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Aboard FPSYS Normandy in reliquisynchronous orbit at the meridian of Vale City, Gayput 55 Treichleam, shortly after midnight (Tōkyō time: Thursday 5 April, shortly after lunch; Anádyr' time: Mid-afternoon)…
"Oum!" James Ironwood breathed out as Winter Schnee covered her mouth in horror and tears brimmed in the eyes of the special forces officer's younger sister Weiss. "I don't even know what to begin to SAY to you girls…!"
A hand was held out from the special guest of honour at the opposite end of the private meeting room table from where the Wise Lone Sage now sat hosting this meeting. "Calm yourself, General Ironwood," Lieutenant Moroboshi Kyōsuke — the first member of the crew of THG Yonaga to gain the honour of travelling into SPACE due to this special family emergency; given his blood connection to the boy-turned-girl who had launched Earth's second Age of Metahumans over a decade before, Admiral Fujita Hiroshi (who was monitoring this meeting with his other senior staff in Sano Bay via Itō Yoiko's research PAA) allowed it — then declared, keeping an incredible clamp on his personal emotions in the eyes of the Remnantians present. "Yes, it is a potentially ugly situation given the aliens' interest in Earth — and that doesn't BEGIN to explain why someone or some group would trap my grandniece in a loveless home to wind up 'married' to the Oni girl! — but the fact that whoever did this to Tariko-chan sought to contain everything in Tomobiki (which is known to be a high nexus point of ley lines) allows us to dictate the response with little fear of those who would dread the presence of 'they who must not be named' on Earth reacting to same."
"Well said, Kyōsuke-san," Fujita declared as he clasped his hands under his cheek. "We are grateful for your sympathies concerning our crewmate's relative, but you and yours on Remnant have many of your own issues to confront before this yōma that your friend Shannon-san was once married to many incarnations ago is dealt with, James-san."
"To paraphrase what my adopted countrymen always believe, this is OUR fight scene, Taishō-san," the voice of the transformed Yonaga herself declared from the opposite end of the meeting table in Sano Bay.
Seated to one side of the meeting table on Normandy, the leader of the subgirl force now deployed to Remnant gazed on her current flagship. "As soon as nightfall comes over the Home Islands, Sempai, we'll get as many submarines restored to service and Gifted as possible. If someone is moving to support the alien monsters now plaguing Heika's Realm, we'll find them."
"Well said, Hiromi-chan!" Yonaga's operations officer Kawamoto Masao called out as many of the men around the table in Sano Bay thumped the table and shouted "Banzai!" cheers in support of Hanabusa Hiromi's vow.
"How many subgirls are we talking about here, Hiromi?" Isaac Thomas asked.
People gazed on the New Yorker, quickly understanding what his cold, even tone meant. "I am grateful that my grandniece has such a friend as you, Isaac-san," Kyōsuke declared with a light smile.
A wan smile answered. "I know she's disappeared from people's attention from time to time during her casting drive quest, Lieutenant," Isaac said as he relaxed in his chair. "Much that those of us who were close to her warned her as she got older and more bold in such trips to allow herself to be Gifted finally so she'd be ready in case some xenophobe or metaphobe tried to trip her up — given what happened here from what Chikage and Ayumu-chan discovered, the latter type of people might be involved in trapping her in Tomobiki even if we have no evidence to prove it — her vow to her late adopted mother Ayone was set in stone in her mind. Given the type of person Yamaguchi Kinshō was reported to be by those who kept an eye on her and her husband from your clan's banking company Toranoseishin Finances, your late sister-in-law Nagaiwakai-sama was wise to ensure there was a potential Matriarch in Sukeyama Sakuya-chan kept safe and beyond that woman's knowledge out on Ōmure-jima…"
Tomobiki in Nishitōkyō, the Moroboshi home, that moment…
"AH-CHOO! AH-CHOO! AH-CHOO!"
Moroboshi Kinshō moaned before reaching over for a towel to wipe her nose. "Who's talking about me…?!"
She then looked up towards the window of the kitchen…
"You will soon be cursed!"
A second later, an outraged scream heralded the shattering of said window thanks to Kinshō using a roller to smash one VERY annoying Buddhist monk straight into lower Earth orbit. "GET OUT OF HERE, MOOCHER!"
"It's Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate…!" Sakurambō Hayao AKA "Cherry" wailed…
Back on the Normandy…
"Bah!" Fujita Hiroshi's senior administration officer Katsube Hakuseki, a native of Moriyama in Shiga who served as supply officer on THG Akebono before being assigned to the staff of the commander of the Kidō Butai before Operation Z threw everything out of whack, snapped as he thumped a fist on the table. "When you get your hands on this woman, Kyōsuke-kun, you get VERY inventive of the tortures you'll unleash on the selfish bitch for doing that to someone like Tariko-chan! Tariko-chan and Sakuya-chan were too merciful on her letting her 'wither on the vine' like that. She needs to understand pain!"
"And make it prolonged at that, Kyōsuke-san!" the commander of Yonaga's air group, Captain Aoshima Susumu of Miyazaki in southern Kyūshū, declared with an evil smile that Shannon Ozpin believed would scare his ex-wife if she saw it.
Laughter echoed over the scene on the Normandy and in Sano Bay. "Enough, minna-san! Enough!" Fujita cut in, which made his subordinates relax. "Much that I'm sure Kyōsuke-san's desires for revenge will get a chance to be properly expressed, remember that Tariko-san has ultimate first right of the revenge scene as our Yizibajohei friends will see it. In the meantime, echoing Isaac-san's question, Hiromi-chan: How many submarines of the Kaigun survived the war in the end to be scuttled?"
"Forty-nine, Teitoku, excluding five former Kriegsmarine U-boats and two former Italian Regia Marina submarines who were taken over by us after their homelands surrendered to the Allies," the reborn fifth of the Junsen Hei-gata submersible-carrying cruiser submarines known now on Yiziba as the Wise Sea Barbarian, E-melo'oyum ("I-24"), answered. "Of them, we have at least ten having been Gifted at this time; I'm sure the kami of the others are eager to get back into the fray given they having been exposed — even unintentionally so — by young Hinako-chan during her trips of exploration thanks to our wonderful host here having gifted her something as versatile as Kasa-tama." She waved to the Spirit of Innocence in emphasis, that making Saeru Hinako smile. "Some of us will head back come the morrow here on Remnant — which will be evening back home — to guide the others in. Even more so, I'm sure those who were sunk in battle will have sensed it when Shōko-chan, then myself, were Gifted, then seek to return as well. If we're lucky, we'll have quite the force ready to move whenever needed."
"Excellent! Then you'll have people to investigate Tomobiki when Chikage-san there must return to Hogwarts on Monday?"
"Naturally, Teitoku!"
"Couldn't she get a week off classes?" Yáng Xiǎo Lóng then asked. "I mean, this is a family emergency, isn't it?"
An amused chuckle escaped the Dark Heart of Pure Chaos, who was standing close to Isaac Thomas gazing out the window at the third world of Oum. "Unfortunately, my attending a wand magical school in a different KINGDOM from my homeland puts the public eye on me, Yáng. Much like the public eye was focused on Pyrrha when she was allowed to live her own life away from her sisters and began to show her skills." Here, Hirosaki Chikage waved to the Warper of Metal, who nodded in understanding. "I can come on the weekends if required, but thanks to the Triwizard Tournament even if I'm not a competitor, I have to be seen."
"Something like the Vytal Festival?" Glynda Goodwitch asked.
"A smaller scale of the Festival from what Isaac relayed to all of us on Earth, Professor."
"Ah…!"
A buzzing sound echoed from the table before Isaac, making him tap a control to allow another holographic image to appear. "Hey, Sakuya-chan!" he called out as many gaped at the very wholesome beauty of the Healer of Men's Hearts, R'buoho ("Courtesan"), born Sukeyama Sakuya to a couple from Ōsaka — despite her genetic father actually being the same as Tariko Katabarbe's — who lost her stepfather to cancer and stepmother from abandonment, seeing her swept up by the then-dying Moroboshi Nagaiwakai to prepare her for her destiny as Matriarch of the Moroboshi Clan. "Where are you calling from?"
"I'm visiting Kamuro-chō, the Bantam across from the Millennium Tower now," the lovely teenager with the long golden-brown hair done in odango-like buns behind her ears leading to long flowing ponytails commented. As Fujita and his subordinates, even Kyōsuke, gaped at the sight of her dressed in a halter top that exposed WAY too much skin in their eyes — understandably, these people born and raised in the decades before the Greater East Asia War weren't used to seeing someone dressed even more provocatively than what was seen as the norm during the Taishō era before the rise of the militarists — she grinned. "Oh, relax, Ojiisama-tachi!" she playfully scolded, that making the crew of Yonaga fluster at being so formally addressed as her spiritual "grandfathers" while Yoiko herself covered her mouth to stave off an amused laugh. "Any jerk wants to try a fight scene with me, I'll give them a REAL rough time, not to mention getting that from some wonderful friends I have here as well."
She waved towards herself from the left, which heralded the arrival of several familiar faces in the eyes of the Wise Lone Sage and several other gifted metahumans born on Earth who had often interacted with the Tōjō-kai, Japan's second-largest criminal syndicate, a group filled with people who often strove to live up to the "chivalrous organization" title they used for themselves. "Isaac-kun!" Majima Gorō said with an amused grin as he crossed his arms. "Heard you decided to go demon-hunting on your latest quest!" The "mad dog" of Shimano then scowled. "Sakuya-chan filled us in on what's going on with Tariko-chan. This comes straight from the Oyabun himself, Isaac-kun: Any help you need dealing with the idiots who trapped Tariko-chan with those deadbeat parents of hers is yours for the asking. Given the amount of work she's done to get people like Kazuma Gifted — all to PREVENT things like alien invasions and all that! — what happened to her last fall won't wash with us."
"Spoken like true samurai!" the Ice Warrior of Eternity declared as many of her officers cheered such support.
Gorō and his friends blinked, confusion crossing their faces; as members of a rather traditionalist-bent organization like the Yakuza, they did honour many aspects of their homeland's imperial past. They were aware of the kantai musume now. What Hinako had encountered a month before near Guadalcanal had been spread out to all those who needed to know these things by the former chairman of the Tōjō Clan, Gorō's rival-turned-friend Kiryū Kazuma; it was Isaac who helped the famous Dragon of Dōjima be Gifted as the Grand Poobah of the Golden Springs, Yasyo'o ("Tekiya"), three years ago. "'Yonaga'?" Akiyama Shun called out in question. "Forgive our ignorance, Ojō-sama, but we're unaware of a warship in the Kaigun by that name!"
"Nor should you be if the Kempeitai did their jobs correctly," the adopted native of Maizuru declared with a smile before waving to the symbol on her chest these men had seen through Sakuya's PAA. "Fifth of the Yamato-class, first commissioned into the service of Shōwa Tennō during a horrible time for all humanity, I am Yonaga, intended flagship of the Kidō Butai, home vessel of the Dai-Roku-Kōkūsentai. Now Gifted as Itō Yoiko, I am now the spiritual servant of Lord Túndra, eldest of the Great Old Ones who fought at the side of the Undying Lord of Rügen and the Praetorian Guardian of Old Rjazán' against the Old Ones in the End War twenty-five millennia ago, making me the avowed guardian of the Dúma Gamájuna, which has hosted my crew since Lord Túndra felt I was worthy to be their shield against the kuláki stalebloods who'd enslave them as their own comfort women!"
Jaws dropped. "Then you, Teitoku…!" Kazuma's adopted daughter Sawamura Haruka demanded before her eyes went wide with recognition. "Fujita Hiroshi-taishō?!" she exclaimed, making the native of Nagoya blush on being recognized so easily.
"The father of Japanese naval aviation?!" Saejima Taiga exclaimed. "I mean…it's good you're alive, Teitoku, but HOW…?!"
"The cove where Túndra-sama trapped us in back in 1941 was lined with enough mesonium — both diamond-pattern and ruby-pattern — to retard all our aging processes down to a crawl," Moroboshi Kyōsuke answered for his admiral.
Understanding nods answered. "Which means you're under orders to hit Pearl Harbour still…!" Gorō then declared.
His namesake as Yoiko's captain Ogawa Gorō chuckled. "We're being liberal about interpreting those orders given that our ship's undergone quite the transformation, lad," the Fukuoka-jin declared with a smirk as he waved to his transformed ship.
Laughter echoed over the airwaves. "Teitoku, do you and your crew need help?! Food at least?!" Shun then wondered. "Given you've got to be somewhere WAY up north in Siberia seeing all that ice there, I can only guess you've been on short rations…"
"Dame desu no, Shun-san!"
He shut up as eyes focused on the Great Chef of the West. "Hime will be the one who goes to where Yoiko-san and her crew are to make sure they're being fed correctly!" Osamu Shirayuki declared with a wagging finger. "Hime can see there's no sign of scurvy among any of your friends, Ō'ji-sama, so you at least have some fruit to eat up there. Is it a good fruit?"
As Kyōsuke blushed at being called "granduncle" by the mauve-haired Nagoya-jin — while he wondered how many grandnieces his late sister-in-law Moroboshi Nagaiwakai arranged to see born to keep the clan's wealth away from her daughter-in-law in the first place! — the reborn carrier's chief medical officer Surgeon Commander Hoshino Ryōtesu from Karuizawa in the heart of Honshū smiled. "We use cloudberries for fruit, Shirayuki-chan. Rubus chamaemorus. They're quite numerous all over where we're based at; our wise friends love cultivating them. Very enjoyable when made as a tea, which we drink constantly."
The young trofikinetic hummed. "Cloudberries?! Vitamin C, ellagic acid, citric acid, malic acid, alpha-tocopherol type of Vitamin E, anthocyanins for antioxidant intake, provitamin A carotenoids and beta-carotene! Sō desu no! Good choice!" She then wagged her finger at Yoiko's senior officers. "Hime will come up after she's done here to see you all; she doesn't have school until Monday. Even if you're getting good vitamins and minerals, you'll be soon back home, so you'll have to adjust to modern diets. Hime doesn't want anyone to get sick or be hurt by eating food they're not used to."
"Um…Shirayuki-chan, we're quite alright…!" Kyōsuke protested.
"DAME DESU NO, Ō'JI-SAMA! HIME WILL DETERMINE THAT!"
Everyone who served on Yonaga yelped on hearing that thunderous statement from the Great Chef of the West. "Word to the wise, minna-san," Chikage gently declared. "One NEVER argues against the wishes of a trofikinetic!" As Fujita and his subordinates blinked while Yoiko shook her head, the Dark Heart of Pure Chaos added with a wink, "Though I'd suggest you ask Amelia Lavere to go with you to Sano-wan, Shirayuki. Given her fame as both Panacea and Shaper…"
A curt nod from her younger half-sister. "Desu no!"
Patch Island, the Rose/Xiǎo Lóng farm, breakfast (Tōkyō time: Thursday, two hours after supper; Anádyr' time: An hour before midnight)…
"'Morning, girls," Tàiyáng Xiǎo Lóng called out as his older daughter, her girlfriend and would-be lover, not to mention his daughter's fighting partner from Atlas, emerged from their bedrooms. "Shirayuki sent a care package from Earth for you."
Yáng Xiǎo Lóng, Blake Belladonna, Monica Khan and Weiss Schnee gaped on hearing that, then stared in shock at the beautiful spread of food now laid out on the dining room table. "Oh, ye gods above and below! Doesn't that kid ever STOP?!" the blonde heavy hitter of Team RWBY demanded as they all moved to take their seats and dig in.
A chuckle escaped her father as he came over to join them, a cup of tea in hand. Sniffing the tincture of a mixture of sweet and sour flowers with a hint of tart and another of some sort of flower, the Night Moulder gaped. "Cloudberry tea?"
"Same!" he affirmed. "A gift from the crew of that one shipgirl that was trapped in the polar regions of Earth so long helping protect these gamájun from poachers. Befitting for 'true warriors against the darkness', the note from Admiral Fujita said."
All four gaped, then they quickly dug in. "Ooh, this is NICE!" Weiss exclaimed with delight. "Please tell me that Shirayuki sent a box of teabags made of this, Uncle! I'd love to take it back to Atlas and have Klein make it."
"For your brother and sister as well?" Monica wondered.
"Of course!"
Laughter echoed over the table as people dug in. "Never thought I'd ever meet a 'superhero' who has the power she has," Yáng admitted before she shrugged. "Then again, I never thought I'd ever meet a 'superhero' of any sort!"
"None of us did," Blake noted before nibbling on a specially-made tuna omelette. "Still, I can see where Tariko was coming from when she sought to get Earth girls Gifted as metahumans. Things on Yiziba in places…"
"Same?" her former girlfriend wondered.
A nod answered her. "Exactly!" the shadow manipulator affirmed. "I mean, most of the Nameless live their lives in their villages without bugging people — and some of those places put our cities to TOTAL shame; wait until you see Kabe-koli, Tariko's hometown! — while a lot of the Named get involved in one fight scene or the next!" The native of Menagerie gazed on her girlfriend. "You'd love it. Loads of exercise with good opponents, no societal restrictions except for your conscience…which, given you coming from here, will guide you in ways native Yizibajohei might have issues with." She sighed. "Metahumans or not, they're people just like us. Just need to empower themselves to survive things that make Grimm seem cuddly!"
"Like those Endbringer things Taylor told us about at Neo's party?" Yáng asked.
Blake and Monica exchanged looks before nodding. "Rare occasions; that's where the reality warpers come into play most often," the Healing Tigress declared. "Thank Oum for that, of course! I shudder to think about all those people who were slaughtered in that multiverse when this Scion monster went insane and Talyor had to DESTROY herself to kill the thing!"
Weiss turned pale. "Would this be this 'Skitter' woman I read about when I found out about Neo's coming back to bury Roman?"
"Same girl, Weiss," Yáng declared. "Man, and I thought Chikage's seen some shit when I met her. She's got nothing on Taylor!"
The silver-haired Atlesian energy glyph manipulator and swordswoman shuddered. "Thank Oum that those kimfombeke things never came here to cause issues. Learning of Salem is bad enough…!"
"How are Tariko's sisters and her friends handling what's happened to her?" Tàiyáng asked.
Chuckles answered him. "Oh, they're ticked alright, Dad!" Yáng answered. "Soon as she found out about where Tariko was found, her sister Sakuya — she's head of the Moroboshi Clan — tried to get into this Tomobiki place to see what was going on. Whoever set up this forcefield around that town knew about her; try as she might — and she's as powerful an empath as Hinako is! — she couldn't push through. Lucky for her, members of a local gang that Isaac knew saw her doing this and got her clear in case whatever idiots set that whole thing up spotted her." She then shrugged. "Even if the real reason behind it's a mystery, it's clearly obvious they want Tariko trapped there, unable to empower herself, and kept forgetful of Yiziba! Geez, and I thought P-money had it bad when we ran into her sisters last night and found out what that league of theirs was planning?!"
"It might be because of the fear of the eruption of a Mother of All Fight Scenes had the Urusians discovered the presence of so many adopted Yizibajohei on Earth and overreacted," Monica stated. As people gazed on her, the niece of the leader of the White Fang added, "I've seen the local galactic maps of the area around Earth's solar system. The Galactic Federation — an alliance of planetary systems that Uru belongs to — has a thin corridor connecting the space sector around Earth with one of Uru's defence bulwark colonies, Toshitto. If that corridor was closed off — say by the Ipraedies, which own space to Earth's galactic 'east' and don't care for the Urusians and their friends whatsoever — such would launch an intergalactic war."
"With the presence of the Yizibajohei on Earth, that should keep people away," Weiss noted. "Why would the people who prepared this 'trap' in this Tomobiki place want to keep Tariko effectively helpless like that? Her goal all along in this 'casting drive' of hers was to have enough metahumans on Earth to deter against that sort of thing."
The others grimly nodded…
…before a knock was heard from the main door. "I'll get it!" Tàiyáng declared as he got up and headed over to open said door before smiling. "Hey, Hinako! Chikage! What brings you people about this part of our humble planet?"
The Spirit of Innocence and the Dark Heart of Pure Chaos smiled as they stepped inside. "Daijōbu, Oji-san! Daijōbu! Hina and Chikage-chan are coming by to make sure everyone's alright before we go home for tonight," Saeru Hinako declared.
Holding up one flap of her cape, Hirosaki Chikage pulled out a wrapped box to telekinetically float over to Weiss. "Present from Shirayuki, Weiss. That should last you and your siblings at least a month if you don't overindulge."
"Oh, thank you, Chikage!" the silver-haired swordswoman nearly squealed as the box landed on the table beside her.
"How soon do you have to be back in Vale to go home?" Monica asked.
"Daijōbu, Monica-san!" Hinako declared as they sat down while Tàiyáng moved to make more tea. "Both Momoko-chan and Mira-chan are going to be here soon to take Weiss-san to the airport so she can fly home to Atlas."
People blinked. "Wait! Gōya and Miimu, right?! Weren't they up until four o'clock this morning?" Blake wondered.
"Shipgirls and subgirls appear to be developing the same lack of need for long sleep that those we call 'noctis capes' on Earth, people who don't need as much rest time for their minds as normal people, have, Blake," Chikage asserted before nodding her thanks as Tàiyáng placed a mug of tea before her. "Dōmo, Oji-san." Ignoring his blush at being called "uncle", the native of the magical side of Tōkyō added, "Which is understandable since when they were warships, they were active in one way or another constantly throughout the days they served. The only time their internal systems 'slept' wholesale was when they were in drydock having components of those systems upgraded or repaired. While we don't know yet how far they can go…?"
"Now's the time to test it," Tàiyáng cut in. "And with a very 'target rich' environment for them to work out on."
"Indeed so."
"How's Isaac doing?" Yáng then asked.
A sigh answered her. "He is upset," the Dark Heart of Pure Chaos answered. "As he said when Ō'oji-kun came to visit from Sano-wan, many tried to warn Ane-kun about allowing herself to remain not fully Gifted until her mind was fully ready to absorb the power of Tuyuki, to save anything of the memories involved. An understandable fear given the Second Rule, of course."
"'Second Rule'?" Weiss wondered.
"'Don't FUCK with Tuyuki'!" Blake and Monica quoted together, that making Hinako scowl on hearing the profanity.
"She would be like Lady Ayumu, right?" Tàiyáng asked.
"Indeed, she will be," Chikage affirmed. "Reality warpers on Yiziba tend to focus on specific aspects which influence them from their first-selves' lives before and during the Dawn of Power. Margo Black, as Doctor Death, was an assassin in her first life, so dealing with death — especially with the rise of bodiless spirits from those who died in the Starvation Times — became a point for those people to focus on. Suzumiya Haruhi, as the Weaver, gains her experience from a person who wanted to save lives from the destruction, thus used his ability to fashion micro-dimensions to act as 'safe houses' away from assault. You all know something of what Ayumu's first-self Ayone did given his actions against the Two Brothers; there were other Ori and other such 'advanced' races who didn't care for the Seeker's Forge to be giving such 'gifts' to people willy-nilly like that. It goes on and on. For Ane-kun specifically, her first-self was a comedian from the world entertainment capital at the time. On seeing how far people were willing to go to either keep power or destroy those simply wanting to live their own lives, that person would deliver quite harsh yet quite hilarious 'lessons' on those who earned his ire, something that made Tuyuki quite feared before the Urusians came to see Ane-kun's then-incarnation as the Devil Incarnate." As Hinako nodded, the arch-mage sorceress/Sith mistress sipped her tea. "Oh, Yáng, Isaac wants you to have this. He believes this might be the perfect fit for you when you take the leap."
A hard-printed book was handed over. "'Fortitude'?" Yáng read aloud…
Vale, Renaissance Industries Headquarters, that moment…
"Isaac!"
"Kazuma!"
Laughing, the raven-haired Yakuza wakagashira who had been Gifted as one of Yiziba's most powerful fighters walked over to sweep his younger American friend into a tight embrace, both Isaac Thomas and Kiryū Kazuma thumping the other man's back. "What the hell brings YOU to Remnant of all places, Kazuma?!" the New Yorker demanded as he waved his friend from Yokohama over to sit in the guest chair across from his work desk in the top floor of the converted warehouse.
"People got the news about Tariko-chan," the Dragon of Dōjima declared before smiling as Mikazuki Yozora came up with tea for the visiting metahuman fighter. "There are some serious rumblings all over Yiziba stating that people want to start up a MOAFS against the Oni idiots that provoked that 'invasion' last fall. Tariko-chan's granduncle — not her blood one from that carrier that went missing all those years ago, but Padre Neyanege — is leading the chants. Damasu-chan hasn't said anything, but Oetoka is definite siding with the Padre. As for Padre Leno, I don't know what he's got in mind…"
"Shit!" the Wise Lone Sage hissed out. "It's amazing how much people owe that girl, isn't it?"
The Grand Poobah of the Golden Springs nodded in agreement. "Both personally and by inspiration," he affirmed. "Surprises me that Margo-chan hasn't taken some long overdue vacation time from working for Bartlet-hakase, then head over to Onishuto to make some of the idiots in the Imperial Round disappear. It doesn't take an idiot to realize…"
"Seq Yethis and his clique were behind it from the start," his host finished. "They've always hated the fact that many normal Urusians have been as fascinated by Earth culture as the Niphentaxians have been." As Kazuma snorted on hearing that, Isaac crossed his arms. "Still, Tariko-chan's plan all along was wise. Even if her 'wife' was listed as the second entry in The Book of Pretty Girls, she suspected — and confirmed same when Nassur told her about Project: Kamen — that even with her 'imperial' blood, Redet Lum would be made a living symbol for both sides of the Urusian political divide to focus on."
"Result: NEVER being allowed to think for herself," the visitor from Tōkyō finished. "I can sympathize with that, but given what happened that's spilled out of Tomobiki — some of the clan have passed through the area and weren't so badly affected by that notice-me-not barrier that was put up around town; no doubt, 'mere' yakuza aren't seen as a threat — that girl needs to learn how to be a proper guest living on a planet that's not caught up to her homeworld socially or technologically."
"What did they see?"
Pulling out his PAA from his jacket pocket — despite him being one of Yiziba's most powerful fighters, the Yokohama-jin preferred to travel around in his normal civilian dress of a sports jacket, button shirt without tie and business slacks — he tapped a control to bring up the observation notes he got from friends, plus transmit same to Isaac's systems for his own analysis. "Starting with Tariko-chan herself. As you know, she was forced back into being a boy a month before the Urusians arrived, living now as 'Moroboshi Ataru'. From what locals say, 'he' has lived — in truth, PLAGUED, many claim! — in Tomobiki all this time, so we're dealing with some massive levels of memory alterations that I doubt even Yomi-chan could correct." As Isaac hissed again, his guest added, "He's said to be the 'cancer of the town', the reported cause of EVERY damned weird thing that's happened there even if he was nowhere CLOSE to whatever happened, much less had any part of it happening."
"Oh, shit…!"
"Though, even with the memory blocks, he is still very attracted to the ladies," Kazuma said with an amused grin. "Chief among them being his 'former girlfriend', a Catholic girl named Miyake Shinobu. Said to be a childhood friend, but I doubt that Tariko-chan would remember Shinobu-chan given her trip to Sagussa before her sixth birthday when Ayone-san got to her. He does find Lum attractive — given the girl often parades around in a strapless BIKINI of all things when she's not dressed for the weather, of course! — but that could be a subconscious memory of Tariko-chan helping save her from being a cripple all those years ago. Another one that shows up in the Book is Fujinami Ryūnosuke; she's there in Entry 100. She's a classic child-abuse case, rated a three-star in the Book. Widowed father, a fisherman who wanted a son, then decided to rase his kid as a 'manly man'…"
"Damn! Shades of a few others Tariko ran into over the years…"
"Got that straight. Also, there are the fact that a tonne of male classmates all harbour HUGE crushes on Lum. Chief among them are four boys calling themselves 'Lum's Stormtroopers' of all things; they're the ones who provoked the world oil thing with the space-taxi that Ayumu-chan helped shut down just after the Tag Race. They constantly ride Tariko-chan's case to keep her 'loyal' to Lum while trying to make 'him' look so bad that Lum will drop 'him' and choose one of them." As Isaac laughed, Kazuma rolled his eyes. "And there's Mendō Shūtarō. Son of Japan's richest family; he came out of private study and began attending Tomobiki High School at the start of January. He's JUST as infatuated with Lum as the other boys are, but with a private army and bodyguards ready to do ANYTHING to help him win Lum over. Naturally, this brat sees Tariko-chan as his 'rival'."
"What about the two girls who Tariko met before whatever happened to her happened? Tsuruya Rumiko and Inu Chigaiko?"
"Both are classmates of Tariko-chan's at Tomobiki High. Rumiko-chan just came out of the closet. Outside Chiyo-chan, she's the smartest student bar non in all of Japan; chances are when her memories get unblocked and she's Gifted, she'll become like you. The Sage, maybe?" As his host nodded — the Careful Planner of the Circle of Thought, Timlem (the "Sage"), would make the triumvirate of Yiziba's most intelligent inventors complete for the first time in over a mini-series — Kazuma shook his head. "As for Chigaiko-chan, something happened to her shortly after the Tag Race that made EVERYONE save Tariko-chan who works or attends Tomobiki High forget her damned NAME!" As Isaac hissed in horror, the Dragon of Dōjima smirked. "A bad curse of some sort undoubtedly, especially given how spiritually active things have always been in that town. Soon as I realized how dangerous it could be, I advised Daigō-san to have EVERYONE who goes in and out of that place to wear ruby mesonium shielding bracelets to make sure people don't forget what they've seen in that town and keep their minds intact from this notice-me-not thing that keeps the craziness trapped there." He then scowled. "Even with that, given that the shipgirls are moving to get the whole damned sub fleet back on-line as subgirls, they'll have better chances in that town than normal folk."
"Yeah, night will be falling soon on Japan," the American breathed out. "Still, you must admit, Kazuma, whoever set this whole situation up either are quite powerful in their own right or were INSANELY lucky."
A grim nod acknowledged that. "It could be either way. Too hard to call either which way."
"What's Negako-sama doing right now?"
"No doubt, she's informing Heika about this, plus get his tacit agreement to allow at least the Kaigun's submarine force to be reconstituted as subgirls," Kazuma answered. "Much that she keeps her emotions locked tight inside her heart, Negako-san's clearly been affected by Tariko-chan's disappearance. She's the Clan Steward as long as Sakuya-chan remains underage, so she feels she failed her by allowing Tariko-chan to vanish like that." He then hummed. "She could approach Shihan-sama herself in Canada to get her to use the Power Jewel to knock down this barrier or change the effects it unleashes on people; after all, the Jewel's the oldest piece of mesonium existing on Earth and Shihan-sama is known to people on other planets."
Isaac shook his head. "No, getting any of the War Hawks — ESPECIALLY General Raeburn — involved will cause some serious alarm in Onishuto and elsewhere, I think. Atop that, there's the whole Niphentaxian question as well. Given that their current 'living goddess' is resident in Tomobiki, I'm sure that brat Ōgi sent loads of extra observers there to watch over her."
Kazuma laughed. "You haven't heard?!"
"Kazuma, I really hate wasting brain cells on THOSE lunatics!"
The Grand Poobah snorted. "Don't blame you. And yes, loads of observers — with Avalonian 'assistant observers' — have been seen in town. Many of them — even adults — dressing as if they were STUDENTS at Tomobiki High School in fact." As his host gaped in disbelief, Kazuma shrugged. "I don't get it whatsoever myself, Isaac! Is it this notice-me-not field that's making people ignorant of things like tapered ears and people speaking as if they're evangelical fanatics?! I can't say!"
Which meant that his visitor hadn't gone to Tomobiki itself to check things over, the Wise Lone Sage concluded. "Yeah. Don't go to Tomobiki yourself, Kazuma," he suggested. "I know you'll stand a chance, but my helping you get Gifted two years ago before you helped bring peace between the Tōjō-kai and the Ōmi-rengō made you well known to officianados on PHO. We don't know if this situation with Tariko-chan was set up with intelligence gleaned from that." As his guest nodded — indeed, the worldwide reach of Parahumans Online, the Internet nexus for all those who were interested in Earth's non-magical metahuman population both Yizibajohei-influenced and others, would make keeping things secret VERY hard from the thousands of cultural observers from Phentax Two which had been on Earth for two centuries and more, never mind whatever group had set up this rather insane situation concerning Tomobiki and its present alien 'guest' — the New Yorker sighed. "Only GOOD thing from that is that many observers from that planet have 'gone native' quite well, acknowledging things like keeping the identities of the new generation of 'mystery men' secret, never mind family relations. I really wonder if Ōgi and his idiots in New Hollywood — I REFUSE to call that city 'Lumukyō'! — has any real clue about how many metahumans are active on Earth."
"Oh, you want to hear the funniest part of all this?!"
"What?!"
"That brat Ōgi declared Tariko-chan — as Ataru-kun — the 'Great Evil' of that 'church' he helped create."
Silence.
More silence.
Still more silence.
Then…
"Why do I smell a Mother of All Fight Scenes coming against that selfish idiot?" Isaac moaned.
"Wouldn't be a great loss," Kazuma sneered out…
On the ground floor…
"Good morning, Miss Neo. Here to see Isaac?"
Neopolitan smiled as she nodded greetings to the same crocodilian Faunus standing guard by the main entrance to Renaissance Industries who had been there when Winter Schnee found out about Yiziba and the survival of both Penny Polendina and Pyrrha Nikos from the events on Gaysaw evening. "Just wanted to see if he was going to come to Roman's funeral; it'll be at noon at my old family home," the effective new chairwoman of what was now being called the "Torchwick Group" to its supporters in the city answered as she allowed her hand to be scanned by Rodney Dundee; this would alert the building's internal scanners of her presence, thus not cause any alarms. "Heard that he's got a visitor from the Tōjō Group on Earth right now."
"The one Gifted member," the guard warned with the best approximation of a smile his elongated mouth could make.
That made Neo gape. "What?! Tekiya's here?! Damn!" She then twirled Hush around before closing it up and allowing it to rest on her shoulder; she was dressed in her normal multi-colour street clothes in lieu of her pure-white fighting uniform even if a pair of duelling dirks were in the open tied to her trouser belt. "Might want to spar with him to check him out."
"Please don't do it here, ma'am," Rodney pleaded. "Isaac would hate to see the whole building damaged."
A laugh responded. "That's why we have the Battlezone!"
With that, she skipped into the building, then perked as another gynoid replica from the Haganai manga/anime series came up to her. "Good morning, Neo," Kashiwazaki Sena declared with a friendly smile. "I assume you realize Isaac has a visitor."
"The bane of the Amon Clan himself in a way," Neo affirmed as they moved to enter an elevator and ascend to the top floor. "Even if I've only started to train with Jō-sensei and his relatives, I know about the Dragon of Dōjima."
"PLEASE don't start a fight here, Neo!"
Neo thumbed behind her towards the main doors. "Your guard's already asked that!"
Both women laughed, then Neo relaxed as the car finished its ascent, she then feeling a touch of surprise at the fact that she was finding socializing with more and more people easier now that she had her voice back. Much that she was glad to have her voice again after so long — even if she had found many ways of communicating with scrolls before her Gifting, there were advantages of being able to vocalize things — she still wanted to keep an emotional barrier around her as a way of ensuring she wouldn't be hurt again. Sure, she had her past-selves' experiences and knowledge dating from the time before the Dawn of Power…but given that all of them — save for her immediate past-self Kusefea Famesa — had spent all their lives on Yiziba, there would be places she'd have issues emotionally when dealing with other people. Still, getting the chance to have normal interactions…
She blinked as Sena squeezed her shoulder in support, then smiled as the car stopped at the top floor. The doors opened, then the blonde gynoid guided the visiting mercenary down a hallway to a nearby cafeteria. One that had been taken over by several huntsmen teams who had been involved in the Vytal Festival, she quickly realized. And one of those huntsmen…
"Oum!" she exclaimed on seeing the LARGE chain gun now being looked over by Coco Adel. "Is that one of the Weaponeer's specials, Phalanx?!" she demanded as she came up to get a closer look while Sena broke off to inform Isaac of Neo's presence.
"Got it straight from the Magazine itself when Pyrrha, Blake and me went on Gaycan afternoon to get replacement weapons," the Human Legion declared as she worked the sliding action to ensure the bullets — carried in a VERY big magazine secured to the right side of the breechblock to ensure the fashionista of Team CFVY could sight and fire the thing — would feed in properly, then eject from the port facing to the ground. "Still working on Velvet's and the others' Giftings, but something's happening."
"Heard that Monica got Gifted when she touched Blake when it began for her," the Ballerina of the Final Darkness said as she ran her hand on the very smooth barrel of the chain gun, immediately sensing how much the incarnations of the Master At Arms had worked to build and improve on this beauty to make it lethal for whoever claimed it. "Thought of that with your team?"
A shake of the head responded. "Nah, don't want to force it since I'm a FISS-type. Too much energy in the body might make the others' Giftings go the wrong way," Coco admitted, earning an understanding nod. "Monica's lucky she had a healing semblance; it helped her get a true healer's Gift even if she's more veterinarian than human healer of any type…huh?!"
A snarling litany of curses echoed from a nearby hallway, making both girls look while a shuddering Cardin Winchester marched up from a nearby elevator landing to storm into his room, slamming the door behind him. Both Coco's and Neo's sharp eyes were quick to see the bruises on the mace wielder's face. "Those aren't just sparring wounds," the latter coldly warned.
"Oh, shit, not again!" the former hissed on seeing the other members of Team CDRL move to enter their own quarters. A quick glance to the faces of Cardin's friends told Coco everything she needed to know. "Hey, guys!" she barked out.
Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark perked on hearing their senior call out, then lame smiles crossed the three young hunters' faces. "His old man," the former muttered under his breath as soon as Coco and Neo got close.
The mercenary moved to lean against the outer wall of Cardin's room, crossing her arms. "Counsellor Winchester?" she demanded. "I know the difference between sparring and abuse, guys. What's going on here?!"
Tired eyes rolled in annoyance. "Partially the whole Faunus thing, partially the idea of Isaac employing us as part of RI, Miss Neo," Dove answered as he mirrored her stance against the outer wall of his room. "Ever since Isaac set up shop here, idiots in the Vale Council have been trying to press for 'political donations' from the man to coffer their own retirement funds." As Coco groaned — being a citizen of Vale, she was all too aware of how totally corrupt the kingdom's ruling council was even if there had been some checks forced on them by Shannon Ozpin due to the prestige of Beacon Academy — the often serene-looking sandy-haired swordsman added, "Isaac's never played ball with the Council and with the Headmaster dead…"
"He's alive," Coco cut in, making the boys jolt as they gaped at her. "Infinity saved him as much as she did Pyrrha. He's just staying low as long as little Ruby's new gang are in CCT range of local transmitters."
The door to Cardin's room flung open, revealing the councillor's son. To both Coco's and Neo's sharp eyes, the man's semblance was barely starting to heal the bruises on his face. "The Headmaster's alive?! Why keep it secret, Adel?!"
"Preventing the Queen Grimm from finding out her old hubby's still alive, Winchester," Neo answered. "If Rose and her friends keep their current travel speed going, keeping quiet about Ozpin won't be seen as necessary for a couple more weeks."
"When they get to Lutetia, you mean?" Russel affirmed, nodding in understanding.
Silence fell over the scene, then Coco leaned close to her fellow team leader. "Shit! What the hell did he hit you with, Cardin?!"
He gave her a wry smile. "The first version of the Executioner, Coco. Don't know how it got to be THAT powerful since it's never been used in the field — as far as I know — since I got the new model…!"
"You need a healer."
Heads snapped over…
…then Cardin winced. "Please, Velvet! I don't need your sympathy."
Velvet Scarlatina shuddered as she glared at the leader of the main group of bullies then went after her when she attended Beacon due to her Faunus status, then she hissed as she stormed away, the slight cloak of energy glowing around her hands brightening slightly. As Cardin and his friends blinked in shocked confusion at such an act by the weapons duplicator, Coco chuckled. "Did you ever suspect that deep down, she actually LIKES you, Cardin?" she casually asked.
As he gaped at her, Neo pushed herself off the wall. "She's going to force the Gifting. Let me handle this, Coco."
With that, the mercenary went off, leaving behind a grateful Human Legion and a chorus of VERY stunned men…
On the roof, a minute later…
"I have to admit, you've got good taste in men, Velvet."
Perking on hearing that voice, Velvet Scarlatina blinked before she looked over her shoulder to see Neopolitan seated one of the benches placed on an open-air patio designed to serve as a place of relaxation for people who wanted some fresh air. The leporine therianthrope weapons duplicator — still dressed in her "pre-Gifting" silver crystalline-like jumpsuit that showed off quite the cute body even if she wasn't busty and curvy like her team lead — then turned back to gazed towards the still-sealed off grounds of Beacon Academy. Focusing on the damaged CCTS system in the central tower of the complex, the native of one of the smaller still-extant coastal villages under Vale's overall control smirked on seeing that the huge wyvern that had been used to wreck havoc all over the grounds was now reduced to about a third of its original mass; even if the mist dandelions brought to the city by Neville Longbottom and Mihama Chiyo had pretty much cleared out the city whole of any living Grimm, the sheer power of such a beast would require some time to forever see ashes before reconstruction could begin and the school reopened.
And yes, Velvet had some ideas — ideas she knew came from a Yizibajohei battle line that had been flooding her dreams with VERY interesting ideas she'd love to find ways to make real and usable — on how to clean up such a mess…
"Yeah, weird, isn't it?" she breathed out as she hugged herself. "You know, I'm not sure if any of us have expressed our condolences at Roman's death to you, but many of us are regretful that he did die. Even if he was a crook…"
Neo breathed out. "I do appreciate it, Velvet. Believe me, I do. But…" Here, the once-heiress of one of Vale's richest families shook her head. "I warned him, Padre Leno warned him, Junior and a few others warned him, but as soon as he laid eyes on Ruby Rose, his sense of caution just flew off the damned airship!" She made a sweeping motion with her free hand; Husk was in her other hand perched on her shoulder. "Hell, even Ruby was muttering apologies in her sleep last night when I went over to check on them while the shipgirls and subgirls went Grimm hunting and we ran across Pyrrha's sisters."
A shake of the head answered that. "Poor Pyrrha! Grown like some damned fungus just to lead a revolution of all things…!" she spat out. "My parents are separated if you don't know, but at least I had loving and supportive parents! What did she have?! What did the other Murmidṓn have?!" Spitting out in disgust, she focused on the kingdom's main administrative centre where the father of a handsome man she had secretly crushed on since he first began attending Beacon worked as one of the many "representatives of the people" who were more intent on making it rich than doing their duties. "What did Cardin have…?"
The Ballerina of the Final Darkness chuckled. "I can help you there…!" she sing-songed.
The weapons replicator looked at her. "How?"
The mercenary's finger pointed to Velvet's glowing hands. "Well, something is clearly offering itself to you, so I can help force it through much easier than a bruiser like Coco could. And if what my empathy is picking up now from your thoughts, it seems to be leaning towards someone like what Shigaten Kamen is like these days." As the other woman gargled as memories of being inside the vast personal arsenal of the Master At Arms replayed in her mind — along with a surging feeling of desire from somewhere deep in her heart that clearly chimed with such an experience — Neo set Hush aside before standing.
Willing her clothes to change into her battlesuit — as being close to someone undergoing the sheer near-cosmic force that got unleashed when one became one of the Named of the Forge didn't do wonders for clothing that wasn't augmented with some fort of mesonium shielding — the reborn mercenary from the dark streets of old R'buoletona reached over to grasp the other girl's hands, allowing her empathic powers to surge up from her own heart and flood through that contact into Velvet's…
«It's calling to you, Velvet…!»
A shocked cry escaped the fishing village's child as her own suit began to glow…
«The Conservator will bless this…!»
The weapons replicator groaned as she felt a waterfall of memories pour into her very soul…
«Your friends, your family, the future father of your children will NEED this…!»
"Cardin…!" Velvet then sobbed…
«Your heart cries for vengeance! Embrace our laws of vengeance scenes and HONOUR them…!»
"YES!"
Tene lomher'buo, Velvet Scarlatina…!
Ignoring the shouts and running footfalls from the interior of the factory site, to say anything of the passers by on the ground beyond the grounds, all of them turning to watch as a billow of silvery energy seemed to erupt from the rabbit-eared huntress — one of those who had saved defenceless people nights before when the Grimm went on a wild rampage — to reach into the morning sky over Vale. As Coco Adel, the members of Team CDRL and a few others ran up to see what was going on, Velvet screamed out in delight as something surged into her very soul and explode to flood every cell of her body with POWER…!
"TAEIM LETAM…!"
Naturally, many seeing this empowerment turned away just in time…
Nesu…GASYU R'BUORIM!
…as Velvet's jumpsuit was transformed into a slate grey affair with almost-black belt and boots, a dull silver complicated gearbox-and-tool insignia appearing over her cleavage while straps of leather armbands and fingerless gloves formed around her biceps and hands. Naturally as she was quick to sense that her powers were of the technological manipulation variety — often called "technokinesis"…though concentrated in a different focus category than what Penny Polendina would become as Operator — her eyes were quickly covered by a pair of protective goggles with various microtechnological functions such as an HUD screen and special links to the Great Show networks back on Yiziba. Soon enough — just as Isaac Thomas and Kiryū Kazuma came surging up from below to see what was going on — a portal then appeared to the just-Gifted woman's left, allowing a large storage case the size of the average family's dining room table to come rest on the patio. As that happened, an amused voice called out from the Armoury before said portal closed, «Rather figured she'd become THAT, Isaac! Have fun, Velvet!»
Silence.
More silence.
Still more silence.
Then…
The new incarnation of the Mobile Weapons Factory, Gasyu R'buorim — considering that term which had been first applied to a spiritual native of the Isle of Kuyukune off the northeast shores of the western equatorial continent from where Neo's first-self also haled, Isaac immediately thought of the Irish term Olltáirgeacht as potential translation — then moved to unseal said case, exposing a LOT of very interesting materials that made many of the hunters and huntresses seeing this all gape in shock at such abundance and such variety. "Coco, get Gianduja!" she barked out, her voice echoing hard with post-Gifting shock, making the Human Legion jolt before she levitated herself over the crowd and past the edge of the roof to fly down to the open window of the cafeteria, which was wide enough to allow that nice chain gun to be carried out without hitting something. While the others moved to make room on the patio to see what she's got in mind, Velvet then gazed once more towards Beacon. "Are there any of the subgirls anywhere close to Academy airspace, Isaac?" she then asked. "I think it's high time we got our school back!"
As many of the non-Gifted huntsmen and huntswomen whooped on hearing that from the reborn weapons manufacturer from old Kuyukune, the Wise Lone Sage tapped his wrist communicator. "Doctor Renaissance to all subgirls and shipgirls in Vale airspace! Be advised, a case of post-Gifting shock-induced weapons firing will imminently occur from the roof of Renaissance Industries in the direction of the Beacon Academy CCT tower and the wyvern remnants there! Clear out of the field of fire!"
«This is Nyoshin, Sensei!» the voice of the Wise Sea Barbarian replied. «All airspace east of the main gates leading to Beacon is clear! PLEASE don't tell me that someone is going is going to use some weapon of mass destruction on that thing!»
"THOSE piss-ant things?! Hah!" Velvet sneered as Coco flew back to land on the roof with her new chain gun. "Sissy stuff!"
«Ah, that would be Velvet-chan, correct?» Hanabusa Hiromi then asked with an amused smile in her voice.
"That it would be, Hiromi-san."
"Load!" Velvet barked out as her technokinesis gently molded a dark-looking bullet to the same dimensions as what could fit into the firing chamber of her teammate's gun. Seeing Coco rack back the slide to open the breach, the other girl slipped the round in before the Human Legion allowed the bolt to slam closed. "Centre mass that thing, Phalanx!"
"PLUG YOUR EARS, EVERYONE!" Isaac barked as the leader of Team CFVY put the buttstock to her shoulder and focused her right eye through the magnification scope at the still-intact yet melting Grimm monster making her school uninhabitable.
As people's fingers moved to seal off ear canals…
KK-KRACK!
…a focused sonic boom echoed over Vale as a bolt of burning dark energy sheathed in burning silver — no doubt, the warhead contained a massive load of hyper-charged ebony mesonium, Isaac realized as he watched it cover the distance over mostly residential housing to soar over the Academy grounds and focus directly just to the CCT tower's immediate south — covered the several kilometres of space between his current headquarters in Vale itself and the target…
A burst of energy marked the impact point…
…then an explosion of burning energy — accompanied by yet ANOTHER sonic boom — tore the remnants of the wyvern apart as the hellish mixture of mesonium with whatever else Velvet's past-selves had concocted up with over the seasons and series to finish off what Kasuga Ayumu, Neville Longbottom and Mihama Chiyo had unleashed on the city days before!
As the gathering of hunters and huntresses whooped in delight on seeing the last major threat to Vale City now gone, Cardin Winchester slipped through the crowd to grab the woman he once derided as a freak, spinning her around to hug her. Velvet yelped in surprise before she realized who was embracing her, then she snared him hard with her hands to swamp him with a VERY wet kiss, that making his friends all gape on seeing the confirmation of what her team leader had warned moments before while Coco and Neo both screamed with laughter and Isaac shook his head. Teenagers…! he immediately lamented…
…before an ominous rumble made heads snap back to the east.
As people morbidly watched, the upper half of the CCT tower — which had endured a LOT of fire damage in the attack days before — seemed to totter as small bits of burning propellant from Velvet's bullet bit into the stonework…
…then with a squeal of twisting metal and the thunder of shattering stone, a good two hundred metre mass dropped down to crash hard into the surrounding architecture; fortunately, the collapse was AWAY from where the Wise Lone Sage had been told were the VERY precious vaults containing centuries of lost knowledge that had been preserved by the Undying Warrior Sage of Remnant over many incarnations. As Velvet's ears then drooped in horror on realizing that her bullet had done much MORE damage than initially intended, Coco wryly chuckled. "Um…bit of overkill there, Velvet!"
The just-Gifted technokinetic weapons maker tried not to look TOO embarrassed. "Um…oops!"
"It was going to happen anyway once that thing was gone."
Eyes locked on Isaac. "Are you sure about that, Isaac?" Coco wondered.
The New Yorker grinned. "My personal in-depth analysis, Madame Phalanx. I'm NEVER wrong about that!"
People blinked before another chorus of wild laughter escaped the others on the patio…
To Be Continued…
WRITER'S NOTES
A metaphobe is afraid of/hates metahumans; it's a variation of being a rhabdophone (someone who fears/hates magicals).
Translation list and source language (all Japanese save the last, which is Irish): Junsen Hei-gata — Cruiser Type C; Dai-Roku-Kōkūsentai — Sixth Carrier Air Flotilla; Wakagashira — Literally "young head", this is the eldest "son" of a yakuza family, nominally seen as the second-in-command of the group; Ōmi-rengō — Ōmi Alliance, the largest Yakuza clan in Japan in the Ryū ga Gotoku/Yakuza series; Olltáirgeacht — Mass production. As an aside, Kuyukune is naturally the Yizibajohei analogue of the Emerald Island; the word itself means "fertile land" and is derived from the ancient meaning of the Irish word Éire.
The events of the Ryū ga Gotoku series are timed equal to the events of the universe of this story; the events depicted in Ryū Ga Gotoku 5: Yume, Kanaeshimono ("Like a Dragon 5: Fulfiller of Dreams") would commence at the end of 2012.
Seq Yethis is a character who first appeared in a fanfiction story that inspired The Senior Year, Just a Dream by Lewis Burden, which was released all the way back in 1992. It is available to be read on the Fanfiction website at story #13699384. As Fred interpreted him in TSY, Yethis is the leader of the Imperial Round, an ultra-conservative group of the descendants of nobility on planet Uru who wished to have the pre-Union Revolution (that world's variation of the French Revolution in many ways) Urusian Empire restored with the traditional social order (think absolute monarchies in Europe) returned. As an aside, Tsuruya Rumiko is based on an unnamed character who resembles Takahashi Rumiko herself who appeared in early Yatsura manga stories such as "Food Fight" (manga chapter #106). Inu Chigaiko is a character from TSY, first appearing in "Darling's Secret Date".
Counsellor Rufus Winchester is a character that appears in various stories in the RWBY Snippets and Plot Bunnies chat on SpaceBattles; he was created by Andrew J. Talon and first appeared in "Standoff", appearing at post #100354285 on page 40.