Chapter 30: 30
"The clock is winding down." Arthur muttered as he walked into Mechanicus's high security clearance. "Disappointing to see that their security is as awful as ever. I always warned that they'd need additional layers that weren't just of my own designs, but did they ever listen? Noooooo."
Lucky though, that he was so ingrained in their systems that he could just wander in and casually and perfectly auto-loop every camera that mattered for him, open every door, and descend down into the bowls of his old research institute.
Ridiculous. They really were useless without him. Feh.
He ignored the urge to step into the wing that Polendina was now in charge of. He'd swiped a post-it note stating that something called Project PENNI was entering its final stages, but that wasn't important right now. The name had clearly gone through multiple changes, but he knew what the goal of Polendina's research was. He had a pretty good idea of it all, either way.
At least his old rival was the only mind wise enough to set up some new security measures.
Actually he was genuinely impressed. If he tried to observe what his old rival was up to he was confident that he'd trip a silent alarm and be made.
It rankled at him, but Arthur had come in with priorities, not for addressing old wounds.
"Unnecessary. Shelving it for the Paladins. Ha. The same Paladins that I turned on you in mere seconds General? Oh such vaunted Paladins. THIS is the future. Was the future. Not against Grimm, but man. A method to ensure superiority over all of Remnant. War is man's nature. An inevitability of our kind, no matter how much the Fallen King tries to repress our base instinct."
He entered MIT Dockbay 3, where a small black airship lay like a preening swallow.
"Hello, dear Osprey." He muttered fondly, "I'm home, child."
He'd kept tabs on the abandoned project, now currently kept as a mere display item.
His blood boiled.
Arthur had once signed it off to be topped off with refined fuel-grade Combustion Dust for the inevitable maiden voyage, but it'd never happened. And perhaps out of deference to his 'demise' it had never been de-fueled.
Everything had been perfect until that moment. When the General had betrayed all his years of dedication and service to his Kingdom. Feh.
If he was fool enough to not see the future, he'd take it from them.
His magnum opus silently lowered its single-passenger opening, a small circle descending from the bottom of the new-age stealth vessel, held by but a single extending telescoping rod.
The light from the internals of his Auroric Osprey shone down on him as he rose into that which was rightfully his.
Tyrian hummed a tune, one of the brat, Jaune's. He'd have to admit: his Goddess' newest interest certainly did have quite the voice.
He'd contemplate if she wished for a songbird, but he knew better.
The boy was a mage.
They'd thought he merely had a remaining piece of the Age of the Brother Gods when he'd evaporated his uncle, the Desert Owl of Vacuo.
Hilarious, because he was from Mistral and just happened to go to Shade and stay in Vacuo.
Fought in the Rights Revolution soon after then, but that was unimportant. Before his time and certainly beneath the notice or care of the Goddess.
Still she'd held interest in his magic spear, the thing the child that appeared out of nowhere within the Withered Woods of North Western Sanus.
Frankly it was less a spear and one of Atlas's, what had Watts called it, ah, Dynamis Class Dust-Missiles. The kind that was meant to wipe out a small standing army of normal Grimm in one blow. Perhaps a Huntsman could tank it if they ran as fast as they could away from the point of impact, as he'd certainly survived.
It wasn't without consequences, however.
Raven Branwen, the cowardly bird, had already cheated past his Aura leaving a scorching scar upon his chest with her very illegal blade that fused Lightning and Combustion Dust together in an alloy that was usually meant for missile payloads against Huntsmen that was illegal in every Kingdom following the events of the Great War.
But her cheating bypassing his Aura, rather than shattering, had saved him as he'd had the Aura to survive being blasted through the treeline as his Aura shattered against the very woods themselves.
His tail had been mangled, but that didn't matter. His Goddess provided, infusing Grimm flesh and essence into it, now giving it a pleasant purple sheen and venom that matched the color of his soul so much better.
He'd already assassinated some official somewhere that'd recognized him and attempted to imbibe an antivenom based off of his old venom.
Oh the laugh he had when the old fool had realized his antivenom was useless.
Truly his Goddess was peerless and perfect.
Even if her punishment had scorched the essence of pain into his bones for failing both to bring him back the Silver Eyed Warrior and ruining her eyes.
He'd found her a new replacement pair, however, a young, silver eyed Faunus man and his little silver eyed daughter.
Whatever his Goddess wanted, she got one way or another.
He'd also offered to get her the girl, Ruby Rose-XiaoLong as well, but she'd waved him off.
Perhaps later, she dismissed it casually.
He smiled.
Whatever the Goddess desired. His jealousy had been tempered by his loss. All that mattered, truly mattered, was fulfilling her wishes. No more, no less.
Still, he giggled.
Imagine that. The little Faunus boy with the magic spear could unleash a frozen glacier of magical permafrost that kept even an Elder Grimm in permanent stasis. When she'd heard the news that Jaune's glacier hadn't melted at all after a week, she'd been surprised.
For the first time she had demanded to see something in person.
Naturally, Tyrian (with Watt's help) had commandeered a fine but small vessel and returned to the Nameless Lands with it, using it to deliver his Goddess to the sands of Menagerie.
Ah, what BLISS to witness the sight of the Goddess descend upon Remnant proper. One day she'd descend upon the whole of the world in entirety.
He'd made quick work of the guards as his Goddess observed the work of art.
And she had laughed! Truly glorious in sound and sight.
"How interesting. Bring me everything about that child."
Photos to newspapers, even psyche profiles, and the music he'd play. They brought it all, even a prosthetic arm they'd acquired from the body of a retired Atlasean soldier that had gone traveling to see the sights of Mistral. It hadn't been from the boy per say, but it was based on his technology. Of what the Atlasean scientists managed to copy.
Outside of their usual excursions for the occasional luxury, provisions, and dark commands to disrupt the control of the Fallen King this had become the norm for a year and half.
Now she'd demanded the boy himself, finally, after her unfathomable musings.
"If you fail, that is of no concern of mine. It will be equally amusing seeing his Arcana grow. The Fool's Journey is always fascinating. I suppose I will enjoy the entertainment of a bygone era for once in milleniae."
Still Watts insisted that his plan was as close to foolproof as they could get.
He'd let the cocksure one strut.
It'd be funnier that way if somehow this plan failed.
"Hehehehe."
Of course he wouldn't sabotage anything, but wouldn't it be funny if they failed?
"Hehehahahahahaha!"
She insisted once again she was too tired for another dance.
"Are you sure?" Robin pouted, her glistening lip glossed lips quivering. "It'll be fun."
"It would be." She agreed. "I'm just a bit full and tired. I think I feel a bit under the weather."
That was true, she'd begun to sweat, and not just from the excursion.
"Oh no. Do you… do you want to go back early and rest?"
Robin's concern would break her heart if she wasn't careful.
"No. Go dance with your sisters or something. I'm just tired, not infirm."
Robin's lip pursed.
"Alright. But if anything changes, anything at all, I'll take you back to rest. Please don't push yourself. For me?"
"I promise." She whispered her reply solemnly. "Maybe I'll get some air at some point, but I'm really fine, just tired."
"Alright." Robin sighed, giving her one last quick hug. Her fingers wrapped around the smaller girl's dainty back, feeling her through the thin cloth. "Please have fun with your family, too. For me."
"Mmmm." Robin sighed into her hug, radiating the softness of velvet sheets, smelling of soothing copper and iron, wrapping around her body. "Ok. I'll be back later, then."
"Sounds good." She smiled softly in reply. "Go on, now."
"Ok, ok." Robin giggled, squeezing her hard one last time. "I'll be back to check up on you-"
"Really, Robin." She laughed, "I'm fine."
It wasn't her that Robin would have to worry for. That was exactly the problem.
"Jaune, are you ok?"
"Mmm. Just vibing, big bro." He mumbled as he sipped at another cup of the spiced apple cider that made everything relaxing. "Everything is gooooood."
"I think… I think you've had enough of that cider. What's even the matter? Nobody spiked it, or more kids would be reacting oddly."
"Nnnnope. It's just warm… appley cider with spices. It's fiiiine."
Juniper frowned at him.
"Your reaction is the problem, Jaune. You're slurring your words and stumbling about. Why… why don't we go find Yang again. Give her another dance?"
"Yang's pretty tonight." He agreed, only half hearing his brother's words. "She's always been pretty but tonight she's preeeetty."
"Ok, this is… something is definitely wrong. Jaune? Jaune! Snap out of it!"
Jaune just hummed, vaguely hearing something about opening up the main grand balcony to watch the fireworks display. That seemed silly to him. The ballroom was built like a massive grand cathedral, but only roughly in shape. There was so much glass. You could see everything outside from the comfort of the indoors.
He watched, still, as many people filed out to the biggest grand balcony. The ball had a lot of people, but even without everyone squeezing in, they could fit most if not all of them out there. He was sure that most of the people here wouldn't 'lower' themselves to that level, but the option was available.
"There you are, Jaune." He vaguely heard his father over his brother's attempts to gain his attention. "Having a good night, kiddo?"
"Mmmmm." He hummed relaxedly. "Good."
"Ha, you look sleepy." He pat Jaune on the head, making him blank out for a second as he enjoyed his father's Aura, orange and grapes, sweet and bitter, the faint tang of steel. "You want to join your old man for the fireworks?"
"I can see from here. Also just vibing."
His dad laughed and he could feel the vibrations through his arm.
Juniper said something about how he should be joining his dad, he thought? He wasn't sure. It was sort of hard to hear him.
"Well, maybe fresh air would do you some good. I won't force you though. Come join your mom and the rest of us outside if you want to."
"Kkkayyyy."
He watched his father join his mother and give her a big kiss on her cheek, his mother laughing and demanding one on the other as well before they gathered up his sisters. Oh and Ren. But if you squinted Ren looked a little girlish.
He giggled at the thought of Ren in a dress. He could make it work. Hell Jaune knew he made it work.
He let out a snort of laughter into his cup of cider.
"Ren in a dress." He giggled.
"Oh gods, he's lost it. Jaune, come on, little brother. Can you hear me? Please!"
He giggled again, his brother worrying over him was oddly funny. He was completely safe here. There were so many people around, even if most of them were beginning to mill out to watch the fireworks.
"Here. Some water."
Oh, his cup was empty.
He turned up to see amber eyes. Filled with fear and worry. Guilt too. She was always filled with guilt, but it was thicker tonight.
"Hiiiii Ambeeer." He grinned sleepily. "Th-thanks forrrr the waterrr."
"Have you… have you even used the bathroom?"
"Think so? Uhmmm. After I, I danced with Yang." He grinned, "She was pretty tonight. More than normal. You're pretty tonight too."
"Yeah." She agreed, a brief glimpse of pride, "Robin did a good job."
He giggled.
"Well, you were already pretty. You've got… wassitcalled. Cheekbones. Nice cheeeekbones. Face. Nice face."
He was having trouble keeping his eyes open a little. He thought he heard her stop breathing for a bit.
"...You… you need air. Come on."
"I don wanna get uuuuup."
"Please. Please get up."
He flung his hands up, childishly demanding to be carried. If she wanted him to move she'd have to work for it.
"Jaune! Jaune!" Brother Juniper called out from… somewhere.
"I… fine. Come here." Amber grabbed to lift him up from his seat, pulling his smaller body up to hers. His arms and legs wrapped around her as he giggled.
Her Aura was warm. Like a smoldering campfire and soapy, warm water. The sound of tinkling glass on the wind.
"Warm…" He muttered, one hand still holding onto a sloshing cup of water. "You're warm."
Amber said nothing as her fingers gripped around his back a little too hard.
"If you say so." She replied quietly and quickly as she carried him through a small glass doorway to a balcony.
The air outside was chilly, even with a few heat lamps that hung from their installation off of the walls providing a blanket of warm air.
It was brisk, though his Aura kept him from being too cold.
Amber sat him down on the railing as red orchids could be seen from the other side of the window, the holographic interface was turned on quickly after.
He sipped quietly at the cup of water, waking a bit up.
"Jaune? C'mon, little brother, listen to me! Jaune!"
One of his ears perked in his Big Brother Juniper's direction, he was slightly muffled by the popping of fireworks.
Amber looked both terrified and guilty. Juniper was hovering behind her with worry for him, screaming at him to wake up and get a grip.
The cold air did wake him up some more.
"Ah."
She winced as she saw a glimmer return to Jaune's eyes, his soft blues meeting her amber ones.
Why did she give him water? Why had she tried to sober him up?
Did she want to be caught? No. No, she wanted to be free. But not like this. It was never supposed to be like this.
"Jaune, I-"
"Shhhhh." He hushed, closing his eyes, as if he had regained his intellect once more. And yet he closed his eyes.
He was doing this for her. Why? He was weird. Too perceptive. She was scared of him, how he always felt like he could read her like a book. It was weird and scary. Kids weren't supposed to be like that.
"Hey… Amber. Or… well, whatever your actual name is… do you like my sister? Do you like Robin?"
"What? I- why are you asking me that right now?"
"I just want an answer. Just the truth. One question." He softly spoke, his eyes still closed. "Please?"
She could lie to him. She could tell him whatever he wanted to her. What did he want to hear?
"I…" Did it matter when what he wanted to hear was probably the truth anyways? "Yes. Robin… she's a light in the darkness. Proof that there is something good in this world. I want… her, to be her, or more like her, or…ha ha… I-I can't even put it into words properly."
"Ok." The boy replied quietly, smiling with his eyes closed as if content. "Ok."
He knew.
"That's it? Just ok?" She felt like she was going to throw up. "Just ok?!"
"Yup."
"...what the hell is that… you… why are you all like this. Just… just hate me. Scream for help." She found herself begging. "Don't make me-"
"I think someone else is making you do whatever it is you're here to do. I'm sorry. It's awful."
"Don't apologize to me!" She hissed. "I- that's- this isn't-"
She was walking towards him, her hands reaching out to grab him by the shoulders.
"Anything." She hissed desperately, "You should be doing, saying anything, but not-"
His hand reached out and landed upon her head, patting softly with closed eyes.
The ghost of Rhodes smiled behind Jaune. Finally disappearing into smoke.
His Aura was spiced pine and fragrant fruit. The market stalls of Mistral where she'd jealously stared at those who'd had the Lien for proper food. The quiet woods of the orphanage where she'd foraged for extra food. The taste and scent of juniper berries, of Rhodes's cologne. His hand upon her head one last time.
A ripple in the air in front of her opened up as a crack of light appeared like a door.
The sky lit up with golden fireworks. The signal. The only flash of yellow through blue, red, and silver of Atlasean fireworks.
Rhodes's hand on her-
Cinder pushed Jaune into the arms of the shadowy man back lit in the doorway, his frame impossible to distinguish.
"I forgive you." Jaune whispered.
Cinder's heart froze with the blood in her veins.
"Nice doing business with ya~" A snickering voice giggled, "You have a good night miss~"
Cinder stepped back, struggling to breathe with erratic inhalations as the door of light closed up, leaving her alone on the balcony in the night as fireworks popped into a slew of explosions in the background.
"...what have I done?" She slumped back against a marble wall, sliding down as her voice warbled, wet and worthless. "...I'm no better… ha ha… I'm no better than them."
A white drone flew down next to her, dispensing the promised payment.
"Your freedom has been paid for in full. I would recommend you start running."
Cinder snatched up the ID and tickets as the drone floated off the edge and began to free fall down into Mantle, but made no further movements, crying out loud into her arms as she clutched at her prize, ruining her makeup as the paper tickets crinkled in her grip.
Raven gripped at his shoulder.
Taiyang turned to his wife, expecting her to demand another kiss under the romantic atmosphere, but froze as her gaze was murder.
"What's wrong, Rae?"
"The brat. Someone's got the brat."
His eyes widened, Summer from his other side gripping his waist, just slightly too strong.
"What? Jaune? What do you mean?" He whispered quickly, not showing any initial panic as Raven quickly began pulling them back into the main hall.
"Rae?" Summer asked her green eyes flickering towards the Arcs who were currently enjoying the fireworks. "Where can you feel him?"
"Headed west. Fast. Airship fast."
Raven flicked a hand to grab Qrow from a conversation that he was having with two young serving girls that had seemed to have taken a fancy to him, ignoring their complaints as she pulled her brother to the side.
"Why didn't you keep an eye on the brat?!" She hissed, "What the fuck, Qrow!"
"What?" Qrow looked surprised, eyeing the ballroom. "He was with Amber like just a second ago, I saw her go get him a cup of water."
"Where the fuck did they go after?!"
"I suddenly got approached by those two ladies, I was trying to not be ru-"
"God fucking dammit, men thinking with their lower heads."
"You have no right to say that with how many times I've caught you mid-coitus." Qrow spat angrily, although he saw Qrow couldn't help but to also side-eye Tai himself, making him scratch his cheek. "Fucking shit. I'll fly for our weapons, you get ready to-"
"No." Taiyang spoke up firmly. "Send me and Summer ahead. You two get our weapons and catch up."
"I agree. Raven. Portal!" Summer's eyes were glowing green, a brief flicker of bottle green lightning crackled in her hand. "Now!"
Taiyang and Summer leapt forward as Raven swung her hand down, the slashing motion forming a black and red distortion in the air as he and his wife appeared in a bright cargohold, the internals suspiciously sterile and distinctly Atlasean in design.
"Oooh, what's this? Oh doooooooctooooor~" A voice sang playfully, "We've got rats in the hold!"
"I see that." A distorted voice called out over the ship's intercoms. "Get rid of them."
"Jaune!" He heard Summer cry out angrily, seeing the boy with a clear plastic mask over his mouth as he was being held in a pod meant for subdued prisoners. "You monst-you."
"Hmm?" Taiyang felt fury erupt as he saw the form of Tyrian Callows, the man that had borderline killed his wife, leaning over a railing above their small cargohold area. "You sound like you know me. That's odd. Most people who've seen me are dead."
"Yeah, well." Summer spat to the side, somewhat uncharacteristically, though Taiyang agreed with the action. "I got better."
"Oooooooh, implied rematch. I do like that." He squealed playfully as he casually flipped over the overhang, landing on the prisoner pod with Jaune inside with a sinister crouch. "But who are you is the real question! Also what're you going to do when I've got the little-"
He backflipped with a gleeful giggle as a streak of green lighting thrust forward at him in a spearhand strike.
A tail lashed out, Taiyang countered it as he threw himself forward in a spinning roundhouse kick that flung the ominous purplish black tail out of the way of striking his wife.
"Well that's just-" Tyrian dodged by leaning back a full ninety degrees as Taiyang placed one hand on the top of Jaune's pod, spinning with it as leverage with an upwards tornado kick. "-plain rude!"
Tyrian flipped around using his tail to secure himself to the railing above, feet planted on the bottom of the floor grating of the upper platform, his wrist blades flashing hungrily.
Dress shoes spun to deflect the wrist blades from below, performing a breakdance on top of the pod as deflected the lashing wrist blades with style.
Summer leapt up green lightning crackling with a flying thrust, being dodged by Tyrian who used an open palm to deflect and push himself up back to the overhang (the Aura on her shoulder fizzled) as she plunged her arm into the wall below the overhang where Tyrian had been a moment ago.
"Don't blow holes in my OSPREY!"
Taiyang readjusted himself to make sure that Jaune looked fine, looking for a way to unlock the pod as his wife chased the kidnapper back onto the railing above. A cross slash flew out from a blade-hand as Tyrian side stepped as he cackled, once, twice, countering with his own straight thrust.
Summer's teeth clamped down on the outer blade.
"Ooh a biter~"
"Shit, there's no interface!" Taiyang spat angrily as he looked up from the prisoner's pod.
He couldn't free Jaune from here, which meant he needed whoever was the voice from the intercom.
Taiyang leapt to the side, using the wall of the cargo hold as leverage to back flip up to the overhang where his wife was fighting on with Tyrian, witnessing while upside down that Summer had BIT down on his weapon's blade twisting as she pulled him off balance as she drove a lighting infused kidney punch into his rib cage.
"AHK!" The criminal spat out, catching a flying knee in the back of his head from Tai's knee as a follow up.
"Ridiculous." The voice on the intercom called out as Taiyang ducked under a swipe from Tyrian's tail, upper cutting the joint where the stinger met tail from below as he did so to deflect the blow. "Stay alive, you useless fool!"
He and Summer caught Tyrian in a skull-shaker, both of them throwing a left hook into the sides of the criminal's head, pinning his cranium between their fists, distorting his cheeks and grinding their knuckles into his cheekbones.
A scorpion tail caught him across the abdomen, flinging him back, as Tyrian took another lightning punch to a kidney. The scorpion Faunus countered by firing hidden rounds from his wrist blade weapon point blank into Summer's evening gown, the fabric beginning to tear apart, despite her Aura.
Taiyang's elbow flew into the small turret that began to jut out of the wall, a second one bending the barrel ever so slightly.
"TURRETS!" He screamed as a third elbow crushed the emplacement, feeling a flurry of Dust rounds pepper against his Aura from other turrets that were popping out of the walls of the cargo hold.
Summer leapt back to dodge a series of turret fire as well, kicking against the scorpion tail that attempted a follow up with a strong bicycle kick as she flipped back three times, planting her barefoot heel into a turret, instantly crushing it with her strength and weight together.
"I think I would remember someone this strong." Tyrian spat a little blood to the side, a hand coming to tenderly grab the tender side that had taken two lightning infused kidney blows. "That's more than just getting better."
Taiyang spun and flipped, guiding the turret fire currently aimed on him to help rip a section of railing, giving him a short metal pole.
His Semblance Man At Arms roared as an influx of combat techniques flooded into his brain.
"You calling my wife a liar?" He roared, spinning the staff to deflect turret fire towards Tyrian without breaking the Dust shells, "I've broken legs for less!"
Tyrian just caught one round to the shoulder, allowing it to carry and fling him over the railing of the overhang, using his tail to hook and swing from the grating below, his twin wrist blade's guns ripping rapid fire of .45s through the air. Taiyang spun the pole to deflect the rounds into another turret, destroying it as he performed an aerial, dropping down lower into the cargo hold again, crushing another turret under his heel as he tanked a few shots.
He flung his pole into the fourth and final turret, causing it to twist and jam as the weapon spun, flying back at him.
"Then how about we take this up a notch?!"
Tyrian leapt through the air in an acrobatic spin, trying to take advantage of Taiyang's opening. In doing so spotting Summer leaping behind him as he swiped at her with his tail, clearly surprising himself when he was the one that was sent flying to their difference in weight class.
His then tail stretched in a way that shouldn't be possible for a regular scorpion tail, latching around Summer and purple Aura hissed like acrid smoke as it ate away at Summer's silver.
She grabbed the length of the tail as she slammed on the ground, watching him triumphantly drive his stinger into her side as Taiyang's weapon returned to his hands, Man at Arms firing up again.
"Ehehe he he HA HA HA HA!" Tyrian laughed uproariously as if it was the funniest thing in the world. "It seems I've made a widower of- WHOAH!"
Taiyang grinned as Summer got up and PULLED forcing Tyrian down towards her with his somewhat elastic tail, hands meeting the ground and using his wife's force to spring forward to try to catch her with a spin kick.
Taiyang swung his pole around him, catching Tyrian in the chin, killing his momentum and rattling his brains before lashing out with a viscous sparta kick, striking the side of the madman's torso and sending him flying into the side of the cargohold and away from Jaune's pod. The force even managed to rip him from Summer's grasp.
"Like I said." Summer growled, her eyes aglow with emerald fury. "I got better."
The purple poison just leaked harmlessly from her skin, having torn through her expensive evening dress.
"I see that." Tyrian's eyes narrowed, his normal yellow eyes glimmering with insidious purple. "Now that's not fun."
A panel slid open behind him with a big red button and a handle.
Taiyang was already in motion, leaping to strike Tyrian's hand away.
"But this is~"
Tyrian's tail flicked his overhead swing away as he slammed his fist into the panel opening.
The bay door flew open.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone