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Chapter 119: Talk
A heavy thudding impact, that of something both meaty and metallic and possessed of an incredible mass and density impacting against the stone floor, followed by metallic footfalls and punctuated by a mechanical snarling, grating sound issuing from the back of an inhuman throat announced Gestalt-Prime's presence as the Alpha Cyber-Grimm arrived in Aefen Cruor's workshop.
"Scientist" the monster snarled, the smooth eloquence of their voice offset by their inhuman nature as they strode forth into a space which was at once filled with glaring overhead lighting rigs and yet somehow still gloomy in a way which catered to the sensibilities of the woman who called the place her domain.
Retracting their tactical visor with less than a thought Gestalt-Prime peered around the workshop with their singular baleful optic, studying with great interest the various Cyber-Grimm held up by collections of chains and scaffolds so that they could either be repaired and sent out into battle once more or else rendered down to spare mechanical components to be used in repairing their kin and thick pools of oozing black viscera that might be repurposed into either Cyber-Grimm or used as base components for Aefen's true masterpiece; Pikesreach was intended to be a research and testing facility playing a smaller part in Nero's grand plan rather than a true bastion and production facility and as such each spare component seemed to be needed in a multitude of places at once, leading to several hasty developments and refinements in the operation and keeping of the Cyber-Grimm which Gestalt-Prime felt would likely be of some value in the long term.
The sentient monster turned their attention then from the Grimm themselves to the acolytes and members of the Path of the Apex Being working on them, the minds responsible for the various short-cuts and streamlining procedures that were currently being undertaken and had, much to the hybrid Alpha's pleasure seen the Man-eater Variant brought back into service. They were a strange collection, few of them wearing the customary black robes and Grimm-like jewellery and accessories that had become ever more common among Aefen's cult and instead were comprised of pale and rake thin figures whose pallid collections were littered with spots, each wearing black shirts and ties who looked out of place when contrasted against burly, leathery and rugged individuals clad in black-stained overalls which were, in many cases hanging open to allow their wearers to function in the heat. Ultimately Gestalt-Prime paid them little mind, they were lesser beings and the monsters' gaze naturally slid towards a single figure who passed between the various workstations without a word, leaning more heavily on her horned skull-topped staff as she moved as though she had been taxed and drained in a way that was more than simply physical. As Aefen Cruor approached Gestalt-Prime noted a silence fall over the place, with none daring to move or speak and with every cultist averting their gaze from both their leader and the hybrid monster they saw as their vindication.
"Leave us, this space is sacrosanct for as long as I will it" Aefen declared firmly, though her voice croaked and her throat was as dry and cracking as her lips often were. Gestalt-Prime watched as the orders were followed however, her cultists leaving in a hurried but orderly fashion with only a few lingering for the few moments it took to ensure that their work was safe and in order; their commitment to their purpose outweighing instinct in a display which Gestalt-Prime noted was admirable in how close to the behaviour of the Grimm it was. Once the two of them were alone Aefen, whilst keeping her mask firmly in place managed to straighten herself and twirl her staff energetically.
"Ah Gestalt-Prime, I do love when you visit and you clearly enjoy keeping me company" her voice was lighter and breezy in a way that stood at odds with the panic bleeding off of her "And right now we have so much to-"
Gestalt-Prime's tail lashed in a wordless warning and Aefen audibly gulped before clearing her throat.
"I conducted another experiment last night, a new induction method, hoping to stagger the hybridisation process and give the test subjects' body a chance to adapt and accumulate before the point of cascading….It worked to a degree"
"The thing lives?" Gestalt-Prime demanded, taking a single pace forward and looming over the human with various armour panels and metallic components shifting and rustling in an unconscious display of emotion.
"It lived" Aefen corrected bluntly "Briefly and yet it was….Certainly different to the others, much more Grimm in its' behaviour"
"How so?"
"Rabid, it broke free of the restraints and threw itself at the barrier in an attempt to attack me….However it expired before I could discern whether it was personal, which would be understandable or if it was simply trying to attack anything in sight-"
"Then the project is working….Keep testing, keep refining-"
"There are complications" Gestalt-Prime visibly bristled at the sound of Aefen's interruption, the thought of striking her clearly crossing the monsters' mind but still she continued to speak "We are making progress but the subjects are still expiring and as they do so they are giving off a spore….The Grimm tissue is forming a bond that is more parasitic than the symbiosis we are trying to achieve; moreover the spores seem to be a way for the Grimm to propagate themselves-
"Grimm without Spawning Pits?" Gestalt-Prime seemed intrigued in a way which promised to unleash carnage and Aefen quickly cut them off.
"No" she shook her head "Not in any real way, what would spread is more of the same; a parasite which cannot support itself without a host and at the same time kills any host it attaches to….If one of these incomplete test subjects were infect others then Pikesreach and possibly beyond would be overrun with incomplete, unfinished work that we have no way to correct"
"Useless" Gestalt-Prime summarised
"Indeed"
"Then fix it scientist" the Alpha Cyber-Grimm demanded coldly "Keep working, nothing else is of such importance"
"I am trying" Aefen countered frantically "I am running out of test subjects, it's the people….They're just too weak, they're bodies and willpower is giving out before the process can properly take root and begin a true hybridisation"
"Then find better subjects" Gestalt-Prime snarled, giving the answer as though it were the most simple thing in the world.
With Team MARZ broken as a team and their plans for the future irrevocably shattered by Zirconia Shadowmoon and the revealing of the true allegiance and intentions Astra had been forced to make some hasty decisions with limited, if any input from their friends in regards to the elective subjects and overall direction as Hunters that the reforged Team MARS would take; without even the most basic of foundations to work from. Indeed Astra had not known that Stygian Blue would be their fourth member at all and as such had no chance to discuss matters with the Mouse Faunus or even try and remember what little he could from discussions with the now equally defunct Team TRQS about their own plans for further study.
Regalia had been similarly unavailable for consultation, although in this case the matter was not so great of a problem as Astra and their partner knew one another's minds well enough to make educated guesses regarded one another's feelings and intentions, a condition that had been in place long before the two of them had become a couple and seemed likely to increase as time went on whilst Athena-Jade had been another matter entirely; Astra had been in contact with the Bear Faunus throughout the summer however she had been too listless and consumed by her own woes to offer much of an opinion and the Deer Faunus had been largely preoccupied by trying to offer what little comfort they could during their interactions, leaving academic matters to fall by the wayside.
A result of Astra's hastily made choices had been Team MARS taking an advanced survival class as an elective subject, one which sought to prepare those taking it for prolonged hunts and engagements with the Creatures of Grimm or any enemy that might choose to flee from civilisation, giving the team the potential to work for extended amounts of time without resupply and operate in any and all conditions.
It was one of several classes Team MARS had taken and a choice that Astra had made for several reasons; on the one hand Astra was practical enough to know that it was which suited their team well given that each of them were from entirely different climates and environments and had, between them already learned to navigate the wastelands of Menagerie, the tundras of Atlas and ruined cities meaning that their combined knowledge would give them an early advantage, on the other hand Astra knew that their friends had liked the idea of specialising as anti-Grimm Hunters and being able to fight the monsters in their own territory would require first being able to survive and navigate a plethora of challenges though if the Deer Faunus were entirely honest with themselves the idea of being capable of hunting all across Remnant for extended periods of time had resonated with some deep, angry and vengeful part of them which had wanted to chase down Zirconia Shadowmoon and demand answers.
Though midway through a double period on Tuesday such a dramatic and climactic chase seemed a distant prospect.
"Hey Stitch, let me take a quick look at that" Astra nudged the Mouse Faunus's shoulder as their eyes drifted over to their newest team-mates' work and saw several immediate and glaring inconsistencies and issues with just a passing glance.
"Yeah man, sorry if I'm a little out of it" the dark-skinned and blue-haired young man answered glumly, his total lack of his usual enthusiasm being enough to halt Astra in their tracks for a moment and also catch the attention of Regalia and Athena who had been sat close by, with the Racoon Faunus who had spent her life on the move leaving the Bear Faunus whose family mined and refined Dust both impressed and concerned in equal parts by some of the rough and ready ways to stretch the resource further which Athena was forced to conclude were theoretically sound, despite being potentially explosive.
"No problem….Let me just…." Astra's words trailed off as they took a more in depth look and found themselves frowning "Shit, I'm not gonna lie you'd probably be better off starting over. AJ, can you give us a hand here?"
"Absolutely" the snowy-haired young woman agreed with question or hesitation which Astra was pleased to see, particularly after the shaky start that the partnership in question had suffered for reasons that were unfortunate but entirely understandable; though the Deer Faunus did notice something odd in the way that Athena handled her partner, placing a hand on his shoulder and moving gently and carefully around the young man as though he were made of glass and casting several knowing glances which Astra noticed, then turned to Regalia to confirm that she too had seen them before deciding to speak.
"You two okay?"
"Yeah" Stygian nodded and gave the answer only to sag, shoulders almost collapsing under their own weight and his electric blue eyes, surrounded by dark rings cast downwards "No….Not really"
"Stitch's talk with his Mum didn't go so well last night" Athena stepped in, giving her partner a questioning look which he gave a small nod in response to before continuing "He got some bad news, his….People he knew from Pikesreach are gone"
"Oh" Astra breathed out "Shit man I'm sorry"
"I don't really know what your people's customs are" Regalia added, making a deliberate effort to forego any quips or over-exuberance "But my people have lost enough people for me to know how it feels….If there's anything I can help you with"
"I lost my Grandpa when I was a kid" Athena-Jade murmured, speaking seeming to help her as much as it did Stygian "It sucks, it really does"
"Go back to the dorms Stitch" Astra sighed "Or go and talk to your Mum again if you think it'll help….I'll go and talk to the Professors, tell 'em it's a family emergency or whatever they have in place for bereavements-"
"Are you serious?" Stygian asked, cocking his head in vague surprise.
"Heck yeah we're serious!" Regalia exclaimed, managing to once again prove how close she and Astra were simply by giving the answer that the Deer Faunus had intended to; though it seemed to do little to comfort Stygian and instead left him letting out another sigh that left him looking even more deflated.
"Guess I'm used to having Tiger as a team leader" the Mouse Faunus shrugged "She's tough but she means well….It's never come up but I think she'd probably expect her team to be able to pull through"
"Not sure that's the kind of leadership her brother needs-" Astra was silenced by a sharp slap across the upper arm from Athena, the blow allowing them to see sense before they could say something truly uncalled.
"That's….Just not how we do things as a team" she corrected, offering an explanation without giving her opinion on a matter that was certainly more complex and nuanced than it sounded; knowing where the Santara twins had come from and enduring what they had made the idea that Tiger would value and seek to instil a drive to push through any grief or hardship easier to understand.
Though it was clearly not what Stygian needed, even if his next words suggested otherwise.
"Honestly guys….I'd rather just be here in class, with you" he managed a weak smile that flashed pearly white teeth "I've got too much to try and process and nowhere to start with it, this at least gives me something to do….Even if I'm doing it wrong-"
"That's cool" Astra assured them "But I'm still gonna talk to our professors"
"We'll help any way we can" Regalia nodded.
"We're Team MARS, we kick ass and help people" Athena-Jade gave a toothy smile which Stygian could only return with a soft chuckle as he considered the words and realised just how natural it felt to think of himself as a member of Team TRQS.
This was his home now.
Cornflower Blue had once again found herself alone within an apartment that felt as though it were equal parts prison and sanctuary, after so many years of hard work and largely communal living within the walls of Pikesreach the small, single bedroom space within a low-rise block which she had yet to venture out of and explore felt too quiet and yet was a haven and refuge from the city beyond which seemed far too loud and crowded, a place so like the city she had grown up as a child with an entirely normal and unassuming life and yet somewhere entirely foreign to her where she could easily lose herself or just as easily be found by others. No matter how cautious and secretive she had been with Coco Adel, her trust in the abilities and intentions of Hunters having long since been shaken, Cornflower understood that escape from Pikesreach would demand a response from those who had taken the settlement over; Nero's politely-worded and outwardly well-meaning demand that the people remain stationary and compliant, followed by his taking of several of the townsfolk to be inducted into his own organisation and fighting force had come with a silent but obvious threat of consequences and Cornflower was not naive enough to believe that Nero's reach did not extend into many places.
Such fears were just one of many trains of thought she now sought to distract herself from, with questionable results.
"Damn it all to hell and back twice" the words left her in a fierce and annoyed huff, though her voice was kept from being raised through sheer discipline, borne more of the habit of not wanting to swear in front of the many children in Pikesreach than the strictures of the settlement. The subject of her ire was a pre-paid scroll that had been delivered to her earlier that morning courtesy of whatever program Velvet Scarlatina had either founded or involved herself with in order to help people in circumstances that required an escape and a fresh start; Cornflower had initially been relieved by the sight of the device, so much so that even the suspicion which which she regarded the person delivering it had been overlooked however that relief had quickly turned into utter frustration and a mounting sense of hopelessness as she was once again forcibly confronted by the realities of how long she had been away from civilisation and just how much Remnant had progressed in her absence.
"Okay….So if that part means, no….wait" she murmured under her breath, forcing her temper back under control and forcing herself to try and make sense of the convoluted instructions once again. She had of course used scrolls and plenty of other digital devices before coming to Menagerie however the particular scroll that had been supplied was made by a manufacturer whose products she had always avoided for their peculiar and unintuitive design choices and was a model far beyond anything she had seen before.
Cornflower had hoped that the device would be of some use in her ongoing efforts to understand the almost deliberately vexing mounds of paperwork she would need to complete in order to qualify for the assistance she would need to reopen bank accounts that had likely been closed in her years of absence and hopefully recover at least some of her funds and otherwise allow her to get back on her feet and rebuild her life; she had been stymied however when the process of activating the new scroll for the first time had consisted of so many sequences, steps and options including terms she had never heard before that it simply became another obstacle to be overcome for the woman whose will to fight had already been steadily eroded.
After typing and working through another series of prompts until she came to another question that would require her to double check and make educated guesses she set the scroll down on the coffee table and allowed herself to let out a defeated sigh before turning her attention to a cup of tea that had been cooling, words that she had no conscious intention of uttering escaping her as she brought the mug to her lips.
"They don't make it easy for us son" the Mouse Faunus froze, tail twitching erratically as it protruded through the small hole she had made in the pale blue dress that she had been given; not a garment she would ever have chosen for herself and one that looked laughable when contrasted with her tattoos and shorn hair but hardly an issue she felt was worthy of complaint.
The idea that Stygian, who had been born and raised in Pikesreach with no real knowledge of the Kingdoms or the world beyond the settlement at large beyond stories he was told and his brief interactions with the nomads and raiders with whom Pikesreach occasionally traded wares, largely searching them and acting in his training to be one of the settlements' defenders had managed to not only successfully flee from Pikesreach without being claimed by the wastelands and the things that stalked them, but also to make it to an entirely different Kingdom away from the island of Menagerie and handle the complexities of bureaucracy enough to enrol in a Hunter Academy, to say nothing of showing the raw physical ability and mental fortitude required for such a feat made Cornflower unspeakably proud.
Only for that pride to sour and leave a bitter taste in her mouth as she remembered their talk the previous afternoon.
She had been emotionally ruined by her ordeals, neither her mind or body were free from the scars of the years of constant weathering they had been subjected to and she lashed out stupidly, angrily at her only child the moment she had gotten him back after fearing the worst for so long and then, upon seeing that he had made it to safety forced herself to accept that she would likely never see him again; she had been given a moment and an opportunity that she had never allowed herself to hope for only to utterly ruin it.
It was a failure she doubted she would ever forgive herself for.
Finally taking a sip of the tea that was finally cool enough to drink Cornflower pondered her next move, reaching out to Stygian was a frightening and yet undeniably tempting option whilst powering through the work ahead of her was ultimately necessary; both could be aided by either working at her new scroll until she finally mastered the device enough to use it effectively or also by venturing out of her apartment towards either Breaktide apartment or one of the many office blocks within Port Alistair. The latter notion sent a wave of chills through her the moment she considered it whilst the former left her deep brown eyes narrowing with lingering frustration.
Eventually she decided to take a moment and distract herself.
The television was thankfully more simple than the scroll, even after so many years the concept of a remote control had not evolved beyond recognition and whilst there were certainly many channels that she did not remember it Cornflower almost no time at all to find a news' channel which she allowed to play for a while; reasoning that no matter what course of action she took in the long and short terms she should probably make efforts to better understand the current state of the Kingdom she had found herself in.
"And our next story" Cornflower's attention was grabbed by the astoundingly clear voice of a reporter who booming, assertive tone was utterly at odds with her petite features and slim-cut suit "Mechanical monsters spotted at Spinnenheim?"
Cornflower choked on tea and felt her blood run cold as the television screen was partly consumed by a blacked out silhouette of a looming and monstrous shape, like some hulking bipedal beetle with weapons grafted to its' carapace; a form she immediately recognised.
"Reports from in and around the mining town suggest that the machines known as Cyber-Grimm, first believed to be a new variant of the Creatures of Grimm known to Hunters as 'Geists' have been spotted on the ground and in the air both close to the town with a population of several thousand and close to its' quarries" Cornflower felt sick ans gripped the arm of the sofa she sat on, the detached voice being used to describe the horrific facts only serving to make things worse.
"When questioned employees at the quarry offered conflicting stories, with some saying that the so called 'Cyber-Grimm' had been attacking Creatures of Grimm in the area, others however were adamant that they had seen nothing of the sort. Neither Hunters, local garrison forces or elected officials from Spinnenheim responded when asked for their comments" the reporters' lip seemed to twitch into the faintest, briefest smirk and in that moment Cornflower's heart froze as she realised just how much influence Damascus Nero had before the pretty woman on the screen continued "Citizens are advised that Cyber-Grimm are deemed by Hunters to be extremely dangerous and that anybody encountering them should immediately contact the appropriate authorities before leaving the area. Under no circumstances are civilians to attempt to engage a Cyber-Grimm….Viewers will remember the scenes in Neo Vale during the Vytal Tournament where Hunters failed to properly contain-"
Cornflower's mouth hung open as she saw the flagrant propaganda made by Damascus Nero's followers for what it was; showing scenes of utter carnage as the same twisted amalgamation of steel and nightmarish flesh that had stormed Pikesreach rampaged through a city, the moments where Hunters fell being censored in ways which left little to the imagination. The Mouse Faunus was appalled that such a thing could be shown at all, let alone that it could be framed as though it were some failure on the part of the Hunters and not sheer evil on the part of those responsible; it did not escape Cornflower's notice that Damascus Nero's name had gone unmentioned throughout the entire report.
What she also realised, her heart aching that she did so was that by her understanding her son had been competing in the Vytal Tournament when it had been attacked, meaning that Stygian had been present and likely fought through the mayhem still flashing across the screen.
With that Cornflower resolved to act.
Team MARS's day had progressed largely without incident, with Astra's brief and sparingly detailed explanations of Stygian's current situation being enough to ensure that the Mouse Faunus was largely unbothered during classes, with none of the Professors being heartless enough to deliberately put additional strain on and draw attention to a student in the midst of a personal or family crisis. Stygian himself had continued his trend of trying to distract himself from a problem which he did not know how to immediately tackle, which saw him continuing to make an effort despite his racing thoughts and conflicted feelings until lessons ended for the day, at which point he had been the first member of Team MARS to suggest that the team make their way to the gym; something which he had joked his former partner Tiger Santara would not have believed possible.
Which was how Stygian came to be facing off against Regalia Russet with a decently sized and highly interested crowd of spectators gathered around them.
"Whoo! Get him babe!" Astra cheered, earning a smattering of laughter as they leapt up onto the shoulders of a taller student so that their antics could be seen more clearly as they encouraged and supported their partner and girlfriend with a playful exuberance which Stygian knew from their time at Halo Academy the previous year was entirely normal for them. Refusing to be distracted however the Mouse Faunus intercepted his opponents' incoming attack by first shifting his weight and pivoting at the waist, bringing his right knee up to check Regalia's attempt to tackle him to the ground before she could find purchase; Regalia in turn drove her elbow in Stygian's right thigh as she she adjusted her own stance into something wider and more stable before the blue-haired young man could catch her off balance and then sprung upwards with an explosion of force in an effort to catch Stygian beneath the arms before he could fully recover, this too was halted as the Mouse Faunus swung his raised leg down and backwards, pivoting and meeting Regalia's attempt to grapple with one of his own.
"Heh, I knew you'd know how to grapple" the Racoon Faunus noted through gritted teeth as she and Stygian fought for purchase and position, the friendliness of the words entirely at odds with the brutality with which the two continued to exchange blows; Regalia first seeking to break Stygian's hold of her collar by dropping one of her own hands and delivering a punishing series of punches to his kidney and liver which Stygian winced and suffered through for only a moment before retaliating by using his grip of the former nomads' collar to pull her face down towards his incoming knee. Regalia's answer was once again swift and effective, catching Stygian's leg before the blow could land and clutching it to herself as she pushed him backwards and sent him toppling.
Undeterred Stygian threw himself into the roll and used the motion to hurl Regalia over him and create a moment of distance between them, allowing both of them to scrabble to their feet and beginning circling one another from low and hunched positions in search of an opening.
"Of course I can wrestle….It's only these city kids that can't" Stygian chuckled, finally having a moment to answer Regalia's comment; the words drawing an approving sound from Ursinia Red somewhere close by as the Scorpion Faunus had been raised on a remote farm and was similarly inclined towards rough-housing.
"Heh, we should do this more often" Regalia noted happily if somewhat breathlessly, though Stygian noted the way her eyes remained focused and twitched from one part of his body to another as she sized him up in search of weaknesses with a ruthlessness borne of harsh realities of the wastelands utter belied by her outward chirpiness; it was also a ruthlessness Stygian matched as he regarded his fellow native of Menagerie with an equally calculating gaze all whilst answering with some of his usual cheer and charisma.
"Oh definitely, you'll have to show me some of the spots you've made crazy food combinations at since the others are nervous about going again….There's a few other students here from the island, we'll have to make it a thing"
"Ooh that's such a good idea!" Regalia exclaimed "I wonder if anybody here knows where I can get some acid-root, or maybe some land-crab meat; it's great as a snack"
"It's a shame I ran out of what I took with me when I left Pikesreach a while ago" Stygian noted dryly, the suggestion he had made was certainly an honest one and something he would genuinely enjoy; there were surprisingly few students at Breaktide who actually hailed from the Kingdom of Menagerie as many of its' more adventurous youth seemed eager to study more further afield and those few were, with Regalia and Stygian themselves being among few exceptions, from within the Kingdom rather than the islands nomad tribes and independent settlements; building a rapport with those who hailed from the island Kingdom would likely be a bittersweet thing that gave Stygian a chance to see what could have been if Pikesreach had not been beset by its' many woes. The offer served a second function however, one that was of more immediate importance.
It shifted Regalia's attention just enough for the Mouse Faunus to pounce.
Thus far Stygian had favoured a specific kind of fighting whilst sparring with Regalia, a direct and simple but effective blend of grappling and up close, dirty kick-boxing now however he threw something entirely different and unexpected into the mixture; dropping low and into a crouch he threw his entire body into a spin whilst closing the distance between the two of them and attempting to take Regalia's legs out from under her with a sweep which sought to trap her ankle with the back of his knee as he bent his leg back on itself.
It was an admirable but ultimately futile attempt.
Regalia's leap into the air was something that many of those watching the ongoing bout recognised as an homage to an older but still enjoyable sci-fi action movie, legs tucking up into her body with her arms out to the sides and achieving an improbable amount of air-time before delivering a kick to Stygian's chest before he could right himself.
"Dodge this!" she laughed before launching herself downwards at Stygian's prone and sprawled form locking herself behind him, legs firmly around his ribs and trapping one of his arms whilst her left forearm snaked under his chin and her right was used to support and reinforce the choke-hold until finally Stygian used his free hand to tap on the ground.
"THAT'S MY GIRL! SHE KICKS SO MUCH ASS! Astra exclaimed happily, making a show of stepping into the sparring area so that they could lift Regalia up and twirl her around to the sound of their peers wolf-whistling and jeering in equal measure before finally the Deer Faunus set her down and turned their attention to Stygian, whom they helped stand whilst adding "And that's what you get for trying to use my moves against my partner, spinning leg sweep is my thing"
"Fuck both of you guys" Stygian laughed as he worked out a slight crick in his neck and exited the sparring area, searching for his own partner as he did so.
Athena-Jade was easy enough to find and a lot less easy to turn his gaze away from once he had found her; the Bear Faunus's pale skin was coated with a sheen of sweat as she sunk deep into a squat whilst the weight bar laid across the back of her shoulders visibly bent under the strain of the numerous, comically large plates it held. Stygian's electric blue eyes lingered for a moment as he remembered his actions from the night before and wondered if doing something nice for Athena would be a good idea or if it might be deemed improper all things considered, on the one hand she was a friend whom he genuinely greatly appreciated and someone who had been there when he needed someone yet on the other hand he had harboured an entirely physical crush on her the previous year and had now acted a fool in regards to Athena several times now.
His thoughts were also coloured by the simple and self-evident truth that Athena-Jade Slate really did have an incredible pair of thighs.
"Stitch" Astra's voice startled the Mouse Faunus back to his senses, though he managed to downplay any startling enough to avoid questions or teasing as he turned to face Astra whom he quickly realised was holding out a scroll that Stygian recognised as his own, easily identifiable by certain scuff marks on its' casing.
"Your scroll just lit up….Think it's a text"
"Thanks" Stygian took the device and stepped back so that he was not obstructing anyone's path in the gym before opening the text message and beginning to read, it's contents leaving the young man's throat dry enough to require him to swallow several thickly and his eyes wide and watery to such a degree that Astra gave up all pretence of having turned their attention elsewhere.
"You okay?"
"Yeah….Yeah, it's from my Mum, at least I think it is….I've never known her to have a scroll before-"
"It'd have to be a fucking sick prank if it's not really her" Astra noted "What does she say?"
"That she's sorry for how yesterday went and that she wants to talk" Stygian tried to temper the hope creeping into his voice but found himself entirely unable to do so.
"Oh shit" Astra perked up "Okay cool, I'll tell AJ we're done here. We hit the showers, get changed and I'll drive you there as soon as we're ready….I'll take Regalia out somewhere and pick you up when you're ready, cool?"
"That sounds great, thank you" Stygian beamed, finding a sudden spring in his step as he made his way over to where his partner was finally setting her weights back on the rack so he could tell Athena what was happening.
To former Chairman and current revolutionary leader Damascus Nero that fact that it was currently somewhere in the region of mid to late afternoon made little difference at all, time had become relevant only in regards to the completion of his various objectives and outside of them hours and days had begun to blur together and become indistinguishable.
He knew that he was spending far too much time working without pause aboard the bridge of his private airship, the space having been converted into a personal office and command centre simply for the sheer computing power it possessed however that knowledge was yet to translate into changed behaviour. Indeed Nero was at that very moment hunched over one of many screens and terminals which provided the only light source in the dimly lit space, his flesh and blood fingers beginning to ache and cramp whilst his mechanical hand continued to work without any complaint beyond the faint and muffled whirring of its' operation; his hair had been allowed to become more lank and unkempt than usual and he wore several days worth of stubble in a dark shadow which coated his jaw unevenly, being unable to grow in the places where scar tissue reached up from his neck to brush at his jawline. The man had always worked with a fervour which bordered on self destruction and at present he found his impulses vindicated and with little to keep them in check; his great works were progressing and yet there was a chance, no matter how small that a single mistake could be disastrous and set him back by an unacceptable amount and this coupled with the absence of both Zirconia and the now deceased Albion left Nero seeing very little reason to curb his obsessions.
Although one of the few people capable of confronting him with some degree of harsh realities entered the command bridge of the aircraft which had been dormant and hidden beneath a vast array of sheets and tarpaulins for months now.
"Mister Nero" Carmesi rumbled as he strode into view with all of his usual imposing presence and deposited a cup of something dark and steaming in front of the older, more slender man "You need this and a shave, some rest….And a shower"
In Nero's mind the pointed sniffing of the air before adding the final suggestion had been somewhat uncalled for.
"Of course" the former chairman answered, astounded by the hoarseness of his own voice before taking a sip of the offered coffee "Where are you even getting this? When I had crops delivered to Aefen and her people coffee was not one of them….although perhaps it should have been"
"Every new arrival has their belongings searched for obvious security reasons….We take things like coffee as an entrance fee" Carmesi answered, bearded, blunt and scaly features contorting into a sharp-toothed smile that betrayed no shame at all.
"Of course you did, incorrigible" Nero sighed before taking several moments to blink his quartz coloured eyes until he could focus them more easily, realising just how exhausted he was now that he had company "I'll rest for a while as soon as I hear your report….Are things in order on the ground, our new recruits, our efforts at expansion?"
Carmesi looked as though he doubted the truth of Nero's promise but answered the question anyway.
"The new recruits, both those making their way to us from the Kingdoms and those who joined us at Pikesreach are showing promise….Granted many of them have gone their entire lives without being exposed to violence of the Grimm in any significant way and need to be, to put it bluntly, broken in" the shirtless Komodo Dragon Faunus stroked his beard for a moment and considered "The Cyber-Grimm have aided our forces in visibly taking out several packs of Grimm around areas we were hoping to make contact with, places where the Hunters have no presence….The largest thus far was Spinnenheim, however news of our presence there has been reported to the media. The local authorities seemed at least willing to hear us out but-"
"But it's too risky, now our presence there has been reported Adel will have our minions combine the area for us; she'll use spies as well as Hunters….Work elsewhere"
"Agreed" Carmesi nodded, loathe to give up and walk away from a fight but sensible enough to know when the situation demanded a tactical withdrawal.
"It's a shame" Nero sighed "Spinnenheim would make a suitable secondary base of operations in the event that we lose Pikesreach….Which is not an impossible situation at this juncture"
"The reinforcements that were sent to Pikesreach to bolster Zirconia's position should have arrived by now" Carmesi noted, arching a ridged and prominent eyebrow as he gave the answer which held an obvious but unspoken question.
"The Grimm have been attacking the place relentlessly" Nero sighed.
"Not unexpected given the force we had to use to liberate it" Carmesi shrugged, entirely uncaring toward the fate of his fellow outcast Hunters; those he had allowed the Cyber-Grimm to execute were guilty of a perversion of everything they had promised to stand for, they were the kind of sickness that allowed the Creatures of Grimm to take root and fester and as such they had deserved to be made an example of.
"Indeed but this has led to an incident….It seems that at least one individual has chosen to ignore our request for the citizens of Pikesreach to remain where they are; naturally there are now concerns about who this individual might speak with if they make it to the Kingdom at large" Nero explained, pausing for a moment to consider before allowing a tired, but thoroughly entertained smirk to cross his scarred features "And there is of course the matter of Aefen and Gestalt-Prime having their own intentions….Which may result in some destruction, no matter how much I might hope and seek to limit or avoid it"
"If you suspect the lunatic or the monster of betraying us then you should stop making nice with them and let me handle the matter….Zirconia has finally shown some promise but she isn't ready for not that-"
"Perhaps she's not ready to handle things the way you would" Nero made no effort to hide a sudden sharpness from his tone, as unwilling as ever to hear Zirconia openly criticised in his presence "But as excellent at what you do as you continue to be Carmesi certain tasks require a degree of finesse….Do you truly think I would given Aefen any degree of authority within an outpost we have regarded as a research facility without assuming that she would take that as licence to conduct some research of her own"
"I don't like this" Carmesi rumbled, hellish red eyes narrowing "Aefen and her-"
"Aefen's research helped us create the Cyber-Grimm, the first real step in the creation of our bright new tomorrow….She will continue to be of vital importance to us as we progress into the next and final stages, we will create a lasting peace and freedom from the Grimm and then we can create a better society for everyone" Nero's words took an a breathless, almost reverent tone at the thought of his life's work in its' totality before the knowing smile returned to his pallid features "Things are all going to plan Carmesi, it's only a question of whose….Aefen and Gestalt-Prime believe that it is there, I believe that it is mine and I am feeling confidant enough to allow them to experiment, so that the fruits of their work can be used to further my own"
"I think you're taking unnecessary risks" Carmesi growled, his tone stern even if both men knew that the reptilian Faunus would ultimately acquiesce to the will of the man who had given his life purpose.
"Risks, certainly….It's the necessity of them that we disagree on. If I simply told Aefen to do what I need her to then she would tamper and twist things in her own way, as would Gestalt-Prime; doing things like this lets them think that they have control" Nero paused, studying Carmesi's features and seeing a degree of understanding and acceptance there even in spite of his obvious reservations; naked violence and brute force were things the Komodo Dragon Faunus could appreciate but subtle manipulations were entirely outside of his expertise.
"We have the upper hand" Nero asserted calmly and with a fond expression "We have Zirconia, my eyes and ears"
The sun was close to setting over Pikesreach and the rest of the island of Menagerie along with it and in preparation for the coming darkness and plummeting temperatures the winds were beginning to howl fiercely, sending what few critters were hardy enough to survive both the elements of the attentions' of Pikesreach's farmers scurrying back into their dens and burrows.
Within the settlement itself Zirconia Shadowmoon watched from one of her frequent vantage points, clothes flapping about her dramatically as she stood defiant against the dust and shrieking wind with her face largely hidden beneath her mask, standing tall with her arms folded calmly and mismatched eyes peering down at the walled settlement as though it were a map with borders and clear lines of movement and influence drawn neatly upon it.
There was a fine line between impressive and pretentious and Zirconia could admit that she was no longer certain which side of that line she resided on.
A dozen new arrivals had come to Pikesreach, none of them with any prior connection to the settlement or more importantly to Aefen Cruor and her Grimm worshipping cult, each of them a renegade former defender of the Kingdoms in oner form or another; primarily members of Neo Vale's garrison with varying members of combat, technical and medical expertise, a pair of the newcomers being soldiers from other Kingdoms and the others being members of firefighting, paramedic and disaster response teams with a single former police officer filling out the ranks. Their arrival had seen Zirconia waiting with bated breath, stomach coiling into cold and dreadful knots as she waited for Aefen to unleash a wave of attacking Cyber-Grimm and cultists on the supposed reinforcements or for Gestalt-Prime to simply swoop down from their perch atop Aefen's lair and tear Nero's people to shreds; no such carnage had ensued however and instead the Grasshopper Faunus had been able to rendezvous with the small detachment and begin disseminating orders, well aware that she was being studied by those around her. Upon speaking with the people that her adoptive father in all but name had assigned to her in an effort to better monitor treachery that Aefen and Gestalt-Prime were almost certainly undertaking Zirconia had come to understand quite swiftly why this particular group had been assembled; specifically each of them had, despite their defections from the Kingdoms and disillusionment with Hunters as an institution been used to deferring to individual Hunters in the heat of the moment and as such would likely follow her lead without question.
Which left the rogue Huntress with the question of what exactly she intended to do.
"You two!" Zirconia's naturally quiet and rasping tone was raised to something commanding as she called down to a pair of her new underlings, still finding the idea of commanding people to be ill-fitting "Relieve gun crew on left of the main gate and you, take up watch point twelve"
At her word the people she had given orders to began acting upon them and Zirconia watched, lips pursing beneath her mask as she watched them move into positions she had specifically chosen not only for simple and practical reasons, the gun crew they would be relieving had been at their post for far too long already, but also because the individuals at the surrounding posts included a mixture of those she suspected would turn against her or Nero if they felt the situation called for it and also the most generally talkative amongst Pikesreach's defenders.
Whatever course of action she chose Zirconia knew that she would need more than simple force, especially the meagre amount of it currently at her disposal and so the Grasshopper Faunus was instead gathering information, quietly hoping that individuals who fell silent in her own presence and exchanged meaningful looks amongst themselves would be more willing to speak to their apparent comrades and inadvertently offer up information to be relayed back to her. That her new subordinates could also work to counteract whatever propaganda and fanatical fervour Aefen's cult were sowing amongst the villagers was an added bonus; though Zirconia was forced to admit that she was unsure just how effective their efforts would be when compared to the presence of Gestalt-Prime and the Cyber-Grimm.
Her father figure had certainly been effective in his work and had executed his vision impressively thus far.
With that particularly and unexpectedly bitter thought Zirconia leapt into motion, metallic surfaces of her armour gleaming briefly as she flitted through the beams of freshly activated searchlights and bounded down from her high vantage point across several rooftops before finally reaching the ground and stalking towards her next destination with graceful, loping paces; her mind racing as she went. The knowledge that Nero was willing to allow Aefen to experiment on and kill civilians in the pursuit of his vision for Remnant, but only insofar as it was useful and as long as the demented woman's madness could be contained and used had shaken her to her core and forced her to revaluate everything she had previously believed and stood for.
If Zirconia were entirely honest with herself she was no longer sure what she believe and that reality frightened her more than any Creature of Grimm could ever hope to.
The idea of a Remnant at peace, one where people were not plagued by monsters and so had no reason to suffer under an unjust rule, a Remnant where lies, secrets and nightmarish beings like Salem could never cost innocent people everything and no child ever had to suffer like she had when she had lost her home, her parents and her legs was simply to much to turn away from and yet the realities of what Nero was doing, the cold and callous sacrifices in the name of some unknown plan for the greater good seemed to fly in the face of everything that the man had built towards and crossed several lines that Zirconia was not sure that she could countenance; with all of her reasoning and internal debates coloured and made more difficult by the fact that Damascus Nero had been a father to her after she had lost her own parents and she loved the man dearly, she only wished that both he and his plans were not falling so far short of the ideal she held in her heart.
Eventually her thoughts were directed back to the present as she came to her destination, a sturdy stone building like many other in Pikesreach whose design was at least somewhat evocative of some ancient castle or other fortifications. it was the place were those who were being held prisoner after their attempts to kill members of the so-called liberating force, a pair of bristling and chittering Cyber-Grimm flanking the only entrance to the windowless structure ensured that Zirconia was extremely limited in the actions she could take however standing between the two mechanical horrors was the former paramedic that had been sent along with the reinforcements, a rosy-cheeked young woman who smiled as she saluted and looked far too innocent for the skulduggery and chaos she found herself a part of.
"Have you seen the prisoners?" Zirconia asked quietly and without preamble.
"I have Miss Shadowmoon, Ma'am?"
"Zirconia will be fine"
"The prisoners….patients" the young woman stumbled over her words again "They seem to be a-okay, a few cuts and bruises healing up slowly but nothing out of the ordinary"
"Noted" Zirconia fought the urge to give a sneer as she added her next words "And be sure to tell Doctor Cruor that you'd like to give a second opinion on some of the subjects that she's treating"
"Will do" the smiling paramedic nodded excitedly, seemingly eager to be contributing something of value to the revolution she had joined.
"Dismissed….Tell me, has Doctor Cruor been present at all whilst you were performing check ups?"
"Nope, I haven't seen her Miss Zirconia Ma'am" the form of address made Zirconia wince with mismatched eyes though she quickly focused on the more important detail, namely that whilst the night was still young it seemed that whatever Aefen was working on would not require another human sacrifice just yet however the thought did not instil Zirconia with hope at all; largely because she was uncertain as to whether the change was because whatever treachery she was engaging in, which Nero seemingly wanted to co-opt for his own uses had progressed further or simply reached a stumbling block.
Zirconia realised the role Nero has asked her to play at Pikesreach, preventing Aefen Cruor and Gestalt-Prime from ruining everything that had been built thus far and unleashing some unknown havoc on Menagerie and her own conscience and ability to continue along the path that she had started on; to say nothing of the lives of several people seemed to depend on her ability to gather more information.
A task which promised to be a lot more difficult than breaking and hacking into the academies had been.
Night seemed to set more quickly in Menagerie's larger cities, the sun being lost more quickly as it vanished behind a skyline of glass and steel and replaced more vibrantly by street lights and a plethora of neon displays which kept at bay the total darkness of the wastelands and as such, for Stygian Blue it had felt somehow far later in the evening that it truly was by the time he arrived once again at the low-rise apartment buildings which served as a refuge and safe house.
The short drive from Breaktide's campus had been filled with the distractions of Astra and Regalia's flirting and assorted another antics which the Mouse Faunus couldn't help but note were not different in any particularly striking way from their previous friendship, the sound of the radio and flashing signs for several businesses which were either just opening for evening or simply operated twenty four hours a day. Now however Stygian was within the apartment building and making his way up through a stairwell which was a bland mixture of beige and concrete grey but was also without the graffiti and vandalism common to many such buildings and if he strained his ears the Mouse Faunus could hear the throaty roar of the pick up trucks' engine as Astra peeled away to take Regalia on whatever impromptu date the two had decided on.
Leaving Stygian with no chance to back out.
He had no plan to however and the unwelcome idea was pushed aside the moment it presented itself in his mind, conversely giving him a burst of forward momentum which allowed him to climb the stairs more quickly and make it his way onto the correct corridor, marching determinedly but with quiet footsteps until finally he reached the door to his mothers' temporary residence where he suddenly came to a halt.
"Okay, let's do this….Let's try again" he murmured under his breath, taking a moment to preen and adjust himself before announcing his presence; ensuring that both the braids framing his face and the afro-pontytail which his cornrows led to were immaculate and that his outfit and the two necklaces he wore were perfectly in place before composing his features into a bright smile that he knew instinctively was not as easygoing as he wanted it to be and would likely come across as nervous or sheepish. With nothing left to do he raised his hand and made to rap his knuckles against the door.
Only for it to open the moment he brushed against the wood.
"Were you stood there prettying yourself up boy?….Like you did for that blacksmith's daughter when you were thirteen" Cornflower Blue stood in the doorway clad in clothes that were not her own and did not suit her, wearing a smile of her own which managed to convey a sense of warmth despite both the tiredness that seemed to have seeped into the very fabric of her being and memory of their previous encounter hanging in the air. The two Mouse Faunus locked eyes for a moment, the awkwardness lasting for precisely as long as it took for Stygian to remember the incident in question and let out a long, faux-pained groan at the embarrassment of that particular juvenile crush.
At that point both he and his mother erupted into deep and entirely needed laughter and Cornflower lunged forward to pull Stygian into a crushing hug.
"I am so sorry son" she almost sobbed the words into his shoulder and Stygian's answer was to hold her tightly.
"I'm sorry too" he choked out "I should have been there, I should-"
"You did what you needed to do" Cornflower cut him off, forcing her voice into something lighter and befitting the way she wanted to conversation and evening to go before continuing "I wish that things had gone differently, I wish that that I could have been a part of helping you get away from Pikesreach….This is a better life for you and I'm proud of you for making it so far on your own….Have you eaten?"
"Not on my own" Stygian corrected as he followed his mother into the apartment "I've got friends and a team….As well as my old team from Halo, they're all good people and do are the professors at the academies….It's because of Headmasters Ren and Adel that I've actually got citizenship in New Vale and Menagerie, enrolling in a Kingdoms' academy gets you duel citizenship there which they told me speeds up a lot of things"
"Well it definitely can't hurt" Cornflower grumbled as she led Stygian into the small kitchen area of the apartment, one far more modern than the one he was used to seeing his mother in but also more cramped and less homely; hearing her words the younger Mouse Faunus couldn't help but chuckle faintly.
"I guess you've got a lot of paperwork to deal with?"
"Don't you worry about me boy" Cornflower sniffed, doing her best to seem nonchalant and yet determined in a display which lasted for only a moment before the two of them shared another round of laughter as she launched into a rant that had obviously been brewing for some time "Oh such much paperwork, all of it clearly written by pencil-necked little twerps on a power trip in their little air-conditioned offices….And the scrolls now, good heavens why can I use my scroll as a television remote, why are there four different messaging systems on the thing as soon as I take it out of the box; why do I already need accounts and login details, it's not a laptop….And the television, why is there no music on the music channel and….And damn it Stitch stop laughing at your mother!"
"You needed that didn't you?" the younger Mouse Faunus managed to choke out in the midst of his howling laughter.
"So much" Cornflower admitted, still smiling "But things will work out….I know I can't stay here forever and I need to get things in place so I can get back on my feet, but it's not easy because so much has changed since I left the Kingdoms; it's like starting over and I didn't realise what it would be like….I didn't think or plan anything when I left Pikesreach, I just had to go"
"Mum" Stygian breathed out slowly and carefully, the word drawing Cornflower's deep brown eyes to him as she realised what were son was about to ask.
"You want to know what happened?"
"I need to" Stygian nodded slowly "You said they killed all of the Hunters to make and example….That doesn't sound like bandits or the Nomad Clans, at least not the nomad I know-"
"It wasn't" Cornflower shook her head, voice lowered to a whisper and expression suddenly distant "They're monsters Stitch….People who are monsters and actual monsters….They called themselves liberators and then killed our Hunters, set themselves up as our new protectors and leaders and took anyone who disagreed prisoner….They've been taking those prisoners in the night and they can't have many left; with me being marked as an outcast I had to run before they ran out of people to take….Call me selfish or a coward I don't care, I don't know what happens to the people they take and I don't want to….I think they feed them to those monsters"
"Monsters?" Stygian asked, a formless dread coiling in his stomach as an answer to the question lingered just out of reach until Cornflower gave it.
"They call them Cyber-Grimm….Most of them are like big bugs with guns, then there's the ones with wings and that other one….The one that killed our Hunters, it's like some kind mix of centipede and anteater"
"I've seen Cyber-Grimm before….I fought them in Neo Vale, twice" Stygian whispered, his breathing reduced to shallow gasps "Mum, Professor Adel needs to hear about this….Who's in charge of Pikesreach now? Is a man called Damascus Nero there?"
"No" Cornflower shook her head "He left and took that Lizard Faunus with him, he was a butcher when he fought our people….Killed people younger than you with a machete"
"I….Fuck I know who you mean, he's a rogue Hunter….He's dangerous" Stygian admitted "But if they're gone then who's running Pikesreach?"
"Language boy" Cornflower chided reflexively "It's hard to tell exactly who's in charge, they seem to be at each others' necks a little bit and trying to work around one another….There's the evil witch of a scientist who walks around in a crazy mask and carries a staff with a plastic ram-skull on it; then there's there's a girl your age….I think she's a Faunus, she must be to have cybernetic legs like hers….Her name's Zirconia, Zirconia Shadowmoon"
The whole world seemed to fall away for Stygian as he heard those words and all that remained was the roaring of his own pulse in his ears and the red mist slowly descending over his vision.
Author's Notes:
Oh boy, now things are well and truly in motion.
Although this volume will go through to Chapter 126 so there's still plenty left to do before we reach the end of Vol.07.
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
Gestalt-Prime deserves cool entrances simply by virtue of being terrifying.
Honestly as someone who's worked in engineering and seen plenty of factories and workshops I can promise you it doesn't matter how scary the Cyber-Grimm are, the people working on them would be doing non-regulation fixes and shortcuts on them within a month.
The variation in Aefen's people from budding evil geniuses in training to old working class guys who're sick of the way things are is interesting to see.
I do love writing Aefen, she can't help but play to her audience….And is also monster-fucker supreme.
So Gestalt-Prime and Aefen are in agreement that simply turning a Grimm-parasite spore loose Remnant is worse than useless to them and not part of their plans.
Also, point of detail in case anybody mentions it….Yes we've seen Grimm that do not come from a Spawning Pit to an extent, those are Grimm spawned from other Grimm; however those carrier Grimm (The Pelican Grimm from Vol.04 for example are) are considered mobile Spawning Pits in their own right, which is definitely different to what this is.
So the problem is the rest subjects….Well that has the potential to go in some horrible directions.
It's obvious but yeah, Zirconia's departure and Nero's big reveal changed the elective courses the team took.
Also, advanced survival class may or may not be foreshadowing.
AJ and Regalia arguing about Dust in the background is one of those conversations I wish I could devote time to, it's basically the person who's looked at the blueprints and read the manual arguing with someone who's used a jerry-rigged and cobbled version of the product.
Yeah Stitch is really not in a good place….And the thing about Tiger expecting her team to power through fits her character, in ways that are understandable if not entirely positive.
Well Stitch feel at home, that's something right?
On the one hand Cornflower is probably the appropriate amount of scared and paranoid about Nero….On the other hand, she needs to get help.
Cornflower with a new scroll, inspired by every single time I have to help my Nan use a smartphone….And also the absolute arse-ache that was trying to copy all of my settings over from one phone to another phone which was literally just a newer model of the same thing.
It really is a wonder that Stitch is as well adjusted as he is….Although there's also no exact timeline on when he ran away, only that it was less than a year before his first year at Halo, given that he went to Neo Vale as a stowaway he probably spent some time in Nora and Ren's care home first.
So Nero had already instructed Carmesi to start reaching out to the places that weren't being protected by the Hunters while they're stretched thin, obviously Spinnenheim is one of those places, with it's name making it likely originally founded by Atlesians, likely Faunus given the fact the name means Spider-Home….Nero's efforts have obviously been spotted.
And the reporter and likely some people higher up in the channel are also either sympathisers or people directly working with Nero.
Even Arslan isn't harsh enough to call on a grieving student.
Astra is absolutely gonna hype Regalia up and show off at every possible opportunity….But especially as she just sucked their soul out the night before.
But anyway, have Stygian and Regalia interacting because I don't feel like we've had enough of that and it's got plenty of potential.
"City kids can't wrestle" followed by Ursinia the farm girl cheering.
A Menagerie cooking club….Where it's a coin flip to decide whether you eat your meal or the other way around.
Stitch tried Astra's spinning leg sweep, Regalia dodged it with Athena's breakdance/capoeira leaps.
AJ is built like a cement mixer and can absolutely crush a watermelon between her thighs.
Okay, it was obvious that this is how things were gonna go from the last scene but a second attempt at a talk between Stygian and Cornflower is now underway.
I'll be honest, it's been a rough week and that description of how Nero felt and how he'd lost track of time was just me venting.
You know it's bad when a half feral man with his tits out on a random Tuesday afternoon tells you that you smell bad.
Jidhir Town is self sustaining, it does not however have a StarLien and as such newcomers have to surrender their coffee to fuel the engine that is Nero's brain.
Spinnenheim isn't important in of itself, but the fact that Nero heard about that news report and knew that the Hunters already knew about his peoples' activity is just a sign of how well informed he is despite being out in the wastelands which supposedly have no CCT connection.
….And now Nero is continuing to be vague and creepy about his bigger plans that will bring peace to all of Remnant; but I promise that I'm not just bullshitting because I don't have a plan. I know exactly what the plan is and how the pieces are gonna fit together.
He's still putting his faith in Zirconia because he loves her like a daughter.
And now we cut to Zirconia….Not having the same level of faith.
There was a fine line between impressive and pretentious and Zirconia could admit that she was no longer certain which side of that line she resided on….Zirconia's selfies would look like the images used for YouTube night-core remixes.
So Hops has got a dozen or so loyal troops now, just as soon as she sorts out her crisis of faith and picks a lane she'll be ready to start making inroads.
Step one is naturally gonna be to integrate the newbies well enough to do recon for her and find out who's been drinking a little too much of Aefen's Kool-Aid.
And here it is, Zirconia has walked down a road to hell paved with good intentions and now she's upset that she can smell the sulphur as she gets nearer and nearer to the end point….Although in her defence she's doing it all from a place of genuinely wanting to make the world better.
Using an actual paramedic to dispute Aefen's claims that she's helping the sick and injured prisoners is clever, but ultimately will probably not be enough.
She's also right that this will be harder than breaking into the academies, because her targets are already well aware of her intentions and will have a lot less issue with just killing her.
So Stygian went to see his Mum again and as we saw last chapter her hearing is good enough that she knew he was outside the door for a few seconds….And called him out on adjusting himself like a little peacock.
Nothing like embarrassing childhood memories to bond over.
Stygian being a dual citizen of Neo Vale and Menagerie because he's attended both of their academies can be used to solve a lot of nit-picky logistical questions and is also entirely consistent with earlier stories in this series….Gangrel Slate, AJ's Dad in Downward Spiral was stated as having Vale citizenship because he was a Beacon student despite being an Atlas native.
Cornflower's little rant was great….Seriously we'd be in a utopia right now if MTV hadn't fucked around and had just played the damn music.
But now we get to the important part, Stygian hearing what happened to his home….But yeah since Cornflower was an outcast within Pikesreach she probably had less concrete idea of what was happening to the prisoners than some others and honestly "Fed 'em to the Cyber-Grimm" isn't that too far-fetched on its' face.
Don't forget that Team TRQS and Flax Scarlatina fought Carmesi and some Cyber-Grimm in Vol.05.
But now he knows where Hops is, which means before long AJ and Astra will know where Hops is.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.