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I am making no money from this.
Chapter 59: Atypical Monday
Golden sunlight filtered through curtains that had remained closed even after the occupants of the dormitory had awoken to begin the first day of their second year as students of Breaktide Academy, filling the relatively small space with the shuffling sounds of activity that was rendered groggy by a lack of sleep which, in something of a rarity was not the product of juvenile excesses.
Sleep had been a rare commodity owing first and foremost to the lack of time available in which to acquire it; the required debriefing process following the attack of the Greater Dredge on the incoming airship had taken longer than expected due to various requests from those in positions beyond Yatsuhashi who had been conducting the meeting which had inadvertently kept those seeking the answers from their goal for even longer, all of which added to by the fact that the debriefing had been delayed in the first place. Following this Astra and Zirconia had been waylaid on their return to Team MARZ's dormitory as they had needed to retrieve luggage that had been deposited at the gates by the Hunter they had worked alongside, checking their belongings before finally making their way to their dorm and finding Athena-Jade and Regalia waiting for them. There had seemed to be nothing and yet paradoxically far too much to say all at once and so, with the hour having already passed midnight the four teens had exchanged a small amount of half-hearted and weary chatter, the adrenaline that had rushed out of their bodies like a retreating tide leaving them drained and spent before clambering into their bunks and attempting to sleep.
The attempt had failed, Astra had been able to sense the irregular breathing of his friends and deduced that each of them were in a similar state of being unable to sleep, yet unwilling to give up on the idea of rest by sitting up and speaking to clear their mind of the countless thoughts that raced and buzzed within.
"Ugh….I feel like it's too early for breakfast….never a good sign" Regalia's groggy mumbling was enough to break Astra from their own musings for a moment as a soft, equally tired chuckle escaped them at the comment, noting that it was indeed a rare and often ominous sign if the Racoon Faunus forewent the chance to enjoy and experiment with the food offered by the student mess hall.
"Then get something to go and eat later" Zirconia announced her presence with a quiet rasp as she stepped into view, emerging from the bathroom in a billowing of steam that obscured her from view for a brief moment, though would have been more effective and impressive were her team-mates not used to the sight, were she not dressed in her uniform as opposed to her combat gear and if the steam were not simply irritating in its' humid warmth. The practical answer to simple, good natured grousing earned nothing but wordless and shuffling annoyance from Regalia and caused Astra in turn to study their team as a whole and realise that things were, in a fundamental and oppressive way completely wrong.
Everyone was tired, Astra could accept that easily given that they had been the first to rise as was their custom; taking the time needed to style their dyed-black Mohawk and apply makeup that went some way to covering the dark rings of sleep deprivation around their eyes, though did little to help the clammy, cold-sweat clinging to them which came from utter exhaustion and Athena-Jade, who had thus far remained silent was known by all of her team-mates to not deal with mornings particularly well, a fact which was often noted and teased. The current situation however went beyond a lack of sleep and Astra felt their stomach drop as their bleary, bloodshot eyes swept between each member of their team and began making connections; following the initial exuberance of their reunion Athena and Zirconia had said little, if anything to one another and the darting glances they cast to each other were furtive, curious and obviously longing. Turning away from something that they understood but did not want to directly interfere in Astra noted that Regalia was equally uneasy around them, despite her attempts to mask it their partner was still worried about any forthcoming interactions between them and the inevitable discussions about events leading up to their parting ways. Astra regarded all of this and was forced to consider their own part, their own failings, poor leadership, poor communication and desertion of duty; doubts scrabbled and gnawed at the back of their mind but were quickly clamped down on to live a single glaring truth staring the Deer Faunus in the face.
Team MARZ currently had all the baggage left over from their previous year, yet at the same time felt as though they were starting from scratch.
"Hey" they rose their voice in a way that carried no force or ill-intent "Are we all good here?….I get that we're all tired but things just feel awkward with everyone right now, I don't wanna try and walk on eggshells so is everyone good? I know there's stuff we've gotta work through after last year….If anyone's changed their minds about still wanting to follow me over the summer then-"
"No" Regalia answered without a moment of hesitation, shuffling and adjusting the tie of her uniform "But….can, heh can we talk in private at some point today?"
"Absolutely" Astra nodded, answering with an equal lack of hesitation even as the smile they plastered onto their face faltered; over several weeks of thinking between training, helping repair Felix's car and taking odd shifts at both of their parents' places of work they had forced themselves to confront the fact of how badly they had failed as a partner and a friend to Regalia, she deserved better and providing that would start immediately.
"We spoke over the summer" Athena-Jade yawned "I told you what I thought of what you did….But Team MARZ is your team and I'm happy to be your team-mate"
"Thank you" hearing that meant a lot to the Deer Faunus, knowing that they had the support of their once staunch adversary drove them to earn that support and the faith placed in them. With only one opinion left to be voiced Astra turned to Zirconia, wondering just what the most unreadable member of Team MARZ might have to offer.
"I followed you yesterday without question" she answered simply, the words offering a shrug that her refined and proper body language would not allow. Astra couldn't help but give a cocky grin in response to this.
"And we kicked ass right?" their expression faltered again "Just….look, I wanna be better, I'm trying to be better and I want us to move passed what happened. Can we do that?"
"You can start by telling us what class we've got first, dork" Athena-Jade laughed, hopping off of the bunk and slapping a firm meaty palm on Astra's shoulder before casting another hopeful look in Zirconia's direction, as though urging her partner to join in the camaraderie or offer some words of support which never came. Astra, too tired to have memorised their new schedule properly produced their scroll and checked before forwarding the information to each of their team-mates.
"Double Grimm Studies"
"Nice" Athena's words were lost beneath another yawn "Aunt Ruby's classes are always awesome"
Astra was too distracted her too notice.
They left their scroll on silent overnight, initially so that they would not be disturbed during their debriefing and then so that nothing could disrupt their failed attempts to sleep after they had sent messages to their parents ensuring that they had arrived safely despite the complications and would be in touch shortly; now that they were actively looking at the device however Astra saw that they had received multiple text messages from many sources, though most of whom were students of the academy including several upper class-men with whom they had only a passing acquaintance, the messages each sharing a common theme of congratulations which the Deer Faunus struggled to comprehend until they opened a link one of the messages contained and promptly let out a whoop of joy.
"Hey Zirconia! We made the front page!"
"Fantastic….Oh" the Grasshopper Faunus's initial biting sarcasm, born of a preference for avoiding the attentions of the press which would have lingered were it not for the covert and underhanded nature of her entrance to the academy petered out as she actually glanced at the article in question and saw that it was not, as she and Athena had come to expect and dread, mindless drivel but instead featured a prominent picture of the moment both Astra's Semblance and her own had been in effect as the Greater Dredge was smashed from the hull of the airship.
"I told you yesterday that you were awesome" Athena-Jade reached to drape an arm over her taller partners' shoulders, pausing and deciding against it as a blush crept over her cheeks.
"You tell her that every day" Astra snorted, deciding to intervene just enough to play wing-person for their two friends and have a little fun whilst doing it "And you're right….We're all awesome; front page on the first day back. Fuck yeah! I'm getting that picture framed, I'm making it my lock-screen. We are the big heroes-"
"We're going to be a meme by the end of the day" Zirconia sighed "Trust me"
"Aunt Ruby is fast but the CCT is faster" Athena-Jade nodded in agreement as she intoned the words sagely.
"Whatever, we're still fucking awesome" Astra popped the collar of their shirt as they would their usual jacket and Regalia chuckled.
"We're gonna be late" she slung Astra's book bag to them "Don't forget that….can't be an awesome hero if you don't have your books or a pen"
And like that the first day back at Breaktide Academy began in earnest and Astra couldn't help but feel a little better.
In a vast and striking difference to the technological advances and inescapable atmosphere of dread that permeated the Chamber the office of Chairman Damascus Nero was what one might consider painfully mundane if they had ever had the opportunity to compare it against those occupied by other, similarly wealthy business moguls or magnates. Privately Nero supposed it was that his office was not a personal lair in the ways that those offices and the Chamber were, though he still did not like the way the idea of being the kind of man who required a lair of all things sat with him.
Men like Qrow Branwen had lairs, he strove to better.
The office itself was at odds with the building in which it was set, a masterpiece of warm and soothing natural colours and wooden, comfortable furniture that would have been more fitting within the penthouse apartment which he and Zirconia called home than within the monolithic structure of glass and steel which served as the base of Clara Die Novum Conglomerate, its' various subdivisions and constituent companies and foundations each having offices and liaisons present so that there need never be a delay in handling business and also so that the space such premises would otherwise taken up across Neo Vale could be put to more productive use.
Nero currently sat at his desk, or more lounged in the chair behind clad his customary expensive attire and wiping ointments from the fingers of his gloveless hand after applying the substance to the discoloured scar which crept up his neck and jawline. Around him were bookshelves and cases filled with countless documents made less sterile and clinical by the presence of potted plants and framed achievements and awards which an astute observer would see contained nothing of his business acumen, instead his various degrees hung alongside newspaper articles detailing the founding of charities within the city, various breakthroughs in various fields of science clipped from relevant journals and other such documents whilst on his desk, albeit facing away from anybody who might stride through the door to the office were several small photographs placed in standing, silver frames which continued to give away more about the man whom the media continued to consider something of an enigma due to his reluctance to to participate in their mindless antics, classifying him as a recluse despite the very open presence he had placed in the city.
Naturally it would never occur to them that the public presence was carefully managed, a ruse within a ruse.
The photographs showed a girl that any who knew her would recognise as Zirconia Shadowmoon; albeit much younger and clutching her first violin with a clear lack of experience. Another displayed a wedding, a man with antenna sprouting from black and spiky hair and a woman whose insectoid, grasshopper limbs were hidden beneath a flowing white dress and whose features left little doubt that she could be anyone but Zirconia Shadowmoon's mother whilst a third, this picture landscape rather than portrait showing a group of what were quite obviously college students, carefree and happy. The group including Zirconia's parents, Damascus himself and a strapping young man whose arm was draped over the much younger Nero and a handful of others; all of whom caused Nero an ache that bordered on physical pain every time he forced himself to look at the pictures and remind himself why he did what he did, people who had been lost and taken far too soon.
With the sole exception of Albion Herringbone who, in the photograph was smiling happily with his partner Houndstooth sat on his lap and, in the current moment was walking into the office; expected yet not expressly invited.
"Would it kill you to at least pretend to observe common courtesy?" the chairman sighed "I have clients and employees….Images must be maintained"
"It's no secret that I work for you" Albion made himself comfortable in the chair opposite his old college friend, looking admittedly dapper with his cream coloured suit unhindered by a lab-coat, boyish features offset against white hair he had not sported in the photograph and blue eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses; Nero merely sighed.
"Most of my employees don't just waltz by my security the way you do"
"Oh please you make me sound like I'm Carmesi in a bad mood" there was something in that comment which made Nero frown, eyes gleaming as his brow furrowed.
"Has he done something?"
"Nothing direct" Albion answered, being the one to whom the Komodo Dragon Faunus was answering whenever Nero needed to keep up appearances elsewhere "Keeping a low profile but keeping the various factions you've got playing off of each other in the city under control to an extent….Whining about it the entire time mind you. It's when he hangs around the Chamber I don't like it; I'm sure he wants to fight the specimen again….Damascus, can you honestly tell me that he's stable enough for-"
"Carmesi has his burdens to bear, as we all do...Is it not why we planned to build a bright new tomorrow? To spare others that burden?" Nero sighed "I understand your concerns, I've had my own but consider that Carmesi is a young man, he's lost as much as any of us, perhaps more….He hasn't had the years to let those wounds heal that you are I have-"
"Not filling me with confidence-"
"But I trust him" Nero finished, letting his old friend talk to him in a way that perhaps only he or Zirconia would ever be allowed to attempt more than once "His anger makes him hard, fiery and passionate….But I trust him"
"Fine….But tell him if he wants to sulk in my lab then I'm making him my tea-boy so he'd better have fake paperwork in case anyone recognises his face when I send him to StarLien" Nero pinched his nose with his gloved hand and decided that he wasn't going dignify that comment with an answer, finding it pointless since they both knew that Albion was far too frightened of the raw physical threat of Carmesi Hueso to do more than vent about him behind his back. Instead Nero merely gave his co-conspirator a moment to compose himself before asking.
"Why are you here, the specimen?"
"No" Albion shook his head "Still no change, all readings are….I hesitate to say normal but within the parameters we've come to expect; comatose for lack of a better word or more context""I see" Nero nodded, noting to himself that he would give his good hand for a copy of the information Qrow Branwen and his cabal had on situations such as this but that seizing it would be impossible, simply adding "Then what?"
"Some of our back channels and people on the inside sent word" Albion answered cryptically, refereeing of course to members of Nero's efforts who knew more than the average employee of the conglomerate, even if what they believed they knew was largely fabrications and in many cases they did not even understand that they were reporting back to their own employer.
"Spit it out" Nero hissed, the faint traces of the stammer and accent he had fought to lose brushing over his words as he began to tire of his friends' hesitant theatrics.
"It's just that it might concern Zirconia, or at least what happened on Menagerie yesterday" Nero suddenly understood; Albion had been a friend of her parents too, as the photograph on his desk clearly proved, in fact had the man opposite him not lost his business partner and fiance in the same horror that had taken so much from them there was a very real chance that their situations would be reversed and Albion Herringbone and his eventual wife would have raised Zirconia whilst Damascus Nero would have been the eccentric cool uncle, though he doubted he could have played the role as well as Herringbone had over the years. With that familiarity came concern, something Nero could not consider unreasonable given the mornings' headlines.
"Ah yes" he almost purred "I saw the newspaper, though I haven't had chance to speak with her directly I understand that Zirconia and her team leader handled themselves admirably, coming very close to beating Ruby Rose herself to the punch….I do wonder if perhaps the Slate girl isn't the only one she thinks might be an asset we could use"
"Yes but" Herringbone cleared his throat to get Nero back on track "What I'm talking about is the fact that there are several fighters being deployed to and scrambled from Hammerfall Outpost, far beyond what we'd expect from a post-initiation clean-up and several flights to and from major settlements have been delayed, redirected or cancelled; I checked the information over and the flight paths are-"
"Ah that" Nero purred again, allowing himself to relax "I was already aware"
"You knew? What's going on?"
"Coco Adel has decided that Hammerfall Outpost is still a valuable asset but that the canyon itself is no longer enough to keep the Grimm at bay; following the breach and yesterdays attack she's going to launch a full-scale and decisive attack on the Spawning Pit that the canyon was intended to annex….I expect that she intends to send Rose and that the rest is largely precautionary"
"So what do we do?" Albion's expression was one of confusion, carefully sculpted into something more palatable to him as he adjusted his glasses and tried to untangle the various streams of data to make sense of what was meant and what the effects on various end goals would be; Nero's apparent calm both overall and in regards to the continued operation of the outpost boded well but the rest was admittedly a mystery.
"We do nothing" Nero smiled "We have the specimen, our operations in Menagerie are largely concluded, we allow them to proceed….But observe closely, naturally"
"You want them to blow the pit? Even with the risk?"
"We both know that the Kingdoms have ways of destroying a Spawning Pit, we've seen them used...Even if there are drawbacks" Nero grimaced with flashes of repressed and traumatic memories before smiling as he added.
"Less Grimm threatening Port Alistair as it's being rebuilt….A bright new tomorrow for the city and lives that can be saved before they are ever endangered" the amusement in the Chairman's words growing "It would seem that today we and the Hunters are allies, even if they don't know it"
The first break from expectations and one which Athena-Jade had been ready to decry as unacceptable from the outset was the fact that a substitute teacher was replacing Professor Ruby Rose for the first Grimm Studies lesson of Team MARZ's second year.
It quickly became apparent however that this was no mere mouthpiece borrowed from a nearby community college to recite a lecture without context or experience.
The man was old, yet carried himself with a youthful exuberance which bordered on hyperactivity and boasted a frame that those observing felt had likely always been lean and wiry, the man's current slenderness being natural rather than a more robust physique suffering from the ravages of time and his slightly bowed back too existed separately to his advancing years; the faint glow and raised outline of a cybernetically enhanced spine visible beneath a white shirt once he removed the green tweed jacket with beige leather patches at the elbows he had worn over it, slinging the garment over one shoulder to reveal yellow braces which matched his tie. The man was bespectacled and a thin face, lined and bearing the telltale signs of many years working in the field was warm and observant, eyes darting sharply around as he pushed back hair which held only the faintest traces of its' original deep forest green colour and been allowed to grow long as it silvered, ageing gracefully. Athena-Jade was quickly left eating her previously grumbled words as she realised that this was none other than well respected former Hunter, History Professor and researcher Bartholomew Oobleck; a man who had not only taught both of her parents but had been the one to Take Team RWBY on their first ever training mission, a thought which left the Bear Faunus sitting bolt upright and sharply attentive as she prepared to give the man the respect he had rightly earned, not only out a vague concern that she might hear from her parents if she did otherwise but also because she was genuinely eager to hear what knowledge he could impart upon the class.
Whilst Astra by contrast, some way into the lesson was still struggling to concentrate.
The Deer Faunus had heard the man's name before, in hushed and reverent tone uttered by men and women of Vale who had been teens or children during the Fall of Vale, the true opening gambit of Salem's first open war against the Kingdoms, he had likely seen the name Bartholomew Oobleck on statues and memorials to commemorate heroic deeds performed alongside is fellow teacher, former team-mate and the author of some of the students' textbooks, Peter Port although what Astra most knew the man for and would frankly much rather be discussing with him was the fact that he was one of the regular announcers for the Vytal Tournament and had been for over thirty years.
Away from the drama and excitement of the tournament between Hunter students watched by students across all of Remnant however Doctor Oobleck's voice devolved into an indistinct and rapid-fire drone which Astra struggled to give importance over their various other thoughts and concerns; it had been soon after therefore that they had allowed their eyes to drift away from both their textbook only to see that none of their team-mates would be willing to entertain or take part in whatever they chose as a distraction, Athena was sitting straighter than usual and her expected morning fug had vanished entirely whilst Zirconia was taking notes as dutifully as ever and Regalia, whilst struggling with such academic norms even after a year of studying was still clearly focused and paying rapt attentions, as was to be expected from someone who had spent so long idolising Hunters. Astra's head had already turned towards the row of seats ahead of them before the rational part of their mind could stop it from happening and they quickly felt themselves deflate at the realisation that Team WULF were sitting a few rows ahead of their usual seats in what Astra could only hope was a simply effort to hear Oobleck better. After a few moment of drumming their pen against the surface of the desk and their text book the Deer Faunus, in an act of brazen decisiveness they were pleased to see they had retained even after their breakup with Wolfram decided to get their fellow team-leaders' attention, if only to try and gauge his overall mood better and in order to do so hastily scribbled out a note in their usual hectic scrawl and balled the paper before throwing it in a low arc they hoped would bring it to a stop on Wolfram's desk.
They misjudged and hit Diabla in the back of the head.
The results were expected, the brawler whipped around with eyes already beginning to wash out with a volcanic light that shone through the dark fabric of her uniforms' blazer as it erupted from her fists and was halfway out of her seat before Ursinia and Wolfram could grab her shoulders and slam her firmly back down; the latter shooting Astra a truly icy glance that served as a silent warning which left Astra themselves numb to the wave of tittering that passed through the lecture hall and fact that Athena-Jade was already gearing up to strike him mercilessly around the back of the head with her own textbook before both things were brought to a halt by Oobleck clearing his throat.
"I do hope I'm not interrupting something important?" the amused edge to Oobleck's voice was a dangerous thing, an open challenge and opportunity for to Astra to continue making a fool of themselves
"No Professor, sorry Professor" they answered reflexively, not realising why Athena had slapped a palm against her face and let out a dramatic sigh until the veteran Hunter and teacher cleared his throat again and answered stiffly.
"It's Doctor Oobleck if you would, I didn't earn my degree for fun….I understand that I was only supposed to be presenting a small section of today's lecture before taking questions and handing the reigns back to Professor Rose, however she has seen fit to leave matters in my hands and you would do well to show her the proper respect in her absence Mister?"
"Astra Mars….Just Astra, not Mister" Astra answered, adding the second part of the comment and giving a look that dared the old man to challenge it only to be relieved when Oobleck nodded and continued undeterred.
"Ah, my apologies….Though Mars, Mars….Ah yes" his lined and weathered face broke into a bright smile "I enjoyed my morning coffee whilst regaling myself of you and your team-mate there's impromptu demonstration against the Grimm attack the coastline yesterday; rather impressive if I do say so myself"
"I….Thank you Doctor" Astra couldn't help but puff up in pride now that eyes were upon them again, any faint or lingering animosity vanishing in an instant.
"Yes….Truly inspired use of Semblances, I've both seen and read accounts of abilities similar to both yours and your team-mate of course, but I've never seen that particular approach tried and certainly not from such a height; I'll wager that if my old friend Port were here he'd have words to offer you-"
"So you've never seen any cool moves like that, even in the Vytal Tournament?" Astra's sudden inflated sense of importance gave them momentary daring they needed to ask the question and attempt to steer the talk in a direction that would be favourable to them and if the fresh wave of murmuring passing through the assembled students were any indication each of them found the idea equally promising, Regalia was grinning wildly and even Athena and Zirconia were betraying their thoughts through the mask of studiousness they both wore.
"Ah, perhaps I should have come to offer a talk for another lecture….Easily remedied, I will speak with Professor Altan and have something arranged for the near future; I will also be free to talk should any of you see me on the campus outside of lessons for the duration of my time here" Doctor Oobleck chuckled faintly before straightening himself out with an audible adjustment of his mechanical spine "However at present I will still require your full attention for today's lecture Mars….One well executed endeavour does not equal the sum total of all knowledge I'm afraid"
"You got it Doctor" Astra brought a hand to their still healing antler, still encased in a hollow framework and gave a somewhat lazy salute which they were vaguely aware left Athena-Jade visibly fighting the urge to throttle them, much to the amusement of Regalia who was sitting between them. A moment later Astra's sea green eyes had returned to the presentation ahead and the Deer Faunus winced as they confronted with undeniable, unequivocal proof of just how much more difficult this year's syllabus was going to be if this were only an opening salvo.
Though Wolfram had been amongst the students to notably perk up at the idea of discussing the Vytal Tournament with a man who had presided over it for so long and that thought was mildly comforting, despite everything.
By the time the double period of Grimm Studies and the subsequent periods which separated it from the Second Years' lunch break Regalia had managed to quietly work herself into something of a panic.
Regalia had been the one to ask her partner for a chance to speak in private earlier that morning and she fully stood by that decision, understanding that it was needed for both herself and the situation that had been allowed to grow between herself and her partner, something that she had never fully been able to convince herself was for the best despite her readiness to give Astra space when they had asked for it and the frank lack of better options available to her given that for large portions of their time apart she had simply been unable to communicate with her team due to her scroll having neither battery nor a consistent reception in the wastelands her people called home. Now that the time to have the discussion and attempt at clearing the air between them had come however the Racoon Faunus could not help but rub her hands nervously together, tail bushing out and standing erect behind her only to catch uncomfortably against the back of her seat with each trembling movement as she and Astra ate lunch, or more accurately the Deer Faunus picked at their food whilst Regalia, in a break from her usual habits did little more than toy idly with the contents of her plate without eating. The two of them had taken a quiet table with only the two seats they occupied located in an often overlooked back corner of the mess hall which was currently filled with the expected lunch-break activity at its' usual droning volume; Athena-Jade and Zirconia were somewhere in the crowds of moving bodies after the Bear Faunus had gently directed her own partner away so that the looming conversation could take place though, As regalia saw Astra's eyes darting around the filled canteen she found herself doubting that was who they were seeking out and so, in a breach of the rule she had imposed during the lowest ebb of their friendship surreptitiously used her Semblance.
"Wolfram's on the other side of the mess-hall, right over there….I can't tell who he's with, all the people in the way are interfering"
"I wasn't looking for…." Astra trailed off, their sheepish expression at being caught so openly pining after their fellow team leader sliding off of their featured to be replaced with a dejected slump "Whatever….I fucked up everything, it is what it is"
"How are you after….Everything" Regalia asked cautiously, interpersonal relationships with people outside of the clan she had known her entire life, whose moods and idiosyncrasies she knew by heart were still a new thing to her and the minutia of anything which could not be solved with a suitably cool and dramatic gesture was not something the movies she had enjoyed for so long often detailed which left her struggling to find an angle from which to approach the topics that needed to be discussed.
"Well my organs and tendons are fixed, so are my bones….the antler is still growing back though" Astra gestured vaguely to the broken left side of their Faunus attribute "Still in good shape overall, I spent most of the summer training and working on my Semblance"
"Heh, I could tell" Regalia grinned faintly only for her expression to falter a moment later "But I meant y'know, about everything else and-"
"About you convincing Wolfram that breaking up for me would be for the best, me skipping town on the team and then trying a kamikaze attack to stop that monster Grimm we were fighting?" Astra snorted "It's fine you can say it, we both know what's bothering us"
"Yeah….All of that" Regalia's eyes drifted downwards towards food she was yet to touch "I'm sorry-"
"Why did you do it?" Astra's voice remained quiet and there was none of the fury in it that Regalia had been bracing herself for, only a sense of firm urgency which prompted her to give as simple and honest an answer as she could manage without devolving into rambling.
"I didn't mean for it happen the way it did" she mumbled weakly "I just….You wouldn't listen to me, to anyone really because you couldn't see anything outside of needing to unlock your Semblance despite what it was doing to the team or how much you were risking; you were gonna get yourself killed if it didn't stop Astra….It, I-I hated feeling like Wolfram was enabling you so I spoke to him about it….I wanted to talk to you about it after you broke up but you were already gone by the time I woke up"
"And I still nearly got myself killed anyway" the Deer Faunus shook their head and massaged the points where antlers met flesh.
"Why did you do it?" Regalia hollowly echoed Astra's question back to them.
"The running?" they shook their head again with a bitter sneer crossing their face "I'm ashamed of myself for that….I shouldn't have done it and I promise that it will never happen again; I just didn't know what else I could do. I felt like I was failing at pretty much every part of my life and didn't have any answers so I just buckled under it"
"What about the move with the Grimm?" Regalia's voice rose and became harsh despite her best efforts to contain the anger bubbling up in her "You told me to trust you before you had me throw you at that thing! Do you know how many nightmares I've had over the summer because of that? Was that to punish me for being a bad friend-"
"I never meant to hurt you Regalia" Astra sighed, swallowing thickly as they added "But you wouldn't have let me take the shot if I told you….And if it's ever a choice between saving me or saving the people we're supposed to protect as Hunters I will make the same choice every single time"
"I guess I just never really understood what it was we were signing up for" the admission was painful to give, leaving her in a muted whisper which prompted Wolfram to reach over and give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"I want to promise you though that it wasn't something I planned and that I would never use something like that against you….I didn't even have a reason to be angry at you then, I just didn't see any other way to win. I'm sorry for what I had to do and what that did to you….And you've never been a bad friend"
"Are you still angry at me now?"
"No" Astra answered honestly and without hesitation "I was….Fuck I really was but honestly, I kinda guess I knew already why you did what you did, I just needed to hear you say it out loud; I'm ready to move passed it….If you're okay with that, if you're still angry I get it-"
"Not angry" Regalia answered "But not gonna let you treat your team like we don't matter any more either. We-I deserve better than that"
"You have never not mattered, you are my best friend" Astra fought to keep the words even as they left their mouth "And I'm sorry if it ever felt like that….I'm trying to be better, at everything"
"Heh, you're doing good so far" Regalia shrugged as nonchalantly as she could manage "So, what now?"
"Well if we've gotten everything off of our chests and we're both happy with where we stand?" Astra cautioned, waiting until Regalia nodded before checking their scroll "Then we should probably start looking for AJ and Zirconia and get ready for our next lesson"
"Aww nuts, Professor Altan is gonna be out for blood; we can't be late to her class" Regalia observed as she began scooping one component of her lunch into another, creating a makeshift sandwich or something close enough to one to be considered somewhat portable; upon seeing this Astra smiled and reached into their book bag before producing a bottle which they slid across the table to their partner.
"Oh yeah, picked this up back home….Since the Vytal Tournament in in Vale I thought you should get to try some the brands back home" Astra grinned "Saw it and thought of you"
"Heh thanks" Regalia's wide smile threatened to stretch beyond the confines of her face until she opened what appeared to be a sauce or seasoning of some description which she was entirely unfamiliar with and experimentally, yet without concern sniffed it only to reel back sneezing and huffing for breath; a curse escaping her in a tongue which nobody in the mess hall beside herself would understand yet which any elder member of Clan Aiktishaf would have cuffed her about the ears for if they had been present.
"Take it you like it?" Astra grinned, knowing their partners penchant for experimenting with the strongest, sharpest and most oddly balanced flavours they could acquire. In response Regalia merely gave a wordless thumbs-up gesture whilst liberally applying the gift to her lunch with an ever-increasing giddy enthusiasm reflected in the smile which had returned to her face. She may have mentioned to her partner in passing that amongst her people food was not exactly scarce as the Aiktishaf had means of providing, food was still considered a show of a great many things and preparing or sharing food, especially something not easily come by or new to the nomadic scavengers was a sign of closeness.
Pocketing the bottle full of new flavours she decided that she really did have the best friends.
Arslan Altan, Combat Instructor of Breaktide Academy had only needed to regard her assembled Second Year students before deciding that in order to properly drive home certain necessary lessons and objective truths, as well as assess the preparedness of her charges an example would have to be made.
Team LEMN had been the unfortunate recipients of her lesson.
Athena-Jade Slate had watched as the classmates with whom she was reasonably well acquainted, if not especially close made their way into the arena like stage which Professor Altan presided over, the master combatant allowing her students a generous amount of time to strategise and discuss their options, followed by the further luxury of positioning themselves in four equidistant points of the circular arena with Arslan herself standing in the centre and surrounded before the protective shielding had bubbled and flickered into place; at which point Athena had joined in the cheers and encouragement that thundered from the raised seating, only for it to die out and be be replaced with an almost harrowed silence as the Professor went to work.
The first member of Team LEMN to fall had seen their Aura reduced to critical levels within seconds, left wheezing and gasping on the ground with blood speckling their face with every exhalation after Arslan had used her simple dagger on a rope to spear and reel in her student at frightening speed, whilst in the other hand palming one of the many beads adorning her person and revealing it to be a small Dust charge as she slammed it into their chest with bone cracking force.
The second and third members to fall had done so after a hastily made opening created by their team leader saw the pair rushing in from opposite sides, with one leaping in for a flying knee strike whilst the other had ducked low and attempted to surge upwards and grapple their distracted Professor from behind. Arslan had needed neither weapons nor explosives to answer this and had simply sidestepped both blows with ease, leaving both opponents standing before her wide-eyed and fearful for the fraction of a second it took them to realise the mistake they had made before retaliation came and Arslan demonstrated how well deserved her Grandmaster status truly was, leaving the two nominally promising students sprawled on the ground unable to do more than convulse painfully.
Which left only the leader of Team LEMN who had, to their credit leapt into the fray and fought valiantly and without losing their cool; Athena-Jade had been one of several students to attempt a resurgence of cheering, Astra joining her shortly after however at that current moment the Bear Faunus was forced to concede that no amount of moral support would make a difference as Professor Altan took the students' weapon arm by the wrist and bent it backwards painfully until the weapon clattered to the ground.
"Is she gonna break his wrist?" Zirconia mouthed the words, clearly utterly aghast whilst Astra simply shook their head and chose to look away and Regalia, predictably responded with a beloved movie quote, though the tone of her voice made it obvious that her heart was not in it.
"The enemy is unable to push a button if you disable his hand" before the battle could end in a brutal fashion however two things happened at once, the leader of Team LEMN began to tap frantically against Professor Altan's shoulder to indicate that they yielded whilst the shield around the arena flickered away, thereby forcing the engagement to end regardless of its' situation as per the strictly enforced dictates of the academy. The fact that this had not been done by Professor Altan herself was not lost on the student body who began to quickly scan the surroundings for the source of the interference, Athena-Jade leaning forward on the edge of her seat like her team-mates around her and being amongst the first to stop a familiar shape; slender and feminine with a pair of Rabbit ears, one one which had been sheared away part-way slinking out of a shadowy recess that had been overlooked.
"Professor Scarlatina" she nudged the rest of Team MARZ, the four of them studying the scene closely as the Deputy Headmistress strode onto the stage and began to help Team LEMN to their feet before stepping, with subtle but clear menace into Arslan's space; expression a smile amongst the most sinister Athena had ever witnessed as she locked eyes with her fellow Professor but spoke aloud for the Second Year students to hear.
"That concludes the demonstration, I was waiting for an appropriate moment to interrupt….This seems fitting, as I'm sure Professor Altan was about to explain a valuable lesson to us all?"
"Oh she's pissed" Astra murmured, one voice amidst several as muffled chattering and speculation passed through the crowd.
"She's an old friend of my Dad's, he's always told me that she really can fight….maybe even better than Professor Adel or Counsellor Daichi in hand to hand" Athena noted, intrigued to see what would happen next whilst at the same time bracing herself instinctively as though the floor might fall from under her at any moment
"Bullshit" Astra snorted, struggling to believe the assertion; the Rabbit Faunus might be capable but the idea of her besting either of her partners seemed too much of a stress.
Zirconia lightly but firmly shushed her team-mates in order to hear Professor Altan's response as the platinum blonde straightened herself out, for a fraction of a second looking somewhat abashed before speaking, clearly realising the unspoken message about her behaviour that Velvet was broadcasting.
"Perhaps my efforts were a little too extreme, the threats we've faced recently has adjusted my sense of scale somewhat it seems" the words came out smooth and even, a genuine apology masked beneath a defiant facade before Arslan rose her voice to booming clarity
"After an extended period of time away from my students I wanted to ensure that you were all performing at the level I expect from you, that I know each and every one of you is capable of-"
"She actually expects us to be able to take her one day….That's honestly a bit of an ego boost" Astra muttered, only for Athena to shush him with a hand gesture.
"I found the efforts from Team LEMN to be acceptable, the four of you have clearly maintained your training regimens over the summer and have surpassed your previous limitations" Professor Altan's expression betrayed the faintest sign of a wince before she added "The four of you are free to seek medical attention. However, whilst performances such as those are an acceptable level for those of you simply seeking to pass this class I would caution and encourage each of you to strive for more….Especially those of you planning on competing in this years' Vytal Tournament"
The murmuring began again, growing in excitement around her all whilst Athena-Jade fought to keep the cold, plummeting feeling that seized at her from within from showing on her face.
"And now things get interesting" Astra's eyes seemed to shine with an expectant hunger for information as they considered the prospect of fighting in the tournament for an audience that would span most of Remnant, a chance to truly prove beyond all doubt what they were capable of which; with the lingering thrill of their appearance in the days' newspapers left them a little giddy.
"Indeed" Zirconia added, a quiet energy tingeing even her usual reserved tones whilst Regalia nodded in agreement to both comments, physically shifting and fidgeting with excitement; Athena-Jade remained silent, arms folding across her chest as she slumped downwards beneath her already limited height though if any of her team-mates noticed this through the distractions of several questions being posed from various quarters they said nothing and eventually the moment passed, as Velvet Scarlatina spoke again, a smirk tugging at her lips before she once again proverbially cut Arslan down to size.
"Indeed" Her smirk grew more prominent and Arslan's fierce eyes narrowed as she sensed what was coming "Professor Altan is speaking from experience when she says that a lack of preparedness will cost you in the competition"
The silence that followed that was deafening.
"I don't get it" Regalia admitted quietly.
"Team CFVY vs Team ABRN first round of the Vytal Tournament" Astra, something of an aficionado on such matters rattled off without hesitation "Guess who won"
"Oh" Regalia's hands flew to her mouth as she realised just how cheap the barb from the Deputy Headmistress had been, an open challenge to the Combat Instructor which Arslan was struggling to recover from, eye twitching slightly as her fists clenched.
"Team CFVY were the younger and less experienced team as well" Athena-Jade added distractedly, having heard the stories of the days immediately before the Fall of Vale from both of her parents, whose teams had also competed in the same tournament.
"Our classes for the first part of the year, therefore" Arslan ground the words out "Will focus on preparing you and acquainting you with what to expect, team synergy, popular strategies and countermeasures, fighting in multiple terrains and whilst outnumbered….How to observe and study potential opponents beforehand, a distasteful but necessary tactic. In the meantime, Professor Scarlatina can I ask you why you've chosen to grace us with your presence today?"
"It's come to my attention, from a few sources truth be told that you've been under a lot of stress in recent weeks and haven't had a chance to properly channel it into something productive….Given the subject of today's lesson I thought I would come and either observe or assist" the Rabbit Faunus's expression became something truly frightening, a devil may care grin of reckless abandon "Care for a rematch Arslan? We'll call it a seminar for students"
"Gladly" the word snapped out of Arslan's mouth in a heartbeat and was followed by a wave of uproar from the students as they jostled for new and better vantage points from which to watch the spectacle that was certain to unfold; Athena-Jade found herself joining Team MARZ as Astra urged them all forwards, a somewhat hollow feeling washing over her even as she locked eyes with Zirconia for a moment, the Grasshopper Faunus offering her a curious look as if she alone had spotted her partners' growing disquiet before the moment was lost, Laser Greenback's nasal voice rising above the din as he began taking bets on the outcome of the impending sparring match; something which allowed Athena to settle back into a sense of normalcy.
She had her misgivings which she intended to deal with but in the meantime she would certainly enjoy the show.
Manta class gunships and transports soared through the air, bright sunlight reflecting from their gleaming hulls and a few fluffy clouds passing by in an otherwise bright blue and pleasant sky creating an ambiance which clashed horrendously with the task at hand.
"I would much preferred for us to use our own transport" Penny noted, voice holding a rare note of disdain from the almost perpetually upbeat android as she and her wife shared the cockpit of the vehicle provided by Coco, one of the academies own small fleet of aircraft which had been dispatched first to Hammerfall Outpost where it and the two women aboard it had rendezvoused with the rest of the team being prepared for this small tactical deployment; a dozen aircraft belonging to the aircraft with a three to one focus on fighters as opposed to transports, each of these aircraft being of a far later and more advanced model than the basis upon which Penny and her late father had built the Pearl yet none of the equal to what the copper haired Huntresses personal transport had become. Aboard the Transports were teams of experienced Hunters who had been recalled from across the island Kingdom whilst further afield, as a final line of defence and insurance policy should anything be amiss were a pair of much larger airships, heavy destroyer warships of Atlesian design each capable of reducing a settlement to rubble
Beside her wife Ruby merely grinned for a moment before shaking her head.
"Nope" she popped the P on the word "You wouldn't, 'cos that would mean that somebody who isn't you would have to help you prep the Pearl for this mission….And that you'd have to carry the warhead"
"That idea gives me….Feelings" Penny ventured, expression suddenly glum as she considered what it was that they were seeking to achieve today.
Destroying a Grimm Spawning pit was something that normal Hunters, as far as such individuals could be said to exist, approached with caution and took great pride in upon their success and it was an affair to be handled with meticulous planning and multiple strategic fail-safes or else an overwhelming amount of power and numbers; preferably some combination of the two with a healthy amount of good luck thrown in for measure.
For Ruby and Penny Rose it had almost become routine.
The pair had used conventional methods, along with the largely if not entirely unique benefits of Ruby's Silver eyes to wipe out Spawning Pits all across Remnant for several decades following the first defeat of Salem when Ruby had still been a teenager, the defeats were never permanent things however; the Creatures of Grimm fed on human misery and where they congregated Spawning Pits would inevitably form and so large settlements had to remain on constant alert for the signs of such a thing whilst those places that had been populated at one point in the distant past and since overrun often provided the monsters a sanctuary of sorts, a place where their numbers could build and the Grimm themselves could develop for years or often decades at a time without outside interference; rendering certain places on each of Remnant's continents deemed simply impossible to take back from the living nightmares.
The Fracture Compound was supposed to change that, yet it had failed.
The weapon developed to break Salem's sieges destabilised the basic foundations of protean Grimm matter, unmaking it entirely before it could form any functioning monsters in a violent chain reaction; yet the costs in incurred which became apparent as years of its' use went on had left both Ruby and Penny uncomfortable with the idea of such a weapon and Penny was forced to concede that Ruby was likely correct, that she would most likely have balked at the idea of such a weapon being carried and deployed by her personal craft. A small glimmer of some hard to identify emotion, not quite hope or gratitude came from the fact that Coco and Velvet had understood and likely shared their concerns, as had been proven when Ruby and Penny's preparations at Hammerfall Observation Outpost had revealed an interesting nugget of information.
The warhead had been weakened.
One of the staff of the outpost, a scientist who claimed to have seen such weapons up close before which painted a picture of his history that Ruby could draw certain inferences from, had noted that the payload of the weapon was already on the smaller end of what could reasonably be expected to be deployed against a Spawning Pit of the size they were expecting to encounter and then been lessened further as a precautionary measure; Fracture had been linked to severe health issues and their target was partially underwater, the risk of large scale contamination was simply too great to ignore.
"This is Red six, visual on target in fifteen seconds" a static-laced voiced declared over a comm channel that neither Ruby or Penny had chosen to open, yet another drawback of the two of them being forced to use somebody else's equipment however before either Huntress could shoot the other a knowing look and exchange some good natured ribbing about their current colleagues and the condition of their equipment the formation of aircraft finally reached its' destination and the comm channels were taken over by a moment of utter, disbelieving silence before all protocol and discipline was momentarily forgotten and washed aside by voices interrupting one another.
"Holy shit….Never seen one up close before"
"Eh, I honestly thought it'd be bigger"
"It goes under the water….Damn, look at the effect it's had on the beach around it; I've never seen anything like it-"
"What are those pylons coming out of the ground? Not the bone spikes we always see, the crystals purple-ish ones-" Ruby's mind snapped into sharp focus at the mention of that particular detail and she swiftly brought matters back under her control, though offered an answer to the question as she did so.
"Menagerie was surrounded by a Coral Reef Grimm during Salem's control of the island; part of her first line of defences which Team RWBY aided in the destruction of" Ruby let that notion linger in the air for a fraction of a second before following up with "We have reason to believe, based on the information we have that those purple crystals are ancient, almost fossilised yet still active Grimm tissue, the starting points of the Spawning Pit that the rest of it formed around….That's what's left of the hundred year old Reef Grimm"
"Missus Rose I hope you don't mind me saying this but Oum Damn your wife is a lucky woman, you are one hell of a bad-ass" the speaker was equal parts awed and swaggering in their tone, the latter and attempt to smooth over the former. Another voice sounded out a moment later, a different channel and filled with sudden urgency which bordered on panic.
"WE'VE GOT MOVEMENT, INCOMING INCOMING!" Ruby spat out a curse as she saw the motion of darkness within darkness, silver eye glowing faintly whilst her cybernetic replacement for its' missing twin whirred and adjusted until she composed herself, remembering that despite the difference in the current approach and implements she had done this countless times.
"Scree inbound, Nevermore and Teryx are forming up behind….No sign of higher intelligence shown in the Port Alistair attack" she informed calmly you all know your jobs move into position! Transports pull and deploy, Hunters teams begin preparing for imminent incoming ground based Grimm; fighters cut those Grimm down and give Penny and I an opening….Keep your distance as much as possible"
"Yes Red One!" the assent came from a dozen sources at once and Ruby was pleased to see that the strangers she had been placed in charge of were at the very least capable and well prepared; the air filled with the sawing cacophony of machine guns and thrumming, static buzz of lasers which in turn tore shrieks of pain and fury from the Creatures of Grimm yet despite this initial victory Ruby and Penny both understood that time was now well and truly against them, the battle could not be allowed to become one of attrition as the Spawning Pit had resources which bordered on infinite to utilise.
"The warhead is….Combat ready isn't the right sentence" Penny noted, frowning briefly as she added "I wish I could join you and help more"
"You're doing enough….You're the one taking the shot" Ruby assured her wife as she extricated herself from her seats' harness before striding towards the rear of the cockpit and into the cargo hold of the Manta, rendered crowded the warhead ready to be deployed. The Silver eyed Huntress made her final preparations, deploying Crescent Rose in its' scythe form before opening the rear hatch of the aircraft and leaping out of it. Time slowed to a crawl for Ruby yet the adrenaline thundered through her all the same as petals filling her vision became a shimmering white and hovered in place, the scenes around her moving so slowly that she could count the feathers of individual Grimm if she so chose. She had learned many years ago that her Semblance and Silver Eyes could interact with one another and allow her to fly and she used this gift to bring herself level with the right wing of Penny's borrowed Manta; pivoting in mid-air to watch from behind as the aircraft soared out towards the centre of Spawning Pit and then pulled itself into a steep climb before finally, upon receiving word that all other elements of their task force were prepared and at a safe distance releasing the warhead from its' clamps and sending it careening downwards into roiling and viscous mass below.
And then it began.
The warhead didn't detonate immediately, allowing the Spawning Pit chance to retaliate in its' own fashion; the nightmarish substance upending itself and sending waves of seawater and sand out in all directions, colliding and mingling as something was birthed from the depths of the abyss; or rather the Spawning Pit formed itself into something. It was a hasty and by Ruby's personal estimations particularly uninspired thing that emerged yet it was large, an undefined tumorous mass of flesh which formed a central point to which enormous, serpentine limbs were attached; some of them spiny and skeletal and others more cephalopod in structure yet all of them rearing back in an effort to smash Penny's Manta from the sky from all angles.
And then it ended.
Ruby let out a wordless yell and unleashed her full power at the precise moment the Fracture warhead detonated, twin thunderclaps and explosions of power turning the blue skies to a flash of white which could be seen to some degree all along the coastline to Port Alistair itself. The tentacles were consumed by Ruby's attack and dissolved instantly whilst the shock-wave would go a long way towards protecting her from the destructive effects of the compound which had obliterated the pit itself to reveal a gaping, abscess like wound in the landscape which seawater immediately began to flood into yet could not completely hide at low tide. After taking several seconds to catch her breath and blink spots from her vision Ruby, who still hovered in the air with her scythe at the ready but sensed that she should land soon took a moment to open another comm channel, this time to Coco Adel so that she could deliver a simple message.
"Mission accomplished, the Spawning Pit is gone….No complications"
Albion Herringbone, despite the company her kept and the necessary amount of skulduggery and questionable science he found himself involved in did not consider himself a vicious, vindictive or even particularly mean spirited man; even after the loss of his wife had soured and broken something fundamental within him.
It was simply that Carmesi Hueso brought out the worst in him.
The Komodo Dragon Faunus, in his new attire which replaced the more practical clothing he had worn in Menagerie and whose rather classy and suave origins were detracted from by the way they worn and Carmesi's own personal grooming, had returned to the Chamber as had become his custom shortly after Herringbone had returned from his meeting with Chairman Nero and a handful of other errands and appointments of various importance; looking dour and foreboding with his intimidating form and silent menace as always.
"If you're looking for something to do StarLien is a couple streets away, oh and you can get me a bagel from that spot across the road from it as well" the scientist noted with a cheery faux aloofness, pushing boundaries that he knew Nero expected him not to and feeling confident as he added "Or I can hand you a broom and-"
"And I'll tie you to it and spit-roast you over a dumpster fire, there's plenty of them in the city" Carmesi rumbled out, eyes narrowing and the obvious and total disregard he was shown; he did not consider himself a vain man, though the rogue Hunter could admit that he was prideful yet it would seem that the amount of time he had spent in the partnership of Major Grapeshot had left him with traces of the older man still clinging to his psyche, though Carmesi could also admit that the old Major would never have been so blunt and violent when defending his honour from a merely verbal challenge. It still irked him that the Major had to die, Carmesi remained unshaken in his belief in Nero's plans but having both of the two men who had taken an interest in his well being after his families' demise working together in earnest had been a pleasant thought once.
Another sacrifice that he could justify to himself.
"Is there anything in particular you need Hueso?" Albion's voice cut through his thoughts and the Faunus noted with some small amount of satisfaction that the scientist and all-round right hand man in Nero's operations, a title Carmesi had no delusions or particular ambitions of ever taking for himself was being more cautious with his words and tone now; the question genuine and the request that the Carmesi leave, taking his violent and intimidating presence elsewhere so that Albion could focus being at least thinly veiled.
"Is the Chairman able to take a report now?"
"Is there anything valuable to report?" Albion countered, arching an eyebrow above his gold-rimmed and finely made glasses which Carmesi sensed somehow were more than they appeared and eliciting another wordless growl from the younger man
"Everything is within….acceptable limits….Much as I wish it wasn't so I could teach the scum how to behave" Carmesi answered slowly, knuckles popping beneath armoured gloves and the combination of scaled nose-bridge and bared teeth twisting his otherwise ruggedly handsome features into something more fierce as he grimaced. Albion, surprisingly nodded in understanding at the man's plight; Carmesi's current duties were largely confined to those of a brutish, thuggish enforcer now that he was in Neo Vale and a wanted man across all of Remnant. Nero had, in a move that had initially seemed counterproductive to his larger goals but ultimately would pay dividends as it allowed a far greater degree of deniability and mobility managed to employ a sizeable amount of the cities' criminal underground through variations of his persona as 'The Benefactor' and a series of proxies which allowed certain deeds to be done and goods to be moved under the guise of organised crime in exchange for funding, knowledge and equipment, a ruse which was further bolstered by the fact that none of these factions were aware of the fact that they were all being employed by the same figure and were played against one another as required. Albion, despite having no attachment to Carmesi could certainly appreciate that dealing with such people and keeping them organised would be mentally taxing; especially given what he knew of the Faunus's history and so he offered a small gesture.
"Then take a night off, there's nothing scheduled for tonight-"
"I have nothing scheduled for tonight….I have….nothing" there was an emptiness to that which Albion could recognise and empathise with on a deep and personal level, they were both after all the kind of person that seemed to be pulled, or naturally gravitate towards Nero's cause and no matter how righteous the Chairman's goals might be it was still undeniably sad to see someone with so little to drive them beyond a quest for vengeance crudely redirected toward justice.
"Shame" Albion sighed, masking a level of genuine concern that startled even himself with a snide addition "Would have been nice to be able to work without having you moping"
"Are you working on something important?" Carmesi demanded, arching a thick brow "Any closer to waking up that monster so we can get what we need and be rid of it-"
"Not at all" Albion answered without hesitation "Readings are always being taken but right now I'm remotely observing a mission that was staged from Hammerfall; our people on the base have given me access to real time data on an ongoing mission to destroy a Spawning-" he fell silent, eyes widening as alarms screamed and dozens of warnings popped across the screen of his computer; his eyes widening as they darted to read them all and then quickly began opening several programs whilst at the same time initiating several programs, fail-safes and countermeasures that he hoped would be sufficient.
"What's happening?" Carmesi's demanded furiously, though instinct and common sense gave him enough of an inkling to draw Retribution and Vindication as he placed himself between Albion and his consoles and the sealed and reinforced shutters blocking Gestalt-Prime's containment tube from view.
"It's the specimen!" Albion confirmed "And stand back!" the reason for this second command became clear as multiple hidden weapon systems slid into view and trained themselves on the point which the Grimm would be most likely to emerge from whilst additional shields flickered into life to isolate the hybrid Alpha from materials it might incorporate into itself should it launch an attack only for the moment to pass, the alarms falling silent and weapons retracting after several moments longer to leave Albion and Carmesi looking at one another and sharing a newfound sense of camaraderie for the experience as their hearts hammered against their chests until finally the reptilian Faunus composed himself to brandish his shorter blade at the older man and snarl out a question.
"What, the hell just happened?"
"We need to contact Damascus right now" Albion panted out, looking as though he might collapse if he tried to stand and with beads of sweat rolling down his shaking form "That was a massive spike in neural activity from the subject….It's fallen back to its' previous levels but it happened at the exact moment that the Spawning Pit we believe it used to create its' forces was destroyed; I think we'd be foolish to believe there's no connection there"
Carmesi was inclined to agree.
Author's Notes:
So, first 'Filler' or at the very least quieter chapter of this volume and even then I got some fun stuff and things that will obviously become important later down.
Also, I'm writing this a week before I post it but if you follow my Tumblr then you'll know I've been getting into the Parahumans series by Wildbow lately and I don't know if I'm going to write anything for it just yet but it's definitely fun and it's something I'll probably consider.
On a related note, but one that won't become relevant for some time yet but; when I finish MARZ, which likely won't be for at least another year or two at this point….I'm honestly giving very serious consideration to making my own Original Superhero series; it's something that I've had in the back of my mind for literal years but I always cannibalise parts of it for other projects and I figure that once MARZ and the Spiral-Verse are done it's time to take the plunge and move from Fan-Fiction into something that's 100% mine.
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
Mondays with a lack of sleep….Which might well have been written on a Monday with a lack of sleep.
Also yeah, as someone who has to wake up at 4am every other week, waking up and not being able to force yourself to eat breakfast is never a good start.
Ah awkwardness, my old nemesis.
Zirconia, like AJ and like Nero does not like being in the papers if she can help it.
However the fact that she helped take out a massive Grimm is an exception and it helps bring the team together a little bit.
"Aunt Ruby is fast but the CCT is faster" The Internet doesn't lose, not even in sci-fi fantasy.
Nero's official workspace and his apartment are nothing like the Chamber and that's by design both for appearances and his own sanity…..Also, he really does not like Qrow Branwen.
And here we have some real indications of who Nero is and what he's about, the photos and what we see from the way he interacts with his people gives away a lot.
On that note, see how Albion is an equal or at the very least close to one….whilst the people lower on the ladder either know nothing at all or, if they do know they're serving someone they don't know who it is and definitely don't know that their competition is also serving the same person.
So Nero obviously knows about Coco's plans to get rid of Gestalt-Prime's pit and is completely okay with it.
Also yeah, Zirconia is from Neo Vale and was there like Astra was when Salem laid siege to it; which means Nero likely would have been as well….Which would account for his scars and gloved hand.
Ruby being busy means substitute teacher….So have an Oobleck.
Oobleck as a Vytal Tournament announcer, usually playing off of Qrow is something that I've had fun writing before.
Oh Astra honey no….It's just not gonna go they way you want it to.
Doctor Oobleck.
Astra might have managed to get on Oobleck's good side and get their shit together but Athena-Jade is going to strangle them if they don't act professional when dealing with professionals.
Y'know I don't normally go from one scene to another scene with the same characters 'cos I feel like it doesn't flow right but hopefully the changes in perspective mitigated that.
The conversation had to happen, but thankfully they've had over a month to think about it.
Oof, I mean yeah everyone's probably having nightmares now but when it's someone as nice as Regalia it sucks even more.
But good for her actually standing up for herself.
Astra knows that the best way to Regalia's heart is through her taste-buds….And every time I write a scene with something like this I'm reminded of a Polish co-worker of mine telling me "I tried English Mustard for the first time over the weekend….Fifteen years I've been in this country and nobody warned me about that".
Team LEMN and VNTA are just background teams that exist to get wrecked at this point.
"The enemy is unable to push a button if you disable his hand"….If you know what that's from then I applaud your taste and culture, I watched it when I was way too young too be watching it.
Yeah Arslan came prepared to drive some very important lessons home, but even she knows she went a little too far there and Velvet is gonna make sure she doesn't forget it and that there isn't a next time.
Yeah in the Spiral-Verse the Vytal Tournament matches went a little differently and Velvet and Arslan actually threw down in the first round.
So, Athena-Jade Slate has some serious reservations or hang-ups about the Vytal Tournament; we'll get to the bottom of that soon enough.
More talk about Fracture and why it's generally considered a bit risky and distasteful to pad out a scene that honestly could have been shorter.
Of course they toned it down, you don't risk something like this getting into the water supply.
The reactions of non-Hunters to things Hunters see regularly is always fun; it's like people seeing a superhero for the first time even if they're already an established thing in-universe.
That was a quick fight, to show off just how powerful Fracture and Ruby are because normally a Spawning Pit is a one or two chapter long problem, here it was the back half of a scene.
"No complications" is just invoking Murphy.
He actually dared to try and send Carmesi on a coffee run, like he's the office gopher.
Yeah, for someone who hates criminals and sees them as the source of all the misery that the Grimm are attracted to Carmesi does spend a lot of time having to organise the criminals….Mainly because he makes it blatant that he will kill every single one of them if they step out of line.
That little admission there….You know your life is depressingly empty when even the right hand of the villain feels sorry for you; but yeah he's basically given everything to this crusade he's on, Carmesi is a Batman without a Bruce Wayne, or at least in his head.
And that's what the Spawning Pit and therefore the Pelican Grimm it came from were for, they served as a lead-in to this.
I think at least some of you can make educated guesses as to why Gestalt-Prime's body isn't recovering or why their mind seems completely dormant.
Thank you to Lurkweed and MajorBrony95 for their reviews on the last chapter.
I mean I feel like the Atlas/Mantle repression wouldn't work in a small close-knit community either….They'd basically just be Amish or Puritans with sci-fi guns and you can't tell me that would be a good place to live.
Yeah in this timeline/universe we're talking about an Atlas that lost an entire city due to the effects of one of its' own WMDs, remember Project Hexxus?….Winter isn't gonna be trigger-happy with the big stuff.
Not a thruster, one of the big moving wing/paddle things attached to them.
Remember, you don't need to go through the entire neck….just the bony bit.
I have no idea what Arnie's name in Remnant would be and now I'm gonna be thinking about it.
Yeah there's gonna be feelings and complications all round.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.