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Chapter 92: Damage Control

A deep and sombre atmosphere urgent and introspective yet miraculously falling short of the pure, unfettered terror that would have would have gripped even the majority of Remnants' Hunters in similar circumstances filled not only the Headmasters' office of Halo Academy, where Lie Ren and Qrow Branwen were currently situated but also a corresponding office within Breaktide Academy of Menagerie where Coco Adel and Ruby Rose were present, other prominent members of the secretive organisation based on the island such as Velvet Scarlatina and Penny Rose being absent due to ongoing student missions. A similar air of firmly repressed and controlled panic was present in the office of General Winter Schnee who had chosen to depart Atlas Academy and was currently aboard her flagship, which had always felt more like home and finally in the home office of Antonia Arc, eldest of the same generation of Arc children as Jaune, mother to Qrow Branwen's only child and the current head of Poly-Tech, the legacy of Professor Polendina and the premier robotics company across Remnant, a title which was yet to be challenged properly by the Clara Die Novum Conglomerate and its' many subsidiaries.

It was Antonia who broke the silence which she felt had been lingering for too long to be productive, clearing her throat and getting the attention of the many participants in the conference call.

"How is Nora doing?" the question was evidently directed at the absent woman's husband and he reacted as such; managing a weak smile for the eldest sister of his deceased team leader whose concern was far from simply professional; the surviving members of Team JNPR had after all be adopted into the Arc family and were aunts and uncles to a generation of blonde-haired children and teens.

"The doctors are keeping her in the medical wing for observation….Her Aura was broken and she was on her feet and fighting again the moment it started to recover, she didn't give herself chance to heal. Fractured scapula, multiple contusions and lacerations, some burns and a possible concussion" Ren reeled the information off in clinical, detached way before allowing the warmth and gentleness reserved for speaking about his wife and partner to return "She's hating every moment of being out of action and seems intent on making the doctors discharge her just to get rid of her….She's scared, what she saw rattled her"

Whatever thin smattering of faint laughter might have accompanied Ren's words in spite of the situation was extinguished by that final statement.

"She's not the only one" Coco admitted, lowering her sunglasses to reveal a distant and haunted look in her eyes "Flax called me a few hours ago, he was looking for Velvet….I think if his daughter wasn't competing in the Vytal Tournament then he would have already been on a flight to Menagerie to put some distance between himself and everything that happened"

"Damn it all Flax" Qrow growled under his breath, being reminded precisely why Flax Scarlatina wasn't one of his regular field agents or contacts in convert or extreme matters. It was currently early morning, roughly an entire day since the students had left on their respective missions, Team MARZ and Team TRQS had called for assistance and evacuation during the late afternoon, reaching the academy by late evening and then spending several hours undergoing a debriefing and medical clearance procedure more thorough than even the usual stringent requirements before finally being sent on their way, with instructions to remain close at hand added to the orders that everything regarding what they had encountered was to be treated with a blanket of total silence; that the same silence could not be maintained by an allegedly professional Hunter was irksome to say the least.

"I mean it's understandable" Ruby chimed in, her own remaining silver eye filled with more emotions than either Qrow or Ren had time to process "Uncle Qrow, keep an eye on AJ for me please?"

"Weiss and Gangrel are going to be furious when they hear about this" Winter broke her silence, expression stern and unreadable as ever with the faint hint of emotion she had shown being quickly swallowed and overcome as she added "But we can't afford to worry about things like that….We need to act, we need a plan"

"Agreed" Qrow nodded, mechanical seat shifting as his frown deepened with every word "They did it….Our enemies have made their own Grimm"

"The Atlesian military had a similar project, developed by Doctor Merlot during the first Great War" Winter noted, disgust dripping from every syllable at the thought of the nightmarish 'Project Hexxus' "But this is something else entirely, the Atlesian intent was a manufactured Spawning Pit unleashed into a target area without restraint as a last resort, total obliteration….This, purpose built Grimm weapons that can act in coordination with a renegade Hunter?"

"It's repugnant" Ren stated flatly, far more coldly than the reserved man often allowed himself to sound.

"Agreed" Qrow murmured "Aefen Cruor's work taken to a conclusion, combined with a sentient Grimm such as the one Carmesi Hueso was seeking on Menagerie….Along with the mech-suits and robots stolen from Cosmo-Guild-"

"I need a sample of that machinery….There might be something useful that I can pull from it" Antonia's brow knitted, mind already racing as she considered the various ways that she would need to test and study any materials that could be retrieved, determined to use her vast resources and arguably unrivalled skill and knowledge in her field to bring a stop to the madness working its' way insidiously through Remnant.

"There isn't much remaining" Ren answered "One of the pair of Grimm….If that's what we're calling them, which engaged Team TRQS at Carmesi Hueso's command was destroyed entirely beyond recovery. Petrol's remains and those of his mech-suit are in our custody, though the Grimm tissue began to eat away at its' surroundings as a final act-"

"A built in self destruct sequence, likely intended to keep us from studying it" Winter observed pointedly "I'll have a military vessel sent to bring the materials to Atlas; we know that the 'Benefactor' would be willing to have the payload intercepted if we were to transport it any other way….Besides, it's a good way to have some more Hunters and Specialists sent to Neo Vale; presuming that you're okay with that?"

"We need as many eyes and hands as we can get" Ren assured her, already privately considering how best to justify bringing more Hunters into the Capital city to shore up the defences of the most likely target of a large scale attack.

"To that end I plan to reach out to Damascus Nero again" Qrow interjected "We have our differences but I have no doubts that he will be appalled to hear how his work is being used; not when it put his girl at risk"

"That's good, we need resources, need information" it was Coco who spoke now, adjusting her sunglasses and beret as if to manually reapply her usual composure "But the real question is what do we do about these….Grimm-Bots, Grimm Droids?"

"They need to be obliterated" Winter answered frankly "We can't afford anything less"

"I mean naturally" Coco managed a scoff "But that means sending Hunters….I know we like to keep things covert here, bet let's be completely honest about this; everyone who faced those things yesterday had an advantage in numbers and was still lucky to make it out alive. If we send anybody after these things without proper intel, thinking that it's just another Grimm then they are going to die"

"You're right" Ren nodded slowly, the Headmaster of Halo Academy having always struggled the most to countenance the secrecy involved in their task "The people need to know about this-"

"It's a monumental security risk" Winter countered, prompting a biting retort that went unsaid as Qrow cleared his throat to intervene before the situation could devolve.

"We can be partially honest, give enough information to adequately warn any Hunter that tries to engage one of these things"

"You've got a plan?" Ruby asked, someone of the same hopeful wonder that had filled her when she was a teen finding its' way to her voice in a display which made Qrow smile faintly.

"We issue a public warning to all outer territories and a request for aid from any Hunters operating in those areas….The Grimm that Carmesi was hunting on Menagerie, it was based on a Geist-"

"One that Velvet encountered with Team MARZ" Coco confirmed.

"Good" Qrow gave an almost predatory smile "Then the warning will be about a new variety of Geist Grimm, that has managed to integrate itself with stolen robotics and military hardware that was dumped before the thieves could be caught red-handed. Grimm should be considered armed and highly dangerous, intelligent and not to be engaged alone or by recent graduates. We put the word out, we keep the calm and we call the Benefactor's bluff"

"How so?" Antonia raised a golden eyebrow at the final addition, never quite understanding the way the mind of the grizzled old veteran worked in situations such as these.

"He's being devious" Winter snorted.

"I don't think that we were supposed to find out about these things, not yet. I think they were being held back in reserve for something else" Qrow murmured "But now we do know and the Benefactor knows that we know….But what makes me concerned is that we still don't know what this person or groups' goals are. This isn't just an organised crime thing, it's deeper than that, it's too big to be something so simple"

"I see what you're getting at" Winter nodded in understanding even as her features hardened, concern filling them "If this isn't just about Lien and power then what is it about, what is the Benefactor planning that requires so much power that they don't feel ready to begin making demands even when they have the means to produce an army of monsters?"

"Maybe they're not planning on making demands….Hueso was reported as talking about a better Remnant, but he didn't give any specifics about who it would be better for or what it would look like" Ruby breathed out, a chill seeming to pass through the air in each of the locations that the conference call was taking place in at those words as the various gathered minds were forced to process that they might be facing a foe who intended to give no quarter.

It was a chilling thought, far too reminiscent of the fight against Salem though each of them knew that this was a different kind of battle entirely.


Chairman Damascus Nero was beyond furious, his fury having reached a plateau from which he could appear outwardly peaceful and almost serene as he stood within the Chamber, hands clasped firmly behind his back as he regarded Carmesi Hueso with an expression that was composed and deliberately statuesque save for a cold glint in quartz coloured eyes that gave the only warning as to his true emotional state.

And then spoke.

"Do you have ANY idea what you have cost us?….No of course you don't, the initiative Carmesi, you have cost us the initiative! We are facing dangerous, well equipped and intelligent enemies and now, because of you they know far more than they should; at a critical juncture they know enough to truly become a threat and ruin everything we have put into motion!" the Chairman's voice was barely raised however it carried a force and anger which was nonetheless felt as though it were a physical blow which left the younger and larger man stood before him staring down at his boots like a scolded child for a moment before the Faunus narrowed his hellish red eyes.

"I was of the understanding that you were against killing if it could be helped….Especially someone so young as-" Carmesi's blunt rumbling was cut short as Nero's gloved mechanical fist slammed against the surface of the workstation around which the two men were gathered, with Albion at his usual computer.

"Do not play games with me now, it is not the time!" the words hung in the air and Nero took a moment to force his emotions into check once again, desperately needing to regain control of a situation that he felt had began to slip almost irrevocably from his grasp.

Petrol was certainly dead and the proof of concept that Aefen had created, the first example of a new variation of the Cyber-Grimm idea, one which would see opposition and resistance to Hunters made more feasible had been destroyed along with its' host; a fact made far worse by the facts that Zirconia had seen far more of the specifics of that particular project than he had ever intended her to and that now others would see, primarily Qrow Branwen and his cabal given that the last remaining scraps of evidence had already been secured and seized by his Hunters.

Nero had hoped that Carmesi's return would bring with it positive news and developments and though the reliable field agent and implement of the great work had indeed managed to deliver the primordial and protean fluid of a Grimm Spawning Pit needed for the continuation of their plans, not least of all for the creation of more Cyber-Grimm however it had been obtained at a cost so unthinkably high that the loss of a single Cyber-Grimm seemed almost paltry in comparison to the greater issue. In letting Flax Scarlatina, a Hunter who was almost certainly considered one of Qrow Branwen's allies flee with a team of students after encountering himself and the Cyber-Grimm Carmesi had shown Nero's hand to the enemy; revealing the existence of the amalgamations of metal and monster.

"Branwen and his ilk have made the opening gambit of their countermeasures against the Cyber-Grimm" Albion's voice sounded out from his seat some distance away, tense and with a scornful, scathing note which garnered the attention of both Nero and Carmesi, with the latter grateful to have the attention removed from himself for a moment.

"What are they planning?" Nero demanded, words a low and focused murmur.

"He's released limited information about our Cyber-Grimm, roughly outlining their abilities without disclosing their nature….Enough for us take it as a message, enough to act as a warning for any other Hunter-"

"DAMN IT!" Nero's cybernetic fist slammed against the desk, making the many screens of Albion's desk flicker perilously before turning to glower angrily at Carmesi though the older man, to his personal credit did manage to contain his ire enough to keep from further yelling.

"How do we respond to this?" Carmesi asked carefully "Do we accelerate the next stage of the plan?"

"No" Nero answered simply "There's no time to do so and it wouldn't be as effective even if we could….We need our revelation to be seen and heard by as many people across Remnant as possible. We need to make preparations for later stages of the operation however"

"What are you thinking?" Albion asked, already having some possible ideas about the directions his old friends' mind might be wandering about and harbouring his own reservations about what might follow.

"For now we need to revive Gestalt-Prime from their current recovery" the Chairman cast his gleaming eyes briefly in the direction of the fluid-filled containment tube where the monstrous creature whose aid he managed to enlist continued to slumber, conserving their strength for the coming tasks.

"To recover our losses?" Albion hazarded a guess.

"More Cyber-Grimm are the first step forward" Nero nodded "More of our standard model, testing and implementation of the more specified and updated models you and Aefen have been developing and then….It will be time to bring the remaining assets at our disposal in the city more fully into the loop, time to move things into the position for the key moment"

"Lovely" Albion couldn't keep the note of derision out of his tone at the mention of both the gang members he failed to loathe so fully as Carmesi but still held little confidence in and Aefen Cruor, whose absence from the current conversation was testament to the lack of real trust she was granted within the conspiracy no matter what information she had been made privy to out of necessity.

"What else are you thinking?" Carmesi growled, hearing something unspoken in the tone of the man who had given him a sense of purpose in life; a question which Nero considered carefully before answering.

"Thanks to events that are now out of our control" he let his anger linger a moment longer before continuing "We must consider that we could be compromised, that Qrow and his allies could find us-"

"We've taken every precaution-"

"And it will never be enough!" Nero snapped, slicing through the interruption "That being said, once the initial wave of Cyber-Grimm are operational I think it would be foolish to think that we can suffice with one base of operations"

"You want to abandon the city?" Albion asked "Or leave something so important in Aefen's hands"

"I plan for us to relocate at the most viable opportunity, though to leave immediately would raise suspicions which we cannot afford" the Chairman considered a moment longer "As for Aefen, it's not a matter of undue trust in her abilities or her intentions….Carmesi, from my understanding when you and the late Major Grapeshot were dealing with Gestalt-Prime they were capable of controlling the means of creating their own forces remotely yes?"

"Yes" the Komodo Dragon Faunus nodded simply.

"Then the key issue is choosing the time and means to safely transport the materials to create our own Spawning Pit to Menagerie, outsourcing and creating a new production facility on the island as it were" Nero allowed a small smile at the use of terminology from his more public facing persona "Aefen will be allowed to indulge in her cults' proclivities and satisfy her own scientific curiosity to an extent whilst overseeing affairs; the actual controlling of the Spawning Pit however, that will remain with Gestalt-Prime"

"And you want them to remain here?" Albion's ice blue eyes held no small amount of fear as he regarded the slumbering monster; suddenly aware of how much rested at the mercy of a Creature of Grimm, a concept which Carmesi too seemed to be silently grappling with.

"For the immediate future yes; it wouldn't be for me to fail to honour my end of an agreement after our business partner here has aided us so much….Besides Gestalt-Prime has a critical role to play, one that requires them to be present, front and centre" the Chairman paused, seemingly for effect in a display of showmanship that was at odds with the man Albion new his old friend to be and when he spoke again the dark-skinned doctor felt a chill, foreknowledge of the plan doing little to prevent it.

"And to that end my old friend….I do think it's time we began work on creating Gestalt-Prime a more mobile body"


Team MARZ's dormitory at Halo Academy was almost silent despite it being occupied by half of its' residents as early afternoon sun filtered through the faintest crack in the curtains.

Upon their return the four Second Year students had been subjected to a post-deployment medical debriefing which went far beyond even the usual overzealousness that the doctors and nurses of each of the Hunter academies seemed to pride themselves on, seeing that Team TRQS had also returned early from their own mission as they did do but being far too preoccupied, lost in thought and utterly drained to be able to appreciate the fact or interact with their peers who were seemingly in a similar state of distress. Team MARZ's injuries had overall been mercifully minor, though many and varied with each of the team suffering from various degrees of Aura depletion promised to make the recovery process longer and more difficult. Once the physical aspects of their health had been attended to with a multitude of salves, bandages, medication and Aura stimulants the team had been ushered away from a still recovering Nora and informed that counselling would, as always be available to them should it be needed; though in hindsight the idea was laughable given the degree of secrecy that Team MARZ had been bound and sworn to and from there the true ordeal had begun in the form of their official debriefing, something made more difficult by the fact that the process was conducted by Headmaster Lie Ren, whose assurances that he blamed none of the teenagers before him for his wife's current injuries did little to make meeting his eyes any easier.

It was a testament to how far into uncharted territory Team MARZ's mission had veered and how unprepared for what had transpired the Headmaster was that in recounting it the students found themselves amongst the rare few people who cold claim to have heard Lie Ren curse aloud.

Once the taxing and painful task of recounting their mission, with each of them forced to justify and consider their own actions and wonder if there was anything more that could have been done or if they could have acted differently Team MARZ had been dismissed, with the conditions that they were to remain on campus for the time being and that they were naturally forbidden from discussing the particulars of their mission. Dismissal had natural seen the four of them return to the dormitory where several hours had been spent in pursuit of sleep that simply would not come until finally Astra had been the first to depart, leaving several hours after sunrise with their toolkit and weapons carried under their arms and a sense of purpose about them entirely at odds with their dishevelled and harrowed appearance; Regalia had dallied for only a short while before showering and setting off, a message that she had left for her friends declaring that she was headed towards the canteen though the Grasshopper Faunus was privately certain that Regalia would find her way to her partner in short order.

Meanwhile Zirconia herself was currently pinned beneath her own partner.

That she and Athena-Jade's efforts at sleeping would take place in the same bed was almost a given and once the two of them had clambered into Athena-Jade's lower bunk the stocky Bear Faunus had all but wrapped herself around her girlfriend, limbs clinging to the taller woman for some sense of security as she nuzzled into every part of the Grasshopper Faunus she could reach. Whilst Athena had drifted to sleep with the most ease of all of them it not been restful or unbroken, simply the effects of overexerting her body and Aura making themselves known and allowing a path for nightmares that had jolted the Bear Faunus awake crying and howling in panic on several occasions already to take root; Zirconia, in light of this had not yet slept though she doubted that an empty bed and dormitory would have helped in the slightest.

Her mind raced and its' contents made her stomach churn in a way which left her clinging to Athena just as desperately, her partners' presence the only thing allowing her to remain calm or sane.

Nero's great work, the bright new day for all of Remnant to which she had pledged herself from the moment she was old enough to understand what it would entail, even as the man who had raised her attempted time and time again to dissuade her before finally agreeing to see that she was trained and given a part to play was supposed to be something incredible. Zirconia had always understood the plan as something beautiful in a painful, mournful way, something far greater than simple, callous revenge against a system that had failed in every aspect of its' duties and a chance to inflict her own misery on those responsible but instead a chance to see that there were no more cataclysmic losses where the innocent would pay the price.

It was a supposed to be a chance to be better and what she had seen had shaken that belief to its' core.

There was no question that Petrol had been a foul example of the worst of Remnant, a violent and unrepentant, spiteful thug incapable of seeing anything greater or accepting responsibility for the pain he left in his wake, even when he was the recipient of it but Zirconia could not find it within herself to simply write the avian Faunus off as having deserved his ending; she even doubted that Carmesi, as bloodthirsty and ruthless as he was could have stomached it if he had been forced to see it first hand. There was also the matter of the toll that the mission had taken on each of her friends, Astra undoubtedly first and foremost amongst them which Zirconia silently vowed that she demand justification for the moment she had an opportunity to speak with Damascus.

Though such uncommonly vitriolic thoughts were cast from her mind by the feeling of Athena squirming against her, the Bear Faunus letting out a low, keening whimper as she was dragged unceremoniously from sleep by her own subconscious.

"You're okay, you're okay. You're safe, you're in our dorm" Zirconia whispered, pulling her girlfriend closer so that she could pepper a forehead that was slick with cold sweat with gentle kisses until Athena's eyes fluttered open, the instinctual fright leaving them in an instant.

"Hey" she managed to croak out "What time is it?"

"I have no idea" Zirconia murmured, largely honestly as her best guesses were far from certain "I don't think it matters right now"

"True" Athena mumbled sleepily, the act of speaking taxing her though she forced herself through her bone-deep and consummate exhaustion to rest her forehead against her partners' and offer a weak smile before leaning in for a single, slow kiss which seemed to empower and embolden her, giving Athena the willpower to deepen the kiss and trace her hands along Zirconia's side, fingertips trailing hesitantly along the outer edge of nightclothes until her girlfriends' hands closed gently around her wrists.

"I-I can't….Not now" Zirconia stammered out, swallowing thickly as she met Athena's eyes.

"I'm sorry" the shorter but more muscular of the two young women averted her gaze "J shouldn't have, I just-"

"It's not you" Zirconia cupped Athena's cheeks, fingers tangling in shaggy, snow-white hair as her voice dropped into a low seductive rasp "I want this, I want you….I want you to touch me but….I can't, just not now; not so soon after everything that happened"

"I'm sorry" Athena repeated, titling her head to kiss gently at the pulse in Zirconia's wrist "I know, the mission was a lot; everything got crazy and I just really wanted to feel your body against me for a while but it's okay, I promise….I just wish I could have done more….I wish we went back with Regalia"

"We did what we had to, we did what was right" Zirconia forced every iota of conviction she could muster into those words; assuaging her own wavering faith as she wondered how much of Nero's orders had been based in self interest and if her following them would prove to be a mistake with the fact that Astra had been the one to order them to leave. Shifting her weight she repositioned herself and Athena so that the Bear Faunus lay on her back whilst Zirconia's head rested between her shoulder and chest whilst an arm lay across her strong core muscles, fingers lacing with her girlfriends'.

"We ran away….We ran and left Astra behind"

"Astra had a plan, they always do" Zirconia couldn't help but smile as she considered that and just how much her team as a whole had come to mean to her since she had arrived in their midst with the intention of acting at Nero's eyes and ears "We had to be the ones to make sure that the people living nearby were safe; you did everything you could and it helped keep people safe and alive. That's what matters"

"I guess, but I-"

"Wanted to do more?" Zirconia guessed with a lopsided grin before pressing her lips against Athena's cheek "You were incredible"

"Thank you" a muscular arm wrapped around Zirconia's waist though Athena simply stared up at the bunk above them in silence for a moment before changing topic "I just hope that it's over….That there's no more of whatever that thing was, that whoever it is that's behind all this isn't completely insane and that what happened to Petrol is enough to make them see sense"

"I hope so too, I really do" Zirconia whispered, her own earlier hesitance falling away in light of a need to touch and be touched by the woman she loved, her hand slowly drifting beneath the t-shirt Athena slept in as she closed her mismatched eyes and enjoyed the feeling of soft skin with taut, powerful muscle roiling beneath it under her fingers.

"Hey….I love you" Athena's words were breathy and Zirconia leaned up to kiss her gently, mouthing a reply into her lips.

"I love you too"

Zirconia was decided, she would speak with Nero and get to the bottom of the madness that had occurred in that warehouse and see that it never happened again; but first she simply wanted to be held and allowed to forget the world.


For Astra Mars exhaustion had refused to translate into sleep or rest despite their best efforts and the Deer Faunus had reached the limit of their ability to simply stare at the ceiling of Team MARZ's dormitory in the futile hope that unconsciousness would claim them, sparing them from the thoughts that had circled relentlessly within their own head.

Taking Buckshot Ares and their toolkit upon their departure, trying desperately not to stir or disturb their team-mates with the sound of its' contents clanging had been an impulsive act although upon doing so a destination and course of action had quickly become apparent and Astra had made their way to the campus's workshops, finding the space peaceful and welcomingly empty as a noteworthy portion of the students were still deployed on missions and those who remained were largely still asleep or otherwise occupied given that it was a weekend. Finding their way to their usual bench Astra had taken their time to set up, checking and rechecking their tools before setting down Buckshot Ares and beginning the process of inspecting the paired weapons for every minute trace of damage or mistreatment both internally and externally with a thoroughness and dedication which was given an almost fanatical appearance when compared with the condition of Astra themselves, visibly dishevelled and exhausted with bloodshot eyes which were rubbed often as they worked until finally the weapons were repaired to a working order that satisfied the Faunus's high standards and from there Astra began cleaning them.

At which point they began to look truly possessed by their work.

The weapons had been cleaned long ago and yet Astra simply could not stop, preparing more scalding hot water and fresh clothes and polish with which to scrub away at the blade that pierced Petrol's skull only hours before, the fact that the blade had long since reached a mirrored finish that Astra could see their own face reflected in somehow managing to make matters worse and push them into an almost frenzied state. It was in this frantic and near delirious state that their partner found them, Regalia hurrying over to Astra's workbench as the sense that something was amiss seemed to wash over her from the moment her entry to the workshop went unnoticed, food she had brought from the canteen for the two of them carried in both hands and set aside as she took a moment to study her partner with wide and concerned eyes, bushy tail standing erect behind her and hands that wrung nervously the moment they were free to do so at the sight of the Deer Faunus muttering barely coherently under their breath without ever noticing that Regalia was present.

"H-hey….Heh, I brought breakfast….I think one the bacon and egg sandwiches is a little bit leaky but I'll take that one it's fine" the Racoon Faunus began, opting to nudge Astra gently and use the topic of the food whose scent wafted out through the workshop as a way to begin conversation and leave her partner to address other issues if and when they chose to.

The Deer Faunus jolted, seemingly back to their senses and came to a pause with an electric tension and energy that seemed to radiate out around them, massaging their temples whilst screwing their eyes closed for several seconds before falling still and croaking out an answer in a hollow, brittle voice without ever looking at Regalia.

"Hey, thanks….Sorry, I just completely zoned out for a second there" Regalia was almost hopeful enough to believe that her partners' problems were solely the result of a lack of proper sleep ultimately she refused to allow herself to accept the half-truth and pretend that she did not know the reason that Astra had been unable to keep their eyes closed for more than a few moments at a time.

"Yeah, I couldn't tell if you were trying to clean that or file it down….Is something catching in the mechanism?" again she offered a lighter tone and a means for Astra to answer the question without feeling pressured into divulging more than they were comfortable with.

"I think I might put a whole new blade on this side" the attempt at nonchalance failed as their voice cracked and wavered mid-sentence, Astra finally turning to meet Regalia's gaze just as tears began to well up in their eyes; Regalia instinctively pulling them close by the shoulders with the slight height difference between the two of them allowing her to rest her forehead against theirs.

"Is this about the mission?" she murmured, a shudder passing through her as her own recollections of the events bubbled to the fore; bringing with them the promise of nightmares for weeks to come involving the images of the rampaging mech-suit batting each of her friends aside in turn before pummelling Professor Nora, the sight of explosions ripping through the warehouse whilst her team-mates were still inside or, most dreaded of all that of the monster made of steel and darkness which had erupted from the wreckage tearing the manifestation of Astra's very soul apart with blow after blow.

Astra sniffled and let out a small sound to indicate the affirmative.

"Any of us could have died" Regalia croaked out, her own voice wavering as breathing suddenly became difficult at the thought, her purple eyes becoming wider still until Astra's next words came like a lance of pure coldness.

"Someone did die" the Deer Faunus's entire body tensed and Regalia felt their hands trembling, an indication that she should take them in hers; any awkwardness by feelings that were not shared between them being lost beneath an instinctive need.

"I killed him….I put a blade through his skull" Astra continued, sounding as though they might retch for a moment before continuing in a distant, shell-shocked voice "I've told everyone about how I met Petrol right before I set off for Breaktide, before our first year….I went too far then, hitting people when they were down just to make sure they stayed down, breaking someone's arm when I didn't need to. Crazy how I spent a night in a cell over that but I'm gonna get away with this"

"You didn't do anything-"

"I killed someone Regalia!" Astra's voice was ragged and Regalia recoiled away from them, a reaction which in turn caused the Deer Faunus to sag and appear to fold in themselves, speaking again with bloodshot eyes downcast "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-I mean, I just….Fuck"

"It wasn't murder" Regalia finally managed to breathe out after a few moments of heavy, lingering silence between the two of them "At least….Not in the real way, I know I wasn't raised in the Kingdoms but I don't think that they see it that way either or you wouldn't have been allowed to leave after debriefing"

"The real way?" Astra croaked out, something about those particular words snagging in their mind and drawing their curiosity despite themselves.

"Outside of Menagerie's settlements the Nomad Clans, like Clan Aiktishaf….there have been wars between us before, our history goes back to before Vaccuo was a Kingdom" Regalia paused, taking a moment to order her words before continuing "I've heard stories from Elders and old Outriders and warriors about wars….Killing another warrior in battle isn't murder, it's just battle; but that wasn't what happened….Petrol asked you to do it"

"He was dying" Astra's voice threatened to fail them at any moment "That….that fucking Grimm, it was eating him alive; it was already in his head and starting to burrow-"

"Then you did the right thing" Regalia held a hand up to gently silence her partner, she had heard enough of the particulars during debriefing and was in no rush to add more details to her own potential nightmares.

"You think?"

"I think you put someone out of his misery" Regalia's bluntness was a frank and stunning testament to the differences between those born within the safety of a Kingdom and those who were not which often went overlooked in the name of politeness "I think that Petrol was an enemy, someone who hurt you before and you still did something difficult….Something that's going to stay with you to stop him from suffering more than he had to. A bad person would have let that Grimm eat him"

"I guess" Astra shrugged, looking down at where Regalia's hands still loosely grasped at their own and stroking the backs of her hands with their thumbs absently "I just….I never wanted to kill anybody, I never expected to feel like this"

"Heh, I don't think it's supposed to be easy" Regalia shrugged, managing to draw a soft chuckle from Astra at the incongruous absurdity of the conversation before adding "Do you want to talk to someone about it, would it help?"

"Who can I talk to?" Astra gave a bitter laugh "We were sworn to secrecy, I can't tell Counsellor Neptune anything without breaching that….There's no way I can ever tell my parents about this, they wouldn't be able to look at me"

Regalia saw something in Astra's heart break in that moment and without thought or hesitation pulled them into a hug, her bushy and striped tail swishing idly behind her in a subconscious reaction to the closeness which she was grateful, in a detached way that Astra was currently too distracted by their own thoughts to notice.

"What about your brother?" she asked "He works for Professor Branwen on secret stuff….He's had to make hard choices in battle before?"

"Yeah….Yeah I guess" Astra considered for several moments "I….Thanks, I just need some time to figure out if I want Fluffy knowing about what I did….Then again he'll probably hear about it anyway, he's in the loop"

"Heh, anytime. I do what I can" Regalia mumbled into Astra's shoulder in response to the thanks, prompting her partner to return the hug; their hands drifting thoughtlessly to her hips in a way that stilled her tail and left her pressed stiffly against the Deer Faunus for a brief moment before Astra spoke again.

"You do so much….I would have died today if it wasn't for you and here you are again, helping me pull myself together when I'm about to go off the deep end" Regalia was forced to adjust her position to avoid Astra's antlers when the Deer Faunus turned to look down at the way she nuzzled into their shoulder, voice watery as they added "I keep thinking back to the dance….Not Petrol and what happened, us dancing and the talk we had. I wish I was in a place to give you what you want, I really wish I could make you happy without being an idiot and hurting us both-"

"I-"

"I love you Regalia, I really do" Astra cut Regalia off and their words caused her to bury her face in their clothing whilst a keening sound escaped her "I don't know if it will always be just as friends, but I need you to know that you are my best friend and there is nobody else I would rather have as my partner"

Regalia gave no verbal response and instead the two of them simply latched and clung to one another like that in the workshop for an amount of time which neither of them cared enough to keep track off, maintaining the hug until stiffness of their joints was the primary thing keeping them both from falling asleep where they stood; the coming nightmares be damned.

"I think breakfast is cold….I'll probably still eat it though" Regalia finally noted, voice a sleepy and hoarse mumble "Need a hand with your weapons?"

"Nah, I've got it" Astra answered, taking a moment to consider before asking "Do you think we're gonna be okay?"

"Life's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get" Regalia paused and then added "But I think we'll be okay"


Chairman Damascus Nero had done all that could be done and the need to maintain illusions could not be overlooked, as such he had hesitantly departed the Chamber and left important matters, including the awakening of Gestalt-Prime and informing their monstrous ally of what had transpired to Albion who had all but shooed his old friend and co-conspirator away as if he were an unwelcome stray cat, with the only positive to this being that it spared him from having to look at Carmesi for a moment longer. Thus removed from the direct flow of events Nero had instead been forced to play the role of a wealthy and altruistic if occasionally eccentric businessman once more; silently loathing every moment that he was forced to endure small talk between those he shared a social standing with and interviews conducted by vapid mouthpieces situated within companies he had various degrees of control over with nerves and patience left frayed by both the lack of sleep and unrelenting tension and paranoia, a condition that was mercifully explained away by both Nero's own well documented preference for privacy and his own company along with the sense of understanding that came with the knowledge that the young woman considered by the press to be his adopted daughter was currently deployed on a mission.

Even the most callous and cut-throat of New Vale's tycoons could bring themselves not openly to begrudge a man being concerned and distracted in such circumstances.

Eventually, as mid-afternoon trailed into evening and the sun set low enough to appear trapped between the lowest points of the cities' many aerial platforms and the highest points of monolithic hive towers whose glass, steel and neon exteriors were cast in a brilliant gold by the failing rays Nero had been freed from the obligations imposed upon him by necessity and had been able to return to the penthouse suite he called home, though he had been there for only a short while and been afforded the chance to do little more than shed his jacket and loosen his tie, perusing his liquor cabinet for only a few moments before a fresh distraction came in the form of his scroll vibrating; the call being one he had been expecting and was at once immensely grateful and relived for yet was also filled by a deep sense of uncertainty in regards to.

It was not a feeling he had ever expected to experience in regards to Zirconia.

"It's good to hear from you" he began honestly, the faintest traces of the stammer he had worked so hard to mask working themselves as the video call began "You have no idea how relieved I am that you're unharmed, are your team well? I should have contacted you sooner, I wanted to let you rest; no doubt that it was an ordeal and you likely returned to the academy late and….Zirconia where are you?"

Damascus ceased his rapid-fire statements, themselves an unmistakable indication of just how rattled and unprepared he truly was; halting at the sight of Zirconia in a hunched position with some metallic surface beneath her cybernetic feet with her hood pulled up in what Nero realised was an effort to keep her hair from blowing in the wind and distracting her in roughly the same moment he realised that she was currently upside-down, calling him from and inverted position in an unknown location and regarding him with mismatched eyes which held a quiet anger that was not used to seeing from her.

"I needed space, I'm on the underside of the platform" the answer was simple and yet the chairman almost choked on air upon receiving it.

"Please don't tell an old man things like that without some warning" he exclaimed lightly, using an attempt at humour to mask the genuine stab of parental discomfort at the idea of Zirconia using the same modifications to her cybernetic limbs which allowed her to scale vertical surfaces and had also allowed her to attack the son Breaktide Academies' heads without being caught in order to clamber over the safety railing around the outermost edge of Halo Academies' aerial platform and hang, unperturbed from beneath it. The Grasshopper Faunus herself however simply regarded Nero's image on the screen of her scroll with a cool and reserved displeasure, threatening to erupt out into something more unpredictable as her voice wavered and pitched with her next words.

"What on Remnant was that thing we fought?" she demanded, disabusing Nero of any lingering hopes that this conversation might be avoided.

"A mistake" he began, hoping that the early admission of fault might earn him some favour "A proof of concept for a variation of the Cyber-Grimm project that was ultimately scrapped-"

"That answers nothing. This is not a press appearance" Zirconia's low rasp had a dangerous edge to it which Nero had never encountered before and was almost certain that he could ascribe to the influence of her girlfriend. Letting a slow sigh and raising a hand in a simple gesture he was given the few seconds he needed to compose himself and consider his words carefully, that Zirconia was willing to grant him that much at least being something of a positive sign.

"Aefen Cruor, the excommunicated scientist who helped with the realisation of the Cyber-Grimm project has her own theories and theses that she wishes to pursue, largely in the area of implementing Grimm tissue in various ways….The machine that you encountered was an example of a collaborative effort, the end result would have been a Cyber-Grimm acting entirely at the control of its' handler and a mech-suit that can far outperform anything else in the field, being given a degree of adaptability by the Grimm tissue taking shape around it. It would have been an incredible tool to have at our disposal when the Hunters inevitably come for us"

"And it was scrapped?" Zirconia sounded each word out slowly, trying to reconcile the image Nero was hoping to convince her of with the horror that he railed at the thought of her having to experience first hand.

"Too unpredictable in its' growth, too taxing for our sentient Grimm to mass produce-something of that complexity….Risks to the pilot were deemed to be far too high to be acceptable"

"But you did accept them" Zirconia's words were hard "You accepted them and you forced Petrol into the cockpit-"

"He was dying" Nero interjected with a sense of urgency "His injuries from the attack on the student dance were horrific and his people had to evade capture and take detours to avoid luring Hunter back to the warehouse….By the time he arrived he was almost too far gone to be saved, medical robots could only do so much and I couldn't risk bringing him to-"

"So it was an act of mercy?" Zirconia struggled to keep a sneer out of her voice and though she failed Nero was at least grateful for the attempt "Astra saw that….thing burrowing its' way into Petrol's skull. That was an attempt to save him?"

"No" Nero admitted, allowing his voice to drop an octave and lower in volume until was a hushed and ragged snarl of a whisper as he gave a completely honest answer, aware that Zirconia's estimation of him had been lowered to a point where it was senseless to try and lie to shield her any longer "I do not consider myself a violent or vengeful man but I told that boy to cause property damage and do minimal harm, instead he shot at you, AT YOU! No I kept him alive but I used him to test Aefen's work because I wanted to reign him in, I needed him to understand that I would not allow him to ruin everything that we are trying to build and that I would never allow him to harm you….I needed there to be consequences"

Zirconia was aghast.

"Then what happens if I'm the one who can't follow the plan?" the words left her as a whisper and Nero felt his heart stop as he processed them.

"What are you saying?" he asked cautiously, fully aware in that moment that Zirconia could ruin him with only a few words to Qrow Branwen and that there would be nothing he could do to prevent it.

"Nothing" Zirconia's head fell forward and Nero fought the urge to let out a sigh of relief "I just….You expect me to hurry and rush to bring AJ into this, you tell me that we're nearing the point of no return; how can you seriously expect me to explain this to her as if it's something to be proud of?"

"I'm not proud" Nero answered calmly and without hesitation, the words giving Zirconia pause and causing her to regard him with an intent stare.

"You are the source of most of my pride Zirconia and any other thing that brings me any I share with you" he continued, a small sniff escaping him as his quartz-coloured eyes moistened "We are the last family we have left and I will not lose anybody else, I'm not a violent man and I don't consider myself to be selfish but I will shatter anything that threatens you because I refuse to see you suffer….What I did, I am not proud; those were the actions of someone giving into their worst possible impulses in a moment of weakness, that I kept it from both you and Albion is proof enough that I was ashamed"

"Albion and I….Did Carmesi know?" Zirconia asked and Nero nodded, proud of her attention to detail and inference even if it was inconvenient.

"Retribution, retaliating to the loss of family, a grand and violent sense of justice….Carmesi already interacted with the gang members we use as agents and the whole thing seemed to lend itself to his instincts" Nero shook his head with a deeply regretful look on his face "I allowed it to continue and kept Petrol alive in the hope that later developments might make the condition reversible, or at least that something useful could be made of the situation….Making the best of the worst possible outcomes is what started this all"

"What happens now?" Zirconia demanded, quietly but insistently and Nero understood implicitly that his next words might destroy any faith in him that the young woman still clung to

"It was Petrol's own people that gave us the information to find that warehouse, to find Petrol" Zirconia continued "Are you going to kill them too?"

"No" Nero answered simply and honestly, sensing Zirconia's hesitance and elaborating "There wouldn't be any point, they have no more information to disclose and they pose no threat….All of Petrol's most loyal followers are gone, leaving the way clear to organise those gangs who remain into a temporary fighting force….One which I plan to replace with something more suitable for our goal once we reveal ourselves to all of Remnant"

"No more of Aefen's work" Zirconia rasped the words out, a lump in her throat painfully clear to hear "Petrol was the worst sort of person, cruel and proud of it….Don't become like him"

"I do everything I can not to" Nero whispered "And Aefen will be far too preoccupied for the foreseeable….There have been other developments and countermeasures have to be taken; the plan is still in motion but there's a strong possibility that I will have to leave the Kingdom ahead of schedule"

"Oh" Zirconia's eyes widened somewhat and that she was so outwardly bothered by that notion quelled Nero's nerved somewhat, giving him the peace of mind that came with knowing that he had not pushed her away with actions taken out of anger.

"I will still be able to watch at least some of your performances in the Vytal Tournament however" he gave a gentle and genuine smile "It will be fun to watch you dazzle all of Remnant"
"Of course" Zirconia rolled her mismatched eyes, inadvertently looking down at the vast distance between herself at the ground from her upside down position on the exterior of the aerial platform "But only because you plan to upstage me"

"Our bright new tomorrow for all of Remnant will certainly be dazzling" Nero beamed.


Team TRQS had returned to Halo Academy at roughly the same time as Team MARS however the two teams of Second Year students were yet to interact. After the extensive and time consuming medical exam upon their returns wherein the four of them had seen their classmates return, escorted by Professor Nora whose clearly injured state was a sobering sight to the students of Halo Academy who had only ever known her to be an ineffable and unstoppable force of nature Team TRQS had been required to undergo the routine debriefing; something given an air of severity more fitting and in keeping with what had transpired in the humid and desolate no-man's land they had returned from by the fact that it had been conducted by the ever-imposing Professor Branwen, the chair bound and legendary Hunter more intense than normal though the students were given some small respite by the fact that Flax Scarlatina had accompanied them, the Rabbit Faunus taking the brunt of Qrow's inquisition as he demanded to know every minute detail about the way they had conducted their mission, the encounter with Carmesi Hueso and everything that had been done and said prior to and throughout the entirety of the confrontation with the Komodo Dragon and the freakish abominations that had accompanied him; the Grimm machines whose description had sent the grizzled veteran into a state of deep thought almost as intimidating in its' ominous presence as the man had been in his prime.

Eventually however they had been allowed to depart and return to their dormitory, sworn to secrecy for the good of the Kingdom and instructed to stay on campus until further notice in the event that their presence was required to verify any details of their mission report to the Headmaster once he was available; conditions that Team TRQS had been happy to acquiesce to given that they had collectively wanted nothing more than to sleep and recover from the aching and fatigue that had engulfed them.

They had awoken some time ago and were in something that Tiger absently noted was something of a rarity, at least for herself, watching television.

After the loss of their parents and spending so many years on the move, often without access to a television and with far more important matters at hand such as training, the need for lien or else simple necessities and survival Tiger and Ravi had inevitably allowed themselves to lose interest in pop-culture and current media and whilst her twin brother made up for it with a love of classic rock music that had managed to be deemed simply timeless and was being gradually introduced to all that he had missed out on over the years by his team and other friends Tiger herself was content to go without; though the television had been an early concession she had been forced to make in her leadership of Team TRQS and had since gotten used to the near-constant sound of in the background even she paid its' contents little notice. At present however she was paying as much attention as the rest of her team, Amaya naturally sharing Rye's bed at the furthest end of the dormitory where the two of them lay sprawled in an admittedly wholesome tangle of limbs whilst Stygian sat huddled on his own bed, lightning-blue eyes staring intently at the screen whilst his tail twitched; the reason for Tiger's sudden interest being that Team TRQS themselves, even if they went unnamed were the topic of discussion.

"And so to summarise" the newscaster spoke in a rhythmic cadence that Tiger noted was oddly soothing given the subject of the story "The variant of Geist Grimm has thus far only been verified in the outermost regions of New Vale and Vaccuan territories, however given the potential risk posed by their increased ability to integrate and utilise weapons the Council of New Vale, under advisement from Councilman and Headmaster of Halo Academy Professor Lie Ren funding for additional protection to outlying settlements and search and destroy missions are being discussed-"

"And maybe we'll get some answers about what the hell they are" Rye muttered, only for Amaya to let out a wordless scoff before countering.

"By the time the politicians get their head out their ass those things we saw will be long gone"

"One of 'em's already gone" Stygian chuckled grimly "Shame it wasn't us who got it-"

"Our next story" the anchor of the news program cut across the blue-haired Mouse Faunus "A group of students on a training mission aided in the destruction of a Grimm Spawning Pit yesterday; regular viewers may remember Team TRQS from-"

"Y'know….It feels like less of a win than I'd expect" Stygian's mellow voice, heavy with weariness that sleep had done little to remedy interrupted and demanded Tiger's attention which had already begun to waver as snippets of Team TRQS's promotional reel for the Vytal Tournament began to be shown.

"I mean, we did what we set out to do, we're all safe….We're on TV" he flashed a smile full of brilliant white teeth "Normally I'd suggest that we all celebrate, get clearance to leave or just sneak out, head into the city….Maybe meet some girls….But it just doesn't feel right-"

"Because we didn't win" Tiger ground out, fist striking the surface of her mattress with enough force to make springs audibly creak and buckle as she broke her silence.

"I think we did" Rye spoke up, the gentle, floppy-haired giant of a boy unusually contrary as he rose up from where he lay with his partner to regard Tiger with confusion; in response she met her team-mate with a harsh stare rendered far less effective by the fact that her usual attire was absent and replaced with a comfortable sweatshirt and shorts whilst her dark hair was released from its' usual tight and practical bun, falling over her shoulders in waves to highlight how rounded her often hard features truly were and make her look much younger than she truly was, though the steel in her voice remained unchanged.

"A wanted criminal, a renegade Hunter of all fucking things intruded on our mission. The mission changed the moment Carmesi Hueso showed up!" she snapped, demanding the attention of all present "He got everything he wanted from that Spawning Pit, we couldn't do anything to his Grimm-Bots and worst of all….Worst of fucking all, we ran from the FUCKING GRIMM!"

Tiger trembled with rage and yet it was the frequency and vehemence of her cursing rather than this or her furious tone that her friends took note of, having picked up on certain tells and cues from their team leader even in the year that they had been a dysfunctional travesty of a team and understanding that whilst she cursed more freely away from authority figures it was often a sign of her control slipping. As such Tiger was greeted with the sound of bedsprings creaking a moment later as Amaya and Rye shared a knowing look and crossed the dormitory to position themselves on either side of their leader and sandwich her in a hug whilst Stygian sat in front of her.

"Would you like to tell me what the fuck you're doing?" Tiger demanded, though the cold sneer was laced with the merest hint of laughter that the stern and hard-edged Huntress tried to suppress.

"Talk to us Tee….Please? This isn't just about the mission is it?" Stygian breathed out, brushing dreadlocks that had been loosed from their usual artful position atop his head out of the way so that he could see her better. Tiger remained silent for a moment, expression angry and jaw clenched until finally her entire body seemed to crumple, as if imploding under the sheer pressure of the standards she held herself to.

"We ran from the Grimm….We fucking promised each other, we fucking promised that we'd never have to run away again" the words were bitter and wavering, remedied by Amaya tightening her grip around her team leader until it became perilous yet Tiger pressed on "After Mum and Dad….After we lost everything, we told each other that we were gonna become Hunters, that we were gonna fight the Grimm and that we'd never have to run or be scared of anything….We were just kids and we were dumb, we wanted revenge against monsters but we did it, we're here and we're training to be Hunters and for a while I actually let myself believe that we did it-"

"You did" Rye murmured, meeting Tiger's demanding glare with a nonchalant shrug of his massive shoulders "The pit we went looking for is gone, the Grimm that came out of it is gone. You're still here"

"Exactly" Amaya chimed in, reaching over with one hand to squeeze at her partner and boyfriends' cheek playfully "That sounds like winning to me, you didn't run away….You just moved out of the way so that they could hit it with an airstrike"

"Gotta admit, they make a point" Stygian chuckled, silently hoping that Tiger would take the attempts to console her in the spirit they were intended and not simply erupt with anger or shut herself off and throw herself into her training at the expense of her well-being; the blue haired, tattooed and dark-skinned young man waited with bated breath but eventually his partner let out a slow breath and gave a rare, weak smile as though she were unused to the expression with a barely audible mumble escaping her.

"You're all bastards….But we make a great team. Thank you for this, it helped"

"It's what friends do" Stygian assured her, making to playfully flop forwards and turn the ongoing group-hug into an entire team affair only for Tiger to free one of her legs and use it to hold her partner at bay for a moment.

"Can you check my scroll for me? I want to know if Ravi has sent any messages, but if I have the scroll then I'll start bothering him while Team SHMR are on a mission and-"

"Sure, gimme a sec" Stygian reached over to where Tiger's scroll was charging and took the device whilst also finally falling into the pile of tangled bodies Team TRQS had become "One from Ravi saying that they made it to the location and he'll probably be unreachable….And Snap checked in to make sure you're okay-"

"Snapdragon Fucking Majus asked if I was okay?" Tiger demanded, suddenly incensed "Don't joke about this Stitch-"

"She asked if things are okay on our end, apparently Ravi gets just as grizzly as you do when you two are out of each others' sight" Stygian countered, much to Rye and Amaya's amusement as he showed them all the message in question "Besides I told you before….That whole rivalry thing you had with Snap was totally one-sided, she never really disliked you and she's dating your brother now….Honestly talk to each other so often in class you might be fr-"

"Do not finish that sentence" Tiger warned dramatically, freeing a hand to point sternly at her partner before allowing herself a wordless groan which was in turn interrupted by the voice of the newscaster concluding their report; each of Team TRQS flailing themselves free of the group hug and paying rapt attention as they saw the nature of incoming story.

"Really!"Amaya demanded "They're doing this now? There are still teams out on missions! They're gonna miss it!"


The evening sun had set retreated far enough below the horizon that it was all but impossible to see from Halo Academies' aerial platform campus as the city of Neo Vale's tower-laden skyline and the vast structure of the perimeter walls in the distance obscured it from view, meaning that by the time Team MARZ regrouped in their dormitory there was little natural light to be found and the curtains had been closed by Athena, the only member of the team to have remained in the dorm all day.

Following Zirconia's departure the Bear Faunus had allowed herself the luxury of a long shower, free of the interruptions inherent in sharing a living space with three other people which eased muscles that had remained sore long after the end of the mission. After this, dressed in soft and comfortable clothes, with a mug of hot chocolate in hand and still in a hazy sleepiness hanging over her she had begun making calls to each of her family, following her girlfriends' example and letting them know that she had safely returned and using the opportunity to discuss the events of the mission in a limited capacity, the fact that so many of her family were members of the same inner circle of secretive protectors as Professor Branwen allowing Athena a way to work around the restrictions placed on her team. Her parents had been deeply worried and her father had been unable to provide any answers or insight, having been less involved in such high-stakes and clandestine operations since retiring from his position as one of Winter Schnee's most trusted officers and the head of the Specialist Branch to instead teach at Atlas Academy though Athena could not bring herself to be bothered by this, remembering well how much time her father had spent away from home in the former role. Arctus and Diamond had offered a patient ear and what little advise they could, though Athena had allowed her focus to wander and spent much of the conversation growing steadily more excited about the prospect of becoming an Aunt to her brother and sister-in-laws' child, a state of affairs that was only magnified when Coral joined the conversation, the youngest and adopted Slate sibling serving as Athena's tether and link to the world outside the life of a Hunter and a way for the snowy-haired Bear Faunus to remain grounded in a way that she suspected she would otherwise be unable to.

The calls had ended sometime ago however and Athena had allowed herself to doze on top of bedsheets that had taken some time rearrange in the wake of activities which left blushing contentedly at the memory of; only for the peaceful resting to be interrupted to the sound of the dormitory door being flung open.

"We're back!" Astra called out, revealing that they had returned with Regalia and also Zirconia in tow, the Grasshopper Faunus seemingly having met with the team-mates who had departed earlier in the day somewhere on the campus, most likely the canteen in the smell of food were any indication.

"We brought you some food, you can't go all day and not eat" Regalia gave her a reproachful look as she handed over a sealed container that upon opening Athena saw was filled a stew that she knew from prior experience would likely be delicious, though before she could begin eating Astra chose to add their own; much less thoughtful comments as they kicked off their shoes.

"Seriously though, you were in here all day and couldn't spray an air freshener or open a window….Why are we always coming back to a dorm that smells of-" before they could complete the sentence the Deer Faunus was forced to duck to avoid a backhanded swing from a visibly mortified Zirconia, managing to do so expertly without bothering to look over their shoulder and see the blow coming though they were still caught off-guard when Athena seized a pillow and used a glyph to propel it at her friends at high speed, leaving them staggering off balance as the comfortable projectile wrapped itself around one of their antlers.

"You are the absolute suckiest" Athena sighed before turning her attention to her food, shuffling over on Zirconia's bed so that her partner could join her; leading to a few moments of peaceful silence as the team collectively made themselves comfortable until Astra took a deep breath and a sense of tension began to fill the dorm until the Deer Faunus spoke

"So is everyone okay?" they asked, words directed at Athena and Zirconia "Regalia and I spoke earlier….I wasn't doing great, not at all. Is everyone okay after what happened yesterday or does anybody want to talk about it?"

"I think I've thought about it enough for now….And possibly for the rest of the week" Zirconia answered, dry and deadpan delivery earning her a small and muffled laugh from Athena who swallowed before adding her own answer.

"Talking to my family helped….I don't know if I'm gonna be able to sleep easily but I'll manage. What about you two, are you okay?"

"I think so….Maybe" Astra shrugged "I should probably talk to my brother"

"Nothin' wrong with being afraid. Fear's a sensible response to an unfamiliar situation. Unfamiliar and dangerous situation, I might add" Regalia answered, nodding earnestly whilst speaking in an obvious impression of the actor whose words she was quoting which brought a smile to each of her friends before adding in a more reserved voice "The mission….Going after Petrol was always going to be scary and dangerous right? We had know idea of what the whoever he was working for was capable of really, but now we do know and so do the Professors and knowing is important; knowing means they can't catch us by surprise"

"She makes it sound so straightforward" Astra beamed down at their partner with a softness in their words that held none of the sarcasm the Deer Faunus's friends might have expected and a gentle, warm look in their sea-green eyes which went unquestioned; with Athena taking the opportunity to change the subject.

"So….Is there any other news? Anything else happening out there?"

"I haven't seen any of Team TRQS so I don't know how their mission went, looked like it was a rough one though" Astra noted with another a shrug whilst Athena silently agreed with the statement, Zirconia chiming in a moment later.

"The Vaccuan team whose leader never wears a shirt returned a while ago….You know who I mean Astra? The Squirrel Faunus you like looking at" Zirconia's uneven pink and orange eyes gleamed with quiet mischief as she delivered what could only be a retaliation for Astra's comment about the amount of sex that Athena and Zirconia had in the dormitory, which the Grasshopper Faunus had found to be frankly uncalled for given that the two of them took care to ensure that they were never caught in the act. Astra's only response was a single rude hand gesture, with a fresh distraction coming a moment later when Athena's scroll began to vibrate and the Bear Faunus pausing in the middle of eating to find the device.

"Oh it's a message from Stitch, I wonder if he-OH MY GOSH GUYS TURN THE TV ON QUICKLY!" Athena-Jade's sudden and dramatic change in tone prompted immediate action, with the Bear Faunus setting her food aside to rush over to Regalia's bunk and seize the remote control in order to find the right channel; the four of them being rewarded with the sight of a newscaster.

"And now, we have something that sports fans all across Remnant have been waiting for; stand by for the live drawing of the fixtures for the first round of the upcoming Vytal Tournament" there was a moment of silence within Team MARZ's dormitory, each of the Faunus students sharing shocked looks with one another before collectively erupting in a single unified cheer as they echoed words that were almost certainly being said elsewhere on campus by Professor Nora Ren.

"THIS IS HAPPENING!"

Author's Notes:

And that, ladies gentlemen and esteemed others is the end of Vol.05.
Also, I'm posting this on Christmas Eve so Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate.
There is no chapter next week, I decided to take a week off to recuperate, enjoy the holidays, plan ahead in the story….And also be able to say "New year, new volume, new chapter" on the next post.
I wanted to call this chapter "Emotional Damage Control" but I couldn't help thinking about the emotional damage meme.

But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
Yeah Nora got fucked up, took one hell of a hit from Petrol, Aura shattered and then got back in the fight the second she was conscious again….Strain on an already damaged body.
In FADE Legacy Flax and his wife were the first people to see Pantheon, now he's seen the Cyber-Grimm….He has the worst luck.
Qrow wants to reach out to Nero again, because on the surface it makes sense….To people in the know however, let's see how badly that can go wrong.
I think the plan of releasing limited information about the Cyber-Grimm is a smart idea, on Remnant I feel like all information has to be weighed against the risk of panic it could cause because that might be what summons more Grimm.
Now that is a chilling idea, what if the reason no demands have been made is because the enemy isn't interested in accepting any terms of surrender….I'm not saying that's what Nero is thinking, but still.
It's always interesting to note that even when it looks like Nero is winning he still reacts like he's on the defensive, because he has a healthy level of respect for the scale of the threat he's up against.
But yeah, letting Flax and Team TRQS escape and report back was something that Carmesi was definitely not supposed to do.
So the means to make more and better Cyber-Grimm are definitely there and we're finally going to see Aefen and the rest of her cult do something directly, because we all knew that the story would be going back to Menagerie at some point.
But more importantly of all….Gestalt Prime is gonna be back in the field.
So the usual post-mission slog….And you know it's bad when you hear Ren start swearing.
AJ absolutely cuddles in her sleep; also yeah, she's had chronic nightmares before and this is just fresh fuel.
Oh, Hops is having some doubts….Although I think she overestimates Carmesi.
Of course AJ is always going to wish she did more and always second guess her choices after the fact.
I think everyone needs a sweet moment after the last chapter or two.
We've all got something we do when we want to just completely tune out haven't we? For Astra it's weapon maintenance.
The image of them slowly losing their shit as they try and clean the blade that killed Petrol is honestly fucking Shakespearian….Almost literally something out of the Scottish Play.
Regalia is coping better than Astra….But yeah she's shaken up as well, I think if anything had actually happened to any of Team MARZ she would have been inconsolable.
There was no way that Astra was ever going to be able to kill someone and have it not mess them up.
The whole thing with Astra and Regalia was honestly really fun to write, that was a moment that they both really needed.
Of all the movie quotes I can't believe that Regalia hasn't thrown in a Forest Gump line before.
I feel like it shows that Nero is more than just the typical evil genius billionaire every time Albion makes him leave the Chamber, it shows a level of friendship and trust that most characters in Nero's archetype don't experience.
Yeah, I feel like on Remnant "His kid's a Hunter and they're on a mission right now" would honestly probably excuse a lot of things.
Zirconia's robot legs have hidden features….Including grips and Magnetic Dust.
And here we see some Nero's finest work….Everything Zirconia does in terms of subtle manipulations whilst avoiding outright lies is something she learned from Nero.
At least he didn't even try to lie about why he did it, Petrol was being punished.
Everything about this little back and forth was honestly fun to write, it really always is good to get into how Nero's mind works and how he and Zirconia interact.
So Roxy and Hierro and the rest of Petrol's gang and allies are out of the picture, there's no reason to kill them.
So, confirmation as if it were really needed that Nero's big reveal is going to come at some point during the Vytal Tournament.
So the Team TRQS was just a nice little spacer between scenes, but also giving secondary characters more time to shine and feel fleshed out is always good.
Tiger doesn't watch TV is something that came to me as I was writing.
The news about the Cyber-Grimm is already out there.
Making the Cyber-Grimm and Spawning Pit stories two separate stories disconnects them from each other and gives Team TRQS a little anonymity.
Tiger being given a group hug from Team TRQS would have been unthinkable when they were first introduced and now it just seems right; also everything about Tiger's character here and her reaction to the way the mission went, in the context of her history just feels like it fits.
They didn't run, they advanced in the opposite direction.
The one-sided rivalry with Snapdragon, who at this point probably consider Tiger a friend is honestly just funny.
Honestly this whole scene was just to close out the chapter and volume on a lighter note and facilitate the ending reveal, but it was still nice.
I think the visuals of sunset on an almost Cyberpunk city like Neo Vale with aerial platforms above it and a massive perimeter wall like Mantle is something that could be visually stunning if it was animated.
I don't know why but AJ just being in comfy clothes with a hot chocolate and talking to her family felt great to write, it's such a vulnerable side to her in comparison to what we usually see.
Regalia is the best type of friend, she doesn't just bring snacks, she brings whole meals.
Okay Astra was being a bit of a dick, but on a serious note if you have to share a living space with other people then at least air the place out after you have sex.
Shout out to Astra for actually taking the time to check in with everyone and make sure they were all okay mentally, first year Astra, especially when they were dating Wolfram wouldn't have bothered.
Yes Regalia quoted Eddie Murphy as Donkey in Shrek, full impression of him.
Oh Astra and Regalia are absolutely head over heels for each other aren't they...I mean, it's not even a secret even between them really but still.
The shirtless Vaccuan Squirrel….He keeps getting mentioned, because I do need tournament fodder teams.
And there it is, Vytal Tournament in Vol.06. This is happening!

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.