Chapter 52: Argus - Invincible Odds

Cover Art by Mi Chumi

Setting up a meeting with Alexander Nikos had taken multiple steps.

First had been relaying Lionheart's news to Selene over dinner, along with his request of them. That had waited until after Cinder had gotten through describing, in detail, how her first week of midterms was going, not to mention her gleefully explaining the planned weekend that Argent was strong-arming her mom into allowing, now that Cinder no longer required a Huntsman escort at all times.

Selene put down her knife and fork after hearing Garek out, and gave him a careful look. "I am not comfortable using my friendship with Helena in this manner," she said bluntly. She glanced at Cinder, and noticed her listening intently, but decided that learning these types of lessons was another part of socialization. It was important to understand when it was, and was not, acceptable to use friends as connections, and in what manner.

Garek shrugged. "Well frankly I'm not either. But Lionheart says it could jumpstart fundraising dramatically. A joint fundraising gala, sponsored by the Nikos family in Argus? That kind of thing opens wallets and sets the stage for Mistral City to respond out of sheer competitiveness."

Selene sighed, eyes closing briefly. "As you say. But you do not know the degree of… current antipathy between Helena and her father. Her word will not be something that sways him to our request."

"We still should ask."

"And I shall. But I warn you, it may not go as you expect."

"Oh, hell no," Helena Nikos' green eyes were adamant, and her arms were crossed in a defensive posture on the scroll image. "There is no way I'm going to my father and propose something like that."

Selene turned to Garek. "As I told you, things are not… pleasant… with Alexander Nikos at the moment."

Helena scoffed. "That's putting it mildly. I almost put my foot up dear father's ass the last time I was in Argus." She shook her head, bleach-blonde pony-tail waving. "I gave ground on keeping Pyrrha out of the tournament circuit, so I had at least some hope that would tone down the pressure a little. But it hasn't. He just keeps upping the ante."

"What do you mean?"

Helena sighed. "It doesn't help that my little tyke of a sister is freaking good. And that's not just sibling ego speaking. She's got natural talent. Probably from our aunt Athena."

Selene blinked. "You have not spoken of this Athena before."

"She's dad's sister, and went the Huntress route. They had a verbal battle-royale one day when he started trash-talking Huntsmen- this was when Pyrrha was really young- and she punched dad in the face and swore never to set foot in his house again." She hummed. "In case you haven't noticed, he's a kinda dismissive of Huntsmen. That's one reason." Her eyes unfocused. "Haven't talked to her in a while. I should look her up and see how she's doing."

"So that avenue's shot," Garek said, defeatedly.

"Not… exactly. I said I'm not going to my dad. There's another angle we can try."

"You're willing to help?"

"As much as I can. I'll talk to mom, and see if she can at least get you a meeting. She's usually the peacemaker of the family, and in my opinion, dear mother is too passive about it. But she does get results sometimes." Better than me… "And I can make a few suggestions that'll at least put him in a good mood for you."

It turned out that what put Alexander Nikos in a good mood was forcing people to watch his youngest and favorite daughter spar. It had taken weeks for Helena and her mother to ensure one open to guests was scheduled, and then to convince Alexander Nikos that he should invite Haven Headmaster Lionheart who would just happened to be in town, and any guests of his.

Guests who just happened to be Garek, Selene, and Cinder.

The private training facility wasn't exactly packed. Helena had briefed them that the main reason for this sort of event was mostly to show off to the parents that the rather tidy sums of money they were paying for private tutors, private trainers, and private facilities were bearing fruit.

And Garek had to allow, eight-year-old Pyrrha was excellent for her age, even without Aura. She was fast and agile. The practice-sticks she'd used the last time they'd seen her had been replaced with a single, longer one paired with a leather-covered buckler.

Her opponent, a young boy slightly taller than her, had been outfitted in similar padding. He was wielding two practice sticks and wearing bracers on both arms, as well as a leather pauldron on his left shoulder. Garek hadn't caught his name.

What put Alexander Nikos in a good mood was forcing others to watch Pyrrha spar. What put him in an excellent mood was watching her absolutely devastate her opponent. The other kid never really stood a chance.

And Lionheart, bless him, sat beside Alexander Nikos the entire time, and gushed over Pyrrha's skill and technique, and nodded appreciatively at everything the barrel-chested Argesian pointed out to him.

"See! This is what private training can accomplish! Not that you aren't doing your best with the limitations your Combat Schools and Academies can manage, packed as they are and focused on Grimm. But you see, don't you? The ballet of destruction! The forms and strikes! She's going to be invincible!" Alexander Nikos was the most animated Garek had ever seen him, hands waving and pointing as young Pyrrha reduced her opponent with a series of devastating strikes.

Garek cringed internally, and kept his face carefully neutral, though he caught Pyrrha's mother, Artemis, give him a momentary glance and grimace. He looked to his left, to see Cinder and Selene both in quiet conversation, eyes locked onto the quickly resolving match.

"Winner! Pyrrha Nikos by knock-down!" the referee called without consulting the match judge. Garek's eyes took in the sight of the boy, laying on the mat in a fetal position, trying not to cry.

Damn. That's just brutal.

He spared a glance at Pyrrha. Her expression, now that the adrenaline was wearing off, was shifting to a dawning realization of just how badly she'd beaten the boy. It was slowly morphing from elation to concern tinged with regret.

"Impressive Mr. Nikos! Very impressive!" Lionheart sighed exaggeratedly. "Ah, if only we could provide such one-on-one training, in facilities as well funded and modern as this one… appropriate to age and skill of course." He shook his head. "But funding is always a limitation."

Alexander's eyes sharpened slightly. He might have been a bombastic jackass, but he wasn't a fool. No member of the moneyed elites who managed to hold on to that wealth did so without sensing when a pitch for parting with some of it was coming up.

And then Lionheart subverted that expectation. "But regardless. How would you like to test young Pyrrha against our Cinder here?"

0 0 0

They'd discussed it beforehand, of course. The idea was for Cinder to not use Aura, and to put up a credible fight, but not to beat Pyrrha. It had taken some convincing by Lionheart to allow it at all, and then further work from all of them to convince Cinder that she absolutely must allow Pyrrha to win.

"But da—Garek, I'm way better than her! I can totally beat her!" Cinder had protested. "Aura or no Aura!"

"And we are well aware of that, Cinder," Selene reassured her. "And we are not asking that you allow her to beat you decisively. Merely that, in the eyes of the referee, she be declared the winner in the end."

"I still don't like it. It's not fair," the teen pouted.

"It's for a greater cause, Cinder." Selene said, then considered a different approach. "And if you are willing to do this, as a special reward for you, I will host a sleepover for the Grimmslayers and your friends from Sanctum." This was no small favor. Those kids were great, but they were a handful, and the chance of the adults getting any sleep that night would be near zero.

Cinder's reaction said that had done the trick, though she grumbled a few more minutes, for form's sake.

Alexander Nikos was no fool. Lionheart's proposal surprised and pleased him, but he knew there was a world of difference between a thirteen-year-old Aura user and an eight-year-old without Aura.

But the hunger to prove Pyrrha's abilities was an impossible chasm to fill. If he could set it up so that it was angled in Pyrrha's favor, then the other families could watch Pyrrha… his daughter… beat a Combat School student five years older than her.

He drove a hard bargain.

Cinder would not be allowed to use Aura or Semblance. That was a given. She'd have to rely on leather padding, just like Pyrrha.

And she would be limited to only two practice sticks. No bucklers. No bracers. If she wanted to avoid taking a strike, she'd have to rely on blocking it with her weapons.

And if she went down. For any reason! That would count as a knockout.

Garek checked the fit of the padding one last time, glancing up at the stands where Selene was learning the joys of gnawing on her fingernails in apprehension. Lionheart looked serene.

Alexander Nikos looked predatory.

He locked eyes with Cinder's amber ones. "Remember. Put up a good fight, but don't beat her."

"I got it. I got it." Cinder huffed. "Still stupid."

"Cinder."

"Fine."

"Look. You can still have fun. Think of it as if… as if you were Rhodes and she was you." That got a reaction. "You think he couldn't have beaten the crap out of you over and over when he started training you? He let you get some licks in, right?"

Cinder's wide eyes held his as she slowly nodded. "Yeah. He… wow… yeah, he totally did." She blinked. "That's… okay yeah I get that."

"Good. Think of it like that. She's a small Cinder, and you're testing her, teaching her. But you're gonna let her feel like she wins this one." He grinned. "Maybe someday, you can teach her what a real spar against a Combat School prodigy feels like."

A slow smile crept across Cinder's face, and she glanced over Garek's shoulder to meet emerald green eyes that were appraising her in return. "Yeah. That'd be cool."

"Okay kids!" the referee yelled. "Let's get rolling! We've got another match in thirty minutes. No more dilly dally."

Garek moved off to the corner of the arena and watched the red-haired girl's private coach do the same. The man met Garek's eyes and nodded once slowly. He at least seemed to know what Huntsman training was worth. He watched as Cinder and Pyrrha approached the center of the ring. Despite being a little over four years older, Cinder was only a few inches taller than the Argesian. Either Pyrrha was tall for her age, or Cinder short. Or both. They shook hands politely, then stepped back in a guard stance. Cinder with her dual sticks. Pyrrha with stick and buckler.

"BEGIN!"

Someone in the audience gasped.

It was the speed of the two girls. To be honest, even Garek was impressed. Pyrrha's training had clearly been excellent, and it was entirely possible that she'd been holding back against the boy earlier, if her skill now was any indication. She charged in with an aggressive opening, trusting in her buckler to block any counter, possibly to see how Cinder would react.

And if anything, Cinder was even more of a surprise. Garek had seen the benefits of Rhodes' earlier training firsthand, and had taken pride in improving on her skills further. But now he was pleased to see that her half-year at Sanctum had improved on that further. If Pyrrha was fast, Cinder was smooth. She slid under Pyrrha's broadcast strike, using one stick to block, if it turned out to be a feint, and making a short arc with the other stick toward the younger girl's torso.

And the initial strike was a feint. As soon as Pyrrha saw Cinder react, she drew her elbow back, and instead of a long sweeping arc, she met Cinder's strike to the torso with her stick, and followed that by attempting to slam her buckler in Cinder's face, which served two purposes. It was both threat and cover. Because when a leather disc is flying toward your face, the odds of you staring at it instead of what their other hand… or feet… or anything else is doing is pretty much zero.

Oooo nice move.

Cinder was already moving past Pyrrha as the buckler swung toward her, and Garek had a moment to fear that she wouldn't realize what Pyrrha's move was intended to accomplish.

And then his ward twisted and did a complicated leap that was nearly a cartwheel, separating herself from her opponent and causing the second, more subtle attack to whiff through thin air.

The two girls stood there, two arms-lengths apart, breathing slightly heavily from the adrenaline of first contact, and stared at each other guardedly.

And then, slowly, a smile broke across Cinder's face as her amber eyes practically glowed, which was then matched by Pyrrha's expression of unadulterated joy.

Oh shit.

Garek was suddenly beginning to understand the joys and terrors of pseudo-parenthood. This was the first time he'd ever seen Cinder spar with an opponent who wasn't specifically there to train her. One who wasn't controlling their strikes. Yeah, he knew she did this all the time at Sanctum. But he hadn't been there. And yeah, he knew they couldn't seriously injure each other with those light sticks.

*thwack!*

But that didn't mean his whole body wouldn't flinch in sympathy at the sound when a solid hit connected. Padding or not, a full-force strike to helmet, torso, or arm was going to sting. The sympathetic sounds from the audience, along with cheers, just reinforced that.

*clack-CRACK!* as sticks met in a skilled block. The two girls were trading and blocking blows, weaving in and out. Testing for openings. Pulling back to assess and catch their breath. Eyes narrowed. Mouths set in matching thin, slight smiles.

And the minutes stretched out as they danced and wove.

At least they were having fun. He was going nuts having to watch from the sidelines!

Garek eased over to where the match judge was marking scores. "How does it look?"

The man frowned like he'd insulted the guy's sister, but kept his eyes on the match. "Pyrrha leads slightly on points."

"Ah. That's good." That got a reaction.

The man blinked, then smiled slightly. "Ah. Yeah. Your daughter's very well trained. Your work?" There was another dull thwack, and the judge marked down a point for Cinder.

"Some of it. She's in Sanctum now."

"That explains it. I can see Regalia's handiwork in there."

Garek nodded, eyes still on the spar. And saw Cinder take a misstep that left her open.

There was no way Pyrrha could miss that opening. And it would both count as a strike, and would clearly put Cinder off-balance for a follow-up blow.

Oh Cinder, nicely done, Garek thought as Pyrrha exploited the error competently if not immaculately, to end with Cinder on the ground with Pyrrha's knee on her chest and a stick across her throat.

"HOLD!" The referee yelled, then glanced at the judge who gave him a thumb up. "And match by points and downing of opponent goes to Miss Nikos!"

The audience cheered, and he could hear Alexander Nikos' booming roar among them. He didn't dare look at Selene.

He fancied he could feel her unhappy glare against the back of his head.

He instead focused on the arena, where Pyrrha Nikos had shifted back and offered Cinder her hand.

0 0 0

As the practice stick was removed from her throat and the weight from her chest, Cinder lay on her back on the mat, panting and listening to the roar of the crowd as the lights of the arena glared down into her eyes. She blinked a few times and then sensed a shadow fall across her. Looking up, she saw young Pyrrha with her hand out.

Cinder took a moment to examine the places where her flesh was sore or stinging from the blows Pyrrha had landed. Some of them had been solid exploits rather than ones she'd let through.

Pyrrha had won.

Cinder had lost.

It might have… it should have bothered her. But it didn't.

Cause it's like Garek said. I'm like Rhodes. And she's a little me. This wasn't to prove how strong I am. It was so she could show off.

Still sucks a little, she thought ruefully. And then her eyes met Pyrrha's and she could see the concern there. The worry in the younger girl's face.

She's worried I'll be mad at her.

Cinder smiled slightly, and accepted the hand, standing up. And then rather than let go, she shook the hand that she still held. "Good match, Pyrrha."

The smile that broke across Pyrrha's face was radiant. "Thanks. You too, Cinder." The smile faltered, and she leaned in, suddenly less sure. "You were holding back, right?"

Cinder thought about what Garek had said before, and used her free hand to turn the lean into a half-hug. "Maybe just a little, just to see how good you were. I mean… I'm like four years older than you, kid." She leaned back, and could see Pyrrha's smile returning.

"Hey, you're a kid too!" the redhead objected. Then she laughed. "But it was a lot of fun. Thanks Cinder, it was grand!" Her emerald-green eyes narrowed. "Maybe someday we can do it for real. I'm still getting better, you know."

"Sure thing, kid." Cinder said, and punched her lightly on the shoulder.

"Ow."

"Sorry," Cinder laughed, and then winced. "Ow too. I think you bruised my rib."

By then, the families were converging, and the referee was herding them toward the stands to clear the arena for the next match.

Which, Cinder was sure, would be boring as heck after theirs.

"I must say, Huntsman Garek, your ward is quite talented. That was a very entertaining match. Of course, even with her greater age, as you saw, she was still no match for my little invincible girl." Alexander Nikos said in front of both girls as he tousled his daughter's hair.

What. An. Ass.

Cinder's face was stoney. He heavily suspected she'd found a happy place. Probably the same one she'd used for years at the Glass Unicorn.

Pyrrha's face reddened and she looked uncomfortable.

"Perhaps we could discuss the finer points of the match over dinner?" Pyrrha's mother, Artemis, hazarded. "I am famished after all that excitement, and I'm sure Cinder and Pyrrha are as well since they did all the hard work." She smiled at both girls, and Cinder's face softened as she nodded.

And that is how Garek and Selene found themselves seated in an upscale Argesian restaurant's private dining room. Artemis sat across from them next to her husband, with Pyrrha and Cinder seated together slightly apart from the adults, picking at the remains of their food and sharing some sort of private joke from the looks of it.

And on Alexander Nikos' other side sat Haven Headmaster Leonardo Lionheart.

The food had been excellent. The service as well. The staff knew both the Nikos family and Lionheart by sight, and therefore Garek was a VIP by extension. He didn't see any signs that faunus weren't welcome or served, so the restaurant was either more classist than racist, or figured anyone able to afford their menu were "one of the good ones".

Yes, the food was indeed excellent.

The company, less so.

"Explain to me again, why I should not only participate in this gala you wish to hold, but should also donate a portion of the hard-earned Nikos fortune to this… remodeling of yours?"

Garek frowned. Hard working? As far as he'd been told by Helena, Alexander Nikos had inherited the family import/export business from his uncle, and while he'd done well to increase its value over the years, he definitely hadn't started out a pauper.

"Ah, Mr. Nikos, an astute question," Lionheart said smoothly. "The philanthropic answer is that Huntsmen are what protects Mistral from the hordes of Grimm lurking outside, and more rarely, who breach our lovely city walls at Argus or Mistral." He gave him a careful look. "Not to mention guarding the ships, trains, caravans, and aircraft that shuttle the goods upon which your fortune's continued growth depends."

"Bah. Atlas protects the sea lanes between it and Argus. Not to mention Atlesian technology being more than adequate to protect the Argus Express, and our own city walls.

"That is true. That is true. But if I'm not mistaken, almost forty percent of the goods you deal with are exported further afield. Imagine the market impact where those shipments unable to be safely delivered! And not only Grimm, but bandits and pirates represent additional threats. And it is the trained Huntsmen and Huntresses of Haven, the crown jewel of Mistral City, that protect those goods."

He was laying it on thick.

It was working.

Alexander fiddled with his wine glass. "Hmm… there's something in what you say. Perhaps the Academies do deserve some credit." He rubbed his chin. Across the table, Selene saw Artemis Nikos' eyebrow lift ever so slightly. She hoped that was a good sign. "But that doesn't explain why it should be me that sponsors and leads such an event. Let one of the other, lesser, Argesian families carry the burden. Or better yet, those shady backstabbers in Mistral City." He made a sign as if to wash his hands from the dirt they'd acquired just by mentioning it. And Garek had to admit he wasn't totally wrong. It was well known that most of the wealthy families in Mistral City either had current connections to the Mistralian underworld, or had their roots in such.

"Of course, Mr. Nikos." Lionheart continued, his tone pure honey. "The answer, from our perspective, is that you have laid your bejeweled finger directly on the crux of the matter." Lionheart took a drink and gave Garek a quick glance. "No other family will have quite the impact as that of the famous Nikos'. But I can give you a better reason. We will ensure that everyone knows that it is Alexander Nikos that is responsible for the upgrades. How would you feel about a tasteful plaque listing you as the primary donor, inset into the entrance of a new training facility?"

Artemis slowly closed her eyes, looking slightly pained.

It turned out she knew exactly what was coming.

"Oho. A dedicatory plaque, eh?" Alexander rubbed his hands together. "You know, that is an excellent idea. But much too subtle. You're thinking small, Lionheart. Why not a wing, named in my honor?"

Garek felt bile creep up his throat. His beloved Haven, with an entire wing renamed in honor of Alexander Nikos. In perpetuity.

In order to secure an Academy for Menagerie?

Shit. He'd do it. He'd hate himself for it. But he'd do it.

"Ah, but Mr. Nikos, we aren't renovating the dorms." Lionheart continued, as if he wasn't affected at all by the sheer nerve of the proposal. "How about this. We will dedicate and name the entire training facility in honor of the Nikos Family. Imagine, if you will, your daughter, a future champion."

"Is that your professional opinion?" Pyrrha's father said, leering. He tried to sound dismissive, but Garek could hear the slight hunger buried beneath it.

"Oh, I am sure she will be a force to be reckoned with. But imagine how it would feel for that talent to be linked with the premier Huntsman training facility in all of Remnant."

Garek held his breath. Beneath the table, he felt Selene squeeze his hand gently.

"That… doesn't sound half bad, Lionheart. Not bad at all. The Nikos Advanced Technology Sparring Facility. And there will have to be an explanation included in student orientation, describing our role." He hummed. "Yes. And we will of course retain the rights to include this in any of our own promotional materials."

"Of course."

On the drive back to Lionheart's hotel, Garek made his feelings about the agreement known.

"I feel sick."

"Welcome to politics, Garek."

"How do you do that?"

"Heavy drinking, mostly," Lionheart laughed, raising and taking a sip from a flask he'd pulled from somewhere. "Honestly, Nikos is not the worst of the bunch. He's an arrogant ass, but he's not actually a bigot, or a crook. I've dealt with worse on the council."

"That's… not great."

"No. It isn't. Again, welcome to politics."

"Better you than me, sir."

Lionheart laughed. "Indeed. And as I said, considering where I was six months ago, I don't mind. Why… that was almost fun by comparison."

"Sorry."

"Sorry? Young Garek, you have released me from captivity." His eyes glowed. "When I am done with this fundraising, people will hear my name and they will either cheer or curse. But no one will see me as some administrator, stuck behind a desk. Fret not, young Garek. We are going to make history together."

[A/N] Thanks again to reviewers DragonL0RD, AtomicR4y, Rookie80, GreenEyesOrigamiDragon, and Shadowstorm-Vash. Really appreciated your feedback on the potential names for the Menagerie Academy and Combat School! Right now, Harbour Academy is looking promising (two people in reviews and one in PM suggested this), with Cove or Port for the Combat School, in keeping with a protective nautical theme.

And to answer DragonL0RD's question, I do have an account under a similar username on AO3 (and other places) so don't worry if you see my work there. :-)

I love writing young Pyrrha and I love hating Alexander Nikos. He's no Jacques Schnee, mind you, but he's his own special brand of narcissism. Just as a reminder, Helena Nikos is the creation of Coeur Al'Aran and appears in "Relic of the Future" as part of Team November. Athena is another one of his characters (mentioned in this chapter but not shown) and appears briefly in "Wise as an Old Qrow". Based on her appearance and age, I opted to make Athena an aunt of Pyrrha. Artemis is my creation (though she likely appears in canon as the unnamed woman at the Argus memorial). And of course, I got another chance to forge some early bonds between Cinder and Pyrrha. That'll come into play years down the line. Gotta say, the idea of writing these two as compatriots, if not friends, is pretty ironic given... things... that canon did to my soul. But of course, right about now in canon, Cinder Fall would still be at the Glass Unicorn, dealing with her third year of abuse, and looking forward to another four years of the same before she broke. And Lionheart, eh? Dude is one smooth operator. Definitely a force to be reckoned with when he's in his element. Next Chapter will probably hit this coming weekend, and will feature a return to Branwen Tribe!