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Chapter 96: Bask In Glory
Team MARZ had participated in the Vytal Tournament during its' opening on Friday and had been rendered so thoroughly exhausted and beaten in the process of securing their victory that they had been unable to properly relish and celebrate that achievement. The following day however had seen them return to the stadium and cheer on their friends and from their venture into the sea of festivities that the Vytal Festival as a whole had transformed the heart of Neo Vale into, soaking up and enjoying a moment that was truly a once in a lifetime experience for each of them; the party ending for Athena-Jade and Zirconia once the two of them had made their excuses and returned to the academy whilst the night itself had continued on for the couple.
It was for this reason that as sunlight streamed through the slight gap in the curtains on Sunday morning to wake Athena-Jade the Bear Faunus was still thoroughly sore and exhausted in the most enjoyable way; her returning senses leaving her with a lovestruck smile and a blush which crept from her cheeks to her neck and chest as memories of the night before came back to her, bolstered by the evidence around her in the form of sheets that had been discarded and other more noteworthy signs. Zirconia had been relentless, insatiable and utterly perfect; leaving Athena-Jade's back arched to such a degree that the Bear Faunus was left muffling her screams of pleasure as her face was pushed into pillows that seemed to have been thoroughly bitten and her clawed fingers raking deep gouges into the material of the mattress whilst the Grasshopper Faunus took her from behind and left her completely spent, pushed beyond the point of coherence until the two had collapsed in a tangle of limbs.
The only possible issue Athena-Jade could process at that moment was that her partner and lover had not been nuzzled into her when she had awoken; something which was corrected a moment later by the sound of low and husky voice, the customary rasp more pronounced.
"I brought you some water" Zirconia murmured and Athena realised just how direly the refreshment was needed upon attempting to thank her girlfriend and managing nothing more than a wordless, cracking croak; the knowledge that she had been so thoroughly ravaged that she had screamed, moaned and called out Zirconia's name until her voice had failed her only making her blush all the more extreme, although as she took in the sight of the taller young woman; mismatched eyes half-lidded, black hair messy in a way that only incredible sex could produce and captivating figure littered with scratches and bite marks Athena found herself already eager to recreate the experience.
"Thank you" she managed to croak out after taking the proffered water, pulling herself into a sitting position and distracting herself from her growing desire by casting her eyes around the room whose dim lighting her eyes adapted to quickly "Where did our clothes go?"
"I didn't want them to still be on the floor when Astra and Regalia return, I haven't heard from them but they could be here at any moment" Zirconia answered, causing the Bear Faunus to wonder exactly where her friends had spent the previous evening and then, with a mild sense of horror if they or any of the students in nearby dorms had heard the two of them over the course of the previous evening; before she could come to the conclusion that it was almost inevitable that somebody had indeed heard them Athena-Jade found herself distracted as Zirconia, who was yet to dress herself scooped up the sheets which had been discarded and forgotten. Wrapping them around herself and draping them over her shoulders the Grasshopper Faunus returned to the bed with Athena setting down her glass of water and wasting no time trailing steadily more insistent kisses from her girlfriends' hipbones up her body and then pulling her down onto the bed where their lips crashed together.
No sooner had Zirconia found a comfortable position in which to wrap her mechanical legs around Athena's waist did the two come to a halt, Zirconia stopping and holding up a hand to halt her girlfriend as the two of them strained their ears; with Athena whispering out a curse at the sound of approaching footsteps and quickly scrabbling to rearrange the pillows in such a way that they covered the damage to the mattress whilst Zirconia arranged the sheets to better cover the two of them before the door to the dormitory finally cracked open.
"One day you two rich girls will be able to afford air freshener so this place doesn't stink of sex" Astra declared loudly as they entered the room, throwing open the curtains as they did so and making both Athena-Jade and Zirconia wince. With the curtains open the Bear Faunus could better see that the Deer Faunus and Regalia, who had entered after them were both still wearing the clothes they had been the previous day and were both somewhat dishevelled to varying degrees though Athena was happy to see that the Racoon Faunus who had, in a display of caring she would have to be properly thanked for later brought several hefty portions of breakfast, did not seem to be limping so severely on her injured leg.
"Where did you guys sleep last night?" Athena asked tentatively, embarrassed yet not so deeply that it prevented her from adjusting her position and cuddling more comfortably with Zirconia in bed.
"Ended up crashing in some of the Haven students' dorm….Us them, most of Team NUGT ended up having to get a ride back together after the after party got a little crazy. We guessed you two would be fucking like rabbits-"
"Must you make it sound so cheap" Zirconia huffed, burying her face in Athena-Jade's broad shoulder upon catching sight of her girlfriends' expression which seemed to suggest that she had intending to offer a far more crude and revealing retort; instead the shorter of the two partners simply turned her attention to Regalia.
"Sounds like you two had fun?"
"It was awesome!" Regalia breathed out, still tired and beleaguered and yet still evidently riding the high of the weekend as whole "I've never seen anything like it, there were so many people; we have fans AJ, people want to be like us, they wanted pictures and asked me to sign them….I can't believe it; heh it was amazing until we had to leave because Astra got into a fight with somebody-"
"Seriously?" Athena demanded.
"They offered Regalia drugs and got pushy about it" Astra shrugged, feigning nonchalance and yet keeping their eyes averted whilst surreptitiously hiding bruised knuckles from view. Before Athena could voice her conflicting opinions on that the Deer Faunus changed the subject "But anyway, we've got more important things to worry about"
"Like sleep?" Zirconia suggested, her usual dead-pan monotone filled with a vague hopefulness which Athena could only chuckle faintly at as she pulled her girlfriend closer and enjoyed the warmth and feeling of her skin.
"Like the doubles round" Astra insisted, taking the food Regalia had brought with her and beginning to hand it out to their team in the hope that it might rouse them more, from there they reached into their pocket and producing their scroll and showing Athena a reel of pictures, each of them the Bear Faunus realised being a headline of a news article which showed the moment that she and Astra had posed victoriously with both of their Semblances in full effect.
"That does look awesome" the Bear Faunus admitted with a steadily building pride which Astra evidently agreed with
"Right?" they beamed "So what do you think….Me and you in the doubles round?"
"I-Dude you can't just say it like that without asking the others!" Athena chewed at her lower lip, her unabashed desire to represent her team in the later stages of the tournament and truly show to all of who might question it that she was capable of succeeding on her own merits struggling with her wanting to be a good team-mate until Zirconia squeezed her hand below the covers and spoke up.
"I….honestly didn't intend to compete further in the tournament" she murmured, drawing looks from the rest of Team MARZ "My Semblance is not one which lends itself well to the cameras and I can accept that, I will leave dazzling the crowds to you two"
"If you're sure?" Athena-Jade murmured, pulling her partner into a gentle kiss as she received a silent nod in response.
"Heh, I got taken out as well" Regalia shrugged with Athena having the impression that she and Astra had already discussed the matter "And we don't know for certain if my leg will be completely healed before then….I had fun, I had so much fun; but it just makes sense for you two to be the ones to go into the next round. You make it look like a movie"
"Okay" Athena nodded, growing more giddy with excitement with each passing moment as the reality began to sink in "I can't wait to tell my parents, and Arctus and Diamond and Coral….This is gonna be great!"
"Right?" Astra grinned, letting out a wide yawn before continuing "So it's Sunday, I wanna hit the festival and the tournament again today and make the most of the weekend….But I think we should all get in the gym and train as well"
"Definitely wanna visit the city" Athena paused for a moment before giving a sheepish smile and adding "But actually I was thinking maybe just Hops and I….It feels like it's been so long since we could just go on a date without the press hounding us and they'll all be distracted so-"
"I get it" Astra assured her with a nod and a grin "It's cute, you two go have fun and we might catch you later….But the gym though?"
"Yeah sure" Athena nodded in agreement before pausing to consider before adding entirely without shame "But first….I really need a shower after last night"
Within the Chamber Damascus Nero had gathered all of his most trusted allies and confidants to himself.
Zirconia was, naturally absent which Nero was undeniably grateful for on a certain level as a fatherly protective instinct towards the child he had adopted saw him still wanting to keep her at a safe distance from his plans, no matter her own desire to be a part of the endeavour to make Remnant a better place.
Instead the Chairman was joined by Albion Herringbone and Carmesi Hueso, his longest surviving friend and the rogue Hunter both standing before him whilst Aefen Cruor's presence came in the form of a video feed, crackling and flickering faintly and occasionally as even the best technology available to the conspirators could not overcome the realities of her being based in an abandoned settlement out in the wastelands of Menagerie. The final member of the meeting was Gestalt-Prime, the hybrid Alpha Grimm being fully awake and cogent with their bloated and malignant mass being turned towards their allies as it hung suspended and inverted within their fluid-filled containment tube, atrophied limbs folded in a mantis-like fashion which nonetheless managed to convey recognisable emotion and Cyclopean eye narrowed faintly whilst the various sensors set around it blinked rhythmically.
The meeting place itself was much as it ever was however the atmosphere within the Chamber was undeniably changed by the presence of so many bodies which could not be considered part of the gathering simply due to the lack of higher cognitive abilities they possessed; where before the hidden base of operations had been an interplay of harsh and sterile, glaring lights and deep shadowy recesses in the areas not being utilised in any given moment there simply was no longer room as much of the space had been given over to small groups of Cyber-Grimm gathered together in their various clusters and in various stages of repair, recharging and a hibernation state of sorts.
When Nero spoke it was with a casual glance around his surroundings and an attempt at an airy, nonchalant tone to make light of matters.
"It's good to see that production has been keeping to schedule" he gestured to the various monstrous amalgamations of steel and nightmarish flesh gathered around the group and allowed his expression to become more serious "No, truly. An opportunity has presented itself from an unlikely source and I wish for us to make the most of it"
"Deviations from the plan are risky" Herringbone noted, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses as he spoke.
"No plan survives contact with the enemy" Carmesi countered in a low rumble which Nero nodded approvingly in response to.
"Indeed and in this case it truly was the enemy" the Chairman waited for a moment to see the effect of those words before elaborating "I gave Qrow Branwen the meeting that he has been asking for….It transpires that the reveal of our Cyber-Grimm has become an unintended benefit to us, he wishes to move some of the Hunters secretly under his command further afield to continue searching and investigating-"
"Which allows us more freedom to move" Carmesi nodded
"Greater than that" Nero almost laughed "He has asked me to provide assistance to his efforts to keep the city itself secure….He suspects nothing and truly believes that he will win me over one day, that I might join his cabal of liars and power-grabbing Hunters"
There were several seconds of silence as those around him processed the revelation that the path ahead of them was seemingly being left entirely unguarded and unbarred; with each of them in turn showing signs of mistrust and disbelief at such a notion until finally Aefen Cruor, whose face was hidden beneath her stylised Grimm mask as always spoke up.
"Then what of my preparations?" she demanded imperiously "Does this change your plans to make a secondary base of operations?"
"No" Nero assured her "I'm not naive enough to think that there is no chance at all of there being foul play….We will take the opportunity but we will not be foolish about it. I still intend to depart from Neo Vale as soon as I am in a position to handle affairs remotely and once preparations are completed here I will be joining you in Menagerie to ensure that the implementation of our secondary base runs smoothly; it will be time to move the Spawning Pit Carmesi secured for us to a new location away from New Vale….With that in mind, status updates everyone?"
"The filth have been brought into the fold" Carmesi snarled the words out with open disgust "Examples were made in order to keep their loyalty….With the weapons already at their disposal they will be ready to act alongside the Cyber-Grimm when the time comes"
"Good, overtures have already been made in other places and many of those who worked alongside us unwittingly or through several degrees of removal before are beginning to be shown more fully the true shape and scale of the bright new tomorrow that we intend to create. Soon we will become something far greater than a simple conspiracy. The key now is to use our numbers and position to the greatest possible effect, will we be ready?"
"We have a sizeable amount of the standard model of Cyber-Grimm" Albion assured his old friend.
"And my other creations are almost ready to be tested against our foes" Gestalt-Prime added, the voice of the monster feeling with an unsettlingly gleeful pride at the mention of its' more specialised and adapted varieties of machine Grimm; each of them intended to fulfil a specific role in battle.
"Good" Nero allowed himself a faint chuckle "Everything is progressing as expected. Carmesi, begin training our current footsoldiers to operate alongside the Cyber-Grimm. Aefen, Gestalt-Prime….Continue your current tasks. Albion, I will have full details of our possible arrangement with Branwen provided to you; I trust you will be able to find ways to use the influence he is giving us to our advantage-"
"And what will you be doing?" Gestalt-Prime's words came in an unexpected ferocity, a clear warning and challenge.
"We need to set the stage" Nero sighed "Which regrettably means that I must do my part to shape and direct public opinion-"
"What of our agreement?" the hybrid Alpha spat "I have given you an army! Where is my-"
"A more suitable body will be provided for you in due course" Nero interrupted assuring the monster bluntly and with preamble or hesitation "I have no plans to double-cross you, not when your continued cooperation is integral to my own plans….Simply have patience"
The grating, shrieking sound of displeasure which issued from the monster at those words spoke volumes to just how alien such a concept was to Gestalt-Prime.
Within the campus gym of Halo Academy Team MARZ were each in the midst of various degrees of hard work and demanding physical exertion which went a considerable way towards purging them of any lingering traces of bedraggled weariness.
Regalia was currently in the process of spotting for Zirconia, the insectoid Faunus was easily the leanest and least overtly muscular of the team and yet was still undeniably physically capable even without pushing her Aura; the limitations of her oddly shaped legs being overcome with practised ease as she positioned herself on the weight bench and lifted an amount that was clearly more than her own weight, mechanical prosthetics included whilst Regalia took her role seriously and cheered encouragement with the expected quips and quotes from various movies.
Astra watched the interaction for a few moments, wearing an expression that they would teased any of their friends for sporting due to its' wistful and almost enraptured quality; before they could allow themselves to consider that too deeply the Deer Faunus turned their attention to Athena-Jade and found the Bear Faunus in the midst of a workout that was unique to her; something which involved the repeated use of her Semblance and a skipping rope which Athena claimed was intended to work on her cardio, footwork and her ability to focus on multiple things as she suspended her Semblance and brought glyphs flickering into existence in different positions, forcing herself to leap and perform acrobatic feats to maintain her balance, all whilst continuing to skip. Astra had readily pointed out that the exercise would be far more taxing if she were not the one controlling her Semblance, to which Athena-Jade had, somewhat irritably countered that neither her mother or brother were present to help in that regard.
Astra allowed their focus to drift again after a while, seeking an exercise that would be both productive and satisfying but would also not leave them to drained to properly enjoy their plans for later in the day.
The festival and tournament had, somewhat expectedly managed to throw the training regimen of Team MARZ and many other students into disarray and as a consequence the machines that Astra would normally have used on a Sunday were either already taken or were ones they did not quite feel up to in the wake of both their punishment in the tournament and follow-up partying.
A distraction that was impossible to ignore came a moment later with a booming impact and metallic, wrenching clang.
"Nice!" The Deer Faunus jeered good naturedly, giving a slow and mocking round of applause as they found the source of the disturbance at the centre of a small crowd of students and older teens who called the orphanage which shared space with Halo Academy, most of them cheering and laughing equally mockingly. Stygian Blue and Tiger Santara had seemingly been working their way through several drills involving some of the heaviest and sturdiest training bags that the gym had to offer and yet despite this sturdiness Tiger had seemingly and in spite of the leg injury she had sustained during her teams' bout managed to both split open one of the bags and rip it clear of its' ceiling fitting with a single well placed kick; leaving the leader of Team TRQS looking both embarrassed and furious at herself as she let out a constant current of delightfully inventive curses whilst her partner began to drag the bag away.
Astra decided to help.
"So, I'm guessing that wasn't the plan?" they chuckled as they drew level with their fellow Second Year students and hoisted the opposite end up of the bag off of the ground to help Stygian carry it away more easily whilst Tiger searched for a pen in order to fill in the required paperwork and log the damaged equipment before obtaining another.
"Well my plan was to be asleep and then be enjoying myself on a Sunday; but here we are" the Mouse Faunus noted, giving their partner a pointed look which Tiger met without any hint of shame at all.
"We can't afford to relax. Not now" Tiger's meaning was clear and Astra nodded in understanding, finding themselves drawn into the conversation.
"You two are representing Team TRQS in the next round?"
"Hell yeah we are" Stygian beamed happily, lightning blue eyes seeming to shine with sudden enthusiasm.
"They announce the fixtures tonight right?" Astra asked "Right after the end of the last match of the first round"
"Yeah" Stygian nodded, a slight frown crossing his features "Good thinking, maybe I should stay here so I can watch it and see who's gonna be facing who, you know there's gonna be betting pools"
"I'll have to watch it in the city somewhere" Astra noted, the realisation that they might be unable to do so suddenly unsettling them until Tiger rejoined the conversation.
"I'll text you the full listing if you need it"
"Thanks, AJ and Zirconia are heading out for a date so I was gonna head into the city with Regalia" if either Stygian or Tiger thought that there was anything more to be added to that or some unspoken context then neither of them gave any indication, instead the leader of Team TRQS pressed on with her usual singular focus.
"But in the meantime, do you want to help me train?….It became clear just how much of a disadvantage I am compared to many of our peers" Astra was left floundering for a moment as the unexpectedly honest and frank comment from their fellow team leader caught them by surprise and at the same time rankled.
"Really? Looked like a pretty convincing win out there to me, Team MARZ barely scraped by in comparison-"
"You're misunderstanding me" Tiger sighed, shoulders sagging as she Astra and Stygian made their way towards where another punchbag might be found "Team TRQS performed incredibly and I'm proud to call them my team….I am the problem. I am the weak link, I have no Semblance….But by having none that means that there's potential to be realised.
"Wait" the word left Astra before they could control themselves, their chest tightening and a sudden dreadful coldness filling them as unbidden memories of the way they had allowed their mental and emotional state to deteriorate the previous year and everything that their obsession had cost them came flooding back.
"What you're thinking won't work" their words were urgent "Trust me on this, you're not gonna be able to force a Semblance to manifest….Believe me I've tried, it's not a road you wanna go down"
Tiger and Stygian shared a look that seemed to be both bemused and troubled in equal measure.
"That was not my intention" Tiger answered tersely "I'm not so arrogant as to think I can manipulate my own soul, I demand a lot from myself but my demands are based on something in reality. I'm simply determined to push myself to reach a level where I don't have to wait for my Semblance to reveal itself, where I can compete with those of you who already have on"
"But wait?" Stygian's expression morphed into a bright, gleeful smile "Did you seriously try and push your Semblance? How would you even do that….It's gotta be a moment of need-"
"And I tried to create those moments" Astra fought the urge to bury their face, glad to realise that they had come far enough to be able to laugh at their previous actions "Letting myself get thrown off perimeter walls for a start"
Tiger burst into a rare bout of utterly unrestrained and cheerful laughter which Astra and Stygian readily followed.
"Stitch, the next time you think I'm too hard on you I want you to remember this" she pointed at Astra "I want you to remember that this is what you could have had as a leader instead"
"Yeah….Sorry my guy, but that was dumb, I bet it didn't even work did it? You unlocked your Semblance another way right?"
"Y'know what….Fair" Astra chuckled, quietly looking for a way to begin training in only to extricate themselves from a thorough and totally deserved ribbing.
Qrow Branwen had found himself, as he did with some regularity, preparing to address the matter of Remnant's security and prosperity away from the comfort of his own self-appointed lair within his apartment; a statement only marginally less unflattering when uttered aloud than when his base of operations had been hidden in his basement.
The first round of the Vytal Tournament would undergo its' closing matches in short order, with the competition resuming later in the day on Sunday in something of a mercy to the livers and mental faculties of an audience and likely several participants who had revelled too intensely earlier in the weekend and Qrow, with his prized position as announcer would be departing soon enough to take his place within the announcers' box alongside Yang who it seemed would almost certainly be performing the role long after he was gone given her popularity with the crowds.
Before that could come however the grizzled and bearded, chair-bound Hunter needed to attend a brief and likely routine meeting with his fellow members of the secret society he was nominally a leading member of.
It was at least an opportunity to needle and torment General Winter Schnee, a pass time he had enjoined for decades.
"So just to be clear, that team of Atlas students that lost to a younger team despite having a clear advantage….They were supposed to be some of your best right? Or did they sneak onto an airship?"
"Qrow do not test my patience today Qrow; those were not average students and you know it" Winter Schnee's voice issued from the speakers of the computer within Headmaster Lie Ren's office where Qrow had joined both Ren and Nora, the latter of whom was trying to suppress a fit of giggles at the immature teasing taking place between the supposed professionals.
"That was a moment I was certainly proud of, the team from Halo acquitted themselves well" Ren murmured, the offhanded and sincere comment accompanied by a small smile tugging at his scarred face which showed just how much he was quietly enjoying the chance to gloat; Atlas's students had seen a marked improvement under the tutelage of Combat Instructor Gangrel Slate in recent years and seeing his own students victorious was undeniably gratifying.
"Not you too!" Winter exclaimed in exasperation, pointing accusingly at the camera of the computer from which she was joining the video call "I've already had Specialist Xiao Long insist that that she be allowed to give a seminar or several practical demonstrations once the students are recalled to Atlas-"
"Oh that kid with a weapon based on hers is gonna be in for it" Nora chuckled at the thought of the oldest child of Blake and Yang Xiao Long, if Nora allowed herself to choose favourites from amongst her students then Corvid would certainly have been one of hers; the fact that she was also Winter's niece made the situation all the more amusing.
"Okay, onto business" Qrow sighed, composing himself and adjusting his weight within his mechanical chair "I have to leave soon….What's our situation overall?"
"The Hunters stationed in and around the festival have reported that things are exactly as expected" Ren began "There is criminal activity but it's nothing that we have any reason to connect back to the Benefactor unless we start chasing even the most tangential possible connections, three of four degrees removed….Council meetings are showing that the police and Hunters not connected to us are reporting much of the same, there's some drug dealing, smuggling, theft and a lot of scams happening around the heart of the city but I'd honestly be more concerned if that wasn't the case"
"It'd be like the rats getting off a sinking ship" Nora chimed in, the unusually bleak turn of phrase from her catching attention for a moment until Qrow added his piece, stroking his beard as he spoke.
"Antonia can't be here at present but thus far her work on the remains of that….'Thing' that was in the warehouse Nora found with Team MARZ are inconclusive; it's made from one of the machines stolen from Cosmo-Guild but it's unclear how much information we'll be able to get if any"
"But on the bright side the news about those smaller Grimm 'bots out of the city has gotten a lot of Hunters motivated" Nora mused "Maybe we could offer extra Lien to anybody who brings in a live one-"
"Although I can't help but wonder if they might be used as a distraction now" Ren spoke slowly, considering the idea even as it formed "We believe that we stumbled on something we were not supposed to, our enemy is not stupid and might have changed their behaviour to throw us off"
"Maybe, but it won't work as well as they want it to" Qrow gave a confidant chuckle "I guessed that the plan might be to stretch us thin and slip something through the gaps….But I reached out to Damascus Nero the way I planned to; he's willing to consider the idea of providing additional resources to protect the city during the tournament-"
"And if it's his machinery being used, well I'm certain he would be interested in contributing to Antonia's ongoing examinations" Ren's words faltered and the faint sense of forward momentum and the idea that they might be accomplishing some sort of flanking manoeuvre against their unseen foe swiftly fizzled out upon seeing the way Winter pursed her lips.
"You should reconsider that, at least for a time"
"Why?" Qrow demanded
"I had my people do some covert digging" Winter's expression darkened "The warehouse you found the man trapped within a Grimm-infested battle suit was owned by one of Cosmo-Guilds' subsidiaries through several proxies and other holdings"
"What're you suggesting?" Qrow's words were low and dangerous as crimson eyes flashed; the veteran Hunter suddenly forced to replay each of his admittedly limited interactions with the Chairman over in his mind for any sign of treachery that he might have missed. Ultimately Qrow could find nothing, Nero had been open in his anger, his concerns and his distaste to such an extent that the idea of an additional layer of scheming, especially of the scale being discussed seemed farcical. It was however Nora, with a shrewd observation of the kind she often spouted who made a point not rooted in feelings.
"Considering that the Conglomerate might actually be bigger than the SDC and its' subsidiaries in terms of sheer number of companies under its' umbrella, not just revenue….Honestly it's a stretch Winter, there's a very real chance that Nero doesn't even know he owns that warehouse"
"Businesses fold, their assets get bought; that business gets bought out by the Conglomerate" Qrow nodded in agreement "Throw in shell companies and other tax-dodging tricks and it's hard to keep track….Given how much time Nero invests in his charities and things of that nature there is a question of how much he knows about any specific part of his company that he isn't focusing on"
"It wouldn't be the first time that danger has come from within" Ren murmured, the words sending a brief chill through the meeting; sobering all present until Winter spoke again.
"Can his assistance be delayed?"
"He hasn't officially agreed to anything yet, but at the same time retracting the offer would raise questions" Qrow answered pausing before adding "But we'll limit things to that for now….We don't involve him in any examinations of materials that may or may not have come from one of his companies. When we next speak I'll float the idea of their being an informant in his business, see how he reacts"
"A good idea" Ren interjected, giving Qrow a pointed look "But in the meantime, in the interest of not raising suspicion….Your flight to the stadium will be arriving soon"
With that Qrow turned to leave, segmented limbs of his chair powering onwards at a mere thought from him whilst his concerns were primarily turned inwards. His suspicions towards Nero had been raised and although there was nothing which he could point to as concrete evidence, nor was there any way that they could be silenced until answers were found.
As the afternoon wore on and gave way to evening it became obvious to both Astra and Regalia that their team-mates were unlikely to be joining them and would almost certainly be occupied by whatever their own plans were for the rest of the night.
With this fact accepted the Deer and Racoon Faunus made their way out of the stadium where the Vytal Tournament was still ongoing; though at present the heavy thumping sound emanating from within the confines of the enormous colosseum behind them came from the sound concert that was being streamed elsewhere in the festival whilst the stadium underwent safety checks and repairs between matches. The event was far from concluded though the two members of Team MARZ had agreed that there were other sights to be seen and experiences to be had now that the specific matches that they had intended to watch were ended; with Regalia recounting a particularly impressive moment from one of them with overblown re-enactments and excitable commentary which left Astra torn between being doubled over laughing hysterically or simply watching their partner fondly.
"But the trick where shotgun blasted his own truncheon and sent it spinning to hit someone in the face! Who would even think of that?" Regalia exclaimed in open admiration which Astra was forced to conclude was at least a little deserved after Nugget the unfortunately named Chicken Faunus who led fellow Breaktide Academy Second Year Team NUGT has used his weapons 'Cluck-Shot' and 'Cluck-Stick' to great effect, being able to handle most of Haven's Team FUDG almost single-handedly. Oddly unwilling to cheer their classmate along in that moment but still enjoying the conversation greatly Astra shrugged and changed the topic to another match.
"Shame about Team BASL though, I thought they'd take that" Regalia nodded in agreement, wincing in sympathy at the thought of the upper-classmen who had been something of a staple in the periphery of Team MARZ's time as students, the Third Years having being equally matched and eventually overwhelmed by Team DRZL of Halo Academy; which Yang Xiao Long had been all to eager as 'Drizzle, raining on Team BASL's Parade'. The conversation trailed off to a natural silence as the two wandered in a direction set by Regalia which Astra needed only a moment and cursory glance to see the reasoning behind; the exterior of the stadium was lined with food stalls selling cuisine from all across Remnant and mixing popcorn with other snacks had obviously done little to take the edge off an appetite worked up by the earlier gym session.
"Try the Mistrali noodle place, we should probably load up on carbs if we're going out later" Astra nodded in the general direction of the stand in question, one manned by a bald and leathery man seemingly older than time itself.
"I don't think that actually stops you from getting drunk" Regalia shook her head, bushy tail swishing happily behind her.
"It's a placebo, better than nothing" Astra shrugged, weaving around their partners' attempt to playfully tweak their antler before taking a breath and broaching another, more serious topic "Hey Regalia….You're sure you're okay with not going into the next round of the tournament?"
Astra barely had time to react before their partner, slightly taller than themselves had turned and pulled them into a crushing hug which Astra could only answer by patting her back gently; though the odd urge to reach out and stroke the fur of her tail presented itself and was swiftly pushed aside.
"Astra I promise it's more than fine" she assured them as she pulled back "It means a lot that you're asking and worried about it but I nearly got my legs broken in our match, if I can't train enough to be ready for the doubles round then I'll be holding you back-"
"You'd never be hold-"
"And besides" Regalia continued, shushing her partner with ease "I get to cheer you and AJ on and watch you beat whoever you're up against next, it's gonna be great!"
"You really are the best y'know that right?" Astra pulled her back into the hug and the two remained like that for a while, food forgotten and the small amount of people who had stopped to point and whisper after recognising the pair from Team MARZ's appearance in the tournament, specifically the now widespread image of Astra helping Regalia out of the arena and onto a stretcher tenderly being entirely ignored; the distraction that finally broke them apart coming in the form of Astra's scroll vibrating.
"Is everything okay?" Regalia watched as her partner, whom she had come to terms with being attracted to but cared for on a far deeper level studied whatever had been sent to their scroll with an expression that faltered and seemed to pass through a jumbled and nebulous mire of emotions in the span of only a few seconds.
"Yeah, I thought it might be from my brother….He watched our match but we haven't had much time to talk since" the Deer Faunus paused and cleared their throat, forcing a calm and breezy smile onto their face "It wasn't, it was actually from Wolfram"
"Oh, how's he doing?" Regalia asked, refusing to allow herself to feel wary at the thought of Astra's ex-boyfriend. There was nothing to feel jealous of and that was that.
"Yeah he's doing great by the looks of things….He just sent a message out to all of the Breaktide teams" Astra's expression faltered again "Turns out he's actually been dating Ursinia for a while, I didn't know"
"Oh" Regalia said simply, bushy tail twitching and standing erect behind her as she processed the information and put her own feelings and any possibilities that the news might present aside; focusing herself firmly on being present for Astra if they needed her support only to be left uncertain as the Deer Faunus let out a soft laugh before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"It sounds weird but I think I just realised how over it I am" they breathed out "I guess I was expecting the news that he's dating someone else to bother me and the fact it just doesn't caught me off guard more than anything….I'm happy for him, really. I loved him and I'll always care about him so I'm glad he's happy. Ursinia is cool anyway"
"Well I'm glad you're okay and that Team TRQS are doing okay on Menagerie" Regalia answered, happily leaning into the contact and being bold enough to wrap an arm around her partners' waist in another show of physical closeness which neither of them chose to risk ruining the moment by questioning as she added "Wanna get food?"
"Sure" Astra nodded "You wanna head into the city? I can find us a party to hit or something….I don't think AJ and Zirconia are coming but they can meet us wherever. If we park my truck near my parents' place then we can get breakfast there before we get a flight back to the academy tomorrow; we should be able to make it for class right?"
"Hopefully" Regalia gave a gesture which showed just how dubious she thought that prospect truly was but decided in that moment, every teen movie she had allowed to influence her over the years seeming to speak out in unison that it mattered far less at a moment like this.
"But if we're going out it's a good thing I brought a spare jacket" she added "It's in your car, the one I wore to the dance"
"You brought that with you?" Astra was openly perplexed and Regalia answered the confusion with a stern glare.
"My people do not waste things, especially not nice things….I am not letting a jacket that nice be wasted after only wearing it once"
Astra, thoroughly working class in their upbringing and indeed wearing a jacket that had been salvaged and pieced back together rather than thrown away after they had been seriously injured whilst wearing it found that it was simply yet another thing they were forced agree with Regalia on.
Athena-Jade and Zirconia were indeed running late though, contrary to whatever lewdness their friends might accuse them of it was, at least not in this instance because of anything untoward on the part of the two girls.
Having Regalia Russet as a spotter and gym partner often came with unintended consequences which Zirconia, despite having known the Racoon Faunus for almost two years at this point was still not fully inoculated against; namely that Regalia's boundless enthusiasm and encouragement would almost inevitably lead to whoever was subjected to it pushing themselves further than was wise which had, in this case led to the Grasshopper Faunus possibly pulling and definitely overexerting several muscles. The strain she had placed herself under, which had only further compounded the various delightful lingering aches from the night she and Athena-Jade had shared together had left Zirconia seeking out a hot shower to ease and relax her muscles, which Athena had joined and from there the two of them had simply huddled together in an exhausted tangle of limbs buried within several soft and fluffy blankets for several hours as they decided on a plan for if they could work up the energy to go out at all.
With Zirconia being the one to make the decision to venture into the city; pulse quickening with the knowledge that she would be enacting part of Nero's grand plan in the process.
"So I've got us reservations for the restaurant you were thinking of but we might have to skip dessert if you want to make it to the concert on time" Athena noted, sapphire blue eyes roving across the screen of her scroll as if searching for a solution to the problem before collapsing the device and pocketing; her attention turned instead to removing the colourful band-aids she often wore as accessories but which would almost certainly be frowned upon at the decidedly upper class venue that the two of them planned to attend.
"That's fine, I wasn't especially bothered about desert…..Unless you were?" Zirconia answered with only a moment of distracted hesitation as her own mismatched eyes scanned their
surroundings.
"Not really, feel like I'll upset my stomach after that workout if I eat too much….If I want a snack later I'll just see if Regalia has anything; or eat you-"
"You are insatiable" Zirconia fought the urge to instinctively hide her face as her cheeks coloured at such a brazen comment in public, instead turning and pulling her partner and girlfriend into a deep, slow kiss that she allowed herself to become lost in for a moment; her hand trailing from under the Bear Faunus's chin to her shaggy hair and tangling itself there for a moment before the two broke apart.
No matter how much she loved Athena-Jade there were still limits to what she was comfortable doing in public.
"Are you okay?" Athena asked as the two pulled apart a fraction, everything about her expression suggesting that she would readily pull Zirconia into another, more intense make out session there and then if invited. The taller, dark-haired girl nodded silently and rose to her feet as she scanned her surroundings once again.
"Just going to check the noticeboard and see where our flight is, I think the festival has interfered with the schedule" the two of them had been waiting in the warmth of the late afternoon sun after following the yellow brick road line with statues of fallen students of Halo and Beacon Academies from the main campus itself to its' attached airship terminals and landing pads where there was only a loose scattering of other people in a similar state of waiting; so few in fact that Zirconia felt no hesitation at all in getting to work.
The task Nero had given her was simple and yet it would likely prove to be of utmost importance.
At present there was no direct entry point for her legal guardian and his co-conspirators to monitor or influence the goings on within Halo Academy and this had been deemed to be untenable going forward.
Zirconia was neither brave or foolish enough to even attempt to hack into the security systems of the campus itself or the orphanage with which it shared the aerial platform as to do so would certainly be detected by Qrow Branwen before she could even complete the action if he were even slightly capable of living up to the legends surrounding him. Finding a way to hack into the aerial platform itself had been considered but ultimately the Grasshopper Faunus had decided against it as, even with all of the tricks, tools and skills at her disposal the risks were simply far too great and the stakes far too high so instead this had been agreed upon as a compromise.
It had been far too long in Zirconia's mind since she had been given a chance to properly test her abilities and prove to Albion Herringbone that the lessons she had pestered and begged for in the art of cyber-attacks as a younger teenager had not been wasted; her infiltration of the ship Team FADE and their allies operated from felt so far away now and using the digital displays of the airship terminals as a starting point from which to gain access to more systems would be challenging and likely time-consuming but ultimately worth it.
And so, as she reached the translucent noticeboard in question she made a show of crouching low, as if looking for information towards the bottom of the holographic screen and quickly reached out towards one of the emitters which produced the image; attaching a small device barely the size of a finger to it with an integrated magnetic clasp and taking care to ensure that the tool was positioned correctly to both do its' job and at the same time appear unassuming if anyone were to spare it a second glance.
"It's over here" Athena's voice close by almost made Zirconia jump though, with careful effort and a sickening feeling of shame coiling in her gut she managed to mask her guiltiness and rise to her feet with a faint whirring of various components within her cybernetic limbs; taking a single step over to where the Bear Faunus was studying another part of the noticeboard.
"I see that they have changed the schedule….And we should be at that landing pad" she gestured to another of the pads, located across the terminal where a small transport would indeed be arriving in a matter of only a few minutes and as she prepared to make her way towards it she felt Athena-Jade loop an arm through hers' and lean close, resting her head against Zirconia's shoulder as the two of them walked.
"I wish the Tournament was team matches the whole way through, it would make more sense" the shorter and more powerfully built of the pair noted almost randomly, giving the comment context by adding "Astra's great and I know I've trained hard but….I'm so used to having you having my back, it's weird"
"I don't know that I had your back in the last match" Zirconia sighed, her annoyance at that fact genuine even if her own defeat had been entirely planned and accepted.
"That's 'cos Team CRAG suck" the Bear Faunus answered cheerily, giving the expected retort with a wink and a toothy smile before quietly adding "You sure you're gonna be okay watching from the sidelines?"
"I will feel every blow that lands on you as though it were hitting me….So try and block more" Zirconia replied with her own particular brand of dry humour before offering something more serious "I will be happy and proud to cheer you to victory Athena. As for fighting alongside one another….We have all the time in the world, whatever happens"
"Yeah" Athena mumbled, something in her words revealing just how tired she was after the exercise of the day and previous night before she leaned up and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek "All the time in the world, I really do love you Hops and….I know it's a conversation we should have before we start throwing words like weddings around but, I really think I want to spend the rest of my life with you"
"I, well…..We'll have that talk soon, I promise" Zirconia sputtered and stammered, managing to disguise a myriad of other emotions beneath a genuine layer of surprise and dazzling joy at hearing Athena's words. Chief amongst those buried feelings however were shame, disgust at her own lies and secrets and eclipsing them all; a primal terror that threatened to overwhelm her until; swallowing thickly and with her mismatched eyes hardening the double agent steeled herself and promised there and then that she would do what was needed at the first opportunity.
Team MARZ, Athena-Jade especially all deserved to know the truth.
Upon leaving the stadium and the ongoing Vytal Tournament matches which would continue on into the night behind them Astra and Regalia had put their plans for the rest of their evening into motion.
After visiting a food vendor of their choice and consuming a commendable amount of Mistrali noodles the two had made their way into the Hive-towers of Neo Vale below and driven to the working class part of the city in which Astra had been raised, where Regalia was thrilled to see that the spirit of the Vytal Festival continued to be seen and felt in the form of decorations and various street parties. The Deer Faunus had parked their pickup truck outside of their family home and eagerly led their partner inside so that the two of them could spend some time in the company of Astra's parents, with both Myrtle and Redwood Mars being elated to see their child and the Racoon Faunus accompanying them before finally making good on their intention to make the most of the opportunities the Vytal Festival presented.
Before the two could depart, intending to take one of the cities' monorails they had been halted by Astra's parents for a speech which for the Deer Faunus was a routine which they feigned mild embarrassment at whilst privately enjoying the familiarity of; with their mother ensuring that Astra had their scroll on their person and emergency contacts in place and could recite what they should do in case of various emergencies such as having their drinks tampered with or finding themselves stranded whilst Redwood had followed up with a faux stern look that darted from Astra to Regalia as the impressed upon their only child the importance of being upstanding and gentlemanly when in the company of such a lovely young woman, the entire affair leaving Astra letting dramatic and overblown groans of torment and Regalia reduced to incoherent giggling.
Finally however the two had made their way to a party in the city.
Word of this particular function had reached them through Basil of Team BASL who apparently intended to commiserate his teams' earlier defeat after being informed by the stadiums' medical team that the painkillers he had been given would not mix unpredictably with alcohol.
Within a Hive-tower close enough to the heart of the city to be within sight of most of the aerial platforms hovering above it, on a level within the tower high enough to be populated to decidedly middle-class families far removed from what Astra was familiar with was one of the cities' artificial parks; a far larger and more impressive affair than those which the Deer Faunus had spent a good portion of their formative years visiting. Indeed this particular park was large enough to play host to a temporary stage and concert, which whilst not quite grand enough to be considered a music festival in its' own right had drawn enough of a crowd to fill the area and many of those who had travelled to see the performers had brought grills, tents and enough alcohol to ensure that the revelry lasted for some time.
It was a decidedly different, more relaxed vibe to the previous evenings' fast-paced and hyperactive partying in the heart of the city and one which Astra was thoroughly enjoying; even if they were already a little worse for wear.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Regalia paused in the midst of the conversation that they had previously been having upon noting that her partner seemed somewhat out of sorts, taking a moment to gently take Astra by the antlers and lean closer as she tilted their face towards them to better study sea-green eyes that were slightly unfocused, bringing the two of them mere inches apart until finally the Deer Faunus managed to form an answer.
"I'm good, I think that last shot just knocked something loose" the answer was given credence by the fact that their words were somewhat slurred and followed by a vaguely disoriented chuckle which left Regalia pursing her lips and regarding her friend and partner, who was decidedly more enthusiastic when it came to drinking than herself with no small amount of worry.
"Your Mum warned you about drinking too much….That last shot smelled like things Clan Aiktishaf use to clean out the insides of our machinery"
"Yeah it tasted pretty much the same, definitely sticking to beer for a while" Astra mumbled, being rewarded by Regalia waggling their antler in a way which left their vision blurring as a wave of nauseous disorientation washed over them, though they managed to maintain their balance and thus their pride.
"You're sticking to water" the Racoon Faunus countered "Come on, I'm finding you a spot to sit down and I'm getting you something to clear your head"
"Okay, thanks….And try asking Laburnum from Team BASL, apparently her cousin's….somebody is one of the people who organised this so she'll know where everything is" Astra answered, their ability to form something resembling a working plan even in their current condition being aided by their less heroic vice of enjoying gossip and knowing at least a little of all of the goings on around them at all times. With a goal which she could set her Semblance upon in mind Regalia quickly sought out a secluded patch of grass beneath a tree, which was undeniably real despite being located within the Hive-tower and paused before departing.
"Heh….You're not gonna throw up are you?"
"Nowhere near that drunk, just tired and one too many shots" Astra assured her "I'll see if AJ and Zirconia are gonna make it to the party….If not we can hang out here for a while?"
"Heh, sure" Regalia beamed brightly with her hands wringing themselves almost without her knowledge for a moment before she departed in search of water or anything else that might take the edge off of a discombobulated state which Astra was truthfully handling better than their appearance would suggest.
Though they still stared after their partner, silently dazed for several seconds as she left.
"She really is too good to me….She's the best" Astra muttered to themselves, withdrawing their scroll but paying only minimal attention to its' screen as their gaze continued to wander back to Regalia's progress through the crowd and the ongoing concert managed to hold at least a little of their attention, enough at least for the leader of Team MARZ to commit to hearing this band play when they were in a position to better appreciate the show before turning their thoughts back to Regalia.
A wordless groan escaped them as they massaged their eyes with the heels of their palms, almost certainly smearing makeup in the process and realising as they did so just how waxy their skin currently felt, a clear sign that it was time to ease off of the alcohol.
The earlier message from Wolfram Ironside, their ex boyfriend and the realisation of just how over that failed relationship they were had caused Astra to spend a great deal of the time since in a state of introspection, or at least as close to one as they could manage in the midst of a festival and in that time they had come to a conclusion that had left them both thrilled and utterly riddled with nerves that it had, at the time seemed like a good idea to drown with shots of a questionable liquor.
Namely the conclusion that they could easily imagine dating Regalia Russet and that would likely be remarkably similar to the partnership they already had.
Astra knew that Regalia was, or at least had been attracted to them and now felt, that if their partners' feelings had not changed that is was something that they might soon be ready to explore; with the primary obstacle now being the amount of time and focus that would be needed to prepare for the remaining rounds of the Vytal Tournament rather than the Deer Faunus's own frayed and unsteady emotional state which would likely have seen both parties of any potential relationship hurt.
Nothing was certain, though it was a pleasant thought which Astra was begrudgingly dragged away from by the vibration of their scroll which remained in their hand.
"AJ, that you?" they mumbled with a drunken slur as they regarded the screen of the device whose harsh glare forced them to peer at it with one eye closed, in doing so seeing that they had in fact already received a text message from Athena-Jade but not noticed, the icon and preview visible above an ongoing conversation with their brother wherein Felix's last message had been a heartfelt congratulations. The new message however was from Stygian Blue of Team MARZ and with memories of the conversation in the gym earlier that day rushing back to their addled mind Astra quickly opened it.
It was indeed the fixtures for the upcoming doubles round of the tournament and they scanned each listing with rapt attention, considering the possibilities of each match up before finally finding their own name and Athena's; at which point the colour began to drain from their features and their eyes widened, a sickening feeling of dread and utter, inconsolable loss washing over them as they saw the identity of their opponents; even the sight of Regalia returning from the distance failing to provide an adequate silver lining.
"Fuck….Fuck" they whispered as they realised that the challenge now directly ahead of them was one they were unsure if they could overcome.
Author's Notes:
And we are now roughly a quarter of the way into Vol.06
This was a quiet, filler chapter but it did set up some important things to come.
Next chapter will be more of the same but I will try and work a little more action into it, before things pick up again properly in Chapter 98 all the way through to the 100 Chapter milestone which will actually be the mid-season finale of Vol.06.
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
About the opening of the chapter….Frankly you'll have to excuse the open horniness involved; but for the people that enjoy the ship as much as I enjoy writing it, you're welcome. AJ got the top-shelf, break the bed kind of fucking.
Yeah the whole "Keeping the neighbours awake" thing is fun until you've gotta talk to the neighbours afterwards.
They didn't fuck like rabbits, they made love….From behind with such intensity that it ruined the bed.
People wanted Regalia to sign them….And also maybe sign the photos.
Regalia has seen plenty of movies and knows vaguely what drugs are, but Astra is a city kid. There's a difference.
And that's the talk about who's going into the two on two fights settled.
Whenever the villains gather everyone together you should be at least a little worried; see now it looks like Nero is going to take Qrow up on that offer.
Secondary base, new Spawning Pit relocated to Menagerie to build more Cyber-Grimm away from the city….People being recruited into the fold; it really is getting close to the big reveal now.
And of course there is the looming threat of Gestalt-Prime rejoining things in a more direct way.
Regalia is absolutely the best gym buddy.
AJ's footwork has to be on point given the way she fights.
Tiger will always be Tiger, fucked your leg up? It's still leg day, get to work.
"If either Stygian or Tiger thought that there was anything more to be added to that or some unspoken context then neither of them gave any indication" Astra and Regalia are gonna be just as dense as their team-mates, although it's a slightly different context to AJ and Hops.
So Astra has come full circle, from their obsession with unlocking their own Semblance to being the one to urge caution….An underrated moment of growth.
Only for that moment to get undercut by Tiger and Stitch pointing out, rightly what a dumb-ass Astra was.
It's the British in me, but nothing is opening first thing on a Sunday; not even the festival.
You know damn well that Team TRQS handing out a 4-0 to an older team was gonna be something Qrow teased Winter about.
"Although I can't help but wonder if they might be used as a distraction now" Ren makes a valid point, there's always a degree of planning around one another's plan involved in these kinds of scenarios that canon doesn't get as much of a chance to delve into because it isn't the focus.
But now, we have our first chink in the armour and the first signs of something being amiss with Nero; we as the reader know what's coming and the characters know that he has his opinions about things….But until now there's never been reason to suspect him of involvement in something as big as the Benefactor.
A suspicious Qrow is a good thing for the heroes.
Jump to Astra and Regalia leaving the tournament because honestly there's nothing there that needed to be covered beyond just summing up a couple of background characters.
…..The best time to throw in a reference to Shop-keep is all the damn time.
Also seriously, have carbs after you drink.
Oh yeah, after Team MARZ's win and the fact that they're on the same team as AJ and Zirconia Astra and Regalia really are gonna have to get used to being the new media darlings….Especially when they keep having cute moments in public.
So I mentioned Wolfram and Ursinia being a thing before, it was actually a little set up for this bit here; Astra is over it which is good considering how completely broken hearted they were before.
Okay any students reading this….DO NOT DO WHAT ASTRA DID, do not just assume you'll make it to class after a night out, that voice in your head is lying to you.
Sometimes you've gotta cancel date night and just cuddle-puddle instead.
"Or you" AJ please.
But of course there was a slight ulterior motive here….We don't see much of it, but Zirconia can absolutely do some hacker things, as evidenced by her stunt in Vol.03 with the Nemesis Kharybdis.
Also it makes sense in a kinda heartbreaking way that she's eager to show off to Albion Herringbone just how good she's gotten at it.
So….There's now, or at least soon will be a backdoor for the villains to have some degree of influence over the aerial platform.
And then AJ had to go and be sweet and earnest and throw ideas like a happy ever after around….So now there's gonna have to be a talk next chapter.
Astra's parents adore Regalia and I love the idea of them taking one look at these two going out somewhere and just instinctively giving Astra a talking to as though it's a date.
Yeah the whole "Faces inches apart" thing wasn't cute here….You really don't wanna go for the whole romantic moment with someone who might throw up or trip over their own feet at any minute.
Laburnum….Does not fit the naming theme I gave to the other named members of Team BASL, Basil and Sooty but I needed a name on short notice and Laburnum is both a flower and the street my sister just moved away from so it came to mind.
I don't know why Astra being a gossip makes as much sense as it does.
But yeah for moments of drunken clarity where Astra finally fucking gets it.
So the Astra x Regalia ship is called Scrap Metal and it's one I already like the idea of, but it's not gonna take off just yet...There's still some other things to be dealt with.
But, more importantly we have the reveal of the second round match ups and whilst I didn't actually reveal who Astra and AJ are facing; come on now….There's only so many people who can get a reaction like that from Astra.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.