Volume CRBN!

by Dancesnapple

Four individuals. Four different people of different walks of life resulting in an adventure. Hopefully, a bond that can last. Team CRBN (carbon). Features: OC Main character, main team has two OCs alongside a lovable crime duo, and some family drama on all sides. Features a 'soundtrack' element for the fic. ENJOY! Story begins on third listed chapter. Very slow start.

71. 69 The Raven Came to Land

This one is very long. But, getting a lot done! There likely won't be a chapter for about three weeks bare minimum because I will be going on two separate vacations. One vastly more important than the other since a friend is getting married. Wanted to have this out before at least the first vacation this weekend! Enjoy, Brave Heroes, stay safe, and have a wonderful day.

Chapter Sixty Nine: The Raven Came to Land

Crack!

Carmine's forehead drops into the table, shaking the plates containing festival foods. Makara jolts at the shake while Neo continues eating a strawberry glazed waffle. He picks his head up, a red spot clear on his forehead. "I'm bored!" He cries frustrated before settling a dull look on Neo. "Kill me."

Neo snickers, wriggling her eye brows. The girl has disguised herself in a green themed style ever since spotting the Johnson two days ago. No others had appeared since, and that one also disappeared. Maybe this was a rare instance of seeing one during their lives outside of AZRL? Who knows.

Carmine snorts at Neo. "Because asking you to entertain me would result in PTSD. I know what you're about." He answers with a glare. She shrugs airily, so he looks to Makara. "Seriously. Is Kallen not done with helping you design a sniper?"

The woman blinks back, taking a moment to remember the state of affairs there. "... No. He's helped me settle on a design almost identical to his current rifle, but wants to cycle through the remaining attachment options."

"In other words, he's taking his chance to brag endlessly about his knowledge to hype himself up." Carmine slouches and props his chin on his hand. "Still, would be nice if he could finish. I highly doubt movie productions get started this fast. Those sisters are... kind of horrible."

Neo flashes her eyes dangerously, causing the boy to roll his eyes.

"Yes, they made a bunch of good movies. Does Roman being a good entertainer make him a good person?" Neo rocks her horizontal palm in an 'eh' gesture. He smirks. "Exactly." He looks over to find Kallen speaking animated with Nell Prosky. The shorter of the Prosky sisters is smiling broadly and miming a camera shot before pointing up the mountain.

That's interesting... Makara raises a brow. "I think the shorter one is suggesting something with the mountain."

"Hmm!" Neo hums a squeak, perked up.

Carmine smiles at her rarely shown excitement. "Hey, if it goes well for them, I'm up for finally taking that trip up the mountain."

Bzzt.

His scroll buzzes on the table, pulling his attention. A message from Roman.

R: Extraction went off like fireworks. Got messages translated. Nothing specific to Zandril, but a lot that could contextualize the fat man's upbringing.

Carmine raises a brow, looking up to Neo. "Well, that's interesting." He begins typing away his own message. "We'll head back to Candidus tonight to submit Makara's weapon order. Hopefully Blair's found something today. Though, she hasn't responded in the last hour..."

That earns a look from the mute. Neo narrows her gaze at her own scroll. However, before she can start, a sudden noise makes her jolt.

Kallen slams his palms on the table, smiling. "Friends, it would seem we have the blessed opportunity to take to the mountains with the genius Prosky sisters!"

Carmine gives a dull look. "Just forty eight hours ago, we were at each other's throats. Funny how simple favors can bring people together." He ends with a cocky smirk and cheeky tone.

Neo jolts straight, smiling. Makara perks. "Will we finish our settlements on muzzles and barrel attachments up there?"

Kallen spares a snooty huff for Carmine. "I'm... just being civil. Not like I owe you anything." His haughty look crumbles slowly before smiling. "But, favors do help." Looking to Makara, he adds. "And yes. We can actually finish that on the path up."

"Come on, slow pokes! Let's guh guh GO!" Nell Prosky shouts excitedly in the distance, cupping her hands. Her sunglasses jolt around as she waves excitedly. The clearly more pleasant and nicer of the sisters.

"Onward!" Kallen rushes after the woman, leaving the CRBNs.

Carmine blinks, annoyed at his lunch getting cut short. His brow raises. "They've been dragging their feet in whatever they've been talking about for over a day now. Suddenly, they want to hyper drive ourselves up the mountain. Isn't that weird, Neo?" He looks over, blinking confused. "Neo?" She's not at the table anymore.

He turns again, flinching as she's already beside him. She snatches his arm and drags him up. Makara is following along with a polite smile as Carmine begins to yelp.

"Hey! Easy- EASY! Damn!" Carmine puffs his cheeks. Still, he eases into a smile. Whatever. We're basically relaxing at this point. Besides, what else could possibly be happening right now?

A shift. A pang hits his gut, halting him.

"Hmm?" Carmine blinks, craning his neck to look off the hills. He can make out the ocean in the far distance. In the very, very far distance, he can even see a spot out at the horizon of the ocean. Isla Candidus. Something nags him, so he opens his scroll up and sends a message.

C: Blair, how about an update?

He hits send before looking to the horizon again. Well, not like he can do anything. He just hopes she's okay. He's not that superstitious, but... He just hopes.

. . .

Mind scape

Aline and Setante set up, bandaged and with little to nothing to their names. They left the Ostium Mortis archipelago. Left for Mantle and Atlas.

Blair stands in the realm of the mind. Far more focused than when she'd linked with Carmine. The boy's mental realm was focused on where his mind was back then. And due to Blair's own forcing with her semblance, she was now delving within the memories of Setante the Cu de Culann...

She watches as the past images of a bird faunus Setante and a very small Aline leave.

"And that's how we met?"

Jolt. Blair spins around, weapon in hand as Fluorescent strikes Setante's spear. The dog faunus stands before her with a smile. She narrows her gaze at him. "Only one of us should be in control. So, if I'm commanding your mind's thought, why are you here as well?"

The dog faunus smirks. "Like I said. All you needed to do was ask for your answers, but you didn't like what you heard." He pulls back, but she doesn't lower her guard. He begins to pace behind his past self. "Also, remember." A wolf like grin comes. "This isn't just your realm. It's ours, and I've been doing this FAR longer than you have, young warrior."

"So how do I know these 'memories' are authentic?"

"If I was fighting you, we would be struggling for control. You'd know." He smirks before shrugging. "Well, at least I assume. Like you, I've never been in this sort of situation before. To share the experience is all I'm going along with."

Blair glares at him. "So, you're willfully allowing me to take information... for the commodity of it."

"Because it won't matter when we're done here. You already set that in motion." She doesn't like the sound of that. It feels like a threat. He smirks. "Shall I take us forward? I can cut out a lot of the pointless in betweens. Like an editor."

The blonde watches as the world around them shifts. Moving to a new memory. Very few times has she ever been this infused with someone's psyche. Truthfully, she'd only ever done so once with Rowa at the academy, Carmine in Mountain Glenn, and Jayce in Malum. Still, she can feel if he's pulling from memory or from his imagination...

She'll know if he lies.

The landscape changes to one she's only rarely had the displeasure of seeing...

The clean white technological spires of Atlas Academy.

"AH!" Aline lands on his back, hitting the steps. He's now wearing heavy winter clothing to tolerate the colder climate. He snarls mid rising back up. "What is the meaning of this?!"

A line up of Atlas soldiers frown his way, one thug of a man standing in front. "You've been pestering property for a week, so now you've been blacklisted. If you can't follow orders, then you're not welcome here." He then looks to the bird faunus Setante. Similar thick brown winter clothes coat him, but a black line dangles from his neck. "It's bad enough you keep forgetting the leash laws."

As Setante suppresses a snarl of his own, Aline stands and growls instead. "For the last time you ingrates! I need to speak with General Headmaster Titan immediately about the fall of Isla Cadavera! I know who was responsible for the attack!"

"Yeah?" The guard mocks in a false voice. "So do I." He thumbs to himself. "Grimm. You may have heard of them. Black monsters?" He snorts and waves the teen off. "Beat it. If you want to talk to the General like a good special boy, try entering the academy. If you can build some form of muscle. Jeez."

Setante bristles, taking a step forward, but Aline's hand stopped him. The boy calms, eerily so, and nods. "Very well. I see you are as useless as you are idiotic. Come, Setante... I suppose we will try Shade instead."

Watching the boy and faunus leave, Blair sees the dog faunus Setante grimacing. "Second verse, same as the first as they say. Each academy turned us away one by one. Some more... kindly than others." He sighs. "It wasn't until Beacon that we heard of something through the Huntsman grape vine. Apparently, Headmaster and Professor Osborne already knew the witch of the island." He grumbles. "Didn't matter if we spoke to them. They already knew the information, so they deemed us a nuisance for pestering them."

Blair cocks her head. "So they were already set on destroying the woman... The one from the island?" Blair looks to the dog faunus. "If you're meaning to tell me that all of AZRL came from this sort of starting point, then Zandril has accomplished his goal, surely. It's been over sixty years. There's no way that woman is alive. And, for that matter, I refuse to believe THAT rotund monster is anything older than forty."

The dog's eye twitches, but he maintains a smile. "Believe what you see." He glances off, pulling her attention away. The surroundings once again begin to shift, darkening to a hallway under ground.

"Are you positive about this? You realize they're going to betray you first change with a knife in back." Setante, the bird faunus, speaks with a stubble grown beard.

In front of him, Aline walks. "Realize it? I planned on it." He sighs, less enthusiastic than his modern counterpart would be. "Men with ill gotten gains are not given the change to mourn. They fall before that happens. If I'm to accumulate some resources, I'm going to need to take the risk."

The hall ends, the two entering into the bowels of a pub. Entering, Aline ignores a sweat and smiles. First thing's first, he goes directly to the gambling tables.

"We'd sold a deal of valuables taken from the charity of those back home." Setante speaks with a soft smile. "Used that to buy our way into the underbelly of Vacuo. It was evident immediately that the force of our entire culture paled in comparison to the Witch." He smirks Blair's way, raising a brow. "Our opponent operated in the shadows, and that's where we needed to as well."

The memory hazes to a black void, only the door behind them left. Blair gives a critical eye of the imaginary construct, but the man nods to it.

"After you."

With a huff, she opens the door to the next memory. It opens up to a wife manor. Ornate decorations and lavish luxuries adorn the building. The two stand in the room, Blair soaking in the image while Setante's eyes remained ahead. Almost fond.

"Ah!" A man yelps as he's shoved onto his knees, hands tied behind his back. Bits of his clothes are tattered and stained red. His face is marred in bruises and cuts.

In a seat before him in the dimly lit room, Aline sits. The boy is three years older, now an official teenager of 14 years old. The boy's hair is slicked to the right, violet eyes peering coldly at the man. "I thought I made myself clear. We do NOT kill women and children. It's what makes us better than them."

The panicked man's anger bubbles. With a snarl, he cries out. "Don't- They literally are making bank more than you! Half of Merida is in their pockets because of money you won't let us get, stupid brat!"

Aline's gaze narrows, a solid scowl in place. "The rule was clear..." He scoffs and looks away.

"Now, listen here-" The man's shout is cut off as Setante's spear rips through from behind. The bird faunus disposes of the dead man with little care.

"We didn't heed those kinds of warnings back then." Setante comments from the door way with Blair. "Still had it in our heads that we could control the criminal world AND be virtuous."

"A fool's viewpoint. Crime simply cannot be controlled in such direct ways." She retorts.

The surroundings shift. Only one year later. Setante grimaces. "Well... You're not wrong."

The manor skips forward as the walls burn. Bodies litter the room with blood stains. The ornate and lavish decorations light in a scorching blaze. Aline, another year older, sits head down on a stair case leading up to a second floor.

As the bird Setante bursts in through the images of the dog variant and Blair, Aline looks up. His violet eyes are hollow. A trickle of blood trails down his head and drips from his chin.

Blair watches wide eyed as Setante grimaces. "Trying to be the 'good guy' in control of what counts as a criminal empire doesn't tend to work out well." He snorts. He looks behind him, prompting the blonde to follow his gaze.

She gasps.

Children. Children decorate the room, hung at the neck.

"Aline wanted to use an orphanage to house victims who would have a like mind with us. Used a fake name and everything, but... it didn't matter. We were found out, and they were slaughtered." Setante looks away. "That was the start."

Blair turns to him. "Of..." She stops herself, eyes wide back to the memory.

"I'm still here, Mr Zandril." A brown haired older teen with chocolate eyes speaks. He's tattered, but healthy holding a blooded knife.

Aline looks at him. "You choose to stay? To what end?"

Setante watches as the teen looks between him and Aline. A flash of hesitation lasts only a moment. A firm nod. "Sir, I want revenge."

A single blink before the blonde mid teen grows a smirk. "Well... isn't that fitting." He hums a laugh, ignoring the fires around them. "Setante? I want you to begin training Ferdiad here. He's going to be your number two."

. . .

The scuttle boat peters out as it drifts up to the docks. The sun indicated evening time. Roman checks his scroll again as he steps onto the dogs. Ciara is already busy tying up her boat to the pier, so he speaks up. "So, money is wired. However, I do expect a 25% kick back on what the chiefs give you for the tale."

The blonde grumbles tired. "Yeah. The chiefs will have a hay day with it." A small smile comes. "Now every time I see Grimm, I'll be annoyed to think of a certain ginger here."

Roman snorts. "Aw, you'll think of me. How precious." His amusement dies as he looks to his messages. Still no response from Blair... "I need to get up the mountain."

His tone tells the story. Ciara nods. "Be safe-" She stops herself and shakes her head. "Hell am I thinking. You're not safe given your jobs. Damn."

The conman snickers before moving on. He needs to check in on his scientist...

. . .

On Isla Vallis, the party climbs the mountain trails finding rocky outcroppings. The whole way up, the group could see various areas that appeared in films. Neo hung on the edge of every word as Carmine transitioned between pointing out interesting bits and tuning out the rest. He checks his scroll every five minutes.

Still nothing from Blair.

Roman will check on her. He has to trust the conman. Bastard as he may be sometimes... most of the time... almost all the time, he's still reliable.

"And here is a very well known shot location!" the excitable Nell proclaims as she waves out like a showman to a rock and uneven cliff top. The area overlooks the ocean, the dead drop over the end indicating just how high they were. "This area has been the filming location of the duel in Prince Husband, the training montage in Homelander, the ending match of-"

The hyper active director steps just too close to the edge, so her taller sister's arm snatches her by the coat back. Ellen yanks the other woman from the edge and grumbles. "Cliff edges, Nell." In a tired chastising. As if this is a common occurrence. She looks around. "This area also gets used a lot for portraying high mountains. Even if the movie takes place in an arid desert, so long as you shoot from the cliff side, it helps obscure the location."

Kallen brightens. "I thought so. They used this location for the rock unsteady reshoots of Quakes, did they not?"

As the man engages with the two theatrically successful women, Carmine pouts and looks at his scroll again.

WHACK!

A hand swats his, earning a wince. "Ow! What?"

Neo is right there, narrowing her eyes, but smiling. Roughly, she points at the device, shaking her head before making a poof gesture. Translation: Staring at it won't make a message suddenly appear.

Rolling his eyes, he waves grumpily at the filmmakers before pointing to her. He raises a brow in a snide glance. Translation: And this does? Aren't you worried?

Neo pauses with a frown. Squaring herself with him, she reaches and takes his hand up. The girl nods clearly. Translation: Of course I do.

She then signs, needing to detail the message she wishes to convey. "But I know you look too much into the negative and expect that to happen. Roman's already succeeded and is checking on Blair. Look at the good and don't keep boxing yourself in a place filled with the bad." She smiles and cocks her head with one last gesture. "Okay?"

His scowl soon breaks as he relaxes. A slight nod. He looks to the filmmakers. "Hey, we gonna be here a while?"

Ellen frowns. "Quite a bit. The Gondola to the upper mountain is over the next ridge, but I'm not quite ready to freeze for sight seeing yet."

Carmine nods, then turns to Neo. Seeing her smirk, he gives in. "Alright. Let's explore a bit." He allows a small smile. He looks to Makara. "Wanna join?"

Makara blinks at him, then looks to Neo. The girl's smirk falls slightly, so the older woman senses the message. Politely, she smiles and shakes her head. "I will be okay. I want to enjoy the view here. Plus, I can let you know when Kallen and the Proskys are ready to continue."

The boy shrugs. "Okay." He's oblivious to Neo's brightening smile at the woman. He turns as Neo tones it down. "Lead on." The mute leads the boy away.

As they depart, Makara turns and finds Ellen quickly twist away... The former sniper raises a brow, knowing quite clearly what she saw. Was the woman... watching the two teens? Makara double takes the direction Carmine and Neo leave in before frowning. That's strange.

Ellen turns away, pulling out her scroll while her sister and Kallen converse. A message flashes on the screen, but she doesn't open it yet. "I'm going to take a call. Kale, please keep Nell from the edge."

Kallen scrunches his face. "Kallen." He corrects. The woman ignores the correction and leaves.

Curious.

Makara walks up to Kallen and Nell, catching the two's attention. "Mr Kallen? May I have your scope? I'd like to test my acuity for long distance." She asks with a kind smile.

The snake faunus quirks his head. "Hmm? Alright. Fine. Also, just Kallen is fine, dear." He reaches behind him, cranking and detaching the zoom sight on his slung rifle. He offers it to her and gives a stern look. "If you lose it, you pay for it."

She sweats lightly, but maintains a smile as she scampers off with the scope. Intentionally, she begins to ascend the steeper inclines. A sniper habit to gain high ground angles. She also intentionally moves at an off angle just altered from Ellen's path away...

Maybe she's reading too far into it, but Ellen has neglected to look at any of the CRBN members the entire time. So suddenly staring at Carmine seemed... off.

It's likely nothing.

. . .

Mind scape

Blair and Setante now stand in the halls of a home. The dog faunus grimaces. "I know you are incredibly skeptical of my explanations, but not ALL my memories are necessary to sift through."

She scowls back at him. "So you are simultaneously willing to answer all my questions with your absurd answers AND telling me what isn't relevant? I cannot trust you." She moves for the only door colored in the memory a rustic red.

He sighs. "Alright. But you made it weird."

She opens the door to the memory-

Moans answer her.

She snaps the door closed, silencing the sounds as soon as possible. Her lips are pursed in a form of embarrassment. The woman glowers over at the smirking dog faunus. "I'm not apologizing."

He barks a laugh. "You can't have expected me to live three quarters of a century and not get married at some point. Emer was a special girl. Her father tried to cross Aline as our first official business model came to fruition." His eyes soften slightly, but he maintains a smile. "She passed twenty years ago."

That causes the CRBN woman to stop. As ridiculous as this man's tale is showing to be, she has to remind herself that he's showing an oddly... enlightening bit of humanity. But that just irritates her more. "Then... if you hold any values whatsoever, any care for others, why children?!" She snaps.

The dog frowns at that. "Well, you saw why already." He rewinds the clock back, putting the two back into the burning manor and dead around them. "We tried to be moral and fight in the dark. Turns out, those two things can't coexist in any large scale. Not like we needed. So, instead, we decided to be... providers."

The scene shifts again.

Fields were lit under the sun. Aline now stands as an adult. Nineteen years old. He watches on in interest over a group of varied aged children. Teenagers get beaten back one at a time. Each of the teens is wielding simple wooden swords.

In the center is a mid twenties Setante, scars showing on his exposed chest. He dodges a swipe from the side, using the end of his quarter staff to strike the attacker back. He twirls the staff to deflect a second attacker, then his senses alert to an opponent behind him. In a whirl, he uses each end of the staff to deflect both attackers on each side at the same time.

He side kicks one back, then twists to round house the other into the dirt. Setante short steps back and huffs a breath. "Coordinate your attacks better. Some of you need to be willing to be the distraction or lure for a trap."

The bird faunus looks over, seeing another younger kid on her knees at another gathering near. Setante raises a brow. "Take five minute drills. Pair up." He orders as he marches over.

A brunette girl is wincing in pain before the other group trainer, a now older Ferdiad wielding a wooden two handed sword. The now early twenties man looks to the faunus approaching. So, he approaches. "Her aura isn't unlocking. She isn't taking to outside unlocking."

"So, you're stress testing." Setante summarizes. He looks to catch Aline staring their way with a hollow gaze. The faunus nods to Ferdiad. "Continue training the others. I'll take her." He smiles and crouches to eye level with the hurt girl. "Hey, there. Looks like you're done for the day."

The girl flinches, looking up in a panic.

"Like I said. We started with orphans. People who were victims of circumstance. People who could easily align with us." The present dog Setante explains to Blair. "Many of our first recruits were terrified of becoming useless. To be worthless to the one thing giving them a chance. So, we did what we could to give them purpose. To make them all worth it."

He continues. "And so..." His focus ties on the black collar around his past self's wrist. The red bands around many of the other kids' forearms, and finally a blue ribbon tied around the girl's exposed bicep. "The color system came with that. Blue assisted book keeping. Black took on jobs. Red came in for quantity when quality couldn't be maintained."

The memory changes.

A private dinner by candle light is populated by rough men drinking and discussing their business. Criminals. Career criminals at that celebrating a recent boon taken from a rival family...

"Having failed to directly challenge, we decided to be directly indirect as it were."

The door to the dining hall bursts open. The party dies while the gathered heads of the table look in offense.

Aline enters the room with a smile. He wears simple white suit with a black undershirt. His violet gaze locks on the collection of criminal heads. "Hello!" He speaks chipper, smiling wide. "Sorry for the tardiness. I had some things to collect."

Behind him, Setante and Ferdiad flank him. Each carries a bag.

The scummy woman at the end of the table snorts. "Zandril? I thought this was cleared last time. We don't have any interest in working with you. As you can see, we can get by pretty well on our own." The foul female waves to the party around them. "So, if you would kindly get out, I won't hold anything against you."

A number of guards stand from their posts, stepping in as an intimidation tactic. However, it was lost on the three newcomers.

In one fluid motion, Ferdiad underhand tosses his sack, the bag crashing into the dining hall table with a bang. The action sparks a reaction from the party. Men reach into their coats, moving for firearms in case of the bag containing some ill contents.

However, in the blink of an eye, Setante slams his bag into one guard, the lashes his spear around. The spear reveals to have disconnecting segments connected by an inner chain, allowing a lash slash and chain effect. Three guards get struck into the far wall.

The remaining two standing guards pause as Ferdiad points the tip of his two handed sword at them. They hadn't even gripped their guns properly, much less have them pointed up.

"Now, now. No excitement. This isn't what we came here for." Aline says with a cocky grin. He locks gazes with the heated woman. "Come, Maeve. I took the trouble of hauling these in. Will you not check?"

The woman, Maeve, keeps a steady look on him before speaking. "Check the bags." She orders the men beside her.

One man opens the sack before lurching back. "AH! What?! It's Pakkun!" The man shrieks. Everyone gasps, save for the three guests.

Aline keeps his eyes on Maeve. "Oh, it's far more than that. Those are the heads of all seven of your cabinet's lieutenants." The air stales as people take in the bloody bags. "See, you started celebrating your recent win, and this is what my... associates were able to accomplish in but a few hours."

A pin drop could be heard as silence fills the air. Ferdiad and Setante both smirk at the horrified faces of the guards.

"What I wonder they could accomplish if I gave them a full night."

The statement strikes a jolt of terror throughout the room. Even the leader, the woman Maeve, can only stare wide eyed. Her Lieutenants? The backbone to their command structure. How were they supposed to prevent someone else muscling into their territory now?!

Aline maintains his smile. "So... about doing pretty well on your own? You look like you could use the talent." Letting out a trill of a laugh, he looks to Ferdiad. "If you wish for some stability, may I offer the services of my number two man, Ferdiad. He's most eager to please."

Maeve can only glare. "I... you..."

The blonde man chuckles. "Oh... and that will be 10,000 Lien... a week." He turns and begins to march away. "That's a starting salary." Setante smirks and turns with him, following him out.

"Through that, we began out services. Hired muscle, bounties, security services, escorts, and more. All for the criminal underground. We couldn't afford to butt heads with the Huntsmen and Huntresses of the academies, so we catered only to those who were despicable." Setante explains to Blair. With a grimace, he continues. "Of course, there were complications."

Blair scowls. "Loyalty."

Setante actually snaps his eyes to her, shocked. "You figured that out fast."

The woman scoffs. "Extortion is a powerful tool, but everyone has a breaking point. If your primary resource was exporting power to others, inevitably some would attempt to use that power back against you." Blair looks the dog faunus in the eye. "Do not tell me your orphans filled with a desire to do good for their masters didn't ever find themselves new masters, after all. People can be bought."

The islander nods at that, his dog ears flicking in his red mane as he scratches his neck nervously. "Yeah... This is true."

The memory begins to change around them.

"After all, that wench Maeve was one who did exactly that." He grimaces. "I'm not sure when, but Ferdiad worked with her for years before finally being brought to her way of thinking. I think they were lovers, but never had proof... She sent him to kill me."

The scene changes to years gone by. Setante, significantly older with far more muscles and tone sculpted into him. He stands bleeding and wheezing breath. Below his feet lays Ferdiad, his sword knocked aside.

"And it came from home, too." Setante adds. At Blair's look, the bird adds. "We rarely ever associated with the islands for years, two decades even. Yet, somehow word got to them that we were still out for revenge. The elder of Isla Candidus sent their greatest warrior to... intimidate us. An excellent young man..."

Blair frowns at the tone. "Someone important to you?"

"Someone who should have been." Setante shrugs. A pauses a moment before smirking. "One too many days at the brothels before Cadavera fell." Blair's eyes widen significantly. The dog faunus nods. "Yeah... I didn't find out until after we engaged in combat. He was to bring us back to answer to the new Cu de Culann. But... I prevailed."

She chose not to engage on that topic. Showing sympathy would only muddle the waters. After all, it was his own doing. His own choice to be so devoted to Zandril. Instead she asks about a different topic. "Did you ever meet this... witch again?"

He barks a laugh. "Oh, they'd tried nailing us down multiple times. We managed to scrape by time and time again." He beams with pride. "So much so they even tried to recruit me against Aline."

Blair raises a brow as the scene before them changes again.

The bird faunus stands surrounded by dead bodies. Blood pools the wooden floors of the building he's in... Before him stands the jelly fish like Grimm. Just like the one from the islands.

"Of course, I rejected her." Setante states, eyeing Blair as she looks at the memory phantom Grimm closely. "It's called a Seer... we learned."

Blair keeps a look on the beast before returning the gaze to him. "It's not in the record at Beacon."

"It wouldn't be." Setante replies. "She makes them."

The woman double takes. "That's impossible!" She shouts, stepping around the beast once more. "Grimm form in naturally forming Grimm pools. The form of Grimm is based on environmental factors, blending in with natural beasts of the region. Giant Grimm are the exception to this, forming almost exclusively in Grimm pools that grow and are left untouched for decades or more! The pools do not respond to mortal control!"

Her outburst only gains a smile from the man. "Yes. You're right. Grimm cannot be created artificially through science or man." He pauses only for a second before adding. "Except by her power."

Seeing her not willing to respond further on the subject, he decides to move forward. "So... she took my refusal about as well as she took our people's refusal..." He grimaces. "Assassination was their tool on that day." He scoffs, anger fuming over him. "Poison and ambush."

The scene once more changes.

Inside underground caverns, the bird faunus Setante continues to run for his life. One hand grips his spear. The other wraps over his gut. "AH!" He stumbles, but catches himself. He slows to a halt, crouching as vision blurs around him...

"There he is!" Three figures arrive from the shadows behind him. All three wear leather armor and wield varying pole weapons. A female with tinged blue, nearly black hair, and green eyes steps forth. "We have you now."

The bird faunus winces as a surge of pain hits him. His red aura flashes around him before forcing himself up. In a sweeping flourish, he strikes a man back, spinning before planting his feet. His spear is over his head, aimed point at the three. Through the pain, he cracks a barred teeth grin. "Alright then! HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!"

He lunges forth to impale the nearest attacker, engaging the three.

An echoing crash of metal cries out as the scene shifts...

Three bodies lay on the floor as footsteps close in.

"That was the first time for me." Setante announces to Blair.

"For what-" She stops with a gasp, eyes wide.

Aline rushes into the room, flanked by two other men. His violet eyes light with fury as he calls out. "Setante!" He approaches...

The bird faunus is pinned on the concrete wall, a halberd jammed through his cracked open chest cavity. The bird faunus is no more. Lifeless... On the ground around the corpse are two of the three attackers are gashed open, dead. The only survivor is knelt to the side. The woman with her midnight blue hair with a hand over her face... and Setante's spear in her other. As she pulls the hand away, a look of calm comes over her.

Aline seethes as he turns on the woman. Violet orbs bore into green. "... Speak the Witch's message quickly." His voice is devoid of any possible warmth, rasping. The blonde man stares dead into her. "You have one, right? A reason to have remained behind after finishing your mission?!"

The woman maintains a blank look, turning and standing fully. She still holds Setante's spear in hand. "I've no message from her, for I am not her servant... And that mission was not finished."

Aline raises a brow. "Then what are you?"

At that, the woman smiles. "A replacement." She kneels down, spear in hand while her head bows. The blonde man stares baffled, but stops breathing when he realizes. She speaks. "I killed your companion... I will act in his stead... until another replacement you find."

The echoed words from their first day met ring as Aline speaks softly. "S... Setante?"

The woman looks up... as a pulse of Setante's red colored aura flashes around her. Her eyes glint in a red sheen for a mere second, but the red subsides soon after. "I discovered a new trick, kid!" She gives a toothy grin. "And a makeover. I got a lot of maintenance to do, but I think I can break it in." The woman winks.

Blair watches the scene in horror, her expression of shock almost mirroring that of Aline Zandril's own. A cold sweat comes down her face as she realizes that this... this is what the man meant before she forced her way into his mind.

Aline's shock slowly gives to suspicion before wiping away... His giddy smile growing wide. "Setante... so how will this affect us moving forward?"

The woman, Setante, chuckles. "Treat me no differently." She rises, twirling Setante's spear in a stiff motion. She winces. "Muscle memory isn't the same but, we can make due." A predatory grin grows on the woman's face. "Maybe I'm just living my true self? HA!" She shakes her head, containing a laugh. "Sorry, Sir. Cheating death has me a bit giddy."

Aline cackles himself. "Oh, I can imagine. But, just to be sure... State your full introduction... Lass." He chuckles at the female term for his best friend.

Setante grins. "I am Setante, son of the Chief of Isla Portus, greatest warrior to serve you, Aline Zandril, as your number 1." She chuckles. "I'm your guard dog until the day I rest or you find a suitable replacement."

Zandril grins wide. "Well... I see I will have poor luck on that front from now on."

Blair continues to look on in shock.

"This is what I was talking about?"

The blonde woman tenses at the voice. That's not the man's voice. She hesitates, but eventually forces herself to turn. Beside her is no longer the projection of the dog faunus.

Instead, it is an older version of the same woman who just proclaimed herself Setante's name. The woman smirks. "This is why I wanted your perspective on aura." His... or her?.. smile widens as her image and voice flicker like static.

Replaced with the bird faunus for a second.

Then the dog.

The woman flinches back from the man... woman... abomination!

. . .

Physical World: Atop Candidus

"AH!" Blair's sense of her surroundings sparks and warps between the image of the mental conscious and reality as she surges back. The images shatter like glass before flickering like static away. The blonde scientist skids back, frantically bringing Fluorescent up with a rare look on her face.

A look of fear.

Setante, the dog faunus, growls out in pain as his own senses react the same way. The man drops to a knee, keeping himself up with his spear like a stabilizer. One hand grips the weapon to keep himself up. He rasps for breath loudly. "Ha... ha... ha..." One eye clenches in pain as he grumbles. "Ah... You know, many people react that way, but I'd hoped you would have taken that better."

Blair's semblance hazes around him, choking his breath. The woman is staring at him, wide eyed. "What you showed me is not possible!" She croaks out, eyes terrified.

Yet, Setante grits his teeth as his aura charges. "AH!" He roars out, his red haze pulsing and dispelling the purple haze of her aura! He stumbles, but steadies himself, a sweat drop dribbling down his temple into his furry mane of red hair. "Like I said... It's why I had asked your opinion."

"How does your semblance steal someone's body?!" She all but yells at him.

The man snickers. "Well, I told you before... You can control someone remotely, but... I can't. At best, my aura weighs a person down as my semblance bleeds into them through their aura shields."

The woman's mind flashes to the prior time she'd struck him in their first spar. That his aura bled out at the point of impact. It then imitated her own aura and passed through her aura shield with no resistance. She recalls immediately feeling pressure, but not much further. The same way she used her semblance to mimic his aura to become invisible to his superior senses.

"So... when you die..."

He nods. "The aura in the body expires, and the aura that still exists? Inside the very person that slays me." His grin grows. "So. What happens when two auras inhabit a person, but one is specifically tailored to controlling and manipulating aura?"

Her gut sinks. "One must take control... YOU take control?" Her breathing begins to quicken. "YOU steal the bodies of those who slay you!"

His shrug and smirk is the only answer she receives.

Blair blinks and double takes, her stance shifting, but panic is still written. Completely bereft of her calm control she's known for. "But... But you're part of AZRL! AZRL's top scientist is researching the link between souls and aura with the Soul Servo! Why would he do so if you're proof of that concept?"

That takes the dog by surprise. He recoils as if hit, blinking twice. Then, a light of realization. He grimaces, eyes losing some life to them. "Ah... Frank." Blair's narrow glare earns clarification. "Frank is of a scientific mind. He believes that I am not the original Setante, but a shadow that lives for itself in other bodies. Merely an impression." The dog is similarly unhappy to voice such opinion.

There... a scientific analysis... Blair latches onto it. Her breathing calms, processing it as a means to explain the... impossibility before her. "Aura can contain memories... Aura added to someone who has lost their memories can restore their memory." She frowns and looks back to the faunus. "It's a sound position that would rule out the possibility of a soul entirely, alluding to beings made artificially from a... memory file, so to speak."

The faunus frowns. "Ah, don't tell me you believe that nonsense, too?" His friendly pout earns a fierce glower. "Of anyone, someone with our semblances shouldn't even entertain such a write off explanation."

"Stop. Saying. 'Our'!" She forcefully demands. "My semblance is nothing like yours! Nothing like your... abomination of an after effect!"

He snorts. The two begin side stepping, circling one another. "Oh, please. For scientists, you lot seem awfully short sighted on the possibilities. Trying to disprove something rather than explore it?" He loses his smile, finally seeming upset with what he's hearing. "Science and faith are allies. Not enemies. If they conflict, the interpretation of one is wrong."

The woman bares her teeth in a sneer. "Science is the explanation of reality. That understanding allows exploration of manufactured conditions. What you are suggesting goes against the very laws of life and death!"

She grimaces, briefly thinking of her own experiments and ambitions in the field. Even her blood experiments are bound to the physical. Aura dies out quickly once material is separated from the body. It cannot be self sustained.

Why?

Her gut sinks at the question. If the tangible existence of a soul with aura is true, then the living main body would explain why aura dies when separated, even in blood that is kept alive in different apparatus.

But semblances! She's already proven herself that semblances can carry over in blood. Her weapon operates under this very principle. His explanation would not function if aura is completely in the spiritual realm! No possible means could-

… Has she ever used blood of someone who was dead?

Blair frowns. Body numb, she reaches into her inner pocket of her cut jacket. Truly, she cannot think of a time she'd ever used the semblance of someone who had passed... But, she does have the blood of someone who has...

She pulls out a single blood capsule.

Jayce Crimean's blood.

In a fluid motion, she runs the capsule along her blade, the yellow absorbing the liquid and shifting red. The woman eyes the area before her. Jayce's semblance allowed aura to remain in locations previously occupied. Measuring her distance, she sees that Setante is precisely standing where she was just before they began circling one another.

So, she casts her aura through the blade and pulls the trigger.

Her aura bursts in a flash...

"..."

"..." Setante watches in interest, brow raising. The woman's blade shifting back to a golden yellow. The red essence is spent. His green eyes drink in her expression. Stone rigid with wide eyed. "That did not go as you wished, did it?"

Gritting her teeth, Blair contains a growl. She bites back a scathing response, her mind on overload. Her understanding of aura beyond death, both spiritually and scientifically, is called into question. However, she forces it all down as she takes the man in again.

He's an enemy. So... why go along with all this?

Setante suddenly stiffens. His focus trails left. Honing his senses, he feels out and finds it. A small frown forms. Slowly, he turns his head back, finding Blair recovered and focused on him.

A brief casting glance to her right, but she cannot make anything out in the sky beyond the mountain peak. She scowls as her own senses are too short ranged to detect whatever he has. "I've no idea if I'm willing to buy your belief. Manifestation of the soul or not, my weapon still requires blood to mimic a semblance. It could be a mix of both beliefs, but I will not change until I have the time to dwell on it."

The faunus stares blank before allowing a slight defeated smile. "Damn. Guess I tried."

"But I do have a question." She adds, gaze hardening.

"Go ahead."

"Why have you bothered with all this when you know we are enemies?" She presses. "I can tell that you've been stalling us. Withholding information, but you've done frighteningly little to actually hinder us. You even provided information to get Roman onto Cadavera."

The faunus perks, mood pleasant. "Oh, well. You see, I'd like to point to one error in your assumptions."

"And that is?"

He grins. "Simply put, I am no longer officially part of AZRL."

. . .

Isla Vallis

Makara's boots hit a rock top. The woman is using an uneven side of rock to hop each step up. The mountain side splits, a smaller peak raising off from the main one that still rises far above. Makara huffs a breath, flush against the smaller peak's wall as she shifts around and climbs. Pulling herself around a bend, she has a high perch.

A faint thought catches in her mind. Why did she need to be this high up?

She'd done so automatically, so she chalks it up to habits built from sniper training. She peers around, finding the elder Prosky sister on a small clear spot of the main mountain a distance off. She appears to be paying a great deal of attention to her hand. Her scroll?

Makara squints, but can't even make out the device from this far.

The lavender haired woman reaches into her pocket, producing Kallen's scope in hand. Now, to see what Ellen is being suspicious about. She looks through the scope... Blur. Unfocused. "Hmm?" She pulls the tool away and inspects it.

That's strange. Why isn't it... what's the word? She focuses for a moment with a furrowed brow. Then she perks. Focus. Yeah! Why isn't it focusing? She suppresses the slight bubble of frustration realizing she forgot that sights need to be calibrated. Okay, deep breath.

She reaches for the adjusting wheels, beginning to tune... it... Hmm. She pulls it down. Having the scope attached to the actual rifle, it can automatically calibrate. She hadn't needed to do so manually. As such, the poor woman finds that this is her first manual calibration likely since her training in AZRL.

Damned brain... She frowns at herself before setting about fixing the sights, more relying on instinct driven by automatic movement. Don't think. She realizes that thinking will remind her when she's forgetting something and will stop the process altogether.

With a final satisfactory click, Makara peers through the scope.

Finally, she's zoomed in and viewing Ellen speaking on her scroll. She's on a video call, but the woman is turned so that Makara cannot make out the screen. She can only see the shimmering reflection moving on Ellen's expensive sunglasses.

Maybe if she climbs to the other side-

Crack.

A hunk of rock cracks off the side when Makara's foot attempted to press off it. She stumbles and catches herself, going flush with the rock face and cringing back! She sucks in a breath, hoping not to have been found.

The crash of the broken stone striking earth further down the mountain reaches her ear. She can do nothing but remain hidden.

In the clearing, Ellen looks to the mountain. Her frowning is no different from her normal expression, but she finally looks away after a minute. She continues to address the scroll, now with her back to the mountain. Her screen is facing the mountain.

Makara peaks around, seeing the woman looking away now. She shuffles on a rock step and looks through the scope. If she could just see the video call screen, she could... not know who it is more than likely.

The thought deflates her. What is she expecting? Large words saying they plot to kill them or something? Even if Makara knew of something to look for, what's the odds she forgot it? The woman's investigative stint begins to fade, thoughts turning inward and dour.

This is stupid. Why is she even doing this?

… To repay people who gave her life back.

Makara allows a small smile at that. Even if this is pointless, she can at least say she is doing something for Team CRBN. Nodding for herself, she focuses back on the scope. Just confirm the visual on the other caller-

The second she sees the caller's face, she nearly fumbles the scope.

A cold sweat begins as she sucks in a breath. "Oh no..." She jolts away and begins to flee. She needs to find Carmine. Neo, too. Where are they? She needs them NOW

Her haste however in climbing gives it away. Another crack of the mountain side... One that catches Ellen's ear once more...

. . .

Elsewhere on the same mountain, Carmine plops down on a rock. He stretches and rolls his shoulders with an audible pop. Beside him, Neo soundlessly crouches and looks over the mountain side. The evening sky was starting ever slightly to darken. If they remained here long enough, maybe they could see the sunset?

A pull at his gut. Is she... doing this on purpose? No. It has to be his mind playing tricks on him. She enjoys teasing him openly, so something manipulative like this is out of her typical behavior.

It's coincidence that the two are on a majestic mountain with a breathtaking view. Coincidence that she, who loves to get him flustered, is with him for a possibly romantic time of day. Mere coincidence that he'll stew in these thoughts while next to his beautiful teammate-

Fuck! He flinches lightly, face dusting in a blush as his eye twitches. This isn't good. If this continues, she might-

The girl, still discolored in her shatter disguise, bumps his shoulder lightly before leaning on him. Not good. Not safe. Abort! Abort!

Carmine jolts to his feet, pretending to see something out at sea! Neo flails and falls off the rock she'd been leaning on the boy atop. "Ee-!" Her image shatters as it strikes the rock and dirt, but Carmine ignores it.

"Holy crap! Did you see that? It looked like a whale! So cool!" He speaks out in a painfully acted forced voice, his tone cracking as he chuckles at nothing.

"Hmm..." Neo gives a low hum mixed with a growl. Her real self is now sitting with her head propped on her hands bored.

He continues as if she sounds excited. "You know? I always wanted to go to an island getaway way back when. Even if our trip here turns up nothing, at least I can cross something off my bucket list."

Neo glowers at his back. "Hmm." She grunts louder, reaching out for him, but he steps just out of reach.

Carmine rambles on. "I know Menagerie kind of counts as that sort of trip, but I wouldn't count infiltrating a society to knock out a corrupt slaver supremacist. Pretty niche experience. Would prefer to ignore that."

"Hmm!" Neo huffs, brow furrowing as she begins to stand. Carmine still rambles on.

"Wait. Does Patch sound like an island getaway?" He immediately deflates. "Nah. Island getaways don't include school-"

Annoyed, Neo sucks in a breath and does something she hasn't tried in far too long...

She attempts to speak. "Car-ack!" She lurches and begins a coughing fit not even past the first syllable of the boy's name. Her voice, for as little that sounded, rasped and grated on her throat until it felt on fire!

Carmine jolts around, at her side instantly with one hand on her back and the other to steady her arm. "Whoa! Neo, you okay?!" His immediate pitch and concern change makes the girl quirk her brow confused.

She signs with her free hand. "I've had coughing fits before." However, upon noticing that he isn't looking at her hands to understand her, she frowns. Where the hell is this coming from?

"I'll see about a drink. I think Nell has a pouch of drinks-"

Roughly, Neo jerks Carmine back. At his blinking confusion, Neo genuinely scowls point blank. Very slowly, she mouths a series of words. 'We. Need. To. Talk.' She mouths mute. She waits a moment until he sighs. She gestures back to the rock, so they sit back down.

He meets her look, watching her start to rub her throat. "Are you okay? You haven't had a coughing fit in years."

She hadn't tried to yell at someone since she were in AZRL, either. Note to self, yelling will still irritate throat. Neo shakes her head clear of the derailed thoughts. Rubbing her throat, she looks to him and signs with her off hand. "Are you okay?"

Carmine blinks at that. "Uh... Yeah? I'm fine-"

Neo signs with a dull glare. "Then why have you been so weird about me since we've been on this island?"

A nervous look, Carmine darts his eye aside. "I... dunno what you-"

Narrowing her gaze, Neo rapid fires in a blur of movements taking Carmine's full concentration to read. "One minute, you're being super attentive. Almost insufferable if I didn't enjoy it. But, the next fifty nine minutes of the hour, you avoid eye contact and change subjects. It's not entirely new, but this has increased ten fold since Malum!" She growls low and signs extra slow. "You. Can't. Lie. To me. So, let me in."

He stares a touch afraid, but his first response adds some levity. "Jeez. You're scary when you get direct. You're supposed to be miss avoid and evade."

Neo's lip quirks to a smirk for a moment, but she drops it to wait for an answer.

Defeated, he nods. "I Recalled you. That's what happened." Neo waits patiently, gesturing one hand for him to continue. "You know that my semblance has... killed others." His off hand absently pats his chest... where his mother's symbol necklace sits underneath his jacket. "More than I thought until recently. So... the fact that it worked on you... something that can only be tested if we... test it on you..."

She raises her brows, seeing him tense up. Piecing together, she signs. "You're acting like this because you don't want to test your semblance on me?"

He grimaces at that. "No... or Yes?" He sounds confused before shaking his head. "Not directly that. It's just what got me thinking further... Whether it worked on you or not, you almost died."

Neo winces at that. Shame of her ill advised attack on Spyyra coming back. Still, she needs to focus on him right now. The girl nods her head towards him and responds. "You saved me."

"That's the problem." He looks away. "You are part of a crowd I don't think you want to be in. Death... likes to follow me." His gaze trails off, scanning the mountain side. "Sometimes, she says hi." He sounds thoroughly unhappy while looking around.

She? Neo cranes her neck around to scan for what he may be looking for. Finding nothing, she turns back to him. Seeing his depression in full force, Neo sets a determined look. Tentatively, she places her hand on his and shifts ever slightly closer. She pauses noticing the boy tense further at her touch.

"We... are at risk of dying. Every time we fight AZRL." He speaks lowly. "I know I don't deal with death well. Honestly, if any of us were to ever need to..." He trails off, the sentiment left unfinished.

Neo raises a brow. What does he..? She gasps, eyes going wide as she tenses. Carmine flinches realizing his mistake in phrasing. Maybe she'll let that one go? No. She grabs his arm firm and shifts him to keep a locked gaze.

He sucks a breath in at the sheer intensity of her eyes. Even in her shatter illusion's green eyes, they momentarily shift. One pales to pink and the other darkens to brown. Slowly, the girl raises his arm, shifting her grip down to his wrist.

Maintaining eye contact, she holds the back of his hand into her upper chest. Faintly, he can feel her heart beat against his middle knuckle. The rhythm of the beats is fast he notes, but he can't think past her heated look.

Her intended meaning overpowers any attempt to think. We survive. We're still alive. We'll keep surviving.

Carmine frowns at her. "Neo... I know, I know."

Her gaze softens, but remains until he looks away.

"But... the possibility is always there, and it's my responsibility as leader to act appropriately if that happens. I just... I don't just think. I KNOW that I can't in that situation." He gulps down the forming lump in his throat. "I've spent so long and still haven't moved past Mom, Dad, or Summer."

There's the name, Neo realizes. She recalls when they met as kids. The corpse whose blood was dried on that terrified boy.

"If Blair or Roman..." He trails off before deciding not to voice the word. "... I won't be able to think through the situation. I don't think I'll... be me anymore." Oh. Neo waits as it processes. As she does, he adds further... His fist against her chest tightening to a frightening tension. "Those involved wouldn't be the only ones to pay for it..."

Neo's brow furrows at that. A brush of confusion. Still, she can understand the feeling. She rubs his wrist for his attention before signing. "You're not the only one who would lose yourself in that situation." She frowns.

She remembers.

Impaling the man who attempted to smother Carmine in Vale, in Junior's Nightclub. That... bastard deserved it. She nods. "I've already... I know you disapprove of killing, but when you..."

Carmine watches her cease her signs, his frown pulling further. "... Thank you."

A silence envelopes them for the moment, the dour tone pulling over them. Neo remembers the start of this situation and grimaces. She remembers Makara's suggestion.

"So, perhaps something is stopping him from acting upon you? Something separate from you?"

Is this it? A fear of losing her?

Well... then she'll make the leap. Neo pulls the boy's still tense fist down slowly. She shifts closer. Even a sharp gasp and frozen posture coming from him doesn't stop her. The girl leans in. Closer... Closer.

Nothing. Carmine turns just before her lips meet his. She blinks frozen, shocked he turned away until seeing his face scrunched closed. His hands clench his knees white knuckled. His grip on his knee mirrors her internal reaction. He actually rejected her. Neo slowly shifts back.

"I-I wasn't finished before..." He grinds out. Her face scrunches, a tight grip inside her chest. "I s-said... that if Roman or Blair..." He gulps down, a faint reflection of light showing on his cheeks. He's tearing up. "It... wouldn't compare."

Neo chills at that. Wouldn't compare to if... She gulps. A flash of guilt. This is what he felt when she nearly allowed Spyyra to kill her in Malum. This was the feeling that let him Recall her... Her next thought is about his feelings towards that semblance... She knows he doesn't hate it, but it sure sounds like it. But, then she knows that he instead hates his own use of it rather than the ability itself.

"The wind feels nice up here." The boy says softly. So low she barely hears it. Neo perks and notices that he's looking away from her... looking off the cliff down the mountain. "Would make me wonder how it'd feel from this high."

What is he..?

No.

He did not just voice that.

His lip curls up. "Relax. I'm proving a point right now." He noticed her sudden tension and wide eyes. The boy gazes over, his eyes rather hollow. "But if you died... that thought it all it would take. And that's just with how I feel about you now." He lets out a wet chuckle. "Much less than later, I'm sure. It really makes me wonder sometimes. How exactly DO you always know when something is wrong with me? You've never once been wrong or failed to distract me."

Neo blinks and looks away, shrugging. She can't exactly manage a smile for the moment, but she manages to blush as she signs. "Dunno. Your face is just too honest to hide from me." She sighs. "I've always been able to tell people pretty easily, but you're just... natural for me."

His smile grows. "Yeah? I suppose that's more proof than anything."

"Hmm?" Neo hums, looking back to him expecting elaboration.

Carmine lets a wide genuine smile grow. More innocently... sweet even. Yet, his eyes still look away. "That you're the one, I guess." He grimaces suddenly, oblivious to Neo's sudden bright red tight lipped stare. "But... That's why I can't." He shakes his head, head hanging. "I just can't. I-it's too much. Too much-." He pauses, gulping down another lump. "I already can't lose you, but any closer... I won't be the only thing that goes."

She chills at that, paling.

"You won't be the only thing that's gone. I won't be the only thing that's gone if that happens." His voice dips, eyes glossed, absent of any focus. Just as he begins to lose himself in whatever he's locked in on, he closes his eyes. The boy lowers his head, both hands cupping behind his neck to roughly pull. "I'm sorry..."

Neo feels the need to assert a measure of control, reaching and gently cupping his chin to tilt him back up. She smiles despite the tightness in her chest. A swell of uncertainty. This is what's holding him back. Fear.

Worse yet, she knows for a fact that she won't get him out of it just sitting here right now. Still, she thinks of something.

She signs. "After."

He raises a brow. "After wh-" He blinks. He straightens, attempting to draw out of her range of tough. "You can't be-... When AZRL is finally gone... All of you will have your lives back. Your own goals back. Sure, we'll still be friends, but why would you still..?"

Neo simply locks her gaze on his. Her mismatched eyes twinkle with a touch more life as she smiles. Translation: Because you're the one, I guess.

Carmine purses his lips, quivering lightly before letting a chuckle through. "Then... tell you what. After all this is over. After AZRL is done, and loose ends are tied..." He smiles bright, but looks awkward away. Cute, in her opinion. "I'll take you wherever you want to go. Just us."

Neo matches the smile and suddenly beams with excitement! She scoots over, bumping shoulders with him as she pulls her scroll out. He blanks as she taps away for a search. Suddenly, she shoves the scroll into his face, presenting him with... a theme park advertisement?

High Point Island... a roller coaster and ride based theme park in the City of Atlas? Featuring the tallest ride in the world! He leans forward as if new information would present itself. "... Fuck yes." He chuckles and shakes his head. "That sounds perfect-... Pardon?"

Her smile stretches as she holds one hand up, pinkie out.

He blinks back once. Twice. A snicker comes out as he gives a shy smile. He raises his hand and hooks his pinkie with hers. "Yeah... Sounds like a date then." He blushes at that, and shakes it off. "Just... wait a bit for me to not... fuck it up?"

Neo snorts and gives a slight nod. His stupid paranoia. But, his worry wort attitude isn't a bad thing. It's sometimes not good, but... it's part of him. She can easily deal with that.

That said...

Carmine raises a brow with her pinkie still clenching his. He lightly pulls. "This is a trap isn't it- oof!" He puffs out as the devious girl jabs fingers from her off hand into his gut. His posture flinches in a spasm. He clams up and scowls as she begins poking him. Poke poke. His glower turns to her pinkie promise hand attempting to keep his forward arm occupied... so he can't swat her away. "Really?"

Poke poke. Poke Poke. Neo smiles.

"I'm not bothered by it." He speaks calmly, closing his eyes and turning up. "I'll just picture it as a cat that won't get off your lap or something."

Poke poke. Poke poke. Poke poke. Poke poke. Poke poke.

His slight calm smile cracks away. A light growl comes from his throat. More pokes. Always, ever since they met, that same rhythm of two taps and pause. Two taps and pause. His growl comes out as he tries to pull his hand away. Neo's pinkie keeps his trapped like a vice. The hell- Two taps.

Suddenly, eyes snap open and he flails his hand out of her grip, slapping her offending limb. "Stop it!" He whisper screams with a fierce, haughty look. "Why do you enjoy that so-"

He notices.

Neo's bright teasing grin lets him know he messed up...

Because... Ears. Giant shatter illusion fox ears-

Carmine jerks back, falling off the rock and onto his back. "Ah!" He hits the ground hard, a second pause as he sucks in breath. "FUCK!"

Wheezing laughter meets his ears, so he looks up with a pained expression. Neo allows the shatter illusion attachments to break away as she covers his mouth, snorting and wheezing to herself. He maintains a pout until finally letting out a snort.

The heavy conversation begins to bleed out from them, a warmth filling up. His anxiety remains, but he still pushed against it to give a promise. He won't break a promise. And that puts her at ease. A goal. Something to look forward to for both of them, even if it's not now.

A thought occurs, and his hand subconsciously pats his pocket. Neo blinks at him, so he blushes. "Um... Actually, I do have something-" He doesn't finish as a sound cuts him off.

Boom!

A gunshot echoes over the mountain nearby.

Both CRBN members freeze rigid for the moment. "Where... Oh, shit..." Carmine pulls up as Neo stands. "Come on!" He draws out Heulin Noon, Neo having Hush handy. "That's in the direction of the others!"

Of all times, now something happens?

Well... At least, it will give him something to focus on. His worry about Blair can be placed aside.

A fading thought still nags him. Blair better be okay.

. . .

Isla Candidus

Blair blinks at the dog faunus. While their weapons remain drawn, neither attempts to approach. "No longer in AZRL?" She parrots back to him. She looks about at the temples about the area. "So, this is where you retired to? We're here just to pick your brain? If you turned away from him, why have you hid his family information and history still?"

The barrage of questions makes the dog raise his off hand in a hold gesture. "One at a time, Lass." Blair bristles at the diminutive name. "Like I said, it was a simple transition." His eyes twinkles mischievously. "My oath was served."

She pulls back at that. His oath... To protect as the man's guard hound until... "You were replaced." She says in disbelief. "You... abandoned his mission and passed the buck to another."

"Such a harsh manner of putting it." Setante hisses back, anger finally bubbling into his tone. "I FULLY believe in that man's purpose. But, well..." His gaze falls away, a far expression replacing the rise of heat. "... He was left in good hands, and was quite clear that he wanted me distanced, so..."

He gestures around them.

"So, I came home... Course, the tribes didn't want me, so I needed a..." He waves over his body. "face lift, as it were."

Blair's blood boils at that. "You stole a young man's body to sneak back into your tribe?! What kind of manipulative-" She halts. Judging him is worthless at this point. "Guess I should not be surprised."

The faunus crosses his arms. "A very fine warrior being groomed to take the position of Cu, even." His smirk is sad, but he overcomes the small feeling. "Yet, the position IS meant for the tribe's GREATEST warrior." His smirk turns prideful, an energy to his expression. "So, when fighting to the death for it... the rest is history."

"You allowed the warrior to kill you?" She voices the thought, then frowns. "Then challenged the Cu to ascend to a position where they could not challenge you. Even if they found out who you really were."

Setante frowns at that and scoffs. "Oh, please. I was very upfront with it all." She scowls back at that. "So, here I am, the nigh immortal guardian simply waiting for the call to come back." He ends with a soft smirk. "Or, simply take an interest in something that fascinates me in my... forced downtime."

Blair cocks her head at that. She begins side stepping. He matches, the two beginning to circle one left now. "Interests?"

"And in this situation, it happens to be both." He smirks. The woman recoils at that. Both? A call to come back? He of course means the chance to defend AZRL from Team CRBN. The man looks off to the distance, his smirk growing. "So I send Aline's old prodigal child off on a field trip to preoccupy him, and other agents keep track of your little kids." His eyes gain a challenging glint to them. "Bit of hypocrisy on that note, though."

Blair follows his gaze, looking out into the clouds... Very far out... A Bulkhead transport moves. Its sound is little more than white noise, but she can make out its direction. South Eastbound...

She gasps sharp. Isla Vallis.

Carmine and Neo!

Blair twists away, breaking into a sprint for the temple exit-

She senses the movement behind her and ducks right. Setante's spear spikes through the air past her and impales the stone ground. The chain attached pulls taut and jerks the weapon back in a warped twirl. Blair uses Fluorescent to deflect the weapon away! The woman rounds to face her opponent as Setante snatches his weapon back.

"Like I said. In this situation, I get the best of both worlds." He gives a cocky smile.

Blair snarls as she reads the situation. "And how so?"

"I got to stall you while picking your brain about our semblance." He answers with a shrug. "Some surprises. Welcome and unwelcome, but I think I've got all I need to know. I'm definitely going to have to practice using it your way."

The blonde grumbles as she assumes her stance. "Stop. Saying. OURS!" Her denial snaps into anger. "My semblance is not twisted like yours! I most certainly cannot possess others beyond death!"

Setante's challenging smile takes a darker shine to it. His eyes focused solely on her. "Would you like to test that theory, scientist?"

Her mouth snaps shut as she takes a step back.

He continues, taking his first steps closer. "Ever since the first time, I've long since lost something when it came to battle. I lost fear... excitement. The THRILL of a challenge." The blade of his spear sparks off the ground, grinding. "No fear of death. The blood pumping faded upon realizing no one could possibly hope to slay me. Worse yet when by shear experience I could out think a whelp three times over."

"Yet, finally. Here comes a challenger in their peak." He speaks after a huffing, getting his blood pumping. Blair takes another step back in reflex.

Death isn't something that's had a hold on her for years. Not since Beacon Academy. Maybe before. Actual unbridled fear almost has become foreign to her. But it isn't death. In her mind, it's her face... Her face standing over the lifeless forms of her friends. Her... family.

To this monstrous group that's already taken one friend from her.

Her grip tightens on Fluorescent. She centers herself, the mental exercises coming back. She hadn't needed combat meditations since second year in Vale. Still, she needs to clear her mind and take the challenge ahead of her.

"You will not be taking me, monster."

Setante grins. "Well, there's only three options, because if you let your friend get back here before we finish, I might just trick and take his face for a ride."

Blair seizes at the realization. Roman... He's made it to the island... If he arrives before this battle finishes...

A violet haze sparks around her, anger flaring her aura. Her voice carries a growl behind it now. "You won't harm anyone EVER AGAIN."

"HA! That's the spirit." Setante barks out a laugh before widening his stance. His spear raises over his head, point forward. "Shall we?" His excitement tempers as his red aura shield flickers activated. His smile drops, a cold hardening coming to his glare.

Blair sneers back, but pauses and asks even. "One final question." He perks as she takes her kendo position, blade forward. "The last memory... AZRL was a hired service. Today, they auction these same kids that previously would just be trained service only. Why the change?"

Setante huffs, a deep frown at being reminded of Ferdiad. "In both scenarios, those we trained had the possibility of becoming more loyal to those around them than us. We worked the underworld. The dark cesspool in this world. Simply having a paper trail of them taking our service didn't keep them as our friends... But if they bought them from us... and recognized their worth..."

Blair's gaze narrows. "I see." Her voice dips. "They'd use you either way... This way, you could blackmail them to authorities and use your Blue and Red plants to cover anything relating directly to you."

"And force each group we sell for to remain loyal to us while simultaneously restricting the Witch's cult." He smiles with pride. "Limit her resources and choke her of allies over the course of years." He pauses and replaces the look with a deep frown. "A process that was on the verge of succeeding... if only we spread fully into Vale."

Wait...

She flinches at that. She remembers now.

The Silver Auditorium.

Spyyra Barnall sighs dramatically at Blair. "It can't be helped. Tomorrow is our biggest sale in years, so he's just adamant about showing up for all our buyers."

Blair can't help it. A sudden, haughty, and mighty cackle cracks out once. "HA!" She contains herself and allows her own cold glare at the man. "You mean to say your grand master plan failed because of Team CRBN's creation? I feel so flattered."

Setante bristles. "Aline never told me who was responsible for that hold up. Can't be too surprised though." A predatory aura comes from him with the mix of a furious scowl and arrogant smirk comes. "But you're not dealing with replacements today. After all..."

His movements a blur. The scraping and tearing of the stone from each dashing step cracks the temple flooring! The faunus speeds directly at the woman!

Blair barely manages to angle her sword! She blocks the spear thrust with the broad side of Fluorescent! Caught off guard, Blair is thrown from her feet like a projectile. The woman's feet begin to skid on the stone ground before losing it, tossed over the edge of the temple platform to one just a bit lower on the mountain, opposite from the entrance side.

She tumbles down the rocky mountain side, but kicks off to flip the remainder of the distance. She crouch lands on the platform, flourishing her blade and returning to her default stance with a fierce stance.

Setante lands across from her, his landing cracking the ground as she also assumes his own stance. He smirks. (Drum beat builds into a folk flute beginning a melody.)

She understands... This only ends with one of them dying. He's finished playing with his interests. Blair pops open Fluorescent's hilt to insert a dust can. (Melody plays fully into opening verse)

. . .

Roman ascends the mountain, just moving beyond the last of its city's reaches. He looks to the sunset orange sky, frowning. Something's shifted in the air... Bah! He's not superstitious. He continues on up the mountain path. ("In the sodden snow of the Irish hills Was born a Tuatha's child. With a fighting heart and immortal skill And a spirit fiery and wild.")

Another pang to his nerves, and Roman feels an itch to check his scroll. He does so... Still no response from Blair. "Damn it Barbie..." He moves into a sprint up the mountain! ("Through a prophecy he was bound and doomed To a short and a glorious life! And he bore the name Setanta till A famous fateful night.")

. . .

At the same time, Blair and Setante exhale at the same time. Breath in... and they charge each other in a blur of movement! ("With his hurley in his hands... His name would cross the land!" Music builds to Irish metal instrumental)

The first trade sparks off their weapons clashing! Sparks fly over the stone before Setante steps out of Fluorescent's range. He quick spear thrusts his blade forward with pinpoint accuracy! Blair parries side to side, ducking her head to narrowly avoid the blade. She then knocks the next thrust up, then drop slides forward to slash at Setante's waist! (Metal folk instrumental ramps up!)

The faunus twirls his spear up to parry the slash with the butt end of the spear! He twirls the weapon more to throw her weapon off the bind. He bashes the shaft forward, but she matches with a pommel strike. "Tch!" Both bump back whirling their weapons right. Setante swings up, Blair parrying and back stepping. (Instrumental repeats and slightly changes)

He brings the spear down, smashing into the stone with a crack. The spear bends from the pressure, blade burying into the surface. "HA!" He cracks the spear up, ripping stone from the ground up to smash into the woman! Blair blocks, but the smashing stone throws her back with a clouded impact! (Instrumental repeats into first verse)

The smoke shimmers bright, Blair bursting with ignited dust. Fluorescent sparks sky blue with flowing winds warping around it! She clashes and flourishes against his retreat. She eyes his back step. There. ("Well his Uncle Connor who wore the crown Of Ulster on his head.")

She casts the wind dust with a drawing cut! A gust of wind draws with it, slashing into Setante's guard before pulling him forward with the gale! ("In the home of Culainn the smith sat down, For mead and mutton and bread.")

Blair thrusts, but the stumbling man rights and deflects and bashes her side with a twirl! He attempts a follow slash with the spear, but she blocks, kicking down and knocking his footing back! ("At the door lay the Cú, the faithful hound. A huge and and terrible beast!")

Setante stumbles back, blocking strike after strike from the woman viciously attacking! "Your weapon is so lively! What's the hurry?" Setante quips happily, despite clear effort straining. ("When a thief or enemy trod his ground, Their bones became his feast!")

Ignore him. He's goading her. Blair attempts a feint attack, faking left before striking right! A trap. Setante twists the shaft of his spear, disconnecting it into three chained segments! ("Well Setanta joined them late at night, And the hound it leapt to shred,")

With a jerk, the furthest segment swings and wraps its chain around Fluorescent, Blair halting in alert. With a jerk, he pulls the woman in and side kicks her gut! ("But he raised his hurley, plucked the ball Right through the poor beast's head!")

Blair is thrown back, pulling Fluorescent out of the chains as she skids on the ground. She jabs the blade into the stone to grind a halt. A growl comes out as she directs herself back to him. ("He spoke remorse as the smith he cried For his lost and murdered hound.")

She ejects the empty dust can, inserting another. As she does so, Setante twists the spear segments back into one weapon. He twirls the weapon back to his default stance. ("'I will be your Cú now from this night Till another you have found'.")

Blair huffs, removing a blood capsule as well from her inner chest pouch. Setante charges her before she can ready her backup semblance. He releases a laugh as he aims low! ("So he lay outside the door, One eye watching on the moors!" Music ramps into first chorus)

She leaps up! The spear head strikes the stone beneath her feet to shatter the ground! Airborne, she can only block as the man twirls and spin strikes her away, like a hockey puck! ("And the name Cú Chulainn Was sung out loud that night!")

Flying, Blair flips with the momentum, bracing herself to hit the mountain side to land. He's given her distance, intentional or not. She slices the blood capsule to paint the golden blade crimson! ("In a tale of rage and ruin and of might!")

She kicks off the mountain side as Setante's strike shatters a miniature rock slide off the mountain. As the rocks tumble into the temple platform, Blair leaps from stone to stone. ("And the name Cú Chulainn, So furious and wild!")

She twists on one large falling piece, sucking in a gasp as Setante segments his spear for an extended slash! She leaps off just as the slash dusts the rock in one blow! ("To remain in myth and memory, A legend of the isle!" Chorus bridges to instrumental)

Landing, Blair draws out a white dust capsule. Only one use here. She keeps the white dust in her left hand while one handing Fluorescent. She tuck and roll dodges a swing as Setante hounds after with jabs and slashes. Getting to her feet, she deflects two strikes, swiping the blade into a reverse grip while blocking. (Instrumental carries.)

Dashing back, Blair throws the white dust can up. Setante halts, wary of the can. Perfect. Blair activates the red blood in Fluorescent. Roman's face flashes to her mind. His blood. She activates his Wick semblance from a distance, a friction flame sparking on the white dust! It ignites... (Instrumental repeats)

The white dust explodes, but it can't do physical damage. Doesn't have to. The ignition erupts a shining white! A flash bang effect as Blair closes her eyes while Setante is taken aback! The bright flash blinds him like a flare! Blair takes the moment to then activate the dust inside Fluorescent. Fire. (Instrumental repeats again)

The blade erupts in flames as she strikes the blinded foe! The flames engulf the area before Blair in an explosive blaze! Blair takes a step back and readies her stance. Not nearly enough. (Instrumental bridges into third verse)

The flames warp apart as the tribal warrior strikes out! Flames whip off his clothes in a flashy flare. He jabs the spear in a pattern, egging her to back step. Blair moves back with her deflections. ("He trained on the Isle of Sky and Shadow, Bore an abandoned son,")

With a lash up, his weapon segments, extending in an upward lash to strike Blair back off balance. He quickly twists the shaft back into one solid form, raising the pole weapon like a hammer! ("And met his battle brother Ferdiad. Many a tale they spun.")

Blair dodges the downward strike, eyes wide at the sheer force! The blade and bending top half of the spear smashes into the temple platform! A radiating impact cracks and quakes the entire platform, smashing stone slabs up from the ground around them. ("Well he fought with the strength of many men! A beast who bloodied the fields!")

In a twist, he rips up the flooring, throwing projectile slabs around them into Blair. Blair rolls back and lands, only for her footing to give out. The entire end of the platform begins to shatter. ("In a bloodlust battle frenzy... His skin would shift and peel!")

The platform collapses, Blair falling down the slopes of the mountain with the debris. Setante stands at the edge of the broken platform, simply eyeing the drop. ("His son would find him as man But would not tell his name,")

The debris continues to fall, but he spots Blair a distance down. She jabs Fluorescent into the mountain to halt her tumbling, slanted fall. She groans at the fall's sting, but glares back up to the man. ("So he took a spear to his own child And doomed himself to shame!")

Setante smirks. CRACK! Dust ignitions crack the broken stone around him, catching him by surprise! He begins to stumble as his section of the platform begins to break over as well! ("When the canny Queen Méabh attacked his land To steal the bull of brown,")

Blair huffs, discarding an empty dust can with fading earth dust. She watches as Setante staggers at the breaking platform far above. The man sucks in a breath and growls. ("She sent out Ferdiad to fight. Cú Chulainn struck him down!")

Collapsing with the debris, Setante kicks himself downward, charging down the slope at the blonde. Blair gets a foot hold on the seventy five plus degree slope and charges up! She brings Fluorescent up with her. ("Blood of son and brother fell! He wailed and cried farewell!" Music bridges into chorus)

Their clash sparks as Setante's spear is directed down, digging into the rock. His off hand stops Blair's sword arm, the two momentarily held in place on the slope with debris about to overtake them. ("And the name Cú Chulainn Was sung out loud that night!")

Blair twists the larger man around his grip of the spear, allowing her to break his hold of her! She kicks him down, sending him down the slope. She then slides and tumbles down the rocky surface, shifting around to dodge the rock slide of debris. ("In a tale of rage and ruin and of might!")

Setante tumbles rough, twisting around with a pained howl. He drags his spear against the rock, digging into the slope and angling himself around a falling chunk of stone. ("And the name Cú Chulainn, So furious and wild!")

Dragging, he swerves around debris towards Blair, whose orienting herself in her own slide down the mountain side! In a grind up, he swings and strikes a shocked Blair who blocks! The attack pounds her into the slide of debris above her, shattering it and breaking off more of the mountain around them. ("To remain in myth and memory, A legend of the isle!" Chorus bridges to instrumental)

. . .

Massive crashes echo over the mountain. Roman stops his sprint up the mountain steps, huffing for breath as he looks side to side. He can't quite tell which way it comes from... Wait. (Metal instrumental plays off from chorus)

"Oh, for..." He groans, seeing a trail of smoke appearing from around the other side of the mountain. Just as he was near the top, too. Annoyed, he grumbles. "If I gotta follow that." He shakes his head and continues his sprint. "Damn it, Barbie!" (Instrumental repeats loud bridging to quieter next repeat)

. . .

The debris slide smashes into a flatter plateau of the mountain, much of the slide breaking around and falling further. The uneven plateau blows out with smoke, settling slowly. (Quieter instrumental plays with start of background upward melody.)

Blair sucks in a pained breath, a trickle of blood dripping down her right temple and off her chin. She seethes, right jacket sleeve shredded off and clothes in tatters. She fights to calm her breath, focusing forward. She gasps, wide eyed. She dodges right as Setante's spear soars by and impales a pile of debris. (Instrumental bridges into final verse)

Setante steps out from a dirt cloud, breathing heavy with a grin. Red paints his chin, small cuts to his top half show. His green tunic is shredded off, dangling scraps tied to his waist. He jerks the chain spear to pull his weapon back to him. ("When the father of fair Emer Refused to give her to wed,")

Blair steps back, sheathing Fluorescent. She still has Setante's captured blood inside the sheath. Activating the trigger and focusing her knowledge of his semblance, she draws out the now red sword! ("Cú Chulainn tore his castle down And left the whole place dead!")

With a critical eye, he stops his approach. Instead, he performs a jerk of the spear's tail end, exposing a hollow containment slot and removing its contents. A single dust can. He activates fire dust. The green fur around his spear head lights in green fire! ("They loved each other, man and wife, Despite his many affairs.")

He brandishes the spear, the green flames bathing over the spear head. He charges directly at Blair. ("Then he met the Morrigan, turned her down, And earned her vengeful glare!")

She sucks in a breath. This is going to hurt... She activates the blood, her blade casting Setante's own semblance! She jams another dust can in the hilt, activating lightning dust. ("She weakened him and broke his strength With trickery and lies")

Aiming the sword forward, she meets his charge! His spear range is superior, so his flaming spear strikes her left side! Her aura shield shines into existence in a painful crash! The flames break through, scorching her left hip and burning the shirt and jacket at the side to her ribs! ("By feeding him the flesh of dogs! Three crones were her disguise!")

Choking in pain, Blair grabs the spear with her left arm, pulling him for her own lightning charged thrust! Her sword smashes into his aura shield, breaking it as well to slice open his chest! Not enough to impale... damn. But, both their aura shields have now failed! They're at the end of their stamina! ("The Queen and Lugaid saw their chance To fight the Cú and win!")

The blast of green flame and violet lightning throws both back, Blair slammed into a debris pile, Setante into the mountain slope. Both fighters cry out in pain before realizing they each did the same thing! They allowed the strikes to infect the other with their auras! ("When he battled next 3 spears were thrown, And one tore through his skin!")

A red haze over Blair appears. She feels weighed down, her open side wound strained twice over. She forces herself to stand using Fluorescent as a cane. ("So he tied himself to a mighty stone! By his guts and belt he hung!")

Meanwhile, Setante hazes in violet, the woman's semblance inducing pain! He pulls free of the rocks, gritting his teeth in pain. ("And so he still stood on his feet Till the last breath it left his lungs!")

Their auras linked, their senses begin to shift in and out. Each had wanted a one way link, but now both are experiencing the same sensory warping. The very environment flickers with other details from their memories. They lock gazes. Blair needs to purge his aura and kill him... ("And a light shone out so grand Till the raven came to land!")

… But Setante can risk death while their auras are mixed! He grins and charges through the pain! (Pause leads into final chorus)

Setante strikes Blair back, the blonde weakly stumbling back from blocking. Both warriors move much slower, Setante pained and Blair weighed down. Straining, she parries again and cracks her pommel off his jaw. ("And the name Cú Chulainn Was sung out loud that night!")

He stumbles as she attempts a follow up, but he uses the back of the spear to back her side wound! Blair flinches and cries out, weakly stumbling. Setante raises the spear and slashes, but she ducks. ("In a tale of rage and ruin and of might!")

She crouch rushes forward, scoring a glancing cut on his leg as she stumbles past. Both warriors stumble past one another, halting themselves with their weapons in the ground. ("And the name Cú Chulainn, So furious and wild!")

Both snarl in pain. Next to no aura, wounded, and well aware the next exchanges may decide the battle. Their remaining powers focus on purging the other's auras as they twist around near feral. They swing around to begin! ("To remain in myth and memory, A legend of the isle~~!" Chorus ramps into final instrumental)

Weapons clash, Blair whirls the bind and breaks a slash up, a glancing cut to Setante's jaw! He thrusts. She ducks her head right, gaining a cut on her neck. He performs three quick jabs at precise targets: Shoulder, gut, left thigh! She twists her torso, then parries the gut strike, then pulls her leg back to dodge each! (Final instrumental ramps up!)

Her stance off, sideways, he thrusts for her back. She raises her sword in a hanging guard to block for her back! He turns the spear to bash her head, but she brings the hang guard forward, blocking the face shot! She advances, slide slashing her blade forward. Setante jerks back, a slice just below his collar bones! ("Scaoil amach on ceol!(Let loose the music!)" The Gaelic words punctuate the repeat)

His thigh injury weakens his stance as he stumbles. Blair lunges to a stab! Setante segments his spear, wrapping the back third chain around the blade and jerking it aside! Blair's open! He uses the first third with the blade as a one handed weapon, slashing at her point blank! ("Oh~" Folk chants sing as the instrumental repeats)

Her free hand brings her sheath to block. She keeps a grip on Fluorescent as she clashes her sheath with his weapon and strikes him in his wounded side. He howls in pain, releasing his bladed segment to grab and wrench the sheath from the woman! Her left hand snatches a dust can from her pouch. ("Oh~!" Instrumental finishes first repeat)

He pulls her in by the chained Fluorescent, fist colliding with her jaw. She maintains the grip on her weapon, but drops to her knees. He reaches for his bladed segment again, but she jerks him down, throwing an elbow right up into his chin. The bone popping sounds loud, but he pulls back, dragging her with him. ("Oh~!" Final repeat begins)

As he jerks the tangled sword, he attempts to throw the back segments aside. He intends to jerk her weapon from her hands and leave her defenseless so he can impale her with the bladed segment, the spear head. However, as he does, Blair's left hand casts with the ice can. She slams her palm into the chain connecting the segments and wrapped around Fluorescent... The chain freezes and shatters... ("Oh~!" Final heavy repeat ends into soft flute and drums)

His attempt to throw the back segment and her sword ends with only the back segment going... his torso wide open as his right arm is still angling the spear segment... Meanwhile, Blair twists Fluorescent's blade and rams forth with all her physical power. She rams the blade directly into the man's exposed chest, sinking in and passing through. (Soft flute plays out, ending the tune)

Setante's eyes widen in shock, a choke coming. "C-ack!" Blood spurts out his mouth as he grunts and struggles to breath...

Blair wheezes breathes, gritting her teeth. "HA!" She pushes further, shoulder in his gut as he stumbles backwards with her powering on. She finally pins him into the wall of the mountain, his weapon falling behind her!

She huffs until realization hits... A heavy feeling begins to settle on her limbs... She freezes. A spurt of blood drips onto her shoulder from the man's mouth. She slowly looks up... horrified.

Setante is smiling. His hands grip hers on Fluorescent's grip. He tightens with a glint.

He'd planned on pushing her to a killing blow.

"Now... s-shall you... surprise me?" He rasps out weakly, eyes hollow and glossing over.

In her senses, her aura feels it. Her dark violet haze of an aura would be like a silhouette as red begins to form around it... Red penetrates. Red pierces directly into her mind.

"..." She stares horrified as she feels the presence touching her conscious...

No...

"Barbie!" Roman calls out as he scrapes down the mountain with Velvet hooking into the mountain side to slow him! He looks panicked as he continues the drop. He breathes in relief. He sprints off the mountain side and spots the Cu de Culann pinned to the rock... He grimaces. "What hap-"

"AH!"

The bloodcurdling scream pierces the air! Roman recoils, ears pained at a sound he's never once heard from the blonde. His mouth goes dry, gut sinking, as he sees Blair seize and pry herself away from the impaled faunus!

Both arms curl over her head, gripping her hair tightly as she stumbles and collapses. She writhes on the ground, voice running hoarse as it sounds like her vocal chords are ripping. She chokes out, silencing the sounds as she rolls onto her front. "AH! HA... Hnnnn!" He growls, teeth threatening to crack at the clench. Her throat gargles as she begins to scream. "HAAAAAH!"

Roman rushes over, only to pause when a red aura shield pulses around her left arm. Then a violet aura shield flickers and sparks over her gut. After, a dull red pulses up her leg before shifting to a purple hue at the feet. He watches her body shift with the changing hazes of hers and Setante's semblances. His breath hitches, having absolutely no clue what to do. "B-Bar- Blair! What's-"

"AH!" She screams again, lifting her head off the ground then slamming her forehead into the rocky ground. "NGH!" She lifts again. "Haaa-NGH!"

As she lifts again, Roman snatches her by the shoulders, wrapping his arms around her and attempting to restrain the flailing woman! A rip in her forehead bleeds down between her screwed shut eyes. "Blair! What's going on! Make sense!" He sees nothing. "SHIT!" He shouts as he looks for something, anything to help...

. . .

Inner mind (Setante)

The young preteen bird faunus hits the ground on his back. "Oof!" He grimaces for a moment before grinning. His father stands with a proud smirk.

"That was better." The elder man nods to the side. "Don't lose your weapon when you fall. Let's go again."

The boy twists up, grabbing his bo staff from the side. "Alright! I'll get you this time!"

. . .

Inner mind (Blair)

Two blonde young teens sit beside one another. One's bangs curl and frame the right side of her face, wearing glasses over her green eyes. The other's bangs curl and frame the left side of her face, amber eyes scowling. Both girls are rather beaten up, dirty, and in tatters.

"Why?! Why would you start hurling crowd bleachers at me!" The fifteen year old Blair Goodwitch speaks up in a scowl.

Her sister, Glynda, scowls back heated. "ME?! YOU injected your semblance into me and threw off my control!" She huffs and crosses her arms. "Now, we're both suspended! Are you happy?"

Blair huffs and looks away. "No. They didn't let us finish."

Glynda snaps her fierce glare at the back of the sword woman's head.

. . .

Inner mind (Setante)

Setante, now a young man, smiles and pours a drink for a young Aline Zandril. "Come on~. You can tolerate just one drink. I won't tell your father."

Aline rolls his eyes. "I don't get the excitement. It smells rancid." He accepts the drink and grimaces. "Whatever..." He takes a sip, violet eyes bugging out. He spews it out! "ACK! What is that?!"

The faunus snickers. "Whiskey."

"You scoundrel, get rid of that poison!" The preteen boy speaks heated!

. . .

Inner mind (Blair)

A dying Beowolf hits the ground, surrounded by three other decaying black beasts!

A seventeen year old Blair sheathes a silver sword with a dust hollow in the hilt. The teen glances over with a critical eye. "You appear dissatisfied." She looks over to the first person she met in the Emerald Forest.

The young lavender haired girl with a bob cut gives a nervous smile and scratches her head. "Well... When we're supposed to team up with whoever we meet first... I expected to... team up? You just went and murdered them all instantly." She gives a dull look at the dead monsters. "A bit of a buzz kill."

Blair glares at the slightly bubbly girl. "If you dislike efficiency, then go find another partner." She turns around and begins to walk. "I shall continue for the relics."

The girl sighs. "Don't be like that- Hey! At least introduce yourself." She jogs up and stops with Blair.

The blonde raises a brow. "Fine. I am Blair Goodwitch- huh?" Her eyes bug out as the stranger girl snatches her hand and shakes it.

"Hi! I'm Rowa Carson." The seventeen year old Rowa introduces herself. "Guess we're stuck together, aren't we?"

. . .

Inner mind (Setante)

The striking of weapons sounds as two warriors separate. The raven bird faunus sits back, wiping sweat from his brow. Across from him, Ferdiad sits down, panting and ramming his two handed sword into the dirt. The two are in a sparring circle.

"You took down a mobster with piss poor moves like that?" Setante speaks with a cheeky tone and grin. "Come on. Was the mobster a high school dropout reject?"

Ferdiad frowns and huffs. "Oh? I should follow your example? Didn't you survive Rosso because of Len? You're the one needing backup all the time."

Setante chuckles, taking another drink. Gasping satisfied, he gives a challenging glint. "Then flip the odds. You want to call a backup dancer to help get a win for once? I'll go two against one."

Ferdiad cracks a grin and stands. "You cheeky bastard!"

. . .

Inner mind (Blair)

A seventeen year old Cella stands, the deer faunus wearing a toboggan with holes allowing her slight antlers to poke out. She gives a small disapproving frown. "Hey, I know you and your sister can... get into less than favorable fights, but I need you to try and reign that in on missions."

Blair looks away with a huff, making Cella snicker lightly.

"I know she's a handful, and I know you're right just as often as her." Cella gives a friendly concession. "But that's why when you have something to add, I need it to be in cooperation. NOT in competition with her suggestions." She adds with a frown. "I'm her partner, and yeah, I can tell she's a handful. If you really think you're better than her, then prove it by showing it for this team. Understand?"

The blonde looks down, a sense of shame coming over her. "I... understand..." She looks away from the girl to her pages of schematics.

Cella eyes the sheets and smiles. "Don't ever hesitate to bring something to my attention. Remember, that's been my only mandatory order to you three." She softens and nods to the schematics. "You working on something that will help us out?"

Blair purses her lips. "... I... do not know if it will work." She scowls. "I want some rare materials for my new weapon construction."

The deer faunus grins wide. "Really? My family has an In with Mercy Mining in Vacuo. You think I can get you some of those?"

The blonde snaps a wide look at her. "You... would do that?"

. . .

Inner mind (Setante)

A beautiful woman with long scarlet hair and darker skin smiles at the bird faunus. She wears white, the two surrounded by friends. "I do." She smiles and leans in, kissing Setante to seal the deal.

. . .

Inner mind (Blair)

Standing directly behind the red haired preteen boy now, the blonde girl momentarily looks up exasperated. "Are you having any problems?"

The chilling emotionless voice barely catches the boy's attention. he turns about, looking up-

And Carmine flinches upon seeing the terrifying blonde again. "Ah! Um, sorry... Am I in the way?"

"From a certain point of view." Okay, maybe not the best way to go about offering help.

The boy reddened like that of a tomato. "Sorry. I'll just go-"

The blonde raises a finger, the boy clamping his mouth shut. "Just-... hmm. Do you require assistance?" A cursory glance at the multitude of materials revealed something. This kid just grabbed everything he could in the shop. "What are you trying to do?"

. . .

Inner mind (Setante)

The dark tinged blue haired woman, Setante's second body, stares incredulously. Aline walked into the room for their meeting with other members of AZRL. "You look more youthful than ever." She comments observant.

Aline did. Even looking like he's in his thirties, that still looks almost twenty years younger than he should look. Pudgy as ever though. The white suited man chuckles without looking back. "Oh, I just had some work done. Oh! Where are my manners?" He turns and waves Setante's attention to the new face in the room.

At the end of the meeting table, sitting backwards slouched over the back of a chair, is a young man. Maybe not even twenty years old. His short, parted raven hair and youthful face were neutral as he taps away at a small computer no larger than a pouch. He looks up, the light overhead reflecting off his rimless glasses.

Aline's own pair glimmer off the light as he grins. "Gentleman, and my other bodied friend, allow me to introduce you to our new head of medical. Frank here is going to skyrocket our resources with his brilliant mind, I'm sure."

Franklyn Naero Stein glances around, looking bored before humming. "Hello. But, please refer to me only as Dr Near. I have a public image to keep."

Setante cocks her head at the man. "Someone has a stellar personality." She criticizes. Not exactly happy about the man.

. . .

Inner mind (Blair)

The doctor, Blair disguised as Glinda Gale, nods at the girl before turning her clipboard around and offering it. The offer shocks the girl, who flinches back when she opens her eyes to see a sheet of paper. "Please... write down your name for me. Those numbers are inhumane."

The girl gives a confused stare back, eyes flicking to and from the paper. She clearly didn't understand why this was happening, but she hesitantly takes the clipboard. A moment passes as she writes, then hands it back to the doctor.

Reading it, Blair nods. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Neopolitan Rhodes." Nodding to the girl, she holds a stare down with her, an unpleasant look coming over her. "I believe... you are someone who can help me."

. . .

Inner mind (Setante)

The female Setante keeps a hawk like eye out over the corn fields of the plantation style home. She leans against the pillar, her semblance sensing everything inside. Aline has finished speaking to that man and is coming down the steps with another aura.

Setante turns to the door, noting the depiction of a brilliant rose etched into the wood with its back side wilting off. A bit on the nose, isn't it? Imagery aside, the place is beautiful. Fitting for one of Mistral's finest criminal families.

The door opens as Aline steps out... a VERY young boy with bright orange hair thrown out beside him by their hired muscle. The boy cries out as the men grab him by the arms, his grip barely maintained on the beautiful cane in hand. Is that a weapon?

Aline stops by Setante's side. "And like that, friends have been made."

The woman snorts. "As if Roses don't come with thorns." She glares at a nearby thug who eyes her with disdain. She smirks. "Yeah, I said it!" She turns away, using her spear like a walking stick. Eyeing the ginger boy, she leans in. "And is this one even worth it? Seems a bit of a wily one."

Watching the small child that is Roman Rose, Aline giggles. "Oh, come now. I enjoy some playful cattiness in our ranks sometimes. It makes things feel alive."

Setante chuckles at that. "I suppose... What's his number come up to now?" Feeling his aura, she nods. "Definitely a series black. 1075."

. . .

Inner mind (Blair)

Pulling Carmine up, she stares murder into his eyes, making him remember just how god damn terrifying she can be. "CARMINE UHLRIC, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Her yell echoes in the broken caverns around them, under the Silver Auditorium.

"AH!" He yelps like a horror movie scream, hands held up in defense. "S-S-S-S-Saving children! That's it! I swear!" If she could get more rigid, she manages it. Her eyes lose fury, replaced with a cold mask without emotion.

Carmine yelps as he's dropped onto his feet shakily. Both Blair's hands reach up, one on each of the boy's temples, holding his head to lock eyes. "Carmine... were you working with that man over there?"

Sweating bullets, the boy can't find his voice for a moment. Behind him, Roman snickers, catching a side glare from Blair. "Well, I didn't think the brat had friends. I didn't believe him." With a smarmy grin, he tips his head. "Roman Torchwick."

Carmine flinches as Blair's eye snaps to look back at him. "... So my plan was ruined on purpose..." Her head dips, a long frustrated sigh sounding.

. . .

Inner mind (Setante)

The woman stares down from a cliff through a tree line. Setante hears Aline step up beside her. "I'm not opposed to your suggestion, but it does intrigue me." Aline's jovial nature relaxes as he eyes the female form of his friend from the side. "You never endorse someone to join permanently. We can get a lot of profit out of him."

The female Setante hums and nods to the scene in a forest clearing below. Aline follows the look and brightens.

In the clearing is a bloodied corpse. It twists and lurches as a ground sand like substance pulls from its open wounds. A young preteen boy is standing by the corpse with tattered rag like clothes. The child has short, swept back green hair and curious orange eyes.

The substance pulled forth is iron, ripped from the dead person's blood as it mixes with iron grains before him to shift into a matching jewelry set: A necklace and two thick bracelets. The boy hums and looks up to the cliff, smiling. His smile somehow seems disconnected with the blank look in his eyes.

Setante nods in approval and calls out. "Come on up, 1279! You've done a great job!"

Aline smirks. "Doting words of encouragement. If I didn't know you were a man, I would think you're getting motherly."

Setante snorts. "Remind me to pick a new body soon. Though, that may be the case now that this one is around."

Aline raises a brow and nods. "I see. You've reconsidered my request."

"Aye. Though, I still say it should be a temporary change." The woman. "Reconnecting with our home through force will also require me to not be at your side."

Aline snickers. "Well, give or take fifty years, promises should be kept. Further work should be purely through kinship I would say." He eyes Setante with a glint in his violet eyes. "So? Is this one finally the new hound?"

Setante smirks. "I believe so." She states as the boy, 1279, comes to a stop before them.

The boy sends a hollow look, off putting by the slight lip curl. "Did I rack my price up, or what?" The nasally cockiness drips off.

"Oh one might say you became priceless." Aline chuckles. "Congratulations child. Today you will be renamed."

The boy scrunches his face, confused. "Um..? But... we don't have names. I don't even remember-"

Setante crosses her arms and commands the attention. "Child, you have earned the chance to take your place fully AZRL under my apprenticeship. You purpose has transcended that of your peers. You will be groomed to become Master Zandril's number one enforcer. That is your mission from here forth."

The boy looks astounded between them. "Whoa... really?" He brightens up, elated. "Whoa, who am I going to kill?"

"Now, now. There will be time for that later." Zandril snickers. "For now, let us bequeath your new right as our new prodigal warrior and guard." The violet eyes twinkle in delight. "I name you... Spyyra Barnall."

. . .

Inner mind (Blair)-

Inner mind (Setan-)

Blair

Setante

Blantr

Slainte

Sparks of images from both lives chaotically rip at one another...

Until...

. . .

The world around her held little detail. It was a cool blue room of sorts... The ceiling was dark, light from all sides. What is... wait...

"Hello, Miss."

She... knows him. The silver haired man sits on a simple chair, legs crossed as he appraises the... being before him. She... or he? The man before he-her-it flickers. Replaced is the rotund man with blonde hair, black horizontal streaks, and violet eyes.

The trill of a giggle comes. "Well, look at you. Looking white girl wasted. Such a poor sight. Where is the pride in yourself?"

Anger bubbles. Indignation. How dare he..? The image flickers again. The silver haired head master.

Professor Ozpin?

Ozpin looks at the being with his barely visible smile. His eyes hold a slight amusement, pissing her off. Her? He keeps full attention on her. "Choice." He begins... The words... she remembers him speaking them, though not necessarily in this type of setting. "During your years, you will change and evolve. Each change within you is herald to one principle: Choice of your path."

"How you change, the person you become, hinges upon the path you allow. So, tell me..."

"Who are you?"

"..."

"I await the wonders you bring."

Who is she? What is she?

Roman had a very salient point. She forsook her goals in life by becoming a part of Team CRBN. What is she without her ambitions? To become a force of change in the world! What... is she?

"Capable." The voice in front of her is haughty. Uptight. Glynda? "Driven."

The voice changes. Cella? "Stalwart. You WILL follow what you feel is right."

"And passionate." A teasing female voices. Rowa. "Your occupation IS your goal. Dissatisfaction motivates you."

"Not even talking about cunning." A smarmy tone enters. She looks up. Roman! He grins. "Quick witted, and ingenious. Brilliant on top of good looks." He winks at her.

Sincere.

The word isn't spoken, yet she feels it flood her. She looks to the side, finding the teen girl with pink and brown hair. She smiles forward. Dependable.

The being is forced to look away at that. It's strange, but... the warmth feels good. She looks up to find... Carmine.

The boy looks twelve years old again, smiling with tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "Caring... Even when you break trust, it's always for someone's benefit..." He nods to her. "You're the one who taught me to build upon myself. Made me a better person. Helped... fix me." The boy chuckles. "You're the best friend I've ever had."

The warmth inside surges. A flow of heat rising. Before her-Yes, her- Ozpin appears once more.

"Now... Who are you?"

The entire room lights in a violet haze of her semblance. All red is expunged, ripped, eviscerated on sight!

Her psyche reforms with a primal scream.

"I'M BLAIR GOODWITCH!"

. . .

"AH!" Her howling scream rips as her violet aura pulses. A last vestige of red tinges her outline before her aura violently ejects it out. The colors fade as Blair's form goes limp in Roman's arms. The conman stares with the most open worry he'd swear he's ever had.

"Ha... ah... ha..." She rasps out and wheezes for breath. Ever slowly, she pulls her gaze up. In front of her, the dog faunus is still pinned. His eyes are glossed over, his energy gone.

His last realization is that his power was fully ejected from her. Blood chokes out his mouth as he releases his last words. "Huh... How... bout..." The words die out... with his aura. He hangs there, sword still pinning him to the rock standing.

Blair wheezes, choking on her breath as tears begin to stream down unbidden. The fears and intense emotions of the experience begin to overwhelm her, sending her into a form of shock.

"Easy, Blair." Roman eases her in, his arms still around her. "I gotcha." Her head easily leans into the crook of his neck, almost to hide her fearful reaction. Her arms wrap around him as she chokes out a breath. Roman is taken back by the action. He allows a small chuckle. "Seems like you were busy, Barbie. Had us worried sick."

She chokes a cry, but manages a wet raspy response. "Shut... up!" Her words carry no bite at all as she begins to weep.

Roman allows it for the moment, but slowly looks to the pinned body of the Cu de Culann. "Much as I'd love to hear it, You kind of just killed these islands' guardian, so... we need to grab the morons from their festival."

Right. Of course, he's right. Blair tenses, remembering. "They're in danger..." She tries to stand, but Roman halts her.

"And we will get them. But not while you're dying on your feet. Let's get you out of here." Roman quickly retrieves Fluorescent from the corpse, then its sheath. He helps tie the sheathed weapon to Blair's side and then moves to piggy back the woman. "Alright, hold on tight."

"Get handsy... and I'll choke you." Blair gives the low, tired threat as she locks her piggy back hold on him much too tight to be distrusting.

It makes him laugh. She has the spirit to threaten him, so she's here. Roman smiles in relief and chuckles. "Threaten me with a good time later. For now, we have to bounce."

Big fight time. We've got our backstory and answers on the why for AZRL's existence, as well as a lot more delving into Blair's, and Setante's characters.

As a note since I implied it in this chapter, Yes. In this world, AZRL WOULD have managed to spread itself within Vale if not for the creation of Team CRBN. Had that event not occurred, then AZRL would have succeeded in restricting the Cult of Salem completely. I won't say whether in this world they could have succeeded in KILLING Salem, but this would have resulted in the closest potential in the history that it could have occurred.

Afterwards, AZRL would have spread into the infrastructure of every kingdom to become too ingrained to be removed. So, AZRL would have dealt with Salem, sure... but also created an unstoppable underworld based on a slave child economy. You know? Sacrifices. Worth it right? (Kidding)

Also, a tough conversation between Carmine and Neo regarding their relationship. An admission outright of what's there, but also why it won't be able to happen anytime soon.

Finally, Yes, my Setante is spelled with an E on the end as opposed to the historical myth whose name ends with A for Setanta.

References:

Song for Blair vs Setante is set to Tale of Cu Chulainn by Miracle of Sound. Lines from this song are also the name source of all the chapters for this arc. Removed the Gaelic punctual verses between the choruses and next verses.

We will finish this arc finally next time in Chapter Seventy: Still Stood.