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Chapter 81: Lights Camera Action
Despite the tumultuous and ludicrously eventful life he had led, one which had become the subject of several sanitised and fanciful pieces of media including a popular cartoon series which his nieces and their children had enjoyed and also a comic series which his daughter had read long before the two had known of one another's existence Qrow Branwen was, especially now in his more advanced years, a creature of habit.
Those habits had once been a far more self-destructive collection which included the over-indulgence of several vices however these had been tempered over the years and the veteran Hunter turned professors' habits and compulsions were now far more helpful and productive.
One such habit which was currently in play was that Qrow was an early riser, much of the tiredness lining his grizzled features being ascribed to years of sleeping little, either only resting as the sun was beginning to rise or waking before it could do so and in recent years his ability to maintain this had been bolstered by a regular supply of coffee from his long-time friend Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck who, in addition to being a fine Hunter and historian also brewed a blend that toed a dangerous line between exquisite and lethal or corrosive. Of late this habit of rising early had largely been in service of another of the habits Qrow had developed over his years of working in the shadows against seemingly insurmountable foes; namely leaving as little as possible to chance and rechecking that all angles were covered several times more than was strictly necessary which, in practice involved the man using the free time he made for himself in the early hours of the morning where only a skeleton crew required to keep Halo Academy afloat, the first of the cleaning and kitchen staff to arrive or perhaps a particularly motivated student might be present in order to manage and order his thoughts whilst also reviewing security footage from various key areas across the sprawling city of Neo Vale in preparation for another day of both training the next generation of Hunters to the best of his ability whilst also waging a secretive campaign against an eminently dangerous foe who had managed to outplay him at every turn and had, by all estimations set out upon a truly dangerous path.
It was for this reason that Qrow was awake and alert when his scroll, the one used for more mundane work purposes rather than his personal device for contacting family or handling sensitive matters began to vibrate. Crimson eyes framed by bags and dark rings peered at the offending device after he had taken a moment to find it, taking a moment to note first of all that he had several messages from some of his most senior students which had been sent outside of his official work hours and would likely amount to a series of requests for resources or help for individuals or study groups which he would be happy to provide. Dismissing those for a later time, specifically in a few short hours when he made his way to his office between lessons Qrow answered the call before it could be sent to voicemail; curious as to why the administrative office was reaching out to him two hours before lessons began for the day.
"Professor Branwen speaking" his usual gruff tones were made rougher still by a level of tiredness he was finally forced to take note of upon hearing himself, resolving to brew a fresh pot of Oobleck's coffee and then make his way to the orphanage adjacent to the academy where he often enjoyed his breakfast if this call did not result in him being otherwise occupied.
"I'm sorry to disturb you so early in the morning Professor-"
"I was already awake, don't worry" Qrow cut across the evidently nervous administrator who by the sounds of her voice was barely older than many of the students her position within a restricted area of the campus would rarely see her interacting with.
"I know it's against normal policy but there's nobody in the office at the moment who can tell me what to do here" the voice on Qrow's scroll sounded nervous, wavering with uncertainty that threatened to spill into an outright panic as she added "I have someone on hold right now who says that they have important logistical information but they refuse to speak to anyone except you, I tried to tell them that they should call back later and contact our-"
"Who is it, did they give a name?" Qrow asked, wariness and curiosity vying for prominence as he tried to deduce who this caller might be and what they might want; hoping that it might be some party to the Benefactor's plans who had seen the error of their ways and wished to become an informant, though he very much doubted it.
"They said they represent Chairman Damascus Nero of the Clara Die Novum Conglomerate" the office worker now had a different edge to her nervousness, as though she expected to be disbelieved or reprimanded for falling for a scam artist on the level of a caller pretending to be a Vaccuan Prince. Instead Qrow cocked his head in surprised confusion before controlling himself and replying.
"Put him through"
"At once Professor Branwen" the relieved voice was followed a click and the sound of faint, unobtrusive music playing for only a few seconds before the line crackled slightly as the new line was established.
"Professor Branwen"
"Mister Nero" Qrow fought to keep the growling note in his voice to a minimum lest it be taken as anger or an attempt to intimidate after the way his previous discussion with the man whose voice he immediately recognised, the attempt to mask and accent and stutter immediately distinctive.
"You'll forgive the small amount of subterfuge I used to contact you I presume? Along with the timing, although I presume neither of us keep regular hours" Qrow could not help but hear a slight barb or challenge in the first part of the question, as though Nero were daring him to prove himself a hypocrite yet instead the Chairman merely pressed on "And do see to it that the poor girl I had to be unduly firm with receives an apology on my behalf as well, if you would be so kind"
"I can do that….Although I was led to believe that this was an urgent matter?" Qrow couldn't help but be a little forceful and demanding with his words, feeling like electricity flowed through the parts of his body he could still feel and shifting his weight in his mechanical chair as he forced himself to not imagine or draw conclusions and simply hear the Chairman out.
"The degree of urgency is something that I'll leave your colleagues and yourself to decide, however it is a somewhat time sensitive issue" Nero answered and Qrow waited a moment for further explanation before forgetting himself and giving a simple, somewhat irritable wordless grunt for the scientist turned mogul to continue.
"Firstly and because it is, believe it or not it is pertinent to what is to follow I would like to offer an apology" Nero began and beneath the more stilted and formal words which had likely been practised several dozen times Qrow could sense difficulty it took the younger man to offer them "Our meeting was at the end of what had been an emotionally taxing day, something I'm sure you can understand as a father….However I should not have let myself behave the way I did, ranting and raving like a lunatic"
"Apology accepted" Qrow murmured, choosing not to read too deeply into the comment about his fatherhood out of good faith where he otherwise might have suspected manipulation or an attempted insult "Can I take this to mean that you have given some consideration to the offer that was made?"
"It was considered" Qrow noted that a harder edge crept into Nero's tone for an instant before being forced down "But ultimately I would like to reiterate my decision to decline, albeit in far more polite terms….We have our differences Professor, ones which I am not certain we would ever be able to overcome in any professional capacity however it was wrong of me to make accusations about your intentions and character; we will both continue to work towards the safety of Remnant in our own separate ways, though rest assured that if any information regarding the thieves you suggested might be targeting my Zirconia finds its' way to me then I will pass it on to you. My daughters' safety is in your hands whilst she is at your academy"
"And we will ensure that she remains safe" Qrow answered solemnly, giving the sentiment a moment to linger before following on with more immediate concerns "As for any information you may receive, it would be greatly appreciated and would certainly aid in keeping the Kingdom of New Vale secure….But the matter you called to discuss?"
"Ah, a far less worrisome thing now that the Goliath in the room has been addressed" Nero sounded more calm and open now, in a way that let Qrow imagine a smile on his acid-scarred features "I happened to hear something from Zirconia regarding a hitch in the plans for the student dance that is to precede the Vytal Festival and Tournament?"
"That" Qrow breathed out, gritting his teeth and silently wishing to throttle the clumsy First Year who was still fearing reprisals from their classmates for causing such a colossal problem "The dance will be going ahead, although there was significant damage to both the part of the campus we intended to use as the venue and also much of the equipment….Some replacements have been found but with preparations for the festival having already started a lot of places have already booked out their sound systems and lighting rigs"
"I heard as such….Sloppy work that, utterly unacceptable I'm afraid" there was an unmissable hint of a sneer in that, though Qrow chose to let it slide for the sake of this more workable relationship between them "Whatever my personal thoughts on the matter may be the fact remains that your academy is going to be at the heart of the Vytal Festival and that any shortcomings on your part will reflect this city and its' Kingdom; given my various investments and the various charitable institutions I've funded or founded I'm sure you understand my concerns….I am a Vale boy at heart Professor"
"Understandable" Qrow said simply, grasping the younger man's position entirely; with pride in ones' roots and a healthy measure of self interest or protectiveness towards ones' own goals being entirely reasonable.
"So, if you'll permit me the intrusion I have taken matters into my own hands" Nero's words managed to catch Qrow off-guard here yet the Chairman continued before he could object "I have booked out the Aurora Hotel and all of its' facilities to host the student dance instead, along with transport to and from Halo Academy. I was given the time and date of the dance by Zirconia….Consider this my full apology"
"The Aurora?" Qrow repeated slowly, certain that he had misheard the man. The Aurora was a truly lavish place, a hotel situated upon one of the aerial platforms hanging over New Vale's Capital city which was frequented by celebrities and those possessed of generational wealth which rivalled the Schnee family and as such it was a place which worked to redefine the idea of opulence; the idea that its function rooms and other amenities had been booked out in their totality for a night was simply staggering, it was the kind of thing which Qrow might jokingly suggest to Winter in one of their regrettably infrequent chances to speak outside of business.
"I see you're familiar with it" Nero almost purred in satisfaction, dispersing any doubts in Qrow's mind that this was in fact a show of power, albeit not of the more brute and violent variety.
"I….Thank you, the whole of Halo Academy will thank you" Qrow answered earnestly after taking a moment to gather his thoughts "This will be a massive help to the academy and will do wonders for the students when they hear about it"
"That's all I needed to hear" Nero said simply "Thank you for your time Professor and good day"
"Good day" Qrow managed to reply before the call was ended, Nero hanging up and leaving the veteran Hunter to process what had just happened; deciding finally after several moments of thoughtful consideration that when discussing the matter with Ren and Nora he would offer to approach Nero with the goal of recruiting him again, though not for at least another year or so and would, in the meantime use this show of goodwill on the Chairman's part to open a dialogue with the man and slowly establish an unofficial working relationship.
The idea of concrete progress being made on at least one front brought a faint smile to Qrow's face, one which lasted until he began to peruse his schedule for the day and realise that the media presence on campus would ensure that it was a very long day indeed.
Second Year students at Halo Academy including those who, like Team MARZ had travelled from other Kingdoms to compete in the coming Vytal Tournament were spending their mornings in a double General Studies class and whilst each of those present would accept on a detached and academic level that those who defended the Kingdoms from the Grimm and other heinous elements needed a wide and substantial knowledge beyond base beyond their chosen trade in order to be properly functioning members of society the fact remained that the lessons themselves were painfully, viscerally boring affairs which any given student would happily trade away for more time to work on their weapons or hone their skills, meaning that General Studies classes were one where the front rows of the lecture hall often remained vacant and the students instead congregated in cliques and groups towards the rear and periphery of the room so that they could pay only fleeting attention to the subject matter whilst directing the bulk of their focus elsewhere.
With today being anything but an exception.
"Seriously how much longer have we got to go?" Astra grumbled, slouching and sinking so far down into their seat that they threatened to hit their nose against the edge of the desk "It's gotta be near the end of class right?"
"The bell for the end of first period hasn't rung yet" Zirconia answered, rasping voice a dull monotone which left the Deer Faunus beside her fighting the urge to let out an overdramatic wail of despair as they slouched even further just as much as the knowledge that there was still over an hour of class left to endure, on a day when such endurance would be an even more impressive feat than usual. To Astra's other side Regalia stifled a giggle with one hand whilst gently patting her partners' back with the other, the Racoon Faunus having long since reached the limit of her ability to focus well enough for proper studying as, whilst a considerable amount of the General Studies subject matter was in fact news to Regalia due to her upbringing outside of the Kingdoms the lessons themselves had simply lost their novelty and appeal due to successively uninteresting Professors.
By contrast Athena-Jade Slate sat at the opposite end of the line of seats Team MARZ had occupied and though she leaned comfortably against her partners' shoulder, fingers brushing briefly against Zirconia's as the Grasshopper Faunus wrote which prompted the shorter girl to occasionally plant gently kisses against her girlfriends' cheek and jawline or whisper in her ear the snowy-haired and broad-shouldered girl had still maintained an impressive level of concentration on the ongoing lecture, though that focus was broken briefly as she turned and treated Astra to a stern glower.
"Hey, you wanna do me a favour and grow up?" she growled as loudly as she felt she could risk without drawing attention, gesturing to her team leader in general and more specifically. In response Astra perked up, though it was not to return dutifully to studying and instead Regalia and Zirconia who flanked the Deer Faunus were forced to lean to the sides in order to avoid Astra's antler brushing against them as they turned to face Athena-Jade, sea-green eyes framed by dark makeup filled with a sudden harshness as they prepared to offer a biting retort that would no doubt serve as the opening exchange of an argument; both Astra and Athena-Jade had come a long way from the fractured and disjointed beginnings of Team MARZ and each considered the other amongst their most cherished friends yet still the two had an uncanny ability to irritate one another in the mornings.
Which led to their partners interceding.
"Come on AJ can you blame them….We're filming our promo shoots today, we're gonna be on TV. Nobody else is paying any attention 'cos it's all they can think about" Regalia offered, more enthusiastic and animated in her statement than she had been all morning thus far. The undeniable truth of the former nomads' statement and the feeling of Zirconia taking both of Athena's hands in her own and holding them in a way that prevented her from simply leaning across her partner and cuffing Astra around the back of the head served to give the Bear Faunus enough of a pause to calm down.
"I was trying to and they're making it difficult by being a pest….The day isn't gonna go any quicker just because Astra complains about it" she grumbled.
"It might" Astra shot her a playful smirk which was retaliated to with a rude gesture, the minor conflict being reduced to petty squabbling and good natured bickering that permeated much of Team MARZ's day to day conversations.
"I can't wait, it's gonna be awesome….I wanna see what everyone else has got planned; we're all making short movies about how great the tournament is gonna be" Regalia positively vibrated with excitement in her seat and Athena couldn't help but smile broadly at that, her attention drifting away as Astra and their partner fell into a hushed but clearly animated discussion and instead sweeping the lecture hall to see that her classmates were indeed paying lecture little mind which the Professor in this instance was at least willing to tolerate.
Team TRQS could be seen some distance away and Athena noted that Tiger was in a similar position to herself, attempting to wrangle a team whose thoughts were otherwise occupied and the Bear Faunus found herself wondering if the decision for them to sit away from Team MARZ for this particular class was a sign of how the day would progress, with each team remaining insular and self-absorbed until the reporters and camera crews had left and the promo reels were released for all of Remnant to see, setting the stage for an even greater sense of competition.
"I can't believe how cheap of a budget they're doing this on" the comment came from Astra and brought Athena-Jade's attention back to her own team.
"Did you really think they were going to give all of us the chance to make a blockbuster?" Zirconia asked pointedly "How many hours of overtime would you expect the special effects teams to work in order to get the job done?"
"Okay, fair" Astra huffed, offering a shrug as they added "It's fine….It's not like we need special effects to look bad-ass, we can method act that part"
"So we're definitely doing it then? Your plan?" Athena interrupted, features setting into something hard and resolute as her question changed the mood between the four of them perceptibly at the question; after a moment of consideration Astra nodded slowly, popping the collar of their academy uniforms' shirt in something of a nervous tic as they spoke.
"It was Regalia's idea….But yeah, if you're okay with it then I say we do it" Athena studied the grim resolve in Astra's features and the suddenly nervous energy in Regalia's before turning to Zirconia, the two of them conducting an entirely silent conversation through glances and gestures until finally the Bear Faunus nodded
"Yeah, let's do this….But Professor Branwen is gonna go nuts when he sees it"
"What can he say, we're not saying anything overt….Just that we welcome all challengers" Astra's grin was rebellious to its' core and Athena could not help but worry that this scheme they and Regalia had concocted between them might not be one of the better spur of the moment plans Astra had thrown into motion. It had first been suggested some days ago when, after returning from an attempt to gather information at the site of a burglary Petrol's gang had participated in the Deer Faunus had declared that rather than simply allow themselves to be led on a wild goose chase they should draw the acid-spewing avian to them and that doing so would be a simple matter of bruising his pride and ego, which could be achieved with little more than a few choice words delivered on television that would be heard all across Remnant and more importantly by every crook and villain in Neo Vale.
"Astra if I didn't know you I'd be baffled by the fact you've lived so long" Athena sighed, earning brief chuckles from her team-mates even as she privately found herself considering the merits of the plan once again and finding that they appealed to a gung-ho and brazen part of herself that she so rarely had chance to thoroughly indulge in.
It was time to throw caution to the wind and make sure that everyone knew Team MARZ were a force to be reckoned with.
Carmesi Hueso was on the hunt.
Every gust of chilled and biting wind against the brown skin and rough, craggy scales of the Komodo Dragon Faunus felt as though it perfectly encapsulated what it meant to be free and to be able to pursue one's goals and purpose without hesitation or doubts and were he a lesser man with less dedication to his convictions or the mission Carmesi might have allowed his quarry to elude him for days so that might drag out the experience of being released back into his element from the claustrophobic bleakness of Neo Vale's sprawling hives for a while longer.
As it was Carmesi had set his own feelings aside, deeming them another acceptable sacrifice for the bright new tomorrow that he would help Nero to build.
The Chairman had shown him the progress that had been made with the Cyber-Grimm project, the trio of formidable monsters having already proven their willingness and capability when it came to destroying other Creatures of Grimm by eviscerating their own failed attempt at a pack-mate however Nero and Albion were both of the opinion that further testing, against more dangerous and varied opponents in a still somewhat controlled, but ultimately realistic scenario was needed in order to ensure that the Creatures that had been forged to bring Remnant into a new age were ready for the task expected of them. With this in mind Carmesi had been dispatched to identify a suitable target and arrange things so that they would be caught alone, or if a team was selected that they were far enough from reinforcements that the ensuing violence could not be intruded upon and at the same time that they were armed and in full possession of their wits and faculties; with Nero stating that so long as events proceeded as planned and adhered to the timeline that had been set by the diversions he had set in motion then the Rogue Hunter could select those who would be used in the field-testing as he saw fit.
It would be pointless for Carmesi to deny that he had at least and with no small amount of dark pleasure entertained the idea of simply loading a troupe of several dozen of the various thugs and gangsters currently in Nero's employ into a coach and driving them out into the wilderness between settlements, arming them with everything short of their vaunted mech-suits and simply unleashing the Cyber-Grimm to be rid of the scum he had been forced to tolerate once and for all. Knowing that it was simply an amusing notion and one that he would not be allowed to enact as Nero still had a role for his uninformed cats' paws to fulfil in at least the near futures Carmesi had been forced to look elsewhere and so had set aside the finely made black suit and half-open silky, crimson shirts that he had taken to wearing in the city and instead donned an outfit which more resembled the attire that he had worn as a Hunter, practical and consisting of neutral browns and beige tones whilst covering more of his toned and powerful physique that that previous outfit in order to fend off the cold and limit the risk of being identified, something that could scarcely be afforded now that the likes of Qrow Branwen were aware that he still lived.
Once prepared Carmesi had departed Neo Vale entirely and had made his way into the more outlying territories of the Kingdom of New Vale, though eschewing the isle of Patch entirely and electing to head North rather than venture in the direction of the Vaccuan border; eventually he had reached a small town which predated Vale's various expansions and reconstructions, a farming and logging community by the name of Verdance which was situated in a wide and open stretch of land flanked by rolling hills whose peaks were at present coated by snow.
Verdance was a pleasant and peaceful place, though despite the picturesque appearance given to it by quaint houses of wood and stone and the fact that the blacksmiths' forge located directly across from the town hall had set out a roaring and communal fire in the centre of the town square to make the cold more bearable for the locals the unshakeable reality of life outside of the heart of the Kingdoms remained; high walls that had stood for generations and been reinforced with more recent additions were guarded by men and women with guns and spears, yet these men and women were not Hunters and Carmesi could surmise from instinct and experience that somewhere within the snow-capped hills in the distance the Creatures of Grimm could be found in worrying numbers and that if he were to linger here beyond nightfall he would hear howls and shrieks in the darkness and perhaps even see the glow of hungry eyes as they studied the town with murderous intent.
All that remained was to find the Hunter who had taken up the task of keeping the monsters at bay.
"There you are" Carmesi's low, smooth rumble caused his breath to mist as he surveyed the township from his vantage point atop a bell tower that would sound the alarm and act as a last bastion if the Grimm were to breach the walls; a paltry defence in the face of the true scale of what might lurk in the hills though it was one which Carmesi had no interest in putting to the test, the people of Verdance were not his quarry and his task, as detestable as it might outwardly seem was ultimately for their betterment. Instead the Faunus's crimson eyes, framed by heavy brows and ridged scales locked onto a figure moving through a crowd which both parted to allow him and at the same time closed and followed a few paces in his wake as though they were drawn by some charismatic gravity the man who could only be a Hunter had. From his current position and angle Carmesi could not see the man's face yet it was one he knew well, instead his keen eyes could discern the individual details of an outfit and appearance that was intended to evoke heroes of times gone by in a way that bordered on being pretentious and overly flamboyant. Fair, golden hair had been slicked back and reached to just below shoulders that were, like much of the rest of the man's body covered in golden armour that was light enough and left enough open spaces that it could not truly be considered a suit, with each piece being affixed separately and no chain-mail between them; instead under armour the man wore pants and tunic that were a mixture of pastel blue and brilliant white which were complemented by heavy black boots and a cape hanging from his shoulders of the same deep black, though decorated with gold, white and blue to display an abstract image of a sunrise which served as the Hunter's personal emblem. Beneath this cape Carmesi knew that the man carried his weapon in its' collapsed form and that the weapon, in its' most often seen form was a lance which further played into the image of some fantastical knight despite the various more modern and advanced capabilities it boasted.
The man's name was Halcyon, a native of another sleepy township much like Verdance elsewhere in New Vale's greater territory; he was however also an alumni of Haven Academy of Mistral where he had travelled and mastered his craft as a Hunter and hero the people, in the process meeting a much younger Carmesi Hueso and after initially giving the grieving and rage-fuelled Faunus who had been two years his junior a wide berth eventually attempting to take the boy under his wing with limited success.
Carmesi had never forgotten the kindness that he had been too stricken to appreciate at the time and upon his graduation and his meeting with Damascus Nero under his guise as the Benefactor had made an effort to seek out Halcyon without ever directly contacting him, being certain that the striking and heroic figure who had also been one of the few people to attempt to reach out out to the blunt, aggressive and decidedly unlikeable teen that the Komodo Dragon Faunus had been would at least be willing to listen to the ideas Nero espoused and hopefully join them in saving Remnant in a way that would last for generations; the two of them and old Grapeshot being the heroic band of brothers who ushered in a new age.
Carmesi had been disappointed by what he had found.
Halcyon was a corrupt Hunter, not an exiled and hunted Rogue like Carmesi himself but instead simply a man who used his authority and the power it granted him, along with his simple physical power for the most base and vulgar forms of corruption; a man who saved the common people with one hand whilst taking and demanding from them with the other until those same lives were ruined and a trail of misery which would only draw more Grimm followed in his wake. He was a bastardisation of everything that a Hunter was supposed to be and yet he lived his life without fear of consequence.
"They would have learned what you are soon enough….You would have shown them yourself that you're scum" breath misted from Carmesi's mouth as he snarled the words, regarding Halcyon a moment longer and allowing a deep, violent contempt and loathing to bubble up within himself as he watched the way the people of Verdance fawned over the Hunter in their midst before turning away and preparing to contact Nero to inform the man that he had found a suitable target, one that would both be a suitable test for the Cyber-Grimm and whose ending would be something to celebrate.
Halcyon, like the gangsters at Petrol's disposal, like Rowan Oralie and the other mercenaries and black market dealers of Menagerie and further back the bandits whose attack had altered the course of his life forever was at the root of the deep festering sickness which plagued Remnant, the sickness which in Carmesi's mind the Grimm which had ravaged his family were merely a symptom of.
It was a sickness Carmesi was eager to cut away.
The media had arrived and Astra could now, in a way that they had thus far managed to avoid to a blissful degree appreciate and understand the scathing note in Athena-Jade's voice when she described something as a 'media circus'
"Holy shit" they breathed out as they took in the unfolding spectacle around them "Is this what the tournament is gonna be like?"
"Are you just now realising that the Vytal Tournament is a major sporting event, which serves as part of a larger cultural event?" Zirconia noted pointedly, trying to keep a sarcastic note from her rasping murmur but failing despite her best efforts; beside her Athena-Jade squeezed her hand and silently mouthed the words 'play nice' before leaning across her girlfriend to address the somewhat overwhelmed Deer Faunus.
"Trust me, the Vytal Tournament is gonna be even bigger and better. This is just the warm up" she flashed them a broad and toothy smile before leaning further and planting a gentle punch on their shoulder "So I hope you've got enough style and wow factor to last until then; I mean I'm not gonna run out anytime soon but still"
"Please, there's enough wow factor here to last a century" Astra snorted, gesturing to themselves in general only for the voice to return to its' awed and hushed state in the next breath "I mean, I've been to a Vytal Tournament before; Fluffy bought tickets for my birthday a few years back and it was awesome but this….Being part of it, even the prelude to the real thing, it feels different. Hey Regalia what do you think?"
"I think Professor Nora looks like she wants to ask us if we can dig it" the Racoon Faunus answered almost absently as she had never had the privilege of seeing any part of a Vytal Tournament in person and so found her attention even more wholly devoted to events below; though she did still manage to bright smile which was accompanied by a pleasant tingling feeling as Astra rested a hand on her shoulder, laughing as they caught the reference she had made.
Team MARZ had found themselves at the coliseum like structure which served as the academies' outdoor training area, older and more stylised than that of Breaktide Academy yet still equipped with hard-light and holographic projectors. The four of them joining what seemed to be the entirety of the student body and a great many of the teens and children from the adjoining orphanage that the Headmaster and his wife had founded which resulted in the ascending rows of seats being packed almost to capacity in a noisy and energetic display which gave those present a glimpse of what was to come in a matter of a few short months when the Vytal Tournament finally began in earnest.
At the centre of it all, standing proudly in the arena with Magnhild planted at her feet and an aura of sheer presence radiating out from her was Deputy Headmistress and Combat Professor, former team-mate of the legendary Pyrrha Nikos and member of the renowned Team JNPR, Nora Ren, formerly Valkyrie and a sizeable crowd of camera crews and journalists seemed to orbit around the diminutive woman in a state of frenzied activity. the fervour Nora was capable of inspiring with so little being proof to her husband, who stood on the periphery with a loving and reverent smile that giving the limelight to her entirely had been the right choice as she controlled it with such natural ease. Other cameras' were present in the form of small aerial drones which hovered above and around the arena to give additional angles and convey the sense of gravitas of the entire scene as Nora parted the crowd around her with a single gesture and strode several paces forward at a measured and deliberate pace before producing a microphone and addressing the gathered crowd with a sweeping and dramatic gesture.
"WELCOME TO THUNDER-DOME! THIS! IS! HAPPENING!"
The chorus of cheers that erupted from the stands at that threatened to damage the equipment of those recording it and spoke volumes to how beloved Nora was as a professor.
"When we go back to Menagerie can we take her with us?" Regalia exclaimed whilst doubled over with laughter.
"I think Professor Ren might object" Zirconia noted "And we can't remove him from his own loyal fans"
"There's Rensexuals everywhere" Astra mumbled quietly, the comment being almost entirely lost beneath Athena-Jade's own reply as she made a show of appearing to genuinely consider Regalia's outburst.
"I mean, Aunt Ruby hasn't seen her for a while so she might appreciate it" Conversation was forced to halt there as the general cacophony began to die down, the camera crews dutifully filming it all as Nora began to speak once more.
"I won't keep you all sitting still for too long, we have a busy evening ahead of us!" another smaller smattering of cheers and applause followed that "Each of the teams who are competing in the Vytal tournament who wished to film promo reels have presented a rough outline of what it is they want their promotional footage to look like, right now we have a very enthusiastic crowd, some very talented camera crews and editors and an arena loaded with enough projectors and pre-programmed settings to supply almost anything you might need and for those of you wishing to film elsewhere we have almost an entire campus available to us!"
"This is so awesome" Regalia's voice was strained with barely contained excitement and childlike glee kept at bay only by her desire to hear the rest of Nora's announcement.
"There are some limits in place" the Professor twirled her hammer effortlessly to punctuate the statement "Naturally areas that are restricted at other times are still restricted now; anything that might give away personal details of students or academy staff is not permitted and any students wishing to take a camera crew elsewhere must inform a Professor and either be escorted or adhere to any additional rules placed on them"
"Seems reasonable enough" Zirconia murmured.
"Once each teams' promo reel is completed the teams are then to make their way to the student canteen where a second group of reporters will be conducted short, snappy interviews which will be recorded and run alongside the promo reel"
"Ugh, the vultures are gonna pester us about family business" Athena-Jade glowered.
"Just handle it the way we agreed" Astra answered "Keep things on topic"
"Trust me they're good at making the topic what they want it to be" the Bear Faunus countered, her quiet seething interrupted before it could truly begin by both Zirconia turning and kissing her softly on the cheek to soothe her and Nora Ren speaking up once again after allowing her initial speech to linger in the air for a few moments.
"But, before all of that can happen….This entire event is for the sake of putting on a show for the people all across Remnant who can't wait for the Tournament; so to ensure that we provide that to the best of our abilities there will first be an exhibition match to show exactly what it is that students are taught at Halo Academy. The combatants will be myself-" Nora paused, teal eyes bright with an electric mischief that spread through those around her for the single moment she kept the crowd on tenterhooks before delivering her coup de grace "MY HUSBAND, HEADMASTER OF THIS ACADEMY, PROFESSOR LIE REN!"
"NO FUCKING WAY!" Astra exclaimed, bellowed words lost beneath the din of hundreds of similar cheers which erupted from the stands as the gathered teens collectively realised that what they were about to witness was a sight that would likely be spoken about for years to come.
"And if I could ask Snapdragon Majus of Team SHMR to come and take the microphone, I need an announcer and you wanted a suitably epic voice over for your teams' footage….Here's your chance"
"That lucky mother…." Astra trailed off, disbelief, the urge to torment in good nature and no small amount of genuine jealousy at the entire situation overcoming them for a moment as they watched their fellow Second Year swagger into view to a barrage of cheers and flashing cameras with confidence that might lead one to think the scarlet haired girl had been born for such things; Snapdragon made a display of twirling much as Nora had done albeit more flamboyantly and in a way which sent her multicoloured coat fanning out in more directions, adjusting her beret and peering over the heavily tinted and round-framed sunglasses she wore even in the early sunset before finally speaking with a clarity and cadence which suggested that the words had been carefully chosen and rehearsed in front of a mirror countless times prior to this moment.
"I am really starting to understand why Tiger doesn't like her" Astra grimaced, clearly rendered nervous and uncertain as they were left comparing their own plans with Snapdragon's effortless control of the crowd.
Though their nerves abated as Regalia gave them a reassuring look which left the Deer Faunus feeling as though they could take on Nora Ren themselves if needs be.
"Who gives a fuck about Team TRQS! Who are these jokers?" the comment was answered with a series of whoops and cheers filled with no small amount of bitterness and vitriol, with one particularly ardent detractor going so far as to throw a balled up paper bag which had previously contained fast food at the screen, though this was promptly put to a halt and corrected with a swift and painful sounding slap around the head delivered by an older student.
All in all things were roughly as expected at Breaktide Academy of Menagerie.
Those students who had failed to qualify for the Vytal Tournament and had thus remained behind at the island Kingdom had, for several months now continued to train and study as though nothing had changed, their curriculum largely the same as it would have been in a year without the tournament save for where certain lessons had been rescheduled and also with the apparent consolation prize of each remaining student having more opportunities to discuss their needs and studies on a one-on-one basis with Professors whose class size and workload had been significantly reduced. The sense of failure and knowledge that those who had failed to qualify had been unavoidable however and as weeks and months passed many of those students had turned their sense of crushing disappointment and anger at themselves outwards to varying degrees, though always taking care to never openly direct their blistering venom at the classmates who would be representing their academy in front of all of Remnant; which instead left those the Breaktide students would be competing against the most suitable targets for the bitterness that stewed and festered.
The sentiments had been particularly notable amongst the First Year students, many of whom had been left soured to such a degree that even training under Hunters such as the legendary Ruby Rose felt like a distant second place and who had far less connection to their classmates, simply due to the fact that they had been given far less time to form bonds with them and it had been one of these vocal and spiteful Freshmen who had led the chorus of jeers about Team TRQS.
Inadvertently getting the attention of Team WULF.
"Team TRQS?...Breaktide, Second Years right?" Diabla barked the question out in a series of snappish syllables that halted all conversation and turned several pairs of eyes towards her with a sense of nervousness about what the volatile, Mantle-Born Brawler might do or say next.
At present she, along with her team-mates were situated in a corner of the common area where the interviews and promotional footage for the upcoming tournament was being shown, largely minding their own business save for Laser Greenback whose customary opaque and angled green visor was resting atop his head where it pushed back chemically blonde hair that had been allowed to grow long and shaggy, the Vaccuan having been in the process of trying to lure some unfortunate soul into a game of cards only to find that everyone nearby was already aware of his latest efforts to stack the deck. Diabla had been paying only minimal attention to her surroundings for some time, having turned her attention to an engineering textbook after the conclusion of the exhibition match between Professors Lie and Nora Ren which she, along with everyone else present would admit had been incredible to behold. Seated close by and paying equally little attention albeit for vastly different reasons were Wolfram Ironside and Ursinia Red who, in a turn of events that had surprised everyone far more than the two of them felt it should have had recently begun dating.
The first year who had thrown a wad of grease-soaked paper was so focused on Diabla that they failed to notice the arguably more frightening sight of Ursinia Red extricating herself from her partners' lap, the six and half feet tall Scorpion Faunus's tail-stinger twitching dangerously.
"Yeah, you know these losers?" the Freshman whose single training mission of confidence had rendered them far too cocky laughed, still addressing Diabla "The leader looks like they're trying to copy you, they all look scared of the camera so-"
"Kid, pipe down while you've still got teeth" Wolfram suggested, words cold and harsh as stormy grey eyes bored into the younger student whose efforts to retort were left faltering at the sight of both Ursinia and Diabla rising to their feet, the eyes of the entire common area falling upon them.
"Allow me darlin', much obliged" the towering Scorpion Faunus snarled, tipping her hat to Diabla as her team-mate stepped aside. A moment later Ursinia had rounded on the younger student and crossed the distance between them to loom menacingly overhead, arms folded across a chest which the First Year had the sense to pointedly avoid looking at despite it being at their eye level.
"Now see here" Ursinia began, taking a fistful of the loudmouths' shirt and forcing them back into a chair which threatened to tip under the force the impact "Not so long ago a cousin of mine, real sweet little thing who happens to be courting Miss Fuego back there; she happened to take a trip out to goodness knows where and found herself getting on the wrong side of a Grimm that could poison or melt everything around it, turning metal into sludge and rotting the meat off peoples' bones and such like….you wanna take a wild guess at which team of students it was that came to her rescue".
"T-Team TRQS" the First Year gulped out, breaking the terrified silence that had fallen over the common area; words strained whilst Ursinia still held them firm.
"The one and only….So maybe think on that before you start wobbling your jaw around me or Diabla about those folks, okay darlin'?" needing no more than the wordless gulp and shaky nod of the head from the trembling teen Ursinia returned back to her team, conversation slow to start again in her wake though Wolfram stretched and shifted his weight to accommodate her as she took a seat on his lap once again and leaned against a chest that, whilst chiselled and muscular she found surprisingly comfortable when he was not wearing his armour.
"You even had me scared for a second there" he laughed, offsetting the statement by teasingly tipping the brim of her hat in front of her face.
"Quit fooling around" Ursinia managed a weak smile, struggling with the anger that still coursed through her into Wolfram reached up to cup her cheek and give her a brief kiss.
"Yes ma'am"
"So are you two gonna make out in the corner after all that or actually watch the damn thing?" Diabla noted dryly, the comment getting a snicker from Laser whist the pair it had been directed towards turned their focus to the television and managed to catch the final few questions posed by a reporter and the answers from Team TRQS's various members whose differing personalities were immediately recognisable along with a strange sense of disconnect between the taciturn and direct leader, soft-spoken gentle giant in armour, his bubbly if somewhat snippy partner and the charismatic if somewhat chaotic Mouse Faunus; the overall effect being one that reminded Team WULF inexplicably of themselves and gave each of them a sense of what might have been whilst in turn making them immensely grateful for what they had.
Then the screen faded to black for a brief moment as the pre-recorded interview ended and gave way to the promotional footage that Team TRQS had prepared.
"They seriously filmed a promo reel in an office?" someone chortled, only to quail under Diabla's fiery glare even if Diabla herself could not argue the oddness of the setting in comparison to the more action-packed, dramatic or cinematic offers made by previous teams. The footage showed the leader, a young woman apparently named Tiger Santara with her team gathered beside her in a loose formation whilst Tiger herself sat in a comfortable leather chair situated behind a desk in an office which likely belonged to one of Halo Academies' professors or other staff. Resting on the desk at Tigers fingertips was a stack of neatly arranged manilla folders which the young woman Diabla would very much like to speak with, if only to thank took one of without any flourish, speaking as she opened the folder and regarded its' contents dispassionately.
"We could discuss statistics, raw data and verifiable facts" Tiger began, voice as detached as her gaze whilst her team made a show of looking stern and imposing around her whilst around them small windows opened within the footage within which various graphs and charts could be seen.
Diabla's eyes scanned the various documents and saw, unsurprisingly that they were official records of a team which, by all accounts had gone from strength to strength and made a meteoric rise through the ranks of their peers.
"I get that they saved your girl, but they have no vibes" Laser shook his head disparagingly, only to be shushed by his team as a whole as Tiger spoke once again.
"We could resort to light-shows instead, or perhaps a catchy theme song"
"Oh she's taking shots at somebody" Wolfram muttered, catching the unsubtle jabs at some of the previous teams' efforts and being left faintly amused by the gall on display, on the television Tiger took another of the manilla folders.
"But instead I have a more simple answer to the question of why you should support Team TRQS in the Vytal Tournament. Our first mission" at her words the camera shifted to each of her teams' individual members in turn as smaller windows opened up once again within the screen to display footage of Team TRQS in action against the Creatures of Grimm, highlights which showed the undeniable skill of the students and none of the horror that the monsters could inflict.
"Second mission" another folder was opened and footage of another mission was displayed, casting aside any doubts about that teams' abilities; the process repeated twice again with the final mission being the one in which Team TRQS had rescued a group of travellers which had included Ursinia's younger cousin from a grotesque Tardigrade Grimm; the footage itself being recorded by the Hunter accompanying them. Finally the last folder was opened and the additional footage which adorned the screen made it strikingly clear that Tiger and Team TRQS as a whole were intent on cementing themselves as possible favourites to win, showing each of the quartet of Second Years facing off against members of other teams during various sparring matches and defeating each opponent in turn in a series of rapid cuts and changes of camera angle; Diabla smirking besides herself at the sight of Athena-Jade Slate being swept from her feet and left in a sprawled and undignified heap on the ground.
"We are Team TRQS and our record speaks for itself" Tiger Santara declared "We have proven ourselves against every challenger thus far. We will be more than happy to do it again for your entertainment at the Vytal Tournament"
With that the footage ended and a commercial break began, the sudden change in tone and volume catching the loosely assembled crowd in the common room off guard though they overcame this in a matter of moments, Team WULF in particular who turned to face one another with Wolfram being the one to break the silence.
"Sorry Laser you were wrong on that one" he chuckled, pushing strands of smoky, blue grey hair away from his face "That right there is how you do trash talk, that was cool"
Neither Laser, nor anyone else who heard the assessment could find it in them to disagree.
Myrtle and Redwood Mars, parents to Astra Mars were currently watching the continuous special programming which had captivated the attention of viewers across Remnant, though for them held a special degree of importance as they imaging it would for the parents of any of the other student Hunters featured in the ongoing event.
The pair had spent some time debating the merits of making viewing the collection of behind the scenes footage, interviews and promotional materials from the students competing in the fast approaching Vytal Tournament, all of which had been preceded by with an exhibition match a social event to be shared with their closest friends and neighbours; ultimately however the proud parents had decided instead that the moment they saw Myrtle's oldest and Redwood's only child on television in a way that they had planned an intended for, in a setting that did not involve reports of other peoples' trauma and the destruction of homes so similar to what Vale had suffered was something for the two of them to enjoy alone, though Felix had taken care to call and assure them that he would be watching the footage at the first opportunity that arose whilst be was away on a mission.
The Mars family home was a small apartment in the lower reaches of Neo Vale, an area that had narrowly avoided being subsumed and utterly destroyed by Salem's decimation of the city almost a decade prior and a locale which had been somewhat disreputable for its' poverty and the unpleasantness which followed it even prior to the war with the Queen of the Grimm however Myrtle Mars, after spending many years believing her first child to be lost had dedicated a vast amount of time and effort to ensuring the home she raised her second child in was a place in which any concerns of fears about the world outside could be left at the door. At present Myrtle's efforts were based seen in the level of comfort she and Redwood were enjoying as they cuddled on a spacious sofa which took up much of one wall of the living room, though managed to create a sense of cosiness rather than being cramped; lights had been dimmed, heating had been turned up to fend off the winter chill that might otherwise have worked its' way into the lower reaches of the Hive-tower and wine had been poured before Myrtle, wearing a comfortable nightgown and something far more suggestive beneath it had curled into the chest and shoulder of Redwood who was currently feeling as though his entire life was an indescribable success as he relaxed after a hard days' work.
He even found himself enjoying the interruptions to his peace which came with another of Myrtle's furious outbursts.
"OH COME ON! ARE YOU KIDDING ME, IS ASTRA MARS THE LEADER OF THIS TEAM OR WEISS SCHNEE?" the dark-skinned and scaled Faunus woman demanded, gesturing animatedly at the television with a glass which at that moment was fortunately empty until Redwood, with a smile tugging at his lips gently took the glass and refilled it for her, shaking his head sympathetically as he chimed in.
"Astra warned us that it was gonna be like this, they called us as soon as their team got out of the interview and said that the reporter was a jackass" Redwood massaged the point where his antlers met his skull before looping an arm around Myrtle's shoulders as he took a moment to take in exactly what questions that were being asked and the answers given to them "Good on 'em for not letting this little pipsqueak ruin their moment….And for those two girls for refusing to take the bait"
"Still, it's annoying" Myrtle sighed, taking the moment to pull Redwood's arm and hand lower so that he touched where she wanted him to "The blonde girl with the armour, you remember her? She has a famous family and she didn't get pestered like this"
"You mean the girl Astra had a massive crush on for a while after she beat the crap out of 'em at a tournament?" Redwood chuckled to himself, realising that the moment should have been an indicator of exactly what kind of trouble Astra would find themselves drawn towards "Might be because she looked like she was gonna burst into tears if the camera stayed on her for too long….Or the fact that her friend looked ready to eat the reporter"
"Now that was a scary Hunter" Myrtle nodded in agreement before turning her focus back to the ongoing interview. Team MARZ were gathered in what appeared to be a table in the student canteen which had been surrounded by a makeshift black curtain and a portable lighting rig, along with several minor embellishments to give the affair a mild sense of elegance and gravitas, only for that effect to be largely tarnished by the reporter conducting the interview; a new face to the network desperate to make a name for themselves and whose eagerness translated into a nervous hyperactivity which failed to come across as likeable and whose attire seemed to be an effort to bridge the gap between professionalism and the distinctive fashions of many Hunters; specifically a flamboyantly cut and jarringly garish three piece suit in clashing colours which irritate the eyes and drew attention away from the subjects of the interview.
"And one last question before we move on" the reporter asked, a nervous smile promising a level of in appropriate questioning which was quickly delivered "Team RWBY, to whom two of your connected made into the singles rounds of their own Vytal Tournament as did Felix Xiao Long; though both tournaments were interrupted….How do Team MARZ think they'll measure up?"
"Oh that little..."Myrtle trailed off, downing her wine in one gulp and fighting the urge to begin writing a strongly worded letter to the network at that moment; halting as Redwood's hand drifted to her hip distractingly and the voices of Team MARZ themselves issued from the television.
"I think that's question for Astra to answer" Athena-Jade Slate answered firmly, tone the perfect level of measured coldness to convey that a boundary had been overstepped without being outwardly hostile. Astra for their part managed to quickly plaster a confidant smile across their face before delivering what Myrtle hoped was a pre-planned answer and not just instinctive cockiness.
"Hey Felix!" they addressed the camera, ignoring the reporter entirely "You spent a lot of time training me….But it looks like Team MARZ are gonna be the first team in the family to bring a trophy home. Watch and learn bro!"
"OH MY, NOW THAT'S THE KIND OF FIGHTING TALK WE'RE HERE FOR!" The reporter exclaimed "I would love to carry this on, that answer alone opens up so many more questions, but that's all we have time for right now-"
"Yeah I bet you'd love to keep talking" Myrtle muttered as the screen faded to black for a moment.
"Now this is what we wanted to see" Redwood noted, suddenly far more eager as the promotional footage Team MARZ had prepared began "Let's see what Astra comes up with when they're being actively encouraged to show off and talk trash"
The footage opened with an image of a skyline which Myrtle and Redwood recognised as belonging to Port Alistair, Capital City of Menagerie as the sun rose in the distance to cast everything in a dazzling display of shadows and gleaming gold; the image was accompanied by a thumping, synth-heavy piece of music which seemed to convey a sense of space and ambience until it faded out of prominence and was replaced by Astra's voice.
"This is Breaktide Academy of Menagerie, home to the heroes you haven't heard of yet and the academy on the forefront of redefining what it means to be a Hunter" as Astra spoke the image zoomed in to show Breaktide Academy in particular, before it was seamlessly replaced by a three dimensional model which Myrtle and Redwood recognised as being a projection even before Astra and their team strode into view, each of them appearing supremely confidant.
"We could explain to you in detail exactly what sets us apart, but as some of those heroes you might not have heard of yet….We thought it would be better to show you" Astra continued before the hard-light and holographic projection shattered around Team MARZ and swiftly morphed into a similarly detailed and lifelike reconstruction of news footage that the vast majority of the audience were aware of, Myrtle and Redwood being no exception.
"I'm Astra Mars and this is the moment I fought a Grimm trying to bring down an airship" the Deer Faunus's parents were left gaping in sheer awe at the temerity of their child as they drew attention to several key details of their battle against the colossal Pelican Grimm which had attacked and threatened to destroy the airship that they had travelled to the island Kingdom aboard, the size of the projection meaning that the image of Astra Semblance-form was smaller than their actual self. The scene changed again in short order, Astra stepping aside to allow the snowy-haired Bear Faunus beside them to take over
"I am Athena-Jade Slate and if you thought you had the measure of me after reading the tabloids….You could not be more wrong, this is the real me" the projection changed again to show a dirtied and bloodied Athena-Jade in the midst of some fierce battle, the scale of which left Myrtle and Redwood stunned into silence only for them to be rendered more shocked as the footage, which seemed to be a security camera feed with a downward angle showed the Bear Faunus using her Semblance to hold an entire tide of monsters at bay in a one person bulwark.
"Hi, I'm Regalia Russet and I'd like to point out that it's not just the Grimm we can take down whenever and wherever, we deal with armed criminals as well" another projection formed as the energetic Racoon Faunus whom both of Astra's parents found themselves smiling at the sight of sprung enthusiastically into view. The image this time was of the web of bridges between Neo Vale's enormous towers, zooming in to show a car chase of sorts in which the fleeing party was a scavenged and cobbled together mech-suit of the variety used by the local gangs; the scene culminating in the moment Regalia used her harpoon gun to drag the machine off balance and leave it undefended against a punishing counterattack.
"I am Zirconia Shadowmoon" the final member of the team, whom Astra's parents noted that they had spoken to less than they might like said simply; the illusion falling away around her as she elected to simply give the smallest taste of her own powers directly rather than relying on recordings. The mismatched irises of her eyes began to glow as shadows and swirling darkness began to envelop everything around her until the camera could see nothing beyond the black, at which point the Grasshopper Faunus spoke again.
"And you have seen nothing yet" a moment later the darkness subsided, revealing Team MARZ in formation with Astra once again at the head of the group whilst the camera had moved to a lower angle which made the teens appear more striking and larger than life as it looked up at them.
"We're Team MARZ" Astra beamed brightly "Students of Breaktide Academy and after taking on the Grimm, rogue Hunters and our fair share of the wannabe gangsters plaguing this city while they hide behind stolen robots because they've got nothing else going for them; honestly we think the Vytal Tournament should be fun….We'll take all challengers"
With that the footage ended suddenly, as though Astra had said what needed to be said and brooked no argument on the matter.
"Did they….Please tell they didn't just do what I think they just did" Redwood breathed the words out slowly and in disbelief as he took a few moments to process what he had just seen and heard, any thoughts of he and Myrtle making their way to the bedroom after a few more glasses of wine being pushed aside by the sheer heart-stopping brashness which Myrtle, judging by her expression had fully understood as well.
"Take all challengers" she repeated "Right after that comment about the gangsters with the robots….They just called out the person who hurt them on their last mission didn't they?"
"They get this from you" Redwood sighed, leaning back on the sofa and allowing himself a bemused chuckle at the situation "Felix is the same, this is from your side of the family"
Myrtle could not bring herself to disagree with that and instead simply swatted at Redwood with a pillow, which he responded to in a way that allowed the moment to progress to the point that both of them had quietly been hoping for before the dimmed lights were turned off entirely.
Petrol had been paying limited attention to the background noise of the television, the avian Faunus having been far more occupied by the unclothed breasts above him as his current company straddled his waist.
His company for the evening was Roxy, the member of one of the many gangs that had been forcefully incorporated into his own whose original leadership had been ousted as part of his recent bout of social and tactical restructuring; which had led to Roxy herself being granted a far more prominent position within the collection of drug dealers she associated with for reasons and qualities that Petrol could honestly say were entirely unconnected with the current situation, though he would certainly admit that things had progressed in a way he would be happy to let continue. Whilst working her illicit trade Roxy wore layers of clothing which hid her figure and more importantly to her the armour and collection of weapons she carried on her person from view, a hood often pulled low over her face going some way to keep her from being identified by the few security cameras that had not been vandalised in the area she considered her territory; when not dressed in unflattering attire however Roxy was eye-catching in the most pleasing ways, bleached blonde hair tied back save for where it framed her face and amber coloured eyes whilst her curvaceous figure and deep brown skin had accentuated by an outfit which teetered on a narrow edge between risqué and downright scandalous when she arrived at Petrol's apartment. The Avian Faunus who now, despite answering to a shadowy and unknown figure was the effective Commander in Chief of much of Neo Vale's criminal affairs to some extent or another had invited his fellow crook to his home, a privilege which none of the heads of other gangs had been offered, under the pretext of discussing future business ventures and expansion over a few drinks and some small amount of celebrating recent successes and victories against upstart rivals; Roxy was far from naive enough to miss the subtext and implications of the invitation however and things had swiftly progressed in the most likely of directions.
With Petrol's attention as thoroughly distracted as it was, his hands trailing upwards from plentiful hips and his mind reduced to more base and primal instincts it spoke volumes to the depth of his hatred and festering, poisonous bitterness that the sound of Astra Mars's voice had managed to entirely sour the mood.
"Are you fucking serious right now?" Roxy demanded, something of the forceful and commanding presence with which she led her own minions coming to the fore as she glowered at Petrol in indignant shock, finding purchase on the sofa and giving serious consideration to dressing and leaving without another word as the acid-spewing man pulled her off of his body so that he he could stare intently at the team of Hunter currently promoting themselves.
"This is the little prick that put me in jail" Petrol spat, knuckles cracking "I stabbed 'em the last time we saw each other and they've been pulling up on all of our blocks looking for me….Little fucker on they're friends threw one of my mechs off of a damn bridge"
"That was them?" Roxy's voice faltered as the ire left her; the position of being quite literally cast aside and left sitting in a state of undress whilst her intimate partner disregarded her was still one that would have to be corrected, with a hefty amount of interest being charged for such a transgression though she given the specifics she found that she could at least sympathise. She had never been imprisoned herself but several people close to her, including friends and family were currently incarcerated and she understood Petrol's rage and hatred for the cocky, Mohawk-sporting Deer Faunus well enough. The two of them remained silent for a few moments, with Roxy taking a calculated risk of drawing near to the Avian Faunus again so that things might resume where they had left off in short order only for whatever lingering prospect of having her needs sated and the mood recaptured might have remained were dashed completely by Astra Mars's final parting shot.
"Wannabe gangsters plaguing this city while they hide behind stolen robots because they've got nothing else going for them" the words seemed to echo throughout the apartment and leave a heavy, mounting silence which grew threatening in its' intensity before finally being shattered as Petrol leapt to his feet with a half-crazed bellow which the mucus-clogged edge to his natural voice made all the more threatening, as though it were a final oath sworn by a drowning man.
"I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL 'EM! THEM, THEIR TEAM, THEIR FUCKING FAMILY, EVERYONE IS CATCHING IT! THEY FUCKING DIE TONIGHT" his pants were already fastened and he began stalking towards the bedroom which the previous romp had neglected, searching for suitable clothing and weapons with only a cursory glance over his shoulder at Roxy "Don't just sit there with your titties out! Grab a blade out the kitchen drawer; we're going to work!"
Without waiting for a reply Petrol entered his bedroom, slamming the door behind him and taking a moment to consider the recently purchased clothing more reminiscent of that worn by Hunters, he had intended to reinvent and position himself as an equal and opposite force yet in the heat of the moment; with blood pounding in his ears and venom in his heart he found himself falling back to familiar staples such as a nondescript black hoodie, a lightweight stab-vest and practical boots. From there he began carefully selecting the weapons and tools he would need for the job, details of exactly how he would find Astra Mars or indeed breach the defences of Halo Academy were slow to form in his mind yet even in his maddened state the gangster knew he would need more than one weapon and so, after securing his usual knife at his waist reached under his bed to draw a machete and a monstrously high-powered shotgun. Before he could make a final decision on either weapon however his scroll began to vibrate and he quickly drew it from his pocket, half-expecting the incoming call to be from any number of his closest associates who might also have heard the open challenge issued to them and anticipated Petrol's need to retaliate with indiscriminate carnage; a small part of him wondered if it might be a member of Roxy's gang, a particularly eager younger member hearing whatever preparations Roxy should have been in the midst of making and asking to tag along. The enraged Faunus was surprised and more importantly forced to begin immediately reigning his emotions in when he saw that the call was coming from the Benefactor.
"'Sup boss?" he managed to force some geniality into words uttered through gritted teeth, scroll held to his ear with one hand whilst he began rummaging for particularly heinous Dust-based ammunition with the other; halting only when the modulated and synthesised tones of the shadowy figure to whom he answered answered.
"Stop what you're doing" the command echoed and lingered for a moment.
"Boss?"
"I am already aware of the broadcast that just went out Petrol" the Benefactor's voice, distorted as it might have been was undeniably testy "Do not insult my intelligence by pretending that you were not about to do something counterproductive"
"I was about to go and do what needs to be done" Petrol struggled to keep his voice under control "I can't let that violation slide! Not from that little bastard, not from anyone!"
"Is this your ego speaking?" the shadowy figure asked, mocking in their delicacy.
"This is the way things have gotta be!" Petrol spat back in anger "I keep having to explain this to you, if I let this go then there's gonna be more problems. Gotta rule with an iron fist and that little prick just got even further outta line that they already were-"
"And suppose I were to offer you a better option?" the Benefactor interrupted "One that would grant you what you want whilst also serving my interests, having the added bonus of making you appear larger and life to those who follow you?"
"What are you offering?" Petrol demanded, voice dropping to something that would be conspiratorial were it not so desperately eager.
"The first contingent of the mech-suits taken from Cosmo-Guild that were promised to you will be ready in a matter of days" the Benefactor answered almost conversationally, baiting the hook before following up "And I already have a plan in mind that will allow you to meet with Astra Mars outside of Halo Academy, unarmed and with their guard down….A perfectly enacted coup d'etat if you can play your role petrol. Can I trust you not to act rashly in the foreseeable future?"
"You can count on me….Just don't drop the fucking ball on this y'hear me?" the avian Faunus heard nothing the distorted hints of faintly amused laughter in response before the call ended and he was left in his bedroom, half dressed and confronted with a collection of weapons and the detritus that had been strewn about in the process of retrieving them; all of which fed into the creeping sense of embarrassment which he was forced to grapple with as he recounted the way he had spoken to Roxy only moment ago and exactly what had been interrupted before that. He bit back a curse as the jokes that would be made if this anecdote ever reached the ears of his fellow criminals presented themselves to his mind and with that Petrol quickly made his way back into the living room where he hoped he would find Roxy and offer a rare apology.
If he were exceptionally lucky she might still be topless and be willing to move things to the bedroom to celebrate this new chance at victory.
Author's Notes:
And now hopefully you can see the pieces being set up for the 'Mid-season finale' of Vol.05
Only three more chapters to go and then I've gotta take some time to solidify the plans I've got for the back half of the volume.
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
Qrow is absolutely "That guy" in Remnant, media based on his and Team STRQ in the early days and probably a ton of merch that doesn't feature his face.
Oobleck's coffee being weapons grade is a running gag for me at this point.
With the focus on Qrow's early morning routine you can tell I wrote this on a week where I was having to wake up at 4am for work and there was some bleed through.
Public service announcement, if you're a dick to receptionists or call centre staff then you're a test-tube baby and the tube was labelled "Cream o' dickhead".
Another Nero & Qrow conversation, I think we all knew something was afoot here.
A convincing apology, we just happen to know better as readers.
The best part about Nero's intervention here is that it is completely feasible and believable for his character, especially the philanthropist public persona he has.
The Aurora hotel is also a deep-cut callback to FADE: Legacy, Team NEON were stationed there at the end of Vol.03 before the breach.
So, Qrow things things are going well….But we know better, because Nero said he had a plan for a diversion when it came to testing the Cyber-Grimm.
I will maintain that the academies teach stuff beyond just Grimm killing to their students because they want Hunters to be functioning members of society.
Astra continuing to be class clown and someone who does not enjoy studying whilst AJ is her mother's daughter in regards to academics, with her Dad's willingness to just give someone a slap around the back of the head.
But anyway, the class scene was largely a segue into the promo-shoot stuff; I just happen to enjoy having the students be students.
So I basically gave the game away and said what the Team MARZ promo was gonna be for, but the execution was still fun.
"Astra if I didn't know you I'd be baffled by the fact you've lived so long" just sums Astra up.
Anything that starts with Carmesi being on the hunt is gonna end badly for someone.
The idea of just walking off into the sunset, or feeding Petrol and his people to the Cyber-Grimm are definitely tempting for Carmesi, but he's not gonna have a crisis of faith; he's a zealot.
He's also back in his classic look, save for his beard having been trimmed and his hair's longer.
Carmesi is definitely not gonna risk running into Yang Xiao Long by accident now that Qrow definitely knows he's still alive.
Verdance didn't need so much description but honestly I just really wanted to, I've been reading Twig by Wildbow lately and it gave me the itch to have a setting that's far removed from the cyberpunk-ish Hive City that is Neo Vale.
So Carmesi has picked a Hunter for the Cyber-Grimm to be tested against and naturally he's managed to find someone who abuses their authority and the trust placed in them, however with Carmesi being who he is he also used it as an excuse to seek out someone he knows personally and deliver his own brand of revenge dressed up as justice….I feel like in some ways Carmesi is basically a mid-point between how canon Adam portrayed himself and actual canon Adam, because he does have his convictions and principles; but they're built on a foundation of his own grief and bitterness that he refuses to process.
Also yeah, I can't imagine edgy seventeen year old Carmesi being popular at Haven, which no doubt made Halcyon being what he is even more of a blow to Carmesi when he found out.
And now the hype train is moving….And I had to throw in a more subtle movie reference there, Regalia's comment about Nora and "Can you dig it" is nod to the start of the movie "The Warriors".
The Thunder Dome line was less subtle….But also perfect.
Regalia is a Nora fan-girl, everyone is Rensexual.
So all of Nora's hype building speech led up to her announcing a showdown for the cameras between herself and Ren….Which I then didn't show; you're right to call me a bastard. Also, there was definitely some sensual 'Booping' after that sparring match got the blood pumping.
Snapdragon just being ridiculously slick and yet still managing to piss people off is becoming another gag; I was actually gonna close this scene out with Snapdragon borrowing the opening monologue from Look Alive Sunshine by My Chemical Romance but ultimately decided against it.
Catching up with Team WULF was fun….I knew I wanted the promos to be viewed from the perspective of other people and having the old secondary team watching the new secondary team on TV seemed like a good chance to catch up with Team WULF, especially given that Team TRQS did rescue Ursinia's cousin/Diabla's long distance girlfriend.
We've never really thought about how the Vytal Tournament affects the education of the students who don't qualify or the general mood in the academies after the transfer students leave have we?
So Diabla is still terrifying, Laser is still a shitbag and Wolfram and Ursinia are a thing now; still early stages but I wanted to show that things haven't just stood still in Team MARZ's absence, Wolfie was more over the relationship with Astra than Astra was anyway.
Yeah, Ursinia is absolutely not someone to fuck with.
Tiger had a plan of what she wanted to do with the promo footage, just put the concrete facts out there as a flex, basically a "Check the stats" kinda thing….It just comes down to if she can master the specific kind of charisma for something like that, something Goodwitch might have tried.
Throwing in footage of the other students getting handled in sparring matches was a low one though.
And now we switch to Team MARZ's footage, by way of Astra's parents….Who we don't see enough of.
I realised that we actually hadn't seen the Mars family home before now.
Also fuck it, I wasn't subtle with the hints….Astra's Mum is a milf lol; Kali Belladonna analogue for the new generation.
The back and forth between Redwood and Myrtle was entertaining, especially them talking about Astra having the heart-eyes for Honey; and Honey having Yuki basically acting as a guard dog during their teams' interview.
My distaste for a lot of journalism is really shining through here.
That last question was cheap, but Astra's answer….Oh that's gonna be a headlock from Felix when they next see each other.
And now, on with the show.
I was listening to the EdgeRunners OST and the idea of Menagerie's skyline and chill Synthwave just clicked.
Basically Teams MARZ and TRQS had similar ideas but MARZ leaned all the way in with it, more cinematic, more immersive and finishing off with a beautiful open invite to anybody who wants to test them.
Zirconia's "You've seen nothing yet" felt more bad-ass than her actually showing off her Semblance.
Okay I debated having Petrol watch the footage in a bar, surrounded by random people, at a spot surrounded by other gangsters, but ultimately I feel like having that be what throws him for a loop and ruins a moment just as things were heading to the bedroom is even more disrespectful.
Because to quote Tupac "Thugs get lonely too"...At least he didn't send the 2am "You up?" text.
I didn't actually give Roxy a description beyond her outfit when she last appeared, but Petrol did note that having sex with her was definitely on the agenda.
Now occasionally I give life tips and advice to my younger readers in these notes….If I actually have to tell you not to disappoint your half naked partner and leave them hanging so you can have a hate boner, then honestly you shouldn't be having sex.
Astra's message got the intended reaction.
"Don't just sit there with your titties out! Grab a blade out the kitchen drawer; we're going to work!" might be the scummiest sentence I've ever written and it encapsulates Petrol perfectly.
Nero just casually told him nope...I think it's safe to say that Zirconia gave him the warning of what was gonna happen in advance.
And there it is….There's Nero's play; he set up the means to have the dance moved away from the academy and now he's planning to have the dance attacked, which will act as a distraction when Carmesi let's the Cyber-Grimm loose on Halcyon; mid-season finale is gonna be fun.
Which is all well and good….But Petrol isn't really a mastermind and still has an attractive women with her tits out in his apartment; priorities.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review
