure. The ornate pictures primarily revolved around the sun radiating down light, pulling the very earth into the sky. An experience of the heavens.
But even weirder was the fact that this city wasn't simply one island. No, for several smaller islands floating about were each connected to the largest! Powered electric cables tether them, connection established as tubed bridges allowed travel between them! On each additional tethered island, the city was expanded further.
None were perfectly level, the bridges all at angles to connect the different heights. It looked much more like a spider web of islands, if not for the one above. One island floating above the central hub. Like a crown atop the head that is the city, a spire in the center of the town connects tethers and a powered elevator to the above mass.
At the outer edge of an auxiliary island, two heads poke out and look over the edge. The side island primarily occupied by bulkhead platforms and comm towers, people buzz about. The two heads look with wide shocked eyes.
"Wow..." Carmine mumbles out. His blue orbs shine as he looks DOWN at the clouds. He wears a dark red, nearly black jacket hugging tight. The top is open above the chest plate, showing an unsaturated forest green undershirt. He wears dark gray gloves and pants. "Atlas is a floating city too, right? How does this measure?"
Beside him stood Neo, but not. Neat, straight blue navy blue hair, and green eyes likewise show shock at the sight over the edge. She, or rather her illusion, wears a pale lavender sweat shirt and tight blue jeans to black shoes. Her parasol, Hush, is colored pure lavender by her illusion.
She mulls is over a second before shaking her head. Not quite as impressive, but definitely something! She turns to Blair and Roman. God she hates hiding. The pout shows, not allowed to conjure signs while in disguise.
Blair looks at a map of the city. Her hair is contained, shut inside a puffy white hat with violet glasses on. Fake glasses, granted. She wears a white v neck pleated shirt with wide sleeves a black undershirt with look sleeves showing under. Belt straps hold Florescent Finish at her side, dark violet jeans and her boots to finish.
Twitching, she adjusts the fake glasses, distracted by the spectacles. "We'll have plenty of time to sight see. We should get some food and see what the city looks like up close." She suppresses a groan before looking to Roman. "You know what we're looking for?"
Beside her, Roman huffs his cigar. His bowler hat is gone?! Replaced with a brown fedora with red wrap. Red fabric tied into a choker down to a tan coat with red interior, black gloves, and black pants. He taps his cane for the attention. "Blue numbers are... administrative for lack of a better term. They'll be trained and held in connection to something business or culture related."
He yanks Carmine and Neo from the edge of the island before the group walks to the down slope bridge. The man continues. "So, we could be looking as big as a multinational conglomerate or as small as a mom and pop sweat shop teaching the brats how to avoid taxes."
Neo gives him a stink eye. She'd only twice ever even been transported alongside blue numbers. A bit of frustration bubbles as even being a more recent source, she had no idea how yo proceed... Except... She taps his arm, miming a cover over her eyes.
He scoffs. "Finding one would be an annoyance in a black number territory. Blue? Our best bet would be fumbling about until we find someone, anyone with the tricloptic skull on them."
"Wait. Find a who?" The boy asks.
"A Johnson." Blair answers, earning the attention. "Men who don't reveal their real identity and act as contact agents for jobs undertaken by the organization. It's how I was contacted to start with."
"Well, that's more experience than me on the contact side of things. How did they find you?" The man pipes up. Neo likewise locks onto the blonde.
"Do odd jobs until I got noticed by them and not huntsmen or huntresses." Blair mutters, disappointed herself over how little she had to offer.
"So, we need to get noticed... but not discovered?" Carmine questions, then looks to Roman. "You DID say being discovered was going to happen."
Blair cuts between them. "We would need to get their attention by showing off some measure of skills important to them." This prompts a smirk from the boy, who angles around Blair mid stride to look at Roman. The man taps his own chin. A creep of dread comes on Blair. "What?"
"Ideas." Roman states innocently.
"I want in on them, too." Carmine grins as Blair gets a suspicion she won't like it...
Blair then look at Neo, who similarly smirks back. Blair huffs. "Well, here's hoping you can think of SOMETHING worthwhile." Deciding to distract from coming annoyance, she focuses on current annoyance, wrinkling her nose and shifting the fake glasses.
The action gets a chuckle from Carmine. "Are glasses that bad?"
The blonde sighs. "Not exactly. Just a reminder of... my old team." She trails off. "It is a bother."
Blinking at her, he frowns. "How IS Glynda, then?" At the name, he flinches from Blair's sudden storming gaze directed at him. "I-I mean... Things ever... uh..."
"I wouldn't know." Blair spits out.
Waiting a second, Carmine ignores the curious looks from Roman and Neo before he pushes the scientist's button again. Hesitantly, that is. "Have you spoken since..?" Simply, Blair turns her fierce glare solely on him, sending terror through like a jolt. "...Meep..." He meekly utters the whimpering noise of fear. Seconds later, he scratches out. "Never mind."
. . .
The foursome progressed through the inner city. While Roman and Blair were far more perked at looking for any sign of their enemy, Carmine and Neo found themselves glancing more and more at the architecture and artworks. The chiseled murals of the concrete buildings were often colored with black asphalt for shading and clean white stone. It allowed detailed, shaded murals made in the walls.
Neo admires a depiction of two larger than life beings standing over the simple figures representing humanity. One was depicted in white stone and one of black asphalt. Gods? As she ponders, her off hand raises to massage her throat.
The uncomfortable burn rises... She winces, taking her eyes from the image before her, scowling down. Carmine flicks his gaze across the images. "This place is big on religion, right? I would think Mibu was the most we'd get."
"Once upon a time, yes." Blair answers. "The area was filled with ideas of magic due to the floating islands. It's why the upper land above holds a fairly modest temple." She glances up to the floating island above the central hub.
"But, don't we know of some forms of magic?" Carmine raises a brow. "The floating islands ARE listed as a magic based wonder of the world. Same with Grimm pools and white dust."
"Magic is simply science that has yet to be discovered or explained." The blonde rattles off like a rehearsed answer given a thousand times. Roman chuckles next to the woman.
"Here I thought Hunters were all about that nonsense. Glad I'm not the only intelligent one." At Blair's and Carmine's simultaneous scowls, he smirks. "There's a reason religious sites turn into tourism traps. If gods exist, they don't leave a damned wink of good fortune for us."
The redhead pouts at that. They can't be right, right? Hell, some things truly can't be explained. Magic had to be real in some capacity. "You believe in magic, don't you Neo?" He looks to the girl, finding her wheezing a weak breath while walking. Her head was down. "Neo?"
The girl picks her head up, only to lurch into a violent coughing fit. Her hoarse, harsh hacks are covered by hard hand. However, Carmine catches the sight of red escaping the seams of her fingers.
Blair quickly moves to the girl, rubbing her back and looking to the nearest restaurant. "Here." The group moves into the double doors.
As they sit the girl down at a booth, Carmine asks. "Is she fine? What happened?" Even Roman raises a brow, curious. Neo wheezes a breath, glaring up at the two as she allows Blair to shift and begin feeling her throat.
"Go ahead and get some food for us while I check her. Be sure it's soft and easy to down." The blonde orders. The males abide the order and leave the two. She notices Neo eyeing the two, having a sneaking suspicion the young girl didn't like those two seeing this.
As it stands, Blair was the only one to see and treat her, and that alone was a shaky trust. Perhaps getting an actual specialist would help? As if reading her mind, Neo looks back at her, the fake green eyes failing to cover her natural gaze. The girl fiercely disagreed.
Giving in, Blair steps back. "Some better medicine would do well, but you know it's getting worse. Aura healing isn't cutting it. You might even have a good deal more aura available if it wasn't constantly healing your esophagus."
Yet, the girl still stubbornly glared and shook her head. Damn it.
The two are joined by the males, two trays with soft foods. Blair looks over the bowls and the multiple glasses of water. "Did you get enough?" She raises a brow at the two sarcastically. It WAS about lunch time too. Oatmeal and soup was lowered by Roman. Yogurt and mashed potatoes were on Carmine's.
Carmine mutters. "You said soft food, so we got everything that was soft."
"You did." Roman interjects. "I mistakenly thought you knew restraint."
"Shut up." Carmine snaps before looking to Blair. "What's wrong? What set that off?"
The blonde sighs. "The air ways are strained by the thinner air." This gets a harsh glare beaming into the back of the skull from Neo. "With this high altitude for this city, breathing is slightly more difficult and unhealthy for those not adjusted. Since her esophagus is always in permanent damage, the strain irritated it further."
Wordlessly, Blair grabs a glass of water, handing it to Neo. "Swish and gargle. Clear as much of the blood as you can. Your aura has stopped the bleeding for now." She looks at Roman, who drinks from his own brown cup. "Down that while you can. She will need a spit cup."
Roman chuckles. "It's rum, so I'll have it down in a sec." He continues to down it as both former Beacon inhabitants shake their heads at him.
"Why are you drinking now of all times?" Carmine groans in frustration.
Drink finished immediately, Roman hands the cup off to Blair and Neo, the younger spitting a mouth full into the container. Carmine eyes the water, tinged pink and red in parts of the spit and water. A lot more blood than there should be.
Neo repeats process as Blair calms. "I assume I'm the only one accustomed to thin air by high altitude." Seeing the blank look on Carmine and Neo, she focuses on Roman.
"Spent over a decade just in Vale. Sorry." He flicks his hand.
"Then we should avoid direct fighting. First time encounters won't last long when you're not adjusted to the change. You'll be choking for air that isn't readily available." Her gaze observes Neo as she spits a third time, clearing fully before she sullenly grabs the bowl of yogurt. "So, ideas on getting attention without going too far?"
The respond was immediate.
"Witch Doctor!" Carmine proclaims, grinning. All three look dubiously at him. "You got their attention the first time with doc stuff, so we do a public show of you fixing problems. Make it a traveling performance!" He says with a grin.
"Oh for gods' sake." Roman rolls his eyes with the muttering, but then pauses, looking up. "Although we could charge people..."
Suddenly, Neo passes a napkin, her semblance creating a sign on it. 'Mine and Carmine's semblances can make the treatments look super quick!'
"AND it can get some volunteer test samples from people for your research..." Carmine whispers high pitched with bright eyes. All three look at Blair...
Her stormy glare meets the three thoughtful, slightly pleading faces. "There is no way in the darkest corners of Hell that you will get me to perform for the masses like a dressed up pompous, attention seeking whor-"
. . .
"COME ONE! COME ALL!" Roman's voice rings over a town park. The rocky side walks angle around groomed gardens, miniature statues of various figures in the public square.
As a group of patrons approach, they come across the conman giving a showman's cane twirl. Ending with the cane rapt against the ground, he grins. "All who be travelers, and all who be worshipers of the temple divine. All of you at one point will fall victim to the plagues of the world around. For, Remnant is dark and full of even unseen terrors."
Dramatically, his hands move, emphasizing surprise. "Viruses... pooooisons... Grimm bacteria! Trust me when I say you- oof. Definitely you." He pauses and points his cane at one man in the crowd. "will most certainly fall prey... sometime... someday..."
"Unless you take responsibility into your hands." He gives his smarmy grin before turning and gesturing to a table setup. "Here we have a fantastic woman. Bright, experienced, easy on the eyes, ready to fix you up against any and all ails of the world! The wonderful doctor Wick!"
At the table, with much of her transportable tools displayed, Blair's eye twitches. Her orbs freakishly wide, psychotically unhinged as his words reach her ears. How in GOD'S name did she get convinced to- wait! Wick?! He put part of his last name as her fake name!
Her left eye continues to twitch listening to the introduction. Roman twists around and looks into the crowd. "Ah! An eager volunteer!" He reaches out and snatches from the crowd... Carmine? Putting acting chops on, Roman eyes him over. "Come now. What's ailing you, injured child?"
The smarmy voice rings so fake in his ears, Carmine nearly groans. The redhead hunches from the attention of the crowd, embarrassed. However, his cheek holds a bandage patch. Shit, what were his lines? RIGHT! "I, uh... I was attacked by a bug Grimm in Vacuo... the cut on my cheek won't heal!" Thankfully, his nervousness sells it, Roman pursing his lips a second.
But he brightens back to the crowd. "A mysterious wound from an unidentified Grimm? Let's see this wound!" Without warning, he rips the bandage off and, in one swift, imperceptibly cuts Carmine's cheek for a fresh wound.
"GAH!" Carmine whines as the fresh wound appears and bleeds, garnering gasps from those around. Carmine's eye twitches at Roman, but he feigns weakness. "It just doesn't stop bleeding. ow..." The 'ow' coming out fake as possible.
Roman turns around, arm raised. "A challenge accepted!" Carmine squints at him annoyed. The man is just enjoying inflicting pain on the boy. The showman looks to Blair, who continues glare blaring hot death at him, now wearing her doctor coat over her previous outfit. "Come, Madam! Share the remedies of the world."
She could just stab him. Right now. Explain herself, and no one would blame her. Blair twitches before standing from the fold out table. She stiffly walks to Carmine, eyeing the obvious simply knife cut on the cheek. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes and bores into his gaze. She grinds out, her voice forced higher pitched. "Ah, I. See. The. Problem. Here." Her grinding, pausing speech earns an eye roll from Roman.
Standing between her and the crowd, Roman whispers. "Act better."
"I will stab you." She bites back under her breath.
Seeing the people pause looking at the 'announcer' and 'doctor' glare off, Carmine winces and clutches at the open cut. He dramatically wails. "Ah! The air hurts it!" One eye glares at the two to knock it off.
"Right." Blair gets back on task. She points to the table and eyes Roman. "Red tube, blue cap, in the side bag."
The man puts a hand to his chest, turning to the crowd. "It seems today, I'M the lovely assistant." He winks at two women in the growing crowd, getting a giggle from them. He also ignores Blair's burning death gaze boring into his head. He retrieves the tube in question, leaning forward and offering it. "Madam."
"Slime." She addresses him coldly as she accepts it. She goes to Carmine, leaning to whisper in his ear. "Use your semblance when I blink."
The boy hums a confirmation as Roman regales the crowd. She uses the contents of the tube as an ointment. Applying it, she winks at the boy before turning and holding up the tube for the audience. Obscured behind her and her open doctor coat, Carmine briefly flickers, body returning to its state before Roman applied the cut.
Wordlessly, she reveals the boy, cut gone, completely healed. Rather, the wound undone. He smiles brightly at the crowd, garnering a mixture of 'oo's and 'ah's. Several of the would be patrons gave impressed clapping, others beginning to talk among themselves.
Roman strolls by Carmine and nudges him. "Congratulations, dear child! Your looks have been restored... Sorry, bout that." He adds swiftly. The man continues as Carmine glares and moves away from the set up. "But, simple wounds are but a tiny fear when compared to the dangerous, hhhhHORRID diseases in the world." He says with a spiteful flem to sell the disdain.
From the crowd, Neo emerges, in her navy haired disguise again. However, her image now substantially paler in her illusion. The little girl shakes and stumbles like a zombie, limply holding her hand up.
Roman's face lights in determination. "Egads! Is that West Vale Swamp Gut I see?!"
"That. Is. A stupid name you made." Blair grits out in a whisper while remaining impassive.
As Carmine moves into the crowd, he pushes through until he fully leaves. At a safe distance, he sits on a bench, sighing in relief. "Jeez... It's a wonder they haven't killed each other yet."
He watches as Blair 'positively identifies' Neo's illness by demonstrating the need to examine a blood sample... Roman had convinced them they needed to set a precedent for collecting other people's for Blair's research.
As much as it felt like... well, no, it WAS lying that that was necessary, Carmine and Blair both were of a mind to ACTUALLY help these people. However, Carmine backed the idea since it gave them consent. Just because it isn't necessary doesn't mean it can't help at all, right?
He still felt dirty about it...
The people react positively as Blair proclaims the bunk name Roman had called out. She proceeds to give Neo a pill. Sugar pill in a false bottle that is. She's set aside a moment as they 'wait for the cure to work' as Roman puts it.
And then... people actually start lining up. Roman and Blair begin actually setting out to test customers for any ills! However, after just a few minutes, Neo steps forward, having let her shatter semblance shift to being less pale! She acts much more healthy as people flock! The line expands ten fold!
Carmine... can't believe it, actually. He didn't expect it to work THIS WELL! His mouth drops open as Neo plops next to him. Her smile is plain, but eyes wide at the display. "I... This is going ASTOUNDINGLY well."
The girl watches for a second before nodding impressed. She passes a shatter note reading 'It really shouldn't be, but yeah.'
"Right?"
. . .
"Thank you for, um, checking in. I hope you have a nice stay." A thin, stick of a man with slightly wide eyes passes off keys for a hotel room across the counter.
Across said counter is Blair and Roman, each carrying multiple sacks with them, comically bloated. The blonde accepts the three room swipe keys. "We will." Moving into the halls, the two adults find Carmine and Neo. "For appearances, our room setup is different. You two get your own room."
Carmine brightens. "No Roman?!"
"No Roman."
The redhead smiles brightly as he accepts a key. "Finally... Come on, Neo." The girl smirks and rolls her eyes before following after.
Roman scowls at the retreating forms, scoffing. "Little brat doesn't appreciate intelligent company."
"Are you saying Neo is dumb?"
"I'm saying HE'S dumb." He fires back before groaning. "And she's mute, so who will control the conversations there?"
Immediately, the memory of Neo attacking her for touching comes to Blair's mind. "You'd... be surprised." She holds his room key out for him. "Here."
He takes it, smarmy grin back as he sarcastically drawls. "What? No couples night?"
"First of all, I'm not in the mood for murder." She glares fiercely. "Secondly, yes, they're children, but Carmine's responsible enough. They won't get into trouble. Now, give me the bags with my equipment and samples." She looks to see Roman holding his hand out to her, an expectant look on. She sighs dramatically, handing a bag to him. "Yes, you get the money bag."
Roman grins. "20 Lien per checkup, 15 per test, and 50 for each necessary treatment. I feel proud of myself." He chuckles as he takes a sack filled with the cash and hands off supply sacks to the woman. "You know? We could make this a business venture."
"No." And she leaves him. However, he simply chuckles at her leave.
. . .
First person. Like looking through a camera and walking down the street. The sun burns bright in the sky. The city life around buzzes like bees milling about the hive. Business, workers, and families, all settling about their roles of the day.
All faces remain undefined, blurred and replaceable. In the midst of the faceless crowds, a single mother kneels by her child. Her blonde hair blending into the fur of her ears. The woman's smile sweetly calms the tiny child, head of red hair with silver tips.
The 'man' whose viewpoint focuses solely on the two mutes. Colors diluting... as a single white flower petal floats down and blocks the view.
The petal floats by, showing a quaint house in the suburbs. All the street lights shut off, and the view shifts. The man's view turns, seeing a raccoon faunus to one side, finding a gorilla faunus on the other. The view dips down and up towards the house, and the two faunus rush the home
Two white flower petals flow through the air, as if swept in the wind.
Bright flashes burst, the piercing sounds of gunshots ringing, slicing the ear drums.
The woman is suddenly up REAL close. Only her snarling face and shoulders show as she struggles with the viewer. Flashes burst at the bottom of view. Her eyes and face clench and widen in horror as she stumbles onto her back. Bullet holes, crimson spurting out, colors at her gut.
She's laying on concrete pavement. Nearby is another person, a man in red leather, laying on the ground. However, the air blurs with a rainfall. Not of water droplets.
A steady rain fall of white flower petals.
The man's view focuses on the downed woman, whose eyes remain wide in shock. The man's hand raises, stained red around the fist... "I used this hand..."
The hand pulls up, practically dripping red. The air hung with a streaming flow of flower petals. White, with the odd red showing. However, the faunus was gone... in her place was a shrouded body.
The new body was also bleeding from the gut, contained in a white cloak, hood shadowing the face. That is except for the wide, soulless, puppet like silver orbs in the dark of the hood. The crimson coated hand quivers. "I... used this hand." The hollow voice changed, higher pitched. Child-like.
The view shakes. Head shaking back and forth in denial. Crimson red drips over the observer's sight as he stumbles from the hollow eyed corpse. White and red flower petals continue to flow downward. The looker looks down, finding a puddle of crimson red.
The liquid surface reflects the image of the looker back... Carmine looks back at himself... eyes horrified. He killed them. His actions killed them all...
. . .
"gaAH!" Carmine lurches up, gasping for air. His face drips in a cold sweat.
It was the dead of night. The room was black, just a tinge of light from the quaint room's digital clock. Sitting up in the bed, the boy's limbs quiver, chilled. A spike of movement, his arms cross, clutching his biceps in vice grips. He aggressively rubs warmth, struggling to center his breathing.
Eyes trail over to find Neo's form, still resting on the opposite bed closer to the bathroom. From his own bed, Carmine steps out of the covers, only in red pajama pants and a navy blue shirt. Lightly patting across the floor, he retreats into the bathroom, breath hyperventilating as he shuts the door quietly.
A fumble of the light switch later, the faucet releases hot water at full blast. His hands splash the near searing liquid into his face, pressing in to wake himself fully. Shuddering, his grip finds the handle and shuts the faucet off.
Red faced, his wide eyes look into the mirror. Deep breaths... in through the nose... out through the mouth.
Again. In through the nose... and out through the mouth.
Hesitating, blue orbs open. The shaded darker eyes show little surprise, almost frustration... He sees crimson on his hands. "It's fine." The low utterance does little. "It isn't there. It's not there. It's not-" It's there. It's there. It boils inside. His heart bangs at his chest cavity.
Grabbing a small wash rag and soap, he turns on the searing hot water at full blast! The boy begins viciously scrubbing at his hands. He alternates between the limbs, burning the skin and scraping after a single squirt of the liquid soap.
"Ah!.. Nnh!.. Gah!" Pained winces and grunts escape him. It's still there. Aggressive growls and snarls start. He scrapes the cloth harder and harder across the skin, a furious scowl forming. It's still there! Why is it still there?!
"Fuck!" He grits his teeth and pulls his hands up. Fists crash down into the gathered water, splattering soapy water over the counter. Seething breathes echo through the bathroom, his heart pounding harder and harder. Tense as a wire pulled tout, he turns the faucet off, allowing the liquid to swallow into the drain.
Blood shot eyes glance up, exhaustion filled where life should be.
His breath suddenly sucks in upon gleaming upon the mirror. Behind his image is a white cloak-
"Ah!" He cries! Whipping around, his semblance activates, recalling Heulin Noon into his right hand! In a micro second, he's turned one eighty, gun trained on... nothing.
Nothing in his line of sight but an empty shower and toilet. Blue orbs twitch, glancing about with the barrel trained in the sight line. Nothing. The boy's breath pours out as he drops the aim. The metal weapon is lowered to the counter. Thud, revolver on the counter.
Wiping his eyes once more, he blindly grabs the door handle, opening slowly as he moves to shut off the light.
Pink and brown meets him. He flinches back before freezing. Neo stands in the open bathroom door way staring back at the disheveled teen. "N-Neo?" Dazed eyes, waking from haze of sleep, dart around the boy around tile room. Her mismatched gaze lands on Heulin Noon, raising a brow.
Carmine blinks rapidly, briefly flicking his own gaze back. A loose chuckle comes out. "Ah, I couldn't sleep, so thought I'd give her a cleaning." At her cocked head, he whips away, snatching the gun back from the counter. He briskly walks by. "There you go. I'll just force some sleep then." Cheerfully, he marches through, tossing the weapon away and getting on his bed. "Goodnight, Neo!"
Before he'd even left the bathroom, her eyes locked on something curious... His hands were raw. Upper layers of skin rubbed completely! In fact... Her gaze looks to the soaked cloth on the sink. Just a small patch tinged pink... Blood?
Her gaze finds the boy now motionless, turned away on his bed. The stare breaks before she enters the bathroom. Soon, both children were back to bed.
. . .
His heart rate was abnormally high the next day. The pounding war drums in his guts wouldn't stop, his body heated and uncomfortable. However, calling it abnormal would be a misnomer. It was normal in a different way.
Simply put, it happened every year... Same cause, too. Of which, he would not speak aloud.
Lethargic, hunched on a bench, the boy stares across the park. Once more, Roman and Blair both performed and served the public as a kinda, sorta easy clinic. As a team, the group came to the realization that it could take WEEKS before they get someone's notice.
After playing the injured travelers, Carmine and Neo couldn't very well keep hanging around. That would break the illusion, as Roman would say. That said, Neo was able to start assisting as a 'nurse'. This time, her disguise was a blonde with blue eyes, quite similarly frosty as Blair. However, she at least could give a smile as a little worker. Her illusion looked more mature than her too, which caught Carmine's eye.
So how can he help? Business fliers!
Roman actually made fake paper fliers for their little... mobile business. While the three worked diligently, Carmine would be able to spread them throughout the town. With a sigh, the boy looks at his stock. Having given about a third of his stock out, he moves to leave.
Drifting away from the crowd, the disguised Neo flicks a view in the boy's direction. Narrowed gaze, she sees his hands. Completely healthy. Well... aura healing. That means nothing. Still, seeing the boy's slow shuffle, something set alarm bells off.
. . .
Slapping the paper onto the concrete wall, Carmine huffs. With only a few more fliers, a pout adorns his face. Glancing down, he only has two papers left. He looks about, noticing he'd managed to place one practically everywhere.
His half lidded stare shoots wide as a double tap lands on his shoulder. He turns, shocked to find the blue haired Neo. He flinches back, wide eyed. "Neo? What?"
She smirks and holds up a sticky note. 'Went on break. Helping you with those now.' The paper crunches up as she tosses it aside.
Carmine scowls at her, pointing at the paper in a pout. "Put that in the actual trash can."
The instant demand earns a slight recoil then glare from the girl. Setting a look on him, she huffs. The paper is picked up and tossed into a dumpster. Neo flicks her hand flippantly, as if going 'happy?'
"Thank you." He says, toneless. Bringing his hands up, the two papers are gone from his hand. He double takes. "What the heck-" His speech stops, spotting Neo holding both papers. A smug smirk meets him from the girl. "How did you-" He shakes his head. "Nope. Don't care right now."
Neo blinks. Twice. Carmine just walks away in a huff. Twirling Hush in one hand, gripping the fliers in the other, she narrows on him and stomps after. His huffy attitude was way past getting old!
Carmine finds himself wrenched aside and tossed into the nearest alley way. He catches himself against a dumpster, turning and dodging the exposed blade of Hush. "Whoa!" He dodges away as Neo backs him into the alley. Backing frantically, he yelps out. "What are you doing?!"
Smirking, the devilish girl raises her parasol, showing a shatter message on the side. 'Rules: I won't use my semblance, you won't use your gun.' The words shatter off the wrap, Neo smirking at Carmine's confused horror. The new message appears. 'Go.'
She lunges. Carmine deflects with his armored arm, then ducks a slash. The blade clips his hair as he backpedals. Neo flourishes forward, quick one handed slashes deflecting off the metal arm.
Smirk growing, she nudges the parasol, the parasol tip coming over the blade. She uses a blunt swat, bashing the defending arm aside before cracking Carmine in the head. Knocked off balance, Carmine barely registers Neo grab his arm.
She jerks him forward, twisting around his arm and hooking the parasol under his chin. With a twist, she throws Carmine further into the alley, hard into two trash cans. While painfully picking himself up, Neo rests Hush over her shoulder, smug grin on.
"Right..." Carmine grits out, standing up. Eyes downcast with one hand on his head, he starts nodding. "Right! Right right right right-" He snaps up and charges. "Schneider!" Leaping into a lunge, the armor and sleeve flash to both forearms and blades.
Neo grins. quick jerks of Hush deflect Schneider's lunge. The boy advances, using the mounted blades on each arm to jab thrusts quickly. The girl simply back steps, parrying right and left and down and back!
Dipping under a jab, she goes for a stab, eyes twinkling with fun. Carmine twists in place, striking her parasol aside. Using Schneider's mounted blades at the elbows and wrist, he advances in a spinning flourish. The first blade deflects her stab. The next hits her guard.
Twirling her grip up Hush, she uses the handle hook to catch the next swing. The girl wrenches the offending arm aside, only to take a broad slash from the other arm. Her aura tanks it, the girl propelled back into the wall.
Focused solely on the girl, Carmine charges with a scoff. "Tch! HA!"
Neo kicks off the wall, leaping off the boy's shoulder just as the blades sink into the concrete. Carmine rips from the wall in a growl, finding Neo floating down the alley using an open Hush.
Closing the parasol, she drops into a cartwheel, into a series of back flips. All the while, Carmine charges and swipes at her with the blades.
Taking her chance, Neo drops low, balanced on her hands and stopping her retreat. Carmine's next slash cuts the air over her legs, which swing around into the boy's jaw.
Clocking the teen's very kickable face, in Neo's opinion, pushes Carmine back. Off balance, he rocks and twists around to fall, but catches himself at a knee.
Now's the chance! Neo charges, exposing the blade at Hush's tip as she lunges. Carmine turns his head enough to look over his shoulder... As the tip of the hidden blade stops at the base of his neck.
Neo stands, holding the blade to Carmine's throat, as she grins wide. Smugly, she cheers in her head. "Hehe." Her throat grinds out. The pain erupts, but she forces it down to remain superior-
Why isn't he frowning? Instead, Carmine smirks as his eyes flick down.
Her own disguised eyes gaze down. Immediately widening as she purses her lips... The blade of his closer elbow tips at her abdomen. Threat clear. She continues her thrust? His blade would pierce her. Theoretically, that is, as neither truly wished to harm them... But...
But that means... That means. Carmine hums a laugh. "Guess we have a draw."
WWWHP! She slaps him as he's unprepared before she huffs. Carmine's red printed face hits the concrete. Neo stomps by to pick up the previously abandoned fliers.
Carmine snaps to his feet, crying out. "Zero- GAH!" The armor flashes back into a single sleeve and breastplate. "What the hell, Neo? You didn't even really lose." He groans out, trying to simmer. "Someone's super competitive. When did you become Roman?" He sarcastically drawls.
Her answer is pulling her eye lid down and sticking her tongue out. "Hmph!" She huffs before turning and marching away with as much attitude as she can!
As Carmine pouts, he doesn't see the smirk on her face. Whatever is on his mind, she at least got him focused on task once more-
Her throat burns! Neo's face drops as she hacks a series of coughs up! Shit, Blair warned against strenuous work out in the low air.
"Neo! You okay?" She contains a cough enough to send a fierce glare. He flinches back. "Right. Dumb question. Uh... Hey, let's go to that pharmacy over there. Get some throat medicine, maybe?"
Ugh! She nods against her outer will. The two march off to the nearby facility.
. . .
Entering the building, both kids immediately noticed how crowded it was. Like... Every single aisle filled with people. Both blink in shock. Twice. "Why is this place so popular?"
Neo lightly tugs on his sleeve, pointing to a specific patron. Holding one of Roman's fliers!
The sight made the boy gulp and laugh nervously. "Okay... So the idea worked a LOT better than we expected, I see." The girls numb nod agreed. "Well, let's get some med-"
Seconds later, in the drug aisle. "-icine..."
The entire aisle was completely cleaned out of all pain medications, cold medications, nasal supplies, anything that could do something as simple as sooth a throat. Save for small pouch bag of honey cough drops. With a lidded look, Carmine takes the bag with a pout. "Today, we learned Roman is too good at this."
Both children lean back, angling to look out of the aisle to the registers. A HUGE line of 20 people at least. Good God. Maybe it's moving fast?
A minute passes... Two... Three... The entire line shuffles two feet forward, with three more people in the back.
"Okay, not happening." The boy grunts out. Neo hums, heel turning away and snatching the cough drop bag- Carmine catches her wrist and sets a glare at her. "Noooo steeeaaaaliiiiing." He drawls long and slow.
She snaps a heated look, hand flicking towards the register line. Simple. What other option? Carmine simply raises a brow. "One. This doesn't count with your stealing exceptions. Two. We'll just use the register in the back."
She cocks her head, one eye wide.
He matches the look. "It's a pharmacy. Have you never-" he stops before planting his foot in his mouth. Right. Formerly rich never needing to do this, then slave... "Never mind. Pharmacies keep serious medicines in the back with their own register for prescriptions purchases. Come on."
Leading her to the rear end of the story, the pharmacy was blocked off with plexi glass, save for one counter window. Behind the counter, an elderly woman with fluffy gray hair looks at them. "Hello there. How may I help you?"
Carmine sheepishly holds up the cough drops. "Um. We really just wanna get these, and..." He thumbs towards the gigantic super ultra mega line still building up front. "May we just buy it back here?"
He feels two nudges on his arm by Neo.
As he ignores it, the kind lady smiles brightly. "Of course deary. Is there anything else you'd like."
Nudge nudge.
Carmine slaps his hands up on reflex. "Stop i-" He stops, noticing that she's looking away from the counter entirely...
"What's-" She turns her head away, bringing one hand up to scratch at her ear... And her index finger points to her ear...
What?
"Is there anything else, dear?" His attention is pulled back and he smiles kindly, shaking his head. "Would you like a bag for it?"
"N-" Neo turns around and nods enthusiastically. The two share a clashing look as Neo's eye flicks rapidly to the woman.
The elderly lady turns aside to retrieve a bag for the cough drops. As she does so, Carmine locks in. Laser sighted. Full on ready.
The woman's ear...
She rings up the Lien, and Carmine hands her the money. His slightly too wide eyes betray the plastered smile on his face. "Thank you."
Nudge nudge. Neo silently passes one of their two remaining fliers. The woman nods at the two. "Have a wonderful day, dears!"
Carmine holds the flier up. "Oh, you guys might be interested in this." He places on the counter and waves. "Thanks, bye!" He hastily leaves with Neo in tow.
They leave the elder lady behind, who eyes the flier with interest. At her ear, an earring dangles... A tiny, diamond skull with three eyes, no bottom jaw. With pursed lips and a critical eye, she glances upon the page. "A traveling doctor?"
. . .
"And you're sure it was the right type?" Roman voices skeptically. His hand holds his scroll to his head. The last passing patron pull of the day is finished up as Blair writes out a list of treatments for Menagerian Flu. He hadn't known that was real... and was promptly swatted by Blair when asking if disease came from pig faunus. It was just an honest question!
"I swear! Perfect match. Same as when I saw the cop wearing one in Vale. It's definitely someone that works with them." Carmine's voice comes in through the short range scroll call.
The conman's face becomes marred with a grin. "Well then, good work. Now, put Neo on for me."
"You want to talk-... okay..." Movement sounds in the background. He can still hear the kid. "He wants to talk to you... I don't know! Maybe it's... Alright! Just take it!" Seconds pass as he hears just the slightest hint of a huff. "..."
"Ah, Tricolor, I just wanted a break from his voice. Pretend I'm talking. I'll be back." He puts the active scroll in his pocket, turning and marching over to Blair's stand. Stepping with a pep, his fingers snap with a wink. "So, another profitable day, AND we seem to have surpassed expectations."
The blonde blinks her gaze up, annoyed. Like a cat ready to strike a clingy child, she eyes him as a disgusting annoyance that he is. "What is it?"
Smirk still on, he rocks back. "Oh, the children have made contact." Suddenly, his hands raise, gesturing with each word. "And word. Of. Us. Is. In. I give em two days before someone makes contact with us."
Amber eyes harden. They flick about, eyeing the multiple people leaving the area. "So we've already been noticed, then. Good. I am already exhausted of this ruse." She then snaps back to him. "Wait, how did they-?"
He flippantly waves her off. "No, no. They just got absurdly lucky is all. Speaking of." He picks his scroll out of his call. "Alright, Tricolor, you can let him know."
Listening closely, "... What did he say?... What do you mean he said nothing?! What's he-... He said to do WHAT?!"
"Happy to waste your time, Silver Streak." He moves the scroll away, preparing to hang up. "Roman, you bast-" Click! Roman hangs up the call, chuckling to himself for dangling the kid on a stick, as it were. The man flashes a smirk at the woman. "So, now we play the waiting game."
. . .
It did not take two days as Roman predicted. In fact, a week had passed without any 'job offer' coming. Carmine sits on his hotel bed, head in his hands as Neo showers. Hazy, limbs slightly too heavy. It isn't the toll of simple lack of sleep. His mind just... had it. Fried, and uninterested over time.
What he wouldn't give to speak to professor Oobleck... The boy always favored him, but now more than ever did he feel he under appreciated the fast speaking man. What would he say?
Eh, even trying to imagine speech that fast is too much effort. The darkened patches under his eyes cry painfully for just a TINY BIT of sleep. Jeez, it's been well over a month since they hit the road... which brings another thought forward. Ugh! He's too tired to focus on it... No thinking about his situation.
On the road, rooming with someone you believe is an ally, knowing next to nothing about them.
Suddenly, his stomach turns at the thought of chocolate-
Stop. Stop thinking about her. Stop thinking about her. STOP IT.
A sigh escapes him as Neo exits the bathroom, clad in a white blouse with brown undershirt and pink shorts. He hadn't heard the shower shut off. In fact... it's still running. He raises a brow, eyeing the pluming spray of steam flowing into the room. "Uh... you left it running?"
She simply smirks and waves her arm towards the steam. His turn? She expected it to be- but- Ugh! His eyes widen as he snaps to his feet. "You're gonna run out the hot wat- Gah! Never mind Move." He grabs his folded clothes and heads into the bathroom.
Neo's smirk remains as the bathroom door slams, and she waits several seconds.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
"Ah! Neo, there's no hot water left!" He screams from the bathroom, prompting a giggle from the girl.
The smirk finally drops as she begins to sift through his items and bags. If she can't steal, then she might as well investigate what bug has been thoroughly up the redhead's ass. Seriously, it's like someone viciously beats his dog.
After seeing his hands a week ago, she'd been taking morning showers first, and using A LOT of the hot water to the boy's chagrin. He hasn't seemed to notice... and the hotel staff hasn't contacted her annoyed, so smooth sailing.
Was she doing it out of spite? The thought pauses her in her riffling. Followed by a shrug. Maybe. The boy wouldn't talk about it, so she'll inconvenience him till he does. So, 60/40? 50/50? Eh, Little column A, little column B.
Her search ends, pulling out the boy's scroll. With a grin, she plops onto the bed and starts exploring the device. Hopefully, she may find something about what's up with Carmine. Mostly because his constant moping is getting old! And no, she's not mad at all that he managed to tie with her during their alley spar. Ridiculous!
Maybe it all has something to do with someone he knows? She checks contacts... Three names... Social butterfly, that Carmine. She looks at the names. Blair at the top. Interesting. She recalls Carmine putting in Roman's scroll info a few weeks ago, but it seems he already had Blair's. Speaking of, Roman's name at the bottom, obviously. And the middle. Professor Ozpin?
For a second, she has to wonder... Yeah, that weird looking guy with silver hair! She eyes the call log. The last call was weeks ago, but then 27 missed calls from the professor... From Carmine's father. Seems logical... buuuut, the boy only became like this upon reaching Haven. That wanted poster...
She sets the scroll down with a pout. He's still on that? As if she'd care if someone had done in her own mother... Although, even she flinches as the image of her father on that Huntsman's scythe comes to mind.
Okay, so maybe he had something there.
On a whim, she looks up an online report, going through the searches of one 'Killian Gonzola'. Hmmm... Involved cases, lists of warrants and jurisdictions... shoot on sight orders, blah blah blah. Aha!
Finally, she finds a list. 'Known Victims'. The man had successfully performed or situated over 1000 deaths. Listed in alphabetical order, order no less, and- Frick. She needs to get to the U's. A solid few minutes of scrolling, she finally sees the names. 'Jared Uhlric' and 'Senaya Uhlric.'
Seeing them was more of a curiosity than anything. To put faces to the problem. The two are listed separately, but with the same family photo. Likely, it was taken for tear jerker news articles. But, the photo DOES show a certain small boy with silver hair tips.
Her hand covers her mouth as a chuckle escapes. They put him in suspenders! He looks so dumb, it's cute! The little child Carmine even was playing with the suspender, likely bothered. He's such a dork!
But alright, focus. Making fun of a depressed teen for his child photos can come later. But how to fix it? Should she fix it? She pauses in her musings and looks to the ceiling in thought. Closing the page on the scroll, she lets her arm hang at her side.
At that moment, the shower shuts off, soon Carmine emerging from the bathroom. He viciously dries his head with a towel. The boy shivers and wraps himself in her arms, sending an annoyed glare at the girl. "Hey Neo, did you ever wonder about how to save warm water?" He scoffs as he moves around her. "Seriously, it's a hotel. How do you use THAT much hot water."
His glare shifts to confusion at her musing figure, turned up to the ceiling-
BEE-BEEP... BEEP. BEEP. BEE-BEEP... BEEP. BEEP.
Both look down at Neo's hand, Carmine's scroll ringing for an incoming call. Blinking twice, the girl tosses the device to the owner. "Hey, be careful!" He shouts, barely catching it. A glance at the ID, he finds Blair's name. "Hey, Blair!"
Neo leans in to listen. "We've been contacted by AZRL."
Both tense. Game time. "Alright! Where are we going?"
"Meet me at the van... Roman just messaged me. Apparently, he's already got them hostage."
"Uh... wait, how did he?"
"How did he meet the guy at his hotel room, knock him out, sneak out of the Hotel, AND transport him away? I have no idea. Roman's text implied this occurred hours ago, and he'd chosen his own hotel room specifically to avoid surveillance cameras."
"He's creepily good at this." Carmine comments offhand. Neo snickers, holding up a sign. 'Guess it's experience'. The sign made him grimace. "Well, I'm proof he has it."
"I have an address he's taken the man to. Hurry up."
"Got it!" Carmine ends the call, sighing. Both kids share a look and blink. "Seven days waiting, and boom, it's done, huh... that's anticlimactic." He nods to Neo. "Zero! Recall!" In a flash of his semblance, his armor blinks from his belongings onto him, with Heulin Noon flickering with its holster into place. "Let's go!"
. . .
Elsewhere
The room of solid concrete, perfectly rectangular, was lined with desk like tables. Eight columns, each going back five rows apiece. The very back of the room, at each of the two corners, stand men. Each man wore gray, long sleeve police style uniforms, lacking any and all markings. At their belts were holsters containing various tools. One wears a hat, the other doesn't showing off brown hair. Both in sunglasses.
Filling all forty seats of the classroom sit children. Human and faunus, preteen and teen, with a majority being little girls, the children all wear identical uniforms. Blue pants and a white button shirt for boys, and the same button up shirt into a red long skirt for girls.
Pencils tapping, papers covering their desks. A look at the contents showing banking figures, break downs of maths. Others were guideline manuals, laws, and theories of order and structure...
One particularly young girl shifts before wincing. Her hand comes up to her shoulder. She rubs at the shoulder, shifting the fabric, and showing a blue number '2', the rest of a number obscured under the fabric.
"6382!" A ruler slaps onto the table, starting substantially smaller girl back with a yelp. Standing over her is a woman. Dirty blonde hair neatly brushed and flowing down the sides. Her brown eyes were large, almost kind, even. She wore a tight pleated black v-neck top with an upturned collar and wide cuffs. Her knee length skirt was yellow save for a jagged black line pattern down the side. "I felt that I was perfectly clear before."
The girl's eyes wide, her head turns downward. "I-I'm sorry-" WHACK! The ruler swipes across, into the girl's right temple, eye, and bridge of her nose. "Ah!" She yelps and clutches at her face.
Atmosphere dipped, the feeling of the room weighed upon the remaining children, all tensing, but keeping their eyes on their work. Several gulping their bile down as the 'teacher' stands above the whining child. The woman uses the ruler to push the girl's head up by the chin. She gazes upon the child's teary eyed face.
"Discipline in the face of pain is what yields trust." The authoritative voice dips. "Trust allows your client, your world to trust you with the information you will be privy to. Breaking to the simple pricking of ink means you certainly have yet to learn this."
"P-Please-"
"Enough!" The woman shouts down at her, standing and marching away. "Eyes up!" Immediately the entire classroom snaps their gazes to the front, none daring to look at the sniveling girl. "Discipline is more important than knowledge. In fact, it comes above your life." The woman turns and gives a warm smile upon them. "And I am pleased that our master above has sent one of his best of the best to ensure you understand this."
The wall behind her was a simple chalkboard, split in two for the exit in the exact center of the border. The exit was not a true door. Simply, the center was open into a darkened hallway... Footsteps sounding. (A smooth base guitar riff begins and repeats for a measure.)
"Children, may I introduce your substitute teacher until further notice." The teacher announces as black dress shoes, pants, and a full black suit steps out. Gray button up shirt with a black tie. The green hair is a giveaway as orange eyes and a smile greets the children. "Spyyra Barnall." (A faint guitar melody riffs into the mix. A smooth jazz-like piano sounds with a finger snap every other measure)
Spyyra stands before the classroom, grin widening. He meets the gazes of each and every child, a chuckle leaving him. "Quite a number." (The instrumental repeats, halfway through, the first verse begins. "Catchin' flies... in his mouth...")
He speaks further. "Hello, Children! I'm excited to work with you." His orange eyes flick to the whimpering girl... whose gaze widens as does his grin. "I promise you, it will be a memorable experience." ("Tasting freedom... while he dares. Then crawling back...")
"Speaking of memorable." He turns to the teacher. "Have THEY showed yet?" ("Back. To the top.")
The teacher smirks back. "Indeed, they have. And the trap has been set." Spyyra's face splits with the grin, a shuddering intake of breath. ("Top of the stairs... of the stairs." The music shifts tone into chorus.)
"Hehe... Then good news, children..." He directs his voice to the audience. "Tonight will be a test of discipline for a certain group of... guests." His eyes flick between several of the children. "And I know you will not disappoint." ("He won't see the sun again... for years to come. He's broken out in love~" Instrumental plays out and fade...)
Alright. Time for second contact with the enemy. And uh oh! Spyyra is here too, and he's not alone.
References:
The song, Live In Fear by Mark Crozer, will likely appear several times. In my head, the smooth base tones and piano fit Spyyra's casual nature. Think of it as his personal theme like I Burn is to Yang.
Join next time in Chapter Twenty Three: Terra Nova