Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Indolent]

While everyone else was distracted some way or another, whether it be a heartwarming familial interaction or the tense disagreements of teammates, there was Hazel slumbering.

His form was slumped, his neck crooked downward for an awry cheek to contact his shoulder, as a soft droning rose from him. Worst of all, his eyes were open, staring at the entry of the section.



Except his face looked affixed in a menacing stare.

 

[MyrtenRose]

Once all were aboard and the staff reassured that the problem had been adequately handled, the train resumed moving again, the armor plating receding back now that there were no longer any active threats. The rest of the journey went by comparatively smooth, peaceful and quiet. Plenty of time for celebrations if they wished. No grimm attacks or any more distractions. The time flew by remarkably quickly and after a couple of days they arrived at the outskirts of the City of Mistral. Raven led the way of the group strolling into the mountainous city. The place had such a gorgeous view that Cinder in particular was amazed by, she could hardly tear her eyes away from that view. "Okay, so." Raven started, having seen the view many times that the sight of it didn't affect her quite so much. "The other huntress Salem had doing work around here, the headmistress wanted us to make contact with her. Personally. Knowing her as I do...she's likely on one of the lower levels of the city. Probably a seedy bar. Keep up."

Raven pushed her way through the crowds, heading for the nearest bar. No dice. The next two bars she made her way to didn't have a huntress among the clientele either. However, after close to an hour of walking as the group followed behind, the fourth bar proved to be the right one. Raven didn't even get to the entrance door before the thing cracked and shattered outwards as two men flew though it, ending up sprawled atop each other almost ten feet away from the broken remains of the door. After a second or two, their contact stepped through herself, the manner in which she was cracking her knuckles left little guesswork involved in figuring out what had happened.

Ruby blinked, leaning over towards Yang. She didn't think this world could surprise her any more but it somehow managed. "...Yang, isn't that..." Ruby's whisper trailed off as she looked over the new arrival. Maria had described the event in great detail but Ruby wasn't exactly certain. That and if the times more or less matched up across the worlds, this woman should have been old! Nowhere near this young looking. Perhaps the silver eyed warrior was mistaken.

But no follow up punches came as she noticed the group, posture becoming quite a bit more relaxed. "Hey, you're the ones I'm supposed to be looking out for, aren't ya?" She fished out her scroll, flicking through the messages until she reached Salem's sending her the files. The huntress held the scroll up, positioning it so that the group was just beyond it in her field of view, and rapidly her eyes shifted from the pictures in several of the files to the corresponding face in the group. "Eyup, you're the ones alright." She grinned, blatantly ignoring the two men laying there moaning with pain and sliding her scroll back into her pocket.

"So, figure Salem owes some of you for forewarning her about a mole in the midst. A real problem now, innit? I've been scoping it out on the downlow, and seems you weren't fooling. The guy's been shady as hell, managed to talk the council into giving pretty much the whole school up there an extended vacation. As a reward for fighting so valiantly when so many watched the initial attack on Beacon through the telly, the panic and confusion that spread like wildfire. Not as bad as it sure could have been, though. The kingdom managed...but the academy? Complete ghost town right now. That fits in with what you special guys know, huh?" She questioned, looking to a few people in particular.

"And I didn't miss ya there!" She added, eyes settling on one specific person and sounding absolutely chuffed to see her. "Ray! Still kickin', eh?"

"Tock. Assuming you're still going by that name. Pleasure's all mine." She said that with calm politeness but her face didn't quite match her words. "I've managed." Raven answered, glancing over briefly to the two guys still lying there in a heap. "You're still as rough around the edges as ever, I see." A description that the crocodile faunus just laughed at, though she said nothing in reply to it. Instead she turned to Qrow.

"So. You're one of the ones who went through something like this before from what I hear. How do we handle it? I was just figurin' I'd give ole Leo no heads-up and stroll right on in, see if the guy's truly turned. But some people just aren't as fond as me when it comes to the direct approach."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Qrow was remarkably blasé when confronted with the tenuously familiar face, enough so that one might've assumed his brain hadn't connected the same dots Ruby's did. One would've been dead wrong. That was definitely, 100% the assassin from Maria's story, the lady who blinded the hero whose legacy inspired two whole generations of scythe wielders—and that was just among present company. Sure, whatever. He was over it at this point.

Nevertheless, it was hard to deny the guarded edge to his voice as he sized Tock up with an arched brow. "Yeah, well... the situation's different from before. Lots of cards showing on both sides. Things could get dicey, fast."

No way a grimm attack of that scale, comprised of that many different types of species, had been an unhappy coincidence. And even he and Raven had never encountered the kind leading them before, if it was even a species and not some abominable one-off. Oz knew they were coming, what their plan was, maybe even a window to expect them in. Had to.

"...Has there been any recent activity at the school? Weird arrivals, airships?"​

 

[MidwayLives]

The time flew by remarkably quickly and after a couple of days they arrived at the outskirts of the City of Mistral. Raven led the way of the group strolling into the mountainous city. The place had such a gorgeous view that Cinder in particular was amazed by, she could hardly tear her eyes away from that view.

Talking to Cinder after the argument with Watts had helped his mood somewhat. He'd not kick up a fuss or start anymore trouble with Arthur if he could help it.

But such disagreements and the things that had been said on both sides were not as easily forgiven.

So, it was by choice that Tyrian's thoughts seemed to be elsewhere as they continued to Haven, this time without incident. He'd done his team a disservice and yet couldn't offer them the luxury of WHY he'd done it. It was a troubling situation that he could think of no easy solutions to. Until one reared it's head, this...was for the best.

As they disembarked, Tyrian looked down at his scar coated body and reluctantly threw his jacket on, pulling the hood up as he did. The scars that lined his chest had their own histories behind them, mostly stemming from moments of weakness, but in new places people tended to stare and if there was one thing Tyrian tired of: It was humans gawking at him. Fighting and amusing them by proxy was one thing but it was another to be stared as though you were a town freak.

Moody as he was, the sights and sounds of Mistral was not at all lost on the scorpion faunus. He'd never had the fortune to go here before if he was being honest. His parents could never have afforded the trip back and forth and it'd have raised too many questions if he offered to pay for it himself using the money he earned. Still, he'd mused the idea over once or twice with his manager when time in between matches allowed Tyrian to flex his idle hands.

'Do you ever desire to leave Vale, Tyrian?'

"Mmm, maybe. Have you ever been?"

"When you're as old as I am, Tyrian? The world's sights begin to lose their luster, their grand appeal. But...If someday you have the chance? I'd say take it. Perhaps it'd do your young soul good."

"Yeah, maybe..."

It was almost funny to Tyrian that neither his parents working themselves to the bone in the mines or him beating his fellow faunus into the dirt gave him the opportunity to leave his home. It was becoming a huntsman and inadvertly putting his life at risk to help save the world. His younger self would never have believed it and his parents would never have approved of it. Another secret he kept from those he supposedly cared about he guessed.
​

Raven pushed her way through the crowds, heading for the nearest bar. No dice. The next two bars she made her way to didn't have a huntress among the clientele either. However, after close to an hour of walking as the group followed behind, the fourth bar proved to be the right one. Raven didn't even get to the entrance door before the thing cracked and shattered outwards as two men flew though it, ending up sprawled atop each other almost ten feet away from the broken remains of the door. After a second or two, their contact stepped through herself, the manner in which she was cracking her knuckles left little guesswork involved in figuring out what had happened.

Ugh.

He'd kept his two cents to himself while at the bandit's camp but the pungent scent of alcohol wafting off Qrow had unsettled him. He'd partaken in some drinking himself over the years-mostly under the table stuff after winning matches and to dull the pain when he'd suffered particularly nasty losses in the ring. But too many faunus who'd been competing for years only to lose themselves in the bottle depressed him quicker than anything else.

Some managed to pull through, others never did and simply toiled away until they died.

Not at all the warrior's end he fantasized for himself.

Thankfully, it didn't seem they'd have to enter the bar and risk feeling uncomfortable. Watching with a keen interest as the splinters of what had one point been a door, he slowly craned his head upwards to see the huntress they were to meet.

...
​

But no follow up punches came as she noticed the group, posture becoming quite a bit more relaxed. "Hey, you're the ones I'm supposed to be looking out for, aren't ya?" She fished out her scroll, flicking through the messages until she reached Salem's sending her the files. The huntress held the scroll up, positioning it so that the group was just beyond it in her field of view, and rapidly her eyes shifted from the pictures in several of the files to the corresponding face in the group. "Eyup, you're the ones alright." She grinned, blatantly ignoring the two men laying there moaning with pain and sliding her scroll back into her pocket.

...Perhaps it'd been her relatively dramatic introduction or the fact that those two men seemed so soundly defeated but Tyrian felt his heart against his chest.

It was a strange feeling! Normally, this kind of emotion stirred up when he was engaged in combat. The beads of sweat rolling down his muscles as he pushed them to their absolute limit, gritting his teeth and letting his feral side out. Growling and lashing out like the animal so many of his manager's elite rivals treated him as.

....He missed that old man.

Yet, here he was standing still and yet he felt entranced by his fellow faunus.

She just exuded the energy of somebody who's no doubt experienced with bar-room brawls and the brashness of that spoke to him. On a level that he didn't think anybody he talked to in this group could have related to, at all. When girls flocked to him it was for autographs or for photo ops or to flirt but every single time, he turned them away, often angrily. They weren't worth his time if they couldn't face him in a fight. A bunch of do-nothing-nobodies who didn't deserve his attention if they didn't earn it.

He wanted someone who could push him back and make him work for a victory.

He....wanted to know if this faunus could kick his ass.
​

But some people just aren't as fond as me when it comes to the direct approach."

"I can relate all too well..."

​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Nevertheless, it was hard to deny the guarded edge to his voice as he sized Tock up with an arched brow. "Yeah, well... the situation's different from before. Lots of cards showing on both sides. Things could get dicey, fast."

"...the hell's the matter? Seein' somethin' you don't like?" The crocodile questioned, missing neither the wary edge to his voice or the way he was sizing her up. "I ain't some turncoat if that's what you're wonderin'." She shook her head in absolute dismissal of that notion. "And aye, no big shocker there. Things often 'ave a way of turnin' dicey quick when I'm involved." The idea didn't seem to bother her too much though, given the bold grin she wore that briefly revealed her sharpened teeth. "To answer your other question though, yeah. Couple airships turned up not too long ago, bypassed all the usual spots for landin' and goin' right for the top." Tock thumbed up at the academy, towering all the way up at the peak of the mountain.
​

He wanted someone who could push him back and make him work for a victory.

He....wanted to know if this faunus could kick his ass.

"Ya know, if you want to say somethin', just spit it out. Not too fond of kids givin' me freaky looks." The deadpan voice made it difficult to tell if she was serious, but she absolutely was. Absently she pulled out a flask, taking a swig of the delicious drink inside and licking her lips clean afterwards.
​

"I can relate all too well..."

Tock raised said flask in salute to that statement.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...the hell's the matter? Seein' somethin' you don't like?" The crocodile questioned, missing neither the wary edge to his voice or the way he was sizing her up. "I ain't some turncoat if that's what you're wonderin'." She shook her head in absolute dismissal of that notion. "And aye, no big shocker there. Things often 'ave a way of turnin' dicey quick when I'm involved." The idea didn't seem to bother her too much though, given the bold grin she wore that briefly revealed her sharpened teeth. "To answer your other question though, yeah. Couple airships turned up not too long ago, bypassed all the usual spots for landin' and goin' right for the top." Tock thumbed up at the academy, towering all the way up at the peak of the mountain.

"So a trap. Great."

His slouch and roll of the eyes made it obvious he found it anything both, turning away from the reptilian faunus to stare up at the mountaintop, eyes narrowed with scrutiny. And since she brought it up...

"Ever meet a huntress with a mask and scythe before?" He questioned, casual and blunt.​

 

[Indolent]

The city of Mistral. He hardly expected to return to his home's capital under these circumstances, having ever visited primarily for the Festival that furthered his family's livelihood or the occasion when he eschewed his responsibilities. It was a familiar sight that hardly moved him as much as it had Cinder but more so than Raven, the difference was appreciable. It burgeoned those memories, the sole reason for the tiny happy smile he adorned the millisecond he stepped off the train. He was home without being home... the verdant green mountains, the crispness of the air, the views that stretched as you ascended the face of the mountain Mistral sat upon until you reached the Academy atop.

He could remember the time he had to detain his younger twin, throwing her over the shoulder when she tried to make a break for the academy. She always demanded to see what the life was like for those that dwelled at the top, those that trained to defend them all. The insatiable curiosity and the drive... He vividly recalled it alongside many similar instances, complete with the fervent insistence she always layed into him at the each of each relentless attempt. There were other moments too, frolicking in the lower levels in his earlier years with his older cousins; he remembered the sharp reprimands they received from their parents for inadvertently causing a ruckus, the rambunctious energy that emerged when the Rainarts gathered never finding an outlet that sufficed societal tolerances.

The anticipation of arrival and tendering these memories made the days on the train tolerable at the very least, particularly in dealing with the strain he awoke to sometime in the next day between each member on the team. He keyed on an understanding of some kind but he knew there was more to it, something Tyrian refrained from sharing. Whatever it was, Hazel gauged he had his reasons not to indulge them in it... to an extent. Time would tell, that or he would have to force it at some point.

Raven led the way of the group strolling into the mountainous city. The place had such a gorgeous view that Cinder in particular was amazed by, she could hardly tear her eyes away from that view. "Okay, so." Raven started, having seen the view many times that the sight of it didn't affect her quite so much. "The other huntress Salem had doing work around here, the headmistress wanted us to make contact with her. Personally. Knowing her as I do...she's likely on one of the lower levels of the city. Probably a seedy bar. Keep up."

For now, Hazel was happy to at least point out some of the sights and indicate local trivia to anyone who cared... until the huntress had mentioned her last two sentences. His features blanched momentarily, a disconsolate sigh managing to slip.

Raven pushed her way through the crowds, heading for the nearest bar. No dice. The next two bars she made her way to didn't have a huntress among the clientele either. However, after close to an hour of walking as the group followed behind, the fourth bar proved to be the right one. Raven didn't even get to the entrance door before the thing cracked and shattered outwards as two men flew though it, ending up sprawled atop each other almost ten feet away from the broken remains of the door. After a second or two, their contact stepped through herself, the manner in which she was cracking her knuckles left little guesswork involved in figuring out what had happened.

He couldn't remember if the second bar was a family favorite. Or was it the third... it couldn't be this one. Hazel, if he hadn't been over a foot taller than the average man, would have been starkly obvious in peering to ascertain the identities of the men that were laid out. Neither of them looked familiar, a sigh of relief as he resumed standing alert, taking stock of their contact.

Ruby blinked, leaning over towards Yang. She didn't think this world could surprise her any more but it somehow managed. "...Yang, isn't that..." Ruby's whisper trailed off as she looked over the new arrival. Maria had described the event in great detail but Ruby wasn't exactly certain. That and if the times more or less matched up across the worlds, this woman should have been old! Nowhere near this young looking. Perhaps the silver eyed warrior was mistaken.

But no follow up punches came as she noticed the group, posture becoming quite a bit more relaxed. "Hey, you're the ones I'm supposed to be looking out for, aren't ya?" She fished out her scroll, flicking through the messages until she reached Salem's sending her the files. The huntress held the scroll up, positioning it so that the group was just beyond it in her field of view, and rapidly her eyes shifted from the pictures in several of the files to the corresponding face in the group. "Eyup, you're the ones alright." She grinned, blatantly ignoring the two men laying there moaning with pain and sliding her scroll back into her pocket.

"So, figure Salem owes some of you for forewarning her about a mole in the midst. A real problem now, innit? I've been scoping it out on the downlow, and seems you weren't fooling. The guy's been shady as hell, managed to talk the council into giving pretty much the whole school up there an extended vacation. As a reward for fighting so valiantly when so many watched the initial attack on Beacon through the telly, the panic and confusion that spread like wildfire. Not as bad as it sure could have been, though. The kingdom managed...but the academy? Complete ghost town right now. That fits in with what you special guys know, huh?" She questioned, looking to a few people in particular.

"And I didn't miss ya there!" She added, eyes settling on one specific person and sounding absolutely chuffed to see her. "Ray! Still kickin', eh?"

"Tock. Assuming you're still going by that name. Pleasure's all mine." She said that with calm politeness but her face didn't quite match her words. "I've managed." Raven answered, glancing over briefly to the two guys still lying there in a heap. "You're still as rough around the edges as ever, I see." A description that the crocodile faunus just laughed at, though she said nothing in reply to it. Instead she turned to Qrow.

"So. You're one of the ones who went through something like this before from what I hear. How do we handle it? I was just figurin' I'd give ole Leo no heads-up and stroll right on in, see if the guy's truly turned. But some people just aren't as fond as me when it comes to the direct approach."

She certainly fit at home in the underbelly of Mistral. Probably more so down south better yet. He absorbed the sit-rep she delivered, his eye glancing to the Academy above when it was mentioned. He had a hard time envisioning it being empty the way it was being made out to be, the feeling of the notion only emphasizing the severity behind the implications it had. As for her question, he considered it briefly... a direct approach wasn't the ideal way, even though Tock clearly espoused it as a favorite. She wasn't the only one. Hazel wasn't subtle in glancing to his partner then. There were other methods, though he was unsuited to those ironically enough, cut and sized to mounting or withstanding devastating frontal assaults. Recon via infiltration whether through stealth and/or avian magics, or hacking. Pronged assault with dedicated roles... no doubt the veteran huntsmen were already finagling a plan of sorts. Double that for Watts, he looked forward to gleaning any other details later in deliberations.

"I've spent time exploring Mistral, maybe if they haven't shored them up since then, might be a way inside Haven." Hazel offered. Some details he omitted but it could be worked out He thought.

"Ya know, if you want to say somethin', just spit it out. Not too find of kids givin' me freaky looks." The deadpan voice made it difficult to tell if she was serious, but she absolutely was. Absently she pulled out a flask, taking a swig of the delicious drink inside and licking her lips clean afterwards.

"Challenge her after our business here is finished, Tyrian." Hazel interjected, a brusque baritone that weighed heavier than usual, almost as if he were an annoyed older sibling tired of reining in the younger. Almost like he had experience in the matter there, actually.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Ever meet a huntress with a mask and scythe before?" He questioned, casual and blunt.

“...You talkin’ about the Grimm Reaper?” It was her turn to look warily over at Qrow. “If that’s who you mean, then aye. We’ve met. She nearly killed me almost half a century ago.“ Her face expressed that it was not a time she looked upon fondly. Not at all. Her yellow eyes pulled away from the male Branwen and glanced towards the two guys still moaning in pain.

“Look, these two wankers may be too wasted to remember much of anything when they’re sober, but this still ain’t the best place to talk. Too many ears. I got a place not far off, you want to talk ancient history or plans on how to deal with our problem, we can do it at my place.” She turned away without waiting for a reply, her slouching walk going further west.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"These are getting weirder. Let's find that genie and get the hell off this stupid ride."

Qrow muttered through the corner of his mouth, leaning over towards his nieces with hand raised to block his mouth. It was very suspicious. As Tock walked off without further ado and their number started to trickle after—Mercury and Emerald among them, though no one could recall seeing Eve since the train— Qrow stayed rooted, thumbs hooking his pockets and head still cocked towards the peak.

"Catch me up later. Got my own ways of doing recon."

Bird recon.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"These are getting weirder. Let's find that genie and get the hell off this stupid ride."

Qrow muttered through the corner of his mouth, leaning over towards his nieces with hand raised to block his mouth. It was very suspicious. As Tock walked off without further ado and their number started to trickle after—Mercury and Emerald among them, though no one could recall seeing Eve since the train— Qrow stayed rooted, thumbs hooking his pockets and head still cocked towards the peak.

"Catch me up later. Got my own ways of doing recon."

Bird recon.​

Raven didn't blink at that idea, the thought had occurred to her as well, but she did look at least somewhat concerned. "Are you sure you want to do that? I don't know if your Leonardo knew about us but here? He knows. It could be risky."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Raven didn't blink at that idea, the thought had occurred to her as well, but she did look at least somewhat concerned. "Are you sure you want to do that? I don't know if your Leonardo knew about us but here? He knows. It could be risky."

"What're they gonna do, shoot down every single crow doing a flyby?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"What're they gonna do, shoot down every single crow doing a flyby?"​

Raven had to fight extremely hard to not snort in that moment. "It sounds completely ridiculous when you put it like that. All I'm saying is, be extra careful little brother."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Raven had to fight extremely hard to not snort in that moment. "It sounds completely ridiculous when you put it like that. All I'm saying is, be extra careful little brother."

"Two years' extra experience says I'd kick your ass now." He countered with a cool smirk, no effort made to disguise his own snort. Definitely hadn't been waiting for an opportunity to bring that up.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Challenge her after our business here is finished, Tyrian."

Where Hazel had been looking, Tyrian was no longer there.

Rather he’d moved to catch up with Tock, looking her up and down.

“If you’ll allow me a question, how do you look so young??”​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Where Hazel had been looking, Tyrian was no longer there.

Rather he’d moved to catch up with Tock, looking her up and down.

“If you’ll allow me a question, how do you look so young??”​

"Not now. My place."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Two years' extra experience says I'd kick your ass now." He countered with a cool smirk, no effort made to disguise his own snort. Definitely hadn't been waiting for an opportunity to bring that up.
​

"......………………....shush." Raven grumbled, waving her hand to shoo her brother off on his recon mission.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Before everyone had disembarked from the train car, Watts had gathered them to return their scrolls. Where he'd even gotten the extra pieces and wiring to do whatever he'd done to them was a mystery only one other person on the train could answer, but there was a a noticeable extra bit of a weight as he placed them in their hands.

"I did some rewiring that should make everyone's scrolls much harder to crack into without understanding what I changed inside. I also made a few adjustments; After looking over the Ace ops models Ruby and Xiao Long use-"

"-Why did you use her first name and m-"

"-I was able to replicate the method they use to extend their aura monitoring to everyone on the new network. Your scrolls are still network capable, but messages between anyone on this team will attempt to do so over a local network I've built in first, without using the CCT Towers. It should prevent others from listening in on us, and has an effective range of approximately a mile and a half." He pressed a button on his own scroll, and the contact groupings in the tactical app split into three groups; MTEN, WTCH, and the outsiders along with Raven.

Eve, presumably and honestly understandably, hadn't handed her scroll over and thus wasn't included

"Comms can be separated by squad or used individually. There's a group comms as well, but I it'd be too noisy in a large fight, but the team leads can all override it in case something dire turns up midfight that must be passed on to everyone at once."

His own scroll snapped shut and he gestured for the door. "Now then; Haven awaits"



Eve wasn't the only noticeable absence as the group made their way through Haven in their search; Neo tapped whichever teammate she'd been walking next to and tapped the side of her head near her eyes before she put a finger against her lips. She drifted off into the crowd and just... disappeared.

Or at least, she seemed to. the particularly sharp eyed among them got the slightly disquieting feeling that someone was watching them. The same pair of eyes on some man looking over a market stall that were on an older woman absolutely enraptured by the sight of the mountains near the side of the road minutes later. A young man with an oddly girlish spring to his walk as he went by them, clearly not local by how he was taking in the sights of the architecture with a small o of amazement on his face. In truth, despite her obvious enrapture with the sights, Neo wasn't gone at all, nor was she just screwing around; She was making sure no one was doing the exact same thing she was. If Watts was right and they were in Ozpin's sights, there was a chance that even the train they'd gotten off of had been watched. She'd spent enough time dipping through Vale's streets at high speeds after questionable life decisions to be confident in her ability to keep pace with the group even if they picked up speed, and despite her big tourist energy she was almost impossible to pick out of a crowd when she didn't want to be. She trusted Roman and Merc would let her know if she was needed or if she missed anything important, for now she was content to be their watchful eyes and ears in what might be a deceptively dangerous city.

And if taking that duty on meant she didn't have to be standing around for any painfully awkward and emotional conversations attempts her heart wasn't ready for then, well, gee, sometimes life just worked out like that!

 

[MyrtenRose]

They arrived at Tock's place in no time. The small 700 square feet apartment surrounded by a mess of other ones, it definitely was no palace but it suited the crocodile's purposes just fine. Just one of her many hideouts spread across Remnant. She waited for all those in the group that had tagged along to step on in before she went in after, pulling the door shut behind her with a moderately loud slam and sauntered past all of them to drop onto the cheap couch. "So, what first then? Plannin' on how to spring the probable trap, or the ancient history and my age that some of you seem interested in? Can't say I understand it..." She shrugged casually, taking another drink out of her flask and subsequently wiping her mouth clean with the back of her hand. "...but hey, no judgments. Thing is..all of ya may want to get comfortable if you want that story. It's long and I don't much like tellin' it."​

 

[Indolent]

They arrived at Tock's place in no time. The small 700 square feet apartment surrounded by a mess of other ones, it definitely was no palace but it suited the crocodile's purposes just fine. Just one of her many hideouts spread across Remnant. She waited for all those in the group that had tagged along to step on in before she went in after, pulling the door shut behind her with a moderately loud slam and sauntered past all of them to drop onto the cheap couch. "So, what first then? Plannin' on how to spring the probable trap, or the ancient history and my age that some of you seem interested in? Can't say I understand it..." She shrugged casually, taking another drink out of her flask and subsequently wiping her mouth clean with the back of her hand. "...but hey, no judgments. Thing is..all of ya may want to get comfortable if you want that story. It's long and I don't much like tellin' it."​

Before they'd arrived at the crocodilian's comfy abode, Hazel had felt eyes on him mid transit. The gaze of a predator which triggered the fight or flight response, a feeling that exacerbated long as it lingered which made for unnerving the prey exceptionally well, to provoke a response injurious to their survival. Moreover, this sensation was a familiar one and it stemmed not from a predator most would immediately adopt in their mind's eye, a large beast or monster of a kind whether it was a wolf or beowulf, or larger. It was a tiny thing that stared upon him and it was this intuition that was most unsettling above all else.

So Hazel cast around momentarily, trying to eke those eyes out from against the background, scanning against the detitritus and architecture of his surroundings in this apartment complex. A scowl denoted his inability to scrutinize the area proper and his brows furrowed, laden with concern before he entered Tock's domain. It was after the slam of the door these eyes dared to emerged, from behind some trash of Tock's neighbors haphazardly strewn along the walkways.

 

[MidwayLives]

"So, what first then? Plannin' on how to spring the probable trap, or the ancient history and my age that some of you seem interested in? Can't say I understand it..." She shrugged casually, taking another drink out of her flask and subsequently wiping her mouth clean with the back of her hand. "...but hey, no judgments. Thing is..all of ya may want to get comfortable if you want that story. It's long and I don't much like tellin' it."

Tyrian looked around at the interior of the apartment. It wasn't exactly a triple star locale but...It was better than where he'd called 'home.'

Plopping down onto the couch as well, Tyrian debated propping his boots up.

'Ugh, what the-Tell that faunus freak to get his dirty shoes off my furniture!!!'

This was a fellow faunus and it sounded like she shared some of Tyrian's views-or namely the one that mattered most: walking straight in and smashing things up. But...even still he didn't feel one hundred percent comfortable. Bad habits died hard. Folding his hands across his lap, Tyrian tilted his head inquisitively.

"Yeah, that's what I'm interested in! You said one of your battles took place years ago but you still look like you're in the prime of your life! It's incredible!"

Being able to continue fighting at your prime? Age came for everyone but it seemed like it'd gotten lost trying to find this one.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Or at least, she seemed to. the particularly sharp eyed among them got the slightly disquieting feeling that someone was watching them. The same pair of eyes on some man looking over a market stall that were on an older woman absolutely enraptured by the sight of the mountains near the side of the road minutes later. A young man with an oddly girlish spring to his walk as he went by them, clearly not local by how he was taking in the sights of the architecture with a small o of amazement on his face. In truth, despite her obvious enrapture with the sights, Neo wasn't gone at all, nor was she just screwing around; She was making sure no one was doing the exact same thing she was. If Watts was right and they were in Ozpin's sights, there was a chance that even the train they'd gotten off of had been watched. She'd spent enough time dipping through Vale's streets at high speeds after questionable life decisions to be confident in her ability to keep pace with the group even if they picked up speed, and despite her big tourist energy she was almost impossible to pick out of a crowd when she didn't want to be. She trusted Roman and Merc would let her know if she was needed or if she missed anything important, for now she was content to be their watchful eyes and ears in what might be a deceptively dangerous city.

And if taking that duty on meant she didn't have to be standing around for any painfully awkward and emotional conversations attempts her heart wasn't ready for then, well, gee, sometimes life just worked out like that!

Roman said nothing when he realized that Neo had split off from the group. It made sense, y'know? Only those familiar with her ability and maybe her double could have spotted her out of a crowd if they really tried. She was doing her part to keep them safe and that was fine.

But as he leaned up against the wall and watched Tyrian take a seat next to Tock, he looked away.

Tyrian knew one thing about women as far as Roman was concerned: That they'd only grab his attention if they were his friend/strong in his eyes. Probably why the guy had shown such an interest in Eve and now this chick. She looked young, sure. But going after someone who even if they didn't look it was technically old enough to be your mom? Weirded him the hell out.

Not that he had any better luck with the ladies. Fancying himself a lady's man was something of a nice joke, something to get people laughing, even if it was at his expense.

But the one he truly loved, well...

He sighed.

He hoped he just hadn't ruined things between them.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Across town...

The steep slopes and lush forestry of Mistral made it an easy place to get lost in. Or to lose yourself in. Blending in was child's play for someone like her, the streets quieter than usual in light of recent world events. Everyone was afraid, living in fear of the same thing that happened in Vale happening here. The streets themselves had become unsafe to walk. For a faunus, the feeling was nothing new. Eve's fist made a dull thud as she pounded it against varnished wood, the faunus stepping back from the door in the wake of her knock as she cast an attentive glance down the street. The factory she stood before was old, built into the side of the mountain and nestled away under one of its cascading waterfalls. Disused.

But not abandoned. A hatch on the door slid open, and she turned her gaze back with a casual utterance of "Nightshade."

A suspenseful beat followed, then the phrase was returned, light and cordial with a belying undercurrent of slyness. "Foxglove. Welcome home, sister."

The door swung open, and the commander of one of the White Fang's current iterations strode through without pause. The bandana that had been concealing her features flapped away, roused by a gentle breeze, and its replacement was swiftly donned, angular white flecked with a sinister red. In all her life, it was the one face she felt truly belonged to her. The face that defined who she was.

The hallway she entered was dark, a mere single torch to light the way. The robed figure holding it bowed low, his hooded form graceful as it was slender; next to him, a figure in identical robing did the same, hands clasped as though in prayer.

"My lady Taurus. To receive you here is a blessing for us."

"A blessing."

"I'm tired. Let's skip your creepy little schtick." Eve cut across firmly, already striding deeper into the factory. Operatives nodded respectfully to her as she strode for the main operations table, the brotherly duo gliding silently in her wake. The faunus who chose to follow her were free to address her however they pleased, without need for rank or titles. These two just insisted on being subservient anyway. "So?"

"Our brothers and sisters lie in wait throughout the city, prepared to act on your word. Those who have not joined us here travel north, as per your instruction. The Vale regiment were able to pull out with little resistance; However..." His snide, servile tones turned grim, verging on morose. "...Sienna's forces have commenced retaliations for Beacon in earnest. A number of outposts here in Anima were razed to the ground."

Her eternal frown became a faint snarl as her gaze twitched to the right, in the same instant her hand became a fist. The brothers shared a glance.

"...And Sienna's 'offer'?"

Fennec's demeanor picked back up. "There have been a few reports of desertions, but nothing significant. The faunus who follow you were largely spurred to do so by Sienna's vanity, my lady. They will not return so easily to its vices."

The information was delivered with the clear expectation that it would come as welcome news, but Eve's demeanor didn't change, save for the small tightening back into a muted, simmering frown. They were wrong. A few was significant.

After a few moments, Fennec cleared his throat to carry on. "We bring news from Menagerie, as well. The high leader would like to invite you to discuss-"

"No."

"Lady Taurus, he wished for me to personally assure you that his attempts to make contact since your defection from Sienna have been invitations to come home, not a call to face judgment of any kind-"

"I can't." The response was so terse, almost snappish, that neither of them thought it wise to address. They exchanged a glance once more, but Eve continued despite a strained twinge to her voice. "He knows why. They both do. Tell them... tell them I'm sorry. And that the day I come home it'll be to bring them their daughter."

The brothers' wise judgment of when to remain silent continued at that. Eve shifted her attention to the strategy table before her, plans and maps spanning the known continents that were littered with flags of varying colors. The red were largely grouped, a majority traversing north towards the snowy regions while the other grouping centered around Mistral. She had assumed the report was over, but the two were still hovering; she spoke again sharply.

"There's something else."

This time, the two glanced anywhere but at each other.



"There is... news from Atlas. News of a disturbing nature. General Ironwood, the commander of the Atlesian military force... Has been imprisoned. On the charge of treason."

"..." She turned to face the two of them fully, her attention very much captured. Ironwood was their biggest concern when it came to northern operations; She couldn't say she was sorry to hear him go. But a traitor? No.

If this was... This soon?

"Go on."

"...The... information coming out of Atlas has been... confused. No-- Controlled. It's as if the kingdom is isolating itself. Here is what their news networks are reporting; it's expected to break in the other kingdoms by this evening." He kept his phrasing concise, no attempt made to coat the information in his typical honeyed fashion. "It would appear the general attempted to stage a military coup. He leveled outrageous accusations against councilwoman Schnee, allegedly backed by Vale themselves, declaring her involvement with those who perpetrated the Vytal Festival attack, and led a contingent of soldiers to detain her during a council meeting. In turn, the councilwoman reportedly brought to light evidence of her own, suggesting conspiracy between Ironwood and the kingdom of Vale to undermine Atlas's military strength."

He gave a thin smile.

"That was a story the council were far more willing to accept. In the days since the attack Ironwood has been described as... unhinged, while miss Schnee has been a beacon of strength and Atlesian nobility. She painted the arrest as an attempt to silence her and establish full military control over the city. The council, and the public, have been inclined to agree."

"...But she wasn't arrested?!" Eve growled, the tension that'd been building in her shoulders throughout the report to an extent she wasn't aware of finally exploding. Corsac shuffled a bit where he stood, wondering why he was still here when his brother was doing all the talking.

He shook his head. "There was a skirmish. The council fled. Miss Schnee has proven herself a bafflingly talented combatant, much to our continued chagrin through the years, but Ironwood knew to anticipate as much. He brought his best with him; a unit of elite operatives. It would no doubt have been enough. However..."

The siblings exchanged a look, as though Fennec was finally willing to allow his brother to explain this piece. The look he got back was an emphatic hell no. Eve, stuck watching them, was running out of patience.

"However?"

"...Another general was present. Appointed to oversee Ironwood's council duties in his absence. Apparently, he came to the councilwoman's aid, and between the two of them they... overwhelmed them. There's talk of him assuming command over the disgraced general's forces."

"Two of them."

"So it was reported."

"What general?"

Silence.

"What general?!"

"...General Carnelian, my lady."

Spoiler

The face that flashed through her mind from the recesses of memory was one she hadn't thought about in years. It was also probably the one face in all the kingdoms she could recall more vividly than any other.

She turned around. The air in the room suddenly grew thick, full of so much anger and hatred and malice it was difficult to breathe; not just from Eve, though hers was the most potent. An operative patrolling nearby actually spat at the mention of his name. She took a step forward, and when her voice came again it was sharper and more laced with venom than any assassin's blade. Not directed at either of her subordinates directly, but being the proxy was bad enough, and they both took another step back.

"Was that supposed to be a joke?"

They didn't answer, trusting in the graveness of their faces to communicate their response.

"...Menagerie will never stand for that MONSTER sitting at the head of the Atlesian fleet! He deserved to die for what he did during the war!"

"And it was only through the good grace of Jacques Schnee that he was demoted as opposed to tried, if you recall... But you're quite correct. Menagerie will not stand for it. Nor shall our brothers and sisters in Vacuo, or the Vale, or even Mantle. But Atlas, in spite of their refusal to admit it, is scared, and right now all they remember is a man who defended them. With... extreme prejudice."

Even his own practiced, crooning disposition flickered with disgust at that, though he quickly tamed it. His hands clasped together, and he forced the sycophantic smile back into position.

"I was not misspeaking when I said the news was disturbing, my lady Taurus. You see, tomorrow morning the people of Mistral may well be talking about a battle."

The smile grew bitter.

"But the other kingdoms will speak of war."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

The steep slopes and lush forestry of Mistral made it an easy place to get lost in. Or to lose yourself in. Blending in was child's play for someone like her, the streets quieter than usual in light of recent world events. Everyone was afraid, living in fear of the same thing that happened in Vale happening here. The streets themselves had become unsafe to walk. For a faunus, the feeling was nothing new. Eve's fist made a dull thud as she pounded it against varnished wood, the faunus stepping back from the door in the wake of her knock as she cast an attentive glance down the street. The factory she stood before was old, built into the side of the mountain and nestled away under one of its cascading waterfalls. Disused.

But not abandoned. A hatch on the door slid open, and she turned her gaze back with a casual utterance of "Nightshade."

A suspenseful beat followed, then the phrase was returned, light and cordial with a belying undercurrent of slyness. "Foxglove. Welcome home, sister."

Eve was not the only one for who blending in was nothing but child's play. Years of stealth missions, honing her skill in infiltration...even her own faunus trait, it all lined up to make her one unnoticeable face in the crowds. A few of the other White Fang camps she had tried to approach had already been utterly destroyed, others still had denied her...violently. A price for her other self being associated with the Shadow Fang. It was only when she eschewed trying to make contact and instead snuck through and eavesdropped on the next camp that she was able to learn what she needed. That, coupled with her own memories and experiences, at least had given her a destination. The city of Mistral. It took some time, and some waiting, but it all proved worth it when she managed to spot exactly who she had been looking for.

The leader of the White Fang was no fool, and it was not just anybody who could follow discreetly behind her without being seen...but Ilia believed she managed well enough. The path led down winding streets and all the way to an old decrepit factory hidden away behind one of Mistral's waterfalls. From a shadowed corner, skin and hair just as dark, she watched and listened as Eve spoke and was let in to the hideout. That approach...would not work for her. Not if several of the other camps she'd managed to find had been any indication, regardless of speaking the password.

But she was resourceful, and she managed to find her own way into the disused factory.

She stuck to the dark shadows so well she might as have been a shadow herself, crouched above and listening to Eve and the other two's conversation with increasing disbelief and concern. And of course Corsac and Fennec were here too. She listened in absolute silence, rubbing her arm in trepidation. Yeah, there was some good news at least. That this Taurus at least had enough of a relationship with the elder Belladonnas that she wasn't necessarily against returning to Menagerie...she simply couldn't do it now. Not without Blake...a feeling that resonated within the chameleon as well. But the rest? Talk of an attempted coup in Atlas, Ironwood disgraced and imprisoned, the rise of another general to his place. A hated name...the energy in the room changed immediately when it was spoken. The anger and hate was overflowing, and in that moment she was keenly reminded that this may not have been Adam...but this was still a Taurus.

When the final word between the three was spoken...more than a handful of seconds went by before someone else spoke up. "...Eve Taurus." She said just loud enough that the sound of it would carry across the entire large factory room, but it was spoken in such a way that it was nearly impossible to tell where the voice was coming from. "Can we talk in peace? About a mutual......friend."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Eve was not the only one for who blending in was nothing but child's play. Years of stealth missions, honing her skill in infiltration...even her own faunus trait, it all lined up to make her one unnoticeable face in the crowds. A few of the other White Fang camps she had tried to approach had already been utterly destroyed, others still had denied her...violently. A price for her other self being associated with the Shadow Fang. It was only when she eschewed trying to make contact and instead snuck through and eavesdropped on the next camp that she was able to learn what she needed. That, coupled with her own memories and experiences, at least had given her a destination. The city of Mistral. It took some time, and some waiting, but it all proved worth it when she managed to spot exactly who she had been looking for.

The leader of the White Fang was no fool, and it was not just anybody who could follow discreetly behind her without being seen...but Ilia believed she managed well enough. The path led down winding streets and all the way to an old decrepit factory hidden away behind one of Mistral's waterfalls. From a shadowed corner, skin and hair just as dark, she watched and listened as Eve spoke and was let in to the hideout. That approach...would not work for her. Not if several of the other camps she'd managed to find had been any indication, regardless of speaking the password.

But she was resourceful, and she managed to find her own way into the disused factory.

She stuck to the dark shadows so well she might as have been a shadow herself, crouched above and listening to Eve and the other two's conversation with increasing disbelief and concern. And of course Corsac and Fennec were here too. She listened in absolute silence, rubbing her arm in trepidation. Yeah, there was some good news at least. That this Taurus at least had enough of a relationship with the elder Belladonnas that she wasn't necessarily against returning to Menagerie...she simply couldn't do it now. Not without Blake...a feeling that resonated within the chameleon as well. But the rest? Talk of an attempted coup in Atlas, Ironwood disgraced and imprisoned, the rise of another general to his place. A hated name...the energy in the room changed immediately when it was spoken. The anger and hate was overflowing, and in that moment she was keenly reminded that this may not have been Adam...but this was still a Taurus.

When the final word between the three was spoken...more than a handful of seconds went by before someone else spoke up. "...Eve Taurus." She said just loud enough that the sound of it would carry across the entire large factory room, but it was spoken in such a way that it was nearly impossible to tell where the voice was coming from. "Can we talk in peace? About a mutual......friend."

The atmosphere in the room had already taken a turn for the murderous when Eve made her presence known, and the assembled White Fang let it show. In the next moment, so many guns were being angled around the room that at least one barrel was probably leveled in Ilia's vague direction, patrolmen below and guards posted on the scaffolding all whirling snarls around in search of the intruder.

Eve... was slower to move. She pushed off from the table, expression inscrutable as she slowly shook herself out. The way she drew Wilt a moment later was a slow, deliberate motion, her posture unwavering as she took her time turning around and spoke back.

"Peace doesn't come from the shadows."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Yeah, that's what I'm interested in! You said one of your battles took place years ago but you still look like you're in the prime of your life! It's incredible!"

Being able to continue fighting at your prime? Age came for everyone but it seemed like it'd gotten lost trying to find this one.

"Decades." She corrected before a low sigh escaped her mouth. "Alright then, since you want to know so bad. From what I hear, you lot didn't exactly have a pleasant encounter with the Red Masque. His latest silver-eyed follower, but far from the first. He likes to collect them, ya see. It's been said that silver eyed people were destined to live the life of a warrior. That they were fated to be the best of the best...and he's never been one to let talent go to waste. Why destroy a life when you could make use of it? The best of the best? That's one tool you don't throw away when you can make use of it. Which brings me to the Grimm Reaper." Tock slouched even further into her couch.

"Dunno if the Masque was in any way inspired by the Reaper, and I don't really care. She too was a masked scythe-wielder, as you might have put together from Qrow's blunt question earlier. The Grimm Reaper, they called her. The few that believed she actually existed, anyway. That believed she wasn't just some ghost story passed around to scare kids. She was one of his, yeah? She was out there serving his will...and in this case, that meant hunting down and slaying every huntsman or huntress the bitch could find. Hence Grimm Reaper. Can't say how many she managed to kill before we met...or in the years after. Hell, I don't even know if she's dead or not yet. I like to hope so." She growled, complete with a fierce scowl and a downing of more drink.

"She made her way to me, of course. One of the toughest and longest damn fights of me life. It ended with her leaving me for dead near some godforsaken mountain. I don't know how much time passed between her departure and someone else showing up, but...it 'appened. She found me. Salem." Tock smirked. "A lot of the rest, it's hazy. I managed to cling to life despite the wounds I had. Wounds that would 'ave been fatal, eventually. But still, I clung to life for far longer than I had any right to. To hear Salem tell it...she'd never encountered anyone before or since who was anywhere near as determined to survive. Guess that's just who I am. A goddamn survivor." The crocodile faunus snickered.

"So like I said, a lot of it was hazy. But I remember where we eventually ended up, clear as day. The fields of gold...there was this pool, in the center. The cleanest and clearest blue water anyone ever did see, lemme tell ya. And unbelievably warm too. Not like unbearably so, but just...right. As perfect a feeling as anything could get in this world. Hard to put into words proper...but that's not the important bit. Salem dropped me in there, and it...….she saved me. Since that day, I've...not aged even a little bit. And from that day on nobody's ever managed to keep me down. Not since the Reaper." She held her flask higher, raising a drink to that.

"The headmistress had a lot of explainin' to do after that, and I reckon there's probably nobody else on the planet who knows just as much as I do about Salem's past. Well...not till you otherworld guys showed up, I guess. And to this day I can't really say if Salem saved me out of the kindness of her heart...or because she got somethin' out of it. If it was because she just needed a lieutenant that's as unkillable as she is. Someone that could stay the course against Oz, no matter how bad she was losin' that struggle. Whatever the case...I owed her big. So 'ere I stand." She gave a side glance over to the other faunus on her couch.

"So there ya go, kid. That's the story. Satisfied?"​