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Chapter 104: The Moment
There was nothing more left to be done and no time left in which to do it, the hour was upon them and all they could do was be ready and hope that their efforts to prepare themselves had been enough.
Or at least it would be in only a few short hours once the singles rounds of the Vytal Tournament began later that afternoon and even then only if Astra found themselves amongst the first to be called up to compete, though as the Deer Faunus sat on the edge of Regalia's bunk in a dazed state which left them largely oblivious to everything happening around them they could at least admit that the situation did not sound quite to final or dramatic when framed in such terms.
"Are you sure you're okay….You should probably get some breakfast Astra, you don't wanna do this on an empty stomach" the concerned words themselves, as much as the fact that it was Athena-Jade who had unexpectedly offered them were enough to bring Astra's thoughts back to the present and away from the spiralling sense of doom that gnawed at their stomach until the idea of food was laughable and unsettling at the same time; allowing the leader of Team MARZ to take a deep breath and centre themselves.
"I'm okay….Nervous as all hell but I'm okay, I'll be okay" they managed to answer haltingly, words a strained whisper which each of their friends gave sympathetic nods and gestures in response to. Athena-Jade and Zirconia were sat close together as always, the two of them sharing Zirconia's bunk which had not been slept in for some time; the two loosely holding hands out of a simple and habitual seeking of physical contact whilst the Athena-Jade fiddled idly with her scroll, no doubt receiving messages from her family and trying to distract herself from nerves and whatever traitorous thoughts her own mind might produce in regards to Astra's nerves and how she might handle the situation better. Forcing themselves to dismiss that idea Astra turned their attention to Zirconia and saw that the Grasshopper Faunus had removed her violin from its' case and was simply cleaning it one handed out of an apparent need to keep busy, her own features pulled into an expression of deep concern and panic which Astra found they could not account for.
It was Regalia that the Deer Faunus sought out however, since the discussion following Team MARZ's most recent mission which had, on reflection felt as though it were a confession even if their feelings were already known the two had been closer and more inseparable than they had been before; a state of affairs which had seen the partners subjected to some mild jokes and teasing from their peers though neither Astra or Regalia had minded. They were not dating, nothing more physical than hugs, hand-holding and occasionally falling asleep leaning against and nuzzling into one another had taken place and yet Astra found themselves wondering if it mattered at all; Regalia was stunning and the idea of the two of them being more intimate was an enjoyable one but as they considered it they realised that it would likely not change anything about their relationship overall.
At present the Racoon Faunus was sat cross-legged on the floor between the two bunk-beds, brow furrowed into an expression of deep concentration which Astra could now admit they found incredibly endearing as she studied a textbook, evidently having decided that it was late enough in the academic year to become truly studious.
"I'll give you my notes later" Astra leaned close to murmur in her ear, words taking on a pleading edge that was only partially joking as they added "In the meantime….I could really use an inspirational speech if you've got one?"
"Aww, that's so cute" Athena gushed, only to block a pillow with a glyph as Astra threw it in her general direction; Regalia paused for a moment, clearly deep in thought as she searched her memory for something suitably impressive and fitting for the moment from the countless movies she had seen, only for the moment to be interrupted by Zirconia who at least had the decency to look apologetic.
"We should also figure out what we're doing today….I don't think any of us want to sit here and watch Astra get steadily more on edge, least of all Astra"
"I'll give you that one" the Deer Faunus snorted, appreciating the dry humour of their quietest team-mate in one of the rare instances it was offered "So have you got a plan….'cos all my planning capacity is taken up by figuring out how I'm gonna deal with some of the older students if I get drawn against them, or someone with a bullshit Semblance like Stitch….Or hell, even Nugget has gotten tough this year-"
"Right!" Athena gasped out, sharing Astra's confusion in the transformation in her fellow Breaktide Academy students' transformation; the Chicken Faunus who led Team NUGT had once been considered something of a joke but in recent months had become a serious challenge to be considered.
"Actually Athena, I was going to ask you if you wanted to head into the city and see some of the festival before the tournament….We have time and we don't know how many more opportunities we'll get to see it" there was a flash of something which flashed across the Grasshopper Faunus's expression which Astra saw but could not identify and so they simply nodded in agreement; leaving the inner workings of Zirconia and Athena's relationship to the two of them.
Astra had seen enough of their intimacy already.
"Yeah we can head into the city if you want" Astra answered "Wanna get breakfast now or just grab something there"
"Ooh, ooh, all you can eat Vaccuan Brunch!" Regalia chimed in, suddenly eager only for Zirconia to once again undercut the moment somewhat with her next words.
"Actually….I was thinking that maybe it would just be AJ and I-"
"Hops!" Athena exclaimed, caught off-guard by her partner and girlfriends' response.
"I, um….I had something special planned; for just the two of us" Zirconia's cheeks flushed before they were hidden from view a moment later by the taciturn young woman instinctively hiding them beneath her shawl.
"Aww, that's cute" Astra turned Athena's earlier taunt back on her and dodged the pillow that she returned forcefully to them before continuing "Yeah cool, I'll give you guys a drop somewhere if you want though?"
"We're taking your truck?" Regalia asked.
"Yeah" Astra nodded "The singles rounds are all in different stadiums….We're not on one of the aerial platforms today, so I'm gonna drive there instead of taking a flight. Fuck, that means we should probably stay near to the stadium or finish whatever we're doing early; otherwise we're gonna get caught in traffic"
"Yeah if you get disqualified from the tournament because you were stuck in traffic half a mile away I will actually lose my mind" Athena snorted, the implied threat and warning merely playful and earning a snort from Astra who rose from their seat on the edge of their partners' bunk before holding out a hand to the Racoon Faunus herself.
"Okay so we've got a plan then?" they breathed out as they stretched "I'm gonna give Buckshot Ares one last look over before we leave, fix my make up and then we'll head into the city. Zirconia let me know where you and AJ need dropping off and I'll catch you guys at the stadium"
"And don't you guys be late either, heh….Astra's be awesome and we can't miss it" the Deer Faunus positively glowed with pride at the faith their partner and best friend had in them, pointedly ignoring the look Athena-Jade and Zirconia shared before stepping around Regalia so that they could collect their toolkit, thoughts turning towards how to distract themselves once they were in the city with Regalia.
Overall it felt as though a weight had been lifted.
The moment to prove themselves in front of all of Remnant and live up to the hopes and expectations that their friends had placed in them would come soon enough, but for now Astra felt as though they could breathe.
Above a desolate and Grimm-filled canyon in the wastelands of Menagerie Hammerfall Outpost hung in the air, a silent sentinel to stand watch over Hammerfall Canyon which in turn had been artificially made by carving the landscape apart in order to keep the tides of monsters at bay.
Well over a hundred feet above the lip of the canyon the impressively sized, especially by the standards of Menagerie, aerial platform was both kept aloft and also illuminated from below even in broad daylight by a truly gargantuan amount of synthetically produced Eco-Dust supplied by the SDC which glowed with a faintly pulsing, ethereal green light which had been wedged and loaded firmly into the platforms' underside where it was supported by a plethora of thrusters and glistening black masses of crystallised Gravity Dust.
Beyond this colossal use of resources, potentially equal to a small to moderately sized town in terms of Dust consumption the outpost was supported by four enormous armatures connected to its' main, circular body which were situated equidistant from one another and terminated in massive stabilising thrusters. The circular body of the platform consisted of a single domed structure from which a communications tower, various radar dishes and other sensor arrays rose into view and an expansive outer perimeter which included dozens of landing pads, many of which currently housed small fighter craft and were in turn joined by the shield generators and weapons' batteries which comprised Hammerfall Outposts' defences.
Yet none of these measures had stopped the approach of the unscheduled transport currently landing on one of its' vacant pads, wing-mounted thrusters dimming to an idling glow before hatches opened with a hiss and allowed those aboard to disembark.
Chairman Damascus Nero strode out onto the platform, clad in his finest suit whose jacket billowed out impressively behind him in a wind which swept his otherwise lank and lifeless hair to give him an almost impressive appearance; one which has further bolstered by the pair of armed cultist fanatics flanking him, a pair of burly individuals clad in black robes and tactical armour whose faces were obscured but deliberately displayed scarred flesh as though it were a trophy and who each held in their hands a state of the art weapon which contrasted starkly with the rest of their attire, each of the pair regarding those who had gathered to greet them and silently waiting for any sign that they should spring into violent action. Nero for his part simply surveyed the gathered crowd of scientists, data analysts, communications experts and various other members of the outposts' staff; a thin smile which caused his quartz-coloured eyes to crinkle forming on his face as he realised that his plans were unfolding exactly as intended and that each and every one of those present was a believer in the future he wished to create, that the security accompanying him was entirely superfluous as he was surrounded by friends and co-conspirators.
"Good afternoon everyone….I hope you'll forgive me for not saying too many words, I was never one for public speaking" Nero offered the gathered crowd a small wave as he strode to meet them; the words and their ironic context considering what was to follow earning him a few small laughs until he reached the a prominent figure amongst them, an authority figure who had seen the promotion and inclusion of professionals whose views aligned with Nero's own whilst subtly sending those whose beliefs would be problematic to other sites or simply having them fired.
"Is everything secure and in position?" he asked, quiet but frank and allowing the uniformed figure before him to take a moment to consider the answer before giving it. After a single, lingering moment they nodded and quickly expanded on their wordless answer with something more meaningful.
"We will be able to broadcast to all of Remnant from here….We can do so securely and it will take the Kingdoms some time to realise exactly where it is that your transmission is being sent from based on raw data alone, however the Hunters are not stupid and if you fully reveal yourself it will likely be a matter of minutes before they realise that you're here"
"Then perhaps this should have been pre-recorded" Nero snorted as though the comment were merely a joke before becoming more serious in an instant "And are our procedures prepared for when the Hunters make their move?"
"We are Mister Nero" the employee assured him "Hammerfall Outpost will remain airborne, easily retrievable in the event that the Kingdom of Menagerie chooses to ally itself with us….However it will be entirely scrubbed of all useful information and entirely disabled; they won't be able to follow us after we leave, they won't be able to track you down to your secondary location and the disruption to navigation and Grimm hunting efforts in and around Menagerie will be such that allying with you would be the most viable option, whilst at the same time allowing our companions in other Kingdoms to make their way to us more easily if things become complicated-"
"Through Blackwater Cover of course?" Nero surmised, being well aware of the cities' reputation "I have a feeling that we will be joined by many of our friends in Neo Vale….This is not a conflict that can be solved with a single victory, but we can and will turn the tide; today is just the beginning"
For all he claimed not to be a public speaker Nero's words sent a palpable wave of excitement through the gathered crowd of loyal believers, each of whom planned to see Remnant restructured into something greater and the Chairman found himself pausing for a moment to simply drink in the feeling, hoping that it was one which might be repeated on a far greater scale as he drew more and more people to his cause.
Eventually he focused and cleared his throat before speaking again.
"And the preparations for my….damn the word, stage set?"
"They are Mister Nero" the lead figure amongst his employees and cohorts assured him "Projection and voice modulation as you asked for"
"Good….Today we present ourselves to the public in full, I think it's the last time I'll ever need to wear the 'Benefactor' disguise but it must be done. Everyone get to your stations, we have some time before we begin, use it to prepare yourselves and I'll send word to our allies in Neo Vale to do the same" Nero paused before turning to the members of Aefen's cult who had flanked him and gave them a curt nod "The two of you, bring the Cyber-Grimm….The people of Remnant need to see exactly how I plan to promise to ensure their safety"
Nero took a deep breath and steadied himself as his people set about their tasks about him, his prosthetic hand twitching slightly within its' silken glove as he considered sending word to Zirconia before finally dismissing the idea.
Each of them knew their duties and could ill-afford the distraction.
Qrow Branwen was, despite everything in a rather good mood.
The greatest source of his current and recently hard to find cheer was of course that today marked the beginning of the Vytal Tournaments' singles rounds, a sign that the tournament itself and the festival were now ready to abandon all sense of restraint and reach hitherto unseen levels of intensity which would carry on with little respite for the final few weeks of the long-running affair until an overall champion was decided and the Vytal Festival concluded with a truly breathtaking crescendo with would; like those that had come before it live on in the memories of those fortunate enough to experience it. It was an experience made all the greater by the fact that Qrow could witness it all first-hand from its' epicentre with family and friends close by, enjoying his now traditional role as the tournaments' chief announcer.
Another source of his relaxed and upbeat mood was the more simple and yet no less welcome fact that he was enjoying the company of colleagues he considered amongst the greatest Hunters on Remnant; he had watched as Ren and Nora had grown from students into fully fledged Hunters in a time of war and then into teachers and protectors of Remnant, after working alongside them for so long in both his role as Ozpin's successor and as a teacher he found it impossible to consider the married couple as anything other than close friends.
Which seemed as good an excuse as any for Qrow to indulge in a brunch at their apartment on a morning when classes had been cancelled and their schedules were entirely clear, with all other tasks that might require his attention either delegated or postponed unless they could be considered an emergency of the highest priority.
"So…." Nora's eyes were bright and suggested mischief in a way that might have been more at home on the face of one of the orphanage children who had come to adore and look up to the diminutive woman, but was still a core part of her being; ensuring that she was indeed still the same person who had taken part in a food fight in Beacon Academy which had passed on into legend. Hearing the way his wife trailed off, everything about her tone and the gesture which accompanied it implying that she was trying to draw Qrow into a specific conversation was enough to have Ren hastily swallow a mouthful of his food and interject.
"Nora please" he sighed "You can't ask Qrow what you're about to ask him….It would be seen as match-fixing, we will get investigated"
"It's fine; it's not match-fixing if it's a side bet….That's the point of a side bet" Nora waved the concerns aside with a bright smirk, triggering a round of playful and familiar bickering like the old married couple that they were clearly destined to become which Qrow allowed himself to keep limited track of the flow of whilst also adjusting his position in his mechanical seat and peering around the living room of an apartment which, unlike the Headmistresses' apartment of Breaktide Academy was located alongside those of the other members of staff who lived on site on a floor of the campus which students could not freely access.
Qrow gave a wistful smile as he saw the various photographs framed and hung around walls which had been painted a shade whose vibrancy suggested that it had been Nora's choice; the bearded and grizzled Professor allowing his prior good mood to ebb only for a moment as he saw so many of the fallen amongst the faces, a picture of Team JNPR in their entirety taken at the dance before their own Vytal Tournament, another showing the grand opening of Halo Academy where the couple were joined by Glynda Goodwitch and other Professors like Dove Bronzewing and Jasper Cimmerian who had since passed away. Qrow allowed his smile to falter only briefly as a picture of Ren and Nora in the midst of the extended Arc brood, including his own daughter Eagle reminded him of how absent he had been in her formative years until finally, with no small amount of effort Qrow forced himself not to dwell on his failures and rejoined the conversation.
"I don't think Professors betting on the matches is technically against any rules, though it is probably bad form" he chuckled, rubbing his beard thoughtfully for a moment before adding "Not that I could give you any help here, the matches are random so you'll be hearing my opinions at the same time as everybody else….But if you want to bet on Halo students your main issue is going to be finding someone who wants to bet against you, maybe some the exchange students who're already out; they might bet on their friends"
"Actually" Ren interjected softly "We'll be in attendance, though we might run a little late….A slight break from tradition"
"Oh?" Qrow arched an eyebrow in mild suspicion only for Nora to assuage his worries with an exuberant explanation.
"Yeah two of the orphanage kids have received acceptance letters for other academies" she beamed "Midori is heading to Haven Academy after the summer break and Pall'….Y'know Palladium, the Dalmatian Faunus with the hairdo she swears is cool; just got the letter from Coco this morning but since Ren and I already knew, we're treating 'em both-"
"That's good of you" Qrow smiled "You didn't want them to study at Halo though?"
"We would have loved them to" Ren answered without hesitation "But we also want them to grow and spread their wings, which they can do better by seeing more of Remnant"
"But since we're talking about Coco and students and stuff…." Nora's voice dropped to something that was conspiratorial and at the same time almost feral "Do we know what's happening with Shadowmoon?"
"Easy Nora. Don't spook her, especially if she's not involved or we're wrong….She doesn't deserve that" Qrow chided gently, a sentiment which Ren nodded in agreement with "Coco is still studying her records, everything from her transcripts and footage from initiation and classes up to mission reports and disciplinary write ups to see if anything is out of place; I'm expecting an answer on whether we should be looking into Shadowmoon before the end of the day"
"I hate to think about it" Ren murmured, suddenly solemn "But we can't afford to take risks, not with something this serious"
"Agreed" Qrow nodded "But between that, the fact that half of Team FADE and their friends are in the field chasing up reported Cyber-Grimm sightings, Winter trying to track down Nero and Antonia using some of her own companies' corporate espionage and cyber-security teams in tandem with Winter's analysts to look into Nero's conglomerate under false pretexts that won't draw attention to us while they look for any discrepancies or blatant lies and alterations in records….If there's anything there to find, we'll find it"
"Then we've done all we can" Ren sighed "We can only hope it's going to be enough….there have been enough tragedies at Vytal-"
"Don't finish that thought" Qrow growled, refusing to countenance the idea or hear it spoken aloud; responding instead by lurching his many-legged seat into motion and making towards the door "I have to head to the stadium….I haven't actually been to this one before, it's actually in the city itself. I'll see the two of you there afterwards….Maybe impart some words of wisdom to your two soon to be Hunters?"
"Absolutely" Nora grinned "And tell Yang to come, the kids here don't believe that I can beat her in an arm-wrestle!"
The challenge which Qrow promised to relay to his eldest niece gave him one final chuckle as he departed for, what he hoped would be a spectacle but only in ways he was prepared for.
For Astra and Regalia truly relaxing and forgetting what lay ahead would likely be a truly laughable endeavour and the Deer Faunus would certainly be on edge, wavering between frightened and jittery nervousness and bursts of confident energy which saw them all but bouncing on their heels in expectant preparations for a fight until they were finally put out of their misery one way another; the knowledge that this release might not come for several days yet and that there was truly no way of knowing when exactly the leader of Team MARZ would be called up to compete or who they would be facing, which in turn made planning or even optimism an unsustainable thing was a form of torment all of its' own which Astra was resolutely trying not to think about at length.
Despite this expected stress and also undeniable sense that things had not only changed between them but were also on the cusp of something else entirely which neither partner could muster the courage to talk about directly and thereby risk putting thoughts into Astra's head that might throw them off of their immaculate form they would need to be on, both Astra and Regalia had managed to enjoy their afternoon together thus far and planned to do so until the last possible moment.
The first singles round of the Vytal Tournament was being held in a sports' stadium in an area of Neo Vale that could not rightly be called truly suburban and yet still lay a noteworthy distance from its' from its' bustling hub and the Hive-Towers which dominated the skyline whilst still being connected to them by roads and a branching arm of the cities' monorail and train network, both of which were becoming steadily more crowded as the day wore on.
Astra had sensed that clogged roads would be the case and that if they and their partner had decided to spend the last few hours before the tournament began again within Neo Vale proper, enjoying what the two of them were steadfastly refusing to consider a date despite how open their feelings for one another had been made they ran the risk of being stuck in traffic and Astra possibly missing their match and being forfeited in their absence; an idea that was utterly unthinkable to them. In answer to this the Deer Faunus had suggested that the two of them venture out to an area much closer to the stadium, one which was comprised on buildings rarely larger than two stories in height that were still constructed on solid ground; likely a relic from the days of Old Vale which had survived the cities' multiple re-imaginings and one which more importantly to Astra had included a park with real grass and small groups of trees, a rarity in the sprawling Hive City.
Even better still the park was playing host to a fare, this part of the cities' concession to the Vytal Festival.
It had been a novel and immensely enjoyable experience for Regalia who, had been succinctly introduced to the various staples of such an event including a Ferris wheel and several other rides which managed still be entertaining despite the level of thrill the Racoon Faunus was used to and several games and contests of skill which her Semblance allowed her to eventually overcome and succeed at despite the obvious cheating on the part of the proprietor. Astra for their part had welcomed both the distraction and the company, being reminded of everything that they found endearing and attractive about their partner as she took in the various cliches she had never been experience first-hand before. The Deer Faunus finally blushing profusely as Regalia won and promptly handed them a stuffed Creature of Grimm.
At present the two of them were simply catching their breath in the bed of Astra's truck, with Clunker pushed far enough to the opposite side to allow them some legroom.
"Heh….It'd be great if that game had a stuffed Cankerlotl" Regalia noted absently, apropos of seemingly nothing as she regarded the stuffed Beowolf currently propped up beside her partner, Astra themselves resting with their hands behind their head and eyes that had been closed fluttering openly faintly at the comment.
"Why?" they could only chuckle at the odd comment until Regalia shrugged and gave a look which showed a self consciousness which she rarely allowed to be so obvious.
"I won it for you, it just would have been nice to get a reminder of our initiation or something"
Astra was left flustered and blushing in a way that dark makeup around their eyes and the way they popped the collar of their sleeveless jacket could do nothing to hide; sputtering on air for a few moments before finally managing to form coherent words.
"I-you….That's….Regalia, you're great y'know that right?" they laughed "Seriously you make lines that would be corny as hell from anybody else actually work, just because you're you"
It was Regalia's turn to blush, words reduced to incoherent mumblings as she shrunk in on herself and prepared to both lower her goggles over her face and deploy their integrated faceplate to mask the smile spreading from ear to ear which could only fairly be described as goofy; halting only when Astra held out a hand to firstly gently grab at her wrist and then drape the arm around her shoulders so that they could pull her closer, Regalia working her head into a position where it was clear of their antler and resting on their shoulder whilst an arm draped across her partner and allowed her to feel how Astra's heart thudded against their ribs despite the appearance of calm. The moment lasted only a short while before the Racoon Faunus felt her brow furrow and purple eyes narrow as a thought occurred to her.
"Where are AJ and Zirconia? They were supposed to be meeting us?"
"Honestly, if they're not at the stadium then they're probably gonna be late" Astra took care not to shrug in a way which would dislodge Regalia from a comfortable position "Unless I'm like the first match, maybe the one after it then it shouldn't really matter….It's fine, it's whatever. Text them when you're in the stands so they know where to find you"
"It's not fine though" Regalia huffed, obviously irked on her partners' behalf "They were supposed to be somewhere, this could be your big moment and-"
"Regalia, it's cool" Astra assured her, turning their head and meeting their eyes with a calculating expression before seemingly throwing caution to the wind and voicing their thoughts "Look, Zirconia clearly had something special planned for today with AJ and….I might be completely wrong about this okay so agree to not mention it?-"
"Heh, sure" Regalia beamed.
"Those two have been dating for….well officially less than a year, but they've had a thing going on to some extent since like half way through First Year" Astra continued thoughtfully "I'm thinking, if she's worked up about something that needs a quiet moment for the two of them away from everything and it's a time she's picked to be memorable either way….I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Zirconia asks AJ to marry her or something"
"You really think so?" Regalia gasped, suddenly understanding the possibility she had given no consideration to at all before Astra had suggested it.
"I mean I don't wanna assume anything, but gut feeling" the Deer Faunus shrugged.
"Heh….Guess I can't be mad at 'em for being somewhere else then" Regalia grinned wildly "If you're right then you've gotta win….It'll be the best day ever and we'll do something awesome to celebrate"
"Absolutely" Astra nodded, voice tightening and hand drifting absently to Regalia's as a fresh wave of nerves crashed over them with the renewed sense of pressure "Guess this is it then….Almost time to head to the stadium, just me in the stadium and you in the stands against whoever and whatever happens. Definitely feels like a movie, any preference as to which one?"
"Heh it does" Regalia's grin faltered and she sucked in a shaky breath, bracing herself as she desperately sought to make her next words seem like a nonchalant continuation of her train of thought, offered without deliberation "But if it was an action movie there'd have to be the cliché moment where the two leads kiss"
"I mean….We could" Astra croaked out, mouth sounding much drier than it had only a moment ago and as Regalia pulled back to study their expression they saw that the idea had made the Deer Faunus look more nervous than the idea of facing an opponent who wholly outclassed them; despite this however they seemed eager and excited, sea-green eyes gleaming an intense in a way which Regalia could now admit, at least to herself did things to her she didn't quite have the words to describe at the moment.
"I mean, I've never…..And-um, if you wanted to?" Regalia stammered, the daring it had required to make the first step suddenly wavering at the follow up until she felt Astra's hand which had been resting on her shoulder brush against her cheek, which continued to heat up at the contact as Astra gently leaned forward whilst at the same time guiding her closer.
Her eyes drifted closer, her lips met theirs and for Regalia everything else fell away.
It was slow, tender and gentle and her body seemed to move of its' own accord and a technique that Regalia had no idea how she had come to possess; she felt Astra's free hand at the small of her back but was at a loss as to how her own arms came to be looped around the back of their neck, or how in a matter of moments she came to be straddling their lap as Astra's nails raked through the bushy her of her tail and their teeth gently tugged at her lower lip until finally the need for air forced the pair to break apart, panting and wearing ludicrously broad smiles until Regalia's eyes met Astra's and the Deer Faunus reached up to cup both of her cheeks and kiss her again, a fleeting and soft contact which went some way to kicking the stunned and pleasantly dazed nomads' mind back into gear.
"That was….I, heh….I think I get why people like that so much now" she finally managed to mumble.
"Wanna do it again sometime?" Astra's expression morphed into something hopeful and Regalia could only barely keep herself from bursting out laughing as she gently swatted their shoulder.
"Heh, now who's making the corny lines work for them" she snorted "But yeah, heh absolutely!….So does this mean we're dating or?"
"We can figure out specifics and stuff later?" Astra offered and Regalia nodded in understanding, once again remembering that her partner needed to focus, aiding that goal by leaning forward to kiss their still blushing cheek and whisper into their ear.
"Go get 'em Champ"
"You got it" Astra answered breathlessly, suddenly feeling lighter than air and allowing all of their prior uncertainty to fall away as they rose to their feet and hopped out the bed of their truck to the ground below, walking with their characteristic swagger amplified easily a hundredfold.
They were Astra Mars and with their partner, in possibly more than one sense at their back there was nothing they couldn't face.
The Tournament wouldn't know what hit it.
The stadium in which Qrow Branwen had found himself was, he was forced to admit, not at all to his tastes.
A modern and seemingly modular affair whose central arena could be configured to accommodate several kinds of events from contest and exhibition matches between Hunters and, much more commonly teens with ambitions of joining a Hunter Academy competing in tournaments to hone their skills in front of an audience as well as much more mundane and sanitised sporting events such as basketball or, if the requisite Dust were supplied ice hockey; which Qrow steadfastly refused to believe had grown in popularity outside of Atlas for such a feature to be warranted. The arena was perhaps larger overall than the aerial platform intended to evoke a previous arena, though this was entirely owed to additional seating and sheer scope rather than any additional features and it was here that Qrow's complaints found their beginning; the stadium was soulless, managing to appear gaudy and minimalistic in a deliberately unobjectionable way, with every piece of architecture seemingly created with an eye to how many advertisements could be placed on it.
It simply lacked the sense of grandeur and history or spectacle that he would have liked to have seen.
"Uncle Qrow will you please stop scowling….Your face will stay-dium like that" Yang's pun, delivered with a snort of laughter at her own wit both brought Qrow more fully back to his senses and the present moment and confirmed to him that his eldest niece had surmised what was irking him.
"It's petty but it matters….Give it another cycle or two and they'll have the New Vale Vytal Tournament hosted in the parking lot of a random burger joint due to budget cuts" Qrow let out a sigh and shook his head in mild annoyance
"Some good fights happen in those parking lots, makes a nice change from the street racing" Yang countered without missing a beat "But you're still being dramatic"
"Theatricality is a powerful tool" Qrow waved a hand airily, waving a hand in a dismissive gesture as he quoted part of the basic syllabus of one of his own classes and gave Yang a smirk in the process. In truth he could admit that the situation was far less severe than he was allowing himself to pretend; the seats were comfortable, especially in the commentators box if Yang's current lounging were any indication, the sound systems and overhead screens were of the highest quality, the view from the stands was exceptional and those stands would soon be filled to capacity with eager fans.
"So, how's being my co-host for this tournament been?" Qrow asked, speaking in a more measured tone as he regarded Yang's reaction "It's nice to know that I can leave it in a good-"
"If you say pair of hands…." Yang interrupted with a half hearted warning, flexing her prosthetic as she did so.
"That's more your kind of joke" Qrow snorted "And for reasons that escape me the crowd loves it"
"It's been nice" Yang beamed, a wide smile that reminded Qrow of how the blonde had looked when she was much younger, the expression turning to a frown as she added "But you're not going anywhere, you'll outlive us all-"
"When you were in the field maybe, don't think I never heard about all those risks you didn't need to take on mission when you were running with Coco after the war" Qrow noted pointedly, sternness flashing into his tone for a single moment as assumed the role of responsible adult out of habit despite Yang being in her early fifties "But let's be realistic, I'm old. I'll have to retire before too much longer Firecracker and this hosting gig is something I can't officially leave as inheritance but still….Pick a co-host, Fluffy maybe? Or Corey?"
"Ruby" Yang answered without hesitation "It'll be like watching the tournament on TV when we were kids, staying up way too late….Besides, if 'The' Ruby Rose hosts the Vytal Tournament"
"Yeah….I thought you'd say that" Qrow chuckled "That's why I called ahead earlier and asked her if she wants to join the commentary for a couple of the later matches, she's watching live anyway so there's no reason she can't call"
"Awesome!" Yang exclaimed, visibly thrilled at the idea "Is Penny with her as well?"
"Maybe" Qrow shrugged, a motion his mechanical chair followed in its' own way "But I doubt she'll want to get too involved….You know she watches the tournament when Breaktide students or family are on but, it's always gonna be a sore spot"
"Yeah" Yang breathed the word out slowly, wincing at her own lack of consideration and realising that the copper haired android would obviously have a lasting hang-up with regards to the tournament where she had effectively died, that the death was only temporary offered little comfort. Before she could add anything further Qrow indicated that he needed a moment and quickly drew his Scroll, brow furrowing in a way that rendered each of the lines on his weary features almost tectonic in appearance and his crimson eyes apprehensive as he regarded the devices' screen.
It was Coco, meaning that she had information and that the call could not be delayed. With a deep breath he brought the device to his ear and answered.
"THAT LITTLE FUCKING CUNT! FIND HER QROW, FIND HER AND DRAG HER TO MENAGERIE SO I CAN BREAK EVERY BONE IN HER-"
"Coco!" Qrow barked, the unbridled rage and hate from the usually composed and suave woman being unexpected and frankly worrying, to say nothing of the fact that she had screamed the words loud enough to leave him reeling away from the Scroll as he held it whilst beside him Yang was left staring with a questioning look which Qrow was forced to ignore for the moment.
"She's in on it! She has to be!" Coco yelled again, though this time the Headmistresses of Breaktide Academy managed to restrain herself at least somewhat, a condition which inadvertently left her voice wavering and it took Qrow less than a moment to realise what he was being told, what was at stake and shift himself mentally into the appropriate frame of mind.
"You're sure?" his voice was devoid of all warmth, simple steel and resolve pressed into a pair of gruff and growling words.
"She was there for everything. All of it" Coco spat venomously "I checked the records a dozen times. I didn't want to believe it, not about one of my own students, not this….It fits too much to be a coincidence Qrow"
"Go on" he urged
"She's been accessing the campus's files to some extent since almost day one, we gave her permission to upload her own custom programs for the training areas nanobot caches and that was her first access point" Coco gave a bitter laugh "Which helps explain how Team GORE's ship was interfered with and how their main weapon was stopped from hitting that hybrid Alpha when Port Alistair was attacked; the only people outside of those who actually live on the ship to set foot on its' bridge were Team MARZ, the dance where your students were attacked was organised by Nero and Shadowmoon herself was, according to reports out of the way when the fighting started?….And when Fox, when my fucking SON WAS ATTACKED ZIRCONIA HAD MANAGED TO WORM HER WAY OUT AN EXCURSION! She was on medical leave because one of her prosthetics was allegedly damaged….Right before it happened and on her feet again right after"
"Damn it all" Qrow snarled, eyes flashing angrily as he realised that his worst fears about Damascus Nero, whom he had once respected so much had been confirmed in the worst way possible.
"Find her Qrow!" Coco spat "My son could have died, someone pays for that!"
"We'll find her" Qrow answered, words far too cold to offer any comfort "We can't risk any other communication until this is resolved. I'll inform Ren and Nora face to face"
"Right" Coco snarled, ending the call with some final words "Keep me updated"
"Uncle Qrow what the hell is going on?" Yang demanded, being silenced as Qrow held up a hand and fiddled with his Scroll for a few more moments.
"Damn it, of course she's turned her location off" he hissed through clenched teeth before finally turning to Yang "All evidence now points to Damascus Nero being closely involved with the 'Benefactor' figure involved in organised crime, the Cyber-Grimm, the attack on Port Alistair, all of it….It also seems that Zirconia Shadowmoon is a double agent and right now I don't know where she is-"
"She'll be wherever AJ is!" Yang yelled, already rising to her feet until Qrow halted her, at which point her eyes flashed a fiery red "That's my niece Qrow!"
"And if you think I don't know what having a niece at risk feels like then you've forgotten who you're talking to!" Qrow shot back before forcing himself to remain calm "You're right, she probably is with Athena-Jade….But the two of them are also likely on their way here if they aren't already. I don't want to do anything overt in case it plays into plans that we haven't seen yet, we've been on the defensive for too long"
"Then what do we do?" Yang demanded.
"You stay here, open the Vytal Tournament and announce as if nothing is amiss" Qrow breathed the words out, entire body shaking with suppressed anger at the betrayal committed against Hunters everywhere "We don't know how much time Shadowmoon has had to interfere with our security, but your Scroll shouldn't have been touched, she hasn't had an opportunity….I want you to send word to the Hunters on security and anybody in the area, have them be ready for anything and when Shadowmoon does turn up they're to quietly get her away from her parter and detain her. Have her taken a secure location away from Halo"
"Why not the academy?" Yang asked nervously, her worry being amplified immensely by the look her Uncle gave her.
"As I said, I'm heading there now to inform Qrow and Nora of the situation….There's no telling if their Scrolls are safe at this point, or even if mine is" the grizzled veteran Hunter shuddered as he delivered his final parting words "I think that the academy has been compromised and possibly sabotaged to prime us for an attack"
Zirconia Shadowmoon was not where she needed to be and yet the Grasshopper Faunus refused to allow her current deviation from the plan to weigh on her mind, her thoughts were chaotic enough at present with the enormity of the task she had taken upon herself without considering her role in Nero's schemes.
The plan was simple, or could at least be described in a way that would appear as such. The Chairman's forces had been moved into position and were awaiting a signal, which would be delivered to Remnant at large by Damascus himself as he appeared before them and offered up the truth about Hunters and an alternative to their corruption in the form of the new Remnant he wished to build. A violent reaction from the Kingdoms' supposed defenders was to be expected and so Nero's fighters, under the command of Carmesi and with the Cyber-Grimm and Cosmo-Guild war-machines supporting them were poised and ready to strike at several key locations across the city where they would prove beyond any doubt that they were the superior option and the correct path forward for reasons that were not simply morally correct but also practical.
Zirconia's role, at least in theory had been to appear before her fellow students with Team MARZ beside her if possible and deliver a follow up impassioned speech to the crowd viewing the Vytal Tournament in person; her goal being to convert as many of them as possible to her cause and lead them away from the Hunters, joining the ensuing battle only if forced to and rendezvousing with Carmesi and Albion, along with the monstrous Gestalt-Prime in order to escape to Nero's new base of operations.
Suffice to say this had not happened, though Zirconia was entirely willing to risk everything in exchange for her current goal; to have Athena-Jade Slate be the one beside her when she escaped Neo Vale.
"Are you sure Astra and Regalia are okay about us running late?" the Bear Faunus asked, drawing her girlfriend out of her own surging thoughts "I feel bad about not making it for the opening match but there's no way we're gonna get through that traffic….I can't believe we ran late"
"They're fine" Zirconia tired desperately to keep her voice even and yet still it betrayed her with a faint cracking which she distracted from by looking at her Scroll once again, ensuing that her location had been turned off "Regalia actually sent me a text message so we know roughly where she is in the stands; Astra has already gone to prepare"
"Did she say how they're doing?" Athena gave a worried look.
"She didn't" Zirconia shook her head "But she did wish me luck for some reason….And used a lot more emojis than I would have expected"
"That's what hanging around with Astra causes" Athena chuckled, expression softening into a gentle smile as she nudged her partner gently "Can you imagine what they're gonna be like if they ever do start actually dating?"
"I'm sure they made similar remarks about us" Zirconia retorted with a fond smile which quickly fizzled and faded away as she once again steeled herself for what could no longer be delayed, casting her mismatched gaze around the area the two of them had largely unintentionally found themselves in.
After being forced to explain away why she was so insistent upon speaking with her partner alone the Grasshopper Faunus had managed to prepare an impromptu lunch date and visit some the outlying sights of the festival which the two of them had not seen, a performance which Zirconia would have been proud of were it not for her current predicament.
Eventually however it had become obvious that the two of them would have to depart and she was still yet to muster up the courage to finally be entirely honest with the woman she loved; fortune had offered her one final chance to redeem herself however as the route the two had taken had carried them through some the Hive-Towers furthest from Neo Vale's centre, somewhat more luxurious especially in the mid-levels of the monolithic structure. As it had become apparent that they would not make it to their destination on time Athena had been the one to suggest that they stop at an artificial park of a moderate size that they had been passing, in order to watch the opening matches of the singles' round on a large screen which served as the focus of a temporary stage, around which several dozen people were clustered.
"So" Athena murmured as the pair lingered towards the rear of the ground, enjoying the towers' air conditioning and the moment of peace "You wanna tell me what's….Damn it, if I say bugging you then I've officially out-punned Aunt Yang"
"Huh?" was Zirconia's ineloquent reply. Her usual cultured, if rasping tones replaced by blank surprise.
"Come on Hops, I know you at least that well right?" Athena gave a playful pout before taking both of Zirconia's more delicate hands in her own and firmly meeting her gaze "So come on babe, talk to me….Something's been bothering you all day, you've looked nervous"
"It….This isn't how I wanted to have this conversation" Zirconia managed to breathe out after a moment of hesitation, honest in that much at least as she inwardly found herself wishing that Athena had not been so observant, yet at the same time realising that it was for the best as the Bear Faunus had pushed her to finally take action and put her in a position where she could delay no longer.
"It sounds serious" Athena's voice lowered and concern flashed across her pale features as she tightened her grasp on Zirconia's hands, reassuring and seeking reassurance in the same motion.
"It's not whatever you're thinking" Zirconia answered quickly, heading off whatever wrong-headed notion might occur to Athena in a deliberate effort to keep her calm enough to hear what followed.
"Okay" Athena gave a suddenly nervous smile which showed sharp teeth "I thought this was gonna be a repeat of me saying 'we need to talk', it's not that right?"
"Never" Zirconia "I promise you that, I love you AJ….It's about Damascus"
"I love you too Hops" Athena's voice was soothing and yet filled with obviously mounting worries, only for her features to morph into a slight frown which she went to some effort to hide "Is he okay?"
"He is" Zirconia nodded "But I need to talk to all of the team about this and I wanted to discuss this with you first….It's about the long term plan we discussed before, building something to one day replace Hunters. I know we had our concerns and disagreements after that interview was published but there's more to it; there's a lot more that I can only tell you parts of without showing you-"
"Hops" Athena spoke slowly, sapphire blues eyes widening a fraction as if she could see the frantic energy building within her partner "You're kinda worrying me here-"
"I can explain everything, I will explain everything….I should have done this already and I wish I'd been able to" Zirconia chided herself but fixed her partner with an almost manic expression, mismatched eyes bright and wild "But I need you trust me, can you promise me?"
"I-"
"LADIES, GENTLEMEN AND OTHERS! WELCOME TO ANOTHER SUNNY AFTERNOON IN NEW VALE….I AM YOUR HOST YANG XIAO LONG AND WE'RE HERE READY TO BEGIN THE SINGLES' ROUND OF THE VYTAL TOURNAMENT!" the voice of the blonde Huntress boomed through the park and despite themselves both Athena and Zirconia turned towards the screen that they had initially stopped at the park to watch the tournament on, being treated to sight of the small crowd gathering even closer than before and peering up at a screen which currently paired Yang's voice over with an aerial shot of the stadium.
Zirconia could easily pick out the places where Nero's followers would be positioned and felt her heart sink in her chest with the weight of a single, crushing realisation.
It was too late; Athena-Jade would learn the truth now.
The stadium was filled with a sense of excitement and liveliness which seemed to crackle and thrum in the air which Astra felt as though they had been steadily absorbing since their arrival, that energy alone going some way to keep the Deer Faunus from giving into nerves that even now threatened to overwhelm them in a way that remained distinct from any fight against the Creatures of Grimm or mission where lives were actually at risk.
Upon entering the stadium Astra had bid Regalia goodbye, the pair holding one another close but neither managing to muster the courage or giving into the temptation to kiss again and from there Astra had watched, briefly dazed as their partner had departed for the stands before they had found themselves summoned by officials involved in the running of the tournament.
Those who had qualified for the singles' rounds had been informed that they would be seated around the arena within a section of stands that had been largely screened off to prevent the press from crowding the area; though it had been explained to them that they could still be expected to be photographed and interviewed and that they should conduct themselves accordingly. With the explanation given there had been the matter of official paperwork, searches and drug tests and checks of any weapons or equipment the students planned to carry into the arena with them; something which allowed the various competitors from the various academies to mingle briefly and spark brief conversations largely centred around wishing one another luck or speculating on hypothetical matches, any hostility or potential rivalry being effectively dampened by the fact that nobody knew who it was that they might face.
Now Astra was in the partitioned off seating, every second stretching out into infinity with their heart thundering as they listened to Yang Xiao Long build the audiences' excitement to a fever pitch in preparation.
They sat towards the front of the stands close to the arena itself to narrow the distance they would have to traverse when called upon, the audience to the rear of them and yet hidden from one another's view and they were placed deliberately too far away from their peers to distract themselves with pleasantries; each of the competitors being spaced out largely evenly in a ring around the edge of the arena, each of them preparing themselves in their own ways and being aware, to various degrees of the fact that the camera crews broadcasting the event across Remnant could see them and were taking close up shots as they saw fit. Astra's method of occupying their mind consisted of scouring their fellow competitors for people they knew whilst also listening to Yang's announcements, which kept them jumping out of their seat and making a fool of themselves as the legendary woman's voice rose in intensity and was matched by the sheer force of the crowds' roaring cheer which seemed to shake the very air.
"AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO LET'S BEGIN, OUR OPENING MATCH FOR THE SINGLES ROUNDS OF THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE….." Yang trailed off, the entire world seeming wait with bated breath as Astra's eyes darted towards one of the many large screens around the arena showing two boxes joined by the word 'Versus', one box remaining blank whilst the other cycled through a blur of colour which Astra realised was the faces of potential fighters until finally stopping.
"STYGIAN BLUE OF HALO ACADEMY! MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE ARENA!" cheers filled the air again and the Mouse Faunus was visible in an instant, clearing the divider between the stands and the arena without using the stairs and designated access point and instead vaulting over railings before making a show of swaggering to the edge of the arena itself, bowing and posturing for an audience which loved every moment of a display which Astra themselves could not help but grin at.
"AND THEIR OPPONENT WILL BE!" Yang continued as Stygian reached where he needed to be, the remaining box on the screens beginning to blur and cycle through faces as its' predecessor had; coming to a halt before Astra could form a coherent thought and promptly aborting any attempt to do so.
"ASTRA MARS OF BREAKTIDE ACADEMY! MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE ARENA!"
"Holy shit….Holy shit, the opening match?" Astra whispered, taking only a moment to gather their wits before forcing themselves into motion in a way which was more rehearsed and automatic motion than true willpower; leaping the barrier in a powerful bound and striding with resolute determination towards their fate whilst trying to keep the maelstrom of thoughts rushing through their mind from showing to plainly. It was no small reassurance that the crowd seemed immensely encouraging and pleased with the Deer Faunus's presence, a chant of their own name reaching through the fog of Astra's own thoughts and whilst it was no true substitute for the absence of people they would have liked to be present it certainly helped; Astra consoled themselves with the knowledge that their parents were assuredly watching at home, that if Felix was unable to watch the match live due to his duties as a Hunter then he would watch a recording a soon as possible and that Athena and Zirconia were watching wherever they had found themselves and would make their way to the stadium soon, all of these facts being reinforced by the fact that Regalia was in the stands cheering them on.
That final thought saw them stand a little straighter and reach up to pop the collar of their sleeveless leather jacket before rolling their shoulders back; standing at the edge of the arena and focusing on what needed to be done.
"No hard feelings right?" they called out to Stygian, who made a show of brushing back their dreadlocks and sweeping the jacket which hung from their shoulders back as though it were a cape, the tattooed and dark skinned Mouse Faunus offering a bright and confidant smile in response.
"None at all….But y'know, it feels fitting" Stygian called across the arena "The kid from Vale who attends Breaktide against the guy from Menagerie attending Halo, it works. Weird how we met at the airship terminal before we ever knew each other"
"Huh yeah, I get your point" Astra conceded, realising now that the match had the makings of something truly epic; if the two had not been such good friends it could have been the conclusion of an immense rivalry, instead the audience would simply have to settle for a show of incredible skill between two students who both understood exactly how capable the other was.
"But still" Stygian's tone turned taunting and fierce now "No hard feelings"
"You're feeling that confidant?" Astra matched their opponents' tone, seeing the joking taunt for what it was.
"No terrain, no Dust deposits in the floor, no cover….No tricks. Just me and you in here" Stygian splayed their arms wide to gesture at the open expanse of arena which would not be replaced with anything more exotic before the battle commenced. Astra, still keeping track of how much time had passed allowed themselves to tune out the specifics of what Yang was explaining to the audience so that they could pay more close attention to the back and forth of the banter.
"Come on Stitch, as attempts to get me to open up about a plan go….That one was pretty weak"
"Nah, you haven't got a plan yet" Stygian laughed "You never start with one, all I've gotta do is put pressure on and stop you from being clever"
"Thanks for telling me, dumbass" Astra beamed, leaving Stygian cursing and his electric blue eyes blinking several times in rapid succession as he realised that he had given away too much. In truth the revelation of the broad strokes of their opponents' plan was no great shock to Astra as they aligned with what the Deer Faunus had already expected and had vague ideas in mind about how to counter.
Stygian's ability to teleport was a problem, however its' lack of finesse or versatility made it manageable and potentially exploitable; Astra expected that their opponent would try to seize the initiative early as Team HONY had and attempt to force them from the arena with a devastating opening, lacking ranged weapons Astra knew that Stygian would have to teleport to achieve this and intended to use their own guns as a counter, changing the designated danger that the Mouse Faunus teleported to into a location more in line with Astra's own plans.
Their planning was cut short however as Yang's voice changed in pitch and intensity once again, signalling that there was no more left to be said or done.
"AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO!" the blonde gave a dramatic pause "STYGIAN BLUE, REPRESENTING TEAM TRQS AND HALO ACADEMY OF NEW VALE AND ASTRA MARS, LEADER OF TEAM MARS, REPRESENTING BREAKTIDE ACADEMY OF MENAGERIE-"
The shielding flickered into life around the arena and the two teenagers shared almost feral glances as the thrill of the fight fell upon them to wash away all doubts.
"THREE!" Stygian drew Sharp Cheese in an agonisingly slow motion, twirling the katana with practised ease before adjusting their footing.
"TWO!" Astra unfurled Buckshot Ares and cycled their guns up, ready to fire at a moments' notice whilst discreetly looking for a useful place to redirect their opponent.
"ONE, BE-" Astra and Stygian had already sprung forward, the pair having both moved several paces before being brought to skidding halts by the realisation that Yang's voice had been cut off, replaced by sudden gasps and sound of confusion form the audience which gathered into an almost tangible thing and sent a wave of inexplicable panic through Astra's gut.
"I am sorry to interrupt what I'm certain would have been an eventful evening" a modulated, digitised and heavily distorted voice echoed through the stadium from countless angles and sources at once, suggesting that it was being broadcast from more than simply the stadiums' own screens.
"What the fuck" Stygian mouthed, Astra following his gaze upwards to see that on each of the screens was a lone figure, largely humanoid both comprised of and wreathed in shifting darkness which rendered the figure both wholly featureless and warping in a way that spoke of something broken and malfunctioning, the entire appearance being underscored by the apparent normalcy of the nondescript and inoffensive office from which the message was being broadcast.
"There are those amongst you who already know of me" the figure continued and Astra realised that they knew what the following words would be before they came "I am the one that many across Remnant have called 'The Benefactor' a figure lurking in the shadows, controlling thing for my own gain….Every projection is as they say an admission. I have never cared for the title, but I find it useful to appear before you all like this so that you know that what follows are not empty promises or lies"
The figure on the screens shifted and flickered, the darkness fading away and as the gasps from the crowd grew in volume Astra felt as though the floor had been ripped from beneath them.
"I am Chairman Damascus Nero of the Clara Die Novus Conglomerate" a brief pause as quartz coloured eyes hardened "Your heroes are unworthy of the power and the praise you give them….I am here to deliver you into a better, brighter new tomorrow"
Author's Notes:
Okay, okay….everyone take a deep breath, ready…..LET'S FUCKING GO!
This chapter is called 'The Moment' and it's obvious which moment I meant, but at the same time….There's a couple other moments that could have been 'the' moment.
We're three quarters of the way through Vol.06, there are four chapters left to go which will conclude not only this volume but also the entire second arc of the story….That's gonna work out as a three-part final battle followed by a 'wrap up' chapter that's probably gonna be about thirty percent larger than my average chapter.
You're welcome and get ready.
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
The big talk about their being no time left and the moment being upon them from characters getting ready for a tournament or dealing with a crush being juxtaposed against the enormity of what's about to happen is a deliberate choice.
Oh yeah AJ was definitely holding back some intrusive thoughts along the lines of "If you're scared then let me do it instead".
I actually haven't mentioned the fact that Zirconia plays violin for a while, I'd almost forgotten.
Look at these two fucking dorks.
Casually foreshadowing the Stygian Vs Astra match, just to fake it out.
Well well well, Hops is finally gonna suck it up and take the shot….That went well.
Hammerfall Outpost, I actually had to go back to Chapter 03 for a proper description of the place, but remember that Nero used Gestalt-Prime's attack on the place earlier in the story as a pretext to get their people on board and slowly take over most of the upkeep and operation.
Nero rolling up with the Path of the Apex Being flanking him and a Cyber-Grimm on the transport….See now he's really leaning into those villain vibes.
"Not one for public speaking" he said whilst preparing to make a villain speech which changes the world.
See Nero is a smart villain, he has plans and countermeasures and contingencies, he's not gonna get fucked over easily.
It seems fitting to bring back the Benefactor persona for one last show.
Qrow being happy….Fun, but never sustainable.
"It's not match-fixing it's a side bet" Nora fucking Valkyrie everyone.
Memory lane for Qrow, oof.
So Ren and Nora are great and you can also take their talk here as a sign that they're going to be involved in the finale.
Between the talk with Coco last chapter and the comment about her getting in touch Qrow later the stage was well and truly set.
Of course Astra is freaking out for this more than the other matches, they don't have back up or time to plan in advance…..Plans and big team combo moves are their thing.
And that's the difference between AJ and Astra, Astra actually drives and is used to living in a crowded city with a realistic idea of how long it takes to get to places, that's why Astra went ahead and AJ didn't.
Fare date, they didn't call it a date but it was totally a fare date….And the idea of Astra being a blushing mess when Regalia won them a plushy is great.
Also, initiation and Vol.01 callbacks.
"Unless I'm like the first match, maybe the one after it then it shouldn't really matter" Murphy, do you know them? They have a whole law about shit like this!
So that's how Astra interpreted Hops clearly wanting to get AJ alone and talking about having something special planned….Just gonna make that betrayal hurt everyone as much as possible.
"But if it was an action movie there'd have to be the cliché moment where the two leads kiss"….the FUCKING SMOOTHNESS.
And there you go, Scrap-metal is definitely a thing.
Well, the tournament definitely won't know what hit it.
Qrow is old as hell at this point and has earned the right to bitch that a converted stadium is not up to the standard he wants.
That was absolutely a reference to Dark Knight Rises and given what Qrow teaches it is appropriate.
Qrow and Yang's moment was fun to write but yeah, Qrow is old….Like if Yang is early 50s than Qrow is early 70s at the youngest at this point, Aura can only keep him functional for so long.
Yang & Ruby hosting the tournament would be amazing, but also minor oof about Penny definitely having some lasting trauma.
….Well then, Coco knows and is the appropriate amount of pissed.
So now Qrow knows that Zirconia is a double agent and that communications are likely compromised, which forces him to play it safe and that includes not communicating with the academy.
Not blindly going after Zirconia and not doing anything that could show their hand was smart, especially since Qrow doesn't actually know that the attack is imminent.
So remember how Zirconia planted something on the academy to give Nero an access point….remember how there's a bat winged Cyber-Grimm that I've teased….Qrow's not wrong about that imminent attack.
"Zirconia Shadowmoon was not where she needed to be" that's it, that's the statement.
So that's the broad strokes of the plan, broadcast as a signal, offer terms to the Kingdoms and then commence attack on Neo Vale at multiple points before falling back to Menagerie, where comms will be down due to the disabling of Hammerfall.
The idea was for Zirconia to lead a glorious revolution of defecting student Hunters….Abysmal failure on that score, almost like her heart wasn't in it.
The 'good luck' from Regalia, right in the fucking feels.
"I know you at least that well right?" fake laughter hiding real pain.
And she was so close to being able to say it as well….She would absolutely have broken down crying mid-talk but still, here it goes.
Okay in know in canon Vol.03 the fighters came out of changing rooms or whatever for their matches but it bugs me….The one on one fights are randomised, so it makes more sense for everyone to just be ready to go.
Astra is feeling all the feelings; also a good idea of where important people to them are: Team FADE won't be making a miraculous rescue, their parents are in the city somewhere, their team are scattered and Yang, their teacher who they look up to is above them.
I teased it and honestly it would have been a great cinematic showdown if it wasn't for the actual plot….Because it's like Stygian explained; there actually is some fun mirroring going on between them, even down to the red/blue dynamic.
And Astra goaded them into giving up the plan in a matter of seconds, well played.
I had no intentions of writing a fight between these two but for the scene to feel real I wanted it to play out as if it might, which includes Astra being Astra and working on a plan for a take-down….They really could be effective as part of Nero's anti-Hunter forces if they wanted to.
AND THERE IT FUCKING IS, THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!
"Every projection is as they say an admission"
Of course I left it on a cliffhanger, be serious now.
Thank you to MajorBrony95 for their review on the last chapter.
Well they were off by a few degrees...But now they've got it.
Oh yeah there's going to be trauma all round when this is all said and done, trust me the next few chapters are going to be a circus.
But yeah I guessed you'd like the Astra and Regalia moment, can't wait to hear your incoherent squealing at this one.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.