Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Gus Gungus]

The snort from Yang was way less amused than her earlier hacking giggles. "Are you talking about when she told me that I was an idiot and she'd kill me next time we met? Or..."

She closed her eyes and took a breath, her survival instincts outweighing her innate, nigh inescapable desire to talk smack

"Yes, Miss Schnee."

Mostly, anyways.

"Yes, I read the transcript. I would never have bothered with the threat."

The words were spoken with tactful diplomacy, Weiss having long since mastered the fine art of ignoring passiveaggression to focus on more important things. Still, one could practically feel the temperature in the room drop during the moment where it was unclear whether or not Yang would comply, the executive's eyes narrowed observantly with her lips pursed around the rim of the glass, waiting to see how she took it, gauging her reactions carefully and making note of the ways they differed from her counterpart's.

When the words she wanted to hear finally came, it was a gratified lidding of the eyes and a tiny-yet-infinitely-infuriating smirk playing on the corner of her lips as she allowed herself a sip. "Good girl."

She waved her hand, and the shackles binding Yang evaporated into mist with a sizzle, leaving her free to move about as she wished.

"Now then. You obviously need medical attention, so while I show you to the proper facilities why don't you make yourself useful by telling me what happened at Haven?"

She didn't wait for a response before hopping off the trolley, alighting with grace and finishing off the rest of the glass as she beckoned Yang along with a finger that was as encouraging as it was domineering.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Watts limped down the street, using the wall for support as his other hand covered his side, glaring as he saw Carnelian disappear after Blake and a whole swath of people made chase.

At least until he was sure Carnelian was really gone (for now), at which point he broke out into a full sprint with far more vigor than someone with a gaping hole in their gut should have been able to, and skidded to a halt next to Tyrian in a way that ended with him kneeling, gripping his teammate by the shoulders and making the scorpion faunus meet his eyes.

Tyrian would never admit to anyone. Not even someone he trusted like Hazel.

But for as long as he could remember, he'd always had someone watching over him. Guiding him along and telling him what needed to be done.

Ichabod had been there for Tyrian since he was a little boy and it was only around when he'd grown from a child into a young man that Ichabod was cut out of his life.

Until he went to Beacon, all he had after that were the voices. They told him to do things he didn't want to do, things he knew weren't right.

...But at least they kept him company when things looked grim.

Now it seemed they'd left him too.

"*sob* i'm....i'm all alone...*sob*"

As Watts approached him, Tyrian met his leader's eyes with his own, red from his crying and his face stained with tears.

Watts was horribly injured. ....Heh, almost in the same spot that Tyrian had stabbed himself.

Maybe he'd been too hard on Watts all this time. He was a jerk, abrasive, but he had to have cared.

Why else would he have stopped to get him when his wound clearly pained him so?
​

" I understand, Tyrian. But we need to go. Now. HAZEL! YOU AND YOUR SISTER AS WELL!"

Oh, Watts...

'We were wrong about him...' 'He's not so bad...' 'He's closer than we think. We share wounds and we share our...'

....Friendship?

Tyrian had casted any notions of that away back at Tock's home. As his voics returned to chime in however, Tyrian blinked.

'He didn't leave me behind. He really does care for me....I'm an idiot...'

Tyrian's bottom lip trembled and his crying grew more intense even as Watts lead him away.

He'd been wrong about Watts, that much was evident.

Still, Tyrian couldn't shake the pain from his heart. He'd been so scared by a man like Carneilan but every second Tyrian looked at him, it pained him. Why? Why had the White Fang taken his friend and not this wretched man from this world? WHY?!
​

"Hop in, bitches!" Mercury declared in a triumphant drawl as he pulled up a moment after they arrived in what appeared to be the most ridiculous vehicle in Mistral, totally misreading the tone of the situation. Emerald sat on the bonnet like she was queen of the universe, but cast a mildly worried glance back over the four-seater as Watts... ran up in a group of four people. One of whom was huge.

"...Let me help you, Arthur."

Tyrian's own wound had opened some time ago but he gently lifted his leader bridal style to try and set him across Hazel's big lap.

It hurt like hell lifting him like that, every second of it irritated the wound and blood dribbled from the bandage onto Tyrian's stomach.

Still, for as much of a fool as he'd been, he would have suffered far greater pain.

'I'm sorry, Arthur.'

Tyrian then tried to squeeze himself in but instead ended up squezed up next to Emerald/passed out on her. The energy rush from his adrenaline finally running dry.

​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Witnessing that, Raven adjusted her course in an immediate downward dive. Halfway through she shifted back, her human self plummeting down rapidly for where Carnelian was, sword coming down in a powerful overhead swing. She trusted that those two could handle that, but she just needed to delay this guy for as long as possible to give them however much time they needed to do it.

Carnelian's reaction to the fast-changing developments were nil, yet to see anything he felt he couldn't handle. Truth be told, he was enjoying himself. There wasn't a lot left in life that got his heart racing like this, the thrill of a chase, the meager opposition of the prey as it put forth its best resistance.

The general caught Omen on an x-shape formed with his own blades, hardly an inch away from his crown as the force of the strike cracked the pavement beneath his feet and sent him into a barrel roll to retain his footing. He turned to face her, an unimpressed sneer decorating his face.

"Very valiant. You'd make a good soldier, but you have to know that wasn't wise. How many times did you just watch me kill that razor-toothed friend of yours? And let's be honest, there's quite the gap between her level of ability and yours. What could you possibly have going for you?"

"Time, old man."

The response served as an early warning he didn't need, but he still waited until the last second to duck and avoid a swing from Harbinger that almost gave him a haircut. Qrow poured on the offensive with a furious flurry of hacks and thrusts, each and every one of which was parried before a boot struck past the huntsman's guard to send him sliding back to stand beside his sister with a scowl.

So he was more than just some old man. Big deal. He spun his weapon expertly around a palm, Harbinger elongating into scythe mode as he executed a couple of those twirls the general seemed to hate so much to pitch perfection, letting the tip rest against the sidewalk. His eyes were narrowed, shrewd and insightful as he sized up their foe.

"In every sense of the word. This isn't as easy for you as it comes out looking, is it? Guy your age, firing on all cylinders with his semblance like that... you're running out of gas."

It was subtle, trained and concealed with the proficiency of a lifelong military fanatic as Carnelian's glare seemed to sour even further at the words, but it was there. The minute rise and fall of his shoulders, a visible indicator of breathlessness that most definitely hadn't been present before. He said nothing, just slid one foot back, crossed his blades, and waited for them to come. Qrow was happy to let Raven take the lead on this one.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Carnelian's reaction to the fast-changing developments were nil, yet to see anything he felt he couldn't handle. Truth be told, he was enjoying himself. There wasn't a lot left in life that got his heart racing like this, the thrill of a chase, the meager opposition of the prey as it put forth its best resistance.

The general caught Omen on an x-shape formed with his own blades, hardly an inch away from his crown as the force of the strike cracked the pavement beneath his feet and sent him into a barrel roll to retain his footing. He turned to face her, an unimpressed sneer decorating his face.

"Very valiant. You'd make a good soldier, but you have to know that wasn't wise. How many times did you just watch me kill that razor-toothed friend of yours? And let's be honest, there's quite the gap between her level of ability and yours. What could you possibly have going for you?"

"Time, old man."

The response served as an early warning he didn't need, but he still waited until the last second to duck and avoid a swing from Harbinger that almost gave him a haircut. Qrow poured on the offensive with a furious flurry of hacks and thrusts, each and every one of which was parried before a boot struck past the huntsman's guard to send him sliding back to stand beside his sister with a scowl.

So he was more than just some old man. Big deal. He spun his weapon expertly around a palm, Harbinger elongating into scythe mode as he executed a couple of those twirls the general seemed to hate so much to pitch perfection, letting the tip rest against the sidewalk. His eyes were narrowed, shrewd and insightful as he sized up their foe.

"In every sense of the word. This isn't as easy for you as it comes out looking, is it? Guy your age, firing on all cylinders with his semblance like that... you're running out of gas."

It was subtle, trained and concealed with the proficiency of a lifelong military fanatic as Carnelian's glare seemed to sour even further at the words, but it was there. The minute rise and fall of his shoulders, a visible indicator of breathlessness that most definitely hadn't been present before. He said nothing, just slid one foot back, crossed his blades, and waited for them to come. Qrow was happy to let Raven take the lead on this one.​

If the infamous general's words negatively impacted her, if it even slightly made her feel inadequate in direct comparison to Tock...it didn't show at all. She simply cracked a grin, having noticed something he didn't seem to. Not until Qrow spoke and launched his attack, anyway. Even after her brother got knocked back to where she was standing, the smile remained constant. In truth, even though she inwardly acknowledged that Tock was her superior in skill and experience, as to be expected from someone who had lived longer and gone through more...Raven felt far more confident and at ease standing next to Qrow than she did with the immortal faunus.

Only then did she bother to answer his question herself. "Plus a flawless level of teamwork." She added to Qrow's answer, shooting a brief glance his way and nodded in silent thanks for the reinforcement before she took that lead, dashing forward to continue the fight with the old tiring man via a low slice aimed for the legs. A series of attacks followed, akin to the flurry Qrow had just done.​

 

[Indolent]

After being bludgeoned through one wall Emerald had only a fleeting moment to appreciate the cooling sensation of the night air on her back before being slammed into another, carving out a small crater in the mountainface as he pinned her by the throat with one arm and pulled his weapon back with the other. A number of bullets and sickle slashes hit their mark, but seemed about as effective as ant stings were at dissuading a charging rhino for all the reaction it provoked.

"You like toying around in people's heads, missy?"

She understood it on an instinctual level that she made a grievous error targeting General Carnelian and attempted to rectify that mistake by doing whatever she could but it seemed all for naught. The cool air wasn't even noted, the primary focus on her mind was the visage of the monster bearing down on her. Until she contacted the mountain, her mind and body absolutely jarred by the impact as he spat in her face these words, only to receive a defiant scream and a continuation of her prior efforts.

The hilt struck the bridge of her nose, but Emerald would've been forgiven for thinking it was a sledgehammer.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you a man's mind is his castle?"

It struck home again, this time a battering swing across her cheek, and he pulled it back for a third, decisive strike to cap things off. As spiteful as the general was, as much honed and weaponized rage was buffeting Emerald like the winds of a desert sandstorm right now, he never raised his voice or shouted. It wasn't that kind of rage. It was the cold, venom of a disappointed father, the raw, quiet wrath of a man who had hated and hated and never learned how to stop, only how to best unleash it. And right now it was all singularly, uniquely hers, in its entirety, undiluted and undivided between any of the others as he snarled and thrust the business end of his weapon for her jugular this time-

Battered mewling under that strike to the face she was, the mention of her mother did elicit a minute reaction from Sustrai, a shift in her feral drive for survival to exacting some scrap of retribution for even suggesting something, anything, about her mother. Even if Carnelian truly knew nothing of her, his intent remotely not what Emerald surmised it to be, if so. She would have lunged out during a lull, knowing that there was no such thing, attempting to angle the sickle for twixt the ribs, a knee to the solar plexus, a bite to the jugular, anything, but those lofty aspirations in that split second were dashed under the cross against the cheek, going slack with traces of feeble struggles in the shoulder and abdomen, her exhausted arms dangling with her knees ready to collapse under her weight were it not for the General hoisting her by the throat.

Until a tin-man inadvertently saved her.

Neo reappeared and watched as Emerald slumped down after being saved from that merciless beating.

The thief at this moment very much preferred the sweet release of death following the indelible suffering she experienced, bringing the question to mind as to whether someone was truly saved, from the horrendous abuse or its debilitating aftereffects? In any case, Emerald did slump down to her haunches, resting against the mountain side with a faraway look to her eyes, mouth erratically open and shut, before tumbling to her left. The lingering dust-cordite odor wafted from the muzzle of the revolver adjacent to her stomach, its chambers entirely expended, with the other in sickle form splayed across her right flank and outer thigh, her hands gripping firmly for purchase on a semblance of safety and peace. Her chest heaved out as she wordlessly sobbed, the tears streaking perpendicularly from red eyes that refused to blink.

Wh-where are you, Mercury? Cinder...? I... I...

 

[Indolent]

Tyrian, please.​

"TYRIAN!!!" Hazel bellowed out the hole in the wall the scorpion faunus had ducked through, his words falling on deaf ears. Gretchen shuddered in her steps, dropping down with her knees drawn to the shoulder as she revisited every iota of the scene she witnessed w-with that monster. "I... I always knew the faunus had their grievances with him and Atlas either downplayed or ignored them. No action taken or anything, nothing, but... their words. His reputation. S'all real. How else do you explain that. What have we gotten mixed up in...? Hazel?"

Hazel stared out the recently made portal, his right hand clasping its side as he strongly considered pursuing his partner and that monster before his sister's words brought him back. He rounded onto her, his eyes soft on his approach and with a hand extended, he could only offer a meager "Yeah." He was at a loss too, his usual act of being the pillar for either his sibling or his team failing to come into play. Returning to her feet, Gretchen sniffed, with Brosel attempting to console her in proximity to one cheek, as she gazed up. She only saw the pensive face she was familiar with her whole life.

"What is it?"

"I need you to be strong. Stronger than me. It's only going to get worse. Beacon. Haven. Now... this." A somber gaze around the destroyed abode of Tock's, the destruction evoking a modicum of sadness inside.

"... What are you even saying??? Who the heck is even as strong as--" Her words cut off as she saw the look in his face, his meaning completely different from how she took it. A blink of realization and she shook herself in disbelief. "Don't even start" She snapped, "Not now, not after Haven. I already lost my friends, I refuse to lose you too."

He wished he could promise that would never happen. But the events of over the past week were more than illuminating. For the both of them. It was why he said nothing to the contrary, letting the silence hang for a moment. She hated that, the taciturn personalities in her family, how so much could be said and done with hardly any words. Gretchen wanted the assurance and knew she would get none. Bristling at the turn of events, the younger Rainart separated in an inconsolable huff as she took the lead. "We better go help them, your friends."

Hazel silently followed behind, a disconsolate aura about him.

It was almost eerie how quickly Blake reacted to the oncoming crocodile missile, as she shadowstepped backwards to allow the other faunus to shoot past her as she landed in a crouch-

Ruby's scythe caught her full on, and she shattered. Another clone, though it didn't disappear in the same way Blake's normally did, and more importantly...

She didn't reappear. Something, as far as Ruby knew about her own Blake, wasn't something her semblance could do.



Watts limped down the street, using the wall for support as his other hand covered his side, glaring as he saw Carnelian disappear after Blake and a whole swath of people made chase.

At least until he was sure Carnelian was really gone (for now), at which point he broke out into a full sprint with far more vigor than someone with a gaping hole in their gut should have been able to, and skidded to a halt next to Tyrian in a way that ended with him kneeling, gripping his teammate by the shoulders and making the scorpion faunus meet his eyes.

" I understand, Tyrian. But we need to go. Now. HAZEL! YOU AND YOUR SISTER AS WELL!"

All the older hunters had Carnelian contained and distracted for now, as much as he could be. That meant if they were ever going to make their escape and be out of his sight, then the time was now. Let the elderly handle the eldery, as it were. He and the remains of MTEN were going to get out of here. He tried to pull Tyrian up to his feet, and if he succeeded, led him in a sprint back in the other direction, to where he'd told Emerald and Mercury to meet him

The siblings had only begun their tracking of the scorpion faunus side by side following the din of combat, the call of the General's words, before Watts' words pulled them to their position. Hazel was understandably alarmed, rushing past Gretchen for his teammates. He'd seen the General reopen the faunus's wounds earlier, the sole reason for the concern in the name he'd called out, but now Watts was injured in a similar fashion. A growl born of frustration was Watts's response, as the Rainarts chased behind.

"What the hell happened, Watts? Who attacked you?"

*HONK HONK*

"Hop in, bitches!" Mercury declared in a triumphant drawl as he pulled up a moment after they arrived in what appeared to be the most ridiculous vehicle in Mistral, totally misreading the tone of the situation. Emerald sat on the bonnet like she was queen of the universe, but cast a mildly worried glance back over the four-seater as Watts... ran up in a group of four people. One of whom was huge.

"Remind me why we stole the tiniest car in the lot again?"

"Cause it's awesome. Anyway, she'll hold."

"HAZEL BY HIMSELF CAN HARDLY FIT IN HERE, MERCURY!"

"She'll hold! Just... scooch! Did you adjust your seats?"​

"Gretchen." Hazel nodded towards a particular section of the car and with a yep managed between siblings, Emerald found the smaller Rainart sitting on the car's hood. "Hello!" She'd say, trying to inject some heart into the moody atmosphere, before she pulled out a few standard bolts from the hard-case quiver affixed to her trousers.

"I will very much regret doing this to a classic but it's important." :L

Gretchen embedded those in strategic areas of the hood, creating footholds to leverage as she rested in position with Dearth in crossbow form. In a way, this ensured there were more room for the others! As much was possible with her ridiculously large brother.

This vehicle felt to Hazel as the equivalent of requiring two seats on a chartered plane, either scenarios the rare instances where he truly felt awkward for his height presenting itself as an inconvenience. The only thing worse here was that there was even less leg room in this tiny box on wheels. He couldn't force Mercury to adjust his seat at his behest, so he took up crossing his legs in awkward fashion, both knees pointedly jutting into the back of the seats in front. Even with his seat set far back as it can be.

Tyrian would never admit to anyone. Not even someone he trusted like Hazel.

But for as long as he could remember, he'd always had someone watching over him. Guiding him along and telling him what needed to be done.

Ichabod had been there for Tyrian since he was a little boy and it was only around when he'd grown from a child into a young man that Ichabod was cut out of his life.

Until he went to Beacon, all he had after that were the voices. They told him to do things he didn't want to do, things he knew weren't right.

...But at least they kept him company when things looked grim.

Now it seemed they'd left him too.

"*sob* i'm....i'm all alone...*sob*"

As Watts approached him, Tyrian met his leader's eyes with his own, red from his crying and his face stained with tears.

Watts was horribly injured. ....Heh, almost in the same spot that Tyrian had stabbed himself.

Maybe he'd been too hard on Watts all this time. He was a jerk, abrasive, but he had to have cared.

Why else would he have stopped to get him when his wound clearly pained him so?


Oh, Watts...

'We were wrong about him...' 'He's not so bad...' 'He's closer than we think. We share wounds and we share our...'

....Friendship?

Tyrian had casted any notions of that away back at Tock's home. As his voics returned to chime in however, Tyrian blinked.

'He didn't leave me behind. He really does care for me....I'm an idiot...'

Tyrian's bottom lip trembled and his crying grew more intense even as Watts lead him away.

He'd been wrong about Watts, that much was evident.

Still, Tyrian couldn't shake the pain from his heart. He'd been so scared by a man like Carneilan but every second Tyrian looked at him, it pained him. Why? Why had the White Fang taken his friend and not this wretched man from this world? WHY?!


"...Let me help you, Arthur."

Tyrian's own wound had opened some time ago but he gently lifted his leader bridal style to try and set him across Hazel's big lap.

It hurt like hell lifting him like that, every second of it irritated the wound and blood dribbled from the bandage onto Tyrian's stomach.

Still, for as much of a fool as he'd been, he would have suffered far greater pain.

'I'm sorry, Arthur.'

Tyrian then tried to squeeze himself in but instead ended up squezed up next to Emerald/passed out on her. The energy rush from his adrenaline finally running dry.

​

Hazel saw all of this, intuited Tyrian's intent, and filched Watts before the faunus hurt himself further, gently dropping him in the passenger's seat in front of himself grabbing Tyrian in likewise fashion only to place the faunus on his lap instead. The entire thing was a haphazard dumpster fire but it was a done deal. Watts was still conscious and knowing him, he doled out orders and direction better from there than in the back and with the unconscious scorpion sprawled in Hazel's lap, he didn't need the distraction. It was something of an unspoken agreement he'd tend to his partner meanwhile.

"Are... you going to be able to move this thing? And see?" Gretchen inquired with more than a smidge of concern in her voice.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Yes, I read the transcript. I would never have bothered with the threat."

The words were spoken with tactful diplomacy, Weiss having long since mastered the fine art of ignoring passive aggression to focus on more important things. Still, one could practically feel the temperature in the room drop during the moment where it was unclear whether or not Yang would comply, the executive's eyes narrowed observantly with her lips pursed around the rim of the glass, waiting to see how she took it, gauging her reactions carefully and making note of the ways they differed from her counterpart's.

When the words she wanted to hear finally came, it was a gratified lidding of the eyes and a tiny-yet-infinitely-infuriating smirk playing on the corner of her lips as she allowed herself a sip. "Good girl."

She waved her hand, and the shackles binding Yang evaporated into mist with a sizzle, leaving her free to move about as she wished.

"Now then. You obviously need medical attention, so while I show you to the proper facilities why don't you make yourself useful by telling me what happened at Haven?"

She didn't wait for a response before hopping off the trolley, alighting with grace and finishing off the rest of the glass as she beckoned Yang along with a finger that was as encouraging as it was domineering.​

"What, gonna tell me to roll over next?"

She made a bemused grimace even before she was released, and the confusion didn't clear up when she was. She leaned over towards the side that was still capabe of pushing herself up and did so, an obvious grunt of pain accompanying the maneuver. It was slow going to get all the way up to her feet, and her remaining arm was clutched at her side where Carnelian last hit her when she finally staggered all the way up and gave Weiss a suspicious glare, eventually following.

"...We *cough* arrived, we were ambushed, we gave about as good was we got, both sides retreated. You're down two members of JNPR, if you guys still call them that. No idea what happened at the *cough* tower. Wasn't there for that."

There was a pause of contemplation in the silence as Yang did her own, probably not as smart all things considered but still pretty decent, calculations. Whatever happened on the other side. How much Weiss was gonna learn from that if her family didn't manage to put them down. The potential cost to those kids if she did tell Weiss more, how little she'd gain if she didn't and Weiss found out anyways.

Eventually, she let out a low huff of breath that her ribs decided was gonna be a wheeze instead

"...But we got the relic in the end. There's two spring maidens out there now, and one of them decided to help us."

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

*HONK HONK*

"Hop in, bitches!" Mercury declared in a triumphant drawl as he pulled up a moment after they arrived in what appeared to be the most ridiculous vehicle in Mistral, totally misreading the tone of the situation. Emerald sat on the bonnet like she was queen of the universe, but cast a mildly worried glance back over the four-seater as Watts... ran up in a group of four people. One of whom was huge.

"Remind me why we stole the tiniest car in the lot again?"

"Cause it's awesome. Anyway, she'll hold."

"HAZEL BY HIMSELF CAN HARDLY FIT IN HERE, MERCURY!"

"She'll hold! Just... scooch! Did you adjust your seats?"​

"...Mercury..."

Watts stared at the car for a good few seconds despite the haste this situation required, a strange look in his eyes as he warred with his sheer, mind numbing annoyance at every decision mercury had made in his life that led to him choosing this car for this job against the very real danger that a few seconds longer arguing might mean for literally everyone involved.

"...Great job" he finally said through gritted teeth as he did his best to somehow squeeze into the damn thing-

"...Let me help you, Arthur."

Tyrian's own wound had opened some time ago but he gently lifted his leader bridal style to try and set him across Hazel's big lap.

It hurt like hell lifting him like that, every second of it irritated the wound and blood dribbled from the bandage onto Tyrian's stomach.

Still, for as much of a fool as he'd been, he would have suffered far greater pain.

'I'm sorry, Arthur.'

Tyrian then tried to squeeze himself in but instead ended up squezed up next to Emerald/passed out on her. The energy rush from his adrenaline finally running dry.

"Uh."

Arthur was deeply bemused by this turn of events, until he realized that his 'wound' hadn't disappeared yet. "wait, Tyrian, I'm-"

Hazel saw all of this, intuited Tyrian's intent, and filched Watts before the faunus hurt himself further, gently dropping him in the passenger's seat in front of himself grabbing Tyrian in likewise fashion only to place the faunus on his lap instead. The entire thing was a haphazard dumpster fire but it was a done deal. Watts was still conscious and knowing him, he doled out orders and direction better from there than in the back and with the unconscious scorpion sprawled in Hazel's lap, he didn't need the distraction. It was something of an unspoken agreement he'd tend to his partner meanwhile.

"Are... you going to be able to move this thing? And see?" Gretchen inquired with more than a smidge of concern in her voice.

Was there something about him that looked particularly carryable today???

he didn't try to fight it, just rolled his eyes as he was manhandled like a child and placed in the front before he finally checked his scroll.

"Neo's heading for the southern edge of the city. Hopefully she's lost Carnelian, and if not, then, well..."

... He supposed they'd burn that bridge if they came to it.

"Lets hurry, and try to make that less likely" he snapped

 

[Indolent]

Was there something about him that looked particularly carryable today???

Idk about carryable but man's always seemed in need of hugs.

 

[Gus Gungus]

Only then did she bother to answer his question herself. "Plus a flawless level of teamwork." She added to Qrow's answer, shooting a brief glance his way and nodded in silent thanks for the reinforcement before she took that lead, dashing forward to continue the fight with the old tiring man via a low slice aimed for the legs. A series of attacks followed, akin to the flurry Qrow had just done.

Carnelian wasn't moving as quickly anymore, with Schnee's speed enhancement being a stamina burn in its own right and Qrow's words ringing true as his advanced age started working against him to a degree.

So it really did speak volumes of the man's ability and the appalling nature of his semblance that he still managed to evade a majority of the twin's offense, though the exchange was more even than any that came before it as he ducked, weaved and parried with that same forward-carrying efficiency even with one sword broken and his step a mite slower. A sweeping downward strike from Qrow using Raven's back as a springpad was delivered in tandem with her lower-aimed slices, the general just about managing to leap and contort his body to sail through the narrow gap between blades with the aid of a few glancing parries as he carried the momentum through to skid across the street, mouth a cavernous scowl he wiped a wrist across with contempt.

"You're alright for southerners, and it's true these old bones aren't as spry as they used to be. I'd tell you if I felt I was in any real danger, though. A warrior with that kind of talent would deserve the commendation, but unfortunately even in all my years of living I've yet to encounter one. You two aren't the ones to change that."

He frowned, the crease in his brow deepening as he glanced off up the street with a thoughtful look. Like something was dawning.

"With that in mind, can't say I see much appeal in wasting any more time on you, or your reptilian friend. If I discover any of the others they'll be dead within seconds, so I suggest you take this time to round up the posse and make sure they learn to practice safety in numbers. We'll all be walking the same long road back to Atlas, after all."

Then he turned, stretched, and started nonchalantly strolling away up the sidewalk, whistling a mirthful tune.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"What, gonna tell me to roll over next?"

She made a bemused grimace even before she was released, and the confusion didn't clear up when she was. She leaned over towards the side that was still capabe of pushing herself up and did so, an obvious grunt of pain accompanying the maneuver. It was slow going to get all the way up to her feet, and her remaining arm was clutched at her side where Carnelian last hit her when she finally staggered all the way up and gave Weiss a suspicious glare, eventually following.

"Night's young." She cautioned(?) with a cryptic smirk, sounding only half sarcastic and more than intrigued enough by the prospect to make anyone regret planting the idea in the first place.

"...We *cough* arrived, we were ambushed, we gave about as good was we got, both sides retreated. You're down two members of JNPR, if you guys still call them that. No idea what happened at the *cough* tower. Wasn't there for that."

Weiss's features reverted to a mask of neutral calm as she slowed her step to match the huntress, if one with lip curled and brow furrowed in vague irritation toward both Yang's staggered pace and the fact that she had no idea what juniper was supposed to be. "Why would you assume I know what that means?" She demanded tersely, eyes narrowing with enough icy intensity to make a lesser man or woman's heart freeze over.

"Look, don't lump me in with those degenerates like we're all one big happy death cult. Working with Ozpin has been extremely beneficial to me. The man's a cretin and the company he keeps is appalling, but I've been toying with fragile little men like him my entire life to get where I am today. And thanks to our arrangement, I have the power of a god at my disposal, a source of infinite energy in my possession and the greatest military fleet in the world by my side. Not to mention, an entire kingdom depends on me to protect it to my dying breath; a promise I'm quite committed to upholding. All things considered I think I'm doing quite well for myself, and Atlas has never been in better hands. What exactly is so evil about that?"

She laid it all out in simple, and lengthy, terms, obviously feeling the effects of the wine again now that the shock of Yang's viciousness was fading. Apparently she'd had these arguments plenty of times in her head, and seemed eager enough for the opportunity to rationalize it to someone without the need for any fabrication or pretense that she practically beat Yang over the head with it without any prompting.

"So I'm sorry if your little otherworldly viewing party doesn't see it yet, but history is going to look back on everything I did with nothing but gratitude and respect. I'll be the one writing it, after all. Whatever quaint little sermon or childish philosophy lesson you have planned to convince me I'm wrong or teach me the error of my ways, don't even bother."

She sent a frosty glance over, narrow-eyed and suspicious.

"Seriously. Just don't."

Eventually, she let out a low huff of breath that her ribs decided was gonna be a wheeze instead

"...But we got the relic in the end. There's two spring maidens out there now, and one of them decided to help us."

"And help you do what, exactly? Fly away home?" She demanded, the way she transitioned from one point of argument seamlessly to the next as masterful as it was reminiscent of Weiss during her earliest days at Beacon alongside Yang. Whatever demons the heiress she knew had vanquished, whatever deep-rooted inner turmoil she'd put to rest, it was evident the development of the woman standing before her had taken a stark, distorted turn at some point, some fork in the road that split off and led her down another path that was so similar yet so bitterly different to Yang's teammate.

"Honestly, I know you all must be scared and confused, but what do you people even think you're doing? The nerve of you, inserting yourself into the power struggle for the fate of a timeline entirely separate from yours! Has it even occurred to you that you're not supposed to be here, and by doing so you might be preventing history from taking its natural course? Our world was certainly never meant to harbor more than four maidens. What makes you so sure the impact you've had here is even a positive one? The more your little entourage meddles, the bigger the chance all this descends into complete chaos."

She fell into a tense, embittered silence, huffing out an exasperated breath. As she led her impromptu guest through the halls, the occasional tilt and faint engine rumble informed Yang that they were on an airship, the eventual appearance of viewing ports to disrupt the uniform military grey of the ship's metal halls to confirm they were indeed aboard one of several colossal war ships orbiting Atlas, the city as sleek and futuristic as ever where it hovered amid the clouds. The crew seemed limited to essential personnel and a somewhat scant security detail; The councilwoman had a reputation for being protective of her privacy. For obvious reasons. She led them into an elevator, manifesting a glyph across the control screen with enough fine control to choose the appropriate floor as the doors slid shut and they started to descend.

"I lied about your hair, by the way. You look like a golden retriever."

She crossed her arms, glare growing increasingly severe by the minute and fixated on the metal doors instead of Yang. Her concealment of it had been laudable, if she was any sort of qualified judge of herself, but now that the post-traumatic numbness was wearing off she was rapidly realizing how entirely not okay with it she was. The bulk of her scorn, however, was directed inward, the breezy insult a way of retracting a compliment paid that made her feel more and more stupid the more she thought about it, especially when factoring in the retaliation. Yet another needless attempt at showing courtesy to an enemy that almost came back to bite her.

It was difficult being such a nice person sometimes.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Carnelian wasn't moving as quickly anymore, with Schnee's speed enhancement being a stamina burn in its own right and Qrow's words ringing true as his advanced age started working against him to a degree.

So it really did speak volumes of the man's ability and the appalling nature of his semblance that he still managed to evade a majority of the twin's offense, though the exchange was more even than any that came before it as he ducked, weaved and parried with that same forward-carrying efficiency even with one sword broken and his step a mite slower. A sweeping downward strike from Qrow using Raven's back as a springpad was delivered in tandem with her lower-aimed slices, the general just about managing to leap and contort his body to sail through the narrow gap between blades with the aid of a few glancing parries as he carried the momentum through to skid across the street, mouth a cavernous scowl he wiped a wrist across with contempt.

"You're alright for southerners, and it's true these old bones aren't as spry as they used to be. I'd tell you if I felt I was in any real danger, though. A warrior with that kind of talent would deserve the commendation, but unfortunately even in all my years of living I've yet to encounter one. You two aren't the ones to change that."

He frowned, the crease in his brow deepening as he glanced off up the street with a thoughtful look. Like something was dawning.

"With that in mind, can't say I see much appeal in wasting any more time on you, or your reptilian friend. If I discover any of the others they'll be dead within seconds, so I suggest you take this time to round up the posse and make sure they learn to practice safety in numbers. We'll all be walking the same long road back to Atlas, after all."

Then he turned, stretched, and started nonchalantly strolling away up the sidewalk, whistling a mirthful tune.​

"..." This elderly guy was one hell of an enigma. First Tock by herself, then the croc and her, then just Tock again, followed up by both her and Qrow working together with such cohesion that they might as well have been two halves of one person...and still after all that, the man carried himself through every single fight with unnatural ease and such indifference that it was insulting. He had described his semblance in detail to them, but...it was still difficult to wrap a mind around it being that overwhelmingly effective. Tock was roughly in the same age range as the general as far as she knew, with all the prowess in combat that would imply, and the immortal nature of existence that gave her eternal youth to boot. Not to mention a semblance that allowed her to be the other kind of unkillable. What kind of monster could toy around with somebody like that? But more than that...

"Not one, huh?" Raven questioned with a raised eyebrow as she watched the man simply walk away. "Bold statement from somebody who had just been knocked around by James." Even if she couldn't explain how Ironwood had done so well when the three other adults had not, it was with a certain amount of satisfaction that she spat that at Carnelian's retreating back. Regardless, she made no move to continue the battle, seeing no reason to. The man didn't have the relic, and any further attempts would likely be as fruitless as fighting the ocean and its tides.

Raven kept a hand on her sword hilt nevertheless, only releasing it when the general was out of sight and finally straightening up out of her combat stance. Now that she had a calm moment to do so...it was with a heavy slowness that she turned her head to look at her brother. "Qrow...is Yang...did she..." She started to ask before suddenly falling silent, not knowing how to proceed with what she was trying to ask. It hadn't escaped her notice that the young blonde had been left on the other side of that portal when it closed. Alone. In Atlas territory. With a maiden who worked for Ozpin.

It didn't take a sharp analytical mind to see just how worried she was in that moment. That was, for all intents and purposes, a second daughter she'd abandoned.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Night's young." She cautioned(?) with a cryptic smirk, sounding only half sarcastic and more than intrigued enough by the prospect to make anyone regret planting the idea in the first place.



Weiss's features reverted to a mask of neutral calm as she slowed her step to match the huntress, if one with lip curled and brow furrowed in vague irritation toward both Yang's staggered pace and the fact that she had no idea what juniper was supposed to be. "Why would you assume I know what that means?" She demanded tersely, eyes narrowing with enough icy intensity to make a lesser man or woman's heart freeze over.

"Look, don't lump me in with those degenerates like we're all one big happy death cult. Working with Ozpin has been extremely beneficial to me. The man's a cretin and the company he keeps is appalling, but I've been toying with fragile little men like him my entire life to get where I am today. And thanks to our arrangement, I have the power of a god at my disposal, a source of infinite energy in my possession and the greatest military fleet in the world by my side. Not to mention, an entire kingdom depends on me to protect it to my dying breath; a promise I'm quite committed to upholding. All things considered I think I'm doing quite well for myself, and Atlas has never been in better hands. What exactly is so evil about that?"

She laid it all out in simple, and lengthy, terms, obviously feeling the effects of the wine again now that the shock of Yang's viciousness was fading. Apparently she'd had these arguments plenty of times in her head, and seemed eager enough for the opportunity to rationalize it to someone without the need for any fabrication or pretense that she practically beat Yang over the head with it without any prompting.

"So I'm sorry if your little otherworldly viewing party doesn't see it yet, but history is going to look back on everything I did with nothing but gratitude and respect. I'll be the one writing it, after all. Whatever quaint little sermon or childish philosophy lesson you have planned to convince me I'm wrong or teach me the error of my ways, don't even bother."

She sent a frosty glance over, narrow-eyed and suspicious.

"Seriously. Just don't."



"And help you do what, exactly? Fly away home?" She demanded, the way she transitioned from one point of argument seamlessly to the next as masterful as it was reminiscent of Weiss during her earliest days at Beacon alongside Yang. Whatever demons the heiress she knew had vanquished, whatever deep-rooted inner turmoil she'd put to rest, it was evident the development of the woman standing before her had taken a stark, distorted turn at some point, some fork in the road that split off and led her down another path that was so similar yet so bitterly different to Yang's teammate.

"Honestly, I know you all must be scared and confused, but what do you people even think you're doing? The nerve of you, inserting yourself into the power struggle for the fate of a timeline entirely separate from yours! Has it even occurred to you that you're not supposed to be here, and by doing so you might be preventing history from taking its natural course? Our world was certainly never meant to harbor more than four maidens. What makes you so sure the impact you've had here is even a positive one? The more your little entourage meddles, the bigger the chance all this descends into complete chaos."

She fell into a tense, embittered silence, huffing out an exasperated breath. As she led her impromptu guest through the halls, the occasional tilt and faint engine rumble informed Yang that they were on an airship, the eventual appearance of viewing ports to disrupt the uniform military grey of the ship's metal halls to confirm they were indeed aboard one of several colossal war ships orbiting Atlas, the city as sleek and futuristic as ever where it hovered amid the clouds. The crew seemed limited to essential personnel and a somewhat scant security detail; The councilwoman had a reputation for being protective of her privacy. For obvious reasons. She led them into an elevator, manifesting a glyph across the control screen with enough fine control to choose the appropriate floor as the doors slid shut and they started to descend.

"I lied about your hair, by the way. You look like a golden retriever."

She crossed her arms, glare growing increasingly severe by the minute and fixated on the metal doors instead of Yang. Her concealment of it had been laudable, if she was any sort of qualified judge of herself, but now that the post-traumatic numbness was wearing off she was rapidly realizing how entirely not okay with it she was. The bulk of her scorn, however, was directed inward, the breezy insult a way of retracting a compliment paid that made her feel more and more stupid the more she thought about it, especially when factoring in the retaliation. Yet another needless attempt at showing courtesy to an enemy that almost came back to bite her.

It was difficult being such a nice person sometimes.​

Yang wasn't entirely sure the pain wasn't making her hallucinate.

It was different than Blake or Ruby. She hadn't had much of a chance to talk to the other Ruby, but in their short encounter she hadn't acted much at all like her sister. Blake, too, was very, very different; She still saw the Blake she knew under there in their short conversation, but it was buried under a tangle of angry thorns and hatred that etched its mark into every word she spoke. The less said about the other her, the better.

This was... this wasn't like that. It was almost the reverse of Blake. She really felt like she was on the opposite end of a regular, bog standard Weiss lecture, If Weiss had just shattered her arm and threw a monster at her sister in a continued bid for power, thinking that she had the leg up on the leader of the grimm. It was… disquieting.

She did what she almost never did in the face of a Weiss lecture and bit her tongue as they got in the elevator, genuinely unsure if there eve was a right approach to this conversation outside of just not having it at all. At least until she wasn't feeling her individual rib pieces jiggling against her lungs.

She absolutely roll her eyes at the hair comment though. Please. She knew petty distancing when she heard it. She had to practice it herself in every conversation she’d had with Raven here. Every Weiss loved her hair. Because everyone did.

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Not one, huh?" Raven questioned with a raised eyebrow as she watched the man simply walk away. "Bold statement from somebody who had just been knocked around by James." Even if she couldn't explain how Ironwood had done so well when the three other adults had not, it was with a certain amount of satisfaction that she spat that at Carnelian's retreating back. Regardless, she made no move to continue the battle, seeing no reason to. The man didn't have the relic, and any further attempts would likely be as fruitless as fighting the ocean and its tides.

That happened to be around the point Ironwood caught up, having searched out one of the Mistralian police officers beginning to respond to the commotion and commandeered his sidearm through diplomacy tactics that left much to be desired. It never was a strong suit of his.

He paused to digest the scene, eventually lowering the weapon when it became apparent he wasn't among Carnelian's top priorities. His bearing was reserved as his gaze lowered during his approach, mind frankly still reeling from the revelation of just how blind he'd truly been to the depth of Schnee's roots. She'd grown up like a poison infesting the walls and streets of his own city, and his sense of duty and a mistaken belief in her potential kept him unaware of the threat she posed until it was far, far too late to effectively combat it. His single-minded focus on the enemies outside the kingdom drew his attention away from the ones biding their time within.

In other words, he was a complete failure.

He sighed, weary and penitent as he pinched the bridge of his nose when he drew near. "His semblance... responds to neural impulses. The cybernetic nervous system framework doesn't register as well."

His tone of voice implied it wasn't much cause for revelry.

"It doesn't mean much when he can see me coming. So are you... Did Salem send you?"

Raven kept a hand on her sword hilt nevertheless, only releasing it when the general was out of sight and finally straightening up out of her combat stance. Now that she had a calm moment to do so...it was with a heavy slowness that she turned her head to look at her brother. "Qrow...is Yang...did she..." She started to ask before suddenly falling silent, not knowing how to proceed with what she was trying to ask. It hadn't escaped her notice that the young blonde had been left on the other side of that portal when it closed. Alone. In Atlas territory. With a maiden who worked for Ozpin.

It didn't take a sharp analytical mind to see just how worried she was in that moment. That was, for all intents and purposes, a second daughter she'd abandoned.

Qrow didn't return the look, his own eyes heavy and turned down towards the ground until at last they closed entirely.

"She made sure Weiss couldn't follow us through."

He sounded distant. For all intents and purposes, Carnelian seemed to be a fast-fading memory, a problem for a time when Qrow wasn't about to completely lose it. When there was at least some kind of a plan in place, some way to...

"...I'll be back. Don't let Ruby find out 'til..." He grit his teeth. "Until I can explain."

Then he was gone, a black shape bombing through the darkness as it climbed high into the night.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Yang wasn't entirely sure the pain wasn't making her hallucinate.

It was different than Blake or Ruby. She hadn't had much of a chance to talk to the other Ruby, but in their short encounter she hadn't acted much at all like her sister. Blake, too, was very, very different; She still saw the Blake she knew under there in their short conversation, but it was buried under a tangle of angry thorns and hatred that etched its mark into every word she spoke. The less said about the other her, the better.

This was... this wasn't like that. It was almost the reverse of Blake. She really felt like she was on the opposite end of a regular, bog standard Weiss lecture, If Weiss had just shattered her arm and threw a monster at her sister in a continued bid for power, thinking that she had the leg up on the leader of the grimm. It was… disquieting.

She did what she almost never did in the face of a Weiss lecture and bit her tongue as they got in the elevator, genuinely unsure if there eve was a right approach to this conversation outside of just not having it at all. At least until she wasn't feeling her individual rib pieces jiggling against her lungs.

She absolutely roll her eyes at the hair comment though. Please. She knew petty distancing when she heard it. She had to practice it herself in every conversation she’d had with Raven here. Every Weiss loved her hair. Because everyone did.

"..."

"...Nothing??? You rambled on at Blake for almost fifteen minutes trying to convince her there's a better way! And she's completely psychotic! That is so... rude!"

She was more than content to enforce the silence after that, absolutely stewing to the point the elevator felt a little warmer by the time the doors slid open and she stalked through. No further leniency was shown for Yang's condition, the huntress left to try her best to keep up with Weiss's purposeful stride as she led her down a few intersecting corridors, passing a few idle guard postings who suffice to say gave the battered and bloodied young woman a series of increasingly odd looks. Maybe it was the head trauma, but Yang was pretty sure she saw that guy she threatened at Beacon who got her thrown in jail. Maybe. He spun around and powerwalked away so fast it was hard to tell.

When she entered the medical bay, Weiss was exchanging hushed words with the physicians on staff that Yang couldn't quite make out. An aide scurried over to help the brawler to a bed, and once she was situated Weiss stood at the foot of the bunk and waved her hand as if granting Yang a final permission to speak.

"They're going to anaesthetize you. Is there anything you'd like me to consider while I'm deciding what to do with you?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

He sighed, weary and penitent as he pinched the bridge of his nose when he drew near. "His semblance... responds to neural impulses. The cybernetic nervous system framework doesn't register as well."

His tone of voice implied it wasn't much cause for revelry.

"Oh." That was all she contributed further on the topic. A single sullen word. Despite throwing a reminder of that beatdown at Carnelian with as much smug satisfaction she could muster, now that he was no longer present, it was clear how bitter she felt about the man.​

"It doesn't mean much when he can see me coming. So are you... Did Salem send you?"

"No. Sent us." Tock corrected as she dropped down from one of the nearby buildings, landing with a loud thud before striding up to the rest. Ruby had been adamant on continuing to try finding the relic and the one who had taken it, but she didn't see much point in it. Not right now, anyway. Even Tock's stride revealed how morose she was in this situation. "Was supposed ta be a clean jailbreak fer ya, in 'n' out. Instead...it was one hell of a shite time." The faunus snarled, her mind still on some level focused on the butcher. She shot a glance over her shoulder at her two swords, wondering if at long last...after decades...if it was time to give them an upgrade. She entertained that thought for a few moments before she cleared her mind and turned back to the others. "We were meant to have a relic and get ya so we can find a way into the mess that is Atlas to retrieve another, among other things that need doin'. Now...pretty sure the Shadow Fang has the one we had." If the look of the one who'd snatched it was any indication.

Maybe that was long overdue too. A talk with the more misguided group of faunus.​

Qrow didn't return the look, his own eyes heavy and turned down towards the ground until at last they closed entirely.

"She made sure Weiss couldn't follow us through."

"..." That was of little comfort right now, but at least it was something.​

When there was at least some kind of a plan in place, some way to...

"...I'll be back. Don't let Ruby find out 'til..." He grit his teeth. "Until I can explain."

Then he was gone, a black shape bombing through the darkness as it climbed high into the night.

Where are you going? She couldn't help but think, looking up as he departed. But after he was out of sight it was with a sigh that she peered back to the others. "So, James...can you get us in? Is there anyone worth noting in Atlas who can be trusted?" Raven asked. There had to be something to salvage from all this.

As the bird rose into the sky...it was tracked by another pair of red eyes.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"No. Sent us." Tock corrected as she dropped down from one of the nearby buildings, landing with a loud thud before striding up to the rest. Ruby had been adamant on continuing to try finding the relic and the one who had taken it, but she didn't see much point in it. Not right now, anyway. Even Tock's stride revealed how morose she was in this situation. "Was supposed ta be a clean jailbreak fer ya, in 'n' out. Instead...it was one hell of a shite time." The faunus snarled, her mind still on some level focused on the butcher. She shot a glance over her shoulder at her two swords, wondering if at long last...after decades...if it was time to give them an upgrade. She entertained that thought for a few moments before she cleared her mind and turned back to the others. "We were meant to have a relic and get ya so we can find a way into the mess that is Atlas to retrieve another, among other things that need doin'. Now...pretty sure the Shadow Fang has the one we had." If the look of the one who'd snatched it was any indication.

Maybe that was long overdue too. A talk with the more misguided group of faunus.

There was no question as to whose feet Ironwood placed the blame at for how dire things had become, the same ones his eyes lingered on as he stared down at the ground with hands clasped behind his back. He looked every bit the soldier receiving a dressing down for misconduct, despite Tock's words lacking any such implications to begin with.

There was, however, one thing he could contribute, and he delivered this next detail with a minor note of relief as he recalled what he'd seen.

"Actually..."

---

FLASHBACK

Watts limped down the street, using the wall for support as his other hand covered his side, glaring as he saw Carnelian disappear after Blake and a whole swath of people made chase.

At least until he was sure Carnelian was really gone (for now), at which point he broke out into a full sprint with far more vigor than someone with a gaping hole in their gut should have been able to, and skidded to a halt next to Tyrian in a way that ended with him kneeling, gripping his teammate by the shoulders and making the scorpion faunus meet his eyes.

" I understand, Tyrian. But we need to go. Now. HAZEL! YOU AND YOUR SISTER AS WELL!"

All the older hunters had Carnelian contained and distracted for now, as much as he could be. That meant if they were ever going to make their escape and be out of his sight, then the time was now. Let the elderly handle the eldery, as it were. He and the remains of MTEN were going to get out of here. He tried to pull Tyrian up to his feet, and if he succeeded, led him in a sprint back in the other direction, to where he'd told Emerald and Mercury to meet him

"Um."

Ironwood was also very much standing there watching all this go down, as dumbstruck as Watts had ever seen him despite his awkward presence being as stiff as a wooden post as he tried to make sense of why a former pupil of his just came out of nowhere pretending to be wounded.

"Well it's good to see you're staying out of trouble, Arthur."

He didn't know whether to be offended when he was promptly ignored by them, the group of Beacon students vanishing as mysteriously as they appeared.

---

"I can't be entirely sure, but I believe that may have been a ruse. If it was, the students you have accompanying you are the ones really in possession of the relic. Did Salem actually send children here?"

Where are you going? She couldn't help but think, looking up as he departed. But after he was out of sight it was with a sigh that she peered back to the others. "So, James...can you get us in? Is there anyone worth noting in Atlas who can be trusted?" Raven asked. There had to be something to salvage from all this.

As the bird rose into the sky...it was tracked by another pair of red eyes.

That much drew a glance and a stiff nod.

"...Winter. I instructed her to bring the evidence we compiled against Schnee to the Happy Huntresses in Mantle in case the arrest went south. It... isn't a whole lot, but Robyn Hill drew similar conclusions about the councilwoman to myself. She was working to expose her as well."

His jaw tightened into a frown.

"I'm in the dark about everything happening in the city since I was incarcerated. Schnee led me to believe Winter was successful in extracting Fria as well, but... it appears that wasn't the case."

Meanwhile...

Tyrian then tried to squeeze himself in but instead ended up squezed up next to Emerald/passed out on her. The energy rush from his adrenaline finally running dry.

"...Oh Tyrian, honey... Blood stains..."

Emerald tried to keep the faunus's wound away from her clothes without being too much of a dick about it, less than enthused about the turn of events that saw her more or less buried at the very bottom of what was now a clown car.

Was there something about him that looked particularly carryable today???

he didn't try to fight it, just rolled his eyes as he was manhandled like a child and placed in the front before he finally checked his scroll.

"Neo's heading for the southern edge of the city. Hopefully she's lost Carnelian, and if not, then, well..."

... He supposed they'd burn that bridge if they came to it.

"Lets hurry, and try to make that less likely" he snapped

Mercury didn't have much of an outward reaction when Watts made his implicit meaning clear. Inwardly was another story, and his grip tightened on the steering wheel as he gunned it down Mistral's winding roads, most of which happened to be adjacent to steep drops, in a stupid car with way too many people in it. It was absolutely terrifying.

His lack of response to Watts was not one shared by Emerald. The other team's leader felt her eyes tunneling into him with disdain from across the entirety of the backseat, and a particularly distinctive oak tree they passed by on their way down from the mountain held a much more distinctive sight for Watts and Watts alone in the form of himself, hanging from a noose off the tallest branch with Xes scratched out where his eyes should've been.

"Are... you going to be able to move this thing? And see?" Gretchen inquired with more than a smidge of concern in her voice.

The answers were yes and not really.

As the bird rose into the sky...it was tracked by another pair of red eyes.

Those eyes noticed the shape getting bigger and bigger in the last few moments before Qrow absolutely divebombed her into a cartoonish melee of squawking, pecking, and furiously beating wings. "YOU WERE RIGHT, I WAS WRONG, BLAH BLAH BLAH YOU'RE THE SMARTEST TWIN AROUND WHATEVER! How much did you see?!"

​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Those eyes noticed the shape getting bigger and bigger in the last few moments before Qrow absolutely divebombed her into a cartoonish melee of squawking, pecking, and furiously beating wings. "YOU WERE RIGHT, I WAS WRONG, BLAH BLAH BLAH YOU'RE THE SMARTEST TWIN AROUND, WHATEVER! How much did you see?"

"What the hell?!" woooooooould have been her reaction to that sudden attack from above, had she not been paying close attention. And if she was someone else. As it was, the bird stoically endured that whole mess, standing absolute still as Qrow acted like an immature child all around her. She pointedly waited until he was done with that nonsense before she said anything back. "Enough." She answered his question on what she saw. "Enough to realize I was a fool to go to you in the first place." Raven added, in direct contrast to his declaration on her intelligence.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"What the hell?!" woooooooould have been her reaction to that sudden attack from above, had she not been paying close attention. And if she was someone else. As it was, the bird stoically endured that whole mess, standing absolute still as Qrow acted like an immature child all around her. She pointedly waited until he was done with that nonsense before she said anything back. "Enough." She answered his question on what she saw. "Enough to realize I was a fool to go to you in the first place." Raven added, in direct contrast to his declaration on her intelligence.

"Then I guess we're EQUALLY as lousy at making decisions!"

Qrow growled back, morphing back to human form and landed parallel to her on the rooftop with a glare. He shoved his hands in his pockets, clearly expecting her to resume her true shape in turn, and the eyes he gave her alone were enough to express the full range of emotions he felt at having to go crawling back to her so soon.

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture, I only have one thing to ask. Yang's a prisoner in Atlas. The guy you just saw tear through all of us is heading back there, right now, and when he gets there she'll be his prisoner."

He let the weight of those words speak for itself, keeping his eyes locked on Raven as he leaned forward questioningly, shoulders hunched.

"So you gonna help rescue your kid, or what?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"I can't be entirely sure, but I believe that may have been a ruse. If it was, the students you have accompanying you are the ones really in possession of the relic. Did Salem actually send children here?"

"..." That didn't make a whole lot of sense to her, if it were true. She turned to exchange a glance with Raven before looking back to Ironwood. "We're supposed to be on the same side. Raven had the relic well in hand, so why would they..." She fell silent, the rest of it continuing as a train of thought. After a few moments she shrugged. "Don't matter. Ray, maybe ya can find 'em?" Tock pointed out. "Even if it wasn't the Fang who took the relic...they were the ones who bombed Haven to hell." There was a grim look on her face then. Yeah, there was no maybe about it. Some things needed to be addressed. She didn't care if she had to bust down the doors to their HQ or palace or whatever they were callin' it these days. Thankfully she knew exactly where it was.

"Yeah, she did send 'em. They're tied up in all this, like it or not. And frankly...they in general seem to be doin' just as good a job as we are."​

That much drew a glance and a stiff nod.

"...Winter. I instructed her to bring the evidence we compiled against Schnee to the Happy Huntresses in Mantle in case the arrest went south. It... isn't a whole lot, but Robyn Hill drew similar conclusions about the councilwoman to myself. She was working to expose her as well."

His jaw tightened into a frown.

"I'm in the dark about everything happening in the city since I was incarcerated. Schnee led me to believe Winter was successful in extracting Fria as well, but... it appears that wasn't the case."

"...Better than nothing." Raven replied. "Even if you're not up to date on current events, you know that kingdom like the back of your hand. You can get us in, can't you?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Then I guess we're EQUALLY as lousy at making decisions!"

Qrow growled back, morphing back to human form and landed parallel to her on the rooftop with a glare. He shoved his hands in his pockets, clearly expecting her to resume her true shape in turn, and the eyes he gave her alone were enough to express the full range of emotions he felt at having to go crawling back to her so soon.

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture, I only have one thing to ask. Yang's a prisoner in Atlas. The guy you just saw tear through all of us is heading back there, right now, and when he gets there she'll be his prisoner."

He let the weight of those words speak for itself, keeping his eyes locked on Raven as he leaned forward questioningly, shoulders hunched.

"So you gonna help rescue your kid, or what?"​

"No."

It was a single word response but still managed to be sufficient to show her blunt disdain for that idea. The bird shifted back and the now human Raven directed a harsh side-eye for her twin. "It is not my responsibility to protect her from the consequences of her own poor decisions. She made her choice and now she'll have to live with it. The relics, that's what matters."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"..." That didn't make a whole lot of sense to her, if it were true. She turned to exchange a glance with Raven before looking back to Ironwood. "We're supposed to be on the same side. Raven had the relic well in hand, so why would they..." She fell silent, the rest of it continuing as a train of thought. After a few moments she shrugged.

His stare hardened, but in a way that wasn't without sympathy as he squared his shoulders and exhaled. "Liadan... I know you think you're a match for him. But if things continued the way they were going in that alley, Carnelian was taking the relic."

It was nothing more than an impassive, grounding observation, one he knew on some level had been plain as day to all of them.

"Whoever did intervene, they did us a favor. He's the last person in Remnant we want being exposed to this side of kingdom affairs. He was dangerous enough without knowing about Ozpin and the war."

"...Better than nothing." Raven replied. "Even if you're not up to date on current events, you know that kingdom like the back of your hand. You can get us in, can't you?"

He considered the question for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"...If I make contact with Hill she can smuggle us into Mantle, but Atlas is another story. Weiss will be expecting us. She has our faces, our names... The entire military taking orders from her through Carnelian. We have to coordinate with whatever resistance is left and figure out what can be done."

 

[MyrtenRose]

His stare hardened, but in a way that wasn't without sympathy as he squared his shoulders and exhaled. "Liadan... I know you think you're a match for him. But if things continued the way they were going in that alley, Carnelian was taking the relic."

It was nothing more than an impassive, grounding observation, one he knew on some level had been plain as day to all of them.

"Whoever did intervene, they did us a favor. He's the last person in Remnant we want being exposed to this side of kingdom affairs. He was dangerous enough without knowing about Ozpin and the war."

He considered the question for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"...If I make contact with Hill she can smuggle us into Mantle, but Atlas is another story. Weiss will be expecting us. She has our faces, our names... The entire military taking orders from her through Carnelian. We have to coordinate with whatever resistance is left and figure out what can be done."

There was a look of surprise bordering on shock that lingered on the reptilian faunus’s face and it had little to do with James’ statement on who would have won the day without that intervention. She couldn’t exactly disagree, much as she would have liked to. No, the look had everything to do with the fact that he had used her real name. The amount of people left in the world who knew her real name was very few, and the times she had heard it in recent years was even fewer. So much so that she wouldn’t have been lying if she said she had almost forgotten the sound of her name.

There was a time where she would have gotten violently angry upon hearing her birth name spoken. To demand whoever said it to never say it again, to make them know that Liadan had died with her team and that they should refer to her by whatever name she clung to at the time. But nowadays, she didn’t bother. It was an old, well healed wound.

The surprised look vanished, replaced by a weary smile. “Yeah. Guess you’re right, James. The prick would have gotten it without ‘em.“

“It’s a start.” Raven acknowledged. A significant first step, getting into Mantle. “Suppose that’s the plan then, we get into contact with this Atlesian resistance and do what we can. Well...our plan, at least. No telling what the students are playing at, not without asking them.” Speaking of which, she tried exactly that right here and now, trying to contact all of them through her scroll so she could get to the bottom of it.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"No."

It was a single word response but still managed to be sufficient to show her blunt disdain for that idea. The bird shifted back and the now human Raven directed a harsh side-eye for her twin. "It is not my responsibility to protect her from the consequences of her own poor decisions. She made her choice and now she'll have to live with it. The relics, that's what matters."

"BULLSHIT!"

It was the most furious, disgusted, infinitely disappointed explosion of anger Raven had ever felt directed towards her and her lifestyle by her kin. For the longest time he'd tried to come to terms with Raven's ways, or at least understand how someone could actually live like this and feel any kind of inner peace or acceptance towards her choices. The only way Qrow could figure it was that she didn't. Deep down, past all the gruffness and posturing facades, Qrow knew full well that a strand embedded in the very core of his sister's being burned with absolute loathing for herself, in a way he of all people could ironically probably relate to more than anyone else in either of their twisted up lives. And yet, they never even had a conversation about it; most likely because Raven refused to acknowledge its existence. For as wildly different and ethically opposed as they had become, Qrow never hated his sister. He never wanted to lose that connection. There was still that unbreakable sibling bond there, the thing that still let Raven open portals to him even after all this time.

But she picked the wrong time for this, and he was done with all that. He was done with her crap, he was done trying to get it, and he was done letting her saunter away from every situation with a stuffy attitude and air of superiority over those less-thans who committed the unforgivable sin of actually giving a damn about something. He stomped forward with plain aggression, and the bandit chieftain found her collar snatched and yanked forward so they were eye-to-eye without much regard for her comfort, then proceeded to more or less just ream her entire existence.

"Your daughter doesn't matter? If Yang dies on some alien crapsack world 'cause you never worked out a healthy way to get over dad's parenting style it doesn't MATTER?! WHAT MATTERS TO YOU, SIS?!?! AND DON'T SAY THE RELICS, DON'T SAY SURVIVAL, 'CAUSE I KNOW FOR DAMN SURE YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WORTH SURVIVING FOR BACK HOME, NOT ONE THING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL EVEN A TINY SHRED OF HAPPINESS! GO AHEAD! NAME ONE! NAME A SINGLE THING YOU CONSIDER IMPORTANT TO YOU THAT ISN'T JUST SOME BACKWOODS RHETORIC WE GOT SHOVELED DOWN OUR THROATS BY A BUNCHA MANGY SURVIVALISTS WHEN WE WERE KIDS! ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TELLING ME THAT'S ALL YOU ARE? WHAT THE HELL IS THE POINT OF YOU, RAVEN!? WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST BE WORTH A DAMN?!"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"..."

"...Nothing??? You rambled on at Blake for almost fifteen minutes trying to convince her there's a better way! And she's completely psychotic! That is so... rude!"

She was more than content to enforce the silence after that, absolutely stewing to the point the elevator felt a little warmer by the time the doors slid open and she stalked through. No further leniency was shown for Yang's condition, the huntress left to try her best to keep up with Weiss's purposeful stride as she led her down a few intersecting corridors, passing a few idle guard postings who suffice to say gave the battered and bloodied young woman a series of increasingly odd looks. Maybe it was the head trauma, but Yang was pretty sure she saw that guy she threatened at Beacon who got her thrown in jail. Maybe. He spun around and powerwalked away so fast it was hard to tell.

When she entered the medical bay, Weiss was exchanging hushed words with the physicians on staff that Yang couldn't quite make out. An aide scurried over to help the brawler to a bed, and once she was situated Weiss stood at the foot of the bunk and waved her hand as if granting Yang a final permission to speak.

"They're going to anaesthetize you. Is there anything you'd like me to consider while I'm deciding what to do with you?"​

Yang kept her silence apart from a shrug at Weiss' outburst, content to drift fully into a sullen quiet as she dragged herself after Weiss' strides. Thank god for short legs. Her head was on a swivel as she walked, paying no mind to the stares she was getting outside of a smirk and a wink at one guard who stared just a little too long. Maybe she'd never get a chance to do anything with it, but if Weiss intended to keep her here, doing her best to learn the layout was gonna have to be step one. Step one of what exactly she wasn't sure yet, but it was definitely step one of something.

When they reached the bay and Weiss had her quiet conversation with the doc, the fact that Yang didn't make out what it was wasn't for a lack of trying as she leaned in closer, only to glance way with an innocent look at the ceiling when Weiss and the attendant turned their focus onto her. She waved the attendant off as they tried to help her, and gingerly lifted herself onto the bed with one arm in only the way someone who was used to the lack of appendage could, if not with the usual lazy grace.

she let her head thump against the pillow and took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, enjoying this one moment of comfort in favor of wallowing in the pain as Weiss' words washed over her. She cracked one eye open to look at the heiress with a quiet, contemplative frown, a feeling of judgement in the gaze that was wholly out of place given the situation.

After a few seconds she closed it again and let her her drift back down onto the pillow.

"You're apparently gonna kill me if I try to treat you like a decent person or appeal to basic morals, so I won't." She drawled "But you haven't done anything too horrible to me yet, so... I dunno, kind of hoping you're willing to at least consider some advice?" She looked up at the ceiling with a frown.

"...Ozpin wants, no, needs all four relics. That includes the one keeping that city underneath us in the air. It doesn't seem like you're lying, that you really do want to keep Atlas in the sky and not the reason there's a crater where mantle used to be. Maybe you already knew that, but I gotta assume you either don't, or your underestimating what he can do."

She forced her head back up and affixed Weiss with a firm glare.

"Don't."

She was painfully aware that giving advice like this was drifting pretty close to the whole sermonizing or philosophizing that Weiss said she'd get a good old fashion stabbing for, and that she was in, very genuinely, the worst position one could possibly be in to try and tell someone dangerous they were doing something wrong, but this might be her last chance to talk to this Weiss before she got put under and, she didn't know Weiss put a bomb in her or something and waited for Raven to yeet her back through a portal to all her squishy family members. Ruby's speeches to Watts' must've inspired her

"World's biggest incel or not, whatever you think he's capable of bringing to bear if you force his hand, you're lowballing it. The only reason he's playing this shadow game with Salem is because all four kingdoms together could keep him in check. Atlas might be the biggest, but you've still spent the last week burning all those bridges. You're either gonna need to reverse that track quick, give him what he wants, or face it down yourselves. And trust me-" She finished as she laid her head back

"-That's not a fight even the most dangerous military in the world is winning by themselves."

She huffed out a breath and had the audacity to give a halfhearted smirk as she flapped her remaining hand

"And that's all I got, unless you got specific questions you wanna toss. Go ahead and do whatever... freaky science surgery you're planning on doing here."

She wasn't an idiot. If Weiss really just wanted to let Yang heal, she would've tossed her in a cell and kept the aura dampening off till Yang was short three broken ribs and about a thousand bruises compared to now. She didn't know what this was, and she was definitely scared witless not happy that it was happening, but there was pretty much heck all she could do about it, so like hell did she plan to show it.