Dominic POV
"You okay Dom?" Clover asks as him and the team sit down for breakfast. My head is down on my crossed arms still splitting coupled with a feeling of exhaustion that wont go away. Weird I only drank two glasses of that cheap wine last night.
"Hmmm yeah," I raise my head up to the world being blurry. I blink a few times to clear my vision and yawn.
"Winter keep you up late?" Marrow teases his tray laden with the normal amount of breakfast meat. But also a few fruits, surprising. She had made sure I made it back to my room, she did ask if I wanted her to come in. Part of me almost said yes, but for some reason the disgusted look she gave when she saw me on the balcony with May stood out in my memories and I said no. All we shared was a goodnight kiss and a slightly awkward goodbye.
"Phft who do you take me for, we'd still be going," I deadpan snatching a piece of bacon from his plate and chomp on it before he can grab it back.
"Where is Queenie?" Harriet asks drinking from a protein shake.
"No idea, she hasn't messaged today," I shrug. "We're off duty right?" I ask noting the casual cloths of my team.
"Other than some light training yeah why?" Clover tilts hit head.
"Tomorrow too unless an emergency pops, wanna go out tonight?" Harriet chokes on her shake and Marrow drops the piece of bacon he was about to eat. I can't blame them this is my first time suggesting it.
"We just went to a dinner party, what did you have in mind Dom?" Clover raises a brow at me still slowly eating his breakfast.
"You guys keep bugging me to go to that club in Mantle, I was thinking a guys night there," I smile lightly at him.
"Sure you're up to it kid? You don't look so hot," Marrow points out and I roll my eyes before pressing my brand new gadget from the Prof on my wrist. A hard light dust screen pops out showing my aura at full.
"I'm fine, just tired. Come one guys I almost died a few days ago, I wanna have a little fun," I beg lightly mainly to Clover though I don't think I'll be having much.
"Make it a team night and I'm down," Harriet pipes up clapping my shoulders from behind.
"Same," Marrow shrugs.
"It's date night so unfortunately we'll have to decline," Vine bows his head as Elm wraps an arm around her partner pulling him closer.
"I mean I'll go, if you're sure you're fine Dom," he gives me one final look before I flash my newly found honest grin. "Fine fine, we'll go," he sighs a smile on his own face.
/
I slug through the day, the exhaustion only fading slightly through out, oh yeah light training means level 5 simulations made of hard light dust for a few hours. But its nothing compared to what they put me through my first month. I do end up breaking a few training swords though, Twi and La should be repaired by tomorrow accord to Prof Poulendina.
The only contact I have with my girlfriend all day is a single text around noon. "Sorry, I'm swamped between my normal duties and everything father's sending me. I'll try to be there for dinner, but I might not even make that tonight."
"It's okay babe, I'll talk to you when you can. Just training and relaxing today," I respond not planning on telling her about the club.
I feel lightly guilty as I get dressed for said outing, staring at myself in the mirror. I stop questioning myself as I spot Tri's bottle on my bedside table in the reflection.
I look back to my face and see glowing red eyes staring back for a split second before I grab my jacket and swing it on walking out of my room.
/
"The Rabbit Hole?" I laugh at the bright neon sign hanging at an angle out front as I step out of the taxi.
"Hey don't judge," Harriet chastises already bouncing to a beat thumping from inside. Her bright red sequined halter top and skirt combo shaking with her, she waves her scroll at the bouncer and he nods her and the rest of us in. The Ace's are regulars after all, and my face is well known by now.
Marrow instantly spots two faunus girls at the bar, one a feline type, the other sporting some tensile and other decorations on her antelope like horns. He makes a beeline for them, probably hoping to impress them with his status as an Ace and his snazzy new outfit consisting of a black blazer over a red tee, matching pants, and a pair of shades. Clover mean while gets swarmed with women and men alike, being the most famous Ace and being a natural people person like myself.
My goal tonight though isn't to mingle as I leave Clo to suck up the attention of the masses while I take care of my business. I weave through the sweaty bodies of human and faunus all dancing and drinking in ignorant bliss. I kinda wish I did have amnesia, I'd be nice to be like them for a night.
After about ten minutes of searching I finally find my targets. Robyn in her normal attire, while Fiona is wearing a pure white but sparkling dress that stops just after her hips. A giant oval shows off her mid drift and set of white heels makes her almost as tall as Robyn herself.
"Where's the other two, late for a very important date?" I ask jokingly walking up behind them. Though would they even get that reference here?
"DOMINIC!" Fiona wraps me into a hug with her arms going under my jacket and fully around my back to feel my muscles. My new norm was shirtless with just my leather jacket.
I'm slightly taken aback, and notice her cheeks are flushed red already. "Hey Sheepy," I gently push her away causing her to pout.
"Hey kid," I nod to Robyn as she gestures to the seat next to her. Instead I stay standing and lean my back against the bar, "So you're not going."
I pause for a moment before responding, "That's a weird thing to say to the guy whose ya know, responsible for getting Intel in a few hours that Ironwood still hasn't gotten. And your whole team couldn't find in three days, probably still wouldn't have it." I don't look over as I cross my arms.
"Point made. Counter point, you're still an Ace. If Ironwood and the rest of the council find out, it's both of our asses. You can't move without orders," she reminds me.
"I fail to see your point, if you all were following me as long as I think. You know I don't care about what I'm not aloud to do," I finally look over to see her staring into her drink.
"Your methods were very… Unorthodox, they definitely don't teach that at the academy. You wouldn't know that since you're already a full fledged operative personally trained by the Aces, it may not have been your choice." She holds a hand up to stop my retort, "And I've looked at your record so far, but do you even realize why I haven't told Clover or Ironwood about this? We're..."
"Going to kill them, all of them." She finally looks over at me some surprise showing in her eyes, "What do you think I'm going to do tonight if you don't let me help with your assault?" Her eyes widen slightly," It's better to work together on this over trying to leave me out. Neither of us are going to tell Jimmy, because then Taurus is behind bars and out of reach," I state looking away to the crowd. I see my teammates dance and flirt and drink, and I smile. "He needs to die, I have to much to protect here now."
All of a sudden a rumba beat comes on, and after a few seconds a familiar voice starts rapping. I'd know that song and that voice even if I was blind deaf and dumb. "Kid, you alright?" she asks after a solid minute of silence on my part, and I feel something in me snap.
"BARTENDER!" I yell making Robyn jump, the bar back roughly in his twenties, with a black fade, 5 o clock shadow and a plain white T on slides up. "You need my ID?"
"Who doesn't know Dominic Fain here in Mantle, whats'cha poison?" He asks with a dashing smile.
"Two bottles, top shelf. You guys got whiskey?" He snaps his fingers and turns to grab the bottles, I hand him a stack of lien which he almost throws it back at me.
"I'll tab it if it goes to high but this one's on me," he winks and I shrug tossing Robyn a bottle.
"What's this for?" She asks shaking it, I notice Fiona looking between us, her ears bouncing back and fourth.
"I'm real fucking tired of being called a kid," I rip the top off the bottle and tilt it back. The bartenders eyes go wide and I get a good look of two more priceless expressions as the bottle slowly empties, when done I pull it away with a growl.
"Another," he nods and a lower shelf bottle is in my hands in two seconds. "I fell from the sky, landed in a mother fucking tundra!" I down the second bottle almost as fast as the first. "Killed an Ursa less than five minutes after landing, got conscripted the same night," I motion for a third bottle. "Then I got put through the most rigorous training I've ever seen or heard of, all for a cause they won't tell me about. I'm two pints in of hard liquor, so I suggest you start chugging. I have a license in my scroll that says I'm a big boy now," I singsong to her in that old diaper commercial tune. "Which everyone up top constantly reminds me about, I don't have a single problem putting my money where my mouth is. Word's walk, action's talk!"
I twist the top off the third bottle, and she finally gets the hint, "Okay kid. Whosoever is under the table first wins." The bartender looking excited slams down about six more bottles, and I give her a minute or two to catch up. I wonder if they ever had house parties here?
/
Winter POV
I massage my temples, wishing I could ask Dom to do it for me like he offers to after a stressful day. It's just not the same. No matter how much I plow through more paperwork keeps coming through my email and I start to realize this might be a little more of a headache than I first thought.
I pick up my scroll to check the time and place my head in my hand looking at my back round. A picture I took of me sitting in his lap on the swing set from our first "date", a smile creeps across my face. I really feel like I've gotten to know him lately, though we don't spend much time together as his Ace Ops missions force him to deal with high ranking Grimm for up to days at a time. Then him almost dying…..
Lately has been a rare treat of a lull in activity even after the attack on the station last week. The people of Mantle have started to put their faith in Dominic and the Ace Ops as a whole again, which has helped slowly reduce the number of smaller Grimm around the city. Now that he's recovered I hope we can spend more time together soon. An old fear starts to hit my chest, but I stop it.
He's not like that, he doesn't look at me like he just wants to undress me. And he's been fiercely loyal even threatening Harriet if she continued being touchy feely. He hasn't tried to push any boundary I've put and I haven't tried to cross his. If he was unhappy with the current situation he'd tell me… Right?
My scroll rings and I almost drop it out of shock, "Winter Schnee." I answer not having looked at the caller ID and I almost lose my hearing in the process.
"WINTER," Marrow's voice shouts over thumping music the mic distorting everything from sheer volume. "YOU NEED TO GET DOWN TO MANTLE."
"Why, whats wrong?" I ask standing and start to leave my office.
"NOTHINGS WRONG, DOMINIC CHALLENGED ROBYN TO A DRINKING CONTEST, HE'S LIKE FOUR BOTTLES IN AND JUST TOLD THE GUY TO BRING OUT A KEG. HE'S GONNA DO SOMETHING HE CALLS A KEG STAND, ITS GONNA BE AWESOME! WHOOOOOOOOOO." The whole crowd on the other end cheer soon after. The line disconnects and I stare at my scroll.
"What the hell is a keg stand?" I question before confusion swirls up, Robyn's contact info, Mantle. Drinking… My heels almost break as a speed glyph forms under them with each step.
/
Dominic POV
"GO. GO. GO. CHUG. CHUG. CHUG!" The crowd cheers as I flip off the keg, my semblance negating the need for spotters. Okay I was wrong, I'm starting to have fun; I pick up the empty keg and "CRUSH!" It bends and breaks until I drop a two foot ball of warped steel on the ground.
"I'm up a keg princess, what you matching," I point to my opponent with a cigarette before lighting it. Only slightly feeling the booze.
"Okay kid," I growl lightly and narrow my eyes. "You've made a point, I don't think I could do that. But this whole thing is about you proving you're an adult, how about you do an adult shot."
"OOOOOOOOOOOO!" The crowd starts to hype us.
"Hit me," I get a few shoulder shoves as a response from the people of my side.
She sticks her tongue out at me grabbing a bottle before swinging Fiona onto the bar who knows exactly what she's doing as she puts her legs under her, spreads them for balance and leans back limbo style. Looks like they did have house parties here.
"What the fuck is going on?" A very confused looking May back in her normal outfit minus the coat, won't lie I like it better; why doesn't she keep her hair down more though; it's naturally blue; super pretty; off track, she finally arrives with Joanna in tow. They stare open jawed as Robyn pours a shot into the little sheep's belly button before slurping it out using allot of tongue making the crowd cheer even louder as the liquor spills over.
"Look whose here," I smile wide and honestly at her; noticing her eyes go wide and a slight smile tug at her mouth, "You're late, you're late," I sing song again ticking my finger back and fourth which her golden eyes follow. "And it's elementary, I'm winning. Which you're gonna help with pretty eyes," I grab Mays hand and spin her.
"Whoa wait, what?" Her face reddens as I catch her ass with my forearm and lift her up onto the bar. Her eye's going even wider as I grab the bottle from Robyn, "Whoa wait…. What about Winter?"Six bottles and a keg, plus a few random shots is allot for anyone….
Back in my world.
Here apparently aura helps your internal operations too, because back there I would've been at my limit or over already and would've just laughed her comment off. But I have enough cognition to stop, my desire to be loyal to my girlfriend even if it is a relationship for benefits overwhelming me. But is a body shot even cheating? That wasn't clear back there either and I giggle lightly.
"Yeah there's that," I mutter about to place the bottle down.
"May this kid has a point to prove, it's just a body shot, you gonna let him do it?" Her leader crosses her arms staring at both me and her friend.
"There's that fucking word again," I glare at Robyn. The bottles behind the bar shaking lightly from my semblance going a little out of my control. But I reign it in pretty fast.
May looks back to me from the shelves, realization dawning on her face "Fine," she sighs and starts to lay down; pulling up her shirt, but I stop her.
"This is a game of one upping," I pull a knife from my right boot, something I had started carrying after the other day.
I cut her black undershirt to receive more "Ohhhs," from the crowd. It reviles what I already knew was ample cleavage from her toga yesterday. Her blush deepens, even more so as Fiona jumps up behind her.
With an evil smile she wraps her arms under and around her friends breasts making my shot glass for me. No matter what some will spill out, but most of us are past the point of caring for the night and ain't that half the fun of a body shot? I start pouring the amber liquid into the dimple, I've done body shots off people at parties back there, always goaded into it so they would have a bragging right. Why does this feel different? I'm actually excited for it, I start to lean in as it overflows.
"WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL!" A screech makes my head whip around, I'm just in time to dodge a right hook from my very pissed off girlfriend.
"Winter it's a team night, who called you?" I smile ducking the next punch, then a roundhouse aimed for my jaw. "Babe calm down it's just body shots," she throws another punch.
"BULLSHIT!"
"Look if I wanted to cheat on you, trust me Harriet's more than willing," okay probably shouldn't have mentioned Harriet. I have to jump using my semblance to avoid her heel going for my crotch. I land on the bar stumbling slightly but manage to catch myself by flailing my arms.
"Why wasn't I invited then!" She growls sweeping at my legs which I jump foreword into a roll. Bouncing up I turn taking a swig of the bottle still in my hand, and point a finger in accusation.
"You were I don know, busy, and you're a Specialist not an Op," she slaps my hand away before she aims a punch for my solar plexus. I catch it letting the bottle free float and lead it into a dip like if we were dancing. "Ya know if you took that witches broom handle out ya ass I could be doing body shots off you right now."
She gives me a quizzical look before flipping a leg up and around my neck, uh oh. The only thing I can think to do is make her weightless like the bottle. I breath a sigh of relief as she floats to slightly above my head, unlike in Ironwoods office she thrashes for a few seconds before she stops struggling. "DOMINIC I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T LET ME DOWN!" My wrist watch beeps at me letting me know I'm at 50% or lower.
"Look I'm just trying to get her to stop calling me a kid," I drop her into my arms and sit her on the bar where May had been. "So just shut up, stay still. And let me lead," I rip the red broach off her neck letting the frills fall exposing her own cleavage. With her face red from both the fight and the situation I grab the floating bottle. I tip my head into her breast, back to the feeling of those cheerleaders making me do one off them for the attention.
I begin pouring then close my eyes focusing on the liquid as she twines her hands into my hair, one leg wrapping around my waist to support herself as she slightly leans back. I lap the final bit from her before pulling back up, not a single drop had touched her cloths. The roar from the crowd makes my head start to pound again. Winters eyes are half closed as she pulls me into a deep kiss, which I do return through habit over want.
"Is that enough of a point!" I snarl in Robyn's direction, breathless from the kiss and notice Fiona's hand on a sheepish looking May's shoulder.
"Yeah k-, Dominic, it is," Robyn shakes her head with her hands on her hips but a small smile in place. "You win."
/
Robyn took the blame for goading me into a drinking contest, and for suggesting the body shots. "May was just the closest one, pretty sure he would've just grabbed the closest thing with tits."
"Depends on how drunk I am," I admit motioning for a can of beer.
"I think you're done," Winter grabs the can before me, in my drunken hyper aware state I feel the tension shift. All the Huntresses have weird looks aimed at Winter, except May who locks eyes with me raising a brow.
"Excuse me, I'm off duty." I stand and grab the beer back, "I'll decide when I'm done thank you." I sit back down and pop it open as she glares at me lightly.
"He has a hell of a tolerance, not many people have actually out drank me," Robyn admits crossing her arms with a shrug the tension dropping from her crew. "That aside it's getting late, last calls soon so we'll get going." Fiona pulls everyone's attention by stumbling acting far worse off than she actually was.
Her leader walks by me patting my shoulder, I feel a piece of paper get slid into my collar. I raise my beer in farewell at the Huntresses before chugging the rest. "What's my tab at?" I ask the bar back.
"0, That was fucking amazing to watch," he smiles waving as the Aces, Winter, and I leave the club.
"So," I turn to Winter whose clinging to my arm with a death grip, "Who the fuck called you?"
/
"DOMINIC! I SAID I"MMM SORRRRYYYYYY!" Marrow begs as I hold him about 50 feet above the training room floor the next day.
"What don't you get about guy's night?" I call back only for Har to give a loud "HEY!" From the other side of the arena. "Team night." I correct myself. Its been about 15 minutes so I guess I can let him down, checking my aura I'm at 60%. I need to conserve for tonight.
The rest of the off day passes normally, my tension raising non stop. I do get called to the lab after lunch to retrieve a repaired Twi and La.
Apparently my semblance is now breaking the laws of physics and making thing's happen no one here has seen before though has been theorized about. Damien would be having a field day with me.
"Took me a few days but I think it should do son," the kind old man hands me the new barrels, the same as before except a few vent slots on the sides. "Negative pressure release, they shouldn't crumple like that again. Capable of withstanding 50 thousand psi."
I clip them onto my harness and check the position in the body mirror, the mechanical legs of the Prof hissing and grinding as he walks around. "Still never thought I'd see hyper dust with my own eyes," he shakes his head staring at the blades from the fight with Taurus. Locked under a special hard light dust case.
"Didn't even know I could create that kind of pressure, I've tried replicating it, but haven't got close. You said every test you guys pulled resulted in a fail because the dust would activate right?" I ask staring at the blades with him.
"Unfortunately, most forms of dust auto activate under those extremes. I heard about the smoke dust pearl you made for Mrs. Schnee, not as impressive; and actually replaceable. Not like these beauties. When you get full control you'll be almost unstoppable Dominic," he states still marveling at the blades.
"So Is Project P.E.N.N.Y a little contingency in case I ever go power mad?" I point to the open files on his computer.
"Oh oh my," he has his chair shuffle over as quick as possible to shield the screen as he closes the blueprints. He coughs nervously, "You weren't supposed to see that. But no don't worry about that, I don't think you'll go rouge. All of us see your potential to do so much good for Atlas and Mantle, and we have Miss Schnee to reign you back in," he laughs lightly.
"Well lucky for you guys, I got attached. So if Atlas ever falls, I'll be there to catch it," I give a two finger salute walking backwards out of the lab. I only have a few hours until the appointed time in the note.
Looks like lucks also on my side, the Aces are going out again and Winter is just as busy as yesterday. So with the excuse of still being tired from everything I retreat to my room and wait.
I pass the time by making sure Twi and La's handles are operating properly, I load a sword in the chamber so to speak by "crush"ing a katana and a full length shinato. Then I top off my reserves; opting for my normal lighting and earth but change the fire out for air, the shinato being of the sparky variety.
When it gets dark about a half hour from the meet up time, I go to open my window but stop for a second, I'm still wearing my jacket with the Ace Op logo on it….
This is an independent mission, at least for me. I hesitate for a few minutes fighting with myself. I should tell Clover, bring back up. This isn't how a solider would act, this isn't how a Hunter would act. He would let his team know.
I turn, my mind made up on notifying my team and launching an official surprise attack. But my eyes catch sight of the bottle of pills, the song from the club starting in my ears, Dimitri's voice. Alive and thriving in Remnant. I'm not a solider. I tell myself ripping the jacket off my back and throwing it to my bed.
I tear through my dresser until I pull out a black t shirt. I'm not even from this world, and our presence here has already changed so much. This is one string in an infinite multiverse,I remind myself opening my window all hesitation gone. I jump determined to do what I have to do to protect what I have left from mine.
/
Robyn POV
"Where is he?" I mutter checking the time. Only five more minutes until roll out, "If he doesn't show we'll leave without him. He can catch up," I tell the team sitting in the high speed vehicle we were able to "acquire" the same day of the station attack. We're currently on the very western edge of Mantle about a quarter mile after the snow line starts.
Less that a minute later an explosion of snow and a loud THUD happen at the snow line, shaking the ground hard enough to rock the truck and me off balance. A minute or two later Dominic walks up, strangely he's missing his coat instead wearing a simple t shirt. "Sorry I'm late, had to change," he throws me his crooked grin.
I roll my eyes at him, "Get in pretty boy," I order hopping in the back seat. With Fiona's lead foot behind the wheel and Joanna playing navigator it left me being the filler in an awkward sandwich.
"Should I even ask how you got an Atleasian MTV?" He raises an eyebrow before hopping in.
"Prooooooobably not," Fiona giggles her foot hitting the gas before his door is closed. It throws him to the side and across both our laps.
"Sup," he smiles up to a red faced May before righting himself. "So why's Sheepy driving?" He asks pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
"Because I don't give a fuck even when there's roads," she answers pressing the button for the plated windows to pop open slightly.
"You know this thing can fly right?" Is his next question.
"Excuse me," she peaks her head around the seat barely reaching from her height, "If I needed a backseat driver I would've ordered one." Her not keeping her eyes ahead makes us hit a decent sized snow dune and I almost bump my head on the roof.
"Fiona eyes foreword!" Joanna snaps lightly before turning in her seat to Dom. "Did you literally jump off of Atlas?"
"Yup, I learned the other day it's the fastest way to Mantle," he shrugs.
"Your semblance sure is something," she shakes her head. "What is it exactly?"
"Gravity, but that's the public description for simplicity. It's more complicated than that. It's definitely gravity to an extent with me as a type of well, then I can bend the space time, I think? Most of it's subconscious according to the Prof. Most CON-A types are."
"Wait, so even now you're controlling gravity?" May's curiosity gets the better of her as she leans around me her eyes wide.
"More like I could be, I feel it right here," he taps right below his heart. "But since I'm in a neutral emotional state and not actively thinking about using it in any way my gravity field is also neutral," he shrugs taking a puff of his cigarette.
"So why do you think your semblance is gravity?" she asks which surprises me, it's a pretty personal question for any Semblance holder.
He thinks for a bit before responding, "Probably because I've always been the put at the center of attention even if by accident, like last night. But when you're in the spotlight it doesn't always attract people you want to be around so I tend to end up pushing away the fake ones, which turns out to be most of them. It honestly gets tiring," he sighs out more smoke before making a quick open and close motion with his hand. The end result is the butt of his cigarette being put out and converted into a small ball which he lets drop to the floor.
"Aren't you supposed to have amnesia?" I point out.
"Yeeeeeeeeah. Funny thing about amnesia, it goes away as long as it wasn't caused by brain damage. Mine was trauma based," he glances over and gives me a wink. Oh this little brat.
"We're out of radar radius," Joanna states looking at her scroll.
"GO TIME!" Fi sequels before hitting the clutch lever, causing the wheels to convert into gravity dust pads and our speed doubles.
/
We touch down roughly two miles out from the ruins near a rundown road outpost, Fi condenses the MTV into her semblance after we exit. Inside is a table, a few chairs, a bed, and an old stove which Joanna lights with some fire dust after tossing a few logs from an almost dead storage.
"Aren't you cold kid?" Joanna asks Dom who raises an eyebrow at her before shrugging leaning against the wall crossing his arms.
"Don't feel it really, don't know if its part of my semblance or not. So what Intel did you guys get in a day?" He asks yawning.
I throw my scroll onto the table and press a few panels, a 3d map of the mine gets projected about a foot above the table. I nod to May. "Most of the group, roughly around 50 seem to be staying in the factory just outside the mine. Though there are only about 25 people there at any given time. We were able to piece together that they've started some form of mining operations back up. They have a second camp inside the mine with Adam and his woman."
"Cat bitch," Dom interjects.
May smiles lightly and continues, "Are overseeing the operations directly. Roughly around 20 people have been captured and are being forced to assist in the mining. There are guards here, here, and here posted with regulars patrols and on a 12 hour rotation."
"Wouldn't be the first time the mines seen slave labor," Dom growls, "Look I'm easily the strongest here," Joanna scoffs but he continues, "if you can clear me a path to Taurus I can take care of him."
"You sure?" I ask looking to May who had been the only eye witness I trusted from the first fight.
"If you can take care of that pussy if she tries to jump me like shes in heat again, I had him before. This time I'll finish it," the look in his eyes with the coldness in his tone. He means it, and May nods.
"Okay, Joanna and Fi you got the stuff?"
"Of course, they ain't gonna know what hit them. Their giving all of our kind a bad name," Fi snarls her eyes going dark.
"Take no prisoners," Dominic encourages still staring at the map. Tracing every line with his eyes, they linger over a part near the back of the mine just after the main room the second camps in. A shadow of worry crosses his face before his eyes catch mine and its gone. "Here sync your scrolls to this," he holds out the hand with his watch.
"Why?" Fiona asks but bounces over to scan the watch. A small display pops up showing an aura meter at 95%, "Ohhhhhhh that's cool. We need these," Dominic rolls his eyes with a small smile.
"That's my aura, real time refresh every three seconds. If this hits 25 that's the danger zone that I'm running on fumes. I've never let myself drop below 10, so if it goes that low," he shrugs as we sync our scrolls one by one.
/
Dominic, May, and I leave Fi and Joanna behind a rock outcropping. Using May's semblance we wait for the guard at the entrance to the mine to go on a patrol, then rush in as soon as he turns a corner of the factory. I watch the other two run to take him out, noticing steam bellowing from the stacks, it looks like they restarted the refinery as well.
I get a tingle up my spine as we enter the tunnels, slowing our pace we walk silently as possibly. May and Jo only went so far and was moving fast from what they told me so we don't know the guard situation inside as good as out. So our progress is slow, our boots may get muffled by her semblance but the more careful we are now the less careful we can be later.
"So why do you think your semblance is invisibility?" He silently asks May and as much as I want to tell him to shut up I leave the decision up to her.
"….." Her silence sits heavy on the air. "I couldn't really tell you."
"I think there's allot more to it than that," he shrugs.
"Well why do you think my semblance is invisibility?" She questions with a raised brow.
"You don't want to be the center of attention, but everyone makes you. You just want to live your life happily and carefree as yourself. But you feel the need to hide allot about yourself, maybe not from yourself but from others. At the same time its only partial and leaves a faint outline because you want so badly to be seen for yourself," ohhh right on the money kid.
"It's almost like you see right through me," she jokes rolling her eyes.
"Nah I just pay attention." He suddenly unsheathes the katana letting it falling into his natural reverse grip before I hear the voices coming down the tunnel followed shortly by a faint light. How'd he hear them while talking? We stop and let the group of three walk until their almost on top of us, ignoring their conversation I aim a bolt right for the neck of the closest one.
Before I can fire Dominic steps out of the field, the masked faunus holding the lantern being pulled into his left hand making him drop the light. His sword makes quick movements knocking the remaining two to their knees before he breaks the aura and gashes open the throat of one. The third gets kicked by his right foot with a snarled but quiet "Away," causing her head to crash into the wall. The resulting splatter of blood and gray matter could be considered some form of modern artwork, I check his aura level only to see it dropped by a few percent.
Still holding the first one by his throat he pulls the mans face up to his, "Hey buddy, I'll let you live on one condition." The man nods fiercely his eyes wide with fear behind the mask. "Taurus still here?" The man nods just as vigorously before he grunts in pain from the sword that impales his leg. "Now be a good boy and run along, if you're lucky our companions wont notice you leaving." He throws the man in the direction of the entrance before continuing to walk to the main chamber.
"Well you continue to impress," May raises a brow surprised as she crosses her arms readjusting the field. He swings the blood off the blade and returns it to its barrel.
"Yeah I tend to surprise and impress people," he turns and bows before winking and spinning back failing to see the blush creep across May's face. She got absolutely hammered after she found out him and Winter were dating, then all of last night sulking after he got interrupted at the club. I wonder briefly if either of them have told him yet?
/
Dominic POV
We eventually hit a split in the pathways, "Okay you two go to the vantage point, I'm going to hit the room and wrap around to the captive." Robyn states nodding at us.
"Wouldn't it make more sense for May to go with you?" I question.
"And leave your impulsive ass unsupervised?" I shrug giving into her point.
"Be safe," May fist bumps her friend and leader before we begin our accent.
The pathway turns steep pretty quickly and I re-orientate our gravity to make the walk easier. "How do you just do that?" She asks shaking her head.
"I just do," I shrug still not really thinking anything of it.
"You don't get it do you? You're the youngest Ace ever, personally picked to skip the Academy."
"Jealous?" I wink raising an eyebrow.
"In your dreams," she rolls her eyes, "You know how rare your semblance is right?"
"Yeah…. The last person to have a confirmed gravity semblance died about two hundred years ago, and left behind a path of blood and anger." I respond remembering the passages. "At least that's what the history books say, maybe, just maybe that man had something to protect."
She goes silent as we continue walking. We reach an opening that overlooks the cavern still in silence, May takes a pair of bi-scopes (this worlds version of binoculars, and a military grade version at that) out and begins over-watch lying on her stomach to reduce enemy visibility.
"The camps dark except the main tent, it's late. Why are they still awake?" She ask more to herself.
"Their a couple," I point out and she scoffs. "We're actually lucky if their getting lucky, catch them with their literal pants down. No one wants to fight naked. I mean I would if I had to" she giggles lightly.
"I don't think we're that lucky," she wiggles foreword for a better look. Her lack of a coat reviling her ass in the tight leather jeans. It was a nice wiggle, "DOM!" Her shout whisper and a kick to my foot snaps me back to reality.
"Huh," I look to her red face and feel my face get hot as well.
"I said, Robyn and the girls are in position," I nod and walk to the edge crouching.
"Hop on and tell me when," I motion for her to get on my back and she hesitates. "What?"
"Why are you with Winter?" She asks bluntly and I stare.
"YOU ASK HIM THAT NOW! FUCK IT I'M BLOWING IT!" I hear from her huntress pin.
"Those are coms?" Her face between Fiona's outburst and my honest question is absolutely adorable as an explosion rocks the mountain. "THE FUCK!" I yell.
"GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE! THAT WAS FI BLOWING THE FACTORY TO HELL!"
"AND I WASN'T TOLD ABOUT THAT PART WHY?!" Fuck it, I grab May and lift her into a bridal carry. She's surprisingly light but I still lower our gravity to roughly moon levels and jump.
"DOOOOOOOMINICCCCCCCCC!" She screams into my ear as I increase our gravity back to earth levels about half way down and "pull" us towards the ground a little faster.
I set her on her feet quickly after we slide into the landing not to far from and steady her as she grabs her head, "Yeah gravity shifting like that sucks for equilibrium. Hold," I snap a finger on either side of her head and she looks slightly to the left. I crack her neck to the right and tilt her back into a dip, her arms instinctively wrapping around my neck. "Better?" She nods.
I pull her back up just in time for the main man himself to show, his shirt missing from under his coat and his mask tilted. His belts undone as well, "YOU!" He pulls his red blade and darts foreword.
"Told you they was FAWKING!" I pull both of my blades and step into the charge crossing my kantana over my left arm and catching his. Closing my wrists on his blade I pull pull the blades to the side locking our eyes. "Miss me miss me, sorry not gonna let you kiss me," I raise my boot and go for a stomach kick only for him to jump backwards towards the tent. Blake finally reviles herself in a similar state of partial dress. "Hey kitty girl, I got a nice little scar from that cat scratch. I'll make sure to pay it back with interest," I let my darker nature start to show as I crouch, my adrenaline spiking.
"I swear I'm going to kill you," Adam growls steeping in between me and Blake. "And your little wannabe woman," he smiles his lips turned into an arrogant snarl. "After I'm done with you I'll toss him to my guards. He want's to be a submissive little bitch he'll be glad to get treated like one."
I feel myself stop, all my emotions draining out of me as I slowly stand. I let my sword fall to the ground as I walk foreword, only one emotion left. His sword twitches but his face is shocked as he can't move. That's because I don't want him to move. My rational thought gone leaving me with only one desire; to rip him apart with my bare hands. The same with Blake she cant move, my semblance holding them both like statues.
Before I get the chance to reach him a loud rumble happens from the back of the cavern and I hear Robyn shouting over the com. I get snapped out of my blind rage turning back to May then back to our opponents. "DOM YOU"RE AT 60%. What the fuck did you do? I don't have everyone out yet. Fi and Jo just finished the guards that funneled out. May? What's going on talk to me!"
"They didn't kill the geist," I back up slowly as the mass of stones near the back finally settle into a golem like dust filled construct, the mask with a singular red eye staring directly at me.
"THERE'S A FUCKING GEIST!"
(A/N) Sorry for the long wait, I hope everyone had a great holiday and is looking forward to the new year.