The morning after one Yang Xiao Long was arrested in a nightclub, a huntress perused a board of requests for Hunters. She tapped on the controls, cycling through job after job. One sounded absurdly boring, one sounded too tough for one woman, another was a thinly veiled attempt to get compromising photos in the red light district (to which she rolled her eyes and flagged it for removal), but one caught her eye. It had been innocent, innocuous, and yet there was something strangely off about it.
"Hunter or Huntress wanted for an agricultural survey. Samples of oak seeds to be collected from a specific location to determine the effects of local conditions on common plant life. Hunter or Huntress will be required to accompany two surveyors to a landing site, and then hike to site. The job does not encroach on grimm-dense territory or on difficult terrain. Hunter or Huntress will be expected to bring sufficient ammunition, but will be provided trail rations and water. The expedition will begin at 7PM, and likely end around midnight. Full teams need not apply, unless they are willing to split a single share of pay."
The map, however, was a very odd location. It depicted a river with several twists and turns, a brief hike from a clearing. But there weren't any interesting conditions to be found there, the whole place was in the middle of nowhere. Nothing different about the area than any other stretch of forest. In fact, most universities and laboratories would just make a deal with Beacon for this type of thing. They get their protection for a song, and Beacon gets a milk run to help the freshman class learn the ropes. So why ask for a qualified Huntress?
She tapped a few buttons to claim the mission. It turned green, and the text was obscured by her name and emblem to mark her claim. "Mission Claimed: Amber Harvest." She received a message on her scroll. A scroll code and instructions to contact 'at one's earliest convenience'.
Across the city, Artemis Fowl awoke to a long awaited message, and began tapping on the touch sensitive screen as Holly did her morning preening.
A. Harvest: Mr. Fowl, was it? I've claimed the 'Agricultural Expedition' job.
A. Fowl: Excellent. I look forward to working with you.
A. Harvest: I have to admit, it's a bit late for a nature hike. There a reason you wanted it to be done at night?
A. Fowl: There is, but not one you'd find important. Will this be a problem?
A. Harvest: No, I don't think so. Just curious. Will we be hauling equipment as well?
A. Fowl: Not necessary. A small sample jar is sufficient, we'll handle that.
A. Harvest: No problem, I'll just focus on guard duty.
A. Fowl: Excellent. I'll send you further details once they're arranged. I look forward to doing business with you.
A. Harvest: The feeling is mutual.
Artemis switched to another window on his device. Another message thread.
A. Fowl: Mr. Xiong, I'd like to purchase information.
HXII: Like I said, call me Junior. What do you need?
A. Fowl: Simple background check on a Huntress. Amber Harvest.
HXII: 50,000 Lien.
A. Fowl: Cash or wire transfer?
HXII: Cash, just bring it to the club tonight. I'll have what you need.
A. Fowl: A pleasure doing business with you.
Artemis couldn't help but smile at the plan coming together.
"Holly?" He said, getting her attention. "Keep the 16th free. I might have found a huntress for our expedition."
Holly froze, mid-preen. The thought of magic flowing through her again was tantalizing.
"You did?" She said. "I almost thought you weren't looking."
"A huntress responded to the ad, and I'm having Junior run a background check just in case. He'll have preliminary results tonight."
"That's good to hear." Holly grinned.
"We're meeting with Junior tonight to discuss his findings, and we have another meeting with the contractors about the renovations this afternoon-" Artemis began.
"Actually," Holly cut him off. "I made plans."
"Did you?" Artemis said, slightly taken aback. He was used to people doing what he said and he had to remind himself that unlike Butler, Holly didn't share that obligation. "Might I ask?"
"Royal wanted to see me fly." Holly grinned. "How could I pass that up?
Artemis swallowed his protest. He wasn't going to take this away from her."Fair enough. I suppose I can handle the meetings myself," he said, carefully filtering the sarcasm from his tone. Alone... The thought made him nervous, especially a world away from home.
The two enjoyed a light lunch at a nearby cafe, salads and iced tea, and then went their separate ways. Holly waited for Royal at the cafe for a half an hour after Artemis hailed a cab to go meet with the contractors at the building. She indulged in watching the people go by and enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. She missed Haven of course, but when she was finally home she was sure she'd miss moments like these. She could swear that the colors were brighter.
She blinked. Now that she'd thought about it, she started paying attention. She closed one eye, her right, and the colors seemed muted around her. She swapped eyes and the world was suddenly vibrant! Colors flared, like someone had turned a monitor brighter. Her right eye, her own eye, saw the world so wonderfully brightly. But the one she'd borrowed from Artemis was normal. Muted in comparison. She made a mental note to ask Artemis if-
"What'cha lookin' at?"
Holly nearly jumped out of her skin. "Don't do that, Royal!" she gasped.
"I'm off duty," she grinned. "Scarlet, remember?"
"Right..." Holly stood up, and dug a couple of lien cards out of her pocket for a tip.
"Jeeze, Hols," Scarlet said, concerned. She brushed a finger against a bandage on Holly's arm. "What happened to you? You're all cut up!" Her tongue flicked out. "And you still smell like blood and dust."
Holly shrugged. "Did you hear about the thing at the nightclub last night? Junior's?"
Royal shook her head. "Not my precinct. Spill."
"A huntress started a fight, and she started showing off. I locked her down with a handgun and ice dust, but not before she decked me through a pillar."
"Wow. That must have been some fight if you're still aura low. How fast do you usually bounce back?" Royal asked.
"I've never really paid attention," Holly fibbed. Thankfully, she'd had the sense to have Artemis check the night before. Police officers always had their aura unlocked, if they didn't already have it unlocked when they enrolled. It was also mandatory for the fire department, but not emergency medical services. Artemis reasoned she could fib for a bit, but she would need to get it unlocked soon or her story would fall apart.
"You really ought to," she admonished. "Stuff like that can make a difference. Now come on, I'm parked around the corner."
Royal, as it turned out, drove a jet black convertible, which suited Holly just fine. She loved the wind flowing through her hair, and the air was so clean here. Open sky, and air that was neither sterile and stale nor choked with smog. The world was just so perfectly real.
"So," Holly said. "Tell me about your friends."
"Eh, one of them couldn't make it." Royal said. "Boyfriend drama, I think."
"And the other?"
"Oh you'll love Ami!" she grinned. "She was training to be a huntress, but it didn't work out. She's doing some freelancing as a bouncer at a few bars up north. And she's really into freerunning. I bet she could find a way to get anywhere you could fly."
"How'd you meet her?" Holly asked.
"Same way I met you! She kicked someone's ass, and I had to come haul him into the drunk tank." She was sporting a wide grin. "He was hilarious. He was all "I dunno what I just drank but I want another." She mimicked a low, hoarse slur before breaking into a fit of giggles.
They arrived at the venue, a city park with lots of wide open space. It was a very nice place. Green grass, tall trees, bike paths, and fountains. There were faunus everywhere. A couple with antlers and tall lupine ears were enjoying a picnic in the shade of a tree. An old man with low hanging dog ears walked a very similar looking basset hound. A bunch of kids with a wide assortment of tails and horns were playing some strange game with a black and white ball. It looked like a mudman game of football, but something was off about it.
"What? You never played hornball when you were a kid?" Royal asked when she caught her staring.
"No," Holly said. "I'm not sure what's going on."
"Pretty simple," Royal began. "Basically soccer, but you can only use your heritage to hit the ball. There are exceptions though. Bandana rules: If your heritage doesn't work for it, put a bandana on what you're using so people know. I used to just use my head."
"That explains so much," someone said behind them. They turned, and found a woman wearing an obvious smirk. She had a long brown ponytail, a light tan, and a very slender frame. She had birthmarks speckled across her face, like freckles, and a smirk a mile wide.
"Ami!" Royal grinned.
"Roy!" she responded, sarcastically. "Seriously, nobody else shortens it like that."
"Nobody else shortens it right!" Royal countered. "This is Hol."
Ami offered a handshake. "So is it true? Can you really fly?"
"You tell me," she said. Her wings hummed to life, leaping into the sustained twitch she found getting easier and easier. She floated off the ground, her arms crossed in front of her chest and a smug grin on her face at the looks on their faces. Scarlet had a smile a mile wide, and Ami's jaw was slack with amazement. And hers wasn't the only one, Holly's departure from the earth had drawn the crowd's attention immediately.
It was so freeing to fly for no real reason. No destination, no cares, just the wind and the sky. She vaulted skyward, her wings pumping harder to carry her closer to the sun. She banked backward, falling in a smooth loop until she raced forward at the bottom. The crowd was beginning to cheer. She darted quickly between the trees, threading them like a stunt pilot, before arching skyward. She slowed to a hover, swaying slightly in the wind several stories in the air. Showboating aside, this just didn't compare to a set of artificial wings. Sure, she could go faster on any decent set but nothing compared to the rush of adrenaline and endorphins that came from flying under her own power. It simply couldn't compare.
She was breathing hard, and she knew it'd be a better idea to land before her wings gave out. She was sweating as she dropped to her feet in front of Royal and Ami, the crowd still applauding.
"That was amazing!" Royal cheered. "That must have been like fifteen minutes!"
"More like ten," Ami smiled. "Still very impressive." They walked over to one of the park benches as the crowd dispersed. Holly guzzled half a sports drink and caught her breath.
"Are wings really that rare?" Holly asked. "I didn't expect to draw such a crowd."
"Yeah, and wings that can fly are even rarer." Ami said. "The muscles usually don't scale quite right."
"I wonder why," Holly said, idly. She caught Royal and Ami sharing an uncomfortable glance. "You know something," she said. It wasn't a question.
Royal sighed. "It's not a fun topic, Hols," she began. "Are you sure you want to know?"
Holly nodded, the change in mood making her a bit uneasy.
"We haven't always had the best lot in life," Royal began. "You oughta know that much. Faunus were captured, enslaved... even bred. We were treated like livestock. Faunus that could fly presented risks. When they could slip their chains they'd never be caught. Then they could free others, they could come after their masters, they could go find more faunus for reinforcements... Faunus with wings were seen as dangerous." She swallowed, clearly bothered by the topic.
Ami spoke up, covering what Royal was finding difficult to say. "They were too dangerous to leave alive... so they weren't."