CHAPTER 12 - Nevermore
February 15th, 797 E.A
City of Argus, Kingdom of Mistral Territory
She ran through the hall as the walls crumbled, the metal monstrosity burrowing through them after her.
Beyond reading for Ruby, Yang Xiao Long never fancied literature much, but she did love movies.
Watching them! Not being in one and fighting a freaking Terminator!
Outside, the sun crept below the horizon, bathing the abandoned apartment complex in the shades of night as the evening browns gave way to the blue hue of the night.
The hallways and the abandoned rooms - all of them grew darker by the second.
She froze in her tracks - glancing behind her.
The Puppet now rushed straight at her through the hallway, the boxes and open doors barely slowing it down.
Well, getting it out into a more open space was a success. Now what, Yang?
She clicked her tongue - she should learn to plan ahead - it is the impulsive winging-it attitude that would get her in trouble.
Yang dropped to her knees as she threw her fist, connecting with the Puppet's chest as the creature reached her, the thing practically crashing into it at full speed.
Pain coursed through her fist, but she gritted her teeth as her heartbeat picked up speed, her blood boiling.
She screamed, burning, pushing the Puppet back with a creaking sound.
Using her Semblance like she used to, she now could feel the exact moment the fire started burning - the anger, not the pain causing it.
Yang understood herself for the first time in forever.
Every negative emotion she would feel, once it passed a certain limit, would burn up into power, driving her forward - her anger, rage, or sadness would no longer stop or hinder her - they would become fuel, giving her strength to carry on.
No more distractions, no more self-destruction - she cleared the path up ahead as she grasped at her goal.
She stared at the Puppet as it rose to its feet once more - Yang could see noticeable crevices and cracks form upon its chest, whatever powered the monster likely having trouble keeping up recreating its form.
This wasn't a movie from one of Vale's many film studios, nor a tense virtual reality experience from Atlas.
The creature was strong but not unstoppable - the alloys, no matter how sturdy and adaptable, could break, and the energy, no matter how infinite, could run out.
They had to keep beating it down each time it rose back on its feet.
The Puppet growled or shrieked - she couldn't tell.
"I can do this all day." - Yang shouted.
Yang wasn't bluffing - for the first time in a while, she felt like she could lift a mountain if needed - her Semblance surging through her.
The Puppet ran at her, again - only for Clair's fist to connect with its form from the apartment on the right, crashing monster into the mirror.
"Little bird, what did I say about playing around?"
"You told me to get it to an open space, and I did."
"You call this an open space?" - Clair laughed.
"Well, unless you want to throw it outside, this is as good as I could find - a nice and clear hallway is still better than some cramped storage room or office."
"I guess it will have to do."
"Do you think we can beat it?"
Clair stared at the puppet, already writhing back up.
"Oui, I beckon - that thing has about half my Aura siphoned, so both of us should have no trouble."
Yang's mind went blank.
Did she barely hold her own against robot-half-a-Clair here? How much was she holding back during their training sessions?
She shook her head. This wasn't the time to doze off.
Funny how you don 't feel tense right now, considering the situation, Yang.
Anger, rage, and all those things were still here, but her mind was clear, no longer guided off the beaten path by them - another benefit that came with a better grasp on her Semblance.
Whether due to weeks of training and learning to live once again or because of the power within her - her negative emotions would hinder her no longer.
"Let's go." - Yang said, rushing towards the mechanical aberration. She gripped the door handle and pulled, breaking the solid metal door off its hinges. Yang with all her might hurtled the piece of metal at the monster, crashing it into The Puppet's body and sending it flying into the wall once again.
The wind rushing past Yang, Clair took this as her chance - jumping at the creature as her kick embedded it further into a wall. And then another The outer wall crumbled, the puppet tumbling down into an empty alley.
"You seem to have gotten a handle on your Semblance, Little Bird."
"Yeah, it just came to me during the fight."
"How very fitting of you." - Clair strode forward jumping through the hole in the wall into the alley below.
Yang followed, her hand gripping the bricks as she lowered herself outside.
As her feet touched the alley bricks tainted by the night's embrace, the Puppet ahead of them jumped back up from the rubble it had fallen outside with.
A loud pop followed, as its metal joint snapped back into place, The Puppet regaining its form.
"Can't you do something to it?"
"I am sorry, little bird, but my Semblance would be useless against something that has no mind of its own. And even if it worked, I don't want to risk it learning how to use it itself"
Right - Yang reminded herself - half of Clair's Aura was inside that thing, which meant there was a possibility it could manifest her Semblance somehow - they had no idea of the limits of the creature in front of them.
Yang nodded at Clair as the duo rushed forward toward the creature.
The Puppet, its form reassembled and no longer twisted, glared at them, the holes in its face lighting up bright green.
The eyes burning with that glow took Yang back in time - as if she had been fighting the Grimm in the Fall of Beacon all over again, their the glow beneath their masks illuminating the night, merging with fire and ash.
The Puppet roared, swinging its arm, metal wires springing forth from its fingers, tearing apart the walls of the buildings around them.
The building next to the abandoned apartment complex crumbled to the ground, its foundation torn by the wires cutting apart stone.
Was there someone inside? This was mostly an abandoned block of the city - a victim of the ever-changing landscape of Argus.
Empty run-down apartment complexes, rusting falling apart factories, broken down stores - in a few years this whole block would likely be torn down to make way for another facet of Argus' bright future.
But she couldn't be sure.
People could have taken refuge in any of those buildings just like in the apartment complex before the soldiers got there.
If there was a single person here, The Puppet's actions would have spelled the end of their lives - for no other reason than them ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A secret weapon from another Kingdom tearing the city apart like a Monster.
Her blood boiled at the thought.
The world had enough of real monsters - why would anyone want to make their own?
This city deserved better - the whole of Remnant did.
The world had spent centuries fighting off an unbeatable threat and yet some people still wanted to spread destruction themselves as one man at the top kept the world spinning.
She gritted her teeth.
Even if she only had one arm, she was still a Huntress - the one who hunts monsters.
Her head burned as she lunged at the puppet, her sight covered in a red glow.
Clair jumped past her, landing a downward kick, the impact crushing the Puppet into the street, the bricks cracking.
Yang rushed forward, swinging her fist her fist at the monster before it could get up again.
And then again, and again, and again - a barrage of controlled fury rained down upon the monster, its head cracking more and more with each hit.
The metal creaked as the puppet thrashed its limbs at her, but Yang merely changed the director of her punches, matching it
The wires burst forth from the Puppet's chest, as Yang hurled backwards.
Something went wrong.
She inhaled as deep as she could.
Emptiness.
Yang shivered.
The fire was gone once again.
"What?"
Her eyes darted to Clair, who froze, looking at her hands.
"Something's wrong, little bird."
"My Semblance seems to have gone out." - Yang said, panting.
She gripped her shoulder, closing her eyes.
"Aura, too - the energy is there, but the defensive field is gone."
"That's not good." - Clair's expression turned sour.
Yang gripped the communicator Raven had thrown to her. As she pressed the button, a crackling white noise greeted her.
"Jamming." - Claire said. - "Damn it."
"What is going on?"
The Puppet ahead of them also stopped attacking, instead backing away.
"We must leave quickly, but we can't let this thing escape, not now." - Clair said, rushing after the Puppet. - "That thing's still holding onto half of my essence."
Yang clenched her fist, following her lead, rushing after it through the street.
Adrenaline coursing through her veins, she rushed after the Puppet, wind flowing against her skin.
The monster had picked up speed, crashing through the garbage containers as if nothing.
They couldn't let it escape.
There was no guarantee the siphoning wouldn't continue, eventually draining Clair of life itself.
At best, it would have left Clair with half her Aura - yet another outcome they couldn't let happen.
Yang ran, pushing herself to the limits.
Weeks of training had made her more than capable of navigating obstacles, returning her spatial awareness, her movements adapting to only having one limb and to the changes in the weight centers of her body.
But she still wasn't fast enough.
The distance between them widened more and more.
She couldn't let this happen.
She couldn't be a helpless observer again - as people around her got hurt.
Yang screamed.
Thunder roared, cutting her scream short, a red glow covering the alley.
Yang stumbled upon her steps, the Puppet ahead having stopped dead in its tracks.
All the air in the alley got sucked out as all sound disappeared.
It was as if the world froze.
In front of Yang, the puppet split clean in half.
As the blade was swung once again, the halves cracked into more pieces and then into more.
Yang struggled to say something, anything.
An all-too-familiar view greeted her - a figure, appearing in front of her when she least expected her to.
As the Puppet crumbled, the metal raining down the alley pavement, realization washed over Yang.
"Mom."
Raven stared at them, her gaze darting between her and Clair.
One of her coat sleeves was torn, and her hair was messier than usual.
Yang was still reeling from the whirlwind of emotions and events transpiring one after another.
She strode toward Clair, who stumbled a bit before regaining her footing.
"You good?" - Raven said.
"Oui." - Clair said, clenching her fist. - "It's all returning now."
"What is-"
"Talk later, Yang. We need to go. Right now."
Her mother grabbed her hand, once again dragging her through the streets.
Yang Xiao Long ran through the city, together with the duo - like the night she had first arrived in Argus.
February 15th, 797 E.A
City of Argus, Kingdom of Mistral Territory
Circles, loops, myths - all things would begin and end the same.
Rushing through the street, the neon signs zoomed past her field of vision as steps rang behind them - repetition and loops were something Yang Xiao Long could never escape.
The trio ran, turning corners from alley to alley, vaulting over the steel fences as her mind screamed at her asking what was going on.
Reaching a parking lot, Raven slowed down.
"We should be near" - She said. - "They likely covered the entire block."
"Why aren't we just, you know, using the portal thing?" - Yang said, trying to catch her breath.
"We can't." - Clair said, turning her head towards right. - "Am I right?"
Raven nodded.
"ART hideout we just were at is currently being rushed by Black Spears - the Department of Harmony soldiers. They have a device or devices - it messes with Dust and Grimm alike."
"And it dampens Auras, disables semblances."
"A Resonator - an idea Ozpin had designed which generally was used to keep Grimm at bay before the towers were built. It's something that existed before Semblances did, in the ages of Once Upon a time when people had to find other ways to defend against the rising tide."
"A variation of those things are running in most of the cities, dear" - Clair lifted her hand pointing at the three skyscrapers up on Panoptes Hill - "Somewhere up there in case of Argus. It's the reason why even with the towers down the Grimm aren't rushing through the cities."
"The people at Harmony seem to have built something that amplifies the effect even more. It works for a very short time, but it effectively shuts down Auras, Semblances, and anything that runs on Dust in a certain perimeter." - Raven raised her sword. - "And since this thing pierces into the Grimm and the Resonators dampen the Grimm particles, I can't use it while those things are running."
So that's why the Puppet attempted to run - self-preservation rather than fear - it felt its energy source dwindling from the effects and tried to escape the perimeter.
Wait a second.
"Wait, wait, wait - what do you mean before Semblance existed?"
"Yes, we will have a longer talk if we get out of this. Now we have to move."
Clair sauntered forward, peeking from a corner into the street
"Still, those guys appeared real fast. Do you think someone tipped them off about what Atlas guys were going to do here?"
Clair gestured at them, indicating it was safe.
"What's more, I think our hotel is not safe either right now. If the rest of ART went there using Puppet as a distraction, then the Black Spears are likely sweeping through there too."
Yang stumbled forward, trying to process Raven's words.
The cold night breeze tore into her lungs - an invisible hand gripping her heart, squeezing it with every word she heard.
"What about the people? Civilians?"
Her mother sighed, shaking her head.
"The key doctrine of the Department of Harmony is preventing the spread of negativity and discord. Most Kingdoms have government branches like that that in various ways ensure the cities don't devolve into chaos, attracting the Grimm." - Raven glared straight into her eyes. - "I don't think I need to tell you how they would prevent the panic from spreading if someone were to witness their little cleaning sweep."
"So anyone in the hotel?"
"I don't know how far exactly, but anyone unfortunate to have witnessed what's going on, whether here or near the Sunspot? They'd be goners, Harmony ensuring not a single soul knows what happens."
"That seems extreme" - Yang said as she strode, following Clair, matching her pacing with Raven. - "Way too extreme."
"You don't think it was weird that in your stay here not a single horrible thing happened? When we arrived, a person was pinned to a wall and yet there were no reports or anything of that kind. We live in the world of Huntsmen and Dust, Yang - how likely do you think that is? Beneath its glamor, beneath the tolerance and blister of Argus, cold logic and numbers rule this Kingdom."
Yang bit her lip.
The trio soon shifted into yet another alley as they approached the end of this district. The wind blew torn newspapers in twisters, not a soul in sight. A neon sign above the back exit of a nearby cafe blinked in and out of life, broken - a sign that they had reached the end of the mostly abandoned city block.
"But, Mantle?"
"Mantle took things too far, raised arms against its own citizens, got involved in the Faunus matters, and in the end had attempted to force their approach upon other Kingdoms. Compared to that? Something like Harmony silencing a few people in clandestine operations to keep the peace and morale stable is minuscule." - Raven smiled. - "Too small to start wars over. Conflicts that burn bright enough to spark a world war would need to be bigger in scope. And way more public."
"But people have lives and rights. It's not fair."
"We live in a world where rights are merely permitted if those in power are unwilling to rein in those trying to restrict them." - Raven didn't look at her daughter, gazing in the distance as they hurried forward. - "It's not just this Kingdom, either. Every single one has its fair share of skeletons in closets."
Yang wanted to scream, to punch things.
But, once again she could only run.
"I wish I could do something.".
Her mother didn't reply, merely slapping her shoulder with the palm of her hand to move faster.
Yang never could reconcile everything she had seen in the city - the everyday lives of the people, their smiles and tears - with the sight of that man pinned to the wall with black spears as people in green coats chased after them.
Nor could she erase the clandestine shadows beneath the city lights she had seen over these past weeks, as she maneuvered the city streets, figures tailing her, out of sight - people whom she had now known to have been Atlas soldiers.
Her mind wandered back to Beacon, to Vale - the city bustling with life and how that contrasted with the Fall of Beacon, monsters and robots rushing over the innocents.
Every city has its shadow, every Kingdom has its secrets - and in the end, those without power pay the price.
She shook her head as if trying to shake off the thoughts haunting her mind.
"How far be-"
Raven grabbed her by her jacket, pulling her backward as a massive spear lodged into the city street where she had been before.
Yang's eyes darted to the weapon and then to her mother who remained eerily calm.
Throwing Yang to the ground, Raven drew her sword, as a fist rammed into her face - a figure in appearing right in front of her.
The assailant shrouded itself in coat as dark as forest pines, the face obscured via some kind of veil.
The gusts of wind tore through the alley caused by the air displaced by the figure's sudden movement.
With a sharp sound of wind, her mother flew into a wall - and then right through it into the building.
The figure didn't say a single word.
For some reason, Yang found it extremely difficult to focus on the details of the assailant - she could tell the figure wore a coat, but unlike the other Black Spears she had seen before, this one was adorned with gold ornaments.
Yang screamed jumping to her feet as she swung her arm, the fist connecting with the Black Spear's shoulder.
She gripped the shoulder with her arm, pulling herself towards him, as her leg connected with the assailant's ribs.
The figure stopped for a second - Yang couldn't see the attacker's face, but she could tell the hit likely had made them wince.
Then as if dancing, the figure shifted forward, grabbing her wrist and twisting it.
The world flipped upside down - or maybe just Yang herself as the figures spun her into the air.
The Green Coat kick connected with her upside-down shoulder, sending her flying.
As her ears rang she glimpsed Clair lunging at the figure.
Yang blinked, pain coursing through her back as she hit the garbage dumpster.
The sharpness of the feeling made her shiver, reminding Yang - her Aura was still down.
As Yang willed herself to her feet, she observed the fight ahead.
Clair and the Green Coat were evenly matched, trading blows.
"How low have you fallen." - the voice echoed beneath the shifting mirage covering the Green Coat's face.
Yang squinted, struggling to comprehend what was going on with the Green Coat's head - sometimes she would see an unimpressive face you'd see in a street, quickly forgetting it, and sometimes the air around its features would shift as if her eyesight was assaulted by blinking lights.
If the man had been walking down the street, she would likely have written them off as a forgettable face - but it was clear there was something more to the assailant's attire hiding their features.
Before Yang could process this, the Green Coat dove past her, rolling as he gripped the handle of the spear he had thrown at them at the start.
As the Green Coat stood up, with a single pull, he tore the spear from the ground, turning around once again to face them.
Their enemy had fought them with his bare hands till now.
Thunder roared through the sky reminding Yang of the weather anomalies that had begun to plague this place.
Yet the man ahead loomed far more mystifying than the changing forces of nature.
He wasn't using Dust or a Semblance and he wasn't protected by an Aura right now.
And he still effortlessly fought three of them.
There was no way the Green Coat was a human being.
As their assailant steadied himself, pointing his spear at them, a thought struck Yang.
They will all die here. There was no escape.
A sound of crumbling bricks and torn wood reached Yang - her mother appeared from the hole in the wall the green coat had sent her flying into.
"If you stopped us personally right here that means we were just about to leave the resonator perimeter." - Clair spoke, her eyes scanning the surroundings. - "Which means the set-up must be somewhere near here."
Yang followed her lead.
Resonators were physical devices placed somewhere - what's more, if this is such a delicate technology, the Black Spears would unlikely leave the devices unattended.
"There! Rooftop!" - Clair shouted.
"What? What do you expect me to do?" - Yang said, her gaze jumping to where Clair had pointed.
Up on the roof stood another Black Spear holding a metal device half their size.
"Not you, little bird. The other idiot!"
"Please don't call me that." - Raven glared, unsheathing her sword.
The Green Coat rushed towards her.
Yang reeled, tense, as she turned towards her mother.
Yet before Yang could move, Clair already dashed to Raven, grabbing The Green Coat by the shoulder.
Meanwhile Raven took her stance, brandishing her blade.
And then she swept through the air with her sword, a high-pitched sound following the motion.
A ripple of dark energy emanated from it, pulsing red as if the air bled from Raven's slash - a thick line traveling through the alley diagonally towards the Black Spear on the rooftop.
What had happened?
In mere seconds, the device the Black Spear held was torn apart, blowing its guardian backward as he tumbled down from the rooftop.
Dust shouldn 't work, so why? What is that sword, Mom?
Yang could feel goosebumps course through her body, her Aura forming the usual protective layer around her.
In front of Yang, the Green Coat glared at Raven, his eyes locked onto her weapon.
Raven took out the mask, putting it on. She cleaved through the air with her sword once again, this time a dark rippling void forming from the slash - a Menshen.
Before Yang could react, the Green Coat rushed towards Raven, swinging his spear.
Yang jumped towards her mother, but Clair, brushing right past her was faster, lunging between them Once again and blocking the Green Coat's attack, pushing him back.
Steps echoed through the alley, ten more Black Spears rushing toward them, cutting off their escape.
"Do you really think I will just let you all leave?" - The Green Cloak's voice echoed, warped.
"Oui, I am afraid you will." - Clair smiled.
"No! You and your dirty Semblance won't-"
Yang understood - it was too late - whatever Clair intended had already begun.
The air around Clair shimmered eliciting a sensation as if Yang was seeing the white noise flicker on a TV screen.
And then Clair spoke.
The melody that filled the air, Yang couldn't understand.
.Those weren't merely words - the sound of them being spoken washed over Yang's very being.
Yang was struck with an inherent understanding - this wasn't speech.
This was Clair's aura, traveling through the soundwaves, invading the Green Coat's being.
Was this Clair's Semblance - the one she had said was useless when her opponent had no conscious thoughts?
"No!" - The Green Coat stumbled backward.
Clair smirked, putting on another mask, as she turned around, sauntering towards the portal.
Thunder roared once again and the Green Coat twitched, screaming as he lunged towards his comrades.
The rest of the Black Spears recoiled, trying to restrain their commander, momentarily taking their attention off their targets.
Yang didn't have much time to process what had transpired.
Rushing forward, she put on the mask and dove into the Menshen after her mother and Clair.
Soon the chaos from the alley disappeared behind her, stillness enveloping her.
February 16th, 797 E.A CAN YOU HEAR ME?
The whispers grew louder as she attempted to swim back to the surface, the dark currents eating away at her skin.
Yet despite sinking through the waves, Yang Xiao Long stood on the streets of this city.
She has seen this place before - first when she had traveled with Raven to Argus and then in her dreams ever since.
These streets still didn't make any sense to her - what kind of city would be built in a way where the street crossing would go up the wall to the roof of one of the many buildings here? Why were there windows opening down inside the asphalt? Why were there stairs going in circles in the middle of the street? Why was there a car fused with a kitchen sink in the middle of that square?
The more she took in her surroundings, the more the dream logic became apparent.
This wasn't a place that existed, nor a city someone would consciously imagine building.
The emptiness filled with jumbled fragments of reality that defied common sense resembled a legend retold from person to person for thousands of years till the result resembled none of the real things.
This was a reflection hungry for knowledge - longing to reassert its shape and fill itself with meaning.
Yet it ignored her.
Step by step Yang wandered through the city square, passing the kitchen sink, sometimes closing the fridge doors someone had left open - further up ahead, beneath the rotting carcass of a building, there loomed yet another stairway - this time going down.
Might as well.
She strode downward, deeper into the ocean floor that wasn't a floor.
There, deep below, four broken-apart seats awaited her - the knowledge city hungered to understand - welcoming the existence that defied it, the existence that governed the coming of the seasons and the passage of time - the concepts that this hungry city never understood.
She thought the seats made of marble, but as she strolled closer, she realized they were made out of salt.
You dream of weirdest things, Yang.
She strode past the seats - those weren't meant for her.
Before long, before she could even tell, the city was behind her and Yang had found herself in the dark.
Emptiness. Nothingness - the pressure of the ocean brushing against her skin with every step.
She knew - whatever this was, wherever this was, or whenever - all things would return here one day.
No matter where people would wander, this was the beginning and end of each living thing in the land.
Were all of them merely specks of dust swirling around the dark void that waited to drag them all into it?
Then the so-called lifespan of a being was nothing more than the distance left to travel before the inevitable embrace, dissolving it.
Apeiron - the void, the true nothingness, the dark matter of the world, the Death Itself.
Yang screamed, but the emptiness eroded the escaping sound.
Nothing was there. There was nothing here.
Vast. Empty. Infinite.
Life sinking into the endless ocean, guided by many things but especially by Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Acceptance, and the End.
She screamed again as if to push away the closing in waves, water that wasn't water permeating every inch of her being.
Her eyes jolted open as she screamed.
"Breathe, Yang, breathe." - a familiar voice echoed.
February 16th, 797 E.A
City of Argus, Kingdom of Mistral Territory
As Yang's vision cleared up the smell of books and dust greeted her, her sight falling upon an all too familiar room with her mother sitting next to her.
"What, what the hell was that?"
Yang choked, gasping for air, coughing as if trying to spit out something that wasn't there.
Her eyes darted at her surroundings, shivers running through her muscles.
"The truth beneath the surface, Yang."
"Beneath?"
"Beneath everything that is. Think of our lands, the life here as a curtain atop that endless emptiness. Remember how my portals work? Well, touching that void sometimes leads to the void touching you back."
"It's so…"
"Endless? Infinite? Unfathomable? Yes, that's how truth usually is."
Bells rung inside her head, shifting from left to right ear, cutting off her hearing on that side as they did.
She could still feel the ocean waves pressing against her skin.
"So what, everything is just a thin façade hiding…that?"
An endless ocean of death.
Nothingness from which everything was born and to which everything would return.
A complete opposite of life, of being - something that can only mimic it.
"Maybe, maybe not. As uncomfortable as this little downside of using a Menshen is, it does convey just how fragile everything truly is and how vast death can be. Gives you perspective."
Yang jolted up from the couch.
The room around her spun, forcing her to sit down.
"Careful now, Yang. Your body is still in shock from exposure to what's beneath."
"Shouldn't the mask have protected the little bird from that, no?"
Yang turned her head, seeing Clair leaning back against a bookshelf.
"It should, but the mask merely alleviates the effect and isn't hazard-proof. It's one of many reasons why you two shouldn't make using me as transportation a habit." - Raven said, shrugging. - "Nothing can fully protect against that ocean void."
Even mention of the ocean, made Yang want to throw up.
She scanned the room, begging her head to stop spinning.
At least in part, this place was an almost exact replica of Raven's office at the hotel - bookshelves, an old desk in the middle, and all that - except instead of a bunch of chairs, a comfy couch rested in the corner against the fall - the one she had woken up upon.
The mural with the birds hung on the wall - a replica of the one in the office at the hotel.
"Where are we?"
"A safe house, still in Argus. A contingency I prepared."
Yang took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.
"You start talking, Mom. What the hell happened back there."
Raven sighed.
"I am sure I don't need to tell you how imperfect and fragile this world is - how easy it might fall apart. The people at the top have no clue what they are dealing with. I am trying to change that. To make this world a better place."
A chuckle escaped Yang's mouth, her eyes darting toward Clair as if to remind her of their conversation all those weeks ago.
The classic line. What an idiot you are, Yang.
"If you want to launch into some villain monologue, then, please, save your breath. Just tell the gist of it, please. I am not in the mood for long-winded riddles."
Raven rolled her eyes.
"Okay, brat. The Sunspot Hotel is a meeting place for a certain group of people I lead. People with familiar wounds and a common goal - to change Mistral. I am sure you figured parts of that by yourself already."
Yang's mind wandered through memories of
"Yeah, I gathered as much. If it were to be a normal hotel, you would be a terrible businesswoman, considering it never seemed to have quests." - Yang took a deep breath. - "Okay, spill, what have you gotten involved in?"
Raven stood up, walking around the room, her hand trailing over the desk and then the bookshelves, her eyes wandering around.
"I had spent years upon years wandering Remnant. I observed every corner of this world thanks to the portals Ozpin had given me control of. The conclusion I had come to is that there can be no true equality, no common future, until the chains Ozpin and the likes of him had placed upon this land break."
She circled the room, returning to the couch.
Raven placed her palm upon the mural.
"Do you know what this mural is called, Yang? Yatagarasu - one of Mistral's older legends, versions of which can be found in each Heart too, even if by different names."
"In Ryugu-jo it's a story of a crow, the god of setting sun that would advise the most worthy of Kings, while the tales in Youdu call it the three-legged raven, the one that dragged the continent out of the ocean after the flood. And in Nemea? Oh, Nemea's version is the most fascinating, little bird - in Nemea, the raven is the messenger of the gods, their spy." - Clair took out a book from the bookshelf she rested at. - "Your mother had collected a sizable library of myths and legends here. It's quite fascinating."
"Clair, please." - Raven scoffed before she turned her attention back to Yang. - "It's the story a of birds circling the void. Now I am sure I don't need to tell you about what the inspiration behind the imagery is now, do I? You experienced it yourself."
Yang shivered.
That which is beneath the world. The emptiness, the void, the ocean of death."
"Yatagarasu - it's what we call ourselves too. Common people from all walks of life who are unified by the understanding that this world was broken well before the discrimination that The Faunus suffered. Remnant's progress had been stalled for far too long. Knowledge should be something available to everyone and few men up top should never be allowed to make decisions for entire civilizations, sacrificing those below them."
Yang glanced up at the mural - the Cycle of the World and those supposed to preserve it.
"You are protecting people? Like how you saved me?"
"I am freeing them, dear. No immortal should hold sway over humanity."
"Doesn't that go against your whole thing about strength? About how only the strong survive?"
"In the current Remnant, dear, there are only two truly strong beings. An immortal soul, an Arahant, and something worse, something darker. They play their eternal games, manipulating the world according to their beliefs and we all are merely characters in their stories. Until their grasp on humanity ends, we all will remain weak." - Raven said. - "This is where I disagree with my brother who thinks a fragile peace built on lies is better than no peace at all. If we have power, we should use it to topple those that bind us into being weak."
The Arahant - a human being that through unknown means had transcended the worldly flesh, turning into a being of pure Aura.
An immortal that traveled from body to body, stealing the lives of others and leaving behind a monster after each death of his.
Weeks later Yang could still only barely process that information on Ozpin's true nature.
It wasn't a term she had heard of before that night in Patch when Raven appeared before her - yet another myth, another tale that seems to have been erased from the world.
Professor Ozpin had been such a being - fighting a centuries-long battle against a being that Raven could only describe as "something darker".
No matter his goals and motives, the very thought of a being like that - the amount of lives he would have taken over a millennium - had made her stomach churn.
Raven turned around, placing her hand on Yang's shoulder.
"You remember our talk about the Monomyth? About what came before the age of Ever After? The thing the ART team is after is one of those. Ozpin had called it the Narrative Technology - something that predates the narrative of myths and fairytales of the present day world, coming from the age that shaped it."
"So, what - like magic?"
"No. The keyword here is technology. This isn't some unique one-of-a-kind relic that can never be replaced. We are talking about knowledge - items that can be researched, retro-engineered, and recreated. Can you imagine how impactful knowledge from before this age could be in the right hands, how much it could change?"
"It's kind of hard to."
"Remember the tale of the Third Crusade, little bird? What do you think the Third King used to tear down the Aram's walls, slaughtering my ancestors? Imagine if someone could replicate it, mass-produce it, find new applications for it?"
Yang froze.
The conversation from yesterday was still fresh on her mind.
"You don't even need to delve that far into the past, Yang." - Raven said. - "Look at the Kingdom of Atlas, for example. Do you know how the grand Kingdom of Progress and Technology began?"
"I haven't really been interested in history and stuff, Mom. I know the bare minimum of how the best and brightest split after Mantle's fall but that's all."
Raven strode to the desk, pushing past Clair as she sat down in her seat.
For a second, it was as if they hadn't left the Sunspot hotel at all.
"Did you ever wonder how a Kingdom could be so far ahead of everyone as it rose from the ashes of the last war? Mantle was in ruins after all." - Raven's grin widened as she strode back to the desk, and sat down. - "That's because Ozpin made a deal with Mantle, after the War - handing them over a piece of Narrative Technology - something called The Emerald Tablet."
Raven stretched out her hand towards Yang.
"The item could fit into my palm, actually. Yet from the intricacies of its design, arose the great fortress of Mount Atlas - humanity conquering the ice in the north."
"And it didn't stop with that, little bird - Atlesian Knights, puppet soldiers, airships, mechs, advances in cybernetics - all kinds of technology were born with just a little bit of research into what essentially was a thousand-year-old storage device."
Yang scoffed.
"And you said it wasn't magic."
"No, the remnants of The Narrative Technology aren't magic - sure they allow those who have them to touch upon the advanced world before our times, achieving great things, but every single item from those times is first and foremost knowledge now. It's what Kingdoms can learn from those items."
Raven took off her sword, placing it on the desk..
"The portals this sword makes, for example. That's also part of the technology before this age - something that had been used to touch the stars as Ozpin used to say. Learning how things like that work, learning to replicate the ideas put into them? In the wrong hands? Now that's danger. Every single piece that survived the cataclysm could elevate a Kingdom beyond your imagination. Or destroy it that is."
"So what? He just hid them?"
"Ozpin had learned his lesson the hard way when his tools were used for genocide with the Third Crusade. Ever since, he's been wary of sharing his knowledge with people, only giving out limited knowledge when he would deem the time was right. The Emerald Tablet was the first thing he had shared with the world in centuries. If we don't count the abomination that was the Tower system, of course."
Yang stared at the weapon, the memories of the swirling dark void making her dizzy.
"The items still existed, of course. Some were locked away and guarded. Others were out of Ozpin's grasp. The Calamity that befell the old world Once Upon a Time couldn't erase everything. There's likely plenty below Youdu in the old city, for example. Other pieces would eventually reveal themselves too, as civilization progressed and dug deeper, but luckily for him, most of those pieces would be useless, broken or way beyond human comprehension. The item that Mistral held in Argus was something like that. But, you see, the ART guys, they knew better. It's no wonder they made deals to get it to further their research since they already had researched inner workings of technology like that before. Do you understand what we are dealing with here, Yang?"
Yang fidgeted in her seat.
"You stole something."
"I took what should rightfully be mine from the people that were going to misuse it. The said people have been spying on us for over a month now, hoping to get it back, but unable to do anything."
"Until they did, little bird, kidnapping me to force her out."
"Your mother hoped to stall them, betting they'd think twice before acting openly, what's with Harmony folks watching. But then the lake and Nemea - a lot of things happened." - Clair leaned at the bookshelf. - "And now those Black Spears got involved. Things are spiraling out of control."
Raven clasped her hands together.
"It's not just what happened here - there was a fire in Nemea, caused by the White Fang. Kulhara - a central logistics hub between the Hearts got assaulted by Grimm. An act of terror had taken out the Mistral Railway too. And now the nobles are about to bulldoze through with the Faunus Relocation Act pouring more oil into the flames. It's like everything is going wrong everywhere all at once."
"Could Cinder Fall, the one who caused the mess at Beacon be behind this?" - Yang said.
"Unlikely. Nobody has seen her since the Fall, but on the other hand, the one behind her has other ways to get what she wants."
"You forget, little bird, humanity is well versed in destroying themselves even without someone pulling the strings."
"So what makes you different then?"
Raven stood up as she strode to the window behind her.
"Ozpin keeps playing games with the world he built, but even he doesn't realize just how fragile life is, how much weaker his meddling makes everyone. The stubborn fool doesn't get that no matter how many times he repeats his plan, no matter how many people like Summer or your sister he finds, he is just delaying the inevitable."
Raven opened up the curtains, the morning light invading the room.
"The people outside who are just waking up none the wiser of what had transpired tonight. Do you think they deserve to be led around on those strings? Yatagarasu was born from the belief that the world must change."
"What can we do?" - Yang stared at her mother. - "What can I do?"
"Well, that's up to you, dear." - Raven smiled. - "You now know everything you need to know. The Monomyth, Ozpin's manipulations, the Narrative technology, The Towers, and the Rose family secrets. It all begins with untangling the mess Ozpin had left the world in right now. So the question is not what can you do, but what are you willing to do about it?"
"I want to help. I want to be a part of this."
"Are you sure about that, Yang?" - Raven leaned back on the table, studying her. - "It would be easy for you to go back to Patch right now and forget everything that happened."
"All my life I didn't think about what I was fighting for. I would just risk myself for others without a second thought, because how else would I be useful, you know?" - Yang clenched and opened her fist over and over, observing her fingers move. - "But if what you said is true and Ozpin is at the root of everything-"
"It all adds up - the Great Calamity that had ended the world was his fault and since then he had attempted to erase any traces of the connection between him and the origin of Grimm."
"If what you said is true and Ozpin is at the root of it all." - Yang gritted her teeth, repeating. - "If someone like that stood behind the curtain, pulling the strings and using people, sacrificing them and weaving lies to lead them, then it would be an insult to all those that laid down their lives in the first place."
Yang bolted to her feet, fighting through the headache.
The huntsmen like that Mercury punk weaseling their way into the system, using their connections to enjoy their lives while people they are supposed to protect wither and die.
The Black Spears killing everything in their path to hide their activities, always finding an excuse for their actions.
Atlas sending weapons of mass destruction into another country for testing - all in the name of science.
The Man sitting content in his tower, weaving stories - myths and fairytales - to guide the flock his way.
"Since the beginning of this training, whenever you'd lose, you kept muttering about moving forward." - Clair said. - "But each step is so much harder than you expected - the road laid in front of you might as well have been made of shards of glass - pieces of your shattered life. Do you think you are ready, little bird?"
"I want to be a part of this. I want to make a difference." - Yang strode to the desk, staring her mother in the eyes. - "And I want to save my sister."
"The truth is, You are already a part of this Yang. Since the day you came here, I never doubted you would be." - Raven said. - "The path ahead of you won't be easy. You are playing in the world of adults now. There will be risks taken and a price to be paid with every step."
"As long as there can be more to this world than endless violence and loss - I'm in. I don't care what it takes."
"First things first - ART members are still in this city and pose danger. At the same time, the Black Spears are now involved too so Argus will likely soon descend into chaos. We have to be prepared and we have to make sure they don't do anything stupid because worst case scenario - a war might envelop both Mistral and Atlas. ."
"I understand."
"Then, there's the Faunus Relocation Act and the growing discontent of civilians toward their government and Faunus and Huntsmen alike. The population is on the brink of turning on each other. If we are to succeed at anything, we need to have all those different people facing the same way, rather than clash against each other"
"While we can likely get the labor unions on our side, White Fang of Mistral has been, let's say, fractured - in no small part due to the actions of the man you encountered at Beacon."
The White Fang.
Yang shivered - the gaze of the monster with his sword threatened to pierce her even though he wasn't there.
She wanted to go as far away as she good from that sword, yet no matter how far she'd run, it was always just beneath her, blade brushing at her neck.
Then again, what were the chances she'd encounter this specific person again? Likely pretty low.
"Let's not forget the thing that got us into all this trouble - The Narrative technology that I stole. I have a few ideas on how we can make use of that as leverage, but it won't be easy, so leave that to me."
Yang nodded.
Her mother hadn't even shown her what she had stolen, nor when, nor how.
"And then there's your sister who should be somewhere on this continent and the plan Ozpin has. Well, her fate depends on where currently is Ozpin, so we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. If you want to have a chance at changing her fate, there will be steps you need to take, lines you need to cross."
Yang's mind reeled from everything that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours.
"What about the hotel and Black Spears? Where will we stay now?"
"Let me take care of that." - Raven said.
She struggled to make sense of everything - knowing what her mother had gotten into didn't make anything simpler like she hoped.
But it did make things clearer for her.
People being killed, the cyclical nature of history, the immortal guiding and manipulating everyone? It wasn't fair.
Pyrrha didn't deserve to be manipulated in a game that started before she was born. Ruby didn't deserve to be guided towards sacrificial pyre and neither did all the people - whether the ones fighting Ozpin's wars or the ones dying from the Black Spears - it made no difference to her.
She never felt like she belonged anywhere.
Now? The reason for that was so simple - it's not that she didn't fit in, it's the world itself that didn't fit its people.
Bet you didn 't think you'd have to think about all this stuff when you got up in the morning, Yang?.
She had never stood for anything, fire and rage driving her fists - but she had always rushed to protect, at the cost of herself.
Even as aimless as she was, that came naturally for her.
And now Yang had found a fire fueling those actions - a desire to make things better, to change the cruel world run by people who would sacrifice others without a second thought.
If Raven was right and Ozpin's own actions had led to what happened at Beacon, if his grand plan held her sister's doom - then people like that didn't deserve the power they wielded.
The peace was built on a lie that had torn apart so many lives - was it worth anything?
Beacon lay in ruins, dozens of lights snuffed out because powerful few would rather play their games in the dark.
Blake's life to this day was shaped by those in power putting down others, and treating them as less than human.
Clair's life was torn apart by the whims and decadence of nobility.
Summer's life was extinguished by the dreams of an immortal. And now Ruby too…
This couldn't continue, and if she was worth anything in her life if those fists of hers could change the future - this was a worthy cause.
She would walk forward and find a path that didn't involve so many lies and sacrifices.
A path where people wouldn't have to be tied down by the expectations and powers of the old - one where she could stand on her own two feet, reaching for the future she would be excited about.
And if the humanity can 't survive without a cruel ruler pulling the strings? Then maybe we all do deserve to perish.
One day, there would be no more Cinder Falls and no more Ozpins - and when that day came, Yang hoped she could look at herself in the mirror and say it was all worth it and that she had made the right choice.
After all, even a shaky path was better than no path at all.
Yang Xiao Long set off on the journey to see where this road would lead.
February 16th, 797 E.A
City of Argus, Kingdom of Mistral Territory
"Don't you think this is going way too fast?"
The words took her back to reality as she gazed upon the woman flipping through the pages of a book, comfortably nested on the couch, her white hair still a bit messy from the tribulations of the kidnapping.
Raven Branwen yawned, resting her hands behind her head as she leaned back into her chair.
"It's faster than was expected, that's true. And I never expected them to get to you. But she handled it all well enough."
"Kid's got talent, Raven. And fire, fire to do actually put that talent to use." - Clair smiled.
Raven glanced at the book Clair was reading - the same one she had been waving around in their talk with Yang an hour ago.
"Find anything interesting?"
"Oh, it's a fascinating read, although I got to say a bit over-written."
"Well, my parents would likely have been described as pretentious by many from what I know about them. Still, their research into mythology and folklore has been unparalleled."
"I am surprised they actually put in work to fact-check the plausibility of various legends."
"They traveled a lot. I think that's in our blood, considering my brother and I."
"Hey Raven do you ever wonder if-" - Clair began as she closed the book, her eyes drifting toward Raven.
"Yes. I checked. They weren't assassinated for their research or anything. Just another coincidence in chaotic times that were the first years after the Great War. Every Kingdom was a mess - thieves, bandits, and criminals thriving in a falling apart world. One of them just decided to rob a nice-looking house and it all ended with a fire."
And just like that, the cruel world rebuilding from the war had doomed the two of them to life of thievery and crime - until they ran into Ozpin of course.
"Yeah, kids today have it easy. Back then it was a mess. I wanted to change that, you know - it's why I became a huntress and got stationed at Argus. To build something better. Who would have thought it would turn out like this."
"Cheer up, Clair. You are helping to build something better now."
Laughter escaped Clair's lips.
"Oui, but we are still pretty far from the actual building part."
Clair once again started flipping through the book.
Raven didn't want to bother her much - it was a miracle she could fight off The Puppet as well as she did right after being hit with a partial Aura transfer.
She deserved some peace and quiet.
Raven stretched out her hand, opening the desk drawer with a creak.
She had gone through a lot of trouble to make her safehouse office look identical to her usual one - most people would likely call her a melancholic fool for this, she was sure.
She took out something in the drawer - a wooden ornate frame holding inside a photograph - discolored and with brittle edges, falling apart.
Summer Rose. Taiyang Xiao Long. Raven Branwen. Qrow Branwen.
The faces of her teammates, still unburdened by time and knowledge stared back at her.
All of them were so hopeful for the future to come - this photo was taken when all of them had truly become a team sharing the same dream.
Right before Ozpin's tendrils encroached upon them, warping all of them in ways beyond imagination.
Summer Rose - the prim and proper well-mannered egotist that she was. It took a while for Raven to appreciate the finer points of her friend's personality among other things. In a decade after, the girl that would scream about manners and throw tantrums at Raven's antics would be worn down by her fate, her eyes making her see and experience far more than any human should - she would become obsessed with a power in her possession, going to extreme lengths to unveil what lies at its core.
Raven still remembered Taiyang's brash tendency to get into fights and seek out stronger opponents - the man might have enrolled in Beacon, but he was still a pugilist at heart back then. Yet the life he led would eventually tear him apart in ways none of them had expected - an illness taking hold of him, binding the wandering fighter to a serene, calmer lifestyle. Not before the world had killed his interest in being a Huntsman, of course - in no small part due to what had happened to Summer. To this day Raven wondered what Yang would have thought if she knew the finer details of the separation between her parents.
And then there were her and her brother - still clinging to their very different worldviews - same as ever, yet without the world on their shoulders back then.
The knowledge and loss that came with it tore them apart - the deal with the devil they had made only made matters worse.
Neither of them could truly grasp the price they paid for the forms Ozpin had granted them - of how close they had flown to the empty void that awaited everyone in the future.
It wasn't that surprising that revealing those finer details to Yang played such a crucial part in her daughter going along with her for this.
The bird part wasn't even that bad nor was how it all had affected their Semblances - what terrified Raven was the eventual price behind it all - the unsaid fine print of Ozpin's deal.
Hell, giving them the ability to turn into birds or how the deal had supercharged their Semblances had stopped seeming like a side-effect to her years ago - knowing what was done to them, those things had become more of unintentional reparation if anything.
After all, the way her Semblance had evolved made it a lot more useful to her goals. Her poor brother in comparison had still not learned to handle his though, the weight of his guilt making it all worse.
Raven traced her fingers over the photograph, tracing the silhouettes of each memory trapped inside. The image seemed to get more and more blurry with each year as photographs usually do. It was sad that time couldn't preserve the image better, slowly erasing what's depicted in it. And one day that photo would surely fall apart, crumbling into dust - the moment gone as if it never happened.
The people caught within it however all still would remember the moment it had been taken.
She flipped the frame over, opening it to reveal the back of the photo.
A single hand-written sentence was etched upon the back of the photo in blue ink.
Over the years what's written there also had begun to fade.
Doing this was a ritual of sorts for her - despite the emotions reading that line over and over again would elicit, she would likely keep doing this even when the message there had perished forever.
She often pondered what the moment in the photo paired with those words meant for their found family now torn apart - was this the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?
The calm before the storm, the stillness that would come before a fall.
The photograph itself was a statement - these four people, including her. - all of them were there - they existed and they lived.
The text on the other side however was a different matter.
It was a condemnation - an Omen of the things to come.
"The Class of 766 E.A - Team STRQ ready to change the world and face the future."
What a bunch of fools they were.
There was only one future ahead of them and the immortal atop his tower had worked tirelessly to keep it that way, too enamored with his vision of things to come.
Knowledge burdened their shoulders as hard decisions and losing battles tore apart their hearts and souls.
Team STRQ - the world didn't change and the future devoured them whole.
Raven carefully placed the photo back into the frame and the frame back into the drawer, closing it.
The time for melancholy and doubt passed years ago - the day that Summer Rose gave her life for a thousand-year-old dream.
All that had remained was conviction.
Raven sprung to her feet.
"Clair, I am going out."
"Oui? Where to?"
Raven smiled.
"I think it's about time I set up the next scene."
February 16th, 797 E.A
The Argus Council, Panoptes Hill, City of Argus, Kingdom of Mistral Territory
One by one they came, intricate ceremonial garbs flowing across the marble floors, masks adorning their faces.
The Panoptes Hill - the highest point of Argus held the city's government sector - the council building, the government offices, the headquarters of major companies - and the glorious Church of Anima looming on the cliff's end looming over the city and the ocean.
The real power still lingered here in the council building, instead.
This was the seat of power that would judge the destiny of many below - the many eyes of those gathering here deciding the fates of thousands.
The Green Coat observed the council members gathering inside.
His sides still burned from the confrontation in the alley - the unexpected interlopers he had encountered puzzled him.
He couldn't see the ceiling - the darkness hid it far above, whispering to anyone who entered the scale of this building and the heights of this hall.
Marble floor, marble desks, marble seats - all transported here from Youdu during the city's inception.
He slouched to his seat, staring at the others.
The Bald Man with a purple scarf frowned, staring right at him.
"Any news on the matter at hand?"
"Those involved were notified about their infringement of Argus laws in the manner that was deemed fit." - The Green Coat said. - "Majority of those responsible have thus paid the expected fee for their transgression and the Department of Harmony ensured the peace and stability of the district via usual methods."
So many words to say - we managed to kill most of the idiots from Atlas and whatever citizens had laid eyes on also got terminated ensuring the city at large was none the wiser what had transpired.
The unease that came with his job never went away, but in this case, there was no other way to handle it - nobody could know what their allies at Atlas had pulled in the middle of Mistral's newfound source of pride.
Even a rumor of soldiers from Atlas running clandestine operations within Argus would have likely sparked unrest at best and international conflict at worst - not even to talk of the technology involved or the botched trade deal that officially didn't exist.
The Woman behind a Glass Mask leaned forward.
"This really is all Youdu's fault for giving them permission for operations. All hearts are supposed to be equal - they shouldn't have just thrown those idiots at us. The transaction could have happened anywhere."
"Schnees likely intervened. SDC can apply lots of pressure even here." - The Bald Man shrugged. - "The fruits of our collaboration are way too sweet to pass up."
"They had no right!"
"Calm down. In the end, our side had ended up in the right, here." - The Bald Man said. - "With any luck, we'll hold this over their heads if they attempt to force the Relocation nonsense upon us."
"Is it such a bad idea though?" - The Woman With Glass Mask said. - "It would prove a feasible solution to our problems with Midsummer Forest."
"Or make them worse, you mean?" - The Green Coat said. - "You know how explosive the Faunus matters are these days. And it would only embolden those people."
"Do you seriously believe that those idiots still hold out hope?"
A chuckle escaped The Green Coat's throat.
The Monarchists were still going strong, hiding in the shadows, sitting in their comfy positions of power.
It had been a century since Fulgora, the Last Queen of Mistral, had died, taking Midhart with her and ending the Great War, yet those people still believed Midhart should have a King or a Queen - a wish many of the Nobles found all too alluring.
Was there something he missing? Why would those people still cling to this hope?
"Why do you think the efforts to transition into elective democracy keep failing?" - He said, scoffing. - "The Faunus Relocation Act is equal parts spite and bigotry."
"Well, my position on this has always been clear" - The Bald Man said.
"Yes, but that's obvious with you being a Tramontane and all. Status Quo has always been the line you treaded, Nero." - The Woman with Glass Mask laughed, leaning back into her seat. - "But I digress. This Council is not ready to vote on the Relocation matters for now."
The Bald Man - Nero - mumbled something under his nose.
"Nemea already did, you know, pass it majority of votes and thunderous applause." - The Green Coat fiddled with his thumbs. - "Viola always had a way with words."
"The news from Nemea seems to have hit you hard."
"More than you think."
"We really should return to the matter at hand." - Nero said. - "We can't let any of what had happened get out."
The Green Coat struggled to breathe evenly as he attempted to hide his annoyance.
"The Harmony will watch the streets. The survivors will rear their heads and we'll deal with them then." - He stared at his colleagues. - "Still, all of this feels wrong."
"When peace can only be achieved through the deaths of our own citizens, it will always feel that way." - The Woman with Glass Mask leaned closer to him. - "But making the hard calls is our job, Ren".
Zhu Ren, the Man in the Green Coat, exhaled.
"I guess you are right." - Zhu Ren raised his hands, giving up.
He fell silent, his eyes wandering from one colleague to another.
Not feeling right is something he could live with if it meant so would the thousands of innocents he saved.
If it meant staining his hands in blood as the top brass of the Department of Harmony, so be it.
This all had started with Midhart and Monarchists for him and the girl he saved - he wouldn't stop until he had ensured this mess had ended.
Nero stood up, interrupting Zhu Ren's train of thought.
"I guess it's settled then." - Nero said. - "The Harmony will keep watch and intervene as necessary with the clean up and we will go on as usual. A formal complaint will be delivered to Youdu about them overstepping their boundaries in regards to permission grants."
Zhu Ren glanced at the rest of his compatriots - twenty-four people had made up the Council of Argus - most delegated by the noble families and the like. Only twelve would properly show up to these sessions, however.
And out of those, Zhu Ren only trusted four.
"The Council session is adjourned." - Nero said, standing up from his seat.
The Council members all followed his lead.
What followed didn't seem that different from Nemea's political theater or at least how his counterpart in Nemea had described it.
Every Council in Mistral had its Green Coat after all - a representative from the Department of Harmony.
The council members rose, exchanging pleasantries and leaving the chambers one by one.
"Don't forget what we talked about" - Nero touched his shoulder. - "It's important."
"I know."
Steps rang through the halls till eventually, Zhu Ren found himself alone, surrounded by silence.
Every move he took, every step - they all would echo within this emptiness now.
The fans buzzed somewhere above - air conditioning was hard at work to please its masters.
"How long are you planning to hide over there? You know you can't hide. " - Zhu Ren stared at the sunlight falling through the window. - "What do you want?"
A woman stepped out into the light, her hair blending with the shadows she hid in.
"A reassurance, if you will. I did help you solve your ART problem and you tried to kill us in return."
"You ended up smack in the middle of a crime scene. And your friend did cause lots of issues for me. Her semblance and the way it impacts one's instincts and impulses. Let's just say I had a lot of explaining I had to do." - Zhu Ren said studying the woman. - "I did warn you to stay away from what was about to happen."
"Couldn't be helped. They took one of mine. Had to be there." - Raven took a step forward, demonstratively tapping the handle of her sword. - "Above everything, I protect my own."
"The Hotel will be kept off the record as I promised." - he turned around away from her. - "In turn I expect you to keep your people in check."
The woman smiled - Zhu Ren didn't see her face but he knew - he felt it.
Raven Branwen - a mystery that had quickly built herself up as a major player in the shadows of this City.
"Of course. Nobody here wants chaos. It's why I gave you information about the attack." - Raven said. - "In turn, you are not touching my people."
"I can promise you that for as long as you help with the monarchist issue, the Sunspot crew, whoever they are, will remain unnoticeable." - He glanced backward at her. - "Unless they do something to stand out, that is."
"I certainly hope this mutually beneficial venture can continue." - She shrugged, turning around and walking back to the window, vanishing into the sunlight.
Zhu Ren gritted his teeth.
The woman unsettled him greatly - there was something about her that he couldn't read.
A random stranger who had appeared in Argus some years ago and had made her best effort to entwine with its underground.
While her cooperation was invaluable in weeding out the despicable idiots that had threatened to tear the Kingdom apart from the inside, Zhu Ren couldn't quite conceive whether there was an ulterior motive at play.
Well, it didn't matter.
Using her to safeguard Narrative by letting her steal it was the better option than either Atlas or Monarchists getting their hands upon it.
Of course, since he couldn't do this officially, that meant people would die and sacrifices would be made.
The fools longing for the revival of that bygone era had to be stopped, no matter what.
"Like she said. Hard choices." - he muttered to himself.
For now, the deal would continue - and if the bandit queen were to step out of the line, the full force of the Department of Harmony would quench its thirst feasting upon those shadows.
Zhu Ren stumbled back, crumbling into his seat, alone.
He hoped he could meet his son soon.
February 16th, 797 E.A
City of Argus, Kingdom of Mistral Territory
He ran as far as he could, darting from alley to alley, vaulting over the fences - no distance was enough to feel safe.
The Observer stumbled, knocking over a trash bin.
Damn Black Spears, damn them all.
Did one of his men betray him and tattle to the Mistral's forces for a deal? They wouldn't have.
The Observer had seen a fair share of fights in his life - he had stood guard when men and women of Atlas braved the Neverlands that consumed the lake of Amsvartnir - The Goliaths tearing through the flanks, parting the sea of men like they weren't even there.
The Expedition was a failure but he stood his ground, he followed his orders, he earned his commendations and he buried the scars and the screams that echoed inside - he survived.
One of many moments in his life that had earned him the position of Observer.
His men wouldn't betray him - all of them were forged in the same battles, surviving the same terrors, molded by the same ideals.
If there was one unifying aspect of the mighty army of Atlas it was the willingness to follow orders no matter what.
So how? How did Black Spears know? Why were they the only thing they'd found in that damn Hotel?
The Black Spears were a terrifying enemy, dispatching his men with ease - how many did manage to escape? It didn't matter - those that did he'd meet at the rendezvous point.
He slowed down, broken glass crunching under his feet.
Dirty alleys weren't exactly his favorite setting - he could practically smell the garbage littering this place.
He had to stay composed and come up with a new plan.
Yes - everything was still within the parameters needed to recover from this mistake.
He would gather the survivors, he would erase the traces of Atlas's involvement, retrieve the damn Puppet and escape back home - while the recovery of the damn item was a failure, the Puppet would still have gotten enough training experience to share with the rest of the project.
Not to mention the fact that the alarms were tripped in their hideout meant that Raven woman did manage to get there within seconds - Black Spears would have set their primitive dampeners first, killing the alarms before they had the chance to activate, so this had to be her.
There was the only way she could have entered Hotel one second and reappeared in their hideout in another district to trip the alarm next - Professor's suspicions were correct and An Fhalamh still indeed existed, likely in the hands of that damn woman.
This was fine.
Acquiring knowledge like that counted as a victory too - that sword was a crucial piece for the completion of the project Atlas had existed for.
Partial victories, as disgraceful as they were, would still be victories - preserving the peace between the Kingdoms came first, after all.
ART would come back home bearing knowledge.
The Kingdom of Atlas would move forward.
All sides involved would forget this had ever happened.
He steadied his steps, breathing evenly - leaving the District the Black Spears swarmed should be enough, and he had managed to evade them till the morning.
He peeked around the corner, his hand gripping the wet brick wall - even for a soldier, running for his life had taken its toll.
No sign of Black Spears.
Now, the streets would soon get filled with all the unaware damn peasants and damn idiots.
A new day would dawn - time for a new course of action and de-escalation.
He stepped out of the alley and into the waking street.
Soon the cars would buzz right past, back and forth, the people rushing to their jobs or to buy a damn newspaper. Street vendors would line up, trying to seduce the passersby with the best of the worst of the goods.
The scent of burnt steaks would overcome the lingering smell of dry dirt.
Everything was fine, so why couldn't he get rid of that damn tension gripping his head?
He could still hear the water dripping in the alley too.
He tensed every muscle in his body - the empty street wasn't quite as empty as he expected it to be.
The Observer recognized the woman ahead from the surveillance photos.
Black coat clinging to her, she meandered forward, her eyes burning red, her expression unreadable.
Raven Branwen - did she intend to be his executioner? To enact her revenge upon him for kidnapping someone close to her?
The Observer's eyes darted around the street, weighing his escape routes.
But the damn woman in front of him merely stood still now - merely a few steps ahead of him.
She didn't reach for her sword, she didn't move - she just tilted her head to the side, staring at him.
Why was she staring at him like that?
He bit his tongue, his teeth chattering.
"What do you want?!" - He shouted.
Silence as her eyes bore deep into his soul.
Something ached inside him as if fingers burrowing inside his brain.
His heart pounded to the beat of the war drums.
Calm? Why was he so damn calm till now?
This whole thing was a mess, the whole mission was a mess from the moment it had started, why was he so damn calm when all the damn incompetent idiots around him messed up this badly.
PLOTTING, scheming, talking behind his back - the damn idiots he was stuck with were worthless.
To hell with plans and all the de-escalation talk, the damn black spears fools had to pay for what they did, they all had to pay for what they did.
His head split open with a headache.
He shouldn't have been so calm and forgiving all the time when all those people around him kept laughing at him in their HEADS.
He shouldn't have been so diplomatic just because the damn IDIOTS in this backwater Kingdom thought themselves smarter than primates.
He shouldn't have been trying to fix things, when the obvious solution was to make them all PAY.
He screamed as he dove into an alley, running from the damn woman's stare.
Cold sweat dripping through his forehead, he swore - he would show them.
He would SHOW them all.
Collecting the survivors they would all then go down in the BLAZE of glory.
The fools at Argus would all pay for this DISGRACE, they would all pay.
This city HAD to burn - everyone here DESERVED to know what it means to deny The Kingdom of Atlas their hard-earned right to push humanity forward.
He would be made a fool of NEVERMORE.