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Chapter 146: Celebrate

In the wake of their fight against a probing, searching Creature of Grimm as it sought to attack Atlas's Dust supply and their subsequent encounter with the fearsome and monstrous Megalodon Cyber-Grimm airship, brief and distant as it had been Team MARSZ had been extracted returned to safety.

This retrieval from the mission they had attached themselves to had not been performed by Team FADE, instead it had been another team of Hunters whom Team MARSZ had vague suspicions of having briefly met during the course of the previous years' Vytal Tournament. Upon being collected and brought to the nearest suitable base the five of them had undergone the usual and expected rigmarole of a post-deployment physical and mental examination followed by a debriefing; with the former being conducted the brusque swiftness and efficiency which gave it the air of being rote and mechanical, medical officers being far sterner and less welcoming than Breaktide Academies' fierce Nurse Kintsugi and the psychological exam being a worryingly brief and rushed affair undertaken by someone seemingly more interested in simply ticking boxes and getting every capable back into the field as soon as possible.

An understandable mindset given the circumstances, but still a worrying an unwelcome one.

The latter had been no less difficult, Team MARSZ's debriefing being reduced almost to the point of farce as they and the military officer attempting to undertake the procedure were largely reduced to talking at and passed one another rather than actually answering question and addressing concerns. The officer in question had been unwilling or unable to inform Team MARSZ of Team FADE's current whereabouts or condition, nor of anything else of importance that had transpired and the five former students, acting without licenses or authority beyond what acting on the behalf of Team FADE might grant them had in turn been unwilling to answer more than the most direct and straightforward of questions; with their response to everything else being that the answer was classified and would only be discussed with General Schnee directly unless she told them otherwise.

Privately each of Team MARSZ had expected to be reprimanded and so standing before Winter Schnee in her office at Atlas Academy the following day was less of surprise than it might have been.

Though just how unpleasant the ordeal would truly be remained to be seen.

"General-Headmistress….Aunt Winter?" Athena-Jade cleared her throat with rare uncertainty as she spoke from Astra's left hand side, Regalia at their right whilst Stygian and Zirconia were at the rear of their rough cluster stood to attention with varying degrees of nervous uncertainty as Winter herself continued to fill out some minutia of paperwork before her without deigning to give the assembled teenagers before her a response.

"Why are we meeting here?" Athena pressed on "Why not at the manor-or you're airship, I thought you'd be-"

"As serious as the situation facing Remnant is I cannot afford to ignore my duties as Headmistress indefinitely. Nor can I delegate everything to Professor Soleil" Winter answered frankly "Furthermore given that you are still, at least to outside observers students your presence here, save for Shadowmoon of course is more easily explicable that it would be aboard my flagship. Also having you escorted to and from this meeting by your father frees up people I need elsewhere AJ"

"That makes sense I guess" Athena tried not to fumble over her words, the open honesty from her often aloof, mysterious and incredibly imposing aunt something of a surprise and yet not enough to ease the Bear Faunus's tensions, which worsened as Winter set down her pen and turned her piercing gaze towards the team and settled it on Astra who seemed to be visibly suppressing the urge to gulp.

"Mars. I was informed that your team, presumably under your instruction withheld information during your debriefing" the glare intensified, silently demanding an explanation which Astra stepped forward to provide with a faint trace of their customary bravado quickly fading from their face as they reaching into their jacket to provide several sheets of folded paper.

"I have a written account of the mission here General" Winter quickly masked the look of pleasant surprise which crossed her face as she took the documents "I thought it might be harder to intercept than anything digital, my team and I chose to limit the information we gave in our initial debriefing due to how much of it could be sensitive or classified. Nero and his Grimm airship turning up feels like it shouldn't be common knowledge….Also, we were admittedly shaken up by the whole thing and still worried about Team FADE"

"I trust that you've since overcome those concerns. Team FADE handled themselves admirably, as did you given the circumstances" Astra fought the urge to puff up with pride too much, whilst beside them Athena couldn't help herself. Team MARSZ and Team FADE had indeed met one another the previous evening once the older team had returned successfully from destroying airborne Grimm and relieved the younger team of their growing worry. Winter's comments were not so warmly received by all however as Stygian, paying no regard to the General's position or authority let out an irritated sound before making his frustrations known.

"But are we gonna talk about what the fuck that was yesterday though?" the Mouse Faunus demanded hotly.

"Stitch-"

"Nah, it's gotta be said!" he cut across Athena's warning tone and aghast expression "The last time we were on that airship we had to fight our way off! We were hunted through the tundra and nearly died….I lost my arm….You can't just drop something like that on us without a warning"

Stygian's voice wavered and cracked, leaving the room silent and the air heavy with a sudden tension until Winter spoke again.

"That's enough Blue" she was firm but less openly angry at the outburst than any of Team MARSZ had expected, their surprise growing as she added "My apologies, I understand that the presence of the Megalodon was potentially….Unwelcome and that proper communication channels were not established between us to inform you of the evolving situation. The fact remains however that Nero and his vessel were the most suitably positioned to provide you with air support and that the mission was a success. Also I trust that Shadowmoon informed you of the particulars?"

Winter gave Zirconia a momentary glance, faint traces of suspicion being enough for the Grasshopper Faunus to speak up.

"I did, but that was more than a ceasefire….Does this mean that there's an actual agreement now, that we're working alongside the Cyber-Grimm?"

Team MARSZ collectively stiffened, each of them visibly uncomfortable at the notion though Winter ploughed onwards.

"We are still seeking an angle of approach and we have no intention of allowing Nero to complete his overall goals but yesterday proved that Pantheon is capable of pushing through our defences and is no longer content to wait until their foe comes to them….This means we need a new approach, we need to go on the offensive" Winter paused, clearly considering her next words "Which is where Team MARSZ come in"

"Us?" Astra asked, nervous but with a sudden undercurrent of excitement at the idea of being able to contribute something meaningful. Winter nodded silently and produced a digital tablet from within her desk.

"I would like to offer Team MARSZ official Hunter licenses" the words hung in the air for a moment, the five teens sharing momentary looks of confused disbelief.

Until Regalia let out a deafening, whooping cheer.

"We did it!" she exclaimed giddily, flinging her arms around Astra "We did it! We made it, we're actually Hunters!"

"Yeah" Astra breathed out slowly, numbly before taking a few seconds to compose themselves wherein a thought occurred to them which saw the Deer Faunus turn their attention back to Winter "Is this just a way of keeping us in line?"

"Of course it is" the General answered bluntly and without hesitation "The five of you have proven that you are willing to do the right thing and take matters into your own hands at any given time….You have, since your first year at Breaktide Academy been selected for additional training and you've proven your ability and initiative time and time again. What you lack is direction"

"Ouch" Stygian couldn't help but mutter with a faintly joking tone which Winter promptly ignored.

"Direction I can give you" Winter glared at the five newly qualified Hunters "Your licenses are currently limited, I will be selecting your missions. I need every Hunter I can spare right now and having Team MARSZ handle routine patrols allows me to send more experienced Hunters elsewhere….For an assault on Pantheon however, working alongside Nero's allies and his Cyber-Grimm….Your experience in that regard would be greatly valued"

"Thank you General" Zirconia rasped out politely, bowing her head briefly. Team MARSZ shared a series of silent glances, an entire unspoken conversation taking place between the five of them wherein they considered what was being offered and what was being asked of them until, after a series of nods Astra turned back to Winter and gave a bright smile.

"We accept….We're in"

"But" Athena chimed in uncertainty "My Mum has told me before that Team RWBY were given similar licenses and that you rescinded them as soon as Salem was beaten because they weren't trained enough….Are you gonna do that to us?"

"Heh, weren't Team RWBY still First Year students though?" Regalia noted, falling silent as Winter leaned forward over her desk.

"Frankly that is a conversation for another time….I need you to understand the severity of what you're up against and truly appreciate that if you are part of an assault on that Grimm fortress you may not survive. If you do however you will certainly have earned those licenses" Winter paused, forcing her expression in a smile which seemed almost perverse in its' light-heartedness after such a statement before speaking again.

"Congratulations Team MARSZ"

Below the roiling sea Pantheon fumed.

Over a day had passed since their latest assault on Remnant had been beaten back after only the smallest and most meagre measure of success.

The Grimm General had disgorged hundred upon hundreds of monsters into the air and sea in a ravenous tide, including specimens of vast size whose supposed might and simple mass represented a considerable amount or resources expended.

The first objective of the assault had been to deal a severe, if not outright crippling blow to the Dust supply of the ships currently surrounding their living fortress, sowing fear upon which the Creatures of Grimm might feed and at the same time limiting their foe in a way which would allow Pantheon to dictate the pace and direction of events to follow whilst the second, more immediately important goal had been to send a message to Gestalt-Prime that the wretched usurper could not hide or escape their fate and if they would not come and meet their ending in proper fashion, answering a challenge with the naked violence befitting of a Grimm then they would be hunted down like prey instead and they, along with the human masters they served in their efforts to disrupt the natural order of things and the proper cycle of creation and destruction would be torn asunder until no trace of their folly remained.

To say that these goals had been achieved in any real or meaningful way would be generous to a degree that Pantheon, even within the confines of their own mind was incapable of. Hunters had halted the Grimm despatched to destroy one of Atlas's mining rigs before it could do any serious damage before the killing blow was dealt by the monstrous Cyber-Grimm vessel which Gestalt-Prime and their masters now travelled aboard, the creation which Pantheon's expanded fortress had been intended to answer whilst the would be usurper Grimm had remained unseen; Pantheon's message received but for all intents and purposes ignored. Closer to home some small advances had been made, Pantheon had been able to feel the outpourings of fear, grief and anguish their minions fed upon through the senses of less Creatures of Grimm as dozens of souls were lost in the violence and entire ships were destroyed and sent down to the depths or else damaged to the point of being forced to retreat; though the psychological benefits of these miniscule victories far outweighed anything practical as the Kingdoms promptly replaced everything which Pantheon's forces destroyed in a display of a ruthless willingness to expend lives similar to the Grimm's own single-mindedness.

All in all the rewards had not been worth the sacrifice or the gambit.

And so Pantheon seethed.

There had been small scatterings of violence in the intervening hours of course, however the Grimm General had instead focused their attentions to other matters, such as taking stock of just how much Grimm-matter had been wastefully converted into living monsters only to be unmade, using more of their reserves which suddenly seemed far more finite in order to repair damage to their fortress and plotting out their next move against their gathering enemies.

That the Megalodon had appeared to defend the Kingdoms' Dust was informative, it suggested that an alliance between various parties had been formed. As they lurked within their domain Pantheon pondered if that alliance could be used as a double-edged sword with which to cut their foes; if they were in league with one another then a blow to any one of them could hurt the others. Deciding the idea had merit Pantheon resolved to unleash small roving parties of Grimm from other Spawning Pits at their disposal across Remnant in order to further tip the scales of the ongoing war of attrition in their favour, realising as they considered the idea further that this could conceivably be used to draw Gestalt-Prime or at least the Megalodon out into the open and into conditions more favourable to Pantheon; by simply stretching the Kingdoms' defences so thin that if the upstart was truly allied with them then they would have to join the defenders' efforts.

With the barest outline of a plan forming in their mind Pantheon turned from their current occupation and stalked their way towards their central throne-room with a building urgency and bloodlust; a confrontation with Gestalt-Prime was inevitable and yet it would undoubtedly be delayed by the upstarts' refusal to face them openly and so the Grimm General was forced to turn their attention elsewhere.

Fortunately another opponent upon whom they could sate themselves was easy enough to find.

For a moment Pantheon had almost allowed themselves to consider sinking their fortress back into the depths and regrouping, the knowledge that the element of surprise had been lost and that their enemies would now be expecting a follow up attack from them in whatever form it eventually took halting them as much as an innate refusal to admit defeat in the way that retreating from the surface without their prize would certainty be. Instead the Grimm General resolved to weather the storm and outlast the Kingdoms' farce of a blockade, more Grimm material would be sourced from other oceanic Spawning Pits to bolster the fortresses reserves.

But first a fresh wave of attacks would have to be sent out, the prey above were growing complacent.

Corvid Xiao Long had been in the air when the sea below her erupted.

"Looks like they're having a late start this morning!" the former Atlesian Specialist declared into the helmet of the Omega Wing, transmitting her words across several ships within the blockade fleet through her connections to the Hunters currently aboard them.

In recent days Corvid had made patrolling the skies a part of her daily routine, it was inevitable that the Creatures of Grimm would attack several times a day with varying degrees of ferocity and that their assaults would be largely unannounced; as such her ability to combine the rail-guns of her battle-suit and its' relatively small size in order to slip between ships and aircraft to take down monsters trying to surround and overwhelm them was invaluable. Already being in the air before an attack began also gave Corvid the advantage of being largely ignored by Pantheon's artillery shells as they scuttled out across the exterior of the living fortress in order to focus their fire on larger targets, base instinct driving them to sow the largest amount of chaos and destruction as possible with their rapid-firing bone shards.

That her aerial position was the perfect vantage point for Corvid to warn others of monsters approaching from below before she seized the initiative and took the fight to the Grimm was an added bonus.

Today it seemed that Pantheon's minions had chosen to attack as a wave of bodies, swarming the fleet rather than with individual monsters of incredible power and size.

"Nothing that hasn't been thrown at us and met it its' end on our blades before" the deep and booming voice of Onyx Ursabane answered, his words upbeat and excitable in the face of such violence in a way that only he could be as he allowed himself a hearty laugh and added "Do you think maybe Pantheon is running out of ideas?"

"Let's hope so….Maybe they'll get bored and leave?" Corvid answered with a chuckle of her own, already imagining the faintly disgruntled look on the bearded and green-eyed Puma Faunus's face as her boyfriend of over a decade considered the notion.

"They wouldn't dare" Onyx gasped "Not without showing themselves again and fighting in person….I haven't fought Pantheon since we were students Corey, if I miss the opportunity the ancestors-"

Their conversation was cut short by the low, sibilant hiss of Carcharodon Gore whose words seemed to drip with curmudgeonly irritation.

"You'll be meeting the ancestors in moments if you don't focus Onyx!" the Shark Faunus declared, voice becoming a mutter as he added "If I have to listen to you two flirt and gossip I'll go to them myself, ramming speed into the side of the fortress"

Corvid laughed openly, knowing that Carcharodon would have her scrubbing decks or some equally boring task in retaliation however she complied and quickly turned her focus to the Grimm erupting from the sea; an eruption of monsters which the Omega Wing had already begun locking onto and identifying the most potentially dangerous specimens within.

There were the usual scuttling Artillery Shells already anchoring themselves onto the walls and spires of Pantheon's fortress, already being fired upon by airships and the groups of fighter craft which deployed from their hangars whilst vast tentacles suggested the presence of something large and monstrous which existed solely to prevent any efforts to draw close to or even land on the spires themselves as Corvid had done previously. Seeing that none of these threat were directly attacking her yet Corvid focused on the countless horrors now teeming in the water, primarily schools of shark-like Grimm a dozen feet in length known as Anchor-Heads with were joined by smaller and possibly more dangerous threats in the form of piranha-like Grimm whose forearm-sized bodies surged through the sea in densely packed masses of darkness given a distorted and ominous glow by their red eyes as the prepared to throw themselves at the unprotected undersides of ships' hulls.

"Those fishes are gonna be sleeping….with the fishes" Corvid muttered under her breath, privately happy that nobody had been able to hear particularly lacklustre effort at making a pun before she selected which of the various Dust-filled rounds at her disposal she would be unleashing. Lightning Dust mixed with explosives was quickly proven to be the most efficient choice for the current problem, her salvo of shots being interspersed widely through the water below her and sending crackling arcs of electricity across the waves along with explosions of raw force and rising clouds of dark mist as Grimm were destroyed in vast numbers.

Only for the next threat to slink and slither from beneath the cover of darkness.

"Oh damn it all" Corvid muttered as the Omega Wing alerted her to the motion, with several ships being targeted at once by this new threat.

Wretches.

Slinking, amphibious variant of the Creep species of Grimm with an increased cunning, ferocity and physical capability which had earned them a reputation entirely separate to that of their often mocked cousins.

Corvid upon seeing the Wretches scaling the outer hulls and anchors of several of the blockade fleets' warships with intrinsic skill comparable to that of a seasoned cat-burglar seeking out windows to clamber through, quickly realised that lightning and high explosives were no longer a suitable solution and so shifted to Ice Dust projectiles which she fired into the air around the ships rather than at the hulls themselves.

The effects were immediate and spectacular.

Several Wretches were blasted clear of the ships entirely and sent flying through the air before falling back into the sea whilst others were caught mid-fall or mid-ascent as the air around them was frozen solid. The Creatures of Grimm being frozen in place as massive platforms of dense ice formed and were anchored to the sides of the ships, leaving the monsters to be easy targets for the Hunters aboard who leapt down from the deck onto these new platforms and eagerly began engaging the monsters in the kind of head on, close quarters battle that they had been hoping for.

With Corvid happy to join them.

"Cracking open some cold ones with the boys!" she cheered as she unfurled the mace that had belonged to her fallen team-mate and expertly used her momentum to her advantage as she swept close to one of the icy platforms she had created and skated along on its' surface before swinging the mace in her hands in a crushing uppercut which struck three Wretches at once as the Grimm tried to clamber onto a platform to snap at the Hunters; her actions earning her a chorus of cheers from her fellow Hunters. Two of the trio were felled instantly, the first simply crushed into nothingness and the second relieved of its' skull whilst the third was simply flung into the air in a high arc which saw it crash into the waves some distance away.

Corvid's brow furrowed for a fraction of a second before she decided, against all logic that this outcome was not satisfactory.

"Get back here, I'm going three for three!" Corvid spat as she chased after the Grimm as it powered through the water in a frantic retreat, her shoulder-mounted rail-guns unleashing a steady stream of freezing projectiles which further hampered the advances of the aquatic Grimm; the Anchor-Heads being compelled by some instinct to hammer their way through the frozen patches of water which in turn allowed aircraft gunners to pick them off more easily as they congregated, Corvid however maintained her course and chased the lone, admittedly insignificant Wretch until it reached the exterior of Pantheon's fortress and sought to slip into a previously unseen orifice.

Corvid aimed and fired and the Wretch was frozen in place, fused to the wall of a yawning and fleshy opening which had been hidden between two vast plates of bone armour which had been pushed aside to accommodate it. The former Specialist watched, knowing that giving chase further would be a death sentence; resigning herself to the inevitable sight of the Grimm tissue of the fortress sloughing away its' damaged sections and recovering in a matter of moments before sealing firmly shut.

Except it didn't.

Corvid, with a rising wave of urgency quickly began recording everything she was seeing through the Omega Wing's helmet; measuring the size of the opening, the sheer mass of frozen Grimm tissue and the time that elapsed before it could even begin to thaw itself. In doing so Corvid began to realise that her discovery might be of deep importance.

A suspicion which was confirmed when Pantheon's Artillery Shells began raking the air around her with bone-missiles and forcing her to pull back, the Omega Wing's shield generator being pushed to its' limit as she was buffeted.

It was too late however, Corvid had learned something useful and was already mentally preparing for the conversation that she would need to have with her Aunt Winter.

Upon receiving their official licenses as Hunters, in a fashion that was utterly devoid of the usual sense of ceremony and had been just as unconventional as the licenses themselves which effectively, by virtue of their conditions brought Team MARSZ directly under the control of General Schnee herself the newly officially recognised group of five Hunters had allowed to wait and linger in a part of Atlas Academy which had not been in use at the time until Gangrel Slate, combat instructor, former Specialist Commander and Athena-Jade's father was finished with his days' work.

Requiring an escort to and from Schnee Manor on the same day that the five of them had officially become Hunters was undeniably an odd juxtaposition and one that they might have joked about or taken issue with if the circumstances had been different. As it was however all of Team MARSZ understood that the reality of their situation and that of Remnant at large was dire, the hours they had spent confined to an empty classroom allowing them to discuss their situation at length and come to the shared conclusion that whilst they could see the reasoning behind the General's choices Damascus Nero's intentions were not to be trusted and that all of them would be taking extra care and precautions on any deployment which saw them venturing into the tundra where Nero's Cyber-Grimm might be lurking.

Doubly so if Carmesi Hueso might be present, they were certain that the reptilian Faunus would find a way to blame them for the injuries he had suffered during their last encounter.

The glum mood had been lifted however when Gangrel Slate had found them, the elder Bear Faunus hoisting his daughter into the air and beaming with pride as he congratulated her and her team-mates on becoming qualified Hunters, stating firmly that no matter how it had come about it was still an accomplishment and that there could be no doubt in anyone's mind that the five of them had experienced more than most students who earned their credentials in the usual way. With their spirits suitably lifted and the campus suitably empty Gangrel Slate had led Team MARSZ to a launch pad where his usual flight from Atlas Academy to Schnee Manor atop the icy Kingdoms' Capital; allowing their return to go unremarked upon with no unscheduled flights to draw the attention of any spies, informants or sympathisers that Nero might have close at hand.

Upon their return Team MARSZ had learned that good news could travel faster than the fastest airship.

Athena had yet again been pulled into crushing hugs, this time from her mother and siblings, her sister in law included and also her Uncle Whitley who had decided that there was nothing on Remnant more important or demanding of his attention. Astra and Regalia too had been pulled into tight embraces courtesy of Felix and Eagle, though their had been much more hair ruffling and teasing between the Deer Faunus and their older brother. From there it had been revealed that Weiss had managed to coordinate everyone else in the manor on short notice to organise a small party of sorts, refusing to allow the occasion of her middle child becoming a Hunter to pass without some degree of fanfare even if it was bereft of a proper graduation, the much more raucous partying that the newly minted Hunters would likely have engaged in if they had been celebrating with their peers and the media circus which would likely have followed any such parties involving a member of the Schnee party.

It was a close and quiet affair and one which Athena-Jade regretted having to make excuses and take her leave from.

The pale and snowy-haired Bear Faunus yawned and adjusted her clothes slightly and let out a long, jaw-cracking yawn as she padded quietly through familiar hallways and corridors where the sound of music and muted revelry faded into an indistinct blur on the edge of her senses; Athena allowing herself to feel the tiredness which she had amassed over the last day or so if only so she could use it as a distraction from feeling anything more troublesome, such as the uncertainty which sought to colour her thoughts. She reached her destination quicker than expected, whilst those not used to her families' home might find themselves lost Athena knew not only where every room to such a degree that she could find her way there without thinking but also knew the locations of various hidden passageways which guests were unaware of and it was the use of one of these hidden passages which brought Athena to Zirconia's door before second thoughts could undermine her willpower.

She knocked the door gently and waited with bated breath, realising that now was her last chance to figure out exactly what she wanted to say to the Grasshopper Faunus.

The door opened before Athena could think of anything.

"Oh" she breathed out, the sight of Zirconia in her nightclothes leaving the shorter woman with no choice but to voice her lack of thoughts in the least articulate way possible. Zirconia met her eyes for a moment, with Athena holding her gaze nervously but determinedly, refusing to allow her own gaze to drift towards her team-mates' scars.

"Would you like to come in?" Zirconia asked carefully, her own uncertainty seeping into every syllable even as Athena nodded and stepped into the guest room with a sigh of relief at the gesture which felt like an act of mercy even if did leave her fumbling for next words.

"You….Uh, weren't in the mood for a party?" Athena ventured, answered only with silence and a non-committal shrug far less dignified than Zirconia's usual mannerisms as the Grasshopper Faunus sat on the edge of her bed; though Athena took the small gesture as an invitation to continue.

"I get it, I know you like peace and quiet and the Manor isn't usually this crowded-" Athena cocked her head for a moment at that, allowing her own thoughts to run away with her for a moment "Which honestly makes the place feel like a total waste of space….We don't have regular balls or parties here like my Grandpa allegedly used to and some of the other families do, so we've just got all these rooms we don't use collecting dust; literally getting dusty because we haven't had housekeeping staff since Klein passed away. We should honestly have hired some, or at least gotten some of the 'Super-Roombas' Aunt Ruby and Aunt Penny use….And I'm rambling aren't I?"

"You are and it is delightful" Zirconia murmured, her scarred features forming a small but bright and genuine smile which reached her mismatched eyes; giving Athena the confidence to draw closer and try being more direct, using the conversation as the first tentative steps towards another conversation which they would need to have.

"Come on Hops, talk to me" she urged quietly "What's bothering you?"

"I didn't want to spend my graduation night alone so I went to bed so I didn't have to think about it?"

"Hops….You didn't want to be alone, so you left a perfectly good party-"

"I felt like I was intruding" Zirconia admitted quietly, eyes downcast.

"Oh" Athena breathed out simply for the second time in a matter of minutes.

"It felt like a family event and I didn't want to intrude" Zirconia murmured, words barely distinguishable though the slight hitch in her voice and the way her eyes remained averted told Athena enough "You and Astra have your families' here and Stygian and Regalia are your partners; the two of them have family and friends who will be happy and proud of them when they learn about what happened today….Who would I tell AJ?"

"I'm sorry" Athena whispered, genuinely upset by the words to a degree that she felt demanded action.

"Don't be" Zirconia sniffled, wiping her eyes "As far as consequences for my actions go this hardly the extent of what I deserve. Although I suppose Damascus might well learn that I'm now officially a Hunter since we're all allies now"

"You think Aunt Winter would tell him just to piss him off?" Athena asked, unsure of whether it would be proper to match the sudden bitterness in Zirconia's tone.

"Well now that the intel I offered is presumably less useful I suppose it's one way to earn my keep" the taller of the two Huntresses snorted "By being a disappointment to my family"

A moment later Athena had taken Zirconia's hands and gently, but insistently pulled her too her feet.

"None of that" the Bear Faunus murmured, stepping close and silently debating whether or not she should pull Zirconia into a hug; settling instead for looping one arm around her waist and using the other hand to take Zirconia's as a confident smile dimpled her cheeks.

"What're you doing AJ?"

"We're having our own graduation party" Athena couldn't help but snicker at the faintly absurd comment "If you listen closely you can still hear the music from downstairs. I know you know how to dance"

"You want to slow dance….To what I think might have been pop or club music when our parents were teenagers?" Zirconia likewise couldn't help but laugh faintly at the pout on Athena's face as she listened closer and realised that did in fact recognise a familiar synth sound and lyrics wherein the singer described themselves as a neon rainbow.

"Yeah well I'm working with what we've got" Athena grumbled before taking the first steps and leading in their dance "It looks like if things go well we've got plenty of time to find other dances, plenty of time for us to figure out what being a team means for us all now"

"I'd like that" Zirconia admitted, a response which saw Athena pull her closer and bury her face in the crook of her partners' neck though neither of them entertained the notion of taking things any further than that.

Zirconia was simply overjoyed with what she had and was too grateful for the moment to attempt anything which might risk it.

Athena was simply stockpiling all of her resolve and fortitude for a conversation about herself, Zirconia and Stygian all coming to an agreement of some sort.

On the ground floor of Schnee Manor the house party, a term Felix had given to the impromptu event which managed to all at once be an accurate description whilst also sounding both generous and harshly inadequate seemed to be winding down a little; with the first half-hearted conversations about cleaning up and preparing for whatever the following day might bring being broached.

Stygian, with manners and an expected standard of behaviour in such situations firmly instilled in him by his mother and the culture of Pikesreach at large and unwilling to be a poor guest had been one of the first to offer to help. The Mouse Faunus, along with Gangrel and Arctus Slate had carried plates and cutlery through into a kitchen Stygian found himself baffled at the size of every time he wandered into it and at present he was currently the only one present, cleaning dishes by hand as he was unsure exactly how the dishwasher worked and not trusting himself to attempt it after drinking several beers and multiple rounds of shots he had allowed himself to goaded into be Felix and Diamond.

"Did those two really leave you here to do all the work themselves?….And where did the rest of your team sneak off to?" the sharp voice, amusement battling with annoyance was accompanied by a small tut as Weiss strode into view beside Stygian wearing a slight frown. The sight was enough for the Mouse Faunus to blink rapidly half a dozen times in an effort to try and clear the faint haze of alcohol from his mind so that he could address Athena's mother, who beyond that title was a supremely imposing woman in her own right.

"Eagle and Felix are cleaning up and I think Arctus and Gangrel are helping Diamond with the baby-"

"Cooing over her to look busy" Weiss noted with a grin, which Stygian chose not to comment on given just how regularly Weiss herself could be found with her attention devoted entirely to first granddaughter.

"And Astra mentioned something about being and then Regalia said…." Stygian trailed off, jaw closing with an audible click and electric blue eyes widening as he realised what he had said and what his friends had more likely departed in order to do. Weiss for her part merely laughed faintly before assuring him.

"Oh don't worry yourself so much….I was a teenager once and I have children, I can assure you I have enough experience to know what's happening. At least they're not doing it on sofas and getting caught the next morning, unlike some people I could name"

Weiss allowed herself another wordless sound of amusement before beginning to dry some of the dishes and glasses Stygian had already cleaned and putting them in their proper places, whilst Stygian himself tried to get his bearings and not say anything that could lead to him embarrassing himself; another thought coming to him a moment later.

"Do you know where AJ went? I haven't seen her in a while?"

"I believe she went to check on Zirconia" Weiss answered absently, Stygian nodded absently before coming to an abrupt halt as his thoughts strung themselves together in a particularly unwelcome sequence tangentially related to the discussion about Astra and Regalia.

Surely Athena wasn't-

"You and my daughter?" Weiss asked, the unspecific question leaving Stygian sputtering as it cut so neatly through his own thoughts which only prompted another amused look from his partners' mother "Oh don't look like that nobody has said anything, but I can see the way you look at her"

"She's….Yeah, wow" Stygian answered slowly, a bright smile plastering itself across his face even as his senses and reactions were rendered were rendered somewhat duller than he would have liked by the shots of alcohol whose contents he now realised he was not entirely sure of; knowing simply that they had burned like acid on the way down.

"And a wordsmith to boot" Weiss grinned "Truly the entire package"

"Yeah well we didn't have mansions and private schools in Pikesreach" Stygian half-joked, though he found his tone sharpening of its' own accord, leaving him wincing as he realised he sounded far more defensive than he had intended. Weiss for her part shifted her weight and cleared her throat, realising as Stygian returned to the dishes that she had inadvertently touched a nerve.

"My apologies, I understand that your home circumstances were…."

"A mess" he offered, drying his hands in order to move his braids away from his face before continuing "I think this kitchen might be bigger than the house I grew up in. It was tough, the Hunters there were the worst of what a Hunter can be….The kind of place where people would join Nero just to be rid of the people in charge at the time. Now it's gone and a lot of people I knew are gone with it"

"I'm sorry" Weiss murmured gently "You still have some family though yes, I recall you and Athena-Jade contacting someone?"

"Yeah, my Mum" Stygian nodded brightly "I spoke to briefly today as well, she's happy that I didn't throw my future away by doing the right thing….She's helping people from Pikesreach integrate and helping teachers deal with some of the kids; they're sheltered. My Mum likes AJ….I mean she likes all of the team so-"

"Stygian, you care about my daughter and you don't have to hide that fact. I have no intentions showing you to a suspiciously sized and recently dug hole in the snow"

"Thanks" Stygian laughed.

"Not that I'm implying such holes do not exist of course" Weiss flashed him a stern, predatory grin only for the expression to flicker away in the next instant leaving Stygian unsure as to whether or not she was joking and deciding to answer with total sincerity.

"You won't need to use it I-Athena means a lot to me. We were friends before we were partners and I think we've helped each other through our lowest points" Weiss regarded him for a moment in a way which suggested she knew exactly what the young man had been on the verge of carelessly saying before seemingly deciding that he was up to the standards she expected and choosing to show mercy on the young man before her by changing the subject

"What happened to your old team?" she asked gently.

"Rye and Amaya decided that it wasn't for them….The Cyber-Grimm, the battle of Neo Vale was too much. They're working the garrisons in the outer territories now" Stygian paused, letting out a sad sigh and allowing himself to mourn what could have been before continuing "My old partner Tiger is still at Halo Academy on another team, her brothers' team actually. His partner didn't make it….Snapdragon, she was a friend of mine"

"That's….I know how it feels, the war took friends from all of us. Pyrrha, Jaune, Fox….Gangrel's partner Squish, he truly was a….unique individual"

"Sounds like there's some funny stories there" Stygian noted with a smile he couldn't hide at the way Weiss' had used the word 'unique' with an undeniable emphasis.

"Indeed, but I don't tell them as well as my husband" Weiss answered "However on the subject of partners, go speak with your old partner, let her know that you're officially a Hunter now. I'll clean up here"

"If you're sure?"

"Go" Weiss urged with a gentle wave, sending Stygian away with a faintly warm and accomplished feeling. He had a one on one conversation with Weiss Slate, Athena-Jade's mother and an accomplished veteran Huntress, Dust researcher and musician in her own right who could be downright terrifying despite her stature if she so chose and had left the conversation almost certain that he had not made an imbecile of himself and had given a good impression. With this pleasant thought in mind Stygian produced his scroll and forwarded an image of his newly authenticated Hunters' license to all three of his fellow former members of Team TRQS, managing to take a few steps further forward and debate whether or not an early night would be a good idea before the device in his hand began to vibrate insistently.

Stygian grinned as he saw that it was Tiger calling him, answering the call and bringing the scroll to his ear only to be almost deafened by her incredulous yell.

"Hey Tee-"

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO YOU LITTLE SHIT?! CONGRATULATIONS, NOW EXPLAIN YOURSELF BEFORE I COME OVER THERE!"

General Winter Schnee had remained in her office within the confines of Atlas Academy, tending to her duties as Headmistress which she refused to allow herself to neglect no matter how much the responsibilities of her other roles weighed down on her.

There was after all little point in saving Remnant in the present only to fail to prepare for the future.

It had been during the midst of attending to her duties as an educator, rechecking the syllabuses of individual professors, examining the suggested training missions for students at various levels of experience and also engrossing herself in the reports on the progress of various students; both those who might need additional work and study to reach the standards expected of them and conversely those who were surging ahead of expectations and who might prove themselves to be candidates for the Specialist Program or even to be future operatives reporting to herself and other members of the cabal of Remnant's protectors directly when Winter had been interrupted.

Qrow had sent word, through heavily secured and encrypted channels that their clandestine group should convene as soon as possible and, to Winter's surprise and dismay despite her consummate professionalism that Damascus Nero should also be present; everything in the implied urgency of the messages suggested that a development had occurred which her own Hunters, Specialists and military had yet to report back to her.

A fact which intrigued the General almost as much as it set her nerves on edge.

And so she waited within her office, heavily secured and closed to her students at such an hour with several cameras and discreetly placed security measures to ensure that any student who might use the Headmistresses' presence as justification for some out of hours counselling or a chance to curry favour would be politely but firmly directed elsewhere. Winter herself kept her focus hawkishly locked on the screen before her, metallic foot tapping faintly against the floor with an impatience which was quickly cast aside and replaced with a picture of stern discipline the moment the first video channel crackled into life with the customary layers of security producing a momentary lag.

"Winter" Qrow Branwen's customary drawl reached her ears and Winter allowed herself to relax if only slightly; an almost involuntary reaction to the presence of an old friend whose guidance was always appreciated which was quickly remedied by the arrival of a further quartet of video feeds.

Lie Ren, Coco Adel, Antonia Arc and then finally; with an air of smug satisfaction made all the worse by the knowledge that it was entirely false, Damascus Nero.

"Well, I see it must be important for us all to be gathered like this" Nero noted, quartz-coloured eyes gleaming "I was under the impression that Winter had drawn the proverbial short straw-"

"And you'll be drawing your last breath if you don't shut up" Coco spat, clearly unwilling to forgive Nero's actions nor tolerate his presence for a moment longer than necessary nor with even a modicum of civility"

"If we can cut to the chase perhaps, before we find ourself on a tangent" Ren interrupted firmly before gesturing to where Qrow's face was situated on his own screen "Qrow has asked us to meet like this, presumably for a reason"

"Thank you" Qrow grunted out gruffly "I'll be blunt and without any hyperbole….We made a discovery which might turn the tide, we might have found a weakness in Pantheon's defences"

A stunned silence reigned until Winter arched an eyebrow and spoke with deliberate caution.

"Go on?"

"Corey was involved in today's skirmishes with the Grimm and she captured some interesting footage….All of you need to see this" with that a video file was transferred and the sound of faintly tapping keys could be heard from each audio channel, followed by looks of surprise and slowly forming understanding on each of the faces of those present until Nero spoke again.

"I see" he all-but purred "And this Corey would be-"

"None of your damn business who Corey is" Qrow snarled, a sudden wave of protectiveness for his Great-Niece filling his words; a sentiment Winter both approved of and shared. Corvid may well have let her down and broken her trust, but Winter would be damned before she allowed the likes of Damascus Nero to even glance in her direction.

"Once again, staying focused and on topic" Ren noted pointedly, with a rare sharpness to the words "It seems that this is a way freeze and disable parts of the living fortress….Do you think this could be used as a way to render it more susceptible to lasting damage?"

"No" Qrow shook his head simply "It's too big, it goes too far down"

"Then I don't understand-"

"He wants to storm the castle" Winter interjected, with a sudden predatory smile at the idea of finally landing a decisive blow against the enemy and striking at their heart.

"Now we're talking" Coco grinned, clearly sharing the sentiment "Are we sure that vent goes all the way down?"

"Given that Grimm were using it as an escape route" Qrow noted "And it isn't the only one….We're using Ice Dust rockets to try and map out locations and get some idea of the interior so that we can organise a mission; attack from multiple angles-"

"What if it's a trap?" Antonia Arc, who had remained silent until now interjected "What Pantheon is trying to lure Hunters in"

"Not an unreasonable worry" Nero added, though Antonia looked no happier for the agreement "Given this Grimm's latest ploy was an attack further afield can we say with any degree of certainty that this isn't simply a way to convince you to commit your forces before attacking elsewhere?"

"And what would you suggest?" Winter asked, at least willing to consider the man's opinion on strategy in light of his history of evading her own efforts to capture him; it would be instructive and helpful in forming her own strategies for what came after this alliance of convenience had ended.

"Caution" Nero said simply "I have enough Cyber-Grimm to bolster some defences, but unless you're willing to allow me to establish a foothold somewhere-"

"Not fucking likely" Coco growled viciously.

"No" Winter shook her head "I think….Once we have a more accurate understanding of this that the correct route forward would be surgical strikes. Small teams of Hunters entering"

"Explosive charges, Fracture compound and detonate parts of the fortress from the inside" Qrow drawled out, crimson eyes flashing with sudden inspiration as he and Winter shared a single look and their thoughts aligned gloriously "This could be away to attack Pantheon directly….This could be a chance to end this entire thing"

"Then I will have Gestalt-Prime made aware" Nero breathed out, drawn into the building sense of urgency and possibility "What of the Aura Transfer Machine?"

Hook, line and sinker.

"Modifications were needed in order to make the machine portable and suitable for the particular operation you have in mind. It's still being completed and it will, naturally be untested in this specific capacity….But I believe it can be ready in a matter of days" Antonia answered in a blunt and professional tone which left all of those present muttering about what it could mean whilst Winter and Antonia simply shared knowing glances.

"Excellent" the General smiled.

Project Inertia was underway and she would defeat Pantheon and Nero in one fell swoop.

Astra and Regalia had, upon sensing that the small party to celebrate the fact they had achieved their goal of becoming fully licensed Hunters, albeit in a roundabout fashion managed to slip away into the guest room that the two of them had been sharing since their arrival at Schnee Manor. After managing to contact Astra's parents and inform them of their achievement. After the teary congratulations and stern insistence that Astra and Regalia both take care of themselves and one another the call had ended and the pair had been allowed to peacefully enjoy one another's company and celebrate in private, which had progressed naturally and effortlessly into several rounds of thoroughly enjoyable sex after which the two had fallen asleep wrapped around each other, utterly spent in a tangle of limbs and remained that way for several hours.

Only to be violently awoken by the sound of the bedroom door being kicked open.

"ON YOUR FEET HUNTERS! GET UP, MOVE!" the words thundered into Astra's consciousness as the Deer Faunus frantically tried to roll out bed, vaguely aware of Regalia frantically leaping aside to narrowly avoid being hit in the face by her partners' antlers as adrenaline surged through their body faster than their senses could properly process and allow them to orient themselves. The room was dark and their eyesight, gifted as Faunus vision was had not yet adapted to the gloom whilst their hearing was consumed by the sounds of yelling voices cascading over one another in a series of furiously barked orders and threats which reduced the entire scene to a discordant and senseless affair which served to leave Astra with no clear path forwards or ability to act.

Until a figure, outline barely distinct in the darkness rolled into view from behind the kicked open bedroom door; staying low to the ground as they tossed something into the room before leaping away and covering their ears.

Astra had just enough sense to do the same before their entire world exploded into a painfully bright flash of light and a deafening, high-pitched wailing note which left the Deer Faunus staggering away blind, deaf and utterly disoriented in an effort to get clear of whoever was attacking them; something in their mind clicking them into place and giving them context for their current misery.

Flash-bang grenade.

No sooner had Astra come to that conclusion than what little awareness and coordination they had managed to establish was knocked from them, along with the air being forced through their lungs as a powerful blow folded them over and sent lances of pain and panic through their body. From there the Deer Faunus was flung backwards and left thudding painfully against the side of the bed they had been pulled from. The sound of a scuffle making itself known through the lingering ringing in their ears until a dull, meaty sounding impact on the floor close by followed by a pained groan informed Astra that Regalia had been disabled and hurled to the ground beside them; this realisation saw the Deer Faunus leap to their feet in a blind frenzy and attempt to throw a wild, uncoordinated punch in the general direction of the figure they could scarcely make out through the spots and colours swimming in front of their eyes.

Their hand was caught, in a hand which did not feel like flesh and Astra was forced to their knees with a pained yelp escaping them and promptly held in place. From there the still unseen figure holding them shifted their weight in order to reach over and turn the lights on in the bedroom before finally speaking out in a voice that was something other than a furious yell; doing so allowing Astra to immediately recognise the speaker even despite the lingering ringing in their ears.

"I wanna say not bad kid….But honestly, a little disappointed. You two should probably put some clothes on before your team get here as well"

It was Felix.

On hearing the Lion Faunus's voice and the specifics of what had been said Astra, still blinking their vision into something useful could hear Regalia let out a frantic yelp and quickly drape bedsheets over herself before beginning to look for clothes whilst the Deer Faunus themselves waited until the moment their half-brother released his grip on their hand and sprung upwards, wheeling around the deliver a devastating punch.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Astra yelled, only to miss as their wild and telegraphed blow was easily sidestepped by the older Hunter who, in the same motion reached down to grab Astra's pants and throw them so that they landed on one of the Deer Faunus's antlers. The absurdity of the situation dawned on Astra as they finally managed to take in the scene in its' entirety, them standing in the room dumbfounded with their pants draped over them whilst Felix sat on their bed chuckling to himself and it was this which prompted them to follow Regalia's lead and at least partially dress themselves.

Just as the rest of Team MARSZ were led into the room.

"So how did everyone else do?"

"Well she hit something, I think she did more damage to her bedroom" Arctus noted as he marched Athena-Jade who looked to be in a total disarray into the room; only for the younger Bear Faunus to reveal a degree of alertness when her brother tried to ruffle her already unkept hair; making to viciously bite at his hand before scowling.

"You're gonna be the one replacing anything that's broken. Ass-hole"

"Well, Stitch at least has the sense to sleep with his weapon where he could reach it….He would have had a chance if he was better" Eagle noted as she flashed the Mouse Faunus in question before handing him back his own sword, which Astra realised must have been taken from him in the midst of his own scuffle.

"Hardly fair Eagle, you are probably the best sword-fighter on this continent" Felix noted absently "Dee, how did Zirconia do"

"Light sleeper and she didn't give away that she was already awake until I was actually in the room….Got a few good hits in" Diamond admitted, somewhat breathlessly as she brought Zirconia into the room; all present noticing that the older woman seemed faintly wary of the Grasshopper Faunus and was in fact sporting a faint bloody lip.

"Hey Dee, are we gonna head off...or I can do the nightly feed if you want-"

"It's cool, we can both go" Diamond answered with a yawn, looking over her shoulder as she and Arctus exited the room "You kids have fun"

There was a moment of silence which lingered until five members of Team MARSZ exploded with a plethora of insults and curses, interspersed with questions which followed a general theme which Astra summed up neatly.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?"

"That was a test" Felix answered flatly "Something that we actually should have given you back when we took you on a mission but we didn't chance….We call it the Flax test"

"The Flax test?" Regalia asked faintly, emerging somewhat bashfully from the bedsheets with clothes on.

"We named it after Flax Scarlatina" Eagle chimed in happily.

"I've met him" Stygian noted, still reeling from being assaulted and abducted from his bed "Professor Scarlatina's brother?"
"And my Uncle" Eagle beamed happily "He took Team FADE out on our first mission as First Years….And then flash-banged us while we asleep to test our reaction to it"

"Because the reality is, no matter how well you pick your missions or how good you think you are there is always gonna be a point in your career when the traps you set up don't work and you wake up to the sound of Grimm, or someone a lot closer to your base camp than you want them to be. Better to get into the habit of sleeping light and keeping your weapons nearby" Felix added, a toothy grin spread across his face as he added "Or you can try rushing the Grimm butt-naked and see if it works any better on them"

"You're a dick" Astra answered, struggling not to sound petulant despite feeling that their response to the situation was more than warranted. They glanced around however and saw that by and large Team MARSZ seemed to be taking it relatively well, though Zirconia still looked understandably despite allegedly having fared the best of any of them.

"So how well did Team FADE pass your own Flax test?" Athena demanded, still glowering at her cousin and his partner.

"Oh we got absolutely trounced, flailed and panicked" Felix laughed "Difference is, we were First Years….You've got licenses now"

"And you had to just come and undercut it didn't you?" Astra grumbled "Like when a First Year team gets humbled at the end of the first week of class every year"

"Oh they do that at Breaktide too? Team FADE got wrecked by Team CLIR on our first week" Eagle chirped happily even as she winced at the memory.

"I mean kinda" Felix admitted "I wanted to see that you were ready, I had to make sure….I'm your big bro. But on the other hand….Who said the party was over?"

With that the Lion Faunus seemed to produce two ludicrously large bottles of alcohol from nowhere at all; which each of Team MARSZ looked at suspiciously for a moment before Athena spoke up.

"Fluffy I swear if you stole those from my Dad I'll-"

"Are you nuts?" Felix laughed "I wouldn't dream of stealing from Uncle Gang. I told him what we were planning and he gave me these"

"HE KNEW?" Athena demanded "He sucks, he sucks so bad, he's the suckiest and he's probably awake, with Arctus and Diamond laughing about it right now and….Damn it I need that drink. I can't believe you ass-holes"

Athena descended into indistinct grumbling which allowed Felix to finally chuckle weakly at the Bear Faunus's expense, the mood lightening until a series of heavy, stomping footsteps silenced everyone.

Only for Coral Scylla to appear in the doorway in her nightclothes, wearing a deeply unimpressed expression.

"You guys made all that noise and forgot that I was asleep too didn't you….Pour me a drink then, it looks like I'm joining you"

A small cheer went up at that and the festivities began again.

Team MARSZ could be Hunters in a real sense in the morning, for the moment however they had undeniably earned the right to enjoy themselves.

Author's Notes:

Okay so this one feels like a filler chapter, but it does set things up and inform the general direction that things will be going during in the mid-season finale which will be upon us soon.

So, let's summarise shall we?:
Just a little bit of filling in implied blanks from the end of the last chapter in order to set the scene….And also so show that despite its' size and resources the Atlas military still has that stretched thin, impersonal feel in day to day operations.
Yeah Team MARSZ were/are still getting security details when they travel to and from important locations.
Astra saved themselves a bollocking there by being prepared, honest and having a valid reason for not answering questions when they were supposed to.
Stitch is right and someone had to say it, it felt right that he should be him considering that he did lose an arm.
Hunter licenses, because they've earned them….But also now Winter can just give them official orders.
Also it doesn't seem too far-fetched, Team RWBY were effectively Hunters despite having less than full year of training, Team FADE actually didn't complete their final year; classes ended prematurely and their graduation was rushed. Team MARSZ or at least MARZ were, as Winter pointed out given additional training as well.
Time for more silent plotting and being pissed off from Pantheon….God I can' wait until I don't have to write any more of this fucker.
Safe to say though that the previous day was a total waste of effort, a damaged airship and sunken naval vessel that have already been replaced and a few dozen casualties in return for their Leviathan, Gigan and the Angler Fish….Not worth it.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend….But the friend of my enemy is a potential angle and weak point to be exploited.
Yeah, Pantheon could sink their fortress here and cut their losses on this effort to try and draw Gestalt-Prime out but they won't, they've committed too much and they've given up the element of surprise either way.
So...Time for the scheduled attack on the blockade fleet.
Makes sense for Corvid to already be in the air before the shooting starts, the Artillery Shells are gonna focus on picking off everything taking off from the fleet.
Onyx is great, the idea of Pantheon packing up and going home is genuinely insulting….And as a reminder he has actually fought Pantheon before, more than once.
Carcharodon just being done with couples is honestly a mood.
Anchor-Heads and piranha Grimm are minor callbacks to Downward Spiral, they turned up on the way to Vaccuo.
Not the best pun.
Okay Corvid's fighting style here was just some cinematic anime bullshit that would be brilliant animated; a round of dynamite fishing followed up by literally creating solid ground for herself and other Hunters to fight on.
And Corvid in that moment made a very important discovery….That anything they blow up or cut off of the fortress will instantly start to heal, they can in a sense anaesthetise parts of it.
Everyone's a little scared of Carmesi, that guy's nuts.
Gangrel was right, Team MARSZ have experienced more than most newly qualified teams….How many new teams have fought their way out of a Grimm Airship?
Of course there was a little graduation party.
You know it's bad when AJ is waffling.
Being alone is one thing, feeling like you're still alone in a room full of people hits different.
See this is why Zirconia needs a suitable rooftop, if she's got a rooftop she's brooding and mysterious….Here she's just moping.
Yes that's a nod to 'Neon' as in Neon Katt's theme song from the RWBY Vol.03 soundtrack.
So yeah, AJ has a more solid idea in her head of what she wants now; just a matter of seeing if that's something that can work.
Stygian is definitely the kind of guest who offers to clean up….Also he's definitely never used a dishwasher before.
Yeah he basically just told Weiss "Oh yeah your teenage daughters' horny friends are fucking in your hose" not exactly smart.
….Yes that Weiss taking a cheap shot at Arctus and Diamond, FADE Legacy callback.
Weiss had a one to one chat with Hops, now she's getting one with Stitch. Seems fair.
Basically the tone was "Okay, so I can see you're head over heels for my daughter, she seems to like you too. You seem a good kid….But I will bury you in the snow".
One thing that most of the characters in this story can bond over at this point is unfortunately what losing a friend to the job feels like.
Also Weiss being the one to tell him to go and talk to his old team felt right somehow.
Tiger Santara is only professional in professional settings, in private she curses like a sailor and I think finding out that the guy she had to poke and prod to do any amount of work for a year qualified as a Hunter an entire year before her, in a Kingdom whose academy he never attended is definitely a fair reason to start swearing.
There was after all little point in saving Remnant in the present only to fail to prepare for the future….She's not wrong.
Nero once again getting bullied in the group chat.
They still wouldn't really be able to just throw a grenade down the hatches and handle the fortress that way; but surgical strikes might just be possible so that's the approach they're going with.
And because it means possibly getting close to Pantheon themselves….There's now a chance to use the Aura Transfer Machine, which means there's gonna be backstabbing all-round.
Oh, you left the party early to fuck?….Regalia you watch horror movies, you should know better. Get flash-banged idiot.
Yeah that was a generally bad showing from Astra, although….Tired, fucked-dry, just woke and then left blind and deaf should be a reasonable excuse.
So, did anyone predict that it was gonna be Team FADE?
The whole team got collectively trashed, although Zirconia at least managed to hit Diamond in the face.
If you read FADE Legacy then you remember that Velvet's little brother did in fact flash-bang Team FADE on their very first mission.
But yeah, basically Team MARSZ got ambushed in their sleep when they had no reason to suspect anything as an unofficial final test, one measuring their ability to react when absolutely everything goes wrong with no warning….And one that they are absolutely entitled to a drink after.
Besides, is it really a graduation party if you're not still drinking at 4am?

Thank you to MajorBrony95 for their review on the last chapter.
Finale? Oh honey, we haven't even had the mid-season of Vol.09 yet.
The Gigan isn't even the Grimm I was hyped for lol, I've been waiting to put that angler fish out into the world for months.

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