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Chapter 113: Pressure and Uncertainty
Morning came far too soon for Stygian, though as the Mouse Faunus yawned and bushed his dreadlocks out of field of vision whilst forcing himself into a sitting position he could at least appreciate the difference in quality of rest that came with having an actual bed to sleep in and warm blankets.
"Hey stitch, you alive? It's go time!" It was Astra's voice intruding upon his groggy haze and as he blinked and rubbed lingering sleep from his electric blue eyes Stygian finally felt the world come into focus and gain a level of clarity, enough for him to peer down at the Deer Faunus who had shaken him awake when the trilling of his alarm had proven insufficient. Astra peered up at him with the resigned steadfastness of someone who had awoken far too early but who had been awake for long enough for the initial eye-stinging fatigue to have subsided, something entirely in-line the fact that the leader of Team MARS preferred to be the first to rise so that they could claim the bathroom to shower and attend to their hair and make up, as Stygian threw the last of their own bedsheets away to reveal the shorts he slept in and much of his tattooed and muscular form Astra looked away, loosening their tie and popping their shirts' collar whilst Regalia offered a half-awake and mumbling greeting as she shuffled into the bathroom.
"Yeah I'm good man" Stygian finally answered as he slipped down onto the floor, padding across the dorm to recheck his belongings and ensure that he had the correct books and tools he would need for the day; using the time he would spend waiting for the shower to prepare with an efficiency which Tiger would have commended him for.
"Cool, cool….Sleep better?" Astra asked conversationally.
"Yeah….Took me a while to fall asleep though, this….her bunk" the Mouse Faunus answered slowly and haltingly, painfully aware that his words might come across as baseless paranoia or superstition.
"Pretty sure they checked for listening devices….Or bombs" Astra answered with a small snort, playfully enough for Stygian to know that it was only good natured teasing "Maybe we need to add some more personal touches….Completely redecorate or something"
"Yeah sure" Stygian matched the teasing tone "Put a screen up and some soundproofing so I'm not subjected to you and Regalia-"
"Hey, careful now Stitch you're getting dangerously close to a line there….And we never did settle up the issue of who'd win between us" Astra implemented all of the swaggering bravado they could muster for that particular retort and Stygian's only answer was a dismissive laugh as he waved them off, enjoying the moment before letting out a slow sigh and setting down the belongings he was checking before turning to face his friend and new team leader with a more serious expression as he leaned against the nearby writing desk.
"Nah but really though, being here and in Zirconia's bed with AJ right there made me think….I'm worried about her Astra, she's taking this really hard" the Mouse Faunus seemed to curl in on himself, his impressive stature hunkering down and his hairless tail coiling around him as his mind wandered towards the memory of the previous evening.
Athena-Jade had been the last of the team to return to the dormitory, once again waiting long enough that she could reasonably expect her room-mates to be asleep; only to find Stygian waiting for her. The Bear Faunus had brushed off her partners' attempt to check in with her and stated simply that she needed sleep, leading to Stygian struggling to find any rest as he lay above her and debating trying to push the issue as he wallowed in a supreme awkwardness that was at least, if Athena's incessant tossing and turning and mutterings were any indication mutual.
"Yeah I know" Astra' eyes were filled with a deep sadness "And I wish I knew what to say to her, but I feel like I'd be a hypocrite….'cos I spent all summer looking at Neo Vale and wanting to strangle Zirconia for being a part of what happened to my city, I'm not over it so how I can ask AJ to be okay?"
"None of us are okay" Stygian gave a bitter laugh though he kept his voice gentle, noting that Astra's voice rose a touch with the anger that simmered and bubbled beneath their words.
"No, we're not" Astra agreed "But you spoke to her yesterday, when you looked for her after hanging out with us….What did she say?"
"That she needs space and she's not really ready for a new partner" Stygian answered, it wasn't exactly a lie he reasoned and it kept the general idea of her tirade without the need for disclosing exactly what had been said; though the Mouse Faunus found his curiosity getting the better of him "She said to ask you what she used to be like, when she first got here?"
"Oh she was such a-" Astra trailed off, shaking their head silently and more for their own benefit than Stygian's "That's not….Okay it kinda fair I guess but I still don't wanna say it, it's complicated?"
"That bad?" Stygian arched an eyebrow.
"She's always had a lot of pressure on her and she's always ready to heap more on herself" the Deer Faunus sighed "And I get it, I've got a famous brother to measure up to but for her it was her whole family….She felt like she was letting people down and took it out on people in some pretty dumb ways when she felt that she hadn't achieved what she should have"
"That….honestly tracks" Stygian murmured, easily able to imagine such behaviour from the Bear Faunus he was still determined to consider a friend despite their most recent interactions.
"And I really don't know what to do….Last time it took a training accident to give her a wake up call, I really don't want it to get to that again" Stygian cocked his head in interest and confusion upon hearing that, noting that there was certainly an interesting story there and that it was one he had never been told before but ultimately one that he did not feel comfortable asking for the details of at that moment as he sensed that it would involve Zirconia Shadowmoon in some way, the traitorous predecessor whose spectre seemed to hang over them all. Instead he cast his lightning blue gaze around the dorm and asked a question which he quickly realised was obvious and should have been mentioned sooner.
"Where's AJ?"
"Meeting us for breakfast, she already headed out" Astra answered with a resigned sigh "She woke up around the same time as me; said she was gonna go for a quick workout session since we've got combat class again today and she doesn't want to be half asleep and not warmed up properly if Professor Altan calls her up"
"That makes sense" Stygian answered cautiously, unable to ignore a niggling, worrying suspicion "She didn't used to do that did right?"
"Are you kidding me?" Astra laughed "Trying to get AJ to wake up is a nightmare, she doesn't know that there are two fives in a day 'cos she's never seen five am before"
Stygian couldn't help but chuckle along with Astra upon hearing the answer but internally their worries only deepened as he was forced to conclude that Athena had made a choice to deliberately avoid him along with her other friends, changing her entire schedule and waking herself despite having had only a few hours sleep in order to do so.
It was a bad sign, but the Mouse Faunus remained determined all the same.
Damascus Nero's return to his base of operations at Jidhir Town had been heralded by a fresh bustling wave of activity and preparations.
Rest was a luxury he felt he could no longer afford to allow himself and so when he and those travelling with him had returned to the settlement late the previous evening the former Chairman had quickly sequestered himself away aboard the airship which served as his personal command centre and worked through what little had remained of the night and into the morning without sleep or distraction or complaint.
For several hours now Nero had been overseeing his larger operations and attending to shorter term plans and goals whilst paying some attention to his more long term objectives, those which would see his goals beyond simply implementing Cyber-Grimm backed forces across Remnant into fruition.
Specifically he was analysing the reports of goings on across Menagerie and specifically within its' untamed and monster-ridden wastelands through covert means which were currently limited but steadily growing as his ideas and influence spread, along with more freely available information such as the Kingdoms' own travel advice notifications, news reports and even social media posts so that he could create a more accurate picture of which routes and settlements were offered the most protection by Menagerie's Hunters now that Hammerfall Outpost was removed from the equation. With that information acquired it would be easier to identify those places and routes which had, out of unfeeling pragmatism been left with only a token defence, those being the next targets of his attention.
It wasn't enough to liberate places like Pikesreach, if he wished to be seen as an answer to the corruption of Hunters then he needed to be ready to defend the people.
In service of the larger picture the former chairman had also been reading and responding to reports and enquiries written exclusively in an inscrutable coded language which made his eyes itch and burn to even gaze at for any extended amount of time. Whilst his conglomerate had been seized and broken down, its' various component businesses sold or taken into the Kingdoms' own possession he still had enough loyal employees within them and people willing to serve as middlemen allowing him to repurchase his own belongings through various shells and proxies to ensure that his influence was still felt across the Kingdoms, albeit less keenly. The reports discussed mundane practicalities such as profits and shipments along with recruitment details of individuals who were either currently members of his growing faction or could be considered likely and useful prospects as well as more esoteric and secretive matters, blackmail material and opinions regarding how best to use it against the politicians and businessmen it pertained to, particulars' of the Kingdoms' ongoing efforts to hunt down Nero himself and stamp out the new order he was already bringing into existence; as well as potential leads and ideas regarding his ultimate goals.
Privately, in the deepest parts of his mind Nero could feel himself slipping.
Sitting alone aboard the dimly lit bridge of an airship, the gloom pierced by readouts from several screens' worth of covertly-obtained information was a stark metaphor, almost pointedly so and the notion forced Damascus to confront just how much like the conniving and shadowy figures like Qrow Branwen and his ilk he was being forced to behave. The realisation was one which certainly stung, but only served to spur Nero on as he cursed the names of those he sought to undo and firmly assured himself that he had been honest in his intentions from the beginning, in every public appearance he had stated that he planned to make Remnant better and his final broadcast from Hammerfall had detailed how he would go about it.
Yet even with his convictions strengthened by anger Nero found himself second-guessing his choices, becoming cautious as the weight of his position began to press upon him without the buffer that like-minded and truly trustworthy individuals with whom to converse had provided.
Gestalt-Prime and Aefen had designs and ambitions of their own which aligned with his own well enough for them to be useful but would still have to be handled with care and he had never been foolish enough to believe otherwise, this had been the reason for both their placement away from the main bulk of his forces and Zirconia's placement with them; the young woman he considered his daughter would have done well at his side as a force to keep him decent and stable however her particular skills were needed in Pikesreach. Albion had been, beyond his limited usefulness the last true friend and peer Neo had left and his absence left a void which no amount of replacement scientists bitter at the world or seeking a greater purpose could hope to fill whilst Carmesi Hueso was another problem altogether; Nero knew beyond a doubt that the Komodo Dragon Faunus was loyal, to ideals and a vision more than to Damascus as a person but his loyalty was a fierce and fiery thing which could easily be used to justify abominations in the name of victory.
As though summoned by the thought a heavy, metallic thud against the door of the bridge announced Carmesi's arrival.
"Enter" the former Chairman called out, allowing himself a weary chuckle at how like a ships' captain in some old science fiction show he suddenly felt as the entrance to bridge slide open with a faint whooshing sound.
"Don't track mud and dust in with you if you can help it please" Nero continued, the sigh that escaped him unintentionally becoming a yawn as he did so which prompted him to blink hastily and mentally retreat back to himself, away from the enormity of his work and the various aspects of it in order to realise how tired he truly was; the charismatic and debonair figure he had portrayed himself to the people of Pikesreach vanishing entirely to be replaced by a bleary-eyed, hunched and drained man who worked too hard, ate, slept and drank too little and was largely unfamiliar with sunlight. Carmesi by contrast was as burly and leathery as ever as he grunted in response, sitting his powerful and shirtless mass in a chair that had previously been the domain of the airships' first mate; pressing a plate of some food Nero couldn't readily identify into the older and more slender man's hands.
"Eat something. I didn't escape your daughters' complaining just to hear it again when you starve yourself to death"
"Let her grieve what she lost in her own way Carmesi….Not everyone takes strength from it the way you did" Nero retorted, though with more gentleness that either of the men expected before changing the topic "Is this….I can't even guess what this is, it's certainly not bacon"
"She's learning the realities; I spoke to her about it" Carmesi nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully before gesturing towards the plate "The eggs are fine, the meat is wasteland knuckle-hares….They're carnivorous"
"I see" Nero eyed the plate with some suspicion, after hearing so many reports from Carmesi and the late Major Grapeshot he was well aware of the uniquely aggressive and dangerous wildlife that had come to dwell on Menagerie after some lingering effect of Salem's influence changed species that were introduced to the island but still finding the image of flesh eating hares and rabbits a difficult one to contend with.
"Regardless" Nero shook himself, gently pushing the plate away as he focused "The new recruits from Jidhir Town….You've spent some time with them already, how long before you can have them functioning as a serviceable fighting force?"
"Most of the ones who came weren't from Pikesreach's fighter….caste?" Carmesi considered the word, disliking the taste it left in his mouth "They were kept regimented, everyone knowing their role and place and not much else….Maybe some of them were taught something as kids but we're largely working with blank slates. On the bright side we won't have to break them of bad habits like holding their guns sideways the way we did with the gang members. This will be the real beginning Mister Nero, a proper force"
"See to it that the former members of Neo' Vale's garrison assist you in training them" Nero instructed, choosing not to comment on Carmesi's lingering disgust for the former criminals who formed the foundation of their faction "It's a shame Team NUGT were left at Pikesreach to assist Zirconia, they would have been useful for this-"
"Is there a reason we're hurrying?" Carmesi asked, hellish red eyes filled with a sudden eagerness which contorted his scale-ridged features as wariness and eagerness fought one another.
"Without Aefen and Gestalt-Prime there are limits to the amount of new Cyber-Grimm variants that can be created of course, however the scientists we've acquired to fill the gaps left by Albion are proficient enough to keep producing the standard model" Nero explained "This would be a good time to get new recruits familiar with controlling the Cyber-Grimm, along with more basic training or use of any specialised equipment they've shown aptitude for….besides I want us to be ready to mobilise"
"You have a target in mind?" Carmesi leaned forward, interest piqued.
"Not a fixed point" Nero shook his head, voiced aloud the thoughts that had been circling in his own mind for some time "I want us to begin patrolling routes that the Kingdom of Menagerie lacks the resources to; we intercept Grimm or bandits operating in the area with out Cyber-Grim then pull back….We allow word to spread until eventually the Kingdom is forced to deal with us as we begin contracting our services to more and more of its' settlements and making its' Hunters obsolete"
"It will take some time" Carmesi stated flatly "These people aren't scum like Rowan or Petrol's people were, they shouldn't be sent out unprepared"
"Of course" Nero nodded in agreement, though his expression darkened in a way which made his quartz coloured eyes gleam all the more severely "But we should be ready nonetheless. I've noticed something in the reports of Grimm attacks across the wastes and in some other areas which Hunters will certainly have picked up on as well….The attacks aren't following usual migratory or hunting patterns, some of the Creatures of Grimm are moving with a degree of coordination and intelligence"
Carmesi let out a rumbling snarl at the thought of what might mean.
The day had reached a point which Athena-Jade Slate had been silently dreading and that sense of foreboding had been vindicated in short order and in the most aggravating ways possible. Specifically it was Combat Class taught by the always formidable Professor Altan, a lesson which Athena had previously enjoyed and excelled at; with her first time being called up to spar in front of her peers since the battle of Neo Vale, the first time she had been injured and the first time using her new weapon being made far worse by the Professors' decision to focus on coordination between partners.
Putting Athena-Jade and Stygian at a disadvantage which led to their current predicament of being soundly thrashed.
Diabla and Laser of Team WULF had been, in Athena's mind at least the worst possible opponents for herself and Stygian to be forced to face and the already challenging match-up had been made more difficult from its' outset by the fact that not only were she and Stygian entirely unready for such a challenge but also the fact that after another year of training together her opponents were even more dangerously in sync with one another than they had been the last time Athena had seen the two of them work.
"A little help here AJ!" Stygian's urgent request for assistance was punctuated by yells and the rushing roar of fire as Diabla continued her assault on the Mouse Faunus. It seemed that someone, Athena guessed it would have been Astra had clearly mentioned that Athena and Diabla had a history of sorts and so he had, in what was clearly intended to be a favour and show of friendship elected to take the brawler on; not realising that his lack of a ranged weapon and ability to teleport directly into danger would only play to Diabla's hands which had meant that from the moment the sparring match had begun she had been able to dictate the range and direction of the fight with careful uses of her Semblance-boosted blows and her flamethrower.
More importantly this left Athena to contend with Laser, who could temporarily steal her Semblance on contact and was far more practised at sword play than her.
"I'm a little busy!" she shot back, haphazardly flinging a glyph out in the general direction of the Mouse Faunus she still would not allow herself to think of as her partner in the hope that he would be able to use it to his advantage, perhaps weave around it and force Diabla to either halt or reposition long enough for him to seize some initiative. Stygian's plight quickly became of lesser importance however as Laser took advantage of her momentary distraction with his usual lack of sportsmanship and particular, roguish style of fighting.
"Heads' up!" the Vaccuan thief and scavenger taunted as he lunged and slashed at her, forcing Athena to block and parry relentlessly, struggling to adjust and balance Heartbreaker in her hands even as she swung and blocked whilst the chemically blonde young man she faced twirled Permadeath in its' katana form with far more speed and agility; striking from all angles but seeming to favour a flurry of downward stabs and slashes that saw his arms constantly raised.
Athena instinctively swung at his exposed midsection, cursing herself as she realised she had fallen for a ruse.
Laser leapt up onto her weapon and the retractable claws she knew the former denizen of the notorious Vaccuan Overspill kept hidden within his footwear were deployed, allowing him to balance perfectly and bring his blade down for a final slash which Athena managed to avoid by tucking her head; Laser once again took advantage of her forced distraction by violently unfurling his body out into a backflip which dragged the shorter teen through the air despite her far greater mass as she struggled to keep a hold of her new weapon until finally Laser released her to send her sailing towards the shielding enveloping the arena.
Athena refused to beaten however and had tricks of her own.
"Catch this!" she spat as she halted her fall with a conjured glyph, landing with poise and grace in a stance much like her mothers' usual style before quickly shifting to a wider stance as she shifted Heartbreaker into a laser cannon form that was far more familiar to her than the weapons' sword form. She was unable to see Laser's eyes beneath his signature opaque visor but from what was visible of his face she could tell that there had been a momentary flicker of panic as Athena took aim.
Only to be interrupted at the last minute.
"I'VE GOT HIM!" Stygian's triumphant yell rang out as he appeared out of thin air, empty space rippling like water and distorting as the Mouse Faunus's Semblance took effect and identified the most dangerous place in the vicinity as anything within Athena's line of fire.
"STITCH YOU IDIOT, NO!" She yelled, pulling Heartbreaker away and frantically taking her hand away from the weapons' trigger; watching helplessly as Laser expertly blocked Stygian's first two attacks with Sharp Cheese, motes of acidic green light already appearing around the Vaccuan's free hand before guttering out as they were reabsorbed into some unseen well of power.
"Mine" Laser declared with a chuckle as he reached out and grabbed Stygian, engaging his Semblance of 'Analogue Jacking'.
And promptly teleporting.
Athena's world exploded into pain as Laser used the pilfered Semblance to appear directly in front of her and land a punishing kick to her face which broke her concentration enough to leave her toppling to the ground as the glyph she was still standing on vanished.
"GET CLEAR!" it was Diabla's gruff bellowing that came next and Athena had barely reoriented herself before she was struck again, this time the brawler of Team WULF had closed in on Stygian and unleashed her 'Overachiever' Semblance in full force whilst the Mouse Faunus was still trying to come to terms with the feeling of having his Semblance borrowed. The end result of this opportunistic combined assault was that Stygian was struck in the gut with enough force to pitch him backwards across the sparring area into Athena, the two of them being slammed into the protective forcefield and left in a tangled heap on the floor whilst Diabla and Laser readied themselves for another attack.
"That's enough!" at the sound of Professor Altan's command the two representatives of Team WULF immediately ceased their advance, with Diabla snapping to attention in a fashion that reflected her years as a ward of the Atlesian military whilst Laser visibly sagged with exhaustion, sheathing his weapon before raising his visor to wipe sweat from his brow and offer the beaten half of Team MARS a thumbs up. Athena and Stygian were too busy untangling themselves with no small amount of jostling and trying to stand to immediately answer and as he rose to his his feet, offering a hand to his currently reluctant partner the dark-skinned and tattooed young man offered an opinion.
"That guy's Semblance is some bullshit, I would've appreciated a warning about that….Still, not bad for a first effort right?" Athena swatted the proffered hand away as she remained in a crouch, her efforts to catch her breath and recover from both the effort and indignity of the defeat being hampered by the influx of sound rushing in now that the shields had been lowered.
She could hear her classmates gossiping, their pointed asides about her performance, the whispers and the laughter.
"FUCKING DAMN IT!" her glove fist struck the floor with an impact which shook the ground and immediately earned her the attention of her teacher.
"Enough Slate, conduct yourself properly in my arena!" Athena-Jade's blood ran cold as fierce golden eyes fell on her.
"Yes Professor, I'm sorry" she murmured, eyes downcast and steadfastly refusing to meet the gaze of her peers or the professor as she rose to her feet"
"Mister Greenback, Miss Fuego return to your seats unless you need medical attention. Miss Slate, Mister Blue….A moment" Arslan waited a moment for her instructions to be followed before dropping her voice as she turned her focus to Athena-Jade and Stygian "That was not to the usual standards I expect from my students-"
"I'm sorry Professor, I was caught off caught" Stygian apologised with clear sincerity.
"Likewise" Athena added, still refusing to meet the eyes that were on her "I wasn't at my best, I've been trying to change my workout schedule-"
"There is a line between justification and excuses, allow me to stop you while you're still on the right side of it" Arslan interjected pointedly "Your situation is a unique one and one which I do not envy. Having to change partners at this point in your training is frankly dangerous, if this had been a real fight you could have been killed by any halfway capable opponent as your tripped over each other-"
"I apologise, it won't happen again" Athena fought to keep her voice even despite the deluge of emotions fighting to crack it and reduce her to a raging, sobbing mess.
"It will if things continue like that" Arslan answered bluntly before allowing her tone to soften into something far more gentle than Athena had heard from her before, something one could imagine the teacher having used with her own child "I am being understanding and I am trying my best to help you. Slate I understand that you are struggling for legitimate reasons, you don't look well rested, you're using a new weapon in addition to working with a new partner and I can see your scars easily enough even if I wasn't already aware of the fact you were recently injured; I have a reputation but I'm not unreasonable or a monster"
"Do we have to make up for the bad performance?" Stygian asked carefully.
"I'd like to hope that the performance was it's own punishment and that you're both eager to give a better showing" Arslan countered "With that in mind I am going to provide extra tuition and training to the two of you; I know that both of you are capable as individuals but you both know that your ability to work as more than an individual is important. You will meet me for training every Saturday morning for training until I am satisfied with your progress; I expect a level of dedication that reflects the fact I do not live on campus and am taking on additional work"
"Thank you Professor" Stygian answered, his expression a picture of mixed feelings as he tried to reconcile his obvious annoyance at the loss of his Saturday morning with an eagerness to once again train and fight at the level he had as part of Team TRQS.
"Professor Altan, you don't have to-"
"Miss Slate this may not be a punishment but I assure that it is not voluntary either. You will be present on Saturday morning" Arslan's tone and icy gaze brooked no argument "Now, return to your seats"
"Yes professor" Athena and Stygian chorused before turning and trudging from the arena-like stage to the rows of ascending seats where Astra and Regalia waited for them; the Mouse Faunus trying to catch his partners' eye and debating making an attempt at conversation only to decide against the idea after a single glimpse of her stormy expression.
For her part Athena simply tried to focus intently enough on the next pairs of students to be called up for their sparring match that nothing else could intrude upon her steadily darkening and spiralling thoughts until she was dragged from her self-imposed isolation by Astra and Regalia's insistent efforts to talk to her and assure her that the loss had not been as bad as she feared.
It was a welcome feeling of warmth, no matter how much she tried to deny herself their company and not only because it allowed her to ignore the whisperings which was certain continued even now.
Given all that had transpired there in recent days it had seemed inevitable that the Creatures of Grimm would eventually turn their hungry and malevolent attentions towards Pikesreach and so its' remaining defenders, bolstered by those who had claimed to be liberators had prepared and lain in wait for the expected monsters.
Finally they had come.
"GET THE FARMERS BACK BEHIND THE WALLS! WE NEED TO FORM A CLEAR PATH!" The Grasshopper Faunus called out as she brought Sunriser Cain down onto the spine of a Beowolf larger and more muscular than the rangy and emaciated examples that could often be found on Menagerie.
"WORKING ON IT, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Nugget of Team NUGT shot back from some distance away, the Chicken Faunus's retort almost lost beneath the booming report of his shotgun as it tore into the skull of another Grimm all whilst his team-mates spread themselves thin to create a barrier between the largest group of Pikesreach's farmers and the packs of incoming monsters; something in his tone making it clear he was unhappy with the idea of being officially placed under Zirconia's command and seeing it as blatant favouritism and nepotism.
The immature tantrums of the former student Hunter were something Zirconia found herself unable to contend with as she used the brief moment of respite available to her to scan her surroundings and take stock of the incoming attack, realising almost immediately that something was amiss. There were multiple varieties of Grimm present acting with a level of coordination and purpose which seemed far greater than simple murderous hunger; the first sign of the monsters had been a flock of Scree whose vulture-like forms had been reduced to mist and fragments by the settlements' wall-mounted artillery only for those same guns to be targeted by return fire from a herd Boomers, lumbering Saurian Grimm with streamlined, crested skulls who unleashed devastating ranged attacks capable of tearing smaller aircraft out of the sky and it was from behind these walking artillery pieces that the lupine horrors currently assaulting them had emerged, determinedly skulking and creeping towards the gates of Pikesreach at a pace which had startled towns defenders both native and those who had recently arrived alike.
Though the Cyber-Grimm were certainly making their presence felt.
Zirconia heard a triumphant cheer go up through the defenders ranks as one of the monstrous amalgamations of flesh and metal rocketed forwards into a cluster of Beowolves and began tearing them asunder, it's thorax-mounted horn skewering one of Grimm through the chest whilst its' powerful arms allowed it to tear bodies apart with contemptuous ease; the sense of victory was short lived however as one the remaining Boomers opened fire and blasted a hand-sized hole into the armoured flank of the Cyber-Grimm, the dinosaur Grimm letting out a triumphant and trumpeting call which urged its' fellow monsters onwards even as the remaining Cyber-Grimm began aiming their laser weapons.
The resulting exchange of fire forced Zirconia, along with Team NUGT and every other fighter currently out in the open to throw themselves to the ground and drag any nearby civilians down with them as the Grimm and Cyber-Grimm reduced the farmlands into a killing field.
"WHERE'S GESTALT-PRIME?" Zirconia demanded frantically as she skulked forwards, low to the ground and cautious as she advanced the Grimm with a sneaking suspicion as to what might be making them act so decisively.
"Hunkered down on top of Doctor Cruor's lab whilst the two Shroud variants cover the hold in case people have to fall back!" the answer came from a former garrison fighter who Zirconia had never spoke to, the tough-looking woman in the midst of pulverising a Grimm with the butt of a rifle in an impressive display of force and serving as proof of Nero's vision, that the people of Remnant were capable of being their own protectors. The answer made Zirconia grimace beneath her mask however, terrifying as the Alpha Cyber-Grimm was their presence would have been welcomed on the battlefield and yet the Grasshopper Faunus could see the logic of their current course of action even if something about the Alpha's placement did set her nerves on edge. Instead she simply grit her teeth and called out again, painfully aware that she was giving away her position as she did so.
"Let the Man-eater loose!" she yelled "Have it rip into their backlines and take out those Boomers, then converge on my position!"
"It's not meant for taking down-"
"That's an order!" Zirconia's usual dignified, if rasping tone was replaced by snappish fervour as she broke out of cover and simply charged with Sunriser Cain at the ready; out of the corner of her eye she saw a flurry of movement as her instructions were followed and the many-limbed, serpentine Cyber-Grimm variant which even she was unnerved by was turned loose onto the battlefield though there was no time to focus on that as her sudden reappearance drew the attention of a trio of Beowolves who quickly came bounding towards her.
'Hard-light, lightning!' her weapons' synthetic voice announced her attack as she pivoted and slashed to send arc of expanding, solidified light rushing outwards with its' entire outer surface crackling with electricity which cleaved through the body of the lead Beowolf and into the legs of a second as it pounced over the attack whilst the third dipped below it. Zirconia had the advantage now however and sprung forwards with blinding speed to strike at the remaining monsters whilst they were still forced into positions from which they could not defend themselves.
A moment later the roguish fighter was once again stood amidst the fading mist and darkness of felled Grimm.
Casting her eyes around the battlefield again she saw that the monsters were being pushed back more effectively now, the Man-Eater had managed to reach the herd of Boomers and was in the midst of scaling their armoured hides, ripping and tearing until each Grimm to fall victim to it was eviscerated in turn. Eventually one of the lumbering and brutish beasts managed to throw the Man-Eater aside and trample its' segmented body enough to keep it from immediately rising and yet Zirconia could not find it in herself to be concerned; she disliked that particular Cyber-Grimm on an instinctual level. Moreover the distraction that the Man-eater had caused had allowed for Team NUGT to more effectively target the other Grimm in the area and begin moving forwards whilst Cyber-Grimm and wall-mounted weapons of Pikesreach continued to lay down withering fire.
And yet still Zirconia had not found what she was looking for.
"HELP ME!" a terrified scream split the air and she was in motion, her search for the source of the Grimm's coordination and precision forgotten as sprinted across crater-ridden mud where debris from the taking of Pikesreach could still be found and deeper into fields of crops until she came across a lone inhabitant of the settlement; a woman of perhaps middle age, a dark-skinned Faunus with shorn hair and additional tattoos alongside the ones identifying her as one of the farmhands being stalked by none other than the very Grimm Zirconia had been hoping to find.
An Alpha Beowulf.
'Hard-light, gravity!' Sunriser Cain declared, pivoting gracefully around the stricken woman in order to find a better angle of attack as the combination of Dust varieties sent a lancing beam of cyan light streaking forth to skewer the lupine monster, larger and more muscular than its' kin and encased in bony carapace armour littered with far more spikes; her attack pierced its' right shoulder and left the Grimm yelping in pain with its' forelimb hanging limp and twitching uncertainty. Zirconia and the Alpha circled one another until the Grimm, choosing self preservation over mindless violence in a display of intelligence that was rare amongst the Grimm turned and fled; howling as it did so with a long and mournful note which served as a signal for the remaining monsters to turn tail and join it. Zirconia shifted her weapon into its' ranged form and snapped off a short burst of almost perfunctory shots a the back of the monster before letting out a sigh of relief.
"Is there anybody else here? Anybody wounded?" she found herself asking, words businesslike in a way which reminded her of Nero as she turned to face the Faunus woman; seeing that she was unharmed and was already managing to steady her breathing.
"They left me. I expected as much" she answered bluntly, the words rocked Zirconia to her core and left her mismatched eyes blinking in blank surprise for a moment before she answered.
"Your people left you for the Grimm?….How could they do that?"
"I have no friends here" the woman snorted and shook her head "That's a feeling your people should get used to….Especially you young lady; I can't help but notice that you give the orders but nobody watches your back, you're as alone here as I am"
Where before Zirconia was simply shocked now she was chilled and uneasy at the casual acknowledgement of a reality that she had seen the moment Nero had instructed her to remain behind and be his eyes and ears; namely that with the people of Pikesreach having little trust for their supposed liberators, Aefen and Gestalt-Prime being untrustworthy and Team NUGT almost certainly having plans to climb the ranks and make a power play after joining what they felt was the winning side in the coming conflicts Zirconia was truly bereft of any allies of support.
After two years as a part of Team MARZ it was a frightening prospect and Zirconia swallowed thickly as she felt, once again that she would give anything to have her friends with her.
"We should move, get everyone back behind the walls" Zirconia stated matter-of-factly, pushing her worries aside.
"That we should" the older woman nodded "I've lived here long enough to know how Grimm attack, that one felt different….They were too damn clever about it"
"They were led by an Alpha, nothing that our Cyber-Grimm can't handle and that's a level of Protection Mister Nero will be offering to everyone all across Remnant" Zirconia felt as though she were reciting from a script, or more accurately a product handbook as she answered the thinly veiled criticism and accusation; no doubt the Faunus woman with the shaven head was one of many who would see the arrival of Grimm as a direct consequence of the recent violence.
Though Zirconia was not so sure and mentally filed the prospect of intelligent Grimm away with all of the other concerns she would relay to her father figure at the first opportunity.
After a double period one of their respective elective subjects and a welcome and much-needed lunch break to follow their combat class the Third Year students of Breaktide Academy were scheduled for a double period in the workshop and forges, overseen by Professor Scarlatina as they either made modifications and improvements to their weapons or undertook routine repairs and maintenance following their earlier combat training before their final lesson of the day.
For Regalia Russet it was a refreshing, comforting and almost therapeutic experience.
The Racoon Faunus had, as much as possible given the circumstances enjoyed her time away from the life of a Hunter and her relatively brief return to Clan Aiktishaf where she had found herself more at peace and comfortable amongst her own people than she had since she had been a child, the knowledge that she was becoming the person she had always wanted to be instilling her with an easy confidence that had left even the most sour and surly of the clans' grizzled warriors and elders marvelling at her growth whilst curious children had flocked around her to hear the stories she told.
The fact remained however that whilst she might love her people and her home dearly it was no longer the place she felt she was supposed to be; that honour belonged to Breaktide Academy, or more accurately wherever her friends might be and the contentedness that came with having returned to them combined with being able to tinker and work with tools that Clan Aiktishaf simply did not have access to without having to trade and bargain in fleeting visits to Menagerie's various settlements was a welcome thing; almost enough for her to be able to overlook the obvious problem that her team and thus the life she had carved out for herself amongst the Hunters she had always idolised was no longer what it had been.
Zirconia Shadowmoon had always a quiet and reserved presence but her absence, even with Stygian in her stead might as well have been a ringing clarion call.
"Hey, you okay?" Astra's voice coincided with a gentle tap against her upper arm as her partner leaned in close to gently adjust her grip on the small jerry can of oil she was holding before she could accidentally overfill the internal mechanisms of Apex Scavenger to the point of spillage.
"Heh, sorry I zoned out a little bit….Just thinking about things" she answered with a forced chirpiness which Astra saw through plainly, her partner, friend and other things which were still yet to be properly discussed and defined studied her expression for a moment then gave a surreptitious glance around to ensure that Professor Scarlatina was not watching them too closely before leaning in and planting a brief kiss on her cheek, letting their hand drift down to hers as they asked.
"Wanna talk about it?" Regalia fidgeted and shuffled happily at the contact, cheeks flushing at the audacity of it. Truthfully doubts and uncertainties about how things might progress with Astra in the wake of everything that had been said and done in Neo Vale had troubled Regalia during their time apart and whilst they were far from the largest or most important of problems the fact that her worst fears had failed to materialise and things were instead going smoothly gave her some hope that her other problems could be tackled as well. With that in mind she chose her words carefully and spoke.
"I was just thinking about Zirconia" she admitted "We can't pretend that nothing's changed and it still feels strange that she's not here and….I never had friends like you guys before, am I strange for wanting to talk to her again; even if it was only so I could ask her how she could do everything she did, or if there was anything we could have done to make her stay?"
"No, it's not weird" Astra answered, clearly swallowing a lump in their throat and screwing their eyes shut for a moment "I spent the whole summer going between wondering if it would be worth it to try and call her, just in case she hasn't ditched her scroll and wanting to strangle her every time I looked at her number or a photo with her in it….I hope wherever she is she can't sleep at night or look in the mirror, 'cos fuck her"
"Does being angry help?" Regalia asked, cocking her head and giving Astra an inquisitive look; she had suspected that fury would have been their preferred way of dealing with the pain and loss of betrayal but to hear it so openly had surprised her.
"Sometimes….Not right now though" Astra admitted with a bitter, almost watery chuckle before both they and Regalia seemed to realise in the same moment what might help and gently pulled one another into a tight hug.
Until the two of them were given a rude reminder that they were in class and that the workshop was a public place.
"Break it up you two" Stygian's voice was loud enough to draw attention and a wave of snickers from the rest of the class as the Mouse Faunus returned and took his place at the workbench that the team had been sharing, setting down his katana and opening up the mechanism in its' pommel and grip which allowed Dust to fed into its' blade so that its' workings could be cleaned. Astra's response to the mild and deserved teasing was a calm and dismissive rude hang-gesture at odds with the slight colouring of their cheeks whilst Regalia wrung their hands together nervously and self-consciously and their bushy tail jolted upright behind them as she sprung into a bout of chattering to cover her nerves.
It turned out that being caught in a mildly compromising position was exactly as embarrassing as the movies made it out to be.
"Heh, sorry we were just talking about stuff and we should have been including you; I remember when I was new at Breaktide and wasn't friends with everybody yet….Ooh, ooh can I look? Please? I've never actually seen how your sword works"
"Uh, sure" Stygian nodded, tilting the entire weapon so that the inquisitive Racoon Faunus could better see "It's honestly simple….A few of the Hunters at Pikesreach had backup weapons like this, or similar tricks worked into their armour; the alloy that makes the blade is the only special part"
"Mined out of the Eastern Fringe right?" Regalia asked "My people have never been out that far….Or not that I can remember, so not for a long time"
"Honestly it's just a little crazy to me that the two of you are both from Menagerie, outside of the settlements and your lives and backgrounds are so different; like, this is the smallest Kingdom by far and it's like three different worlds at least" Astra mused, unable to keep themselves from voicing the thought as it occurred to them even if they would have been content to simply watch and listen; Stygian was interesting and Regalia was, in Astra's opinion utterly mesmerising when her curiosity and determination were given a chance to run free.
"Guess we'll have to a whole team bonding thing then, get us all on the same page" Stygian snorted, the comment clearly meant jokingly though almost the moment the words left his lips he found himself pulling back and giving them more serious consideration just as Astra and Regalia did, with the former nomad being the first to voice an opinion they all shared.
"That sounds great, we'll have to go into the city; all four of us….You're gonna love Port Alistair, it's like the best part of everywhere all in one"
"It'll have to be an evening thing though. AJ and I have got an extra class with Professor Altan….And you guys could've warned me about how scary she is" Stygian answered, before pausing and giving Astra a sly but comically overblown wink as he added "But that gives you two time to hang out on your own, talk things out and-"
"Yeah" Astra cut him off, all at once rising to the obvious bait and challenge, sparing Regalia from any teasing that might leave her feeling awkward and uncomfortable and genuinely finding themselves smiling at the thought "Hey Regalia, date in the city on Saturday then a whole team hangout afterwards?"
Regalia was left sputtering with flushed cheeks as she struggled to find a suitable movie quip to convey just how much she approved of the idea.
Stygian took a moment to enjoy the scene before him, steadily finding his footing within the dynamics of this new team and enjoying their company as much as he had at Halo Academy; though he was unable to keep his electric blue eyes from wandering over to another table towards a far corner of the workshop where his own partner was hunched over a weapon which had been stripped down only a short while ago but was currently almost fully reassembled.
"Does AJ normally work on her own?" a sudden awkwardness filled the air which gave the Mouse Faunus his answer and left him wishing he hadn't asked the question at all.
"She did say that her new weapon takes up a lot of space, especially since there might still be some bugs for her to work out of it" Regalia answered hesitantly "And maybe some of the tools she needed are over there?"
"And maybe she didn't pay attention when I spoke to her yesterday" the edge to Astra's voice passed swiftly from annoyed to dangerous as the Deer Faunus took a single step forwards only to be halted by both Stygian and Regalia.
"I've got this man" the Mouse Faunus offered
"Nah, I'm supposed to be team leader. I need to handle this" Astra countered, forcing themselves to take a steadying breath and consider the situation "This isn't good for any of us, it isn't good for her"
"Just make sure she understands that you're worried about her and not angry" Regalia warned "She's looked scared since we came back"
Those last words gave Astra pause and they took a moment to unclench their fists and think back to every brief and stilted interaction that had managed to force Athena to engage in since Team MARS had first regrouped as a whole, realising that the Bear Faunus's initial flight should have been treated with more urgency.
Without wasting another moment Astra made their way across the workshop, mind racing as they went as they tried to figure out exactly what they would say.
They had already allowed one catastrophe to come to fruition under their leadership without ever seeing it, they would not forgive themselves for another mistake.
Cleaning the internal workings of Heartbreaker and examining the newly tested weapon for undue signs of stress or damage would have been a demanding task under any circumstances, doing so with hands that trembled faintly but incessantly and breathing which had become so shallow that it bordered on hyperventilation and left her with a faintly dizzy feeling and a ringing in her ears however was a truly torturous ordeal.
Athena had been dreading a visit to the workshop, so much so that she had given very serious consideration to faking illness to avoid it.
She had explained her choice to work alone and at a separate workbench to Regalia when asked in passing, make sure to give a reason that would be believable and understandable to the Racoon Faunus whose feelings she genuinely had no desire to hurt and who was clearly trying to cope with everything that had happened to the team in her own way, which presumably involved gathering her remaining friends as close to her as possible; something entirely, but regrettably incompatible with Athena's own desire to hide herself away. The reasons she had offered had been hastily constructed lies and she suspected that her team-mates would recognise them as such, with her real reasons for retreating into the furthest, most reclusive corner of the workshop being twofold; the first reason was her ongoing refusal to acknowledge Stygian Blue any more than was strictly necessary, a refusal to allow herself to be hurt by making the same perceived mistake again.
The second reason made herself known a moment later, approaching undetected through a combination of habits formed through years of training and Athena's own distraction.
"This is a really interesting design….I was looking at it while you had the casing off, I hope you don't mind" Professor Velvet Scarlatina noted conversationally, the middle-aged Rabbit Faunus leaning against the edge of Athena's work bench and gesturing to the weapon; small grease and oil stains having spattered both her cheek and the brown overalls she was currently wearing.
"N-Not at all Professor" Athena gulped and stammered, quickly finding something to occupy her hands so that their shaking would be less visible and settling on using a rag to clean them despite the gloves she still wore.
"The internals are a little crowded, lots of extra hidden mechanisms in there….Definitely effective though" Velvet continued, her rabbit ears flopping slightly as she spoke with the severed one moving more slowly. Her expression softened a little as she added "Yatsu mentioned that you didn't hang around to wait for him after what happened at the airship terminal….Naturally your meetings with the Student Counsellor are confidential but he asked to remind you that his door his always open and also that you will almost certainly be required to speak to him at some point in the near future"
"I-um, yes Professor of course" Athena nodded as much as possible whilst also keeping her head firmly down.
"Are you okay Athena?" Velvet asked, peering curiously at her student who continued to look anywhere but at the older moment and gave another shaky, half-nod.
"Yes professor, I'm fine professor"
"I'm here if you need to talk" Velvet offered kindly, sensing that pushing the issue further would be unwise and unhelpful and instead walking away to monitor other students who were more than capable of working alone and sign off of requisitions for parts and materials. With the Rabbit Faunus gone Athena let out the breath she had been holding in a wavering, quickly muffled and choked gasp before gripping the edge of the workbench firmly to keep herself from sinking to the floor with the way her legs shook.
She had heard the whisperings and mutterings from her peers already, she had seen the articles which gave way to conspiracies over the summer and so she understood the level of distrusted that she was being regarded with; the idea that she had been entirely unaware of who and what Zirconia was seemed to absurd to give credence to for most people and the snowy-haired Bear Faunus had realised that of all the people to treat her with suspicious contempt the founders of Breaktide, Coco, Velvet and Yatsuhashi had the most reason.
Zirconia had half-killed their son.
Setting down the rag Athena took a few steadying breaths and began making final checks to Heartbreaker, making sure that its' outer cowling was sealed properly before preparing to put away the tools she had used to maintain it, ensuring that her own equipment and that which belonged to the academy were kept apart and that everything was accounted for before she began cleaning, polishing and repainting the weapon to keep it pristine. As she did this the Bear Faunus found her sapphire blue eyes narrowing a fraction as she peered around the workshop, fighting the urge to glare and snarl at every person she caught casting their eyes in her direction; managing to soothe her paranoia by reasoning that they were currently more likely to simply be deriding her behind her back for her performance in combat class or wondering about her new partner than to be casting aspersions.
Though the sight of Astra approaching with a look of steely determination left her bracing herself physically and mentally.
"Okay so level with me AJ" the Deer Faunus gave her a conspiratorial wink and a smirk brimming with faux confidence as they propped their elbows against the edge of the bench and leaned in beside her "Has Stitch done or said something that crosses a line? 'cos if he has I'll go and smack his face off right here in front of the whole class"
"What?" Athena demanded, choking the word out at a volume that drew unwanted attention. Astra remained silent until the eyes and hopefully the ears of their peers were once again directed elsewhere, keeping up a brittle illusion of collected calmness the whole time.
"He said that the two of you had a talk while you were training after class yesterday and I'm not stupid; don't laugh" Astra paused and gave her a pointed look "I know that he didn't tell me everything that was said, so now I'm trying to figure out if he's covering for you or himself….Like I said, if he said or did anything then-"
"He didn't" Athena interjected firmly. Despite her own dilemmas she had no desire to see the Mouse Faunus hurt, nor did she want to see her friends in trouble and she had no doubts that Astra would keep their word and make good on their promise if asked. Upon hearing her answer however the Deer Faunus's sea-green eyes hardened as they let out a sigh.
"So then how about you tell me what's going on"
"I don't-"
"AJ come on, be serious with me" her team leader interjected before she could begin her excuses "We spoke over the summer, I know you're not okay but avoiding us and running yourself into the floor isn't gonna help….Stygian doesn't deserve the shit you're giving him, I already asked you to apologise and try working things out once. If you're worried about me and Regalia being overly touchy in the dorms or common rooms then-"
"It's not-" Athena ran her hands through hair that was still tied back, realising as she did so that any grease on her gloves would be starkly visible against the white of her hair "I just want to be left alone, by everyone"
Astra made an effort to hide the hurt look on their face as they took a moment to carefully consider their next words.
"Okay. You need space after what happened, I get that but for what it's worth I think you should talk to someone….You're not holding up AJ, worse than the rest of us"
"Astra-"
"No, listen to me. Outside of Regalia you're my best friend and you know I'll do anything for you right?" the initial firmness in Astra's tone fell away to something equal parts pleading and sympathetic before regaining its' irrefutable steel "But I'm also the leader of this team and this team needs you, so do what you need to and avoid us all if you think it'll make you feel better but in class you're one of us and I'm gonna need you to act like it. You're sitting with us in classes and working with Stygian whenever we need to pair up, I'm not asking"
With that Astra closed Athena's toolbox and the Bear Faunus watched in silent, bubbling anger as watched her friend take her belongings back with them to the desk the rest of Team MARS were working out whilst Regalia and Stygian cast nervous glances between the two of them.
The sound of the fabric of her gloves creaking cut through Athena's building fury before she could act on it in a way which would have consequences later and instead she began putting away the equipment belonging to the academy and reflected on the situation; the knowledge that she was the one putting Astra in a difficult position leaving an uncomfortable squirming feeling in her gut and making the bluntness of their brief intervention more palatable to her.
Though simply telling herself that she deserved it only seemed to feed into her other insecurities.
As she hefted Heartbreaker and the cleaning supplies and made her way over to her team-mates she found herself once again giving serious consideration to absconding from the next class, and idea hat was almost foreign to her and left a voice very much like her mothers' berating her from the back of her mind and yet even this could not wash away the appeal of simply being somewhere that her troubles were not.
Though the idea was halted in its' tracks by the realisation that the final lesson of the day was Grimm Studies, a class that was compulsory, vital to her training and most importantly of all taught by her Aunt Ruby who would certainly notice her absence.
By the time the sun set on Pikesreach the last lingering evidence of the days' violence had been all but swept away.
The fact that an attack of such size and coordination, from Grimm behaving like marauding bandits and showing tactical prowess rather than simply throwing themselves at the walls of the settlement like frenzied and mindless animals could not only be halted with relative ease by those who had invaded Pikesreach and called themselves its' liberators, but also that the newcomers could repair so quickly and offer a better degree of medical attention to the impressively few wounded fighters had caused a palpable change in the atmosphere of Pikesreach.
Sheer stoic pragmatism triumphed where guttering embers of hope could not and gave many of those who had been in quiet, simmering defiance of those who had brought monsters to their gates to falter in their beliefs and those who had been simply ambivalent to not only see the benefits of the future Damascus Nero and his people had spoken of but also the contrast between it and their former leadership. The conclave of Hunters to whom all of Pikesreach had previously answered had been capable to be sure, each of them having felled hundreds of Grimm in the living memory of the settlements' inhabitants but their word had been absolute and their vision had been limited; forcing Pikesreach to a stagnate and its' people to endure conditions which the human soul naturally railed against with the only option being to flee and hope one survived the wasteland, a route which had consequences for those left behind. Thus far Nero's allies and followers had already proven themselves to be more forward thinking and well-rounded as people than those Hunters, with their own warriors not only cutting down the Grimm but also helping with repairs and even beginning to design improvements and expansions for the settlement so that it would continue to prosper even after their promised departure; all of this being offered in exchange for willing fighters to be trained and other services which had involved very little of significance.
At least not yet.
Aefen Cruor had taken one of the larger buildings' within Pikesreach for herself, it had initially been intended as some part of key infrastructure for a settlement that existed as part of a larger network, perhaps a CCT relay however once Pikesreach had begun to break away from the fledgling Kingdom of Menagerie one of its' ruling Hunters had taken the place for themselves; its' size combined with the archaic, castle-like architecture that the settlement favoured along with the state of gloomy disrepair that it had been allowed to fall into suiting her personal tastes.
In addition to comfortable living quarters and space for separate workspaces for various projects the building had been large enough for a much smaller and simplified version of the Furnace to be constructed and whilst it would not be suitable to mass-producing new Cyber-Grimm of the standard model or other tested and proven variants to anything close to the same extent as Nero's main base in Jidhir Town it would serve as a means to repair or recycle Cyber-Grimm that had been damaged defending their outpost, as well acting as a research facility where the exiled scientist turned cult leader could develop her ideas.
Currently Aefen paced around the place with hands clasped behind her back, absently twirling her skull-topped cane as she did so and debating donning her mask which currently sat on the nearest workbench if only to complete the image in her own mind.
"This one was damaged by the ranged Grimm" Gestalt-Prime's smooth but unspeakably menacing tones intruded on Aefen's musings, accompanied by the sound of metal dragging against stone as the Alpha Cyber-Grimm dragged the damaged Man-Eater along by the scruff of its' overlong neck; the segmented and writhing mass of steel and Grimm flesh struggling to rise to its' feet as it was pulled which both revealed the nature of the damage and gave the entire thing the unfortunate appearance of a dog trying to avoid a veterinarian.
"The poor thing" Aefen cooed, forcing a mocking edge into her words in order to mask the bone-deep terror which took hold of her in the presence of the hybrid Alpha; opting, against all wisdom to regain a degree of control over her surroundings through carefully measured needling "It can be repaired and did it's job well enough, as did you….Perching on the roof like a scary gargoyle with a built in laser-cannon; just to protect little old me. People might start to talk-"
Gestalt-Prime silenced the bothersome human with a wordless snarl, like a chainsaw grinding through bone which sent Aefen scurrying back; recovering her mask to hide her ashen expression.
"I have no time for your hormonal prattling and mating-ritual" Gestalt-Prime spat, stalking towards Aefen with a distinctly raptorial poise and motion and drawing close enough to use their towering height to loom over the woman; the protective visor retracting from their lupine skull to reveal their glowing and Cyclopean eye regarding her with unreadable intent.
"Wash your mouth out" Aefen retorted, huffing in indignation as the particular choice of words and their possible implications; though the way the Cyber-Grimm Alpha lashed their tail in threatening annoyance left her breathing heavy in a way which was not solely due to fear, uncomfortably reminding her that Gestalt-Prime could indeed detect details such as heart-rates and elevated breathing in those they scrutinised.
"Do not test my patience human, I have none of it to give" they pulled away, various parts of their amalgamated form, including the wings which were collapsed and tucked within their body shifting and adjusting in a motion equivalent to fidgeting in agitation "The damaged Cyber-Grimm are a distraction which will cost us time and materials, we cannot afford to waste more"
"Speak more quietly" Aefen managed some for usual imperious tone despite herself, thumping the base of her cane against the floor before turning away to begin her initial assessment of the damage to the Man-eater Variant "Today's events were a small setback but one which we can accommodate for….I'm more concerned with the fact that Nero left an obvious spy here; one we cannot easily make disappear"
"Then find other ways to deal with her" Gestalt-Prime snarled, their voice assaulting the entire spectrum of audible sound "Your human ways are inefficient….Creatures of Grimm have no such confusions or complications; soon you will see the superiority"
"Me people and I already do, I assure you of that" Aefen answered distractedly, the head of the cult known as the Path of the Apex Being allowing herself a fleeting smile at the thought of a future in which the work she had been excommunicated for was completed, proven and accepted.
"Our plans, both of our plans and visions will be ready to move forward soon" the black-clad woman continued quietly "Soon both humanity and the Creatures….Or the 'People of Grimm' Nero called you, will enter a new age beyond what even the Chairman can imagine-"
"Work faster" Gestalt-Prime answered bluntly, causing the woman to rise to her feet from where she had been crouched and inspecting a damaged point where flesh and metal met on one the Man-Eater's limbs; speaking with a firmness and level of assurance that was wholly bravado.
"Do not speak to me like I am some naive errand girl! You have no idea how long I have waited for what it is we're doing here, how long and how hard I worked to make the future we're working towards a possibility….Or did you think these were new idea I had in the spur of the moment?"
Gestalt-Prime's only response was a wordless warning, an unmistakable threat as the monstrous creature reared up to their full height with their wings unfurling and looping around their arms, allowing the two pairs of limbs to fuse before the axe-head wings repositioned themselves and their armour and musculature grew and morphed, the bladed weapons dragging along the ground as the Alpha Cyber-Grimm skulked closer.
"Work faster" they repeated finally.
"I am working as fast as I can and that will be fast enough" Aefen answered, something in her tone changed and becoming an unsettling mixture of eagerness of detached and icy malice as she added "We're almost ready to begin human testing….My only concern is why you're suddenly so uncomfortable"
"The timeline is being moved forward out of necessity" Gestalt-Prime answered, the flash of professionalism from the Grimm striking Aefen as jarring and leaving her blinking in silent confusion behind her mask as Gestalt-Prime turned and stalked out of her gloomy laboratory.
The Alpha Cyber-Grimm had seen the intelligence in the way the monsters attacking Pikesreach had acted and drawn a single conclusion from it which had shaken them to their core.
The massive presence they had felt in the Hive-Mind was looking for them, they were being hunted.
Author's Notes:
It's good to be writing this again….I actually took almost a week off after Chapter 112 so I could write my post Vol.09 fic "After", also the date I posted that compared to the date I'm posting this chapter should give you an idea of how far ahead I've been able to get with my writing lately.
This felt like a continuation of the last chapter in terms of character arcs and development, but things will begin to progress upwards on that front next chapter and at the same time I developed the plot in ways that will become apparent later on here, this is one of those that looks like filler until you look back at it with hindsight.
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
Morning people are of the devil and being a morning person is a character flaw Astra should work on.
They absolutely checked Zirconia's bunk for bombs.
And AJ is still a mess, Stitch is a saint with the amount of patience he's showing.
See, he even covered for AJ by not repeating exactly what was said and telling Astra about the way she acted.
Remember, AJ only stopped acting like a dickhead after she accidentally shot Zirconia.
There are two 5s in a day but sweet Christ I wish there weren't.
Also, she definitely only did a morning gym session to avoid people.
So Nero is back at his main base, his presence at Pikesreach was just a pretext to getting Aefen and Gestalt-Prime there; also showing that he's got a level of intel about what's happening in the wastes even without Hammerfall….The fact it's mainly through the equivalent of mass Snapchat surveillance made me snort.
And he still has a degree of funding, resources and political power; it's just through proxies now and limited….But what he lost is made up by the ability to openly recruit footsoldiers.
He's self aware enough to know he's the bad guy but he thinks it's worth it.
Honestly juxtaposing the realities of how evil Nero is willing to be against things like him complaining about Carmesi getting his workspace dusty and the quality of the food is funny, but also serves to underline the evil.
Also yeah, I made jokes in first year about how insane the wildlife is in Menagerie; usually it was something about the pigeons.
So that's Nero's current plan; to effectively take Menagerie piecemeal by co-opting the smaller settlements, basically he's gonna do a good deed but then use it as the wedge to get himself more power.
But there were also hints here that he has a larger plan, that the Cyber-Grimm aren't his final step.
And we all know what those intelligent Grimm are about.
We've never seen AJ and Stitch fight together before, of course there first time was gonna go badly; especially against Diabla and Laser.
Yeah, teleporting in the direction of danger feels bad when the other person is Diabla.
Laser is still an absolute shitbag and would absolutely still throw smoke-bombs at people in sparring matches if he could get away with it.
"STITCH YOU IDIOT, NO!"….I mean she's right, but she shouldn't say it like that lol.
I hope nobody forgot exactly what is is Laser does lol….Also, that was a pretty nasty combo and set up there.
Why would you ever think Arslan is gonna let you have a temper tantrum in her arena?
See Arslan is absolutely a hard-ass, but she is absolutely reasonable and will do anything she can to help her students.
AJ's paranoia is getting bad.
Oh look it's some of those intelligently acting Grimm the Nero was hearing about.
Boomers, Parasaurlophus Grimm from back in Vol.02 with a ranged attack.
Important to note that Gestalt-Prime and the Shroud variants never actually left Pikesreach or went outside, to those Grimm that attacked never saw them.
The Man-eater is an assassin or anti-Hunter unit, not anti-tank and artillery.
Zirconia was bad-ass in this chapter really, but I didn't want her Hunter-ish actions to be the major focus of it; especially when the fighting in and around Pikesreach always seems to take on much more gritty tone; it'd be like the defence of Atlas in Vol.08 if were allowed to be grisly.
Alpha Beowolf pulled back, which means it's smarter than an average Alpha even and will definitely be able to have its' memories pulled by Pantheon later.
So that's the same woman we saw in the initial attack on Pikesreach….She had guards watching her then, she's got additional tattoos with a meaning behind them and the other people she was with abandoned her. There's clearly something going on there and I'm sure you can all figure out who she is.
Zirconia got absolutely read there, nothing like a casual bit of foreshadowing.
We haven't spent enough time with Regalia yet this volume, I think that opening to the scene gave an idea of where she's at mentally; out of the original members of the team she's probably handling things the best.
Look at Astra being all cute.
Both Astra and Regalia's opinions are perfectly valid.
Stygian might have been a little bit of a dick there, but considering they'll already had one full blown make out session in front of him I think he's allowed to protect his peace.
Gotta appreciate Regalia automatically switching lanes and making Stitch feel included though.
AJ and Regalia actually having a 'Date' next chapter, enjoy.
So someone has finally noticed that AJ isn't just in a bad mood, she's jumpy.
We can also see a little of Astra's hang-ups; they didn't see the signs with Zirconia so now they're gonna make sure there's no more problems.
The transition from Astra to AJ but in the same classroom, basically two halves of the same scene isn't something I normally do.
"Entirely, but regrettably incompatible"...yeah AJ would really like a hug right now but she isn't gonna ask for one.
She's terrified of Velvet; which is a reasonable conclusion of her paranoia….If she thinks that everyone secretly thinks that she's the enemy because of Zirconia, then being jumpy around people whose family Zirconia hurt makes sense.
It was such a random opening question, but rest assured Astra would absolutely have walked back over there and punched Stygian in the face if Athena asked them to.
Honestly I think Astra was put in a hard position there and that they handled the situation as well as they possibly could.
Yeah no matter how bad it gets AJ is not gonna skip Aunt Ruby's class….So, guess who she needs to have an inevitable talk with?
So, compacting a lot of words down….Pantheon's little raiding party of Grimm actually helped Nero's faction because it was a chance for them to show that they can defend Pikesreach as well as attack it and prove that they mean what they say.
"At least not yet" never good words to hear.
Of course Aefen has a creepy laboratory for testing purposes inside what's basically a mix of Atlas sci-fi and actual castle.
The Man-eater isn't dead yet.
And yes, Aefen was flirting or trying to flirt with Gestalt-Prime and the Grimm was right to call her out for that….She is monster-fucker supreme.
Obviously the two villains with plans of their own know exactly why Zirconia is there, they're not dumb.
"Your human ways are inefficient….Creatures of Grimm have no such confusions or complications; soon you will see the superiority" and"Soon both humanity and the Creatures….Or the 'People of Grimm' Nero called you, will enter a new age beyond what even the Chairman can imagine-" along with what we already know about Gestalt-Prime and Aefen's personal goals should give you an idea of what they're thinking.
But remember….They're keeping their plans secret from Nero, but Nero already knew at least the general shape of their goals from the outset and he has plans of his own; so the question is who's gonna out-plan who?
Aefen snapped a little there, she has made no efforts to get over being told that her ideas were crazy….And yes, human testing.
Gestalt-Prime knows that Pantheon is coming for them, but they're keeping it to themselves.
Thank you to MajorBrony95 for their update on the last chapter.
Yeah, there's a line in the DC Injustice animated movie from Superman which sums up Nero quite well at this point "You can agree to these terms, or they will be agreed to for you"
Yeah AJ needs a little more time to stew.
The thing is that Pantheon hasn't actually been doing too much acitve planning and interfering, they've been largely content to basically be a warden/steward and ensure that the cycle of creation and destruction keeps on going as planned.
Diabla giving a hug is a sign of the end times.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.