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Chapter 43: Camaraderie
Several days had passed since the events beyond the boundaries of ruined Midpoint which had seen Headmistress Coco Adel punish two of her freshmen teams in the strictest terms she could muster short of outright expulsion, though now that a weekend had passed without incident from either Team MARZ or WULF Coco found herself feeling as thought she could relax in regards to her own personal hawklike scrutiny of the teams.
Though their ongoing disciplinary action was still one of many things she wished to discuss in her current meeting with Ruby Rose, taking place only hours after classes had ended for the day.
The current meeting between the two old friends, comrades and fellow teachers regarded amongst the best Huntresses of their generation was taking place in the staff lounge of the campus, comfortable and far more spacious than was needed for a variety of reasons that were less profound than Coco might admit. Firstly the meeting would not require the presence of Qrow, nor any other member of their secretive group and with this in mind the Headmistress had decided after spending so much time confined to her office in her dual roles as teacher and politician that she simply wanted to spend some time wandering the hallways of the academy she had founded, secondly the option of meeting with Ruby in her apartment was one that Coco was less willing to consider; Ruby might have been amongst one of her oldest friends but it was solely practical and work related matter she sought the living legend's counsel in which the older women was unwilling to bring into her home and remove some faint veil of separation without good cause and finally, least impressive of all of her reasons Reese, whom Coco would always struggle to think of as 'Professor Chloris' had left what amounted to several helpings of nachos in the staff refrigerator.
"So….working with Oralie" Ruby's grim tone and the dark expression which her remaining silver eye held contrasted oddly with the eagerness with which she attacked the pilfered nachos.
"I'm not happy with it either" Coco grumbled around a particularly crunchy mouthful, swallowing before continuing "You sure you don't mind staying late to talk about this?….I wanted a fresh view on it, Velvet's in as deep as I am and Yatsu has enough on his plate as it is-"
"Nope" Ruby popped the P in the word as she always did and motioned for Coco to continue "I didn't become a Hunter or a teacher to get regular working hours"
"I suppose not" Coco smiled at that before letting out a tired sigh, expression darkening to a degree that left her wanting for the sunglasses she had removed; habitually wanting to hide the strain she was under as she spoke "Velvet and Eagle haven't managed to get anything useful out of those hard-drives, they have a theory that whatever encryption system Rowan used is something that either she or the 'Benefactor' she told me about designed themselves….Penny doesn't want to risk trying to use her own onboard systems to force it-"
"Understandably; same goes for sending into Uncle Qrow, it might be rigged and we can't risk something breaching his security" Ruby noted with a hint of protectiveness towards the wife and ageing uncle she had no intention of seeing harmed which Coco simply nodded in agreement with; she would not risk her staff needlessly and having the android interface with potentially sabotaged technology presented several risks.
"So we're forced to get the answers from the source, I've had Oralie's lawyer pushing me to speed up her transfer….She's one of the good one's though, not some mob crook, she'd do this for anyone" Coco's expression became a contradiction, grief and fury meeting with grim amusement to form a twisted and hateful parody of a smile "And it's not like we've got any grounds to complain, she's cooperating, her tip off about Grapeshot and Hueso's location paid off"
"What happened?" Ruby dared to ask, mechanical eye whirring faintly as it adjusted in an effort to match the unnerved look of her own.
"It turns out the pair were in Midpoint to get rid of a body….One of the bounty Hunters I sent to Blackwater Cove to find the pair" Coco sucked in air, the plate in her hands threatening to shatter under her anger "She wasn't the only one they'd already killed but I managed to contact a few that were left eventually I ordered them to team up and storm the building; Rowan was right, Grapeshot and Hueso had abandoned it already….They'd left a few landmines rigged to trip wires around the entrances though.
"Oh my gosh-"
"My people survived" Coco growled, that small mercy enough to keep the fierce glint in her eye "Aura….But the building is gone, the owner has vanished. But now I've got proof that they were there, I am going to nail the entire city Council of Blackwater Cove to a wall over this; top down-"
"And Oralie has more information?" Ruby's tone was a mix of optimism coloured by the scepticism of experience.
"She's claiming enough to identify the support structure of this Benefactor, the same person that's been controlling things here and in Vale….But she won't talk until we transfer her somewhere safe, which I completely understand"
"But she's got nothing else on the more immediate problem of the two rogue Hunters chasing a sentient Grimm around Menagerie?" Ruby couldn't quite keep the scoff out of her words, keenly aware of how they would once have sounded.
"Remember back when we were teenagers and all we had to deal with was the literal end of Remnant….Simpler times" Coco managed a genuine smile, sharing the same feelings as her old friend whilst her comment left Ruby almost dropping her nachos with her laughter.
"As far Grapeshot and Hueso" Coco shook her head "We don't know where they are….But now, thanks to Team MARZ we know that they don't have any more intel on the targets' whereabouts than we do; so we're both reduced to waiting for that thing to show its' face again until Hammerfall Outpost is repaired"
"Don't let Astra hear you crediting them for the intel" Ruby chuckled before taking another bite.
"Mars is turning into an annoying little punk and if they weren't my student I'd wring their neck" Coco gave a disgruntled huff at the thought of the student who seemed to misuse so much potential "But on that subject, have you had any thoughts regarding the disciplinary training for them?"
"I don't exactly approve of using teaching as a weapon" Ruby scowled, the subject being one of much contention between herself and more harsh-minded Professors such as Arslan "But I think I've got something in store for them that will drive home the lessons we're trying to teach Team MARZ and Team WULF"
"Good" Coco gave an approving nod "Do it this weekend….They've had long enough to stew and doing it on their time off should remind them that this isn't a treat"
"I think Weiss reaction made that pretty-" Ruby trailed off at the sound of a faint, polite knock on the staff-room door.
"Come in" Coco's voice was businesslike and faintly imposing, as she always strove to be with her students; familiarity was something she left for Velvet and Yatsuhashi whilst she sought to keep her presence one of control and faint awe, much as Professor Goodwitch of Beacon and then Halo Academy had done.
"Headmistress" the cultured, yet rasping tones of Zirconia Shadowmoon announced the Grasshopper Faunus as she strode into view with her graceful, springing gait and nodded her head respectfully "I wished to speak with Professor Rose"
"If it's about class or assignments I'll be happy to cover it tomorrow either during lunch or after class" Ruby interjected, unable to keep the chipper note from her words despite the current situation of the student before her.
"It's not, at least not exactly" Zirconia shook her head "Headmistress Adel knows that I like to craft my own training simulations when I have time….I've been working on one for the last few days and I wanted a more experienced opinion on the Grimm in question before I finalised the program since they're not species I've encountered live; I saw that you were still registered as being on the campus so I came to ask-"
"Professor Rose is in a staff meeting right now Shadowmoon" Coco noted, expression softening a fraction "Impressive as I'm sure your work is, it will have to wait"
"I understand and good evening" with that the teen left the staff-room without another word, leaving her Professors to consider her presence for a moment.
"Crafting her own training simulations, interesting hobby….Definitely above where she should be academically; but then again who am I to judge" Ruby noted, expression turning faintly sly as she added "Think she was listening at the door to find out about her punishment?"
"Oh almost certainly, Velvet still hasn't quite gotten over the fact that Shadowmoon tried to hack into her laptop" Coco couldn't help but smirk at the brazen audacity of the first year before something odd seemed to catch at her mind; Zirconia had mentioned seeing that Ruby was still registered as being on the grounds though to the best of Coco's knowledge such information was not something that students had ready access to and was not something which the insectoid Faunus would find whilst compiling data for her simulations.
Thoughts of how Zirconia Shadowmoon was certainly more than she first appeared bubbled in Coco's mind for mere moments before a comment from Ruby brought her focus back to more serious and immediate matters.
In a determined effort to find some productive use for his confinement to the Academy and its' grounds Wolfram Ironside had found himself frequenting the gym more often than his already impressive training regimen and at hours that were largely unsociable, specifically so that he might train without interruption or observation.
Which was where he had found himself as evening gave way to night, joined by Diabla Fuego with the sounds of the blows they exchanged at dizzying speeds reverberating throughout the otherwise vacant space.
Over the course of the intervening days since the events at Midpoint Team WULF had come to accept, if not entirely forgive their leader for the consequences of his choice to follow and enable Astra; something made easier for the teens with both the knowledge that the headstrong and increasingly recklessly impulsive Deer Faunus's plan had borne fruit to some degree and more importantly to Wolfram's friends, that Team WULF had performed a vital duty on the walls of the settlement they had defended from a fresh wave of monsters. With a sense of peace, however uneasy and brittle it had felt initially established between his team-mates again Wolfram had felt comfortable asking them to join him for sparring matches and practice on his footwork as he sought to become as agile and nimble as some of his peers despite the heavy armour he wore; Ursinia had stated that she had other plans whilst Laser had read between the tones of his leaders' ongoing distance from him and declined the offer, leaving Diabla to join Wolfram and spar with all of her usual vigour and tenacity.
Though Wolfram was beginning to suspect there was a deeper point she was trying to communicate through the excessive amount of force she was using.
"Are we okay?" the steel-grey eyed boy demanded as he narrowly avoided an uppercut which would certainly have ripped him from his feet and left him sprawled on the mats.
"Why wouldn't we be?" Diabla countered, blazing orange eyes harsh as she swiftly regained her footing and launched a fresh volley of attacks; a left jab which the experienced brawler used to adjust her footing, Wolfram's counterstrike was met by an expertly timed weave beneath the blow which Diabla used to aim a right hook at her opponents' bicep; the blow was blocked which allowed the moment of distraction needed for her to deliver a shovelling left hook to the kidney followed by a snapping heel kick to the diaphragm which sent Wolfram staggering backward, sputtering and gasping as he fought to take in a painful lungful of air, his footwork reduced to a frantic effort escape and simply stay upright.
"Okay that's it!" he barked, voice strained by the blow he'd received "If this is about Midpoint you could've just said! I told you to get it all off your chest-"
"It's not about Midpoint, we're all used to you acting like a lovesick fucking puppy whenever Astra asks you to do something!" Diabla assured him, taking a moment to run hands through her close cropped hair with its' dyed orange streak; wiping away sweat before rechecking the lightly padded fingerless gloves she wore for sparring and beginning to circle Wolfram in search of a new angle of attack.
"Then what the fuck's your problem and don't tell me it's nothing Diabla; something's pissed you off?"
"You really can't think of why I'd want to punch you in the face right now?" Diabla's thick Mantle accent lent the sneered question an extra level of mockery that rubbed Wolfram the wrong way, though he clamped down on his temper, resolving to get to the bottom of the matter rather than simply lash out.
"Because you had a bad day and you'll get expelled if you take it out on Athena again?" he matched Diabla's tone before deciding that playing on that particular sore spot was uncalled for given the lengths Diabla had gone to in order to change for the better "Seriously you're better than all this shit, you're the one person I rely on to give me a straight answer….So what the fuck did I do?"
"Not funny" Diabla growled before launching a fresh attack, this time however Wolfram's dedication to improving their footwork and manoeuvrability paid off as he managed to leap over the spinning leg-sweep she dropped into as her leg hooked back at the knee to attack his ankles; Wolfram attempted a knee strike only to be flung back as his partner leapt to her feet once again.
"I know I need to apologise to the rich kid" Diabla continued, words coming between a flurry of punches which Wolfram dodged and danced around "But what's pissing me off is you pretending that you don't owe Laser an apology, I'm not okay with the way you've been treating my part-"
Diabla fell silent as Wolfram, focusing on the fight fluidly transitioned blocking a right hook into an attack on her shoulder whilst also kicking her legs out from under her which saw the usually stoic girl let out a surprised sound as she was sent toppling backward.
"Seriously?" Wolfram huffed "That's what this is about?….Didn't realise you'd got a soft spot for-" it was Wolfram's turn to fall silent in shock as Diabla wrapped her legs around him and flung the boy to the ground, delivering a punishing punch to his chest before pulling herself into a sitting position, panting in exertion.
"Who the fuck else have I got besides you guys?" she demanded, rare traces of emotion cracking the facade of belligerence she sought to keep up; something which left Wolfram looking away shamefaced as he saw the truth in that question and tucking strands of smokey blue-grey hair that had fallen in front of his face aside in order to give Diabla the illusion of privacy as she composed herself.
"Look when we were first put on a team you weren't a leader, you were a field commander….Just a glorified drill sergeant we shared a dorm with and that didn't bother me because I wasn't expecting anything else" the fiery young woman continued, her expression making it clear that this turn in the conversation was unexpected and partly unwelcome even to her "But you've grown into a leader and a friend….But Laser's my friend, he was my friend even when I didn't want him to be and I'm not gonna pay that back by ignoring the way you've been treating him since Hammerfall; so what the fuck is your problem?"
"We're really talking about feelings and shit, in the gym?" Wolfram demanded with a sigh before catching sight of the fierce and demanding look on his team-mates' face which prompted him to exhale slowly as he flopped backwards to keep his face hidden from view as he considered his words "Fine….Laser scares me"
"What?" Diabla was halfway to a barking laugh before comprehension dawned on her and her voice began to rise with each word "His Semblance….You bastard Wolfram's that's exactly what he was worried about, why he hid his Semblance for so long!"
"Can you tell me it's not scary? Or at least creepy as hell! Wolfram demanded, his own irritation rising in response to being spoken to in a manner he was not inclined to accept "For fuck sake an Aura is part of your soul and he can-"
"Borrow it" Diabla interrupted, sensing what was coming "He doesn't steal anything…..Need for acceptance, manifesting as whatever people expect to see; so pretty much the way he uses jokes and being an idiot to mask how rough he's had it-"
"Well shit, counselling is paying off for you" Wolfram snorted, steel coloured eyes rolling even as he contemplated his friends' words; a hiss of something akin to defeat and irritation escaping him as he was forced to make concessions "Fine….Okay, I've been hard on Laser and keeping him at a distance because his Semblance scares me even more than my Semblance does and I don't what him touching me. I probably owe the guy an apology"
"Your own Semblance scares you? The hell?" Wolfram sat up just enough to see Diabla's hard, blunt features twisted into utter confusion at that which he promptly waved aside and grunted at.
"That's my business" he grumbled "There's a limit to how much I'm gonna talk about feelings in one day"
"Suit yourself" Diabla snorted, sensing that at this point in his growth as a leader and a person Wolfram's comments were more habitual than a genuine discomfort "But you owing an apology and you giving an apology are two different things"
"Have you ever apologised to Athena for beating her to within an inch of her life….Or anything leading up to it"
"It's….Not something I can just causally walk up to her and say" Diabla admitted with her customary glower "But I will, when there's a proper opportunity for me to give an apology that means something; that's what I'm expecting from you"
"Expecting?" Wolfram scoffed before faltering, the urge to argue leaving him as he pulled himself to his feet and as he did so realised that Diabla was doing nothing that he would not have done for Ursinia or Astra "Okay fine, I'll talk to him….When I get a chance"
"Fine" Diabla nodded, remaining sitting "Just don't go along with Astra's next stupid idea like a lovestruck puppy just so you've got a chance to be dramatic about an apology"
"You keep saying lovesick puppy" Wolfram muttered, tone one of pure irritation and accusation as Diabla slowly moved into a crouching position.
"Why not" she snorted, fiery eyes rolling "I mean I've got pretty much no frame of reference for healthy relationships but it's kinda obvious that you love them"
"I mean…." Wolfram trailed off, mouth working silently and eyes slowly widening as they took several moments to consider the nature of their relationship with Astra; features slowly brightening into an almost euphoric look which looked oddly out of place on his sharp, raptorial features as he reached conclusions that made his stomach lurch with a nervous excitement; his mind racing as he decided how best to act on this new epiphany.
Until Diabla sprung to her feet and tackled him to the ground in a single motion, initiating the next round of sparring.
Athena-Jade Slate was once again in Team MARZ's dormitory where the levels of tension and awkward, electric energy filling the atmosphere had slowly evened out into something close to what they had once been before the fallout of their journey to Midpoint in recent days.
The snowy haired Bear Faunus had regretted her attempt to relieve Astra of several teeth several days prior almost the instant she had acted, seeing it as a lapse in judgement that no amount of anger would justify.
Team MARZ's punishment however had thus far not caused Athena any undue trouble or disquiet, though the nature of the disciplinary action to be imposed by her Aunt Ruby remained to be seen; being confined to the campus was by and large simply an excuse for Athena to avoid any excursions into the city of Port Alistair which would almost inevitably lead to her being hounded by the press to some degree and presented an opportunity for to keep abreast of her assignments and personal studies which had, despite her dedication to them become steadily more difficult as the end of her first year as a student drew steadily closer. Attempts to make the best of a bad situation were marred somewhat by the distance the other freshman teams had seemed eager to keep Team MARZ and Team WULF at once news of their current status spread, invitations to join her classmates had dissipated almost entirely and ventures into the common areas were met with sidelong glances as though their peers were worried that the formally rebuked teams' misfortune might spread to them or they might attract the wrath of Professor Adel by association. Athena had however largely ignored this predicament, simply reasoning that she would make do with the company of her own team-mates; whose presence she would likely never consider a punishment, no matter how foolish Astra might act.
That presence was particularly enjoyable when it came in the form of a night spent watching old anime with Zirconia in a makeshift blanket fort.
The impromptu offer had come after Athena-Jade had first used the guise of studying to watch her partner as she worked on programming her own training simulation whilst Astra and Regalia were elsewhere, likely training or studying.
The Bear Faunus had found herself struggling not to betray any sign of the conflicting thoughts she had struggled with as she watched her partner work with intent focus, now that she could admit her feelings at least to herself she accepted that Zirconia was simply breathtaking when she was absorbed in a task and that stealing glances over the top of a textbook to watch her brush aside her fringe of ebony hair or stretch her stiff muscles was taxing Athena's resolve to simply see her crush through and prevent risking further complications within Team MARZ; no matter how much she told herself that it did no harm to enjoy the view. Athena had at least managed to concentrate on her own work whilst her partner had been absent, though Zirconia's crestfallen expression upon returning from speaking with a Professor had prompted the shorter but more muscular girl to suggest spending the rest of their night engaging in their current pass-time; which left Athena once again trying to keep her feelings private as each movement that caused the partners to gently brush against one another sent jolts of nervous energy through her.
Until a vibration from her scroll provided a small distraction.
"Sorry" Athena gave a sheepish smile as she quickly silenced the device so that it could no longer distract from the show which she and Zirconia had both watched during their childhood and were finding a new appreciation for; a story based on the events of famous Hunters including none other than Qrow Branwen, albeit under a false name and exaggerated beyond the already unbelievable truth to truly ludicrous extremes. Opening her scroll Athena's expression darkened into a frown of the sort of good natured annoyance that only siblings could inspire upon reading Coral's response to an earlier text message.
'So, how's date night going?'
'You're a pest' Athena typed the words out without even needing to look at the screen, muscle memory from having referred to her adoptive sister allowing her to write and send the message whilst continuing to watch the show; or more accurately study her partner as Zirconia watched, a faint warmth filling her as she took in the way the Grasshopper faintly hummed the leitmotif of a particular character which was currently playing, the look of peaceful content in her mismatched eyes and the slight smile on her high cheek-boned features which betrayed the onset of tiredness following a hard days' work.
The urge to have Zirconia rest her head on her lap whilst playing with her hair was almost overwhelming for Athena, to such an extent that Coral's follow-up message was a gratefully received diversion.
'Just ask her out! You're practically dating already! This is dumb! You're dumb!' Athena's fingers flexed, black-nailed claws extending from their tips for a moment before she allowed the displeasure at the way her younger sibling was speaking to her to pass over her; toothy smile forming on her round-cheeked face as she responded with the kind of playful malice only a middle child could muster.
'I already told you that I don't want to make things awkward, things are messy enough right now so knock it off….Or shall I make a group-chat just to tell all of my old friends that you used to have a crush on Henry?' her smirk faltered as she was forced to confront the fact that she had referred to her friends from her private school days in the past tense without hesitation and whilst it was inevitable that they would drift apart, given the different future Athena saw for herself away from politics and corporate nepotism the fact that she had little if any contact with people she had known for much of her life unsettled her; though not almost as much as Coral's swift reply.
'Henry and I had our first date last week; there was a dance at Wayne Manor' Athena almost choked on air upon reading that, sapphire eyes widening to a comical degree as she scanned the message several times in search of the mistake she must have made only to find that Henry Marigold, her long time friend and the scion of a particularly conservative Atlesian family had not only been invited to the home of the reclusive Wayne family, one of vanishingly few Faunus families to accumulate any wealth in the icy Kingdom but more importantly that he had taken Athena's younger sister as a date.
"Are you okay?" Zirconia rasped out gently "You look….Unwell?"
"It's nothing" Athena assured her partner, quickly hiding the messages to prevent her partner from reading to much "Just wondering if I should do the scary older sibling routine in a call now or in person when I go back to Atlas over the summer….My sister is dating someone"
"Ah" Zirconia murmured, the context allowing the reply to make sense in her mind "Would it not be Arctus's place to handle that….I'm an only child so I don't know the protocol for this?"
"Maybe….So in person it is then, we'll both scare the crap out of him; you're a genius Hops" Athena shot her partner a smile, painfully aware of her cheeks colouring at even this harmless exchange and privately cursing herself for her sudden inability to function around her partner.
"I have my moments" Zirconia replied playfully, shifting her weight so that she was more comfortable resting on her mechanical limbs which in turn had her weight resting against one of Athena's powerfully built shoulders; leaving the Bear Faunus fighting the urge to wrap and arm around her in a display that she could admit to herself was painfully cliché even as her heart hammered in her chest. In an attempt to distract herself she turned her attention towards the anime that the two of them were still maintained some pretence of watching and took in the stylised and acrobatic interplay of moves between two characters working in tandem to perform some obscenely overpowered special attack.
"They can't tell me that's not based on the Schnee Semblance….I'm certain that's one of my Aunt Winter's moves"
"She did have a rather famous fight with Qrow Branwen once" Zirconia mused, noting another character currently on the screen and their obvious allusions.
"Yeah but…." Athena trailed off, choosing not to debate the inaccuracies of a fictional show as it would be nothing short of futile; instead she watched the action scene unfold before adding "I don't like borrowing moves, especially from my family….I don't just wanna be another copy, but I think we could do something like that"
"I think we could….We'll have to work on it" Zirconia agreed, leaving Athena beaming from ear to ear at the prospect to such a degree that when her partners' scroll vibrated to signify an incoming message she failed to notice both the way the Grasshopper Faunus deliberately angled her scroll in such a way that Damascus Nero's words were hidden from view and also the way her lips pursed into an apprehensive frown.
Astra had ventured to the bleachers of the campus's outdoor training area and now, in the freezing winds that plagued the nights of the island Kingdom they stood atop the outer walls of the coliseum like structure, facing outwards with a grim and resolute expression and hard determination in their sea-green eyes as the biting breeze left their jacket flapping dramatically around them to grant the Deer Faunus a brooding and oddly heroic air.
It was almost enough to convince Astra that what they were about to do was not the height of stupidity.
The punishment their team had received had weighed more heavily on Astra as the days passed and the seriousness of their predicament became more apparent though this had only spurred the headstrong and determined teen onwards and convinced them to use their newly constrained free time productively; the threat of losing the leadership position which they had never originally coveted underlined the need to become more than they currently were in Astra's mind, with unlocking their Semblance continuing to be the most obvious and logical means to do so.
And so, to that end Astra spread their arms wide and took a single step forward; allowing themselves to fall freely from the uppermost reaches of the training area.
It was only as the wind rushed around them, its' freezing passaged forcing them to squint and close their eyes almost entirely and they continued to plummet, with no traces of hitherto unseen power or abilities making themselves known that Astra was forced to conclude that this plan might have required more thought however at that juncture it was simply too late to deploy Buckshot Ares in the short-ranged glider form which saw admittedly little use and so they instead pushed their Aura outwards and braced themselves for an impact which, whilst not the fatal or catastrophic thing it might've otherwise been, would still be painful.
Only for something that they utterly failed to account for to happen.
"I'll never let go Jack, I'll never let go!" the pure absurdity of the yelled comment from somewhere above and behind them almost distracted Astra from the reality of their imminent meeting with the pavement; a task which was completed a moment later by a painful impact from another source, namely that of a harpoon connecting with one of their antlers in just the right way to ricochet and leave the cable it was attached to looped around the protrusions and in turn leave Astra marvelling at just how precise their partner could be while firing a pistol gripped shotgun until a moment later the cable was pulled taut, prematurely halting the Deer Faunus's fall yet still proving as the sudden forces on their neck left them choking and flailing in mid air. Until they were slowly reeled back up to the wall from which they had leapt, becoming more aware with every passing moment of how many people could potentially see them in their current undignified position by simply looking out of a window or traversing one of the many walkways between the towers of the academy.
Eventually Astra was able to plant their feet and untangle themselves from the harpoon of Apex Scavenger whilst Regalia looked on at them in equal parts concern, sheepishness and outright amusement.
"What the hell was that?" Astra demanded, massaging their now aching neck as they rolled their shoulders and ensured that no muscles had been pulled.
"Well it wasn't flying….Just falling with style" Regalia's words almost cracked and gave way to full blown laughter "Heh, how the heck did you fall anyway?"
"I didn't fall" Astra grumbled "I jumped"
"What?" Regalia demanded, purple eyes widening in fright and disbelief as she regarded her partner who in turn shuffled uncomfortably as they realised that they owed the Racoon Faunus an explanation.
"I'm still trying to figure out my Semblance, I know, I know" Astra raised their hands to cut off any objection before it could begin
"But listen I know what I'm doing, I'm not going to do anything stupid-"
"I think they use that word very differently in Vale" Regalia noted pointedly, which Astra decided was not a comment worth arguing against at that moment.
"I mean I'm not going to head off campus, I'm not going to do anything that puts you guys at any risk or gets us in any more trouble okay" they corrected "But listen….A Semblance manifests in response to a need, it's a part of yourself saving you; so all I need to do is figure out what kind of need will trigger my Semblance. So far fighting hasn't done it, not against other people or Grimm no matter how bad the odds are, I tried extreme heat and cold with Team WULF over the weekend, I really don't want to drink poison or acid….Nurse Kintsugi will actually kill me if my Mum doesn't; but I was gonna try a fall when I met Wolfram's Mum, I never got around to it so I thought I'd try it now….It would have been nice to find out halfway down that I can actually fly or something"
Regalia blinked several times, processing what she had heard before breathing in slowly through her nose as her striped tail twitched irritably behind her.
"Astra" she began "What you just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard, at no point in your rambling incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought; everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points and may Oum have mercy on your soul"
"A little uncalled for" the Deer Faunus huffed in response "I'm trying to-"
"Get yourself killed over something stupid!" Regalia snapped, eyes flashing with an anger and frustration she grew tired of keeping in check.
"It's not stupid!" Astra shot back vehemently, expression becoming something unreadable until they turned away from their partner and spoke in a much quieter voice "Do you know what it's like having someone like Felix as an older brother? To go from being the fat kid with glasses who everybody picks on to finding out that you really could be a Hunter….but then have Felix be the yardstick you're measured against? Even Athena doesn't get it because she had a head start in everything, she knew what her Semblance was gonna be from day one….I feel like I'm being left behind by everyone when I'm supposed to be the leader; like I was given a one in a million chance to be more than just a loser or a nobody but I'm too weak to make it count"
"Oh" Regalia's words failed her beyond that for several moments; any initial comments she might have made rebuking pride or selfishness were given halt by how vulnerable her partner looked at that moment, their sagging shoulders and hunched posture giving them an air of defeat which highlighted the lean and smaller than average build which Astra's antlers and Mohawk often disguised.
"Yeah" Astra breathed out, toying with the points of their Mohawk and still facing away from their partner "So that's what it is Regalia….I can't let this go, I just can't. I'm not gonna put the team at risk and I won't ask you to help me or use your Semblance for anything; but I'm gonna find my Semblance, I don't care how long it takes or what I have to do. I need to do this"
"I didn't say I wouldn't help you….I said that I won't use my Semblance to get us into trouble any more" Regalia murmured, reminding her partner of their previous conversation "If you're really going to keep doing this then I'll help you….But promise me you're going to listen to me when I say enough is enough"
"Why are you-"
"Promise me!" Regalia jabbed a finger forcefully into Astra's shoulder as her voice rose, forcing them to turn and look at her.
"Okay, I promise….You can be my Semblance mission gym buddy" Astra breathed out, managing a weak smile "So why are you doing this?"
"Because I know what it's like to be the odd one out, I grew up being the strange one out of all the Aiktishaf children….I know what it's like to have to prove something to yourself, you think I built a weapon and a jetbike so I could leave my people and join an academy over a weekend? That took years of hard work, scavenging and trading for parts!" Regalia's hard tone was tinged with the faintest edge of amusement as she took Astra's shoulders "And because you're still my best friend….even when you don't listen"
"I really don't deserve a friend like you" the Deer Faunus mumbled, eyes closing for a moment as they swallowed thickly; their self image refusing to allow them to show their vulnerabilities and insecurities any further than they had already. Regalia considered for a moment before grinning
"This drop isn't as far as our initiation?"
"Nowhere near" Astra chuckled "Not even as high as the perimeter wall around Stalwart"
"Then fly my pretty" Regalia cackled before using her grip on Astra's shoulders to simply shove them backwards off of the wall they both stood upon and sailing out of view; a worrying crack and thud coming a moment later as the Deer Faunus hit the ground, followed by a groan of pain to assure her that they were still conscious.
"Heh, falling wasn't it either" the Raccoon Faunus shrugged, pulling her leather jacket tighter around herself; unable to deny that she had enjoyed that perhaps a little more than she should have whilst also wondering if the pain might be enough to bring Astra to their senses.
Although in her defence the confinement to campus had been particularly hard one used to a nomadic lifestyle.
"Wake up scumbag!" the harshly barked command roused Rowan Oralie from the half-alert dozing that she had been partaking in for much of the morning and convinced herself was a meditation solely by virtue of the fact she was in the correct position.
Her former teacher had never managed to teach her the proper patience and inner quiet for meditation after all.
The scarlet haired sell-sword had not, as she had hoped, been allowed to remain at the hospital where she had initially awoken for the duration of the time it would take Headmistress and Councilwoman Coco Adel to perform the necessary political wrangling to see her offer of cooperation and its' terms accepted; Rowan's Kingdom appointed lawyer Miss Grise however had shown herself to be more capable than her client had initially given her credit for and arranged for the next best thing, questionable as that might be. With the threat to Rowan's life should she return to prison impossible to ignore the lawyer had seen to it that until such a time as her clients' safety could be assured the criminal would be detained within one of the small number of jail cells within each of the cities' local police stations, being kept away from other prisoners at all times and moved every few days to ensure that word of her presence could not spread to those who wished her harm; with the duty of overseeing her falling to Hunters of Coco Adel's choosing, regularly either Bolin Hori or Nadir Shiko of Team ABRN.
Though it was neither of those men who had snapped at her.
"I trust that you don't use such language when dealing with my client on a regular basis officer, it might be cause for official complaints about your professionalism….Regardless, I'm here in my official capacity and invoking my right to confidentiality" Rowan rose from the matting which served as a poor substitute for a bed and sidled to the barred door of her cell, shaking out a stiff aching leg as she did so only to come to a halt at the sight Bolin stepping aside in order to allow the speaker, Miss Grise and the officer whom she had chastised for their initial barking comment to open the cell door; protocol Rowan was not to be close to the cell door whilst it was being opened unless she were in cuffs or some other form of restrain and at that moment the redhead had little reason to argue the matter.
"What's going on?" she enquired, green eyes narrowing with suspicion that masked her private thoughts which were nervous but still hopeful.
"Good morning Miss Oralie" Grise said simply, the unassuming features of the lawyer remaining unreadable and largely blank; betraying nothing until the officer who was in fact an active duty member of the police rather than a simple prison warden stepped away from the cell following a stern glance from Bolin who then strode away from the cell himself, treating Rowan to a disparaging glare as he left. Rowan realised that the simple greeting disguised a warning, that there was important business to be discussed which would be best handled with privacy.
"What's the deal?" she murmured after waiting several seconds to listen to the retreating footsteps of her jailers and ensure that they were out of earshot.
"I must repeat that I disapprove of this plan of yours" Grise noted with an air of pragmatic concern "A black-site is a secret by its' very nature, once there you'll have no real legal recourse practically speaking; the law will mean very little if you're being held in a place that doesn't officially exist-"
"The law didn't stop me or the people trying to kill me" Rowan responded gruffly before getting to the obvious meat of the issue "But you've had word from Adel?"
"I have" Grise sniffed, clearly struggling to push her own sensibilities aside and confront the reality of the situation in this instance; she was after all a public defender and the idea of law and justice as not only cumbersome and ineffective but in fact utterly irrelevant was an uncomfortable one.
"Well?" Rowan ground out, years of dealing with underlings fearful of her anger leaving her unwilling to wait for answers from those reporting to her.
"I received a message from Councilwoman Adel first thing this morning, it seems that the Council have been convinced to accept your offer of cooperation under the terms you offered-"
"Then when do I transfer to-"
"I don't know precisely where it is you're being transferred to" Grise interrupted "Nor will the officers here, you're to be transferred by the sites' own driver in a disguised vehicle….You see the reason for my concerns here Miss Oralie; this is your last chance to reconsider before you are transported beyond-"
"I don't need to reconsider" Rowan answered bluntly "I've considered enough….I might have bluffed a little to get this deal but with the secrets I already know and what I can find out….This is for the best; now when do I transfer?"
"Saturday" Grise said simply, letting out a sigh before adding "If there's nothing else to add then this will likely be the last time we see each other-"
"Pleasure doing business" Rowan interjected, waving her lawyer aside and watching with a detached disinterest as the bland and unassuming figure rapped neatly on the bars of the cell in order to bring Bolin back; the Hunter opened the door and the lawyer exited the cell and stepped quickly out of view.
Rowan surmised that Grise was correct and that she would likely not see legal aid of any kind again, however that such things were also unimportant; freedom was almost entirely out of the question and so there was nothing the Council of Menagerie could hold over her, as long as Rowan had the potential to provide answers she remained in control of the situation; she would have her revenge, hold back enough to trade information for privilege for years to come and assert herself as a dominant force within whatever undeclared hellhole Coco Adel deigned to send her to, serving out her sentence in as much luxury as a prison could afford.
With that thought in mind she debated enjoying a late breakfast, it seemed victory could even make prison food taste adequate and she had long since learned to squirrel away reserves.
Despite having watched an entire season of anime and a spin-off movie together the previous evening and into the early hours of the morning, staying awake even after their friends had returned and gone to bed both Athena and Zirconia had managed to get a satisfactory amount of sleep; which had proved to be of vital importance given the practical nature of the following days' Grimm Studies class, taught by the ever enthusiastic Professor Ruby Rose.
The Professor had begun with a lecture on remembering the core principles and base instinct which compelled all Creatures of Grimm, even those of higher intelligence and instructed her students on how best to prevent the monsters they fought from satisfying their ravenous urges through the use of careful positioning and the use of the environment relevant not only to themselves but to any civilians they might be attempting to protect. Astra, who had complained of a sore and bruised back began muttering under their breath at the frantic pace which suggested they were computing countless possible solutions to whatever practical application of the lesson Professor Rose intended to use, despite lacking knowledge of several key variables however when the silver-eyed teacher had asked for volunteers it had been Athena's hand which shot into the air first; Astra's stiff and pained back causing a moment of delay which she used to her advantage before quietly noting to her team leader that controlling the environment to control the pace of a battle was something both she and Zirconia could do with ease, allowing the pair to put on a display impressive enough to win back some of Team MARZ's credibility.
Zirconia had fallen silently into place beside her partner as Athena made their way towards the stage on which the demonstration would take place, the two of them sharing a wordless but knowing glance as they considered their conversation the night before regarding adapting the moves they had seen and adding them to their already impressive repertoire; neither Athena-Jade nor Zirconia had spent anytime devising a specific technique or strategy but the Bear Faunus simply allowed herself to place her faith in her partner who seemed able to act perfectly without communication.
Athena's customary gung-ho attitude towards combat allowed her to push aside the faint doubt in her mind, an unwelcome whispering that this was reckless and that they were about to do something stupid.
"Go low!" Zirconia's voice, raised above its' normal demure rasp forced the shorter girls' attention back to the present moment. The two of them fought against the last lingering remains on what had been a pack of simulated Beowolves, nanobots and hard-light given form which the two of them had expertly corralled into favourable positions and kept away from the markers which represented civilians to be saved; hearing her partner call out Athena, still rushing forward dropped into a low and whirling cartwheel kick which saw her body in an almost inverted position to kick a faux Grimm off-balance before completing her spin by dropping into a crouch whilst also arcing her hammer out to shatter the construct entirely.
Allowing Zirconia to vault from the head of her weapon.
"Best position is the high ground" the Grasshopper Faunus declared as she sailed upwards and opened fire with Sunriser Cain in its' pistol form to despatch several more of the replica monsters.
"One's gonna slip through! Now's our chance!" Athena called out to her partner, toothy smile splitting her face as she saw one of the last Beowolves slinking through the various obstacles which had been set up at random intervals to lend an air of realism to the lesson, it's path carrying it towards the targets she and Zirconia were protecting. With mismatched eyes filling with sudden determination before they began to be subsumed by the darkness of her Semblance with only pink and orange irises remaining visible Zirconia continued her aerial offensive as Athena conjured a glyph directly ahead of her which the roguish girl used as a springboard to send herself hurtling downwards; the effects of Phantasmagoria expanding outwards.
This was the moment of truth.
Zirconia had never tried to use her Semblance whilst mobile before, usually rooting herself to the ground and bracing herself for the effort it took to establish the shadowy barrier before fighting within its' confines. Trepidation was proven correct a moment later as disaster struck, with so many variables to be considered, all of which were in motion the Grasshopper Faunus made a seemingly minute error of judgement whose consequences became immediately and painfully apparent as Phantasmagoria dissipated instantly; Zirconia's focus broken by metallic grinding and snapping of part of her cybernetic leg as she hit the ground in an awkward position.
Leaving her toppling to the ground as her broken ankle refused to support her weight.
"HOPS!" Athena almost screamed her partners' name, all knowledge that Zirconia was in no real danger becoming entirely academic as she crossed the stage like arena of Professor Rose's lecture hall in an instant; her motions a mixture of caring gentleness and frantic desperation as she slung one of Zirconia's arms over her shoulder to help her stand all whilst an expression of deep concern etched itself onto her face at the sight of coolant, hydraulic fluids and sparks all issuing from the twisted and mangled limb.
"Shadowmoon, what happened?" Ruby asked, ending the simulation as she drew close with an air of professionalism as she forced herself to remain rational; Zirconia for her part let out a pained hiss through clenched teeth that was far removed from her usual composed mannerisms as waves of feedback from the damaged cybernetic caused her significant distress.
"I wanted to try a new move Professor….focused too much Aura into my Semblance, not enough into covering myself, missed the landing" her features darkened "Sloppy work"
"Is there anything we can do for the pain? Is there anything you'll need to repair the limb?" Ruby asked, her students' well-being taking precedence over any lesson she wished to teach.
"Some of the parts will have to be sent from Neo Vale Professor, they're proprietary" Zirconia answered "I don't think I'll be able to attend the….additional training you had planned for us this weekend"
"I see" Ruby stiffened, suspicion crossing her face for the briefest moment as she took in the reply; it seemed she and Coco had been correct in their suspicions that Zirconia had been listening to at least some of their conversation in the staff room though the notion that the teenager had faked an injury or deliberately injured herself to avoid her teams' punishment was quickly disregarded as it stood at odds with everything that Ruby knew of her student. Slowly Ruby considered the scene before her and found a smile creeping across her face and an amused look coming to her remaining silver eye at the way Athena-Jade almost cradled the grasshopper Faunus as she helped her upright and almost clung to her in order to support Zirconia's weight, the Bear Faunus likely unaware of the closeness between them as the situation removed the inhibitions and nervousness which would have come with such contact under normal circumstances.
The two of them had been showing off for each other.
"Understood, I will inform Professor Adel and arrangements will be made" Ruby nodded "AJ, take your partner to medical for a painkiller….there's nothing that Nurse Kintsugi can do for the leg but if Zirconia chooses to remove the leg until it can be repaired she can provide a crutch"
"Yes Aunt-Professor" Athena nodded, still shaken enough to forget herself for a moment before carefully leading Zirconia away, allowing Ruby to prepare to address the situation with the rest of the class and begin the lesson anew; as she did so she saw movement in the seats and realised quickly that Astra and Regalia were hastily gathering their belongings and making to leave, no doubt to follow after their injured friend. Ruby quickly decided that she would allow the absence without question and found that she could not bring herself to criticise the decisions that had been made, even if it would reduce Team MARZ to three members for their upcoming trial.
She remembered the stupid things she had done when she and Penny first began dating after all.
If being confined to a dingy and threadbare apartment in Blackwater Cove had been a steadily deteriorating ordeal for Major Grapeshot being then reduced to living out of the armed and armoured buggy he was now sharing with his partner in crime was a positively ghastly affair and that fact that it reminded the military man of his various deployments and private Hunting expeditions only seemed to irk him more, the familiarity a cruel twist of a knife in a wound which he was forced to concede was of his own infliction.
Following their abandonment of their bolthole and the way they had been intercepted outside of Midpoint the pair had been reduced to roaming the wastes of Menagerie as both hunter and hunted, though both men could see that they were spending more and more of their time in the latter category as the fact that they had all the tools they would need to capture the monstrous Grimm capable of speech and thought they had been dispatched to find did nothing to actually produce the beast in question; the ongoing repairs to Hammerfall Outpost had limited the flow of information to Hunters and others had need of it in the area which in turn limited how much second-hand information Carmesi and Grapeshot could acquire whilst their efforts were further hampered as they were forced to avoid the attentions of both small packs of lesser Creatures of Grimm stalking the wastes along with any travelling Hunters whose interest might be piqued by their unique vehicle.
Though currently the pair were halted by the more immediate need for fuel, food and in Grapeshot's case brandy; though he doubted he would find any of worthy quality in this particular miserable hovel.
"I say old chap it looks like the worst of South Vaccuo….worse I daresay, at least there was a veneer of decency" the comment was directed at Carmesi as the Komodo Dragon Faunus clambered back into the buggy, scales on the bridge of his nose halting his attempt to wrinkle it in response to the stench of poorly processed Dust lingering in the dry and hazy air; Grapeshot's attempt at appealing to some faded sense of camaraderie between the pair through the disparaging remark left Carmesi stroking his beard thoughtfully as his deep crimson eyes narrowed in concentration.
"More dangerous as well….Worse than Blackwater Cove, we can't stay here" he rumbled out with a regretful shake of the head.
"A rum do to be sure" Grapeshot noted, adjusting his safari hat and giving his companion a quizzical look "But how so, surely you don't mean to tell me the vagabonds here are-"
"This settlement was founded by a Hunter, literally named after them" Carmesi answered "They're functionally a rogue, Menagerie's Council doesn't officially recognise this place….The set it up to run it as a little Empire but didn't have the planning, the numbers or the resources. Nobody recognised me but a Hunter might"
"And I daresay that we won't be welcomed as fellow villains?" Grapeshot snorted, moustache twitching.
"Our old apartment in Blackwater Cove was found, the tripwires went off….That along with the other Hunters we've killed" Carmesi trailed off before letting out a wordless growl of agitation, whatever twisted and mauled remains of his conscience still resided in him being bolstered by the simple impracticality of being hated by Hunter and criminal alike.
Though the reptilian was spared any further introspection by the sound of Grapeshot's Scroll, with the Benefactor being the only possible caller.
"Good afternoon sir" the military man answered stiffly, fighting the urge to salute in the cramped confines of the buggy as the featureless black silhouette his employer hid himself behind came into view.
"Indeed" the distorted voice answered "Major, Carmesi I gather from the lack of reports that your search for the target has remained unproductive?"
"Unfortunately so sir" Grapeshot gave a good natured and regretful sigh, the familiar topic of hunting monsters and its' intricacies allowing him to find his footing again "The target remains elusive and our efforts to gather information ran into….complications, we were spotted attempting to infiltrate Midpoint"
"I see" the distorted voice answered plainly, whatever thoughts the Benefactor entertained unknowable until he spoke again "There has been no further activity to intercept to the beast of my knowledge, for the time being this is acceptable. There is however another matter that has come to my attention….One that is suited to your skills and unless I'm mistaken your tastes Carmesi"
"Go on?" Carmesi rumbled out, something primal and guttural filling his voice with a predatory anticipation which Grapeshot would freely admit unnerved him.
"Rowan Oralie" the Benefactor said simply.
"Sir, it was led to believe that you had the matter in hand?" Grapeshot fought to keep his voice even and without a hint of accusation, though the knowledge that the hidden man was indeed simply a man and was fallible after all inspired something in him.
"It was supposed to be, she survived due to her own abilities and sloppy work on the part of my agent" the Benefactor answered, discussing the attempted murder of the mercenary who had betrayed them all as if it were a simple transaction "Be that as it may, the fact remains that she is to be transported to a facility in which I will not be able to reach her and that this is being done as part of a plea deal with one Headmistress and Councilwoman Coco Adel; it would seem that Oralie is willing to work with the authorities"
"Does she know anything that could stop your plans?" Carmesi demanded
"It is a possibility that she may be more capable than we initially gave her credit for" the Benefactor admitted "Given that the same Coco Adel with whom Oralie is now in contact has access to information from the freight ship which I sent the containment unit to you aboard it would be….sloppy of me to leave this potential risk unmitigated"
"So it's a bushwhacking then sir?" Grapeshot deduced.
"It's murder, let's not dance around it and use pretty words" Carmesi's lips peeled back to reveal sharp teeth in a savage display.
"Indeed" the Benefactor said simply "Major, I will trust you to continue your reconnaissance and efforts to locate our target, we cannot lose sight of our goal; the bright new future we plan to build depends on that. Carmesi, I will have all relevant information in due course….Can I rely on you to ensure that Oralie is removed before she can cause further complications?"
"She's scum, we should have killed her at the first opportunity" Carmesi gave a low, menacing chuckle as he unsheathed his forward curved machete and examined its' blade, taking a moment to select his words carefully whilst also enjoying the theatrical pause as he relished in the opportunity he had been given to right a wrong.
"It's good to see that you accept my thinking on this….Vindication is a nice feeling"
Author's Notes:
Well, the next two chapters are going to form the mid-season finale and I think it's clear that pieces are being lined up for something.
This one probably felt like filler but the pause was needed, it can't be high-stakes action all the time or it'll lose impact.
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
Reasonable, logic and track record dictate that if those kids are gonna do something stupid it'll probably be on a Saturday.
Honestly I enjoy writing these little glimpses into Coco's thinking and how she differs from previous heads….Also yeah, I feel like everyone who knew Reese Chloris looks at the former Huntress, Hover-board stunt champ and club owner with the dyed spiky hair and thinks "Teacher, her?"
Just casually tying up the loose-ended options regarding those hard-drives.
Well, that's the shitty little flat gone….But at least Coco gets to crucify a political rival.
"Remember back when we were teenagers and all we had to deal with was the literal end of Remnant….Simpler times" ah Meta jokes.
Coco's irritation is understandable, this is Yang's top student throwing their career away….Even Felix wasn't Yang's top student when he attended Signal; that was Amethyst Wukong.
So, just what did Zirconia hear with those Faunus senses of hers.
Some odd little titbits of information tucked in at the end of that scene.
Oh come on, it's Wolfram and Diabla there is literally no possible way they could have this conversation; it had to be wrapped up in a fist fight to some degree.
I think we've established already that Diabla really is ride or die for people that she cares about and that she really does care about her team.
"Who the fuck else have I got besides you guys?" Ouch.
Do you honestly think Wolfram, even now can just admit that he's scared of someone without a struggle.
Shit, Diabla's counselling and therapy really has been paying off.
Wolfram's scared of his own Semblance….Oh I've got a surprise for you all later on, it's towards the finale.
Okay see I can kind of agree with Wolfram and Diabla on this, the scale of their respective fuck ups is enough that just saying sorry isn't gonna cut it.
"I mean I've got pretty much no frame of reference for healthy relationships" and again ouch, can someone give Diabla a damn hug.
And something just slotted into place in Wolfram's head.
I mean plenty of people would have been fine with breaking Astra's teeth but AJ is trying to keep herself in check to avoid turning back into who she was at the start of Vol.01; the team can't have two of them.
Zirconia is slowly turning AJ into an Anime nerd.
On God AJ is adorable, hilarious and utterly embarrassing at this point, pull yourself together woman.
Okay so Bat Faunus Bruce Wayne isn't going to show up, nor are any of his kids; however I felt it was nice to acknowledge the DC Comics….Also, AJ just found out that her adopted sister is dating one of her old school friends.
Henry Marigold the third is going to become Henry Marigold the last when AJ and Arctus get back to Atlas.
Shounen Anime in RWBY have to be utterly insane considering what actual people in-universe can do.
When even Astra knows they're being stupid, it's gonna be extra stupid.
They're still learning all the wrong lessons.
Y'know what, I haven't given Regalia nearly enough movie lines lately….Too many and she becomes cliché, but this scene was fine.
She anchored a harpoon around their antlers without breaking them….And also avoided giving them the Gwen Stacey treatment, if y'know what I'm saying.
"Well it wasn't flying….Just falling with style" Oh Astra's pride is just getting shredded today.
Call back to Astra meeting Wolfram's Mum.
Of all the movie lines Regalia broke out the Billy Madison one….That leaves scorch marks.
"I was given a one in a million chance to be more than just a loser or a nobody but I'm too weak to make it count"….I think we just got to the heart of Astra's problems….At least Jaune knew he was a fraud, Astra has just enough hope to push them to do stupid things.
A real Scrap-Metal bonding moment, platonic ally.
I don't know if "Fly my pretty" or "Heh, falling wasn't it either" is the best line but Regalia really was the GOAT.
Oh look it's the most cliché way to introduce a jailer possible.
There is no way Rowan can actually meditate.
Coco has political and legal power but she isn't omnipotent in Port Alistair.
Rowan is basically trying to get herself shipped to Gitmo, of course her lawyer thinks this is a stupid idea, it is a stupid idea but desperate times and all that.
So, there it is; Rowan is being shipped to a secure location to serve her sentence which may be reduced in return for the information her cooperation provides, at the same time Rowan is buckling up for a long sentence because she's not entirely sure what information she has
They really did spend all night in a blanket fort, being nerds and not daring to kiss.
Okay I know Astra can make snap decisions while they're in the field, but the idea of them muttering under their breath like Deku while they're studying came out of nowhere and appealed to me.
Did you expect careful consideration from the girl who uses a rocket powered hammer to yeet herself?
And we learned an important lesson here….One that Zirconia and AJ still don't have Astra's flair for dramatic, spur of the moment plans involving big combo moves, but more importantly that Zirconia doesn't have total mastery of her Semblance yet.
Second time she's had one of her legs mangles….Although I think it was the left leg in the Vol.01 finale, otherwise I could make a joke about Astra not being the only Cobra Kai reference, Hops is pulling a Miguel.
So, no Zirconia won't be part of the punishment/training; but Ruby's right, Hops wouldn't deliberately break her own ankle just to get out of that would she?
Of course Ruby took one look at those two and came to the conclusion that they were trying to look cool for their crush, anybody would think that.
If you read Downward Spiral then must I remind you that Ruby was literally ready to storm Ironwood's flagship in Vol.03 just to hang out with Penny.
Grapeshot's morale is in the negative.
Interestingly enough, despite Coco and her people thinking that the Benefactor has them on the back foot Grapeshot and Carmesi really don't look or feel like they're winning.
So early on in the story I did mention that some of the settlements founded on Menagerie are effectively just a lone Hunter lording it over a fiefdom of people that came to them for protection, it's an idea that I might come back and do more with later on in the story; but here it was an interesting concept to play with just because Grapeshot and Carmesi really are hated by everyone at this point.
So the Benefactor has details of Rowan's plea deal and that she's being transferred….the obvious question is how the fuck does he know that?
And now we've got a fun showdown for the mid-season finale, Carmesi is being dispatched to deal with Rowan and without Grapeshot to reign him in.
Look normally Carmesi doesn't dabble in one-liners but when you've got weapons called Vindication and Retribution you take chances that come to you.
Thank you to SumoSnipe, Lurkweed and MajorBrony95 for their reviews on the last chapter.
This is a Deer who is trying to not get caught in the headlights…..By charging at anything car shaped.
Okay Astra's leadership and decision making skills have been a bit hindered by ego, adrenaline and cock but I think 'Kim Possible Villain' is a bit of a stretch.
Grapeshot deployed Dakka.
Coco is absolutely terrifying and I now realised that with the release of Cobra Kai season four I should have had her pull the Jonny Lawrence "Quiet!"….Still, not as scary as Goodwitch.
Oh team leaders can definitely be ousted, in FADE Sun's daughter was removed from her post.
Eh, I think Wolfram has made plenty of progress from where he started.
The thing is Velvet deployed a battle-suit "Construct" like, yeah Hard-light can be used for shields but does it still have the same durability when it's beinf stretched thin and used for the intricate workings like that...Also, probably reading too much into it but we never did see Velvet use Crocea Mors's shield in her paladin showdown in Vol.3.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.