26. Beacon Days 15
Far from the main battle in a quiet corner of the valley, a blond head popped out of a bush. It looked to and fro, up and down, searching for the glint of a crown. It then sighed in disappointment.
A storm of roses zipped into view, coalescing in the form of Ruby Rose.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing." Jaune jerked his head back the way she came. "Nothing?"
"Nothing!"
*rustle rustle*
Blake Belladonna popped out from the leaves above, hanging upside-down by hooking her legs on a tree branch. Jaune and Ruby looked at her and asked in unison.
""Nothing!?""
"Not-" Blake caught herself. "Would you two take this seriously? I didn't see anyone to the west. There weren't any signs of patrols coming through, either."
Such had been the story of his life for the past hour. Trees and more trees.
At least, he made a good decision in taking Blake along. All he and Ruby could do was run around in the hopes of bumping into someone. The other girl had actual experience in wilderness tracking, and they've made steady progress in canvasing the area.
Even if it led to no visible result.
…
B-but still, they've eliminated at least 20% of the search area. At the very most, there would only be four more hours to go!
…
…*sigh*
It was little wonder that he and Ruby had begun messing around. This combat exercise turned out to be quite a chore. Rather than action and excitement, it's just a bunch of people getting lost in the woods.
He wouldn't be surprised if someone fell asleep by now.
Meanwhile, elsewhere
"Wake up, Nolan! Don't go into the light!"
"M-make sure we don't get…stuck in the wilds…for Dustmas…"
"NOLAN!"
Ignoring the bromance between her teammates, May called the next set of orders.
"Valkyrie, break off and replace Nolan on the bridge. Team CRDL, shift to the left." May turned her attention to the right side of the battle. "Keep that cyclone up, Gayl!"
"She's trying, bitch."
"Try harder!"
As intended, the callous provocation worked wonders to galvanize Dew Gayl, the tornado produced by her Semblance swelling back to full strength. It wasn't how the girl usually used the power, preferring to generate a series of smaller twisters that dissipated quickly but expended less Aura. Today, on the other hand, her tornado whipped the water into a whirlpool to stymie one half of Atlas' pincer maneuver. The strain of maintaining it taxed the girl to the limits, just as the people that May called on previously had been wrung dry of all their uses. And like them, Dew Gayl's pride wouldn't let her be the one to screw up and ruin the efforts her predecessors have put in.
On the other side of the stream, Ciel gritted her teeth. This was why she preferred fighting Grimm, where a battle plan won't be thrown in disarray by a single use of a Semblance. With Platoon One stuck in the water, the opponent had shifted their troops to pummel Platoon Two, the small ring of students making up their foothold on the opposite bank threatening to collapse.
Of those under her command who have discovered their Semblance, a grand total of zero had something that can clear the twister, and the summoner's teammates have blocked all the shots fired at her. The play now consisted of waiting for Dew Gayl's Aura to peter out which, thankfully, should be soon. By the way she swayed on her feet, the girl must be on her last legs. Ciel found each second's delay an interminable wait.
This was the trouble of trying to keep pace with another commander, Haven's blitz tactic had thrown off her calculations. At the rate their people were dropping, the pressure applied on the middle cannot sustain for long, after which Zedong can reinforce against Atlas' positions to push them back over the river. Their strategy, should she work with it, needed her to break through soon.
Ciel was not alone in her frustration.
If May was the type of woman to curse like a sailor, she would at least have an outlet for her anxiety. Biting her nails, she eyed the center bridge with worry. Haven numbers were dropping fast, but they still retained their strongest members. On this side, the bulk of the Shade-Beacon alliance stayed in fighting shape, but their best were burning out at a frantic pace to hold back Haven.
She couldn't be losing, could she?
Dew Gayl gave one final burst of Aura to her tornado, allowing it to stay on the field even as she dropped so deep in the Red that only a sliver remained. She did not experience Aura Break, but the backlash of overworking her Semblance knocked her unconscious, blood dripping from her nose. Guns aimed away for a moment as she was enveloped in Goodwitch's Telekinesis and removed from the field, before resuming their covering fire.
Ciel discretely pumped a fist upon seeing her strategy move back on track. A hand signal passed along to Platoon One had their vanguard tensing for a charge. Shields raised in the front, followed by a row of spears and a squad of riflemen ready to pierce the opposing line.
The last of the twister blew apart, the wind fell silent, and Atlas roared as they advanced… right into a mass of bramble thorns called forth by May Zedong's next blocker.
A vein popped on Ciel's forehead. The temptation to curse grew ever stronger.
"Burn it, already!"
Had this card not been in her hand, she might have screamed. The girl whose Semblance was currently lighting up the massive bush must have felt the same because her flames vaporized the thorns.
And set fire to the part of the river it rested on.
May watched the strange inferno burning green with an impassive face, mostly because nobody could tell that the eye hidden under her beanie was twitching.
"Huh. So water can burn. How 'bout that." Semblances are so broken.
Why couldn't this be a simple camping trip? May would love to go on a hike through the woods right now.
Far away from here.
Far away from the battle, behind the Shade-Beacon lines
"~Cinder Fall, Cinder Fall~
~Fairest queen, of them all~"
"Aren't we supposed to be sneaky?" The snarky quip cut through her inspired lyrics, bringing a scowl to Emerald Sustrai's face.
"Aren't you supposed to shut up and keep us on track? We'd better be headed in the right direction or Cinder will flay you."
Mercury Black rolled his eyes. "Weren't you a farmer or something? I thought those guys can tell directions by the sun. We're still going northeast."
The idiot knew damn well what she was before Cinder saved her, but the glorified thug who fancied himself an assassin apparently believed that he stood above a thief. A thief with an illusionary Semblance, which let her get near a dumb boy from Beacon under the guise of a classmate and simply ask where Beacon's king was. That he referred to said king as 'Weiss' was just the cherry on top. She had been so much more useful to Cinder today.
Hmph. Cinder understood her worth and that's all Emerald needed. Now, how to continue the song?
Attending school may not be what she expected, or wanted, but the silver lining came in the form of the Beacon Dance later in the school year. She had it on good authority that a serenade was what classy people do to put someone in an amenable mood for a date. Plus chocolate. Cinder loved those fancy chocolates.
The latter could be stolen at any time, but the former…well, the former could be stolen, too. Change a few words and she'd be golden. On the flipside, coming up with an original song would give it that personal touch, something that said Emerald has put in the effort. It'd take a lot more time, doubly so for her since she didn't actually know how to play any instruments, but a beauty was worth some honest work, right? Right.
Mulling over words that rhymed with her leader's name, Emerald hardly recognized the snow-white figure in the distance at first. The loud, carrying tirade on the audacity of mud to stain a Schnee's perfectly-shaped behind gave her ample warning to duck behind a tree, though.
Weiss Schnee was stomping through the forest, clearly irate at the location in which the combat exercise took place. The dirt on the back of the rich girl's skirt spoke of a humiliating fall, one that Emerald would have paid someone else's money to see. Her odd ponytail had been tied into a bun. The telltale glint of sunlight reflecting off a crown told her that they have their target.
Unfortunately, the Schnee girl walked beside Pyrrha Nikos, a choice of bodyguard that made both her and Mercury gulped. They've seen the tournament fighter brutally take down everyone who faced her in combat class.
Still, leave it to Cinder to predict a situation like this. There was a higher-than-average chance for Nikos to act as Beacon's king, but even if that was not the case Cinder said that the girl would likely still be nearby. The goal, as she told Emerald, would be to take the crown, not to defeat their foes. In other words, this was a thieving job, something she knew intimately.
Feet gliding over the fallen leaves, thief and thug stalked behind their luckless marks.
-o-
Pyrrha would tell anyone who asked that she loved her friends to death. No, they were not just friends, but a Family under the leadership of Jaune (barring the times Melanie and Miltia Malachite supersede him, of course). That meant that she would do all she could for them. Lend an ear to listen to their troubles. Provide kind words to soothe them. Refrain from taping their mouth shut despite the splitting headache their rant was giving her.
Just think of her as a little sister. Then the whining will be adorable, and not grating at all.
Pyrrha slowed her pace and blinked. She hadn't actually believed it would work, but her migraine saw an immediate improvement. How mysterious.
Looking at Weiss with this new outlook, Pyrrha patted the girl on the back.
"Bear with it, Weiss. I'm sure Jaune will be back soon with good news. And if you like, we can go shopping this weekend for clothes suited for the outdoors."
"Or, how about we go shopping for clothes suited for the indoors?" Pyrrha giggled at the other girl's pleading face.
"I suppose that would be-"
"Pyrrha, Weiss!"
Both girls whirled around upon hearing their names called by a familiar voice. A good twenty feet or so behind them stood her leader, his cocky smile exuding the arrogance which was the hallmark of a Yakuza.
"Jaune, what are you doing here?" The boy chuckled and waved them over.
"Well, I have good news."
"Did we win?" His bright smile said it all.
Pyrrha beamed with pride. Leave it to her sworn brother to carry the day. She took a step towards him, only to be stopped by the heiress' outstretched hand.
"Weiss? What's wrong?"
The girl sported a difficult look, a finger on her chin in thought. Seeing that they've stopped, Jaune rolled his eyes and walked towards them at a sedate pace.
"C'mon, they're calling for us over there. Can't celebrate without our king, can we?"
A chill gripped her heart as she realized what Weiss did… and a javelin flew a split second later on a collision course with Jaune's chest.
Or rather, his impostor's chest.
The person pretending to be her leader leapt upward and kicked the spear away in a flashy move that Jaune would never do. Not because it was flashy, which she would admit to be very characteristic of him, but because it exposed a body part he considered a critical weakpoint to the business end of a spear. Confirmation, if any more was needed, that this man was a fake.
And sure enough, the person who landed looked nothing like her partner. Shedding the disguise, the boy transformed in a blink. The slicked-back blond hair became an unkempt gray. The fitted black suit turned into a gray zipped-up jacket. And if she was not mistaken, he just dropped a few inches. Was it in the torso, or were his legs shorter, she wondered.
Oh wait, the cocky smile was the same, which signaled a warning that he had something up his sleeves. Unless he was a Yakuza, for whom that was their default expression according to Jaune.
She had seen him before. Mercury Black, a student from Haven who shared a few classes with her. An aggressive fighter with a kick-based fighting style.
Twirling a second javelin in her right hand, a shield held in her left, Pyrrha set herself in a low stance between the boy and Weiss. The clinking sound of glass vials behind her back told Pyrrha that Weiss was prepared to mix Dust and cast Glyphs.
A part of her balked at the dishonorable action, two fighters arming themselves against one. Another part, the one heavily influenced by her leader's teachings, reminded her that this was not a tournament stage. Back alleys, deserted woods, same difference. And anything goes.
In a burst of speed, Mercury made his approach.
With but a single step, powered by a glowing Glyph under her feet, Pyrrha met him in an instant to drive her knee into his face.
His legs may be his weapons, but hers were too. Along with her everything else.
Mercury recovered quickly, flipping his body to land against a tree with both legs. Launching off, he sent out a blistering series of kicks. Trained eyes followed their dizzying trajectory, and Pyrrha picked and chose which to block and which to dodge with ease, throwing in a few attacks of her own and ending with a low sweep of her spear at his pivot leg.
The smallest of hop put his foot on top of the spearhead, the other coming down on her shoulder. Mercury kicked off to somersault through the air. Landing, he rushed for Weiss.
A Glyph appeared on the ground before him, and credit to the young man's reaction speed, he twisted to skid away from the trap. Pyrrha set upon him again a second later, driving her spear into his stomach and slamming him against a tree.
A punch with the edge of her shield bounced his head off the tree trunk. Loosening her grip on the javelin, she let it drop until her hand grasped just under the spearhead before using it like a knife to unload stab after stab, whittling down his Aura.
Mercury grabbed her thumb and twisted it back, smacking the spear out of her weakened grip. Tucking a leg into his chest, he braced against the tree and kicked her up in an arc through the air.
Rolling out of her fall, Pyrrha looked up to see the boy dashing for Weiss again. The heiress summoned buckler-sized Glyphs as solid obstacles to impede his progress, but Mercury slid and dove and swung his body ever closer.
A twitch of her fingers summoned the javelin back in Pyrrha's hand. She winded back and threw it on a straight trajectory to pin down her foe's pant leg, the boy breaking his fall with his arms before reaching back to try and pull out the spear.
Pyrrha was off like a shot. Getting within range, she leapt high and aimed her knees for the trapped boy's chest in a devastating finishing blow!
Her knee slammed into the cold, hard ground and she screamed in pain along with a not-so-little helping of surprise. Hissing through her teeth, she raised her head to see Mercury already bounding away, the javelin still impaled in the earth with a scrap of cloth on the end.
How on- his Semblance!
She had thought it was a power of disguise or imitation, but what just happened suggested his Semblance's effect to be a full-on illusion. Pulling out the spear, she prepared another throw…and hesitated.
There was no guarantee of the person before her eyes being the real one. A miss would just waste time and allow him to enter melee range with Weiss. She could chase after him, but that put - by her calculation - at least five seconds where he would have a prime opportunity to make a grab for the crown.
Instead of doing either of those things, Pyrrha's eyes glowed black.
Her Semblance burst forth to envelope Mercury, an invisible tendril search for pieces of metal for her to grab onto. She found it in mundane things like the jacket zipper and the belt buckle, items that would tear away rather than stop the boy. Then, her power reached far lower, where it discovered the motherload. Grinning victoriously, she pulled him skyward with all the force she can muster.
She was going to send Mercury to the moon if she could.
That thought stuttered to a halt as his legs snapped under the immense speed at which their direction changed, separating from his body entirely. The dark sheen to her eyes faded away to show green pupils dilated in shock and the release of her Semblance let the legs drop back to the ground. She watched them bounce to a rest around the collapsed boy.
Bile rose to her throat. Her breath caught, and her eyes swam with tears. On the other side of her fallen foe, Weiss covered her mouth with both hands, a tinge of green to her cheeks.
Then, Mercury sat up, grabbed one of his leg, and hurled it at Pyrrha.
"Fuck, you crazy bitch!"
Unprepared, Pyrrha did nothing as the limb smacked her in the face. It hadn't hurt, but it short-circuited her brain as she tried to reconcile the sight before her. Jerkily, she looked down at the leg at her feet.
She saw metal, as expected. No blood or flesh, which was quite unexpected. There were nuts and bolts, which brought a quirk of an eyebrow. The wires clued her in.
"It's…fake?"
"They're prosthetics, and I needed that to walk! FUCK!"
Oh. Oh. Pyrrha recalled her thoughts earlier on his height, and paled in horror. She straightened her back, and bowed her head low.
"I am so, so sorry! I swear I didn't know. Please, I can pay for-"
Taking advantage of her moment of inattention, Emerald Sustrai dropped down from a tree branch behind Weiss, her hand swiping for the crown on her head.
Main Battlefield
Things were…not good.
Atlas was well and truly entrenched on either sides of the bridge now, and her attempts to push them back in the river led nowhere. Stuffy elitists they may be, the Atlesians worked together like a well-oiled machine. Hand signals flashed back and forth between the two invading groups, incomprehensible to anyone but themselves. Some of their members have broken through to the woods, where they have circled around and made attempts to get near her. The assault coming from Haven continued unabated, too.
Ah. Dire. The word she was looking for to describe the situation was 'dire'.
"Roy, see that guy in the fedora? Lead Team CRDL to break through their line and take him down."
The one thing that could be said against the Atlas contingent's commander was her reliance on the military textbook. The grunts looked to officers for orders, who took their cue from Ciel Soleil. Follow the hand signals to see who was relaying the girl's words, and they had their squad leaders. It may take a few of her own people to eliminate one of these students, but the breakdowns in communication among the Atlas ranks delayed their progress enough to make it worth doing.
May's counterpart narrowed her eyes when she spotted the pack of brutes charging her line. Officer-killer units were another thing she has learned of but never truly faced, the Grimm being a leaderless force with the hunting tactics of animals. Their effectiveness could not be denied, this being their fourth attempt, the other three times resulting in her Platoons being disrupted just before a key moment and throwing her ranks into turmoil. A series of signals notified Flynt Coal to the danger approaching him. Unlike the times before, Ciel's attention remained on the problem, and she passed a few more orders along.
Once done, she checked on the right lane where Penny was happily shouting out encouragements to 'rally the troops'. Her words did not seem to have any outward effects on Platoon Two, but the sight of her innocent smile coupled with what sounded like Atlas propaganda from the Great War era thoroughly unnerved their opponents judging by the looks they gave the android. Just another thing to teach her partner in the future.
The temptation to have Penny go all out made itself known again, and once more Ciel pushed the urge down. General Ironwood allowed Penny's participation on the condition that her true identity as a robot cannot be compromised, and that meant hiding her abilities.
And, well, Penny seemed to enjoy the novel experience of playing cheerleader for her fellow students.
All was on track, anyhow. They were matching Haven's pace without difficulty by this point, and steadily gaining ground. She can allow the girl's fun to go on.
The attack on Flynt Coal ultimately succeeded at the cost both Roy and Team CDRL. However, his replacement promptly established her position and continued to push onwards. May suspected that Ciel Soleil had caught on to the weakness and prepared a list of students to step up should any more squad leaders fall. It was something May herself was using, and as Valkyrie's hammer broke to leave her unarmed, May called out.
"Yang, it's your turn to replace Valkyrie."
The blonde, having been told to conserve her energy until now, whooped in joy before turning pensive.
"Am I getting any backup?" May winced, and Yang barked out a laugh. "Ha! Just kidding, I don't need any. And don't look so bummed out. You've got a decent plan as far as I can tell."
Patting May on the back, Yang made her way on the bridge and took Valkyrie's place just as the other girl hit Red Aura. Her first punch sent Scarlet David off into the water. Her second took another out of the game. The third was blocked by another blond, and May jerked upright.
Arslan Altan. Neptune Vasilias had just broken his pattern and placed one of his strongest Huntress into play. May scanned the crowd of Mistralians on the far banks, smiling as she counted their depleted numbers and noting Vasilias' nervous face, which might be an indication that events were deviating from his strategy.
It won't be long now.
As opposed to Yang's wilder style, Altan displayed controlled and flowing movements, likely as part of an actual martial art. May had worried that it would result in the Haven student having the upper hand, but Yang's raw instincts for combat balanced out the match. The two stayed in close, neither giving the other a second of rest.
Other Haven students tried to bypass the fight, and either caught an errant swing from the brawl or met Brawnz who would rebuff their attempt. Gunfire from both sides peppered the two blondes, stopping when the sheer proximity of the circling fighters resulted in more friendly fire than not. In the end, everyone was content to let them battle it out.
Almost there, now.
May watched with rapt attention as Yang's long hair spun into flames, glowing golden. From what she had been told, the blonde's Semblance stockpiled damage done to her and released it through her attacks with increased damage. Given their almost-even performance, it was a move than can secure her a definite and possibly insurmountable lead in Aura, if not outright reducing the other girl to Red Aura.
Perhaps sensing the danger, Altan disengaged from Yang. With a deep breath, she began collecting Aura in her hands. May's eyes widened upon seeing the uncommon technique. It would not have the same power as Yang's attack, being a case of manipulating one's internal reserves rather than a Semblance, but a solid hit could tank Yang's Aura.
Facing each other, Yang and Altan searched for an opening. Weighing the chances of the other landing a decisive blow, they adjusted their forms, and again in response to their opponent's shift. Then, all activity on the bridge stilled.
In tandem, they accelerated forward, their arms chambered for a knockout blow. The instant they were within range, they let loose their strongest attacks with a roar.
BANG.
The bullet impacted Altan at the center of her forehead. Its lacking power did little damage, merely knocking her off balance. But that was all it needed to do.
Altan's punch grazed Yang's cheek, the Aura empowering it dissipating into nothing. Surprise flashed on her face for the barest of moment before Yang's uppercut slammed into her stomach with the strength of a cannon shot.
Blasting off into the air, Arslan Altan flew in a long arc. A good ten seconds later, she plunged into the water downstream.
From her vantage point, May took her finger off her rifle's trigger, and sighed in satisfaction. She chuckled at the incredulity on the faces of friend and foe alike as they looked from her to the bridge, judging the distance and wondering if they could make such a shot with the poorly-manufactured training rifle. The difficulty of it was the exact reason she held onto that card, waiting for a chance like this where it could make a difference.
She gave a quick glance at the opposing side. Most Atlas students were either making their way across the river or have already stepped foot on this side. As for Haven, Arslan Altan had been one of their powerhouses and was now floating off on Professor Goodwitch's express evacuation service, with another dozen combatants who tried to bypass Yang's battle taken down by Brawnz and the others.
The numbers heavily favored her side, and she still had Yang, Brawnz, and more. Now was the time.
She met the feral grins of her allies who have realized the same, and swept an arm to point ahead.
"Break on through-" May choked on her spit as the left front collapsed under Atlas' assault. Watching the lines of defenders get wiped out, she sputtered in shock before shouting. "Right side, reinforce the left. NOW!"
Firing off her rifle to slow down Atlas' charge, she racked her brain for a new plan. The original reason to keep the bulk of her forces alive was so she could split them, with one group advancing to capture Ciel Soleil's crown and the other staying back to defend the one on her head. Now, half of the latter group was gone and the rest of the defenders were in danger of going the same way. She could reduce the size of the assault squad, but they needed those numbers to overwhelm both Soleil's guards and the Haven students who would come to their ally's aid. Escaping into the woods to buy time might work…
But there were Atlas students in the forest. Waiting for her to run.
Shi-, fu-, darn!
Okay, so the original plan was dead in the waters even if she tried to delay her capture by escaping. That's fine. She can still…can still…
May drew a blank, and realized at last how lacking she was. How much she had to learn.
It had been easy to look down on the brutish warriors venerated by her home. She ran rings around them in mock fights, and led them on one successful mission after the next. Casualty rate in the Academy sank like a stone, and her pride soared to the sky.
What does it say, that the first time she pitted her mind against someone she thought was like her, and this was the result?
They're going to blame her. They're going to blame her. They're going toblameherThey'regoingtoblameherThey'regoingto-
"MAY! Snap out of it!" Yang's shout rang out over the battlefield. "We've got your back, so GIVE US A PLAN!"
The sheer ridiculousness of being given the order to 'give an order' pierced through the fog covering her mind, and May gave a muffled giggle into her hands.
It didn't solve her dilemma, or gave her a miracle epiphany. This was still an impossible situation as far as she can tell. But it helped to know that someone still trusted her despite the debacle this has turned into. More than one person, by the look on Brawnz's face. And if Nolan and Roy were here, she might see the same expression on them.
She's got some good friends, and she was not about to let them down.
Blushing, May took a deep breath to regain her composure. After a second gulp of air, she once again considered the situation before her. Running was not an option. Holding was not an option. What did that leave?
…She had seen something like this recently, hadn't she?
Groaning, May slapped a hand over her eyes. The possibility that came to her might be the dumbest move she had ever considered, and was rife with risks. It spat in the face of conventional tactics and reeked of the heroism she hated.
But a certain idiot she knew would love it. And that might just be an indication that it could work.
Ignoring the Atlesian forces' advance, she adjusted the cheap, fake crown on her head to a more comfortable position. Then, she took a step to slide down the hill. Hitting the bottom, she sprinted to the foot of the bridge.
As ally and enemy alike followed May's progress with confusion, she called out the order.
"Shade and Beacon, FORM UP!" One of her hand rose to point at Ciel Soleil. "We're breaking through their lines. All of us."
It was a pretty simple plan, all told.
Abandon the defenses, and commit to an offensive. Leave their own backs wide open.
Full speed ahead.
"Hahaha!" Emerald Sustrai raised her prize high. "In your face!"
Nearby, Mercury slapped the ground as he laughed. Meeting Nikos' eyes, he pressed his hands to his cheeks in mock horror.
"Ooooh, I am so, soooooo sorry. Gahahaha-!"
Emerald pointed a finger at the girl sprawled in the dirt and gloated her victory.
"Take that, rich bitch." The Schnee narrowed her eyes at the insult, and sat up. Brushing off her clothes, she smirked.
"Hmm. No, I don't think I will."
The odd answer brought Emerald up short. Tilting her head, she looked askance at the other girl.
"What can you even do about it? You've lost your crown."
Mercury slammed into her a moment later, the two teens landing together in a heap. Before she could push him off, the ground below them glowed white. Ice sprouted out of what she recognized as the Schnee's Semblance, encasing her and Mercury up to their necks. Nikos walked over, scratching a cheek.
"I'm sorry."
Next to her, Weiss Schnee looked anything but sorry. The shorter girl sauntered up to recover the headpiece.
"This is not a crown." She wiped it off with a handkerchief and inspected it with a critical eye. Satisfied, she placed it back on her head. "It is a tiara. My tiara. And while it matters to me, it means a lot less in terms of this event."
Two jaws dropped, and the heiress laughed.
"You see, Jaune had an interesting thought. How many people could there be that actually paid attention to when the crowns were handed out?" Pyrrha chimed in.
"He held Vale's crown behind his back and asked everyone to describe it. I got it right."
"So did I." The Schnee girl continued. "Along with Blake, and Ren, and…that was all. Four out of however many people on our side knew what our own crown looked like. It was a fair wager that the other Academies suffered the same inadequacy."
Racking her brain, Emerald tried to recall the moment when the props were shown.
Oh, you've got to be kidding.
She remembered Haven's, but that was because Cinder wore it and she took a few peeks for…reasons. As for the other three, she just had a vague image of pointy tips on a circle. Cinder probably knew them down to the last detail and assumed that everyone else did too when she gave her orders. Laying her head back against the ice, she groaned to the sky.
"Dammit. So, where's the real one, then?"
Emerald didn't have to see the Schnee to know she was grinning, she could hear the smug in the girl's voice.
"At a guess, just about as far away from here as can be."
Behind the Atlas-Haven lines
Jaune, Ruby, and Blake peeked out of a bush, observing the figures camped further out on the cliff.
Out of the three people they could see, the most eye-catching person (in more ways than one) would be the young woman with dark-hair in the red off-the-shoulders minidress. Normally, the sight would have drawn most of Jaune's attention due to the similarities in style to a certain girl he knew, not to mention the gold(-ish) crown sitting on her head. At the moment, however, he was busy glaring at a familiar person lounging on a boulder nearby.
"Your friend's haunting me, Blake. Everywhere I go, he appears."
"Acquaintance, thank you. And technically, this one is on us. He was here first."
Be that as it may, Sun Wukong being here presented quite a conundrum. Along with being a strong fighter in his own rights, the guy had some of the fastest hands he had ever seen. Which, in this game where thievery was the goal, spelled trouble for Jaune.
And for the gaudy crown sitting pretty on his head.
Author's Notes: Well, it wasn't going to be anyone else.
I expected a mini-arc to reduce the length of each chapter. It didn't.
The Agent received its third chapter to round out the intro arc. Another idea will be getting its first chapter soon, so please keep an eye out for it. Thank you for reading.
