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Chapter 103: Diversions
By the time a train carrying passengers and cargo alike arrived in the Capital City of Neo Vale from a town of middling size in New Vale's outer territories, the town its' self several miles away from where Team MARZ had found themselves stranded by a breakdown in communications with Professor Branwen it was safe to say that the four students were exhausted and thoroughly ready to return to Halo Academy; though even this was soured by the likelihood that there would be an official debriefing waiting for them.
"We will shortly be arriving at Neo Vale North-East Wall and New Kenwood district where this service terminates. Please be sure to collect all belongings-" the automated announcement whose voice was more blatantly synthetic than even the digitised tones of Zirconia's weapon quickly slipped into the background of Athena-Jade's awareness, though a small detail did manage to register.
"Huh, Kenwood….My Dad and Grandpa used to live there"
"That would have been the original Kenwood Industrial Estates, they're long gone though. The reclamations after the Exclusion Zone was taken back completely paved it over" Astra countered which both made Athena-Jade nod in silent agreement, only briefly entertaining the mixed feelings that came with knowing that history which included a sizeable chunk of one of her parents' lives had been lost but also that it had been a White Fang holdout and that much of what her father had done in those years was no longer something he was proud of whilst also giving the Bear Faunus an incentive to turn around and take stock of her team and surroundings in general as she rose from the seat she had spent the last several hours in, stretching her limbs until joints audibly popped.
Astra had only sparingly looked up from where they had been half-sprawled, half-contorted at a window seat in a way that was partially due to to awkwardness of positioning their antlers and partially a simple exercise in being as obnoxious in their own comfort as possible; though Athena chose to overlook it since the Deer Faunus had received at least one particularly painful blow from the Grimm they had recently fought. The leader of Team MARZ had their scroll in hand, as they had for much of the journey and Athena presumed that they were contacting either Professor Branwen or other academy faculty as well as working out the most efficient route from their current location back to the campus's aerial platform, or preferably a route which would allow them to get food on the way.
Regalia was beside her partner, leaned casually against them and in a half-conscious stupor which they were roused from by a soft nudging; the Racoon Faunus having briefly sampled the goods of the trains' food trolley when it had passed before showcasing the ability to fall asleep anywhere which had been perfected by years of living aboard her peoples' enormous roving land-fortress.
A faint rustling alerted Athena to her own partner and girlfriend as Zirconia rose to her feet without the need for any stretching, though Athena noted that her girlfriend had been preoccupied with her device and even as she stood, finding her balance in the moving and faintly unsteady train carriage her mismatched eyes darted towards the device in her hand with some obvious concern. Seizing the initiative Athena used taking a handrail close to her girlfriend as a pretext to lean close and stand on the tips of her toes, fighting the urge to conjure a glyph and use it as a step so that she could kiss the taller girl on the lips; ensuring that she had Zirconia's undivided attention for a moment.
"Hey….Something wrong"
"There is" Zirconia nodded, adjusting the shawl that was currently around her neck but not yet bringing it up to cover the lower half of her face despite her habit and waiting until she had the attention of the team as a whole before continuing "Nero has apparently allowed himself to be interviewed whilst on a business trip….I haven't read the article in question but apparently it has caused some controversy"
"How bad?" Athena asked with a sympathetic wince, taking Zirconia's hand in hers without hesitation and preparing to put what lessons in dealing with the public she had learned from her various relatives to some use; she doubted she could quite manage her Uncle Whitley's effortless charismatic showmanship or Aunt Winter's cold, professional distance which managed to still seem oddly inspiring to Atlesian sensibilities; though she might be able to channel some of what made her brother so popular.
"Bad enough that someone on this train has recognised us and were likely the one to tell the press to expect us….There's going to be reporters and journalists waiting at the train station"
"Fucking really guys?" Astra's vitriolic sneer was the most vocal response to the revelation, casting sea-green eyes around the train carriage and shooting scornful looks at every passenger who dared meet their gaze until finally Athena-Jade drove an elbow into their ribs.
"Knock it off. You're not helping"
"So what do we do now? Heh, I don't think I really know how to handle something like this" Regalia admitted, hands wringing together in open display of discomfort which reached purple eyes; her expression alone seeing to both irritate Astra more but at also allow the Deer Faunus to adjust their priorities and keep themselves from hitting whatever had caused the problem. Athena simply rolled her broad and powerful shoulders back and answered bluntly.
"We haven't done anything wrong, we walk straight through the station and go for a cab. We're coming back from a mission, nothing else….Don't answer any questions and don't do anything that can be used against you"
"Complete confidence and bullshit bravado….Yeah I can do that" Astra managed a snort despite the unexpected situation and for a few moments Team MARZ were silent, the only sounds being those of the train as it slowed to a stop at the promised platform in one of the cities' many lesser stations which were in turn connected to Neo Vale Central. Other passengers, sensing the tension in the air around the four teenagers whom they had watched compete in the Vytal Tournament elected to use other carriage doors to depart and so, seconds later when the door hissed open with a sound of decompressing air and a beeping alert Team MARZ stepped out onto a platform where they quickly and easily made their way through a throng of bodies who spared only passing glances in their direction, consoling themselves to pointing and chattering amongst themselves as they each hurried about their day and left the student Hunters to make their way through the train station.
It took the four of them only a short while to find the main entrance and exit to the train station, along with the small gaggle of figures carrying cameras and microphones, though Athena noted with some relief that nobody seemed to be broadcasting live.
"Not as bad as it could have been" she noted.
"I think I should have hit an emergency brake on the train" Astra noted.
"That would have done nothing to make the situation better" Zirconia sighed.
"We could have found a way around" Regalia countered "What if they just block the door-"
"They can't stop us leaving, come on just keep your chin up….Look straight through 'em like they aren't even there" Athena urged as she pushed herself to take a position at the head of her team, deliberately placing herself in front of Zirconia to obscure her from view as much as possible and limit the amount of shots of her that could be taken even despite the height difference between the two of them, a goal Astra and Regalia quickly realised and began to aid by flanking the Grasshopper Faunus whose own expression remained grim as a wall of noise washed over them all, questions and voices blurring into an indistinct jumble within the echoing space which Team MARZ tried to firmly and swiftly, but politely extricate themselves from though a few choice comments managed to be heard nonetheless.
"Miss Shadowmoon, given your association to Mister Nero do you not see a conflict of interests in continuing to attend a Hunter Academy-"
"Does Mister Nero's low opinion of Hunters have anything to do with your own early exit from the Vytal Tournament?"
"Can we get exclusive interview from yourself and Miss Slate, everyone wants to know about Neo Vale's very own power couple-"
"The Chairman boasts about the quality of his companies' work and yet your own prosthetics are in fact heavily modified-"
"THAT'S ENOUGH! YOU CROSSED A LINE!" it was Athena who roared out a furious answer in response to the final barbed question, forgoing her own advice entirely in order to whirl around with furious eyes and claws which she rarely relied upon in fights extending from her fingertips as she sought out whichever vile wretch of a person had so callously commented on Zirconia's legs; she would have their job by the end of the day but she wanted blood in that moment and was only kept from exacting her retribution by Astra's firm hand on her shoulder. The Deer Faunus cleared their throat and spoke up, all without breaking stride.
"My team and I have returned from a mission and have not yet received medical attention or reported back to the academy; I have to ask you to step aside as you are currently interfering with Hunter duties"
At their words the crowd parted.
It was a begrudging thing, the air filled with grumbling and clicking cameras and yet none of the reporters present wished to risk the serious legal issues that would fall upon them if the Deer Faunus was telling the truth, something that seemed to be entirely likely given that all of Team MARZ were visibly dirtied and bruised, with at least one of them sporting a slight limp. With the way cleared the four students made their way out and began bundling themselves in a taxi which was mercifully already waiting to pick up whatever passengers emerged, though before they could make a clean escape one of the more bold reporters chose to offer a final parting shot.
"Miss Shadowmoon, do you have any comments about Mister Nero using the memory of a dead Hunter as political tool?"
"I can't comment on specifics, however I support the Chairman's goal of creating a safer Remnant and the steps he takes in pursuit of that" Zirconia's low, rasping words were delivered with a sense of finality and she closed the door of the taxi without offering a chance for any further questions. She, Athena and Regalia were left in the backseat of the taxi whist Astra had taken the passengers' side and was in the process of directing the driver who had thankfully brought the vehicle into motion at a speed which would see it not easily followed.
Though an awkward silence hung in the air for several moments.
"Hops….What the hell was that?" Athena breathed out, eyes wide with sudden concern "About Mister….Damascus using the name of a dead Hunter"
"I honestly don't know" Zirconia answered, hating that she had to lie even partially as whilst the specifics were a mystery to her she could guess at which part of Nero's overall plan this was a facet of, the bitter feeling and taste in her throat quickly left her justifying herself "I haven't read the article, as I said. Damascus is the closest thing to a father I have left….you wouldn't stand there and hear accusations about your father….Also, thank you for what you said back there; though it probably wasn't wise"
"No but fuck 'em, that was too much" Athena huffed distractedly as she rummaged around for her scroll
"What are you doing?" Zirconia asked
"Finding that damn article, I want to see what all the fuss is about"
"I see" Zirconia braced herself and silently hoped that all of her subtle steering of her girlfriend had been enough, this was not the true reveal of everything that had been done in the name of the bright new tomorrow she wished to help Nero build, but it was undeniable proof of the need for the parts that she had already told her team-mates about. Hopes were replaced by an icy feeling which spread through her gut as she watched the Bear Faunus features steadily morph into one of shock, her already porcelain complexion becoming ashen to such a degree that Regalia's curiosity was piqued.
"This….this is bad" the former Nomad muttered.
"What the hell….he seemed so nice" Athena croaked out, looking at Zirconia with wide eyes and a hurt expression "He's painting us all as being the same as Carmesi, acting like all Hunters are corrupt-"
"Is that what he said, or is it that simply that all Hunters have the power to be corrupted and very few people willing to hold them accountable-"
"Hops….I need you to actually read this article" Athena's voice wavered "And then we need to talk"
The Grasshopper Faunus was rendered numb by those final words.
For Stygian Blue of Team TRQS the day had been largely uneventful, though perhaps it would be reasonable to say that events had happened around and to the Mouse Faunus however he had been largely oblivious to them due to being consumed with and distracted by his own thoughts and concerns.
Stygian had attended classes along with his team-mates and peers and had, to his credit made a valiant and respectable effort to push through the fog clouding his mind and actively participate in his lessons and take notes of the lectures to an acceptable and worthwhile standard. He had struggled and, were he in a mood to consider the day at all would likely admit that he had been defeated in that regard however he had been mercifully spared the ire of his partner as Tiger herself was seemingly in a similar state of contemplation which rendered her unable to muster her usual stern and demanding presence to push her team to excellence.
Tiger's distraction was apparently a product of both her own ongoing identity crisis as she sought to find a way to define herself and develop an identity that was less tied to others, the tournament match against her brother having taken a greater toll on her even that what she had let slip to Stygian in their earlier discussion and also the mildly interested gossip which passed through the Second Year students upon the realisation that Team MARZ were absent in their entirety. Given that none of the four members of the Breaktide Academy team had either mentioned feeling ill or passed on a message it seemed obvious to Tiger that Team MARZ had been granted additional training by Professor Branwen, a thought which managed to pierce through her glum process of introspection to render her both vaguely annoyed and filled with a vestige of her usual determined energy as she wondered aloud what Team TRQS might be missing out on; though Stygian himself was privately less interested than he might be under normal circumstances with even Athena-Jade's absence barely registering to him.
As the day had progressed Rye and Amaya, by far the most socially adept and active members of Team TRQS had made their friends aware of another round of gossip loosely pertaining to Team MARZ in the form of a recently published interview with Zirconia Shadowmoon's legal guardian. Stygian had been aware of some chattering and muttering and had seen scrolls being pointed at with increasing regularity but, owing to his own upbringing in a deliberately isolated settlement away from the Kingdoms media and politics had not instinctively thought to check the CCT like many of his classmates had and was once again left less interested than he might be.
It was that deliberately isolated upbringing, raised within a settlement outside of Menagerie's official structure and censuses and ruled over by Hunters who had claimed the place as their own personal fiefdom which has set Stygian upon his current course of action.
Tiger had suggested to him, in a motion which she was at least honest enough to admit had been an act of unsubtle manipulation on her part, that in progressing forward to represent Team TRQS in the singles rounds of the Vytal Tournament Stygian would be able to seize the moment and capture the attention that would be thrust upon him, redirecting it towards plight of his people so that something might be done about it and in that regard the content of Damascus Nero's recent interview might even be helpful to some extent, as the Hunters who had taken over Stygian's home were the kinds of men and women the wealthy man had railed against so publicly.
With this is mind Stygian had explained his intentions to the Headmaster, having far too much respect for Professor Lie Ren to simply make political statements that could cause an incident between Kingdoms whilst representing Halo Academy without at least warning the man first. The Headmaster had understood, nodding along and offering some words of comfort and wisdom to the younger man whilst his wife had shook with silent fury on Stygian's behalf, Professor Nora earning her place as a favourite amongst her student by being ready to stand beside them in all things once again and once the conversation had concluded Professor Ren had organised for Stygian to speak briefly with his counterpart at Breaktide Academy of Menagerie.
Professor and former Council Woman Coco Adel.
"Mister Blue, I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you after watching your recent performances…..But Ren tells me you're planning on making some ballsy moves that are gonna cause problems?"
"Yeah….I'm sorry to say that I probably am" the Mouse Faunus nodded as he shifted in his seat and allowed his hairless tail to uncoil itself and drape over the edge of a mildly uncomfortable chair, all as he took in the image of Coco Adel before him and tried to reconcile the stories of her deeds and imposing gravitas with the nonchalant way she carried herself. It was later afternoon, steadily fading into evening as the sun descended upon the horizon of Neo Vale and slipped out of view behind its' sprawling skyline and yet Stygian had yet to change into his usual attire, instead having remained clad in his academy uniform to offer a sense of professionalism since the blazer, shirt and tie were the most formal clothes he owned outside of the suit he had worn to the ill-fated dance. He saw now that he needn't have bothered, he had been allowed to borrow a laptop on the understanding that he use it solely for the purpose of this call from a pre-determined empty classroom and then return it so that Coco Adel's personal contact details or those for her office did not become too readily available and the image that had greeted Stygian was one of the woman lounging comfortably in what appeared to be a staffroom, sunglasses absent and her signature beret somewhat askew whilst the shirt she had worn during the day had been removed to reveal a tank-top, in turn suggesting that the climate on Menagerie was as harsh as Stygian remembered and showing the headmistresses, lean but well defined muscles.
"Okay, I'm listening" Coco nodded, brushing loose hair aside and fixing Stygian with a look which in an instant gave him a glimpse of what lay behind her current peacefulness and convinced him without another word that every story he had heard in regards to the woman was true. Pausing for a moment Stygian's own electric blue eyes shifted and darted as he considered every opening gambit or possible angle of approach that he might try upon reaching this point only for a sigh to escape him as he shed his uniforms' blazer and began rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to reveal the abstract tattoos covering his dark skin; those which he had expanded and made his own to cover up their original meaning to any who were not from his settlement.
Though the way the Headmistresses' eyes narrowed suggested that she understood the intent behind them.
"I was born and raised on Menagerie….But not in Menagerie, not the Kingdom" he began, voice unable to be brought above a whisper "I'm from Pikesreach….You know what that means, what these tattoos mean"
"That you're a child soldier….That you made it away from that place, all the way to New Vale and somehow you're at a Hunter Academy, still fighting" Coco's expression was a haunted thing, grief and rage intermingling whilst Stygian merely shrugged.
"Fighting is what I know….It's what I was allowed to know, I was always told that I was gonna be one of the ones who kept the people of Pikesreach safe and I still plan to do that" the Mouse Faunus rolled down his sleeves, his point made "And that's why I'm planning to use the interviews that come with the Vytal Tournament to draw attention to what happened to that settlement, what's still happening there after all these years"
"It's one of Menagerie's….Damn it one of my greatest failures, as a Hunter and as a politician" Coco's voice was tight "It shouldn't fall to kids to fix this-"
"Then why did it?" Stygian asked, something far more blunt and rough at the edges that his usual jovial tones filling his voice even as he toyed with the ends of his blue dreadlocks "How did a group of Hunters turn a settlement into their own personal Empire without anybody else interfering?"
"In a word….Politics" Coco sneered the word with a venom and scorn which caught the student off guard and left him reeling from a continent away.
"Menagerie was still in a state of flux when they settled, there was no Kingdom, there was no Council and everybody was too busy trying to get their own infrastructure in order, everyone looking for their own pieces of the island to claim" she continued only to fall silent for a moment and shake her head before adding "Rumours were coming out about the place before Menagerie consolidated itself but it would have been seen as an act of aggression between Kingdoms if we'd intervened before then, there was a point somewhere in the interim where if we'd tried to attack there were settlements that might have switched sides….It could have been a civil war, so soon after another war-"
"And since then?" Stygian demanded.
"There's always a reason….And I always hate it" Coco growled "It's all open secretes and weasel words and politics….But I need a reason to gather a small army of Hunters to go and liberate a village and apparently 'It's the right thing to do' apparently isn't that reason-"
"So….What happens when I do…..what I'm going to do?" Stygian found himself floundering, it was impossible to hold any anger for Coco's inaction when it was painfully apparent from every moment their interaction continued that she would have been the heroic figure that Pikesreach needed, that Stygian planned to be if only she had not been so constrained.
"I honestly don't know" the Headmistress admitted "But I can promise that I will lend my support here on the island….I'm not involved in politics any more but my approval carries some weight and I definitely approve of bringing Pikesreach and places like it into the Kingdom of Menagerie to stop the abuses of power that have gone unchecked.
"Th-thank you" Stygian was left stammering over his words with rare uncertainty, the sudden charisma and sheer presence of Coco Adel washing over him like a wave until she seemed to consciously reign herself in and offer a lopsided smirk.
"Anytime kid….Like I said, it's a ballsy move that's gonna cause some problems. I can appreciate it"
"You're…." Stygian trailed off, taking a moment to decide whether or not the following words were a good idea before blurting them out regardless "You're not what I expected from the head of Menagerie's Academy?"
"I should hope not, I can only imagine what they say about us" Coco snorted, only for her expression to turn sad "Although I'll admit I wish you hadn't had to run so far from home….Ren and Nora are good people, but from what I've seen of you today and in your matches; you would have been great at Breaktide"
"Thank you Professor" Stygian was once again left utterly off balance, unsure exactly of how to respond to that however Coco's next words offered him a way out.
"I'm sorry that I'm going to have to cut this short Mister Blue….I have another meeting scheduled which I can't afford to miss. I hope you understand" she reached forward to end the video call "And good look in your endeavours….I'll send scouts out to Pikesreach, make sure that whatever statements you make find their way to your people"
"Thank you Professor….It'll be the first time my Mum hears from me since I left"
Stygian was grateful that the call ended then as his final words left him with a lump in his throat which it took him a few moments to overcome, however by the time he left the empty classroom the Mouse Faunus was filled with a renewed sense of purpose and determination which seemed to extend to every part of him.
He was going be better than those who ruled over Pikesreach, he would to see his home freed from corrupt Hunters.
Qrow Branwen had been the one to call for a meeting of the innermost members of the shadowy cabal of retired Hunters and others in positions of power and authority who had made it their solemn duty to watch over Remnant and protect its' people from threats which went beyond the Creatures of Grimm and more mundane levels of crime and conspiracy.
It transpired however that despite his urgent insistence the grizzled old veteran who had taken up the mantle left by Ozpin would be the last to arrive, a fact which was becoming the subject of an increasing amount of grumbling across the various offices connected by the current conference call, a lack of professionalism and decorum which would surprise many onlookers being apparent, though each of those present had long since passed the need to treat one another as anything other than the friends and allies they were.
"This is beginning to grow annoying" General Winter Schnee groused from her position at a comfortable seat within her office aboard the flagship she called home, rather than a similar position at Atlas Academy
"If Qrow was going to be late then he should he scheduled better….I had to cut short another meeting for this" it was Coco who had spoken and hearing her comment was enough to make Ren pay a little more attention; the Headmaster of Halo Academy adjusting his reading glasses and clearing his throat as he made to ask how the discussion with Stygian Blue had unfolded only to be cut short by the sound of his office door opening and mechanical legs skittering across the floor, their many joints producing less sound than expected.
Naturally Qrow had chosen that moment to arrive.
"Good of you to join us" Ren, with a smirk eerily similar to those often given be his wife noted; unable to deny himself the cheap shot which Qrow pointedly ignored as he made his way into a position from which he would be able to see and be seen by the other members of the conversation. Finally he cast a glance towards the window of Ren's office and saw that it was in fact almost dark, something in fact prompting him to explain himself.
"My apologies, I had some students in the field when I called for this meeting. They've since made their own way back to campus since completing their mission and I needed to give them a proper debriefing" Qrow's crimson eyes, surrounded by dark circles and wrinkles narrowed into something harsh "Although given that one of those students was Zirconia Shadowmoon I suppose it segues nicely into why I called this meeting-"
"You want to discuss the interview that Damascus Nero gave" Ren guessed, brushing vaguely at a scar that ran along his right cheek courtesy of a Nevermore's talon as he let out a sigh.
"And the issue of Nero in more general terms" Qrow nodded, voice a low and dangerous growl "Where are the others?"
"Nora is dealing with an issue between some students" Ren answered calmly, though he peered over the rims of his glasses to give Qrow a look which made it clear he was in no mood for the older man's attitude at present.
"Antonia is elsewhere, she has a business to run and you're already asking her to take on additional roles" Winter responded with a bluntness that robbed Qrow of any counterargument he might have wished to make whilst Coco's answer was to make herself more comfortable and take a deliberate moment before replying.
"Velvet and Yatsu are upstairs, in our apartment and Ruby and Penny are probably enjoying a night out, Ruby just got back from taking some of our students on a mission" Qrow nodded in understanding as much as the situation irked him, taking a moment to compose himself only to seemingly fail in spectacular fashion as he spoke.
"We've all read the interview in question yes?" upon receiving nods in question he barked out a demand "Then why the hell aren't we acting? Nero's vanished, we should be investigating his entire company and pulling in the people who published that trash so they can tell us how he contacted-"
"Do you actually hear yourself right now?" Winter spat venomously.
"Winter's right" Ren glared at Qrow now "You sound like exactly what he is accusing us all of….A corrupt Hunter, using his power to bully-"
"It's a matter of the Kingdoms' security" Qrow snarled "If people lose faith in Hunters then what have they….Of course….Of course-"
"What're you thinking?" Coco leaned forward, seeing the way something seemed to fall into place in Qrow's mind.
"Paint Hunters as unreliable and incapable, have his own security force or private army set and then take the first opportunity to set himself up as an alternative and leverage that for Lien and political clout" Qrow's expression darkened into something hateful "Or create an opportunity-"
"I see where this is going" Winter murmured "And I hate that it doesn't sound unreasonable"
"Nero and the Benefactor are in cahoots" Qrow stated boldly.
"That's not a claim we can make without evidence" Ren's attempt at a reasonable counterpoint was met with a look of disbelief from Qrow.
"Then we need to start finding some, this makes sense….It makes too much sense"
"This is the same person who we agreed was a wealthy eccentric with his Kingdoms' best interests at heart the last time we spoke" Coco noted pointedly, as a native of Vale she still found herself worrying greatly for the fate of the Kingdom she had been born in and whilst Qrow let out a wordless growl at the comment it was Winter who offered a suggestion.
"The two ideas might not be mutually exclusive"
"Can you explain that?" Ren arched an eyebrow, struggling to understand precisely how one could claim to want to the best for their homeland whilst also working alongside those who had seemingly done the impossible and made the Creatures of Grimm even more dangerous.
"We were already working on the assumption that the Benefactor figure is allied with the disgraced scientist Doctor Aefen, yes?" Winter waited for a moment before following up "Her cult and others like it have a presence of the CCT and other forums despite constant efforts to remove them and it now seems likely that other subversive groups could well be facets of these cults, or other groups working in tandem with them…..Conspiracy theorists and political malcontents"
"So you're suggesting that Nero has been radicalised by people in the Benefactor's camp into believing the things in that interview?" Coco asked "That Hunters are obsolete at best and a threat at worst"
"The sad part is" Ren sighed "I can almost understand that perspective from a man in his position, he and his foster daughter have lost so much-"
"The issue is how do we stop him" Qrow interrupted coldly.
"We have no proof of anything yet" Winter countered with equal force "Conjecture is not good enough"
"She's right" Coco nodded "We need to be smart about this….The Benefactor has been one step ahead of us so far, if we make a move on someone as well connected as Nero and mess it up we won't get another chance"
"We already need to respond to this article" Ren sighed "Though the Vytal Tournament is a spectacle that will help….Do we have anything concrete to go on? Any sightings of Cyber-Grimm?"
"Nothing confirmed" Qrow growled, rubbing his eyes "But every reported sighting is being responded to and we're clearing Grimm out at a rate that undercuts a lot of the insinuations Nero cast our way in the mean time. Other than that….Winter I'm going to need some additional assets and assistance, I can't do this alone but we need to start going over everything we can find on
Nero's entire business; covertly of course but we need an angle. Ren….Find a way to limit his involvement in security"
"I'll do what I can" Ren nodded.
"I'll have my best data analysts reassigned" Winter assured him, Qrow heard the words and felt no relief; only a fury and sickening sense of betrayal which he quickly fought to keep in check, letting out a slow breath as he offered his final parting words.
"Coco, she's your student….How would you feel about having Zirconia Shadowmoon monitored?" Qrow snorted "At least until we can find out where Nero has actually gone; his flight to Vaccuo never arrived there or anywhere else"
"I'll consider it" Coco nodded "I'll look over her records and see if there's anything untoward….Though I doubt it, she's always been an excellent student"
Zirconia Shadowmoon was currently entirely unaware that she was the topic of discussion elsewhere in the academy; largely because the young woman's mind was entirely preoccupied by her own thoughts which raced and spiralled in dangerous fashion whilst in turn being overlaid with a fog of exhaustion and unending panic which had filled her head with a dull, droning buzz since she and the rest of Team MARZ had departed from Neo Vale's northeastern train station.
Despite stating flatly that the two of them needed to talk Athena-Jade had said scarcely more than a handful of words to her ever since the details of Damascus's latest manoeuvrer had become known, something which had left the taxi ride to an airship terminal and subsequent flight back to Halo Academy an awkward and stilted affair, silent safe for Astra and Regalia's brief attempts at conversation or the formers' directions to the driver.
Upon their return return Team MARZ had been met by Professor Branwen who had apologised profusely for his sudden absence at an important juncture, promising that any expenses would be repaid in full before beginning to usual arduous process of taking the four of them through an official debriefing which had naturally included a brief, but mercifully unnecessary visit to the medical wing where it transpired that even Astra's injuries were minor and would require no further treatment. The professor himself had made no direct mention of Damascus's interview, though through the veiled looks he shot in Zirconia's direction whenever he thought the insectoid Faunus was not paying attention and his gruff tones when discussing the 'unforeseen circumstances' that had distracted him during Team MARZ's mission made it abundantly clear what had demanded his attention and exactly how he felt about it. Zirconia had almost expected to be asked to wait behind so that he could interrogate her further, though she had been proven wrong when she was dismissed along with the rest of her team and urged to get some rest.
Something she found almost laughable considering her current panicked state.
Astra and Regalia had, probably wisely chosen not to head straight back to the dorm in order to give their friends some privacy only for Athena-Jade to, immediately upon their return to state flatly that she needed a shower and disappear into the bathroom. Whilst she was absent Zirconia had perched on her own bunk, a space she had rarely used in recent months and began trying to order her thoughts; finding that the most effective way of doing so had been one she had not expected from herself, one which allowed her to feel exactly like the overwhelmed teenage girl that she was and one which almost certainly be commented on soon enough by Nero himself or worse still Albion or Carmesi.
She had vented at the man who had raised her in a long stream of text messages, entirely aware of how petulant she had sounded.
Eventually she was forced to turn away from her distraction by the sound of the bathroom door opening and the prickling heat which accompanied the steam billowing out of it as Athena returned to the dormitory proper.
"Hey Hops….Can you come down here at least?" Athena's voice was small and Zirconia took a moment to study her girlfriends' form as the Bear Faunus came into view; seeing nervousness etched into every part of her expression and body language, especially the way her shoulders sagged and allowed her to draw in on herself in a complement to Zirconia's own fearful unease which left her clasping her hands together to keep them from visibly shaking as the climbed down from her own bunk, thankful at least that her cybernetic legs would not betray her wobbling as she did so. The two of them remained side by side in silence for a lingering moment before Athena finally spoke again.
"I'm sorry about earlier, I really am. I feel like I was out of order earlier" her voice was still timid, tinged with a rare sense of shame as she huddled forward enough to rest her head in her hands, running fingers which ended in clawed tips through shaggy white hair which Zirconia noted was still damp. The Grasshopper Faunus swallowed and took a moment to compose herself, finding that composure to still be lacking as her voice wavered with her attempts to answer.
"When you said 'we need to talk' I….I thought-"
"No!" Athena's interruption was a horrified gasp, the realisation of exactly what her partner had feared seeing the Bear Faunus almost tackle Zirconia over with the force of the desperate hug that she threw herself into, face buried into the crook of her girlfriends' neck and arms encircling the more slender young woman to cling to her.
"So we're not…." Zirconia allowed herself to trail off, unable to finish the thought.
"Absolutely not….Not unless you wanted-" Athena's breath hitched and her grasp tightened as her voice cracked.
"No" Zirconia promised, returning the embrace and savouring it, drawing the strength she needed from Athena until eventually the pale young woman managed to push ahead.
"But we do need to talk, about the things Nero said in that interview and how we feel about it….How we're gonna deal with it moving forward, 'cos the press are gonna want answers, they're probably gonna want blood after I snapped at the sleaze-ball earlier" Zirconia extricated herself from the hug, meeting Athena-Jade's eyes for a moment and managing a weak smile; something made far easier by the knowledge that her partner planned to be at her side and that they would face whatever came next together.
"I've read the article now" she breathed out "I said at the train station that I support Damascus, whatever steps he takes but….I'll admit he said things, or worded things in way that I would not have"
"Have you managed to get in touch with him?" Athena asked gently "I feel like this would be easier if we knew what the hell he was thinking"
"He's still on a business trip in Vaccuo, he hasn't been able to answer me yet" Zirconia hated herself for the lie but forced her expression to remain neutral as she gave it "I have asked him, perhaps not in those exact words"
Athena chuckled, returning her head to Zirconia's shoulder though at an angle where the two were once again side by side, lacing her fingers through her partners'
"We….Team MARZ, all of us were on board with the idea of this private security, or defence project that Damascus is working on but I can't pretend that this doesn't change my feelings about things a little" Athena mumbled "I need you to answer something for me honestly…..I know he's family in every way that matters but this is important-"
"Ask me anything" Zirconia squeezed her partners' hand.
"How much of this is actually about helping people and how much of this is….I don't know, making some sort of point Hunters for the times he's been let down by us?"
That stung Zirconia, more than she would have liked to admit however it was a question she could answer, largely because it was one she had asked herself when she was younger and had remembered Nero's response to ever since.
"I wish I could say that it wasn't a little of both, but it becomes more and more about helping people every day" she heard Athena's wordless hum of a response and so she pressed on "The things that were said in that interview, the things he's said before about Hunters being too much power concentrated in the hands of violent people….He's not the best public speaker, he doesn't enjoy it but his points aren't wrong. Look at the charities he's set up and all of the infrastructure he's built and invested in; I think it's just who Damascus is at his core….He sees problems and fixes them the way he knows how-"
"But there's still an element of just disliking Hunters on principle there" Athena sighed "I just….And this sounds petty and I know it Hops but just listen, please. We both know that my family are famous Hunters, I don't wanna feel like I'm being used-"
"I understand" Zirconia winced, hating the knowledge that the Chairman had indeed considered the political and social aspects to having Athena-Jade working with them as much as the sheer power she possessed but also knowing that she could never say that aloud and so she lied and obfuscated "Damascus doesn't exactly need the Schnee fortune, he respects you and sees how happy you make me"
Both girls blushed for a moment at that.
"So….Where does this leave us?" Zirconia asked carefully after the brief flustering had passed "Team MARZ and our future plans-"
"That's not something I can decide, we need to speak with the others….But not tonight, it's already been a long day" the Bear Faunus shrugged "Are you still sleeping here tonight?"
"Of course" Zirconia answered without hesitation, the idea of not at least having her girlfriends' arms wrapped around her at the end of day as taxing as this being utterly harrowing to her "But first I need to shower"
"Sure….I'll be here; I love you" there was a brief hesitation, a moment where Athena chewed at her lip with pointed teeth and studied Zirconia needily; the Grasshopper Faunus realising almost immediately that her girlfriend had considered asking to join her in the shower only to falter in equal parts due to personal uncertainty and not wanting to risk being intruded on during an intimate moment two nights in a row.
Zirconia rewarded her by leaning in for a brief yet tender kiss.
"I love you too" with that she hopped off of Athena's bunk and made her way to the bathroom, not allowing her expression or breathing to falter until the door was securely closed behind her; at which point she almost slid down the wall in sudden panic and dread at the realisation that the half-truths and plotting and subterfuge might have cost her something dear to her and that there was only one course of action available to her.
Nero's plan would come to fruition and she would need to tell Athena everything before then.
To both Astra and Regalia it had seemed the most sensible option to steer clear of their dormitory for at least a few hours in the immediate wake of their debriefing, given the obvious tension which had almost crackled in the air between the other half of Team MARZ ever since their taxi ride from the train station; it was obvious that Athena and Zirconia needed to talk things out and Astra had, half-jokingly muttered to their own partner that interrupting such a conversation would likely be worse than walking in on their pair having sex again, an assertion which had seen Regalia reduced to sputtering, choking laughter.
With a vague course of action the pair had briefly gone their separate ways, with Regalia predictably stating that she intended to visit the canteen and that she would acquire enough food for both of them whilst Astra, similarly predictably had initially made their way towards the gym in order distract themselves until they could marshal their own scattered and disjointed thoughts only for problems with that course of action to immediately present themselves. Firstly Astra's gym bag was still in Team MARZ's dormitory and secondly, despite being given a clean bill of health by the campus nurse the fact remained that Astra had been active for most of the day and was already mostly exhausted to say nothing of their injuries which, whilst admittedly mild would be done no favours by overexertion. The Deer Faunus had ventured into the gym anyway and occupied themselves by spotting for Rye Fairfax whilst the mammoth young man lifted weights for a few sets before they grew restless and began to wander without a set destination.
One of the common areas would be an obvious choice under more normal circumstances however Astra had quickly dismissed the notion, as much as the leader of Team MARZ partook in gossip and rumours as a guilty pleasure there was no doubt at all in their mind that the main topic of conversation tonight would be Nero's interview and from there Athena and Zirconia, which would lead to situations which Astra had no desire to place themselves in.
Adding fresh worries and concerns to those which had already managed to weigh and press upon them.
Their aimless wandering had seen the Deer Faunus make their way to the exterior of the campus and it was there that Regalia found them, the Racoon Faunus approaching from behind though she was given away by both the sound of her heavy boots against the smooth and hard surface of the ground and the scent of the food she had managed to obtain which prompted Astra to turn away from where they were simply enjoying the view of the city they had been born and raised in; a view which Regalia found captivating for other reasons, Neo Vale's skyline at night was beautiful in ways which the movies it featured prominently in could not do justice and she had taken several photos which she intended to print and show to the rest of Clan Aiktishaf upon her return to them, the city dwarfing even Port Alistair and being a wonder which none of her people had seen the like of in living memory.
Though such thoughts were pushed aside as Astra helped themselves to a portion of food and shot their partner a thankful smile which Regalia forced herself not to overthink. The matter of her feelings for Astra had been discussed and was concluded, Athena's notion that she should revisit the topic being one she did not want to risk.
"How is there any of the lamb curry still left, this usually gets snapped up within five minutes of 'em serving it up?" the Deer Faunus managed to cut through Regalia's private thoughts with ease and a sense of familiar normalcy which went some way to put her at ease, Astra examining the food for a moment before digging in, fork in one hand whilst they rubbed tiredly at their eyes with the other and unintentionally smeared their signature dark make up.
"Heh, one the Shade students in our class noticed we weren't here today….One of Team GRIT apparently" Regalia answered the question with a nonchalant shrug "I've let them borrow tools and helped fix some busted electronics before so they asked the cooks to hold onto some of the good stuff….And it really is the good stuff"
"Yeah it is" Astra agreed happily, allowing themselves a moment of distraction which Regalia eagerly shared in and attempted to stoke and expand by following up with a tangentially related comment "That's reminds me….While we're waiting for AJ and Zirconia to, well I dunno; stuff I've only seen in movies-"
Astra snorted at that and Regalia shot them a pointed look which only reduced them to laughing as they ate, though their cheeks coloured faintly in a way which Regalia pretended not to notice as she carried on.
"We could go to the workshop?" the offer did not seem to garner any immediate support "We've still got classes and we all had to block that Grimm's hits, I don't wanna take a damaged weapon into Combat Class and hope for the best….Heh, do you feel lucky punk?"
"It's a good idea but I am way too tired for that" Astra answered, highlighting the point by setting down their dinner to stretch and yawn; remaining silent for a moment before letting out an irritable huff "So we're just gonna talk about everything else and dance around the subject then?"
"The interview Zirconia's sort of Dad gave?" Regalia's expression darkened
"Yeah, that!" Astra hissed "Fuck….I-we….all of us were really thinking about working for the guy, we based future classes on that and he goes and pulls something like this-"
"You want to change our electives?" Regalia, whilst still far less used to formal education and putting far less stock in certificates and paperwork than those born in the Kingdoms tended to could still easily read the stress emanating from her partner and in response Astra grumbled wordlessly for a moment before forcing themselves into coherence.
"I just….It's fucking dumb, 'cos I've heard all of these opinions before y'know? Hunters are dangerous, Hunters only help the people they want to and enforce corrupt laws, all Hunters are crazy….My Dad actually used to think like that; we had a lot of arguments about it when I was applying for Signal" Regalia reached out tentatively, heart hammering in her chest and gently squeezed Astra's hand; her food forgotten for the moment.
"It's dumb" Astra repeated "Damascus Nero doesn't owe me anything, we've never really spoken to each other….I just had these ideas of making a difference in my head after the speech Zirconia gave and this has kinda soured things-"
"You'll make a difference either way. You're awesome"
"We all will, Team MARZ are awesome….But thanks" Astra managed a weak chuckle, squeezing their partners hand gently "It's just….Stress I didn't need"
"So what are we gonna do….You know I'm with you" Regalia's words were quiet but intense, her final addition a reaffirmation of her love for her partner and friends that was plainly interpreted as such.
"And it means a hell of a lot" Astra swallowed thickly before adding "I think I just need to wait until AJ and Zirconia are done talking, then I'm gonna have to talk to Zirconia….This is a whole team issue and honestly it might be best if we actually have a proper talk with Chairman Nero when he gets back from whatever business trip he's on"
"That sounds like a good idea" Regalia nodded slowly, shooting her partner a bemused grin "What? It's not like I 'only' like the plans that are like something out of an action movie!"
"I'm not promising that there won't be explosions" Astra countered with a wicked grin which quickly gave way to a sigh "It's just more stress that I didn't need and I really don't care if that sounds selfish….All the other stuff that's going on right now, as well as the Vytal Tournament; I need more hours in a day"
"You think you'll do okay in the tournament?" Regalia asked, studying her partners' face and watching as Astra prepared to give her a flippant and joking answer that was likely preprepared in an effort to seem on top of things, a mental holdover from when they had been lest confidant and self assured only for their expression to falter and nervousness to spread across it, the Deer Faunus's eyes darting from Regalia's eyes to her mouth several times before they managed to force words out.
"I honestly don't know if I can win, the match ups are gonna be random from now and there won't be any terrain tricks for me to pull off….But I think I can do okay, all things considered I think I'm pretty good at this" Astra paused once again, visibly steeling themselves for something "But I'm thinking….Whatever happens, whenever my last match is and how it ends; if I'm still a shape to do it then do you wanna go out somewhere?"
"A Team MARZ celebration?" Regalia beamed.
"Actually I was thinking, just us?" Astra's voice wavered "I mean there's no pressure and if you'd rather do a team thing that's cool but I've just been thinking about….The stuff we talked about at the dance and maybe-"
"That sounds great" Regalia's answer left her as a little more than a squeaking wheeze, mind racing and yet remaining blank for several seconds before she forced herself to actually think; she did not believe for a moment that Astra would willingly hurt her but she could also not abide the idea of their being any misunderstandings on a subject like this "You mean like a date right?….I-uh-heh, what changed?"
"It can be a date, or a hang out or whatever….I just kinda wanna see where this goes" Astra mumbled, suddenly less certain "I think I just realised that I'm in a place now, or that I will be when I've got more time where things might actually be able to go somewhere and….Is it dumb that I was kinda planning on saving this talk for later, like in the stadium after my last match….I was gonna make it like a moment, from a movie"
"Heh….Most romcoms suck, but it would still have worked" Regalia laughed, pausing to meet Astra's eyes; allowing herself to enjoy the swooping feeling that came as she did so "You had me at hello"
And with that Astra pulled her into a crushing hug which was greatly appreciated and eagerly returned; the two of them in a far better mood than they had been a short while ago despite the problems facing them and the fact that their food lay forgotten beside them.
Night had long since fallen over the city of Neo Vale and the broken moon was nowhere to be seen, though towards the cities' perimeter walls there was still plenty of light from less natural sources in the form of the countless outer windows and billboards visible from the hive city whose enormous towers loomed in the distance and, more relevantly from the wall itself and one of the defensive posts integrated into it.
One such light source was a powerful spotlight which swept over the truck Carmesi Hueso was driving, drawing a low rumble of annoyance from him and forcing him to pull down the cap he currently wore to keep from being blinded as much as to protect his identity. The disguise the Komodo Dragon currently wore was one so simple it could barely be qualified as such and yet conversely this made the effect move convincing, simply an old and faded pair of overalls paired with a local sports' teams cap and a reflective, oil-stained high-visibility jacket to complete the look whilst a clipboard and a reasonable amount of seemingly legitimate paperwork were left on the trucks' passenger seat to distract from the fact that, tucked away in the footwell of the vehicle was a shotgun which was not Carmesi's own and the small bulge in his clothing where a machete could not quite be hidden.
Though as he peered beneath the brim of the cap he wore and studied the member of the cities' defenders currently approaching him Carmesi allowed himself to relax a fraction, the identity of the miliary man making his own weapons seem far less necessary.
"Good to see you again Peat!" the burly man clad in fatigues and light body armour, his own weapon fastened to his chest boomed out; the declaration and use of Carmesi's chosen alias being enough to confirm that all was well in the rogue Hunter's mind.
"Just gotta go through the usual checks and paperwork, you know the drill by now" the solider continued on conversationally as he invited himself into the passengers' seat of the truck, making to collect the paperwork but instead simply sitting and directing Carmesi towards where the goods he was transporting would ultimately be deposited; a breach in proper procedure that was so routine it could be easily exploited and from there the man spoke again in a conspiratorial tone "Nice to get a Hunter around here….We don't see you guys too often"
"And soon enough you won't need to rely on them or be at their mercy" Carmesi answered bluntly, glad that the facade was being set aside for long enough for him to have a proper discussion with his co-conspirator, who had thankfully not been so foolish as to tattoo anything that could be construed as an emblem on himself as Nero's own secretary had.
Carmesi could admit that he had howled with laughter upon hearing about that.
"I'm looking forward to that, looking forward to that a lot" the solider, who Carmesi now realised was older than himself by perhaps a decade answered, voice lowering to something rough and haggard and in that moment Carmesi understood exactly what it was that drove the man to actions that would be regarded as treason against his Kingdom despite the truth of the matter and he knew how Nero had appealed to him. Whilst the perimeter wall surrounded and encompassed the whole of the Kingdoms' Capital City only select points where manned by Hunters, primarily around the heavily defended gates which served as the main thoroughfares in and out of the city which would likely be the most susceptible places to Grimm incursion owing to both the existence of an entrance and the greater amount of living people in the area to draw the monsters. The choice to position Hunters here was a strategically sound one however it had led to a rarely acknowledged bitterness within select parts of the Kingdoms' other defenders, namely those whose contributions were far less visible and whose sacrifices on other sections of the wall often went unsung.
Carmesi was looking at a man who had lost people and then watched as their memories were insulted by apathy and ignorance.
"Our benefactors' latest gifts will ensure it….So long as you follow the plan and don't act until the time is right"
"I understand Op-Sec….I wasn't always on this wall" the older man, a fighter at heart if not a Hunter scoffed; bemused until his expression darkened "But if we want to talk about following orders and trigger discipline….We both know you're not just the errand boy, so do you wanna tell me what the deal is with these new recruits I'm getting? Fucking gang-bangers, every damn one of 'em!"
"I can promise that I share your opinions of them and that if a handful were to….Fall over the edge of the wall when the time comes, well accidents happen" Carmesi kept his tone light, yet the murderous look in his eye was enough to unsettled the seasoned soldier beside him so much that the older man was clearly wondering if he had made a mistake by climbing into the cab of the truck.
"They're a disorganised rabble not fit to live in the Remnant people like you and I will be helping our benefactor build….Dealing with them now is a necessary evil" the Komodo Dragon rumbled "We have people in a few key locations, but reshaping society into something more just will never be done without blood and they can fight….I've ensured that much"
"I get it" the soldier sighed, clearly irritated "Get as many of your people onto the wall as possible and it gives you room to move the Hunters off of it-"
"The influx of recruits at a time when the Kingdom can't afford to turn them away leads to an influx of equipment….Which is finding its' way exclusively into the hands of people whose views align with ours" Carmesi picked up the thread of the conversation, preparing to tell the soldier that they had operatives within the Conglomerate and subsidiaries such as Cosmo-Guild should he raise suspicions about Chairman Nero; instead he nodded in understanding.
"The weapons, those new mech-suits….Really tasty stuff, I've seen what some of it can do to the Grimm but will they really hold up if we have to start bringing Hunters in, or putting Hunters down?"
"You won't be fighting alone" Carmesi assured the man "One of the other reasons that your new recruits were chosen is that they've been trained with a new weapons system that our benefactor has devised….One which will certainly be capable of dealing with Hunters. I'm carrying an example on this shipment, you're too keep it secure and in a position to be deployed at a moments' notice when the time comes but you are under no circumstances to try and open the container or activate it prematurely"
"Fuck me, what is it?" the soldier demanded, leaving Carmesi silent for a moment as he chose his words.
"Something similar to the AI and robotic units produced by companies such as Cosmo-Guild, Poly-Tech or the Atlesian Military; but far, far more advanced" the reptilian Faunus's eyes gleamed as he added "Understand that I can't risk sharing too many details, but I have seen these units in action and trained some of your new recruits personally….You will have the advantage"
Carmesi waited with bated breath, muscles coiling as he prepared to either unleash his Semblance or reach for his weapons in the event that the man beside him wavered in his conviction and found himself tempted to either back out or betray the Chairman's confidence. A single error in judgement could see the entire endeavour in ruins and Carmesi could not simply silence every possible source of such a mistake, meaning that the rogue Hunter was forced to rely on charisma and a sense of mystery; compelling the various groups he was offloading dormant Cyber-Grimm onto to take the things without ever knowing what it was they were handling, the knowledge that the gangsters that he had helped to forge into a fighting force would be present and given direction by both Albion and Gestalt-Prime when the moment finally arrived doing little to assuage the unshakeable feeling that too much was being left to chance and interpretation.
Eventually however the soldier spoke and Carmesi was forced to relent, at least outwardly.
"Okay, I'll take your word for it 'Peat'….But another one of this rabble you've given me turns up late to their watch I'm making an example of 'em" the older man sighed, turning to open the truck door and clamber out as he added "Well, your paperwork's all in order; let's get this shit unloaded"
The hour had grown so late that within the repaired and yet still dimmed confines of the Chamber Gestalt-Prime was the only being of any intelligence present; though whether their presence could be counted in any sense beyond the strictly physical was a matter for debate.
Albion, being a being of mere flesh and blood had reached the daily limits of his feeble bodies' capabilities and been forced to seek rest and it had been all the Alpha Cyber-Grimm could do to contain their violent impulses and refrain deploying their weapons with the intention of tearing their way up into the space where the scientist slept and rip him back into the waking world before inflicting unspeakable violence upon him, just as Albion had done to Gestalt-Prime themselves.
It would be immensely satisfying, but would be unproductive all the same.
Vengeance and retribution, a more nuanced concept than base violence and one which Gestalt-Prime found themselves enjoying the notion of; would wait.
At present the Chamber was occupied only by Gestalt-Prime and the last of Cyber-Grimm, a collection of the standard models and a limited selection of other variants yet to be transported; though the mechanical monsters had ceased their chittering and lumbering movements as they had each been placed into a dormant state from which they would be reactivated when the time was right. These were the last lingering items remaining after the days' efforts wherein Albion and Gestalt-Prime, along with Carmesi's help in the field had continued putting the Cyber-Grimm in the places they would be most useful so that when Nero revealed himself and his plans to all of Remnant the Cyber-Grimm would be ready to act alongside their co-conspirators and cut down the Hunters or any others who might resist. Gestalt-Prime themselves had suggested a more direct and bloodthirsty approach, namely simply unleashing their weapons upon the Hunters as they slept; siting the various military procedures and protocols that had been etched into their mind and arguing that the matter should be handled no differently to attacking a Spawning Pit, where Hunters certainly showed no restraint or hesitation.
The humans have overruled them however, the idea of killing people in their beds whilst their families slept around them enough to make the men who still saw themselves as just and moral balk despite all that they had done thus far.
Such oddities had been disregarded however as Gestalt-Prime had hunkered down and absently wondered what it was their allies thought they did in these hours, before unfurling and expanding their axe-bladed wings, wrapping their metallic and muscular structures around themselves before entering a fugue state in which their mind and consciousness left their body and briefly departed from the physical realm entirely. The light of their singular optic flickered and dimmed beneath the protective visor which encased it, however if one were to peer beneath the cover of their wings they would see the visors' display reading of co-ordinates and data streams which seemed almost nonsensical, or at least to correlate with nothing readily understood; a reflection of Gestalt-Prime's journey into the shattered and fragmented remains of the Grimm Hive Mind wherein they became aware of each of the lesser Grimm under their control, pausing as they often did to consider the uniqueness of the connection with each of the Cyber-Grimm and the limitations that uniqueness currently posed before following a now-familiar pathway through the branching, twisting web of consciousness.
One which led to the Furnace on Menagerie.
Reality flickered back into view, though now Gestalt-Prime stood beneath an open sky and inhabited a body which lesser to their own in all ways; a feeble and temporary thing which would be disposed of as soon as they concluded with their current task, that of dealing with the human figure before them who insisted on wearing their mask and trinkets which Gestalt-Prime's more evolved sense of self and understanding informed the Alpha Grimm were utterly ridiculous.
"Lo and behold" Aefen Cruor greeted them with her usual overwrought and extravagant gestures, even dipping into a curtsy of sorts this time which Gestalt-Prime was unsure how to respond to and so promptly ignored.
"What news?" they demanded bluntly, the effect changed by the alterations to their speech and voice; becoming something less terrifying in a primal and animal way and yet no less commanding. Aefen stiffened and the Grimm had the impression that behind her mask her dry and cracked lips might have pulled into a sneer before she spoke.
"Nero is entirely aware of your ability to communicate like this and will likely insist on using this ability moving forward" the rogue scientist answered "However, given that I can alter the logs and records this still works in your favour as it will allow you to move more freely whilst still maintaining contact….Something which I'm almost certain Nero plans for-"
"He will want me to lead the charge after out initial attack in Neo Vale" Gestalt-Prime snarled "I can use this….Provided you have been successful"
"I have" Aefen assured them "I didn't want to send them digitally, I've been waiting for a face to face discussion but I have co-ordinates for several suspected Spawning Pits which the Kingdoms have no plans to attack at present, located primarily on the continent of Vytal….Ones you should be able to reach"
"Excellent work" the hybrid Alpha's low voice took on a satisfied edge even as their avatar began to dissolve into sludge once more.
"The new age draws near….Nero's plans and the Cyber-Grimm are only the beginning"
Author's Notes:
This chapter seems quiet….But understand that next chapter will be the ¾ point Vol.06 and will lead directly into the finale, which will not have room for anything other than being the finale; so this is where we're getting in our development and bits of build-up for everything that comes after the big reveal we've been working towards for so long now.
But anyway let's summarise shall we?:
We're following on pretty much directly from the end of the last chapter...Also new Kenwood and the talk about the old Kenwood district is just me doing a deep cut from my own lore; it's where AJ's Dad lived and it's where Velvet and Adam met.
"Someone on the train told the press"….Maybe, or maybe you were set up, who knows.
Of course Astra took it on themselves to have a problem with the passengers about it.
"Complete confidence and bullshit bravado….Yeah I can do that" I mean they can, it was their whole thing for a while.
And here we see the immediate fallout of Nero's bullshit….Basically he's taken the same attitude that he had when he was in the VIP box and shared it with everyone, with him being enough of a public figure that it gets attention and gets people talking; which in turn sets the stage for a bigger play.
AJ will absolutely go after the little shit that said that.
The comment about interfering business….Based on a phrase that I have had to use at work more than once "I am on my unpaid and legally mandated break right now, I will help you when that break ends".
Yeah, she says she doesn't know and she might not have seen the script Nero was using beforehand but she knows exactly what the game plan is and that this part was going to happen sooner or later.
We need to talk, prepare thyself whenever you hear that.
The Stygian scene seems largely unconnected; but will tie into Vol.07 and 08.
So Tiger mentioned to Stygian that he could use being Team TRQS's tournament rep to raise awareness for what's happening in his home settlement; Stygian mentioned that to Ren who has in turn told him to mention it to Coco, just as a courtesy.
Coco is a milf at this point but even Stygian isn't stupid enough to try and flirt here.
Pikesreach….because I hadn't actually given where Stitch is from a name yet.
'Politics' feels like a cop out reason but honestly, look at the world….Of course Coco wanted to go and un-fuck things in Pikesreach and bring the Hunters running it to justice but there was just no impetus to do so; it isn't part of the Kingdom of Menagerie and the Hunters running the settlement have an admittedly flimsy justification of carrying out their duty to keep the people in their care safe in 'Difficult circumstances'.
"You would have been great at Breaktide" laughs in foreshadowing.
So if you're confused think about it this way….Nero's whole stated position is a campaign against corrupt Hunters, Stygian is from a settlement run by corrupt Hunters on Menagerie; Nero and his production facility are now currently on Menagerie.
Of course Qrow called a meeting as soon as he saw Nero's interview.
I had to put some justifications for where the other members of the cabal are; otherwise the scene gets too crowded.
And here we see the beauty of Nero's approach….If you investigate him, he gets to claim that he's being silenced and that all of the attacks and accusations are politically motivated.
Well well, Qrow's getting there; not quite but at the same time "They're in cahoots" is probably more reasonable than them being the same person.
Winter's comment give it some extra context….We've already shown Albion using CCT forums and conspiracy theories to draw in new recruits; the idea that Nero has been exposed that and radicalised by people playing on his history (The loss of his partner and most of his friends and the subsequent reveal of who and what Salem is) works from the position of someone who doesn't know.
"I'll look over her records and see if there's anything untoward….Though I doubt it, she's always been an excellent student" and there it is, there's Coco setting up the last domino that Qrow needs; now all she's gotta do is knock it down.
Oh yeah, Zirconia is not holding it together at all.
Just imagine what Hops put in those text messages.
Of course AJ led off with an apology, you didn't think they were gonna break up here surely?….The heartbreak comes later.
"How much of this is actually about helping people and how much of this is….I don't know, making some sort of point Hunters for the times he's been let down by us?" and there's the million dollar question; but the nuts part is that Nero really does believe that what he's doing is the way forward.
So, crisis not averted but delayed….And no sharing a shower.
But Zirconia is committed to telling AJ everything, let's see how it goes.
Yeah don't go to the gym when you're still recovering; just from experience.
Also, y'know it's bad when Astra is missing a chance to gossip and be in the middle of everything.
"While we're waiting for AJ and Zirconia to, well I dunno; stuff I've only seen in movies-" she didn't mean it as an innuendo but it sounds like one.
Of course Astra had a strong reaction and sense of betrayal about Nero as well; they've bought into what Zirconia sold 'em….And there is also the matter of Redwood Mars being of the opinion that all Hunters are walking time-bombs back in FADE and clearly having concerns which Nero played on when they were in the VIP seating together, so yay memories.
Regalia loves the action movie plans and you know it.
So, I was originally gonna have Astra and Regalia talk about everything except each other here; but I like this, this works and sets up something I've got planned for next chapter….So they're not a thing, but pending.
Also, she's been saving "You had me at hello".
Have some villain stuff….Also 'Peat' is such a good cover/NPC name in Remnant.
And now Nero not only has his robots involved in the Kingdoms' defences but he's also got members of the city guard on his team….Also the shot at the secretary who tattooed herself was needed.
The soldier isn't really important, but it felt important to show the other kinds of people being drawn to Nero and what motivates them; with loss, grief and anger being common themes.
Also having the gang members that Nero's been using get jobs alongside the city guard so they can put the training Nero's given them to good use and be on hand to command the Cyber-Grimm is a smart move.
So Nero is expecting to make his big speech, reveal the Cyber-Grimm and convince the people to turn on the Hunters….Makes you wonder what else he's got tucked away or how he's gonna frame it.
Oh yeah Gestalt-Prime is absolutely gonna fuck over one of the other villains at some point.
Also the little tweaks and evolutions of their attitude and sense of self each time they evolve are always fun to figure out; this version arguing that just hitting the Hunters at home is no different to what Hunters would do to Grimm is certainly a perspective.
The fact that Nero vetoed that idea is in keeping with his decisions thus far and a sign that he's definitely not mindless villainy.
I could have had this scene from Aefen's perspective but honestly we haven't had anything from Gestalt-Prime's since they got their new body and things like how moving their consciousness into a temporary body actually feel or what the Cyber-Grimm's presence in the Hive Mind is like are things I felt like brining up.
So….Nero is prepared to give Gestalt-Prime some freedom of motion post-Vale operation; unaware that Gestalt-Prime has their own plans for evolving the Grimm species which go beyond just the Cyber-Grimm.
And Aefen is her own brand of terrible which I'm gonna have fun with.
Thank you to MajorBrony95 for their review on the last chapter.
Yeah it happened to Weiss and Gang as well back in Downward Spiral, funnily enough Ruby was a repeat offender.
I don't want to spoil you with shipping stuff but this chapter should give you a solid idea of where things are headed and also...You're gonna enjoy the next chapter.
Nero's masteplans have been fun to write and honestly I can't wait for people to read the moment he delivers.
As for potential AJ Vs Hops...Hahahahahahaha, prepare to hate me.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.