Chapter 42 – Southern Mistral: Branwen
Cover Art by Mi Chumi
Chapter Beta ZoroEpsilon
Two days later, the Vacuo-1 was cruising its way over Southern Mistral. Lionheart had been more than willing to provide Garek with a full description of Raven Branwen and Lily Lansede, as well as any intelligence he had on the Branwen Tribe's typical stomping grounds.
"They move frequently," the lion faunus had told him on the secure Scroll, frowning. "They'll spend a few months far from any established villages, then send a few advance parties out to evaluate potential targets." He'd shaken his head, "Your best bet is to start at the last known town to be raided, a place called Higanbana. We received word that they tried to hit it a month ago, and the town was alerted in time and able to drive them off. They've likely moved on since then and will be anxious to find another target."
"I still can't believe that they're left to operate like that," Garek shook his head.
"Well, while the villages to the south of Lake Matsu are technically part of the Kingdom of Mistral, Garek, both the population of those villages and the governing powers realize that the authority of the Kingdom can't really be enforced out there. It's the main reason people move to them, and brave bandits and Grimm, so that they can get out from under Mistral's formal rule."
"Huh. Hadn't considered that. Alright. And you say we're looking for a woman, older than me, with a massive amount of black hair and red eyes."
"Yes, and she wields an ōdachi with removable dust-blades. Be very cautious with her, Garek. She's dangerous and has a serious temper," he paused. "You're still not comfortable telling me the reason you want to talk to Raven now?"
"Not yet, Leo. I can tell you that it has nothing to do with Ozpin, Maidens or Relics, and Salem's not going to be happy with us if we succeed. If we pull this off, I'll be happy to tell you, but if we can't get Raven on board, we're going to need a lot of time to come up with Plan B."
"You need her Portals."
"Nailed it in one. Let's just say that you aren't the only person out there who needed saving, Leo. And we'd sure like to have Raven on our side."
Lionheart stroked his beard. "Yes. Yes, I can imagine you would. Alright, you've done extremely well by me so far. I'll let my curiosity simmer for a while." His eyes glinted, "But if I find you're playing the same games as Ozpin with me, you'll find me a lot less helpful in the future."
"Don't worry, Leo. You have my word that this doesn't negatively impact you in any way, shape, or form. You'll have clear forewarning before you are put in any danger."
Lionheart stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. And Lily is a thin woman, younger than you, with short blonde hair and light brown eyes. Beauty mark on her cheek. But don't be fooled. She was a scared young lady who never asked for the Maiden's powers, but if she feels cornered, she could lash out, and that power can be formidable even if she seemed unable to fully master it."
"Got it. We'll keep you posted, Leo."
"See that you do."
They landed just outside Higanbana, within sight of the walls.
"I'd like to stay with the Bullhead, if you don't mind," Crys said carefully. "Keep an eye on things and make sure nobody tries to steal her."
"That is acceptable. We should not be in danger here. It is a well-established town." Selene nodded. She and Garek disembarked to walk the short distance to town and heard the door slide shut behind them almost immediately.
"That was a little odd, don't you think?" Garek asked.
"Yes. I have not seen her this nervous since… ah. Perhaps that is the cause."
"What?"
"This part of Mistral is where she is from, originally, and she was part of a group of bandits for a time. It is possible that she fears that someone would recognize her."
"Ah. Yeah, that'll do it. Anyway, my thinking is, we hit up the local militia and ask them for any thoughts on which direction the Tribe might have headed. Then we do a sort of cone back and forth pattern. It's not foolproof, but if they're as organized as Lionheart led me to believe, we should be able to spot some evidence. Abandoned campsites, live campfires, tents, heck maybe a different village or a caravan that got hit."
"Yes, that is a good strategy. Though I am still unhappy to learn that Summer's 'best friend' is now someone who preys on the defenseless."
"You and me both. But from what you described, she's probably the only way we get Summer out of there alive."
"Alive and undetected. There may be other means."
They were challenged at the gates to the town by several militia members, which worked in their favor. Soon enough they were chatting happily with the local militia captain, who was more than happy to give them any information on the Branwen Tribe.
"Bunch of parasites, if you ask me," he spat. "Going on about how it's survival of the fittest and smartest, and then hiding like cowards and hitting those that can't defend themselves." The scarred older man literally spat on the floor. "Show some backbone and they cut and run like the losers that they are," he gave a fierce grin. "Showed them what Higanbana are made of, last time they stuck their noses in our territory. They didn't make it a day's ride from the town before we had the militia mustered and skirmisher parties out." He peered at the Huntsman. "You looking to pin down their location?"
"I'm told that's hard, but yeah." He scratched at the base of an ear. "There's a hostage situation, and we're hoping to use them as a contact to get them out. Sorry, I know it's not what you want to hear, but…"
"Yeah, sometimes you gotta cut a deal with the devil. Tell you what, I'll tell you what I know, and I'll ask only one thing. If you find they're heading back this way any time soon, you come back here and give us a heads up. Huntsman's honor. Deal?" He stuck out his hand, which Garek took without hesitation.
That was a promise he could easily keep. "Deal."
After that conversation, they stopped by the local tavern, a two-story wooden affair, and grabbed food and drink to go.
When they got back to the Bullhead, Crys was both thankful for the food and slightly apologetic. They ate sitting in the hold, while she kept half an eye on the external camera feeds.
"I'm sorry about not wanting to go with you, Selene," she said nervously.
"Is it, as I guess, that you fear being recognized?"
"Yeah, that. Though hell, as much as I've changed from that skinny thing back then, anyone who once knew me would probably walk right past me." She gave a momentary smile, but it dropped quickly. "But yeah. Some of the old crew might still be around, and the bandit bands and tribes are pretty incestuous. People come and go and swap allegiances. No telling who I might run into." She stabbed a piece of pork chop like it had offended her. "Didn't want to cause you extra trouble."
"It's fine, Crys. We get it." Garek patted her on the shoulder, and she gave a half-hearted shrug.
"Thanks. Hopefully I can be of more use to you than the last time we were out here, Selene," she gave a rueful grin.
"I am sure that I am in good hands." Selene smiled back.
They finished the meal while Garek filled her in on the news and the plan. The tribe had apparently melted off to the south, but there was little guarantee they hadn't circled back around. The land to the north was very problematic for a large group, though, as it quickly changed from dense woods to swampy marsh as you headed toward Anima's central lake.
In the end, they opted for a semicircle starting from the town and moving outward, with all three of them keeping an eye out for any signs of humanity.
Selene found it exciting and a little scary.
For the first two hours.
After that, it became tedious.
Garek must have heard the small huff she made. "It's not that bad, Selene." He laughed, keeping his eyes focused outside. I used to do guard duty. Standing in place for hour after hour? Now that is mind-numbing. At least here the scenery changes."
"You must think me petulant."
"Nah, just not used to this kind of thing."
Two hours later, Selene felt ready to scream, just for something to do. She opened her mouth, and—
"What the fuck is that?" Crys said, more loudly than necessary while pointing forward and to the left. Garek and Selene immediately snapped their attention to where she was pointing.
"Is that… a tornado?" Selene asked.
Realization struck. "Fuck. No that's…" Garek felt himself start to shake with excitement and a little fear. "I mean yeah, It's a tornado. But that's not all it is. Crys, get us on the ground now! As close to that as you can safely. We've found ourselves a Maiden!"
Garek should have chosen his words better.
As it was, 'now' included him throwing up lunch inside their brand-new Bullhead.
Fuck it, Reggie can send me the cleaning bill, he thought sourly, as the door slid open and all three of them charged out and toward the spinning funnel of leaves, dirt, and other debris filled with the sounds of lightning crackling only a few hundred meters ahead of them.
What they'd do once they reached it, he had no idea. But there was a battle of some sort occurring. He'd decide what to do once they arrived. Garek already had Cats Paw drawn but Selene still had Persuasive Argument across her back. Crys was bringing up the rear, her select-fire rifle held safe but ready, eyes scanning left and right as they ran.
They arrived upon a scene of carnage.
The winds were starting to die down, and there were fewer flashes of lightning. The trees nearby were stripped of foliage, making it look like… well like a tornado had torn through it.
And there were Grimm everywhere. Bodies of Beowolfs were impaled on branches in the trees. Several Ursa were on the ground, clearly struck by lightning from the damage and the odor. All of the carcasses were slowly dissolving.
And there was a woman standing in the center of it all. She saw them as they arrived, and her brown eyes widened. She reached out toward them.
And fell to her knees.
She was bleeding.
She was bleeding a lot. There were wounds all over her body from claws and teeth.
"Selene, make sure there aren't any more Grimm coming!" Garek yelled, charging toward the woman, who could only be Lily.
"I've got field med training, courtesy of Reggie," Crys snapped, slinging her rifle and yanking loose a hip-pack as she ran forward. I'll see what I can do. You guys watch my back."
Garek nodded. It wasn't like he had more than basic first aid himself. He began scanning the scene more carefully.
Dear gods, she'd taken out… how many Grimm? Assuming the ones still dissolving were all there had been, it was still at least a dozen Beowolfs and a handful of Ursa. More than enough to kill a normal person, and maybe even a Huntsman if they surprised him.
But not enough to kill a Maiden. He glanced back over, to see Crys cursing and telling the woman to relax, she was there to help.
Maybe not enough to kill a Maiden, he corrected himself.
Crys kept up a running commentary as she examined the woman's wounds.
"Try to relax. We're here to help you."
"Help me," the woman said. Crys couldn't tell whether it was a plea or just confirmation she understood.
Most of the bits and slashes weren't serious. Most of them. The worst wound was in her abdomen, just below the ribcage, and it was deep, and bleeding profusely. She could already see Lily getting pale from blood loose. She wadded up a field dressing and pressed it into the wound.
"What's your name?" She didn't really need to ask, but was doing it more to keep the woman at ease.
"Li…" she gasped for breath, "Lily. I… I…"
"It's okay Lily. We're going to stay here with you, nobody's going to hurt you."
"Doesn't… hurt…"
Gods, she's going into shock.
"That's good. You really kicked their asses, you know that?"
Lily smiled slightly, and a bit of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. "Yeah… told… Raven…"
Crys smiled, though her eyes were filling as she did. "Yeah, I bet you did." She snaked a hand under Lily's head. "You can rest now, if you want. I got your back."
Lily's eyes began to droop, and then widened. She seemed to finally focus on Crys.
"Sorr… sorry…" she said, and Crys could feel the woman's life begin fading from her eyes as she said it, sighing out the words.
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU ASSHOLES?!" Came a yell from across the clearing, and Crys had to force herself to keep focusing on Lily. Garek and Selene could handle this. She needed to… needed to make sure that Lily's last memories were good ones.
"Nothing to apologize for, Lily. It's okay. You're going to take a little nap. And then it'll all be fine."
On the edge of the clearing, Garek and Selene found themselves standing several meters apart, and in front of them, twice as far away, was a second woman.
She was panting slightly, as if she'd been running, and stood facing them with one hand on the hilt of her ōdachi, the other holding the sheath so that she could quickly draw her weapon.
A mass of unruly black hair framed her face and poured down her back, past her red wrap top and the waist of her black pleated skirt. Dark red eyes were narrowed in suspicion as they flicked back and forth between Garek, Selene, and Crys who was still knelt over Lily's form.
Garek realized that he was holding Cats Paw drawn and lowered the point slightly. "Raven Branwen, I presume?"
Raven's red eyes bored into his, and he saw her stiffen. She twisted toward him suddenly and the beaded necklaces she wore rattled with the movement. "You know who I am, but I don't have a clue who the fuck you are. And you're in my fucking way. MOVE."
"We did not attack her." Selene stated carefully, as she moved aside. "It was Grimm. Crys is attempting to render aid."
"The best thing you can do is butt out. You don't know what the fuck you are dealing with here," Raven began to move forward, an Garek made to move backward toward Crys in a way that would also shield her, without impeding Raven. He didn't want a fight.
Raven got her first good look at Lily's condition, and her eyes widened. "Fuck!" She yelled as she drew her ōdachi, Omen. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Raven's reasoning was clear. There were three things in the world that she couldn't allow. One ending up dead. Raven was a survivor, whatever it took. The second was a Maiden falling in the hands of Salem. The third was one of Ozpin's simps ending up with the Maiden.
She didn't know who the fuck these people were, and Lily was dying in front of her.
And there was a woman, an unknown, staring at Lily with pity.
Raven had spent two years trying to help Lily. She'd tried to turn her into a survivor, a fighter, as much for the woman's own protection as for Raven's peace of mind. But the woman just hadn't had that edge. That instinct. She was just a girl who'd been stuck with a power she didn't ask for, and had a giant fucking target painted on her back because of it.
And for the last year, she'd been hinting around, whining, trying to convince Raven that she was okay to head out on her own. That she'd be fine. She'd find some village and blend in. And for a year, Raven had told her fuck no. You aren't ready. You are gonna get killed.
And then where would that Power go?
And here we fucking are, Raven thought sourly as she stalked forward.
She had to get that woman away from Lily, before it was too late.
Garek brought his rapier up in a defensive posture and backed up further toward Crys, suddenly terrified at the look in the red eyes before him.
And nearly died as Raven sidestepped him and nearly took off his head with an almost contemptuous backswing. "You don't know what you're dealing with! You have to let me-"
And then Crys began to scream.
"Dammit!" Raven yelled. "You stupid sons of bitches!"
"WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!?" Crys was on her knees, hands pressed to the sides of her head as if trying to hold herself together, and she was screaming the words.
She turned to face her friends and Raven, and colored flames were pouring from the corners of her eyes, wide with fear. "WHAT IS HAPPENING!?"
"You poor fuck, "Raven started laughing bitterly.
And now here we are, Raven realized, thinking quickly. Do I walk away and leave the Maiden Power to fuck knows who? Or do I fix this now, before whoever the fuck you are working with ends up with it?
Raven wasn't one to take unnecessary risks, and she could tell the Hunstman in front of her was nowhere near her league. His second was clearly not fully trained.
And the newly empowered Spring Maiden was helpless, for the moment. She made the logical choice.
"I tried to tell you," Raven hissed. She brought Omen into an offensive position, and advanced toward Crystal, pity and contempt mixed in her expression.
"NO!" Selene yelled, and moved to Raven's left, drawing her attention. "You will not hurt her!"
"She's screwed either way, you dumb bitch. Better a quick and painless death now than being hunted for the rest of her life." Raven began splitting her attention between the three, but kept advancing carefully toward Crys, who seemed incapable of standing, much less defending herself.
Although a breeze had begun to blow through the clearing.
"You don't get to make that decision, Raven," Garek growled, and tried to interpose himself again. Raven laughed, and lunged in, forcing him to parry.
Gods she was fast, Garek thought as he barely blocked her blow, and then yelled as a huge chunk of aura was torn from his abdomen when she bounced off his parry and reversed to slash across his stomach.
"GAREK!" Selene screamed and moved in to at least try to distract Raven with her quarterstaff. It was, quite frankly, a move born of terror more than strategy.
And Raven blocked it contemptuously, then returned to pressing Garek harder. "You're as stupid as you are brave, Huntsman Garek, but it won't stop me from gutting you and leaving your remains for the Grimm." Raven snarled.
"Raven!" Selene cried. "You must listen! You do not have to-"
"Shut the fuck up!" Raven sneered, before crouching low to first strike at Garek again, knocking him back, then spinning and swinging toward Selene. Selene managed to catch the strike on her staff, then reversed it and tried to fire a flashbang directly in Raven's face, only to cry in dismay when the experienced fighter knocked it away with a gauntlet and looked away as it exploded. "Clever! But not clever enough." And turned back to meet Garek's expected attack, only to find he hadn't, but had again retreated toward Crys, gasping for breath through teeth clenched in pain.
"We're not here to fight you, Raven," Garek said in a strained voice.
The dark-haired woman only laughed bitterly. "Maybe not, but you're screwed anyway. Only one of us is walking out of this clearing."
She's going to kill us, Selene realized, unless… "Summer Rose!" She cried out.
Raven froze, and her head swung slowly toward Selene, eyes narrowing murderously. "I was going to kill you before. Now I'm gonna fucking make it hurt."
"No…" Garek grunted. "Listen!"
Raven slowly turned toward Selene, keeping Garek in her peripheral vision, and took another step forward. Selene found her legs unable to move. "I… I know where Summer Rose is," she said, voice pleading.
"Summer's dead." Raven said flatly. "I know that. I felt that. And you're about to join her."
"She's not! She's blocked!" Garek yelled desperately. "We came to find you… so we can get her out!"
For several seconds the only sounds were Crys's whimpering and the sound of wind through the ruined trees.
"That's… that's bullshit." But there was a slight tremor to Raven's voice. A hint of doubt.
Selene took a shuddering breath. "It is not… bullshit, Raven. She bid me seek you out." She looked Raven up and down. "She said… that you had been right, and that you would never let her live it down."
Raven barked a laugh, and then paled. Her hand holding Omen started to shake. "No… no that's… that's impossible. I felt her die."
"You felt her aura become blocked," Selene countered, speaking slowly. "You could not have known that they could do this."
Raven stared at Selene for a few moments, then Garek, and then Crys. "This is… this is a trick." She lifted Omen again.
"If you kill us out of hand, you'll live the rest of your life with that doubt gnawing at you." Garek said. "And if you try to kill Crys, you'll have to kill us all, and then you'll never know for sure." He lowered his rapier cautiously.
"Or you can give us a chance to explain," he said, edging closer to Crys again. She was still on her knees, but the flames from her eyes had faded, and she was no longer making horrible keening noises. Instead, she had her arms wrapped tightly around herself, still on her knees, and was watching the exchange with a slightly dazed expression.
Raven gave him a contemptuous glance, "I wasn't lying before. Your friend there is better off dead than living with what she bears now," she turned back to Selene. "Start talking."
Selene swallowed and nodded slowly. "Your friend is being held in a prison in the Grimmlands, in a cell that is shielded by a device of some sort."
Raven snorted and twitched her ōdachi in Garek's direction. "Come up with a better story than that."
"It is the only story. I was able to infiltrate this prison and discovered her presence there. We were able to speak, and she bid me seek you out, for your Semblance."
Raven slowly lowered her weapon and took yet one more step closer to Selene.
Selene really wished she would not.
"And what exactly is my Semblance, then?" Raven growled through gritted teeth. "What's it called. Did she tell you that?"
"She said it is Kindred Link, and that it allows you to create a Portal to those you have bonded with. Her, your daughter, her husband, and your brother." Selene spoke carefully. "Perhaps others she was not aware of."
Raven wavered, then tensed again. "You want me to create a portal into the Grimmlands. This is some sort of lure, to kill me like Summer was."
"Summer is not dead!" Selene hissed. I have told you this."
"Prove it!"
"How?!" Selene grasped for anything she could use that might convince the woman. "She told me of how she was captured. That you and she had formulated a plan… a plan to kill Salem." She swallowed. "A plan that failed horribly. She saw you create a portal to escape, and you tried to reach her."
Raven stumbled for a moment. "You can't know that. You can't…"
"Summer told me that she had been horribly wounded. She was bleeding from her stomach. Tyrian…"
"He'd cut her, the bastard." Raven whispered. "Butchered her. I saw it…"
"They didn't finish her." Selene said. "They healed her enough to recover, and they covered her eyes with a device, to block her abilities, and made her a prisoner."
"How? I would have-"
"Summer said as much. She knew you would come for her. But something blocks your awareness of her." Please, by the gods, believe me.
Raven saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and let her knees drop slightly. But it was only Garek kneeling by Crys's side, trying to comfort her. She dismissed them both for the moment, and focused on the woman before her. "And who the fuck are you? Who the hell can sneak into a prison in the Grimmlands, and then leave, and Summer Rose can't?"
Selene had feared that question, and went with the excuse she'd given Crystal when they first met. "I have my own Semblance… to command Grimm, in a limited way, that are in proximity to me." Raven's eyes narrowed. "I can exercise this ability as long as no one else has commanded them otherwise. The Grimm surrounding her prison had no orders regarding me, but they had been ordered to prevent Summer from leaving. I could not get her past their massed numbers." She gave Raven a pleading look. "But I promised her, I gave her my word, that I would find you, and tell you."
Raven stared at the ground for a few seconds, red eyes narrowing, then flicked her gaze between them, before stepping back several meters and sheathing Omen slowly. "And you expect me to just walk in there?" She spat. "This stinks. This whole thing smells fake. It smells like a dead-end."
"No! We expect you to do nothing until we disable the device, whatever it is. And then… you will sense Summer. We needed you to be ready, so you were not surprised."
Raven's fingers twitched. "You… just want me to be ready."
"Yes. You need not put yourself at risk. We just… we need you to be prepared… to retrieve Summer from that place."
Raven laughed, but there was an undercurrent of a sob to it. "This can't be happening. It's… who the fuck are you people? Why the hell are you doing this?"
"I am Selene. And that is Garek and Crystal. And we are doing this..." Selene thought for a moment. She needed one push. One final push that would appeal to Raven's own strange worldview. "We are doing this to stick our thumbs in the eyes of two immortals, in one single blow."
The sound of Raven's hysterical laughter was all the answer she needed.
Thirty minutes later, they were gathered in the hold of the Bullhead. Raven was examining it all cautiously, hand never leaving the hilt of her now-sheathed weapon. "You people are well-funded, that's for sure. And you say you're not working for Ozpin."
"No," Selene said. "We do not trust him."
Raven barked a laugh. "Then you're smarter than you look. And you're not working for Salem."
"Nor that either. The Queen of the Grimmlands does not know what we intend here and would stop us if she were to discover our plans," Selene said, choosing her words carefully. "In truth, we seek to remove her as a threat." That also was true, though not the whole of it.
"You know a lot, for a couple of idiots. Too much." Raven's fingers twitched on Omen's hilt, though she quelled the urge to draw it with a frown.
"We are not idiots. We have a... spy of a sort, within the Queen's court. And we have learned enough to terrify us, yes. But we have also been able to convince Headmaster Lionheart to ally himself with us, rather than with the Queen or Ozpin."
For the first time, Selene saw pure shock break through the arrogant façade that Raven had been wearing, and the dark-haired woman actually released her hold on Omen and leaned forward with her hands on her knees. "That's… pretty fucking impressive. What'd you threaten him with?"
"Nothing," Garek spoke up from the opposite seat where he was offering Crys a glass with something mildly alcoholic. "We just offered him credible protections from both of them."
"And he bought that?!"
"Apparently so, and it's working so far."
"Huh. Well, let's just say I won't be so easily swayed without more proof than easy promises, though I like your style so far. So, what's the exact plan, then?"
The fact was, Raven didn't trust these people. Why would she? Talk was cheap. She was still trying to decide whether to take the simple route here. As a bonus, she'd end up with a Bullhead to sell off for parts. Couldn't exactly keep the fucking thing refueled and hidden out here.
But there was that doubt. That gnawing doubt. Three years. Three years she'd mourned the death of her friend. Almost as long, she'd blamed Ozpin for leading them down that path, and herself for being gullible enough to go along with it.
Never again.
But what if…
Selene gathered herself. "The plan. Yes. The plan is that I will use my Semblance to summon a Nevermore, and use it to reach the prison from the air. Once there, I will need to identify the location of the device that masks Summer's presence and find a way to disable it."
"Wait… you haven't even seen this thing? How do you know it even fucking exists?"
"It is there. I felt it when I approached the prison. It was… like screening my Aura through a sieve as I passed the barrier."
"Huh. So, just get her out of the prison and my Semblance will kick in."
"We cannot do that, either. It is surrounded by Grimm, who I suspect have been instructed to prevent her leaving, and thus my commands would go unheeded, unless you could make a portal in mid-travel as we flew."
Raven stared at her in disbelief. "Fuck no, I'm not that good. Then what is the damn plan, genius?"
"As I said, I must return there, and find this device, and disable it, preferably in a manner that looks like an accident or a failure."
Raven snorted. "That's not a plan, that's flailing around. What does it look like? How big is it? Is it locked inside a box? Are there Grimm guarding it? Will it sound an alarm when it turns off?" She stood up and paced the interior of the Bullhead. "You're gonna need backup for when your stupid not-a-plan goes tits up."
"I believe I know which door it lies behind, but it is locked. And unfortunately, I cannot help any of those other things, and I cannot bring people in with me."
Raven stopped before her, glaring. "You said that you're able to fly in on a Nevermore, which sounds like a fast way to a painful suicide to me, but if you can ride it, why can't you take someone with you? Why can't you bring Summer out that way?"
Garek could tell that Raven was looking for holes, logical flaws in their stupid story. Something that would tell her that they were full of shit.
Gods help us if she decides that.
"Hmmm… perhaps you are right. But the issue is one of distance, weight, and risk. I can carry one person in with me, but there is some risk they would be attacked mid-air. And I am sure that attempting to fly Summer out would attract airborne Grimm who are tasked to keep her there, long before I could reach the shores of the Grimmlands and safety."
Raven sneered at her. "Life is full of risk, sweetheart. And if you're serious about this, I know just the person to take in with you, and I'd bet she's arrogant and dumb enough to do it, too." Raven stepped away from them, drew Omen, and made a circular motion toward the rear of the compartment.
Garek felt his guts twist as a boiling disk of clouds formed, and then shifted to an open portal, on the other side of which was the view of the inside of a tent. Seated on the cot inside was a young teenage girl with short dark-brown hair and pale blue eyes, about the same age as Cinder.
"Vernal, get your ass in here!"
The girl grinned ferally. "The fuck you want, Raven?" She said, but she strutted through the portal into the Bullhead like she owned both.
"To sew your fucking mouth shut so I don't have to listen to you bitch all day, but this is about what you want," Raven laughed.
That piqued the teen's interest. "Oh… Like what? And why does it smell like puke in here?" Garek had the grace to look embarrassed.
"How'd you like to be the most badass member of Branwen Tribe and a big damn hero all at once," Raven asked slyly.
Selene watched Vernal's easy expression shift to wariness. "Badass sounds nice. Hero sounds dead."
"Maybe, but you'd also be owed a favor from me. A personal favor."
That got her attention. Vernal's eyes widened to the size of soup plates. "A personal favor… from the Chief…"
"Yeah, that's as big as it sounds."
"Who I gotta kill?" Vernal asked, fingers twitching. She glanced momentarily at the others it the Bullhead. Raven caught it and snickered a little.
"Nobody, but you'll be putting your life in her hands," she nodded to Selene, "And you'll wade into a Grimm-infested prison, probably pick a few locks, and break something we got no idea how it works without it looking like it got broken by someone, then lock it all back up nice and tidy."
"Raven, this child cannot be more than-"
"The fuck you call me?" Vernal turned, scowling at Selene, and fingered a blade at her waist.
"Watch your mouth, Vernal. And Selene, she may have only seen thirteen turns of the seasons, but in terms of raw experience, hard living, and pure stubbornness, Vernal's somewhere around her mid-thirties. Not the best fighter we've got-"
"Fuck you."
Raven cuffed the teen, but it barely seemed to affect her. "But she's been our go-to for picking locks on raids since she was eight, and she's got drive. If she doesn't get herself killed mouthing off to the wrong person at the wrong time, she'll be something ten years from now."
Selene glanced at Garek, who nodded. She sighed in resignation. "Very well, then. I have a photo of at least one of the doors we believe needs to be opened." She opened her scroll and showed the image of the door to Vernal.
The teen scoffed. "Hmph. That's basic. The rest sounds like chump change too… except for the Grimm part and putting my life in the hands of some soft-ass cruster like you."
Raven seemed to consider that. "She does look soft and can't fight for shit, either. But she's tough enough to have been there once before and walked back out on her own."
"Hmph. Ah, fuck it, I'm in. A favor from Raven Branwen is worth its weight in loot. So, who's the idiot who got themselves-"
Vernal froze as the sound of Omen slowly sliding a few inches out of its sheathe filled the Bullhead. The others held themselves very still.
"Chief?" Vernal cautioned.
"Don't ever talk that way about Summer again, got it? I'm the only person here who's ever allowed to tell her she's a fucking idiot…" Raven's voice quieted to a mutter as she continued. "Not wrong though… following Ozpin and getting herself killed…" She glanced at Selene again, and corrected herself. "… apparently killed. Leaving her kids, leaving me thinking she's dead." Her expression softened, then went gleeful. "You know… If this isn't complete bullshit, I'm gonna lord this over Summer for decades." She let Omen drop back into its sheathe, and Vernal exhaled.
"She said as much," Selene sighed, as the tension ramped down. "I… very well then. If this works, we will find the device. But we must determine how to disable it in a manner that looks like a malfunction."
It was Crys who finally spoke up, apparently having recovered her wits during the conversation. "Couldn't… Cinder do that?" She looked between Garek and Selene, slightly unfocused. "I mean… I mean… she's been training with her Semblance, right? And if it's a machine, it's probably got components that could get too hot… and fail."
"No." Selene said firmly.
"Selene," Garek warned. "Crys is right. This is… dangerous… but it's what Cinder's been training for. This is what she'd want to do."
"She's just a child."
"She's the same age as her," he pointed at Vernal. "Look, we'll ask her."
"And she will say yes," Selene scowled at him. "You know she will do anything we ask of her."
"Sounds like a pussy." Vernal said.
"Shut the fuck up, Vernal. Adults are talking," Raven warned. "Regardless, not my problem. You two figure the sabotage part out yourselves." She contemplated for a minute. "Now this is a plan. You get Vernal and this Cinder in, Vernal gets you to the device. This Cinder burns out a sensitive component, and the device goes down. I sense Summer, create a portal, we grab her, making it look like there was a fight maybe, and bug out." She gave Selene a look. "Are you coming back with them?"
"No, I will ride back out as I came, to remove any evidence."
"Taking the long way out. Good point. You're not totally stupid."
"No, apparently not."
Raven stared at the three of them, eyes narrowed, for a bit. "I still don't trust you fuckers." She focused on Crystal. "So here's the deal. You go make whatever dumbass plans you think you can come up with," she pointed a dark-nailed finger at Crystal. "And you can take Vernal with you.
"Fuck!" Vernal objected.
"Shut up Vernal!" Raven turned back to Crystal "…and Baby Maiden stays with me."
"What?! No!" Selene recoiled.
"That's the deal, take it or leave it. Until I have Summer Rose. Actual Summer Rose in the flesh, whole and sound, right here in front of me, little baby Maiden is my hostage, and Vernal is my eyes and ears with you." It was a hedge, really. A way of tempering the painful hope that these people had created in her chest, like a knife twisting in her ribs.
Garek and Selene shared a long look, and then turned to Crystal, who looked miserable. "Gonna stick me in a cage?" She asked Raven suspiciously.
Raven shook her head. "You'll be a guest of the Tribe. I'll even teach you what little Lily was able to explain about how that Maiden Power works, so you maybe don't end up fragged."
"She is our pilot." Selene objected as a last-ditch effort. "Take me instead."
Garek's face paled, but Raven just scoffed. "Nope. I want her. And it's not my problem you were stupid enough not to have a backup pilot."
Garek frowned. "I can make it as far as Springhill, Selene. Reggie's been letting me have turns on the simulator. I just can't deal with traffic." He sighed. "Reggie can meet us there and bring it the rest of the way in. Not gonna be a smooth ride, though."
Crystal looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned to Selene. "You saved my life, Selene. I owe you. If you need me to do this, I'll do it."
Selene closed her eyes, and then opened them to see Raven smirking at her. What a horrible woman, she thought, and this is our ally?
"Yes. I will accept your terms."
"Good." Raven nodded. "Crystal, is it? Your first job is going to be helping me carry Lily back to the Tribe. Congratulations. Vernal, you're going back with these fine folks. Anything you need, they are responsible for," she grinned like a shark. "Don't let me down."
The teenager nodded, then gave them a shit-eating smirk. "Looks like I got a new host family."
This… is going to suck, Garek thought sourly.
They managed to make it back to large clearing outside Springhill in one piece. It had to be a large clearing.
And Garek was an absolute wreck by then, even with Reggie talking him through the landing procedures. The rest of the trip was uneventful.
True to prediction, when they asked Cinder if she was willing, she jumped at the chance. "My Semblance is perfect for this, Selene!" The teen's golden-yellow eyes shone. "It's like I was made for it. Just a little heat in the right place." She rubbed her hands together. "I've been training on that for weeks now! I can even find a part that's already hot, so it looks normal."
Selene sighed and looked at Garek. "I would be a hypocrite, and a fool, to say no."
They put Vernal up in the guest room at their house, and regretted everything. The teenager was abrasive, foul-mouthed, and absolutely lived to insult their pseudo-daughter. The two got along like a house on fire.
Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.
The sooner they could execute their plan, the better.
[A/N EDIT] I picked the worst possible time to post this chapter, apparently, and reviews have been nil so far. I really put a lot of work into it, and would appreciate any feedback.
[A/N] And thus we meet Raven, who has tentatively decided that Selene and Garek are dangerous idiots, but appears willing to cooperate partly out of the off-chance that they are telling the truth, and because she now has a hostage if they aren't. Hope can be a dangerous drug.
Also keep in mind that this Raven is nine years younger, slightly less paranoid, and slightly less terrified of Salem than Volume 1 Raven. She hasn't killed the Spring Maiden (mercy or not), so she didn't inherit the power this round, which should help her mental state a little, as now Salem won't have any reason to send her agents after her. And she's just discovered that Summer may still be alive. Expect that combination to impact her attitude moving forward. Will Raven still be a bitch and a shitty mom? Damn right she will. But probably tempered compared to what we saw in Volumes 1-7.
And of course, we get to meet a younger Vernal, who is full of piss and vinegar. She and Cinder will get along perfectly! I'm sure Vernal would be just sweet as pie about Cinder's friends and girlfriend too!
And of course, we now have a new Spring Maiden, and it's OC Crystal. To be fair, I wrote this plot point in about three months ago, and I waffled a LOT. I considered Raven keeping the power and them arriving right after, when she was weakened. I also considered the cosmic joke of having Cinder be with them and be the one that Lily focused on instead. Imagine a Cinder gaining the Maiden Power legitimately instead of trying to force it. But frankly, I felt she was too young, and didn't want to lay that burden on her from a plot standpoint so young. The idea of Selene becoming the Spring Maiden I dismissed immediately. Too OP. So in the end, I settled on Crys. The nice thing is, she's not a pushover, Aura or not. She's been going through months of Specialist-style training, and she's a born survivor. So she's got that going for her. Stay tuned, cause the next chapter… we're gonna be attempting a jailbreak! What could possibly go wrong!?
PS: Please check out ZoroEpsilon's excellent story "Neo Penance" and please leave a review if a chapter strikes you as particularly enjoyable!