Fangs of the Exiles
Rated M
Rwby
Summary:
Life is not about what happens to you, but what you make of it... At least that's what everyone says. Two faunus will answer whose way is right, carrying the will of a titanic kingdom while the other, the spirit of one who shouldn't exist. Forgotten, their paths will cross, for better or worse.
A/N:
Chapter 24: Throne of Titans-2
From above, as the police airship flew over the former kingdom, Mantle appeared to be a lovely city. Aganju spared only a fleeting glance out the window as the bitterness made his stomach turn. Despite what he saw, he was certain of the city's reality, and nothing could make him change that. The vulpine turned away from the situation below them and saw something even gloomier.
He turned to look at the bonds holding him and his allies together. The faces of all of them shared a similar expression, which ranged from exhaustion to complete despondency. The only person to deviate from the usual lineup was Nora Valkyrie, who was actively gnawing at the restraints. Normally, the girl's antics would have caused him to smile. Sadly, he was only able to sense her actions' empathy rather than their humor.
"Where do you think they're taking us?" Ruby broke the silence.
"I'm going to guess jail..."
Although Qrow's depressing response wasn't helpful, Aganju couldn't hold it against him. Given their circumstances at the time, that did seem to be the best response. The most upbeat person in the group on average, Ruby, lowered her eyes in resignation. He grimaced a little, almost as if he were witnessing a physical punch to the girl's gut, seeing his adopted sister in such a state.
I still can't believe that fishing pole guy just took us out like it was nothing."
"Welcome to Atlas," Weiss huffed. "Those were Ironwood's Ace-Operatives."
"You guys had a run-in with the Ace-Ops?" All eyes turned to the source of the unknown voice, a young bearded man with brown locs tied up. He looked at them with awe that steadily shrunk to irritation. "Ironwood must have a bone to pick with you."
"They're not that big of a deal," Weiss soft scoffed.
"Not that big of a deal?! The Ace-Ops are THE ELITE of the elite of military Huntsmen! They're also Ironwood's personal attack dogs."
"So they got you too, huh?" an unimpressed Nora spoke up.
"Pfft! I wouldn't let myself get caught by them!" he replied smugly. "I'm here because I've been speaking out against Atlas' exploitation of Mantle and General Ironwood is trying to silence me!"
The two agents piloting the ship turned to one another after hearing the proud declaration of the impending inmate.
"You threw a brick at our ship!" the co-pilot rebutted.
"It's worth it if it gets people talking about our cause!" he shot back, earning an eye roll from many of the cabin's passengers.
At this point, Aganju leaned against the window in frustration and decided to tune out the nonsense. Pyrrha and Blake could see the young man's vexation was getting to him. Both girls sensed that, if nothing else, he was more exhausted than angry, even though it was obvious that he wasn't happy. He merely appeared... worn out.
He's been like this since we left Argus...
The two only wanted to soothe him, but they knew it would be impossible given the circumstances. The three found little interest in the dialogue as it went on around them. Blake, a former member of the White Fang, had expected her to end up in this position, but seeing Pyrrha Nikos in such a position was simply breathtaking. Testing the sturdiness of her bindings, the "Invincible Girl" discovered that there was absolutely no give.
Thank goodness the ship had finally reached the heavenly city. In a few minutes, they'd all be marching into an Atlas precinct to be booked and confined until further notice. At least, that is what they had anticipated. The group was in awe of the kingdom's immaculate splendor when they finally landed in front of a massive structure. The dismal air finally gave way to amazement and reverence for the first time since their arrival.
Well, for most of the group at least.
"It's so beautiful!" Ruby fawned.
"Don't let that fool you..." Weiss quietly countered.
While Jaune Arc joined the scythe-wielder in marveling, the rebel took a look at the massive empire as well. However, his eyes narrowed as if contemplating something... Something wrong.
"This isn't the police station."
Jaune was right. The airship wasn't headed to the Atlas precinct at all. Instead, it held its course, sailing straight toward the middle of the nation, the largest building in Atlas growing larger by the second.
"It's Atlas Academy?" Qrow blinked several times, disbelief replacing his cynical nature.
The pilot brought the aircraft in for a smooth landing where two military personnel waited patiently. Once they finished, the doors opened to allow the former Beacon students and Qrow to exit the vehicle.
"I guess we will be seeing General Ironwood..." The scarlet speedster chuckled nervously. "For better or worse."
Mouths dropped at the splendor of Atlas Academy when they first laid eyes on it. As they passed across the courtyard, the men gently motioned for them to follow. The length of time was fudged by the use of several hallways and an elevator ride. Nobody could help but feel themselves sinking more into the quicksand even as they were soaring.
"What do we do now?" Roxanne whispered.
"For now, it's best that we watch what we say to Ironwood," Ruby instructed.
Although it was a good idea, it didn't exactly inspire a sense of pride or zeal. Thankfully, after quickly turning to look at them, one of the guards determined that what was being stated did not pose a threat and quickly went back to look forward. As the elevator came to a stop, Ren and Blake each put a hand on one of the girls' shoulders and grinned at her in support. The journey appeared to go on forever from that point on, but they persisted and eventually arrived at the main hall, their "escorts" abruptly stopping.
There, they heard a stern yet familiar voice coming from the western passageway; the voice of the one person they worked so hard to see.
"If I have to sit through one more council meeting..."
His frustrations were interrupted by the emanation of one Penny Polendina.
"Yay! You're here!"
General Ironwood and Winter Schnee turned around to see what was making the synthetic girl so pleased. He and Winter recognized the bunch being held as their dark blue eyes gradually got wider. The sight of her sister and her pals in handcuffs caused his subordinate to act as though they were all shocked. Once separated following the Vytal Festival, the two siblings shared a silent yet emotional moment before Nora re-entered the scene.
"Anybody wanna give us a hand with these?" she brandished the Atlesian restraints.
Winter quickly resumed her authoritative (and dare I say, fearsome) stance, approaching the guards with her professional yet, fear-inducing aura.
"You have ten seconds to take those off before I start hurting you..."
Her cool demeanor had the power to make the men move three times as fast as normal as they released the bindings from their wrists one at a time. Whether it was their obligation to obey their supervisor or sheer bed-wetting panic for what she may do to them, they completed the assignment in the time allowed to them. Ironwood did nothing but watch amused.
From there, the General invited them inside his office; clearly, there was a lot to discuss.
The conversation was brief but it was full of hearty content, some of it a bit much to take. From Weiss and Winter's reunion to the revelation of the latter learning of the relic and maidens to the Ace-Ops to the plan to use Amity Coliseum as a form of a satellite to both restore communication to Remnant while simultaneously keeping the staff of creation out of Salem's grasps.
Everyone's thoughts were greatly burdened when he mentioned alerting the people about Salem. Even the general couldn't have known the true significance of such an act. He'd go into depth about how military troops would be required to prepare for a potential riot or, worse, a major inflow of Grimm. The worn-down Atlesian told them that after resolving Atlas' concerns, they will share the message with the rest of the world after sending the satellite into orbit.
It was truly a risky decision, but, what else could the others say?
Even when Weiss mentioned the unfavorable consequences of such a move, Winter would counter that Atlas would come in, as a result, to help with the monsters.
"Trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all."
After the conversation, which seemed to last for hours, Aganju and the others were permitted entry to some of the vacant dorm rooms so they could rest and recover from their, undoubtedly exhausting, trek. He thought over all that had been said to them as they descended the stairs leading back to the main hall, especially Ironwood's plan. Even though he was still undecided about whether it was the right course of action, he decided to keep silent until he had come up with a workable substitute.
For now, all he wanted to do was find a comfy bed to rest in. The general also mentioned something about them getting their weapons and clothes upgraded which made the fox boy grin softly.
"So that was the second time I got banned. Then there was the third time when-"
"Alright, cut the chatter..."
Aganju was the first to see the five-man team chit-chatting. A young dark-skinned male with a dog's tail stood out to him as an interesting member of the group. He appeared uninterested, but Aganju could tell there was more going on. The person who spoke up, though, was the man with dark brown hair.
"I'd like to sincerely apologize for the miscommunication down in Mantle. We didn't mean to..."
"I feel so bad, honestly!" A tall Amazonian woman rushed out, narrowly missing the vulpine faunus. When he noticed who she was, his eyes shot open. She immediately grasps the hand of Ruby Rose, wildly shaking it and the girl as a result. "If we had known who you were, we'd be laughing over a hot meal right now!"
After hitting the floor, a bewildered Ruby tried her best to regain her bearings. Unfortunately, such attempts only resulted in her seeing multiple, blurred copies of the Ace-Ops.
"I understand. You were just following orders."
"You could've asked up some questions first," Weiss added, casually spinning the still unstable speedster in amusement.
The dark skin male entered the discussion, his desperate attempts at sounding professional.
"Questions are for the weak, but we're all on the same team now. Not that I'm happy about it..."
"That makes two of us..."
Despite their casual tone, Aganju and the operative's tails revealed their true feelings on the situation by wagging vehemently. Both quickly reached for the appendage while blushing as the two groups laughed at their expense. Even Pyrrha broke from her guilty struggling to laugh at the two of them.
With that done, both disgruntled faunus finally getting their traits under control, the apparent leader of the smaller team stepped in.
"We just want to say we're sorry and we're looking forward to working with you on our next mission. You might be students but you've been fighting just as hard as we have. Maybe harder."
"Exactly why I'm looking forward to seeing what you kids can do." A young woman with platinum blonde and brown hair shaved on the sides smirked.
"Ugh, not everything's a competition, Hare," A pale skin male replied, his voice gentle yet firm.
During the informal introductions, Ruby was about to give her name when Penny suddenly zipped in front of her, eager to give them the grand tour, leaving the students to ponder Elm's weird behavior. They knew her from their time at Beacon, after all. Meanwhile, said tour took a while, serving to sap everyone of what energy remained.
But, at least the boring aspect of their arrival was finally over, an idea that they all appreciated.
For the majority, the first night in Atlas would be dull compared to the excitement from earlier.
Even though there were urgent problems, General Ironwood gave the crew a day to rest and improve their weaponry. Many of them then split off to pursue their interests after that. Nobody could begrudge the young explorers for enjoying themselves, whether it was grabbing a bite to eat or heading straight to bed. Those who stayed awake were eventually able to learn the identities of their newest comrades.
The eloquent male, and leader of the fivesome, was Clover Ebi. The dog faunus was Marrow Amin and the competitive woman was Harriet Bree. Vine Zeki was the stoic and monotone member while Elm Ederne was the passionate and (sometimes) excitable one, drawing comparisons to Ren and Nora.
However, this raised a slight problem as whenever any of the young wards would mention Elm's time at Beacon, she'd shut it down with talks of training or broad ramblings about the Amity project. Then, there was the contemplation regarding her partner. While not a member of the Ace-Ops, Sango's role was, nevertheless, important to most of them, especially Blake and Yang.
Aside from this, some of the Beacon group were able to draw other parallels to the other members of the Ace-Ops, most humorously Aganju, and Marrow. The duo quickly denied this in sync with one another, inciting a chorus of laughs once again. Of course, Harriet and Yang were the two competitive ones, much to their team's chagrin as they engaged in an arm-wrestling contest.
After dinner, Aganju decided to hit the showers.
He was grateful that the Headmaster and military leader provided them with the standard school pajamas while crossing the rather silent halls. Given that most of the students were out on missions in terms of military rotations, he had little worry about privacy as he stepped inside the large unisex lavatory.
"Wow..." he whistled softly. His eyes scanned the brilliantly lit room as he made his way to the communal area. "It's a little gaudy, but, I won't complain."
He eventually took off each piece of clothing one by one, putting them in a mound before entering. He extended his hand and cranked the knob, letting the quick rush of hot water ease his aching muscles. He used the offered soap and shampoo, and for the first time since arriving on the continent, his lips curled. As he scraped his scalp beneath the protracted tufts, he was unable to contain a small sigh.
It feels so good to just relax... he let out a satisfied growl.
While he continued to clean himself, Aganju was unaware that someone else had joined him.
Leaving the enigmatic figure in its wake, the door quietly closed. This is what jolted Aganju from his reverie and caused his ear to twitch. He cautiously turned around and saw a slim figure walking toward him with a sway within the fog. He immediately sidestepped the person when they reached out to him.
"Oho! You're a fast one!"
"What the?! Who are you?" he bared his canines at the mystery woman, eyes blazing. "What do you want?"
"Oh, relax! We're all allies here!" his shower partner giggled sensually, twirling around him like a ballerina and smashing her bare breasts against his back. Though she couldn't see him, she was certain that he was blushing. "If we can't share a shower, how do you expect to develop strong teamwork?"
Aganju found little sense in her rebuttal, but that didn't change the fact that the faunus found himself in an awkward place. He noticed dark purple hair cascade over his shoulders before finally pulling away. He was grateful that the steam hid his nethers, or else he'd have a lot of explaining.
"What the hell's your problem?"
"Can't a girl take a shower?" she shrugged, pink eyes twinkling with flirtatious mischief. When she noticed the male's unamused glare, she finally dropped the act, revealing herself to him, or at least enough to keep him from dying of a nosebleed. "Sorry, I'm just getting back from a mission, and I need a shower in the worst way..."
Tossing her hair, the woman spun on her heels, narrowly missing him with a feather-like tail. This piqued his interest before he realized that she also had long ears.
"You're..."
"A faunus," she finished in a prominent tone. "Just like you, Darling."
His curiosity wouldn't last when his sensitive nose picked up the ripeness of musk that made him want to gag.
"My apologies." She blushed/giggled at his futile struggle before releasing him. "I usually smell much better than this, but days in the Tundra with no running water will do that to a girl! Talk about a bad first impression, right?"
Oum... Help me...
"It's... It's fine," he waved off her dismay while his other hand pinched his nose. "I won't be in here long... um..."
"Name's Kairi."
"Aganju..."
"You're the one who defeated Athena at the Vytal festival, right?"
Hearing the woman's name made the fox's skin crawl though he maintained his composure.
"I guess you could say that. Heh."
"I have to admit, I wish I could've seen that live," she giggled once again. "Your ability to think on the fly was inspiring! That's nothing to sneeze at."
Aganju smiled for the first time since their introduction, his cheeks growing brighter from her recognition. Her stare also contributed to his happiness.
Just seeing his lean, muscular torso was enough to make improper thoughts surface. She resisted the impulse to tremble as she ran her eyes over the numerous scars and cuts that covered his body. She paid particular attention to the deep violet abrasions and burns, while the more recent scars were mainly seen on his chest, arms, and neck, covering his top torso.
However, there was one battle wound that stood out to the vixen, making her ear twitch.
"Does it still hurt?" she asked.
"What?"
"That scar... By the looks of things, I'd say that you were stabbed."
He didn't respond at first, but the concerned look in her eyes quelled the flames. It wasn't pity, but Aganju's soul still felt out of place.
"I've managed," he looked away, hiding past remnants of that horrible day. "I'm not dead yet and that's what matters."
"Clearly. I'm impressed at all of the damage you can take and still keep coming. Did you get that wound during your battle at Beacon?"
Kairi's probing readily made Aganju apprehensive as his frown grew. Images of her, White Fang members, and Grimm fighting... That simply added to the already uncomfortable feeling in his stomach at this point. The special operative witnessed the admixture of rage and agony.
"I came here to shower and rest, not be interrogated."
"Fair enough," Kairi shrugged, her flirtatious grin remaining. "You're entitled to your secrets."
"Thanks..."
"However," she noticed the vulpine flash a cautious glance at her. "If you ever feel like blowing off some steam, I'm more than free to rev your engines in between missions."
The mischievous grin on the woman's face nearly caused Aganju's eyes to burst out of his head. Her wink at him didn't help either; it just served to confirm his worries as a scarlet tinge started to build on his face.
"W-Wait! I... I don't think-!"
"Of course, we'd have to have a private place where our teams won't interrupt us," she tapped her chin thoughtfully, completely bypassing his reaction. "I could reserve the training room after 0900 so that we're not disturbed. Luckily, it's sound-proof...!"
"Sound-Proof?!" his violet eyes began to morph into their crimson variants though without the anger that typically accompanied it.
What on earth was this woman picturing? Although Aganju wasn't certain, he was convinced that he wouldn't perform such an act with the operative for several reasons, even though she was rather stunning. rambled on about her hazy thoughts about the empty training room as he stammered and blushed hysterically. He hurriedly brushed off the concept before it could take root in his head.
"...After a couple of weeks, you'll be as hard as a rock."
"H-Hard?! I... I don't think that's a good idea!"
"You don't want training?"
Wait... Training? Was that she was driving at?
"Oh, um... Right. Training. That's what you meant" he sheepishly rubbed his neck, still beet red. "I mean, I'm okay with some extra training... "
"Of course! What else would I be referring to?"
"N-Nothing! Um... If you'll excuse me, I have to get some rest" the fox laughed nervously, eagerly grabbing his towel nearby. "I'm gonna need plenty of rest if I'm going to have any energy for... training."
Aganju then quickly exited the shared shower after bidding the operative farewell. Kairi then allowed her friendly grin to turn into a cunning smirk before bursting into a soft chuckle. Although she couldn't help but tease one of the newcomers, she was aware of what she was doing the entire time. She was debating teasing the tall blond in her head, but she was content to make fun of the fox instead.
She preferred Aganju's reactions over anything she could get out of the taller boy. Perhaps it was because he was someone trying to keep himself strong despite his natural responses. No, it was something else entirely; Her mind shifted to another member of his group, one whom she held a close past with.
As she lathered her body, she wouldn't take long to get cleaned up before making her departure as well.
At least she had a new training partner.
Pyrrha finished her shower in the southern end of the school, close to the cafeteria. She thoroughly relished the feeling of the hot, high-pressure water before getting dressed and heading to Team JNPR's room to relax. Although she wanted to see her boyfriend, she decided to hold off for now.
"I bet he's probably resting..." she told herself with a small grin.
"You'd win that bet."
What little image of glee she had vanished upon hearing the soft voice behind her.
Green orbs closed for a moment as the normally collected warrior took a moment to compose herself before turning around to face the owner. She made sure to put on her best smile, though it did little to convince the person of her farce.
"Hello again, Kairi..."
"You can cut the smiling act, 'Invincible Girl'..." the vixen chuckled. "You're not fooling me."
On cue, Pyrrha's lips fell into a straight line. Her glare flashed a warning that had little effect on the feminine faunus. Kairi was not intimidated. She seemed to savor the irritation on Pyrrha's face.
"I was just on my way to bed, so if you could state your business,"
"Cant two old friends catch up?" Kairi's golden eyes flickered with mischief. "It's been so long since our days at Sanctum."
"We could, if we were friends..."
"Ouch! I didn't know the sweetest girl in our class had a dark side."
"I have an appointment in the morning. Goodnight..."
"I wonder, has that cute fox ever seen that side of you?"
Pyrrha suddenly stopped, refusing to turn around. She could still see Kairi's smirk, which made her stomach lurch. Thinking about her partner sent her mind into chaos, but she refused to play the faunus game.
"Whatever you're thinking..." she calmly exhaled. "Don't."
"What? I'm just saying you could certainly pick worse, Pyr! Don't tell me that you're still insecure after all this time."
"I have nothing more to say to you. Enjoy your evening."
"I will, especially once we have our first training session."
Once again, that lurch froze Pyrrha in her tracks. Her gaze trembled at the implication made by her acquaintance. It was nothing negative, but she still felt something sinister slither down her spine. What was she trying to do?
"You're lucky to have him, you know? Try not to screw this one up, won't you?"
"JUST WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?!"
Pyrrha marched forward, her uncharacteristic roar echoing through the pristine surroundings. Kairi giggled at the irate redhead, eased that no one witnessed the confrontation.
"Nothing, princess!" the vixen held up her hands defensively. "You're an open book that's too enticing not to read sometimes. You tend to overthink things. I'm simply pointing this out so that you can remove that stick up your noble ass."
"If you're plotting something with Aganju, I will..."
"Relax, Pyrrha! It's nothing more than some training exercises; Standard issue if we're going to be working alongside each other."
Finally, Pyrrha backed up, crossing her arms with an unconvinced brow raised.
"I don't recall you being a member of the Ace-Ops."
"I'm a part of an elite group myself," Kairi tossed her hair over her shoulders. "Team SMK or Smoke will be around to keep you all on your toes. In these times, even the tiniest of slip-ups can leave a lasting wound, even matters of the heart."
Shock washed over Pyrrha's features before she realized what had just transpired.
"Goodnight, Pyrrha..." she heard the female fox stride away, an overdramatic sway of her hips being the last thing she'd see. "...Sleep tight."
A terrible reality had started to creep into her heart, even though nothing had happened, and was starting to show its ugly head. As she hurried back to her room, dread and disgust burned like hot coals in her throat. Fortunately, after the substantial dinner, the rest of her squad was sound sleeping. Pyrrha's attempts to rest were hindered when she slid into her bunk.
Oum... Help me... she groaned as she pulled the covers over her face.
The following day came, and with it a slew of new rituals. First of all, Penny Polendina gave the alarm at precisely four in the morning. Except for Ruby Rose, it was safe to conclude that the other people were not happy to be awakened after only a short period of sleep. Even Qrow was less cheerful than normal, which was all the more noticeable given that he had started quitting drinking immediately.
"Whoever made waking up at the crack of dawn a scheduled thing should be shot..." he grumbled, earning a chorus of approval from the Beacon crew.
Among their group, only one person could come close to emulating Qrow's level of vexation to the fullest extent.
Ironically, it wasn't Aganju or Nora despite the pair having to be scraped out of their beds. No, it was a certain Mistralian who had trudged her way to the showers, saying nothing of her turmoil. A long night with little sleep can cause even the most pleasant of souls to enter a dark place.
Everyone had a substantial breakfast after taking a shower, then they went to pick up their newly updated gear. Furthermore, some of them were given access to a specialist salon to refresh their hairstyles, a privilege Pyrrha took full advantage of. They then proceeded to their first official mission under Atlas' command: Clearing out an abandoned Dust mine of Grimm once owned by the Schnee Family's company.
However, it was what happened afterward their success that truly began their new direction in Atlas.
While the rest waited, Ace-Ops leader Clover Ebi called for Jaune, Qrow, Ruby, and Aganju. After the confrontation with a geist, Pyrrha took a minute to unwind among them. Seeing her significant other in his new attire gave her some much-needed relief, which she found to be very enjoyable. As he and the others debated their next move for the Amity project, Pyrrha had to concede that he still looked professional despite his free-spirited approach to dress.
While the rest waited, Ace-Ops leader Clover Ebi called for Jaune, Qrow, Ruby, and Aganju. After the confrontation with a geist, Pyrrha took a minute to unwind among them. Seeing her significant other in his new attire gave her some much-needed relief, which she found to be very enjoyable. As he and the others debated their next move for the Amity project, Pyrrha had to admit that he still looked professional despite his free-spirited approach to dress.
Translation: She was having a teenage girl's experience.
"Looks good doesn't he?"
"Excuse me?" Pyrrha asked, silently cursing her defensive tone.
Yang didn't react to it though, pointing at the astute demeanor of her remaining.
"Aganju; He sure cleaned up nicely didn't he?"
"I'll say!" Both girls nearly jumped out of their skin when Elm slapped both of their shoulders callously. "Didn't know you had such fine warriors in your ranks."
Though it was just a simple compliment, neither girl was naive to the veiled purr lacing the strongwoman's words.
"He sure is." Pyrrha lazily replied, secretly stripping the boy with her orbs.
"I wouldn't mind having him on our team!"
"W-What?"
"He's strong, intelligent, and handsome to boot!" the Amazonian chuckled as she walked past the pair. "We'd gladly trade Marrow for him if he wasn't such a capable fighter in his own right."
Yang let out a soft, uneasy laugh as the Atlesian operative rejoined her group. That's not to say that they didn't notice the unprofessional glance she pointed before doing so.
At least it's not her.
Yang spared a glance over at Pyrrha, noticing the subtle shift in her stature. Even the most horrible of Grimm could never make the strong and confident girl, who was typically pleasant, look significantly disturbed. As far as she was aware, not even her experience with Cinder Fall, where she came dangerously close to death, could have broken her. Nevertheless, right now, she shook like a leaf in the wind.
"Pyrrha, are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh, y-yes. Why do you ask?"
"Because you're shaking..." the blond deadpanned.
Pyrrha finally noticed her trembling hands, quickly rubbing them together. "It's just colder than I anticipated."
"But... You're wearing gloves-"
"What was that Nora? Something about a new team name?" Pyrrha rushed off, leaving Yang to raise a brow while Nora Valkyrie yelled out something about 'Thunder Thighs'.
Eventually, the meeting concluded as evident when she watched the small group disperse just as a rather large and luxurious airship began to descend. It was only after noticing the initials SDC stamped on the side that she'd leave her investigation of Pyrrha alone for a more pressing matter:
Her teammate, Weiss.
If the person she thought was on the ship was there, the former Schnee Dust Heiress would need all the help she could get. Luckily, Ironwood intercepted the arrogant man, giving her enough time to grab Blake. Meanwhile, Pyrrha tried to distract herself by examining her new clothes. Although she didn't have a complete wardrobe change, she found her current outfit to be an improvement from the old clothes she had been wearing for months.
Pyrrha wore a brown underbust corset with a darker brown thermal shirt underneath. The armor covered key areas of her body, including her shoulders. She wore bronze greaves over brown leggings and black/gold platform-heeled boots. Her skirt was embellished with belts over a new scarlet sash. She kept her circlet and gorget but tied her long scarlet hair in a messy bun with two tufts hanging on the sides.
Even with such a significant shift in style, Pyrrha still exuded the confidence that her new look gave off.
The reason was obvious.
"Hey, Pyrrha," she involuntarily flinched hearing her name being called. She turned to see a beaming Aganju jogging toward her. Unfortunately, that brightness began to dim when he suddenly noticed her damper posture. "Hey, are you alright?"
Not trusting her voice, Pyrrha nodded with a forced smile suddenly appearing on her face.
"Are you sure? If not, I can tell Ironwood and we can rest back at the school."
"N-No...! I'm fine!" she managed to push out, following up her lie with a surprisingly convincing laugh. "I was just a little tired from the mission. Perhaps I'm still a bit tired from our previous adventure?"
Confusion.
Skepticism.
Apprehension.
Those three prominent feelings swam around the girl's mind as he tilted his head.
"Well, I came over to tell you that I won't be heading back right away. I'm going to hit up the training room once I'm back but, we can hang out afterward if you're up for it."
Relief disguised itself as a mild case of disappointment on the warrior's face. She hadn't talked with Aganju about her encounter with Kairi, and she hadn't thought to.
"It's alright. I'll probably get a bite to eat and rest."
A mix of emotions coursed within him; too complex to decipher within the faunus for now. Still, the air of concern could be felt as he gave Pyrrha a constrained smile.
"Oh okay. I'll be back after a few hours..."
"Oh, right... Be careful."
Pyrrha observed as her boyfriend appeared to wave goodbye before departing to join the team that had been selected. There seemed to be no kiss, no embrace, and no visible indication of their connection as Aganju moved to the back of the truck alongside Elm and a few other Atlas soldiers.
As the vehicle drove off into the tundra, she felt insecure and cursed herself for not showing the customary affection to him. However, something inside her held her back. The impact of her confrontation with the vixen had been on her mind since that night, and this was the result.
On cue, Pyrrha chewed on her lip as her consciousness began gnawing at her soul once again.
[Atlas Training Room]
"You're pretty strong!"
Aganju allowed a shadow of a smirk to stretch his lips before rushing in. It'd been an hour since their return from the delivery mission, and the vulpine was more than grateful to stretch his legs and get his blood pumping again.
Sparring against Elm and Kairi was a good start.
The latter took a crouching stance and lunged into a full frontal assault. Sensing such an obvious ploy, Aganju slipped underneath her telegraphed kick. Using his momentum, he threw an uppercut only to have it blocked by a knee. Kairi had contorted her body to defend the blow, earning his respect.
Not to be deterred, he spun on his hands and threw an upward kick.
Kairi ate the blow to her shoulder, grabbing his ankle to regain her posture.
The stalemate continued between the vulpine faunus while Elm looked on with amusement. Thinking back to her days as a teacher, she knew that Aganju had potential, and he was showcasing it if only a little. In her mind, she would be a fool to believe that he was going all out in his approach, especially against a high-ranking officer.
He's improved so much since that day.
Just as she noted this, Elm was brought back to the present moment. An audible groan came from the boy's mouth as he picked himself from the floor. Kairi stood tall, her smug grin thinly veiling the devilishness she was known for. It was what her team was known for, much to the burly woman's chagrin. That's when she noticed something was off. While the young woman simpered, her fingers came together almost as if...
What the hell is she doing?!
"Giving up already?" she teased playfully with a wink. "I was just starting to have fun!"
Aganju scraped himself off the floor and dusted himself off.
"Hell no! I'm not leaving until I've landed a hit!"
Aganju began shedding his jacket and compression shirt, exposing his scarred chest. The sounds of him cracking his neck filled the mostly hollow room which only added to the competitive energy surging around the pair. Gone were the admittedly cute hue of purple, replaced now by a focused shade of crimson.
This wasn't in his official report!
"Perfect..." Kairi purred, her fingers readying to snap.
Elm was too far away to stop Kairi's actions. Too slow! Before she could come close to raising her voice, the vixen's semblance would kick in, ending their contest with a fizzle rather than the climactic explosion he was aiming for. This was Kairi's true nature in battle: A sadistic fighter who thrived on humiliating and breaking her opponents until they were nothing more than her playthings.
"That's enough!"
As Aganju was about to comply with the opponent's request, they were interrupted by a white glyph that launched a hail of blistering snow on either side. Their attention was then drawn to Winter and Weiss approaching. The general's right-hand woman and the former heiress both noticed the young man's weathered appearance, but only the former tried to maintain her professionalism.
While he brushed off the frosty warning, Kairi looked slumped over though her smile never dropped. Weiss flinched slightly, but Winter hardened her glare.
"Specialist Schnee..." her sing-song tone rattled the others, Winter excluded. "...to what do I owe this interruption?"
Winter Schnee huffed softly without a word, simply pointing to a large monitor with an eye roll.
"You two have been using the training room for over two hours. It's high time that you allow others to use it as well; my sister and I for starters. Besides, you both should know better than to keep fighting past aura restrictions. On top of things, you know that you're prohibited from using your semblance in sparring matches, Operative Inoi"
Both Elm and Aganju looked at the nearby monitor to find that Winter's words were indeed true. While they both still had enough in the red, it was dangerously low. The former had become so preoccupied with the action, she'd forgotten that they had time limits on the room.
"Looks like we both got carried away!" the perspiring vulpine sheepishly chuckled in an oblivious way now.
"Clearly!" Weiss chimed in while keeping her eyes on anything other than the semi-nude faunus. "Must you be uncouth by resorting to stripping?"
"Un... co-what?" he tilted his head in confusion, causing Weiss to face-palm.
"Long story short: Nobody wants to see your half-naked body, Aganju!"
Speak for yourself... Kairi licked her lips before grabbing her uniform jacket. "Well, we'll have to finish this up some other time, cutie! I'm sure I'm needed elsewhere."
"Indeed. Sango and Marik are meeting with the general now to discuss your next mission and you're late."
Without another word, Kairi grinned and took her exit, leaving the others to contemplate all that had transpired. Aganju was no fool, whatever she was about to do, he could tell his mind was the target. Was she going to control his mind? Or maybe she was trying to figure out his next move? Either way, that discomfort he felt in the shower room had morphed into full-blown worry.
Even worse, the last person he wanted to see was here!
There was no love lost between Aganju and Sango, especially after their last conversation pertaining to Ciel. He was ready to die if it meant protecting the girl who would become a sister to him. Nevermore was he glad that she chose to go with Sun and Neptune. With Sango lurking around, he was going to have to need every ounce of his patience to keep himself from crossing a line.
Better there than here, I guess.
"Ahem...!"
"Huh?" he blinked to see Winter and Weiss tapping their foot.
"I think they're waiting for you to get dressed, Aganju..." Elm whispered patiently, making his ears splay in embarrassment.
Kairi waltzed into the main hall where her teammates awaited. Unlike earlier, her childish grin had finally given way to a scowl of repulsion. Her eyes flashed pink with rage as the panther and human males noticed her approaching.
"You look like shit..." Marik snickered, pointing to her disheveled hair. "Did you manage to get the info?"
"Does it look like I got it, jackass?" she spat, baring her canines.
"You two can fuck and fight later. General Ironwood isn't going to be pleased to hear that you failed the mission, Kairi."
"It was his lapdog who stopped me!" she pouted, careful to avoid alerting anyone passing by. "I was about to get the information when she barged in!"
Marik rolled his eyes, not buying the excuse. Rather than entertain this, he distracted himself by retying his sandy brown hair. Sango maintained his composure, almost as if he was a statue designed to listen to her protests. He was a far cry from the brash soul he was before the attack on Beacon and, perhaps, that was what changed him.
Once she finished, he finally spoke up again.
"What about the others?"
Kairi huffed, managing to put her hair in spiky pigtails. "I gave my reports on most of the brats so far. Only the cat-girl and that hammer wielder remain unaccounted for..."
"So, that's three, including him, right?"
"Yes. Blake is a loner and Nora is... eccentric" Sango spared the tiniest of chuckles. "Well, we'll just have to report this and see what the general says our next move should be. That boy is the main goal so, let's go."
Marik and Kairi nodded, neither thrilled with meeting with their superior with the bad news. Still, this was their job and they would complete it, no matter how long it took. This was the purpose of their unit, one that was specially formed by Ironwood himself.
Sango Bagheera, the beacon of justice.
Marik Ragna, the hunter of the dawn.
Kairi Inoi, the deadly nightshade of the shadows.
Each one had a part to play in the future of Atlas and her enemies. They were the black ops of Ironwood's military.
They were the pillars known only as Team Smoke.