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Chapter 87: The Set Up
Damascus Nero had elected not to meet Carmesi beneath the harsh and glaring lights of the chamber, though finding another place to rendezvous was becoming increasingly difficult given the bizarre juxtaposition between the chairman's own thinly-tolerated fame and the Komodo Dragon Faunus's status as one of the most wanted criminals on Remnant which precluded the two men from being seen in the same vicinity.
With the city so closely watched by various Hunters, no doubt venturing into parts' of the Hive-city they would otherwise have abandoned under the orders of Qrow Branwen and the ever-present paparazzi being whipped into something akin to a demented feeding frenzy by the approach of the Vytal Festival and the promise of awe, gossip and scandal it brought Nero's workaround had come in the form of a two heavily tinted cars, one a limousine registered to the conglomerate he headed and the other a small coupe which would be indistinguishable from countless others within the traffic of the bustling city. Both cars were driven by robots designed by one the Clara Die Novum Conglomerates' subsidiary companied which, at least in the case of Nero's personal limousine would draw little additional attention as it would simply be attributed to his well documented efforts to guard his own privacy; likely with the reasoning that a machine could not sell photographs or secrets to the media or anybody else.
An explanation remarkably close to the truth.
The full reality however was that the two vehicles had come to a halt side by side for a few brief moments, the limousine being redirected by alterations to the flow of traffic which Nero himself had conducted; bringing the two cars into a small stretch of street unobserved by any cameras and allowing the wealthy man to climb into the back of the much smaller vehicle where Carmesi was already waiting.
"Complications?" the burly Faunus rumbled out, his massive form seeming as comically out of place in the backseat of such an unassuming vehicle as he did in the black suit and crimson silk shirt he had taken to wearing whilst in the city, everything about his appearance and demeanour from the way his hair hung about his shoulders and a grizzly, unkempt stubble lined his jaw to the almost palpable sense of claustrophobic annoyance emanating from him speaking to how much he would much rather be free to leave the city and undertake the great plan elsewhere; a wish which Nero was all to happy to grant him.
"Potentially" the Chairman nodded, allowing traces of his natural accent to slip through the veneer of proper decorum he affected; his scarred features twisting into a scowl and dark eyes gleaming as he added "It seems that our guest is awake and testing boundaries….it seems he used his mech-suit to attempt to reach out to his friends"
"Damn it" Carmesi snarled, the words reverberating with a force that left Nero concerned despite his familiarity with and trust in the younger man "We should have left him to die when he was brought to us. Kill the comms on his suit remotely, I'll move between the gangs and remove anyone who might talk or try and help him….Then I'll go and finish-"
"No" Nero shook his head "We still need as many capable hands as possible to operate alongside our Cyber-Grimm….Whilst they're not the people we want, these are the people we currently have. We won't be able to recruit better candidates for our new organisation until we've revealed ourselves and shown the people of Remnant a path forward"
"So long as Petrol doesn't ruin things for us" Carmesi countered, sharp teeth bared "And given the little bastards' tenacity he might just manage"
"Hardly" Nero scoffed, adjusting his suit and tie as he spoke "We've made ourselves quite indispensable to the various gangs in the city; whilst we need them for our plans they need the resources we provide in order to conduct their routine business with any degree of effectiveness….As for Petrol himself; well I'm content to let him test his willpower against that of Aefen's creation until he realises the reality of the situation"
"But you still met with me here, away from the Chamber….That's not usual" Carmesi noted, the break from established routines and protocols seeming to catch in his mind, to which Nero responded with a slow nod and an oddly sour expression which he quickly wiped from his features.
"Albion knows that a test subject is being housed elsewhere and that you aided in the delivery and completion of the project-"
"But he doesn't know what we did to Petrol" Carmesi surmised.
"And Zirconia knows nothing" the Chairman nodded "That little bastard shot at her, shot at my little girl when I told him and his people to cause minimal damage….I want him to suffer, his chances to learn from his mistakes are over, now he pays for them….But I don't want Zirconia to see that side of me, or Albion. They'd think less of me"
"You can't protect her forever; she's going to be in the thick of it along with the rest of us. Better she sees what that entails" Carmesi rumbled "She's capable….Whatever else we might think of one another I'll grant her that. The plans won't be peaceful or bloodless; you know that-"
"I can't but I can damn well try" Nero huffed irritably "Regardless, I have other work for you"
"What do you need me to do"
"Gestalt-Prime needs raw materials to create the organic components for more Cyber-Grimm" Nero chose his words and enunciation carefully, trying to distance them from the acts that would be required "We need those Cyber-Grimm for any of what we've done thus far to be worth it, having Aefen's people collect it on our behalf is out of the question and so-"
"And so you want me to find a Spawning Pit" Carmesi deduced, understanding what was being asked of him.
"Exactly" Nero nodded "Though you won't be able to depart immediately. Herringbone is working on a modified version of the containment unit you used to capture Gestalt-Prime, smaller and lighter whilst being more suitable for usage with the substance which forms Spawning Pits….I don't profess to be as well versed in that side of the subject as you"
"It would have been difficult to leave in any case" Carmesi answered "The additional security at the walls and checkpoints are going to become a problem"
"We need that Grimm tissue Carmesi"
"I know….Faunus pride is soon, less than a week away" the reptilian answered, expression calculating "They'll be too focused on people entering the city, especially once the festivities are in full swing; they won't pay attention to anyone attempting to leave unless they're specifically told to"
"The matter can wait until then" Nero nodded, harbouring a vague suspicion that Carmesi was also inclined to wait until Faunus Pride to leave for his own reasons which the older man was willing to allow and accommodate "You'll need to find a Spawning Pit that the Kingdoms are unaware of….It wouldn't do for you to get caught in a bombing run or engage with other Hunters"
"Naturally" Carmesi's features remained focused but distant as a plan formed slowly within his mind whilst other thoughts relating to things that the Komodo Dragon Faunus had rarely discussed with Nero, the mentor who had given purpose to his grief and rage since their first meeting; though the Chairman studied the younger man's features and made some likely assumptions about the direction his thoughts might be travelling, which prompted him to be unusually bold and daring by placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder to offer words of encouragement.
"I have every faith that you'll make me proud Carmesi" in response the Faunus turned and glared, batting the older man's flesh and blood hand aside whilst regarding him with hellish red eyes that were narrowed and furious.
The unspoken reminder that Nero was not the man's father and should never presume to take on that role being conveyed succinctly enough that the Chairman quickly made his excuses to leave.
Following their foray into the Grimm filled forests beyond the walls of New Vale's capital city Team MARZ had returned to Halo Academy and their regularly scheduled lessons, finding classmates who had somehow been made aware of the additional credit that the four of the had earned and reacting to the opportunity which had not been afforded to the rest of them with a mixture of grumbling about unfairness and obvious favouritism on Professor Branwen's part and teasing from various sources which had been good natured for the most part until finally a sense of normalcy had returned, with Astra's renewed sense of assurance and confidence in their abilities seeing the Deer Faunus's focus and participation in classes return to its' previous levels and then surge even further beyond as the leader of Team MARZ sought to make up for lost time and lead by example, securing their position at the top of the second year classes by any given metric.
At present however a pall of distraction had overtaken the student body once more and a dull buzz of conversation, often unrelated to the lesson being taught at the time often filled the lecture halls; with Faunus students often being at the centre of the things as celebrations marking the beginning of Faunus pride drew close. The most successful Professors were then those who, rather than dissuade the chattering instead found ways to turn it to their advantage; with the academies' History Professor who had thus far struggled to engage with the students owing to them suffering from the simple but inescapable handicap of not being Lie Ren who had previously held the post, handling things surprisingly well and tackling the subject of Faunus rights and the various struggles that had been undertaken in their name in a way that was honest, respectful and tactful.
Though once again it led to Team MARZ facing joking accusations of favouritism.
"It seems a little unfair that we're discussing legislation that your family helped pass and battles that they literally fought in" Tiger noted, the leader of Team TRQS having turned to face Athena-Jade just as the rest of the rest of the class had, addressing the Bear Faunus as the Professor continued speaking once Athena had finished answering a question regarding certain details in recent Atlesian history.
"Yeah but it's a double edged sword though" Athena countered with a toothy grin "If I get it wrong and my parents find out I will never hear the end of it….You think I want to explain to my Dad, or even worse my Aunt Blake why I don't know my own history after they taught it to me?"
"Same, my Dad would lose his shit" Astra nodded in agreement "But hey, isn't your Aunt Blake giving a big opening speech again this year?….We've gotta be there for that!"
"At least you guys know Faunus history" Stygian shrugged, the Mouse Faunus's usual joviality been offset by a deep bitterness which silenced the group of friends formed by the two teams, each member of Team MARZ and TRQS understanding the reasons that the native of Menagerie had most likely been raised with a skewed and selective understanding of history, one dictated by the beliefs of the Hunters who ruled the village he hailed and had escaped from.
"You didn't go to Faunus Pride last year?" Zirconia asked, showing sudden interest in the young man she regularly had little direct conversation with simply due to her own reserved nature and contentedness at the periphery of most social gatherings; though she could admit that Stygian's brazen attempts to flirt with Athena had served to give her a poor first impression of him.
"We weren't all exactly friends last year" he shrugged regretfully "I ended up going on my own and hanging out for a little while, but there's so much I don't know that I just kinda felt like I was looking in things that aren't really my business"
"I was worried I'd feel like that last year too" Regalia nodded, the two natives of Menagerie having this in common despite the vast differences in their origin "You should definitely come, the one on Menagerie was great"
"We'll come too" Tiger spoke up, shooting Amaya and Rye a look that promised them she would tolerate no argument though it was for nothing as the couple were clearly as eager about the prospect of enjoying the festival together as a team as their leader was, even if Stygian was the only Faunus member of Team TRQS.
"I might" the dark-skinned boy shrugged, pushing aside some of his dreadlocks as he spoke, taking a few notes and reminding the group of friends that there was in fact a lesson which they should be paying attention to still underway. The few minutes pause in their discussions obviously allowed for Athena-Jade and Zirconia to engage in a hushed and private conversation as shortly after the short and broad shouldered girl leaned forward to tap Stygian on the shoulder and get his attention.
"Hey Stitch, I'll make you a deal….Hops has got a family thing tonight and Astra and Regalia are both busy as well; I need a gym buddy so if you help out then I'll go over anything you wanna know before Faunus Pride….It'll be fun-"
"And once again, being related to everyone get you all the fun info and the best stuff" Amaya noted teasingly, which went largely ignored as Tiger spoke up again.
"I take it Team MARZ will be at the festival as a group….Shall we arrange to meet there?"
"Later in the day sure" Astra answered, speaking up before anybody else could and offering an apologetic look to their team-mates "Sorry, but my parents want to meet up there and there's no way I'm saying no-"
"We'll come with!" Regalia beamed happily, the idea one which quickly gained support until Rye Fairfax; the gently giant of Team TRQS interjected with a comment which altered the mood despite his best efforts to do otherwise.
"Are you sure it's gonna be safe?….I mean even with all the extra security" he ran a hand through a fluffy, shaggy mass of hair that was currently held back by a black band and offered a concerned look "I mean, plenty of the guys who hit the dance got away and they're clearly still looking for you guys; we saw them about to try something with Regalia, remember. What if they try something?"
"They wouldn't dare" Astra's righteous anger at the threat to their partner and best friend which they had yet to answer being bolstered by a sense of total certainty "Pride is off limits, nobody is gonna try anything"
"We thought that last year" Athena murmured, suddenly tense as she recalled the moment she had lost control in the chaos.
"This is different" Astra answered firmly "Petrol's a bastard but he's still a Faunus. More importantly, what happened at the Port Alistair Faunus Pride….Rowan wasn't from there and neither were her crew. Petrol and all of the gangs he's leading now are from the city, they've all got friends and family that are gonna be in the crowd; he wouldn't give that order to his people-"
"They'd turn on him for it" Tiger surmised "It almost makes me hope he tries"
"Whatever" Astra shrugged, though their sea-green eyes narrowed as thoughts were set into motion and a course of action began to form in their mind to tackle a problem that they had not allowed themselves to consider.
They needed to speak with Professor Branwen.
Roxy, upon receiving what in her mind was either information of vital importance or else a very convincing and dangerous ploy had chosen to use the position of unexpected authority she had found herself holding within the criminal underbelly of Neo Vale to organise another, smaller and more focused meeting between factions.
The meeting had taken a few days to arrange, Roxy's will to act decisively being balanced out by a healthy and respectable level of paranoid fear which had been mirrored in each of the compatriots even if none amongst them would admit to it although finally; after an amount of time the young woman nominally acting in Petrol's stead could barely abide she had come face to face with those she had contacted in an empty apartment in the lowest reaches of the city, disguising themselves in coveralls and carrying toolboxes and cans of paint to avoid the attention of authorities who had been more persistent of late, their emboldened rivals and any potential spies that might have been unleashed by the Benefactor; whom Roxy could not help but be less trusting of until more was known. The meeting consisted of Roxy, flanked by a small amount of her most trusted underlings and the acting leadership of Petrol's band of arsonists and thieves turned greater criminals, the two groups being accompanied by a small amount of crooks who had been rendered effectively independent and without territory or allies since the failed attack on Halo Academies' students had seen the established, yet tensely maintained order begin to break down; amongst this collection of loners was Hierro, the young prodigy of a mech-suit pilot having spent recent days lurking in the territory Roxy controlled and spending a surprising amount of time eyeing up the community college in the area whose students were regular buyers of various drugs as though the young hoodlum were considering a way out.
Roxy would almost be pleased if he was, Hierro was undeniably talented however he was a cocky and arrogant troublemaker who seemed to delight in being hard to deal with and at the same time indispensable.
As was proven when he broke the tense silence, effectively starting the meeting.
"So are we gonna sit here fucking staring at each other all day or are we actually gonna get some shit done? Whose idea was it to wake me up for this?" the emaciated looking teen demanded irritably, reaching over to a black-clad member of Petrol's gang without hesitation and plucking the cigarette they were smoking from the older thugs' mouth to take a single drag from it before a leather-gloved hand closed around his wrist, followed by another around his neck. What followed was a low, metallic chorus as knives were drawn and guns were cocked in response to the open aggression which went against all agreements and any sense of honour amongst thieves.
Hierro was not well liked, but the principal seemingly mattered to everyone present.
"Enough. Grow up" Roxy spat, striding forward to take the cigarette and stub it out; symbolically ending the argument before shooting Hierro a glare that promised violence, amber eyes gleaming and furious whilst the a figure of some authority within Petrol's organisation nodded in gratitude at the gesture before tucking a sawn-off shotgun back beneath his clothes and pulling his own underling aside.
"Roxy, you called the meeting and Hierro's a prick but he's right" more eyes were cast with ill-intent towards the scrawny ruffian who simply raised his chin defiantly "We don't normally meet up in the middle of the day, we're taking risks anytime we meet up; Hunters or police could come through the door….If that happens when there's people still outside then we're gonna get longer sentences because of it"
"And besides, we're missing out on business" Roxy snorted blowing bleached blonde hair out of her face before sitting down on a sofa that had been covered with a plastic sheet before being left behind by the previous occupants of the apartment, gesturing as she did so for the man speaking with authority on behalf of Petrol's people to join her and sit in a chair opposite; with a collection of toolboxes and cans set between them acting as a makeshift table.
"Business isn't exactly booming anyway" he grumbled "We got a retaining fee through Petrol's contact so we didn't take any other jobs on….But that's not what we're here for"
"Exactly so can we get the fuck-" Hierro was silenced when somebody in the small crowd decided to throw a punch at the back of his head, a small scuffle ensuing ending in the boy being forced to sit and behave; none present deciding that the action warranted any form of treachery that would end the meeting. Waiting until the minor distraction ended, though silently seething at the delay Roxy finally spoke and offered words which sent a palpable wave of interest through Petrol's underlings.
"I think your boss sent me a message last night" several muffled exclamations of shock and mutterings that were hopeful and distrustful in equal measure passed through the gang, with several members regarding Roxy and her people with calculating looks in a display which left the brown-skinned young woman impressed at the level of loyalty Petrol had managed to instil in his people; the moment ending when the persona sat opposite her raised a hand to silence the others and leaned forward, grinding words out in a suspicious snarl.
"What the fuck do you mean you think?" Roxy had expected the response and bit back her instinct to retaliate with vitriol to the unspoken accusation, instead reaching into one of the toolboxes to produce a map which she laid out atop the makeshift table, producing her scroll a moment later to show its' incoming messages.
"These pings are a location….There's no message attached but looking at where it's from it looks like it's coming from a warehouse outside of the city; fairly sure it's the same one Petrol showed us when he wanted to make his big speech" Roxy's expression became deathly serious "Someone's trying to get our attention but isn't talking and from what I can figure out, these pings are being sent from a mech-suit"
"Hierro, come here and confirm that for me" Petrol's right hand man ordered, waving the younger gangster over "I don't like you but you know your shit about mecha and you're the closest thing to neutral in this"
"Sure, whatever" Hierro grumbled, visible irate after being manhandled and slouching as he skulked over to examine the evidence presented "Yeah….This looks right; secure ping, hard to intercept unless you already knew to look for it. Definitely something Petrol's suit would have had, but there's no way I can tell if it's him or not….Unless anybody here knew how to use that suit?"
A collection of shaken heads were the only response.
"Figures" the older man muttered "So we're saying that the signal is coming from where the crews picked up the suits in the first place and we can't be sure it's actually from him….That's a spot that a lot of people who don't like us know about, could be a trap"
"Could be" Roxy conceded "But what if it's not…"
The question hung in the air.
"Why the fuck would your boss be hanging out in a warehouse, sitting in what's left of his mech instead of just calling or showing up? This is dumb" Hierro sneered.
"Why would the other crews set up an ambush like this? Why not just take shots at us in the city? Hunters and police have never stopped us from fighting before" Roxy's counterpoint cut through the dismissal and saw the acting gang leader opposite her nod in agreement
"So what're you thinking?" he asked cautiously "You wanna take a risk and go there?"
"Tonight. We don't give them any more time to prepare if it is a trap" Roxy gave a savage grin "We both put our people on the move now, I mean right now and start stealing cars and causing trouble for everyone who isn't with us; have the other crews we teamed up with do the same. While they're busy we take a few cars out to this warehouse….We take all the big guns we've got left after the hit on the students and if there's any trouble when we get there-"
"It won't be there after we're done" the black-clad crook nodded, giving Roxy an appraising glance and a knowing smirk "I get why he was sweet on you, gutsy"
"So" Roxy turned to address the assembled crowd, fighting to keep her composure and prevent herself from smiling like an idiot at that final comment "Are we all down for this? We're gonna get Petrol back! He said this was our city, let's go prove him right!"
"Now we're fucking talking, let's go cause some chaos!" Hierro cackled, the scrawny boy forgetting in his excitement that he was currently without a mech-suit of his own.
Classes had ended for the day and as agreed Athena-Jade Slate and Stygian Blue had found themselves in the campus gym together.
The Mouse Faunus had expected a relatively civilised and almost relaxed affair, perhaps involving the two spotting for one another as they lifted weights or Stygian holding mitts for the Bear Faunus as she honed and practised her surprisingly mobile and unpredictable fighting style whilst Athena discussed Faunus history and other things that Stygian had likely never had the opportunity to learn whenever she was able to talk. The only thing this expectation shared with the reality was that Stygian was indeed wearing mitts as he trained with Athena; the rest of the situation however was far more intense than he had been prepared for and the Mouse Faunus was quickly left panting for breath and sore in several places, a sheen of sweat glistening on his dark and tattooed skin whilst royal blue dreadlocks fell in front of his face periodically as they came free of the intricate, bundled style they were worn in atop his head.
Athena's teaching style, it seemed was a thorough drilling in the strictest sense of the word with information being given in brief, concise bursts between devastating rounds of attacks, during which she quizzed her training partner and rewarded correct answers with a chance to strike back, whilst mistakes resulted in deviations from the expected pattern of blows which resulted in eye-watering impacts.
With Stygian being left sprawled on the ground by yet another such blow.
The question had come and he had been too busy bracing himself for the incoming attack, a leaping cartwheeling kick aimed at his neck and shoulder to be able to properly answer and in response Athena had flung herself back into a standing position whilst at the same time hooking the hand she had supported herself on behind the his ankle and dragging him off-balance, then capitalising on the opening by lunging forward to deliver a palm strike to the chest which forced the air from Stygian's lungs and sent him crashing down onto the mats with a muffled thud. Remaining on the floor for several seconds the Mouse Faunus slowly began removing the mitts from his hands as they tried to catch his breath, moving gingerly to avoid causing undue stress to punished ribs until finally, after what was truthfully only a matter of momenta Athena loomed over him as much as her diminutive stature would allow her to loom at all, adjusting the cartoon-themed band-aids she often wore as a fashion statement with one hand whilst offering the other for Stygian to pull himself up, all the while wearing a smirk that her bested opponent was utterly incapable of being mad at.
"Faunus Revolution came before the White Fang, not the other way around" Athena noted conversationally, to which Stygian responded with a groan and made a point of remaining laid on the floor.
"Your Dad's a teacher right?….I think you should do everyone a favour and never follow in his footsteps"
"Ass-hole" Athena gasped, crouching down and swatting at Stygian's chest as she did so and then simply seizing the young man and pulling him into an upright position "Besides, that's one of the ways my Dad trained me"
"Seriously?" Stygian's electric blue eyes were wide, joking demeanour offset by genuine surprise and mild concern.
"Yeah, he was a team leader and he knew I was gonna try and do the same; the way he explained it was that you've gotta be able to think and make plans and decisions that affect the people around you even when you're hurt or when there's enemies coming right at you and backing you into a corner-"
"Okay but is that likely to happen at Faunus Pride though?" Stygian demanded, still in good humour despite being used as Athena's punch bag for several rounds now and also finding the explanation she had given for the severity of the training she emulated to be logical from a certain perspective, though he couldn't help but let a bemused chuckle escape him as he took a moment to fix his hair.
"And I thought my training was needlessly hardcore" Athena fell silent at the off-handed comment from Stygian and found herself regarding the young man before her for several moments, looking beyond his muscular physique and easy smile to see something deeper; her voice hesitant as she spoke up.
"Hey Stitch….If you don't mind me asking" she faltered for a moment but pushed on "How come you wanted to be a Hunter? I mean I get that you want to liberate your home one day but….Most people would hate Hunters coming from where you do, you could have just disappeared"
"And done what?" Stygian laughed earnestly "I got what I thought was an okay education, but nothing formal. I'm trained to fight and I never had any kind of paperwork or identification anywhere before I signed up to the academy"
"So you're stuck here, as a Hunter?"
"I mean kinda, I guess" Stygian sighed, kicking the discarded training mitts aside and shrugging as the faced their classmate "Honestly it doesn't bother me, I don't let it. I'm here to learn the skills I need to do what I want to do, same as everyone else….As for how I feel about Hunters, I'd probably resent 'em more as a whole if I hadn't left Menagerie or joined an academy. At least here I can see that there's hope y'know?"
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense" Athena nodded, wicked smile flashing as she added a taunt she would could not allow to go unspoken "Although somebody did convince you that calling your sword Sharp Cheddar was a good idea-"
"That took no convincing, it's a brilliant joke" the Mouse Faunus countered without hesitation before added "What brought on the questions?….Not that I'm complaining, there's no wrong answers to these questions so I don't get beaten up"
"Learn to block and dodge, or pay attention when I teach you stuff" Athena answered, voice bright and almost singsong before dropping to something more reserved as she idly brushed at the back of her undercut where hairs were little more than barely visible, snowy bristles
"I guess I've just been thinking about stuff lately, I talk with Hops about stuff and she honestly blows my mind with the ways she sees things; always thinking about how to improve the system and make Remnant better for everybody….I signed up because I wanted to make my parents proud, at the same time I wanted to be my own person but I guess it was always expected that I was gonna be a Hunter"
"You regretting it?" Stygian asked, earning himself a snort from the Bear Faunus.
"Not even a little" Athena assured him "I wanted to do this since I was a little kid; but I was lucky to be surrounded by some of the best to ever do it. I'm Just thinking out loud, looking at your situation and all the other ways Hunters could be doing more, doing better and trying to figure out how I'm gonna make the kind of difference I want to make….I guess it just hit me that we're kinda similar in a way"
"If you stretch it a hell of a lot" Stygian observed
"Right, I'm not a terrible flirt with absolutely no luck like you" Athena shot back.
"Oh do go on, tell me how lucky you've been getting" Stygian emphasised words and gave a wink which left Athena's cheeks reddened, though she quickly recovered
"Firstly, you're a pest" Athena stuck her tongue out "Secondly, eww….But thirdly and I swear you can't repeat this….Very" Athena continued to blush but at the same time managed to look very pleased with herself, fidgeting on the spot and wearing a comically large smile along with a faraway expression
"Nice" Stygian nodded approvingly, taking a moment to take in the sight of Athena-Jade and note that the expected wave of feelings at her casually discussing goings on between herself and her girlfriend were entirely absent; which in turn allowed the Mouse Faunus to breathe a sigh of quiet relief and broaden his own smile. He still found Athena-Jade attractive to be sure, though something had unmistakably changed in the nature and tone of their interactions and whether it was the exact moment his superficial crush had faded away or simply his first time consciously acknowledging the fact Stygian found in its' place a largely platonic yet deeper and more meaningful sense of friendship.
One which allowed him to take a liberty which only friends could.
"Think fast!" a blurring of the air announced a use of the Mouse Faunus's Semblance as he teleported close and swiped Athena's legs out from beneath her, cackling as he did so "You spaced out, gotta be in the moment to fight Grimm….Did your old man not teach you that?"
"Oh you suck so much" Athena huffed, using a glyph to fling herself to her feet and launch herself at Stygian; the training session becoming an all out sparring match in moments.
Zirconia entered the comforting familiarity of the penthouse she had called home for a sizeable portion of her childhood and adolescence, the home which Damascus Nero had opened up to her. Whilst she had thus far never ventured into the hidden base of operations that had been dubbed simply 'The Chamber' within which the Cyber-Grimm were held and the great plans to reshape Remnant were enacted and in fact did not know its' precise location, though she was certain she could find it if the situation called for that the Grasshopper Faunus did know that the décor Damascus chose for his home was a distinct and deliberate departure from both that place and his professional office; the luxurious home every bit as comfortable and welcoming as the Chamber was foreboding and sterile which both gave the young woman a vivid mental image and in turn left her concerned about the mental state of the man who had been her legal guardian considering the amount of time he must be spending in the place of late.
Though the sight of Damascus waiting for her put her mind at ease.
"There you are, it's good to see you and be able to talk in person again" the gaunt and slender man breathed out, every word feeling like a sigh of relief as he crossed the open living room of the penthouse in a few lengthy strides and took the jacket Zirconia removed, setting it aside and pulling her into a hug.
"It hasn't been that long since we saw each other" she said softly, even as she returned the embrace with equal enthusiasm; allowing the moment to last until Nero pulled back and gave her a silent, but imploring look to ask for permission before gently tilting Zirconia's head and examining closely, checking every visible part of her for any sign of injury before asking in a hushed, strained tone.
"Were you hurt….Did that bastard hurt you?"
"No, I told you he missed" Zirconia reassured him, understanding that he was referring to Petrol "What about the people that got hurt when they smashed their way into the hotel?"
"Any and all medical expenses will be paid, I plan to do everything I can to make this right" Nero answered, voice still strained with a seething and festering anger beyond anything Zirconia could readily recall having seen from him "I might still have some uses for Petrol in the future, but rest assured that he won't be a concern for now….And that he knows that I am extremely displeased with his actions"
"That's….good" Zirconia nodded slowly, mismatched eyes blinking several times in sudden surprise at the hardness in every part of Nero's being at the moment; her discomfort something which was quickly noticed and reacted to.
"My apologies, I didn't mean to bring work….Or this part of it at least home with me" Damascus said gently, loosening his tie as he and Zirconia made their way towards comfortable sofas, with the Chairman halting at a cabinet filled with glasses and expensive bottles kept close on hand "Would you like a drink?"
"No thank you, I'm still not one for drinking" Zirconia answered, to which Damascus nodded in understanding and poured himself a glass of something that would likely make the Faunus gag if she were to try it before sitting opposite her.
"Understandable...And also something which lets me sleep better at night" his quartz eyes took on a distant look which was purely affectation as he made a show of shuddering.
"You look like you haven't been sleeping at all" Zirconia countered, matching the more playful tone Nero had taken and rolling her eyes at his overdramatic concern; the comment honesty wrapped in jest and being followed by a worried frown as she noted just how pallid, even by his usual standards Nero truly was and how prominent the dark rings around his eyes were.
"Yes, thank you very much for pointing that out" he huffed pointedly "I have been busy and that has required compromises….But what sleep I do get is made easier by knowing that you aren't repeating any of the foolishness from my old college days"
"As if a few stolen traffic cones are the extent of the risks I'm taking" Zirconia murmured, words coloured by a faint laughter as she added "And you're still not as old as you like to act"
"But I certainly feel it" Nero sighed, downing his drink and adding in a voice that was clearly affected by the liquors' burn "Enough of my griping though, how have you been?"
"I've been well" Zirconia managed a smile "We, that is a lot of the students; my team amongst them remained on campus for some time following the attack on the dance which I convinced my team was a good idea to keep them from interfering in things unintentionally-"
"Good thinking" Nero nodded.
"But Regalia, a team-mate of mine did see what she believes to be some of Petrol's underlings recently; she failed to apprehend them….Though now things are beginning to relax and return to normal there's a chance of further run ins" Zirconia paused, brushing her aside from her face as she considered before adding "Faunus Pride begins this weekend and I think it would be for the best if every care was taken to ensure that the peace is maintained"
"I wholeheartedly agree" Nero nodded "There will be a time and a place for us to reveal ourselves and this is neither. I would not deny you a chance to enjoy this part of your heritage, I've made several donations to the organisations involved in fact….Carmesi will be present at the festival but he will be avoiding detection. As for the various gangs I've been using; I doubt it is in my power to have them stay away from Faunus Pride, however I can certainly remind them of the truce that is meant to be upheld"
"Thank you. I think that unless Petrol appears in person directly in front of Astra we can keep the situation under control" Zirconia nodded.
"Good" Nero fixed her with a stern, yet warm look "Although I asked about how you were doing, not your plans to further the mission"
"I've been doing well" she answered earnestly "For all that the institution of Hunters needs to be broken, most of the individual Hunters, or at least my peers are good people with good intentions….I have friends, I'm learning and honing my skills and I catch myself falling victim to the hype surrounding the Vytal Festival"
"Well it is as you said, 'You have seen nothing yet'" Nero chuckled, quoting Zirconia's line from Team MARZ's promotional footage and earning himself an aloof huff and an eye roll in response "And what about you and Miss Slate….I'm sorry I asked you to come alone today, I do hope you'll bring her along again at some point in the future"
"Absolutely" Zirconia's expression softened, a distant and adoring smile crossing her features "Things are going great, I love her so much"
"Have you told her any more about the truth of things?" the suddenness of the change in Zirconia's expression was akin to glass shattering and gave Nero all the answer he needed "I see"
"I've been trying!" Zirconia exclaimed, forceful without raising her voice "We talk, she's defiantly listening and taking things on board, she wants so badly to help make Remnant a better place and I think she's becoming more and more open to the idea that being a Hunter may not be the most effective way to do that-"
"Then you're doing good work-"
"But I feel like scum" Zirconia choked the words out, voice a strangled sob as a single shudder passed through her "I feel like scum every time I try and push the issue; I know we're doing what needs to be done but I hate feeling like this! I'm manipulating her and even she sides with us when the time comes I'll still hate this-"
"Oh you poor girl" Nero set his empty glass down and crossed the small space between them, arms wrapping around Zirconia's shoulders whilst his gloved, mechanical hand patted her back gently and soothingly; the Grasshopper Faunus burying her face in the fabric of his suit jacket for a few moments as she struggled to regain the composure which she considered her hallmark, finally letting out a watery and fragile breath as she retreated from the contact.
"Thank you" she whispered "I needed that"
"Anything for you" Nero answered without hesitation "Anything….If you tell me that this is too much, that I'm asking for more than you can give in good conscience then say so and I will find a way-"
"No" Zirconia shook her head, mismatched eyes hardening as she steeled herself "I can do this, I can reach her and she and make her see your vision….We've come this far; I can see it through no matter how much I hate abusing her trust in the meantime. The bright new tomorrow will be worth it"
"That's my girl" Nero beamed "Never giving up, even when you broke your first violin"
"I'd forgotten that" Zirconia laughed weakly.
"I still have the pieces" Nero gave a distant, fond look before focusing himself and giving her another gently pat on the back "It sounds like you need a break….And yes I'm aware of how hypocritical that is coming from me-"
"I have classes and missions and then-"
"When you have available time I'll pay for you to treat your girlfriend to a date somewhere nice, all expenses paid weekend getaway somewhere if you'd like" Nero smiled "You don't have to bring the mission up at all, or even think about it….Consider it my apology for ruining your dance"
Zirconia took a moment to respond, her cheeks colouring slightly as she recalled the dance as whole, every moment that she could separate from the violence of its' ending and in particular the moments prior to Petrol's assault; when she did speak her voice little more than a giddy, albeit sheepish squeak and her eyes widened in realisation of exactly what she was saying even as she uttered the words
"It wasn't entirely ruined"
"Are you sure about it this" Regalia's jittery words intruded on the calm Astra was trying to convey, in the hopes that they might begin to feel it themselves "I mean, heh, I know we've all spoken about it and agreed already, but are you sure? 'cos if you're not-"
"I'm sure. Let's do this" the Deer Faunus nodded as the two of them continued onwards through the mostly empty corridors to take a course of action that had solidified its' self in their mind over the course of the day after the earlier discussion with Team TRQS regarding Faunus Pride and the likelihood, or lack thereof of the parade being attacked by criminals seeking to sow disruption.
The plan had been discussed with Team MARZ as a whole in hushed whispers in corridors between classes where the bustling press of bodies had served as cover and Astra took comfort and reassurance in knowing that whilst Athena-Jade and Zirconia were currently absent and occupied by their own affairs the two of them wholeheartedly supported the decision that their team leader had come to; with Astra taking even more heart from the fact that Regalia had chosen to accompany them. The Deer Faunus had first, once classes had concluded for the day visited student counsellor Neptune David-Vasilias, something which they had begun due to Professor Branwen's willingness to vouch for the man's experience and had found more helpful than first expected and had found Regalia waiting for them upon exiting the office, the Racoon Faunus having spent the free time making a few minor adjustments to her jetbike and acquiring food from the canteen for the both of them.
Any mundane pleasantness brought by those moments seemed to fade into insubstantiality however as the two of them reached the office of Professor Qrow Branwen.
"I hope he's here….I feel like this is gonna go badly if we have to go to his apartment" Astra breathed out, rolling their shoulder and gently fiddling with the black-dyed tips of their spiky Mohawk in an effort to ready themselves.
"Heh, that would probably end up like angels with dirty faces" Regalia snorted
"Haven't seen that one" Astra shrugged.
"Tell ya what I'm gonna give you snakes; I'm gonna give you to the count of ten to get your ugly, no good, lying, yellow keister off of my property before I pump your guts full of lead" Regalia recited the line with perfect delivery and timing only for Astra to look at her quizzically for a moment before answering.
"Oh shit, that's a real movie? I just thought it was something they made specifically for that once scene in….Y'know what, never mind" they shook their head with a faint chuckle before focusing on the matter at hand "We're here, let's do this"
"It's open Astra" Qrow Branwen's gruff voice declared firmly from the opposite side of the door before Astra could even raise their hand to knock, leaving them turning to Regalia with sea-green eyes meeting pale purple in mild alarm at the ageing Professors' ability to know everything which happened in his domain, even if his insight into the criminal underbelly of Remnant was no longer what it had once been; finally however Astra regained focus and pressed forward, striding into the office which he had visited in recent weeks and making his way towards Qrow's desk but remaining stood up with Regalia at his side.
"Professor, I wondered if I could talk to you….Or ask you something" they began, struggling to not appear nervous despite how imposing Professor Branwen could be even in his diminished physical condition.
"That's why I'm in my office after class" Qrow noted, faint smile reaching crimson eyes surrounded by dark circles and crows' feet whose existence were the subject of countless puns from one of his nieces in particular. Hearing this Astra nodded quickly but waited a moment, fighting the urge to habitually pop the collar of their shirt as they sought for the words they needed.
"I wanted to ask if Team MARZ would be able to take another additional training mission from you before our official training mission?" Qrow paused to consider the question for a moment, first stroking his grizzly grey beard before running a hand through his hair.
"How are you coping Astra?" his voice was low but warm "I understand you've been visiting Counsellor David-Vasilias, I don't know the specifics of what you've discussed with him other than that you mentioned that I recommend that you see him….If this is about you wanting to take continuous missions and push yourself to avoid dealing with your issues, then I'm going to have to decline. I've seen how that ends for Hunters too many times-"
"Thank you for the concern, really" Astra nodded, understanding Qrow's position and finding that it would have been more accurate than they would have liked to admit just a short while ago however they quickly pressed on "But no that's not what this is….I've been speaking with my team and I-we all think we're ready to take on more special assignments and additional training from you"
"I see-"
"And if you don't mind" Astra braced themselves for a refusal they were prepared to argue against "We'd all rather that it be serious work, something that actually helps stop everything that's going on in the city….We want to do something that matters"
"I see" Qrow repeated, clearly somewhat uncomfortable by the idea but pressing on nonetheless "And what exactly are you imagining that this additional training is going to look like?"
"Us keeping an eye out at Faunus Pride to make sure nobody attacks this one like they did at Port Alistair" it was Regalia who answered, words earnest and contrasting oddly with the fierce and determined expression on her face; in response Qrow remained silent for a while as he chose his words before finally addressing Astra once again.
"This is potentially throwing yourself into a situation that could end up very much like the attack on the student dance" his words were a low, hushed growl as his own anger at the incident bubbled to the surface for a moment "Answer me honestly, are you sure you're ready for a mission like this so soon after what happened there"
"I will be….I have to be" Astra answered honestly, seeing an objection imminent and forging ahead "My family are going to be at Pride, this city is my home. What happened at the dance was bad, but it can't happen again; so we need to do more".
"I agree, on that much at least I agree" Qrow nodded, turning to Regalia "And the rest of Team MARZ agree with this decision?"
"We talked it over earlier today Professor" she answered.
"Good" Qrow considered "We don't expect that the Benefactor will have his people attack Faunus Pride given who his field assets are….That being said an attack there would fit a pattern of using public or high profile events in order to cause disruption, possibly to achieve other goals elsewhere and even with the highly visible security we'll have in place we wont' be able to be everywhere-"
"Is that a yes?" Astra asked cautiously.
"Your team will be acting as covert eyes and ears. Do not engage or draw weapons without direct permission or in self defence. You'll be there to observe and report on anything suspicious that you see so that I can coordinate a more effective response"
"Understood Professor" Astra felt a weight lift from their chest.
"No rushing in blind to try and be heroic" Qrow continued, putting emphasis on each word.
"You got it Professor" Astra managed a weak smile and a sigh of relief before adding, with heartfelt honesty "I just hope that we don't need anybody to try and act like a hero, that nobody gives us a reason"
"Likewise" Qrow chuckled, giving a wry grin as he added "But things never seem to go that way when there's a Vytal Tournament on the cards"
"This is the place" Roxy whispered, breath misting in front of her as she and her fellow heavily armed gangsters began their final approach on their target.
The day had been a hectic affair, tense to a nail-biting degree as the conclusion of negotiations between Roxy and the man acting in Petrol's stead whilst the avian Faunus was absent immediately gave way to action of the hurried, criminal and to a great degree violent variety. With the possibility that the communication Roxy had received may be a trap the various factions seeking to hold a sense of order together throughout the cities' underworld, those who wished to remain under the banner of Petrol and his shadowy Benefactor had set out to ensure that their likely enemies were unable to combat them effectively; cars had been stolen, front businesses and safehouses had been attacked and weapons happily turned against their former owners all whilst a spate of shootings in public places and arson attacks in residential areas had seen Hunters arrive, the full force of the Kingdoms' authorities trailing behind them which ensure that members of the rival gangs would be effectively held in place and prevented from joining any larger battles.
Roxy herself had taken part in little of it, content to organise and conserve her energy before rendezvousing with those she intended to travel with, bringing with her a sizeable amount of weapons stolen from those her underlings had mauled and raided and loading them into the convey of cars and vans that had exited Neo Vale, making their way further from the sprawling metropolis and out towards smaller, much more isolated settlements in the Kingdoms' greater territory where they began to realise that they were indeed being led to very same place Petrol had delivered the stolen and modified mech-suits to his various lieutenants.
With the warehouse in sight Hierro rubbed his hands together greedily.
"Looks like I'm taking a mech-suit" his voice took on an almost singsong quality "Please tell me someone brought tools….Chop-saw, plasma cutter, anything that will go through armour and let me get at inner workings….If we're taking guns from other crews then we way as well strip some of their mechs for parts as well; this is gonna be-"
"We're not stealing the mech-suits" Roxy interrupted firmly, giving the underling she seemed to have inadvertently adopted into her gang of miscreants a stern glare "Unless Petrol says different we still have an agreement with his business partner….Besides, do you wanna piss off the guy who supplies the suits?"
"He didn't supply 'em, he just tuned 'em up after we stole 'em. We did the leg work" Hierro sneered, making a point which Roxy had to pause to consider, though the brief silence was quickly filled by a member of Petrol's gang; clad in black clothing with leather gloves, a mask and light armour which the band of thieves had taken to wearing as their increased position in Neo Vale's criminal underbelly saw them pushed to greater and more frequent violence; the attire pairing well with the heavy, double-barrelled rifle held close to his chest.
"We're not stealing shit, we get in and out unless we find a reason to do anything else" the masked face turned from Hierro to Roxy and she saw an irritability in what little of his features could be seen "And stop making calls on her behalf. Petrol likes you, sure. We're his crew, we're his people-"
"It was me he sent a message to" Roxy countered, puffing up with more pride and confidence than she was in a position to properly unpack, only to be swiftly cut down by a clearly well reasoned retort.
"Less chance of it getting traced back to anybody who matters, if the message didn't get intercepted you'd come to us, if it did then we weren't at any risk. It wasn't love or him being sweet, it was security and insurance" with that scathing assessment of Petrol's personality and priorities delivered the man who worked alongside the acid-spewing criminal strode forward, his black-clad allies following suit and putting themselves at the lead of the group as they made the way to entrance of the warehouse.
"No cameras" one of them noted, less suspicious than they otherwise would be given the nature of what had been held in the building before turning to one of his co-conspirators "Get the door open but do it quietly….Everyone else get ready in case this is a set up"
"Think this is gonna be worth the trip?" Hierro asked, sidling up to Roxy's side and drawing a small revolver that he had been given despite the distrust and dislike currently reserved for the talented but reckless and arrogant mech-pilot.
"Let's find out" Roxy breathed out simply, words almost lost beneath the unsettlingly loud metallic and clattering creaking of shutters being lifted in order to allow the collection of gangsters to enter the building through what had once been loading bays. Roxy felt her heart hammering against her chest and swallowed thickly as she stepped into the gloom, her fingers trembling and numb for reasons she chose not to articulate around the trigger of the gun she carried. The group began to fan out, with most Petrol's people at the head of the dispersing assembly and Roxy struggling to keep herself close behind them whilst others, largely from her own faction began to spread out and investigate the forms of various mech-suits hanging suspended and lifeless from purpose-built docking bays, many of the machines present being those which had escaped the attack on the Aurora Hotel and the student Hunters and many of them being in various states in disrepair; the unwelcome suggestion that the Benefactor seemed to have no plans to deploy them in the near future weighing heavily on Roxy and leaving the young woman even more deeply concerned; the sound of Hierro's giddy covetousness grating against her nerves as he flitted from machine to machine and betrayed his youth in the eagerness with which he studied and examined them.
Until a call from one of Petrol's followers broke the tension and the silence.
"Boss! Petrol, wake up man, it's us! HE'S HERE! WE FOUND HIM BUT….But oh fuck, what the hell did they do to you man?" hearing the dread and simple loss in those final words Roxy rushed forwards, releasing her grip on her weapon with one hand for long enough to signal for her gang to begin closing ranks around her and then seize Hierro by the back of his shirt and pull the boy along after her. Hurrying frantically and urgently, chest burning with a breath that she held out of simply terrified instinct she finally reached the foot of a mech-suit that she recognised immediately as the salvaged and largely repaired remains of that which Petrol had taken to battle; it's cockpit splayed open which allowed it to serve as a perch for the black-clad gangster currently staring inward, aghast at the sight of the ruined and brutally, roughly pieced together form Petrol hanging limply within it
"You came….You actually fucking came?" the avian Faunus's phlegm-ridden voice was reduced to a ragged, choked croak and as she sought a better angle to view the scene from Roxy felt a stab of grief upon seeing that, along with the countless other unspeakable acts of carnage inflicted on the young man's body his eyes had been damaged in a way which left them discoloured and clearly made looking at his rescuers difficult.
"No way the business arrangement still stands" Hierro whispered from his position beside Roxy, the young woman kept from harming him there and then only by the sense of disgust and shock in the boys' wavering voice and the fact that when she turned to face him she saw that the mech-pilot was not looking at any of the war machines around him with envious eyes and instead could focus only on the fact that Petrol had clearly been grafted into cockpit of his own machine at the expense of his arms; a confirmation if anything further could be asked that Roxy's suspicious instincts had been vindicated.
All emotions were swept aside however as a fresh wave of panic and surprise tore through the small crowd with the sound of straining gears and pistons; the mech-suit beginning to rise to its' full height and shed shackles that had been conveniently loosened in a twisted mirror of the first time Roxy had seen Petrol in this same warehouse.
"Boss what're you doing?" the gangster balanced on the open cockpit demanded.
"IT'S NOT ME, IT'S NOT ME! YOU NEED TO RUN!" Petrol's voice was a harsh, cracking scream filled with a terror that struck at a deep and primal part of her mind, rendering her rooted to the spot and unable to flee despite an all-consuming desire to do so.
Allowing her to see what unfolded next.
The gangster trying frantically to get Petrol to cease the mech-suits' advance was reduced to little more than a bloody mist and shredded meat spattering the nearby walls and floor as the mech-suit raised one of its' arms and fired its' arm mounted weapon in a deafening cacophony which echoed through the warehouse but failed to mask the sound of Petrol's haunting screams.
Blind panic set in as gang members variously aimed their weapons at the machine or else struggled to stop those who had done so from firing, their loyalty to their friend and leader overwhelming them until the rampant Mech-suit deployed its' massive arm mounted blades, the weapons which had been built to mirror those used by Astra Mars sweeping through the foremost ranks of the crowd and giving Roxy no choice by to throw herself to the ground and drag Hierro with her.
The blood of those who had failed to act swiftly washing over her in grisly tide as the weapon swept overhead.
Whatever piloted the mech-suit was not finished however, the onslaught continuing as the machine drove both of its' arm-blades into the ground and revealed that in place of the Lightning Dust Petrol had favoured the massive weapons had instead been loaded with Fire Dust to such a degree that the air shimmered around the mech-suit, leaving Petrol a whimpering and squirming wreck within its' cockpit and at the same time reducing the points where the blades had struck to a molten state, heating the ground and sending gouts of flame outwards until more than one of the remaining would be rescuers was reduced to tortured screams, their Aura flickering and fading as they were engulfed in flames entirely.
"RUN! I CAN'T STOP IT ANY MORE! JUST RUN!" Petrol managed to be heard over the din and Roxy watched, in detached, numb horror as the mech-suit responded to the screamed warning of its' own accord; slowly closing the cockpit canopy in an ominous gesture to reveal that the new segment, replacing that which had been sacrificed in battle was no longer a smoky colour, but instead a deep fathomless black within which crimson lights with no apparent source seemed to glare like eyes staring out from an impossible depth.
Hierro dragged Roxy to her feet as the machine to a single step forward.
"We've gotta go!" the boy bellowed in her ear, already gesturing for any others who would follow his lead and finally, in the heat of the moment Roxy managed to come to her senses and begin issuing orders to any members of both her own and Petrol's gangs who still remained as she lurched into action, bile rising in her throat and demanding release.
She ran, taking her people with her and abandoning Petrol to his fate.
Author's Notes:
Surprise motherfucker, it looked like it was gonna be a nice filler chapter didn't it?
How's that curveball to the nuts at the end feel?
Also, we're about three quarters of the way through the volume now; this chapter sets a ball moving for things that will lead up to the finale.
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?
You know what you're doing is shady as fuck when you're the leader of the current villains and you're ashamed to show your closest allies….The car exchange is more effort than most actual drug dealers put into avoiding being caught.
Also I keep throwing little asides about Hunters not venturing into places like the poor parts of the Hive-City and that makes sense; Hunters are there for Grimm and when they stop people they like it to be high profile, high stakes stuff….These are conditions that lead to people like Nero, but also what Nero is exacerbating for his own goals.
Carmesi in a normal car just feel weird.
Of course they knew about Petrol trying to reach out, did you really think they wouldn't?
Remember that Nero isn't just trying to break the status quo and remove Hunters, he is building a replacement as well.
Nero the protective adopted Dad vs Nero the villain….An interesting juxtaposition, a terrifying combination.
It was mentioned before that Gestalt-Prime needs more Grimm tissue to work with and now that's being put into play….Funnily enough that's not just a short-term thing, it will actually be a set up for something bigger later on.
Being 'That' team of students is definitely gonna get you some abuse, nobody likes a try-hard….Especially when they're getting blatant special treatment.
If Faunus and Workers rights leader and activist Blake Xiao Long ever heard that one of her nieces, nephews or her own kids didn't know details of the Faunus rights movement the fallout would be cat-astrophic….This comment was brought to you by Yang Xiao Long.
Honestly the class scene is mostly to set up the next chapter a little bit, but the interactions were definitely fun to write.
Astra thought they were big and tough, but all it took was one comment about "What if Petrol comes to Pride" and immediately they were thinking of back up plans and how they needed to talk to Qrow….Let's be honest, Astra's a little scared of the guy.
The life of a gang member is a constant state of paranoia, if you're not assessing every new person you meet and overthinking every interaction you have three moves in advance then you're probably not gonna last long….Shit is tiring.
And now Roxy and a few of the other gang leaders are starting to realise just how trusting they've been towards a person they've never seen or met.
Hierro is an example of why you don't bring the rookie to a sit down, they're gonna get someone killed.
That's the message Petrol sent, received and understood.
And naturally they decided to go and get their boy back….Which is loyalty, that's the difference between them and canon villains because come on, I think the only member of Salem's crew who hasn't stitched someone up yet is Tyrian and he's clearly just waiting for Mercury to try and run.
Oh Stygian no, you poor boy….AJ learned to study from Weiss Schnee, she goes all in.
The joke about AJ never being a teacher was thoroughly deserved.
I mean it's a tough way to train someone, but it's not wrong considering the stakes and it's perfectly in character with Gangrel Slate.
These scene was a good chance to get into Stygian's head as a character a little bit, which is something I want to keep doing more of.
But also a chance to show that AJ has been taking her talks with Zirconia on board and it's having an effect.
The ways the two of them mirror each other are also interesting as well.
"Very"
Hey, Stitch is moving away from liking AJ just cos she's pretty and has thighs that could warp steel.
Nero managing to be ominous without letting anything concrete slip about what he did to Nero….That'll be a fun talk at some point in the future.
That Dad moments when Nero talks to Hops and turns into a dork are still great.
What is it with drunk college students and traffic cones?
Supportive parent donated a shitload of money to Pride and ordered his henchmen to behave themselves; other villains have to step up now….There's a difference between being a villain and being a bastard.
Of course Team MARZ are still getting teased for the promo footage.
We don't get to see Zirconia be vulnerable enough and I felt like I had to show just how much the misleading and abusing trust is upsetting her, and also that Nero isn't going to outright force her into carrying on.
Lol, AJ & Hops are so horny they can't help but let it slip in conversation.
Astra didn't just decide on a plan that affects the whole team and go with it, they spoke about it first….Which means they've grown from the little dickhead that they were becoming when they were dating Wolfram.
Astra is also having sessions with a counsellor, which is a good thing.
If you get the whole 'Angels With Dirty Faces' thing and what it's a reference to then congratulations.
"That's why I'm in my office after class" I just caught up with My Hero Academia and Qrow with Aizawa levels of blunt sarcasm just made sense.
This was the plan….Since Team MARZ will be in the middle of it anyway if Petrol or his people come to Faunus Pride, then why not use that and make it official.
Covert eyes and ears….That can't possibly go wrong can it?
"But things never seem to go that way when there's a Vytal Tournament on the cards" almost a fourth wall break.
Well Petrol's loyalists definitely caused a lot of shit to prevent a setup that never happened anyway….So that's another thing that's gonna bite 'em later.
The bickering between the different gangs felt like a must, because trust me on this, egos always end up getting in the way, usually in the first hour.
Come on now, we all knew that it was gonna go wrong as soon as they saw Petrol….Having him wake up and have that moment of hope where he thought things might work out was just me being a dick.
And there it is, Petrol's co-pilot in action….But not even close to fully awake and active yet.
Well, RIP those guys; machine gunned, ripped in half with that giant blade and set on fire, all bad ways to go.
The image of the cockpit sealing up and trapping Petrol inside it while his people ran for their lives was a brilliant one in my head; if this were a show then this would be one of those episodes where the end credits don't have any music playing over them.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.