Edited by: Marethyu, Priapus
– Weiss –
Having lived most of her life in Atlas, she had never really gotten used to warmer climates, and while she could handle the heat to an extent, adding humidity was something else. Weiss was constantly sweating, and it made her feel gross. She didn't understand how Blake could bear it.
And after a brutal battle in that other world, Weiss felt exhausted, even though it was still pretty early. She checked her scroll and saw it was only 16:21. The sun was still up and nearly dried out all the water in her body.
She liked Menagerie more when it was nighttime. This was unbearable. Painful. Not even Vale's hottest day was this bad.
At least her teammate was kind enough to invite her to her family's private bathhouse. Weiss felt they deserved it after everything they'd gone through, from the mines to the 'dungeon' thing Reid had dragged them to.
After their weird and literal out-of-this-world experience, Reid had told them to go back as he continued working on the mine. Weiss protested at first, wanting to be of help, but then he hit her with a very blunt 'You can't really do anything to help'.
Sadly, he was correct, but Weiss almost wished he had said it more gently. Almost. Reid's straightforwardness was still very refreshing to her. It tended to be that way when nearly every person she'd met before coming to Vale was ready to start brown-nosing without any shame.
At least they made it back to the city quickly this time. Unlike before, when the tense atmosphere choked her and Blake to death and made the hour-long walk feel like it took days, it felt far more pleasant after their reconciliation. Weiss' chest didn't feel uncomfortably tight whenever she looked at her teammate.
Of course, Weiss was aware of the risk of trusting her again, and the lingering doubt of betrayal was still present, as flimsy as it was, but this was a decision she was happy with. If anything, she felt that their relationship had grown stronger.
She just hoped Blake would stop constantly throwing her life away by putting herself in perilous situations, but honestly, it wasn't her place to scold her about that. Weiss would've probably done the same.
Friends she was willing to die for… It felt baffling that she had attained one of the things she used to always dream of so quickly. She'd only known them for a few months, after all. Was it really this easy? Or was her team just special? Beyond just Blake and Reid, Weiss loved Yang, Levi, and Ruby like they were her own sisters.
She'd never truly believed in that stuff, but perhaps this was fate? Maybe, maybe not. Whatever it was, Weiss only wished that this friendship would last for a lifetime and was confident it would.
"–It's insane how quickly the world's changing," Blake said while eyeing one of Reid's golems as the two made their way to her mother's villa. "With the golems now being public news and Titans dropping like flies."
"Right?" Weiss agreed. "This is the first time in Remnant's history that two Titan Slayers existed in the same generation."
"And they're both people we know." Her teammate added. "It really is insane to think about. It makes me wonder if we'll ever be able to do the same."
"I don't see why not." The SDC heiress raised a brow. "We nearly defeated that Dreadnought together, didn't we?"
"That's true, but Ruby has her weird skimpy power-up and magic that's strong against Grimm." Blake pointed out. "And even still, she says she had a lot of trouble."
"You make it sound like we need to kill a Titan individually to prove our worth," Weiss said. "We're Team Wildberry; we work together, Blake."
"I… yeah, you're right." Blake shook her head and then smiled. "Sorry if I'm being a downer. It's just– being part of something so huge is really intimidating, y'know? We almost lost our lives in that mine."
"To be fair, we didn't have Yang or Levi with us. Things would've been easier with them around." The team leader said. "Still, you make an excellent point. But we only need to train harder. Refine our teamwork and tactics. Get better at using Haki, seeing as we can both access it."
Weiss wasn't sure what she should be feeling, knowing she'd ended up with the rarest type, according to Reid, but this Conqueror's Haki was no joke. Back in that dungeon, she couldn't really dwell on what she'd done as it was in the heat of the moment, but after the two girls had calmed down, she'd had time to think.
The power behind that weird pressure was very, very real. The fact that her shouting had caused an albeit run-down building to collapse wasn't something one could reasonably justify as being 'too loud'. It was something else.
Weiss didn't exactly feel strong when she activated it. It didn't make her stronger, but if what Reid told her was true, then she could end entire battles without even drawing her blade or accessing her magic. She could knock out veteran hunters by merely glaring at them.
"Yeah, your Conqueror's…" Blake said, rubbing her arms. "That was something, alright."
"You felt it, too?" Weiss looked at her in surprise.
"Yeah. For a moment, I felt like I couldn't breathe." She nodded. "It's like… you know how everything kind of slows down when you feel like you're about to die?"
"Goodness, I'm so sorry."
"Heh, it's fine. You saved my life." Blake's smile returned. "Just saying it's really powerful. It felt worse than the time Reid used it as his first test for us."
"Ah…" Weiss felt a mixture of honor and embarrassment being compared to him. "I, um, I appreciate the compliment, but let's be honest, he was likely holding back that time."
"Yeah, probably." She agreed. "Still, I think it's amazing. Didn't Reid say it's a one-in-a-million thing? Compared to Armament, which everyone with enough training can access."
"It feels like you're underselling your own achievement by saying that." Weiss narrowed her eyes.
"Well–"
"No, enough of that. You know full well how difficult that was to utilize in the first place." She cut her off. "We made zero progress before yesterday. Be proud of yourself more, Blake."
The Faunus looked a little surprised at Weiss' assertion, as she should be. How dare she constantly undermine her very own efforts like that? Right in front of her team leader, too? The nerve of this girl.
"I'm sorr–" Blake stopped herself. "...You're right, Weiss. Thanks."
"Hmph. Of course, I'm right. It's only natural to be proud of yourself." Weiss smirked haughtily and puffed her chest. "After all, you're a student of Reid Astera and a part of the greatest team in Beacon Academy."
Blake giggled.
"True enough."
Finally making it to the villa, the guards bowed and moved out of the way, letting them in. Weiss noticed that the people here didn't look at her with anywhere near the disdain they'd shown when she first arrived.
It made her appreciate Reid's help even more. Without him, this wouldn't have happened. Though she felt a little worried, seeing as her father hadn't done anything yet, and as scary as her boyfriend could be, she knew Jacques was too stubborn to let this go.
He was going to most definitely try something stupid.
"Ah, you're back." Kali smiled as she noticed them coming in. "Hm? I don't see Mr. Astera with you."
"He said he's going to stick around and clear out the mines of any remaining Grimm," Her daughter answered.
"I see." She hummed, looking them up and down. "It seems you two were in quite the battle."
"We were," Weiss confirmed, looking at her teammate with a smile. "But there's nothing that can stand in our way."
"Is that so?" Kali chuckled. "Then I assume you're here to use the bathhouse?"
"If it's fine," Blake said.
"Of course it is." The mother nodded, getting up from her seat. "Allow me to prepare it for you."
"I can do that, Mom. You really don't have to."
"I want to, dear." Kali easily deflected. "It won't take long. You may enjoy some tea until then."
With that, she left the two girls alone in the living room. Blake sighed and took her mother's offer, sitting on the sofa before pouring tea for her and Weiss.
"I know it isn't my place to say anything, but why not hire a maid?" Weiss asked. "You're wealthy enough to afford that, no?"
"We tried to."
"Tried to?" Weiss parroted, a bit confused.
"Yeah. Before my dad passed away, he wanted to hire someone to care for the place instead of mom since it was pretty big." She explained, breaking into a fond smile. "But she kept refusing, saying she'd fire anyone he tried to hire. Dad kind of just gave up at some point."
Weiss' confused frown turned into one of longing.
"I… see…"
"I think she just likes doing housework. Cooking, cleaning, all that." She continued. "Though, she does appreciate it when we help her out."
She looked at where Kali went, feeling her heart twist at her own lack of good memories about her family. Even before her mother's depression, she was almost always too busy to be taking care of them. Besides Winter and Whitely, Weiss… didn't really know her real much about her family.
If anything, she considered Klein more of a parent than either Willow or Jacques.
That was one hell of a way to come to that realization, she thought. Weiss knew it wasn't her fault, but she suddenly felt incredibly jealous of Blake. Even though she'd lost a parent, at least she still had one.
"Are you alright?" Blake said, almost startled. "You were zoning out for a second there."
"A-ah, I was?" Weiss said, a little embarrassed. "Sorry."
"Come on, sit down." Her teammate gestured at the sofa opposite of her. "I poured you some tea."
No, she shouldn't think that way.
"Thank you." She smiled, took a seat, and grabbed the cup. "Did I ever tell you that I actually like it more than coffee?"
"You do?" Blake blinked in surprise. "Seeing how much coffee you drink in Beacon made me think otherwise."
"I don't drink that much."
"Eight cups is a lot."
"Not for a huntress."
She didn't need the approval and acknowledgment of deadbeat parents when she had everything she could want from her team. Both Willow and Jacques could die for all she cared. It would change nothing.
Because her real family was right here in front of her.
– Reid –
Sitting on a rock next to the mine entrance, I try to decipher the cultist book I found in the dungeon, looking through some history books to find anything useful. So far, there is nothing I can use. Or at least nothing that could be used to decipher it directly. There's still some information.
Also, the language in the book isn't ordinary. There's something magical about it; whatever that is, it feels wrong. The closest thing I can compare it to would be Necromancy, but this is… different. Necromancy feels wrong, too, but it's the 'disgusting' and 'vile' type of wrongness.
This is different. This feels threatening, like I'm about to be attacked at any moment. The longer I look at the words, the worse I feel, almost like I'm being watched. But even Observation can't tell me what's going on; it's only that there's something malicious out there observing me.
Honestly, it's kind of terrifying. What kind of eldritch bullshit is this?
Thankfully, while brief, the history books mentioned the cult. Specifically, their 'lord'. Some kind of an old king who went mad and started a war against the gods. No other mentions. No name, no explanation why it happened. That was that.
He was defeated in the process, of course, but whoever it was, he was a fucking unit because he ended up wiping out half of them. 20 gods, reduced to 10 by him alone. I don't know what they did to piss him off so much because apparently, even though he was literally torn to pieces, he's still alive.
Yeah, I think I'd take Salem over this guy any day of the week. I might not be able to kill her, but even fucking gods couldn't take this 'Deserved' person down.
Anyway, these cultists want to bring him back because they believe he's some sort of 'chosen one'. Someone who would destroy their 'imperfect' world so a new, perfect one would take its place.
That's all I could find about him and his cult. Honestly, I think whoever wrote the history books intentionally omitted information about them. So, while it did help me at least figure out who they were to an extent, it didn't help beyond the most essential info.
Having not made significant progress for an hour, I sigh and shake my head. I probably shouldn't be messing around with this book anymore. Not until I know what I want to do with it. I'll just leave it in my inventory and do something else.
Once I send all my tools to the inventory, I approach the mine entrance, seeing my golems making a massive hole back into it. And this isn't some shitty half-assed work, either. I created a team of them, with drillers taking charge and others smoothing things out and putting in support beams so the thing wouldn't collapse again.
And they've done a great job. From the looks of it, one hour was all it took for them to reach the dungeon. God, these golems are so damn efficient. I'm so glad I picked up that skill– don't think my life as a hero would've been anywhere near as easy without them.
"Seems you've been rather busy."
"Hm?" I turn around and see the High Leader with two bodyguards. "Oh hey, Sienna. Just been cleaning up the mess I made."
"I can see that, and honestly, I wish you would stop." She responded with her arms crossed. "I don't want to be drowning in debt."
"Relax, it's my fault the mines collapsed anyway." I wave off her concerns. "Anyway, wanna come with? I was just about to go in. Clear out whatever's still inside."
"It would be an honor." Sienna smiles.
Hmm, I've noticed that she's smiling a lot more now. That's good.
As the two bodyguards follow suit, I stop them.
"Sorry, but can you stay here?" I say. "There's something I need to talk about with your leader. Something private."
The two guards look at each other hesitantly.
"Very well," Sienna answers for them.
"But High Leader—"
"I think the Titan Slayer more than earned our trust, Soldier." She cut him off, looking at him sternly. "I would rather we respect his wishes after everything he has done for us."
The two guards obey their leader's commands, nodding and staying put where they are as we go inside the mines through the tunnels my golems made. My incredibly competent golems have also lit up the place with dust crystals so I can actually see.
I have superhuman eyesight but not night vision—kind of bullshit, but whatever. I can probably make a permanent night vision potion or something if I put my mind to it.
"A bit harsh there, don't you think?" I ask Sienna after a bit. "He was just worried about you."
I didn't sense any dislike for me. If anything, they looked happy being in my presence.
"Why would he be?" She raises a brow. "You're here."
"I mean, fair, but still."
"You don't treat soldiers with gentleness, Mr. Astera." She explains. "They're soldiers. They shouldn't be coddled."
"I guess…" I concede. I don't think being polite should be considered 'coddling', but I probably shouldn't get involved with that. "Anyway, what do you think?"
"Mhm, I was about to say you've done incredible work." She nods approvingly. "You've barely been out here for a few hours. Progress like this would've taken us a week. How did you do it?"
"Golems," I answer with a satisfied smirk. "They make everyone's lives easier. That's their entire job."
"I see." She hums. "They've certainly done their job back at the city. Not one Grimm made it inside. I didn't know they could dig up tunnels, though."
"Oh, they can do anything." I shrug. "Dangerous jobs like this, fighting, and even menial tasks like cleaning."
"Is that so…" Sienna glances at me, and after a pause, she speaks again. "So? What is this 'private business' you wished to talk about?"
Right…
I don't answer immediately as we make it to the enormous hole where I fought the twins, seeing the legendary dungeon still there. I don't know why, but a part of me thought it would disappear. That wouldn't make sense. I have the key, thankfully, so I won't have to run around killing things for it.
Even though I'm fifty levels above the recommended level, I still feel danger radiating from it. Even from up here. At the same time, I feel pretty excited. Just what am I going to find in there? What is it going to be about?
One step at a time, Reid. First, Sienna.
"Well, I don't know how to say this, but uh…" I turn to look at her. "It's about… last night and earlier today."
"Ah, I see." She crosses her arms, pausing for a moment to think before throwing a random guess. "Are you perhaps worried you might've gotten me pregnant?"
"Huh?" I blink. "Er, well–"
…Is it bad that I completely forgot that was a thing?
I was too focused on the magic bit that I overlooked the possibility of impregnating her. Holy shit, am I stupid? I mean, sure, extremely low birth rates and all that, but the fact is that me getting her pregnant could happen.
"If that's the case, you don't have to worry." She shakes her head. "I can't have children."
…Oh. Nevermind, then.
"Ah…" I pause, trying to think of something to say. "...I'm sorry about that."
"Appreciated, but there's nothing to apologize for," Sienna says. "It has always been this way."
She says that, and there is no change in her expression at all, not even a twitch, but I can feel her sadness. Well, fuck me, I didn't mean to remind her of something terrible. Goddamn it, Reid.
Now, how am I going to proceed? Should I just… be blunt about this? Oh, fuck it. Being straightforward never fails.
"Well, sorry for bringing it up anyway, but that wasn't what I wanted to talk about," I respond, making her raise a brow. "You can do magic."
Sienna blinks.
"Sorry?"
"Magic." I cast a fireball in one hand. "Like this."
She blinks again.
"I'm… afraid I don't follow." She responds. "Isn't controlling fire your semblance?"
"My semblance is steam control." I correct her. "I don't use it very often, which is why most people think fire control is my semblance, but no, this is magic."
Sienna takes a moment to process my words, and I don't blame her. For as sharp as she is, she knows practically nothing about the real things I can do, unlike, say, my students, who, before knowing about magic, were used to my bullshit.
Her eyes widen as her brain seemingly catches up with what I had just told her.
"Are you saying magic is real? Are you mocking me?"
"Am I?" I give her a blank stare.
"...Magic is real." She says in shock, accepting it quickly. "No, wait. If it's real, then how come nobody has figured out a way to use it yet? Beside you?"
"Because they can't," I answer. "I can. And now you can, too."
"Me? How can you–" Sienna freezes as realization dawns on her. "Oh…"
"Yup. I have this hilarious ability where I can give women magic by cumming inside them." I confirm vulgarly. "And I accidentally gave you some."
"...Accidentally?" She frowns at me.
"I didn't mean it, Sienna," I say. Even with my Observation, I don't know what I should be saying. "Something like that shouldn't just be given to anyone."
"Because you do not trust me?" She guesses, feeling a little hurt from what I can tell.
"It's not about trust." I deny it. "There are people out there who would go after your head if they knew about this, and they're dangerous. Even I might not be able to stop them."
"And they are?"
I pause, and after a moment, I decide to give her the truth. She's old enough, and unlike my girls, I don't think I can keep her by my side 24/7. Sienna is a leader of her own people. She needs to know now before she gets caught off guard in the future.
I can't help that part of me feeling like I'm betraying the girls by not telling them first, but again, this is not about trust. It's about necessity. Now that she has magic, Sienna needs to know if Salem figures it out and goes after her.
"The person who controls the Grimm," I answer.
That is the truth, but I'm not going into details.
Sienna looks at me in shock, trying slowly to process my words.
"Someone like that exists…?"
Surprisingly, she doesn't try to protest or call me out. For as stunned as she is, she accepts it pretty readily. I don't know if it's the trust she has in me, prior suspicions – because a lot of people think the Grimm have a leader on the internet – or it's just my Charisma stat being bullshit again.
At least now, and with the Golems I've scattered everywhere in her region, she would be a little more prepared for serious Grimm invasions. If Salem were to mobilize a massive army, I should be more than quick enough to create a counterforce to combat her Grimm.
I just hope things don't get to that point. I still know nothing about her, not even how powerful she is.
"Yes, and she's the one person I can't beat." I nod. "Not right now, at least."
"I… I see…" Sienna responds, becoming weary. "This is a lot to take in."
"I understand," I reply. "You should go back. Take some time to process this. I'll catch up with you later."
She sighs deeply, rubbing her temples.
"...You're right." She agrees.
She's confused, shocked, and a little scared. I feel bad telling her all of this because I didn't want to involve her so soon. All she ever needed to do was to take care of her own people. Knowing that the Grimm have a leader and that there might be a chance she targets her is a lot to consider.
As she turns around to leave, I feel a sudden urge to at least reassure her, driving me to grab her arm.
"Listen, I've only told you that because you deserved to know. I didn't want to, but it was my responsibility." I tell her. "It was never what you signed up for, I know that, but if it means anything, know that I'll always help you. No matter what."
"From the one being you cannot defeat?"
"I've always been prepared to die, Sienna. Especially against her." I respond, letting go of her arm. "And if my death means saving others, that's fine. I wouldn't want to die any other way."
Something about what I said resonates with her as her expression softens, and she relaxes slightly. All things considered, she's taking the news really well. I was prepared to lose her trust and for her to get very aggressive.
Apparently not. Thank god.
"And why are you telling me this?" She asks. "Are you trying to make me feel safer?"
"I want you to be careful because I won't always be here. You might accidentally access your magic without knowing it, which could lead to the Grimm Leader figuring it out. Now that you know what it is, it'll be easier to hide." I explain briefly, then give her a small smile. "And hey, if you need any lessons on magic, hit me up. I happen to be an expert on the subject."
Thankfully, I managed to draw a smile from her, which isn't fake. I can feel, besides her confusion, gratitude and admiration. That's good. At least she doesn't fucking hate me now. Even though it's kind of deserved.
"I suppose you would be taking responsibility, then?"
She's making it sound like I did get her pregnant.
"You know it," I say confidently. "I swear I'll keep you safe."
"I think you're taking the 'hero' bit too seriously." She snorts, blushing a little. "Fine. I've already decided that you're more than deserving of my trust. Making a mistake under the influence should not change that."
"Yeah, I don't think I'm drinking ever again." I chuckle sheepishly. "I don't think I can afford to, anyway."
"Welcome to the world of responsibilities." Sienna sighs dramatically. "...I suppose I should keep it to myself?"
"It's better if you do, yeah. The less people that know, the better." I confirm. "Though, remember, if you wanna know more, just ask me."
"I'll keep it in mind." She says. "I'll be seeing you later today."
"Of course. By the way, Weiss and I have one more thing we'd like to offer."
"Yes, I remember." Sienna walks away. "Good luck with whatever you were doing."
I watch her leave, and as soon as she is out of sight, I jump down to look at the dungeon directly, feeling a shiver go down my spine. Sheesh, the amount of power it's giving off is immense.
I take the key out of my inventory, gazing at the orange-colored sphere. I don't know how long it could take me to clear, but so far, most dungeons only took two hours at the very most. Disappearing to clear it out for that long shouldn't be too bad, right?
I know I should probably prepare better, but I'm just so curious.
Let me look at my stats before I make a big decision like this.
Name: Reid Astera
Title: Titan Slayer
Age: 17
Race: Human/Leviathan Hybrid
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Level: 255 (36%)
Professions: Gardener, Chef, Teacher
Mentors: Kazuma Kiryu
Students: 5
HP: 38,090 [Regens 3809 per minute]
MP: 22,150 [Regens 2215 per minute]
AP: 63,750 [Regens 6375 per minute]
STR: 736
VIT: 586
DEX: 560
INT: 443
WIS: 443
CHA: 443
LUK: 283
Points: 289
Doesn't look very impressive, but this is merely my normal state. I'm so much more powerful with all my buffs active. Plus, my precognition from Observation and increased strength from Armament Haki. I think I take it on without much trouble, considering the recommended level for this tier was 200.
I think I'm gonna go in. I don't really have anything better to do right now.
I don't recommend it.
The goddess' sudden intervention makes me pause, blinking in confusion. Why not?
… I initially wanted to keep it as a surprise, but consider this tidbit a gift from me, seeing how well you've done for yourself so far.
I certainly don't want the fun to end so soon.
I don't know what you're implying here, but thanks…?
Legendary and above dungeons will have funny little gimmicks attached to them. More often than not, they make the dungeon harder.
A gimmick? What kind?
It could be anything. Perhaps your magic becomes inaccessible, or your stats are set to a certain level. Maybe some perks, skills, or even system mechanics also become unavailable.
In the best case, you're given a very powerful but temporary weapon or perk you use in there.
Ah. So you're saying it could end up in my favor or go really horribly. And most likely, it's the latter.
Pretty much. You might be above the recommended level, but I suggest preparing as much as possible before challenging it.
If you're saying that, I can't really argue. Thanks for the advice. Probably for the better, too. If it's as difficult as you're implying, then there are a few things I want to do and make before clearing it—primarily better gear. Enchanted clothes aren't going to do as well as actual armor.
Guess I'll run around and finish other lower-tier dungeons instead—better use of my time.
– Titania –
She didn't know what it was that suddenly made time move at a snail's pace, but for as safe as this maid job made her feel, there was nothing to do. She couldn't even take her mind off the boredom by cleaning because she'd already cleaned everything.
Was it because nobody was here? It for sure felt so much livelier when the Titan Slayer and his band of idiots were running around causing trouble – she hated that fucking wolf – and honestly, this silence was boring her right out of her mind.
There were only those two old dudes in here. The Branwen asshole and Ruby's dad who looked nothing like her. The first guy was boring as hell and was kind of a dick, and the other one was so cringe he made her want to eat her own metal legs. Seriously, he couldn't go two sentences without at least three dad jokes.
Even Cinder and Emerald weren't as bad as those two. If anything, Em was really fun to be around. Her bitchiness and almost creepy obsession with Cinder were hilarious. It was so easy to poke fun at her and get her to react.
I'm so bored. She thought with a deep sigh as she looked at the broken moon from the window, twirling her broom around.
Things were too quiet for her liking. She knew the Titan Slayer put a magical barrier around the property or some other bullshit that stopped intruders, but even with how little she knew of Salem, Titania was more than sure that the Grimm Queen could just… force her way in with zero trouble.
That woman's very presence made her feel and look unstoppable. The fact that the former assassin was on her shitlist made her feel a shiver go down her spine. Titania was fucked if Salem ever decided to go after her.
Though, she hoped she wasn't important enough to hunt down. After all, Cinder was the mastermind and knew most things about the plan. Assuming she didn't get caught, but who was she kidding? What could Cinder do against Salem, especially seeing she'd barely gotten any of the Spring Maiden magic?
That woman – and Emerald – were doomed.
Titania's best bet would be to stick by the Titan Slayer until he wasn't the safest option anymore. Then she could go into hiding or something. Honestly, she didn't think that far ahead, but it wasn't like there were any other good choices anyway.
She did prefer her old job over this, though. Even though she didn't find it as humiliating anymore, it felt so… pointless. Why did he specifically want her to be a maid? Shouldn't he be sending her to do his dirty work like any other typical politician? It's not like he's doing anything sexual to her to explain it, either.
Probably for a dumbass reason. She snorted. He's younger than you. Don't think about it too much.
At least he wasn't a complete asshole like her former boss. She was still happy about that. Titania didn't really trust him, but he wasn't some condescending, sarcastic dick who would threaten to burn her alive if she phrased a sentence wrong.
Also, eye candy. That was a plus.
As the front door of the mansion suddenly opened, she lazily turned to look at one of the very few people she kind of liked. Ruby, still in her red dress, fell flat on her face as she entered, letting out an exhausted whine, which made Titania snort in amusement.
"I'm so tired…" Ruby groaned. "I wanna die."
"Welcome home, Pipsqueak." She said with a smirk. "Cool speech there. Almost had me convinced."
"Don't call me that." She pointed at Titania, not bothering to raise her head.
"Right, right, Titan Slayer." She chuckled. "Doesn't change the fact that you're fun-sized."
"Hey!" The twerp glared at her, quickly getting back up on her feet. "I'm a hero now! I demand respect!"
"Sorry. You haven't earned mine yet."
"Wha– I killed a Titan!" She said. "What more do you need?!"
"So did your boyfriend. Do you see me worshipping the ground he walks on?" Titania deflected. Finally, entertainment. "So, what was it like talking to millions of people?"
"It sucked!" She complained. "It's like I'm wasting my time! I don't wanna do stupid speeches or wear stupid dresses! I wanna go out on adventures and save people!"
It was almost sickening how naive she was, but honestly, she was too adorable for Titania to be annoyed by her idealism. Whatever. Soon enough, her innocence would be crushed and she'd learn that the world isn't very fair to people like her.
"Too bad." Titania snorted. "You're stuck doing those annoying things forever now."
"What? That's not true." Ruby disagreed and raised an eyebrow. "I can just not. Who's going to stop me?"
Admittedly, Titania didn't expect that ballsy response at all. And with the runt saying it so confidently, that made it seem like she actually believed herself, which was kind of cool. Though, at the same time, it sounded like something Reid would say.
Maybe he was rubbing off on her.
"You know, I like your guts, Pipsqueak."
"I just told you not to call me that."
"But we'll see if that's the case once the media starts hounding you." She added, ignoring Ruby's annoyed comment. "They can get pretty ruthless."
"Pff, I'm just gonna stay here, then," Ruby answered with a grin. "They can't get me here."
"You say it like you're so proud of the fact," Titania said. "But is this any different from prison? You can't even go out to get more of your silly comics."
That didn't deter her at all.
"That's fine." She shrugged.
What.
"I-it is?" Titania blinked.
"Yeah. Yang could get them for me. Or Reid since nobody bothers him." Ruby said, then paused with a thoughtful frown. "...Now that I think about it…"
"Uh…"
Right before Titania's eyes, Ruby looked like she had the biggest revelation of her life.
"Oh my god!"
The former assassin flinched. What? What was going on?
"What?"
"I just realized I don't have to ever leave the house! Ever!" She exclaimed. "I don't even need to go to Signal anymore!"
"Ah…" Titania wasn't sure what to say. Was school that bad? "Congrats?"
"Don't you get it?!" Ruby looked at her with a big, beaming grin. "I have an excuse to never leave if I don't want to! Haha, being a hero is the best!"
The complete turn-around in the span of a minute left Titania reeling. What the hell was that? They'd barely even talked, and the girl, who was just wishing for death, was now bouncing around the hallway like she'd just won the lottery.
Fucking introverts.
"And what, you're fine with just staying there doing nothing the entire time?"
"Well, obviously not," Ruby responded. "I mean, besides training 'n stuff, I get to play all the video games and read all the comics I want. It's like, an endless vacation!"
How nice… She thought to herself. You have nothing to worry about, huh?
"You're really wasting your time with that stuff?" Titania scoffed playfully, still wanting to get a rise out of her. "So much for being a Titan Slayer."
"They're not a waste of time." She pouted, then smirked. "I see you playing 'em, in the middle of work too."
Busted.
"Alright, you got me." The older girl shrugged, her smile turning competitive. "…I bet I can kick your ass in Hunter's Arena."
"Oh, you're so on!" Ruby accepted the challenge. "Hold on, let me change first."
Titania closed her eyes as she felt a sudden gust of wind hit her face, with small rose petals falling on the ground beneath her. Oh, that little shit would've made her so fucking pissed if these things didn't disappear over time.
She stretched her arms with a satisfied groan, then felt slight resistance from her metal legs as she started to walk away. An annoyed frown made its way to her face as she did. They needed maintenance…
"Back!" Ruby reappeared in front of her, nearly scaring the soul out of her. "You alright? You looked a little mad just now."
"I'm fine, just…" She glanced back down at her legs. "...They need to be oiled."
"Oh." The younger girl blinked. "...Want me to do it for you?"
"What?"
"I can do more than just oil them, too." She added. "I can upgrade them if you want."
"Er, no, I'm good on that."
"I'll do it for free."
"I said I'm fine."
"...Are you sure?"
"Why are you so insistent?" Titania asked, honestly feeling a bit annoyed.
"Well, I just wanna help," Ruby answered simply. "Also, I think they're pretty cool."
"You think they're cool?"
Is she trying to make fun of me?
"T-that came out kinda weird— Not in that way! I promise!" Ruby backpedaled. "I just like mechanical stuff and weapons, y'know? I didn't mean anything bad. I mean, whoever made these is really good. Being able to make functioning legs for everyday walking and running while also working as deadly weapons is a tough balance. It's masterful craftsmanship, and I really wanna see how they work from the inside. You don't see this type of stuff anywhere, and I can tell you've been taking care of them pretty well. Also, I just wanna see if I can improve on them, that's all, because as good as it is, I can tell it's a bit outdated in some aspects. B-but I'm not doing it only for myself! I really wanna help make your life easier and—"
"Fine!" Titania cut her off. "Fine, just shut up."
"Really?"
"Yes, just please stop talking."
"Yay! Thanks a lot, Tania!"
Titania clicked her tongue as the younger girl hugged her tightly. This twerp was getting way too damn comfortable with her, and she wasn't sure how to prevent that. Being too mean to the girl would just piss off her boyfriend, and, admittedly, Ruby could probably kick her ass too.
…She really missed Emerald.
– Emerald –
She couldn't believe it, but she kind of missed Titania.
She didn't know where she had gone or if she'd just died, but she could really use some of her scathing humor right now. It would probably stave off the cold for a bit.
But here they were, stuck in the middle of fucking Solitas, freezing their asses off as Grimm continuously chased them to the far end of the world. They were miserable. And since Emerald was kind of used to this type of misery— this hunger and cold, Cinder had it worse.
Way, way worse.
Emerald sighed as she went back into the cave, the blizzard being too violent for them to leave. Right after they were practically renounced by Salem, they went from Mistral to Solitas. Vale was too close to Ozpin and Astera, while Vacuo was too close to Salem.
And they were utterly fucked if they didn't move because of Lionheart, meaning Solitas was their best choice, even though it really wasn't a good one either. Atlas itself was too dangerous because of Mister Irondick over there, so all they had were random villages, caves, and clearings.
They seriously couldn't do anything, and Cinder was losing her mind from paranoia.
"Cinder…?" Emerald uttered, seeing her boss sitting with her back against the wall and wrapped in her cloak, still awake. "You should probably get some sleep."
"Shut up." She gritted out. "Don't tell me what to do."
Emerald sighed but said nothing else. Bloodshot eyes, mood swings, constant trembling— Cinder was rapidly losing her will to survive. She was going more and more insane by the day, and there was nothing Emerald could do to help.
Of course, Cinder's attitude certainly didn't help their situation, but what else did Emerald have?
Nothing.
She had nothing.
Check my snippet collection. Posted a new dxd story there
Don't forget the money site. And also my discord. I keep forgetting to plug it for some reason. discord . gg / Rjjzt8erYK no spaces