James watched as Sun's connection to the holo-call fizzled out. Before the connections severed entirely, he stepped around his desk and began to address the remaining lines.
"Everyone else, hold a moment. Miss Belladonna?"
The elder of the two faunus present on her side of the call paused in the process of reaching to turn off her scroll and instead let her hand drop.
"What's up?"
"While I do think we should all take some time to consider what we just saw… first, we should begin making a concrete plan to do what we can for Mantle and Argus," James suggested. "It's a time-sensitive matter… but there is one major problem. We need eyes on Salem and Cinder before we can send anyone to you. It seems she's capable of rapidly moving herself around Remnant using a method we don't yet understand."
"How fast are we talkin'?" Ilia asked.
"That part is… unclear," James admitted.
Weiss gripped Marrow's hand as she spoke up, sounding unsure of herself.
"Well… Ruby mentioned that her group had 'killed' Salem in Sanus, only for her to show up later during the evacuation effort. That means she can travel from there to here in half a day… after being killed and taking however much time to recover. We still don't know how she manages to resurrect…"
"Meaning she could be anywhere by now," Marrow added.
"Let's not get caught up on her apparent immortality," James suggested. "That's how we ended up in this whole mess. What matters at the moment is finding her and capitalizing on her absence, wherever that may be. She can't be in Sanus, Atlas, and Vacuo at the same time."
"Are we sure about that?" Amaya asked. "No, seriously- do we actually have any proof this bitch can't split into clones, or remote-control host bodies or some shit like that? Is the Salem we've seen even Salem?"
"…well," Cinnamon chimed in after a period of uncomfortable silence. "As someone who briefly worked for her, all I can say is that she doesn't plan like that's a possibility. Salem strikes me as the type who would want to be there for the action, getting things done personally and overseeing operations… especially after so many failures. She lost Watts, Mercury, Emerald, and I all in one go, and her subordinates failed to secure either of the Relics. I get the feeling we're about to see her in the mix and out for blood a lot more."
"Unless she has more lackeys we don't know about," Daisuke considered with a shrug. "If this is a shadow war that's been going on behind the scenes for literally… we don't know how many years… odds are she's already got minions down in Vacuo, out in Sanus… our biggest weakness is our lack of intelligence on the enemy. We're pinned down and afraid to move because we don't really understand what we're up against and who could strike from which side."
"And that's no way to win a war," James considered. "The simple facts are that Sun needs to get to Vacuo uncontested. We need to figure out where Salem is, what she's doing, and who she still has on her side. Mantle and Argus are still under siege, leaving a significant portion of the population of Solitas in danger. The best way to make progress on all three of those fronts is… sending people down to those cities and measuring Salem's response."
"There are four fronts," Marrow pointed out. "There's the unrest in Atlas, as well. We need dedicated teams for each of those locations."
Kali nodded her agreement and cracked her knuckles.
"Leave Argus to the Black Claw and Lil' Miss. We'll try to liberate the city and keep eyes out for Salem, pulling out if we spot her."
"Mantle is ours," Alice contributed. "Though… I'm gonna need some compensation for getting involved. World might be about to end and all, but we're safe over here at the moment. Dipping into the city removes that safety, and the secrecy of our operation."
"Gods damn it…" James sneered. "You can't be serious. That's hardly our priority right now. No one is coming after you!"
"Wait, I think I've got this," Ilia interrupted. "I have an idea that could make everyone happy. Let us disconnect and give me an hour. I'll have the Mantle team ready to go."
"Will you?" Alice asked, sounding intrigued. "Now this, I can't wait to see…"
"If you say so," James acknowledged. "Good luck. Kali, go and make your preparations as well. I'll continue the discussion with Beacon and the people here in Atlas."
More of the calls dropped, causing the remaining holo-screen to expand and relocate to the center of the room. Glynda, Qrow, and Roman were present digitally, while James, Raven, Taiyang, Weiss, Marrow, Qrow, Neptune, Cinnamon, and Daisuke occupied the physical space. The Spring Maiden was first up, letting out a weary sigh as she shook her head.
"…I think the move here is for me to jump to Qrow and start a real, focused search for Salem. I can warp us away if need be, a-"
"And lose the connection between Atlas and Sanus if you do," Qrow pointed out. "I know you're worried about me, but I should go alone. I can cover the most ground and try to get eyes on her. If she's sighted in Vacuo or Solitas, I'll pull back to Beacon. We need you ready to go at a moment's notice for quick escapes from any of our occupied locations using Yang, Tai, and I. I know it sucks, but you need to just… stay on standby."
Neptune cleared his throat, sheepishly raising a hand as he did so.
"…ish. Coco and I had an idea- make us a mobile strike team, using Raven's portals to provide support wherever we're needed most. It would at least let her have a more active role and join us with whatever needs doing."
"Not by much," Raven griped. "But fine. Still… I'm not content with this idea."
"Well… maybe you don't have to be," Taiyang said hesitantly as he put a hand on Raven's shoulder. "Atlas doesn't need to be your 'home base' at all times, you know. You could easily provide support in Sanus or Vacuo with Neptune's team… and I think it might be a good idea to focus on Vacuo whenever you're not with them. I'll be okay while you're gone."
"Why Vacuo?" Raven asked. "Trying to get rid of me?"
"Not quite," Taiyang answered. "In the… the vision, or whatever, you and Harriet were feeling some kind of connection to the original Maidens of your seasons, right? Lora and Celes? I think that's worth exploring."
"Perhaps it is," Glynda agreed. "What little we learned about them all was… intriguing. Though with all of them long gone and Ozma out of commission, you should have all of their power available to you for the moment. At least, if we go by what Ozma said to Astrid. Working with Harriet to explore that power would be prudent."
"Then I guess I'll make Vacuo my home base once Yang gets there," Raven considered. "At least, so long as we're making measurable progress out there."
"Fair enough," James agreed. "We do seem to have the biggest support crew here in Atlas already. Qrow and Raven, those assignments are both practical. You have my blessing. The Atlas Council and I will focus primarily on stabilizing the city, and pivot to the overall war effort once we have that done and more information."
"Sounds like a plan," Roman agreed. "Alright. Let's call it here and reconvene tonight."
"Good luck out there," James offered. "See you."
The final call dropped out, leaving an opening for Marrow to step forward and raise his hand up to shoulder level.
"I… have an idea. A really dangerous, probably stupid idea that's going to cause a lot of problems for a lot of people in this room… but I also think it's the right thing to do."
James let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"…here we go…"
Jaune fell back onto the mattress with a sigh, letting his arms extend up above his head. The boy let out a weary sigh and closed his eyes as the bedroom door closed and then the mattress sank down beside him. Corsac slowly and carefully sat down, speaking in a soft voice.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"…I feel awful," Jaune admitted as he pulled his arms down to cover his eyes with his palms. "Just… Yang, everything to take in from the vision, and… memories. Bad ones."
Corsac hesitated only a moment before placing a gentle hand on Jaune's shoulder.
"Yang is strong. She'll be alright, and back before we know it. In that time before… I'm here if you need me."
Jaune moved his fingers apart over one eye, giving Corsac a curious look.
"…how are you? I mean, you've… had a sibling die in front of you. I feel like I shouldn't even complain. I should be supporting you right now."
"You've given me more support than you know," Corsac said in a near whisper as he transitioned to lie next to Jaune. "I am… feeling much the same as you, but in time, I will come to terms with it on my own. As far as Fennec… I've made my peace with it. We knew the risks, and our cause was… misguided. What memories has this dredged up for you?"
Jaune lowered his hands to fold atop his stomach as he kept his eyes on the ceiling.
"I've… told you about Pyrrha, right?"
"A bit," Corsac answered. "I've actually gleaned more about her from the others than you, but I don't want to press you about her. I'm aware of who she was, and what she did…"
"But none of us will ever know what she was thinking," Jaune pointed out. "When she… kissed me and then ran off to try to stop Cinder. She must have known she didn't stand a chance. There was something in her eyes that… I've never understood the look she gave me. I saw it again today."
"…Astrid?" Corsac guessed. "Before she jumped?"
"…yeah," Jaune said with a sigh. "Yeah, it was… it felt like watching Pyrrha leave again. I've never been able to figure out what it was."
In the silence that followed, Corsac eventually rolled onto his side before pushing in close to Jaune. With a gentle nudge, the faunus guided Jaune to copy his motions before wrapping his arms around the younger man. Corsac moved in closer, letting his chest press against Jaune's back as the two remained quiet for a long while.
"Jaune, I believe I know what that look was," Corsac said at a near whisper. "It was dedication. Determination. A fierce desire to protect something they cared about, no matter the cost. That is why Pyrrha gave it to you."
"Yeah," Jaune agreed as he settled into Corsac a bit more. "Yeah, I… think I knew that deep down, but that doesn't make it any easier to live with."
"You feel you should have been the one protecting her?" Corsac guessed. "Why?"
Jaune let out a sigh and closed his eyes.
"…just… her life was worth so much more. I know what you're going to say- that if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here with us. Still, that's just how I feel. Even though I'm mostly okay with living and trying to move forward, that doesn't change anything. It just feels terrible to think about. I'll be okay… and this is helping. Being here with you."
"I'm glad to hear it," Corsac replied. "To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure how you feel about all of this."
"You mean… you and I?" Jaune asked. "I've been thinking about it, actually. I'd rather think about that than any of what we saw."
"Is that so?" Corsac questioned. "I have been as well, but are you sure now is the right time to discuss this?"
"…please?" Jaune said as he turned over to face Corsac. "What have you been thinking?"
Corsac gave Jaune a nod, maintaining eye contact as he kept his voice low.
"Yang and I spoke a while ago about… the situation. She and I are both open to an… I forget what she called it. A three-way relationship between us. Only if y-"
Corsac didn't get a chance to finish as Jaune's lips pressed against his.
Author's Note:
Yes, this will get a continuation in Smut You Stole…
-RD