RWBY: Volume CRBN - Chapter 89 - DanceSnapple (2024)

Chapter Text

Gales wash over sheets of white.

The snowy peaks of mountains bite toward the skies in view, pits between peaks rife with snow caked forests. The grayed out stone landscape made for picturesque setting, easily considered period piece. Powerful winds deceive their power. Despite the strong gales battering in icy blasts, the snow fall itself was light.

Just enough to allow some obscuring fog... as a pair of binoculars pokes round a cracked rock formation at a cliff face. The scoped view glances about. A frozen river bed in the valley below splits two of the mountains.

The scope tracks the river up stream, connected to a high rise frozen lake mid way up a slope.

A faunus holds the binoculars, a White Fang mask covering their eyes while wrappings hug their jaw line. Heavy coverings in white and gray obscure him in the snow, against the stone. He looks about until... finally. Movement.

His view finds a blur in the frozen forest on the next mountain. A snowmobile!

"There..." He follows with his eyes, seeing where the bogey is heading. The vast distance and winds keep the hostile silent to his ears. He spots a landmark the bogey zooms around. He produces a radio. "39 to Uniform. I've got eyes on one. He's on a vehicle on mountain designation 2-5-3, East side. Mid elevation."

The radio crackles back. "Which way is he heading?" The voice calls just as the bogey disappears around a bend moving away from the greater volume of mountains.

He calls back. "South, by South West. Appeared to come from further North."

"Uniform 1 to 23, did you see them from your side at 2-5-9?"

A new voice calls, muttering its response. "Uh... no, sir. Thought we heard a sound carry in the wind a few minutes ago come from that direction, but no target sighted."

"Noted. Units 1 through 22, fall back to rendezvous point. 23 through 39, stay at current locations until backup arrives. Unit 40 through 58, converge in on 23 and 39's designated areas. We've confirmed AZRL's base is in the vicinity of mountains 2-5-1 through 2-5-6. It's a huge win." The supervisor provides the positive feedback.

The faunus, Unit 39, hears a chorus of copies...

In his scoped view, the sparse snow fall is more... dark? He removes the binoculars, scrutinizing the air. Black snow? Soot? No fires are in the-

He sniffs...

More sniffing. "Blood..? Iron-" He gasps!

He jerks round-

SNCK!

"Ah-" He cracks out a cry as metal slices into his back. He jerks hoarse as metal spikes rip from his body!

Someone stands over him... clad in white cloth with shifting black coming from their arm... Iron sand. Green hair pokes out from under the cap. Spyyra... Spyyra rips his arm from the faunus's back, splatting blood out into the snow. The metal mass around his arm is a point of impalement before several spikes formed out from the blade. Within the spikes is flesh that the iron dust pulses aside.

The iron seeps back into the cracks in Spyyra's garb as he snatches 39's radio. Then, a dramatic twirl.

"Alright, kids! Did you see how quick and efficient that was?" He clasp his hands, radio in between.

Around the corner are... children. Some teens. Perhaps middle school aged. The group is submissive, shaking, and skittish, looking about. A few adults stand out escorting the group.

Spyyra gestures with a finger up. "Listen up, kiddos. This is what our training exercise is today. Info gathering is not a priority today. No, today is search and elimination." Some of the winter clothed teens share glances, so Spyyra kneels slightly for them. "Now, I know things are moving fast for you all, but remember the field. Remember PURPOSE! You lot are growing astonishingly. All you need is confidence."

He glances at the dead faunus at his feet. He shakes his head. With a quick nod to the adults, the group begins to shift.

"Blacks, listen up. We got thirty five more targets snooping around this and the surrounding mountains. I want at least one bogey down from each of you. Anyone who manages to get five eats like a king for three days." THAT perks some glances. He claps his hands, and the groups around him begin to fan out.

Spyyra hums before looking at the radio in his hand. He tugs on the collar of a wrap round his neck, a small mic keying for his own radio. "Spyyra to base: got one of their radios intact. I'll let you know their frequency, though they may change it soon. They've been pretty cautious."

Soon as he finishes, he frowns.

The Blacks aren't progressing fast enough. Hopefully enough fear will put their all into these live exercises.

They've burnt too much time... They've already lost a month and a half.

. . .

Small Town in Atlas territory.

10 Months, 2 Days til The Day

Carmine's blue eyes scan both sides of the street. No movement in the alleys, huh? They're late.

He looks to his Plus One, a faunus with droopy bunny like ears and long legs. Took him an hour to realize the faunus was part kangaroo. It's in the steps, just ever slightly bouncy. That and the ears, with blackened ends contrasting his light blonde hair.

The faunus steps over with a wrap snack from a drive through window. He offers a second one to Carmine. "Chicken and bacon like you asked."

Carmine snatches it with vigor, hungry. "Both parties seem late then." He munches the first bite before looking over. "Thanks. Got any ideas what's keeping yours?"

The roo faunus's eye twitches at interacting with the boy, but he continues. "They must be taking extra caution with all the demands you've stretched us with."

Great... hostility is fun. "Maybe we're just on the wrong foot. We gotta work together, right? Can we not have a pissing contest for, like, two seconds?"

"Okay." The man says, turning off. "... Hmm you're done. Now where's yours, superior?"

Frick on a cheeky smart ass. Carmine resists the urge to back talk. "Forget I said anything- Hmm?" He looks up, seeing a taxi stop on the street corner. "Maybe..." A figure steps out, and Carmine grins wide. "Yup! That's mine!" He slaps the faunus in the shoulder to spur him. A little hard, but hey he earned it with his attitude.

Carmine shoves the remainder of the wrap in his mouth, munching it while approaching.

The figure... disheveled, wrinkled clothes, plain looking, and most importantly, bald with sunken eyes looking around alert! He spots Carmine, flinching as he grasps at his chest. "Whoa! Shouldn't just pop up like that! I get nervous!"

The faunus trailing mumbles to himself. "We just walked over thirty yards..? How much warning does he need."

Carmine hears it, though. "Leave it. Hey!" He grins. "How's you been? Haven't seen you in years."

Dory looks nervous, but seems perky. A hint of a smirk. The lawyer of Hallowed Heart hospital, and once accountant and banker for Team CRBN from Mibu, Mistral. The man has a touch more color to him than last they'd met. "Awwwwww, I've been busy with the legal side of things." He drones monotone, still chipper looking. "The doctors are very low on negative feedback from patients, so most of my cases defending the hospital come from physical accommodations."

"You guys aren't STILL understaffed, are you?" Carmine asks, arms crossed and brow raised.

"Is this business related?" The faunus cuts in.

Pause...

Dory looks just as chipper, but he's frozen in place the millisecond a new voice joined the conversation. His eyes like stone locked on nothing in particular as Carmine sighs. The faunus frowns, looking back and forth between the boy and lawyer. "What's... what's wrong with him?"

"He expected to just talk to me, so you scared him. Just wait a minute." Carmine explains.

"..." Silence drones for about thirty seconds before Dory's eyes begin to focus and look towards the faunus.

"Ah... Hello, fine sir. You are..?" He starts hesitant, drawing his speech out as the faunus looks flabbergasted by the action.

"This is my handler for the day, Gale." Carmine introduces the faunus to save time. "Guess we are on for business. Did you bring everything we needed?"

Dory seems to ease, but shy as he rubs his neck. "Ah, per your request, your account, as well as half of Blair's, Neo's, and a quarter of Roman's were used to rent as many weapons as the Mibu could make at your all's home. It's in a shipping container at port seventeen- Here." He cuts himself off and reaches into his pockets, fishing out a page and offering it. "It's listed under the name Eagle Eyes, password for the lock is 4-B-1-D-3."

Gale takes the page and nods. "These weapons are high quality? How many we talking?"

"You'd piss off the Mibu asking about quality." Carmine speaks off hand. "But, five custom weapons to outfit the Fang's best fighters along with 75 mass production melee weapons and 45 rifles. At the very least, the bulk of your forces will be armed enough to tear down most of AZRL's series Reds and regular guards in a fight."

The faunus is agape at that. "I... You expect that much as an upfront payment?"

"Actually a rental. I offered to get the Mibu to outfit you guys, but the condition is for Aranea to arrange all weapons to be returned through him when we're done." Carmine remarks. "If you want to keep anything permanently, YOU ALL will be footing that bill." He then smirks. "Also, keep em without pay, and you make an enemy of some of the best weapon smiths in the world. You'll see your enemies get armed to the teeth for a discount out of spite."

"The Fang honors its deals, boy." Gale grinds out, but still gazing over the paper looking shocked.

"Yeah, we'll see." Carmine mutters with a side glare. He turns it to Dory. "You didn't say anything about Blair's request."

Dory freezes, but only for a second as he starts rubbing his bald head. "Aw, see. Rama is actually still working on it."

"We're on a time table though. AZRL is likely going to sell their hostages within the next few months." The boy protests.

"He knows. The issue he ran into was acquiring some rare metals for the works. Blair specified some parts required being alloyed with crystals, which drove hard sale. The materials only arrived two weeks ago, and he's been working the material nonstop."

"Any clue on when it'll be ready?" The boy's impatience was threatening to rear its head.

"Aw, I'm not too privy to details, but he said once the alloys are properly proportioned, it'll still take a week to fit it all properly. You're looking two weeks out, at least." He looks apologetic. "Is there anything else I can help with?"

Carmine shakes his head. "No, you've done plenty for us, thank you." He sighs, despite the gratitude. "Still, that pushes the attack back. We're waiting here for rendezvous with scouts about the location of AZRL's last base. We could know where it's at today, tomorrow, or be waiting several weeks still. We'd very much like Blair's adapter finished before then."

Dory shifts and nods. "If any other transactions are needed, just contact me. Roman told me to be on standby."

Both Carmine and Gale send off looks. "Wait, what? What the hell is Roman planning on buying?"

. . .

Bzzt. Bzzt... Bzzt. Bzzt.

The scroll vibrates, shifting position with each ring. The rings go until it goes to voicemail. The audible call sounds on speaker.

"Oh, come now. Why would you ignore old friends? Break my heart! Will it help if I say it's business?"

Roman's voice carries in the back kitchens of the establishment. The workers wearing server outfits send curious looks before glancing over...

The boss in the room seizes upon hearing the voice. He turns slowly... Junior sends a suspicious glare at the scroll in question. He looks to the curious staff members as he scoffs. "Back to work! The bar's still waiting on that cheese fry!" He then grabs the scroll, moving for his private office.

Junior's Night Club, Vale

"Would you answer quicker if I said your father is more punctual-"

Junior answers in a huff. "Roman! You're holding up a dinner order."

"... Bully for you. You opened a restaurant now? I should order a steak when we come to Vale next time. Catch up! Your treat, though."

The mob boss narrows his gaze. "It's bar grill additions for weekends. Wild hit. Which you are interrupting. I hope for something relevant."

"Well then, Junior my friend... See, I've got a wee little deal to offer." His cheeky remarks, fully knowing how irritating the wording inflames the barman.

Junior slams the door for his office shut before taking a calm breath. "Stop burning my time. What bump in the road is it this time? AZRL throwing you for a loop?"

"I'm surprised you still recall their name, not having helped in that regard in a while."

The man flares his nostrils. "You won't provoke me into charity."

"Fooey. Spoil my fun." At a pause in the conversation, Roman is forced to continue in his smarmy tone. "I'm fine, too. Thank you for asking. Ah, but I bear good news... if you agree to help. We ACTUALLY are almost finished."

Junior shifts, brow raised. "Really now?" He considers for a moment, brushing his beard. "AZRL actually that bad off then? So, they really were behind that debacle at the auditorium."

"Yes, well." Ah, there's the doubt. "They are down to we believe one and only base. Only one major batch of kiddies left in the wings... And we plan on crashing down the hammer of wrath before they can make that sweet, sweet, bank. A final strike and... the beast falls."

The mob boss glances brightly. "I can scarcely believe it. Which is why I don't. You need something from me. So, no beating around the bush."

Roman scoffs. "Just a public service! One, two, twelve transport choppers."

"And there it- WHAT?!" Junior slams the desk in his office as he processes that request. "What in- NO! Who the hell are you to ask that?"

Full smarmy mania comes in the conman's voice. "A VERY charming friend."

"I'm hanging up."

"Wait!" The conniving tone is dropped. If only a little. "You're missing the golden goose opportunity! The Big Game Kill ahead! The most dangerous game of them all! The notch in your cap!"

"I'm in control by near monopoly of the Vale territories. To hell with charity, so either make me back MILLIONS of Lien, and I do mean many, many millions, or make due on your own." He leans against the desk, crossing his arms. "What do four fools need a dozen transports for? You can't even drive them all."

"Oh, they're not for us. They're for our benefactors. Our boys in the bunker and front lines." Roman sells.

"I'm out. You're in Atlas, and I've no interest in working with Whales or Rufus."

"Oh, I'm not talking about mobsters. No, I'm talking about worse! Activists!" Roman speaks, giddy, and insulting of the group.

Junior tenses. "Excuse you? You can't be serious?! After that auditorium fiasco, you're mad!"

"Beggars can't be choosers. And what better to hunt criminals than hounds with fangs?" Roman snickers. "Simply put, we're not transporting the homeless or safeguarding the bystanders, my man. We are arming for assault. And every. Toy. Counts."

"The Fang?! The FANG?!" Junior shakes his head. "How and why are they even working with you? They've collectively gone insane! Name a big score, and the local branch has made security measures raise enough to become nightmares!" He sighs. "Some up and coming psycho brat's been hitting Atlas shipments. Even if I wanted to help you, security and shipments are such that I can't possibly get you all those transports."

Roman seems to take a moment for consideration. "How many CAN you get?"

Junior pauses. His chin strokes pause. "I SUPPOSE I can get you three."

"Ten."

The boss sneers at the scroll. "Bartering?! Really? Gah! Five." He gives into the argument.

"Come now. You call yourself the master of Vale, and you can't even manage eight? How pathetic."

"..." Junior glares fiercely at the scroll before speaking low. "Make it very, VERY worth my while, and the animals can get seven."

"I have ideas... Any preferences?"

Junior snorts. Oh, he can think of something...

. . .

White Fang Settlement

Loud banging knocks ring on the door! The hard wood turns in to reveal the room's occupant: Aranea.

The bird faunus is alert as she eyes her scout. "What's the matter?"

"Ma'am. Lloyd lost track of the CRBN girl! She ditched them while we were organizing shipments! Just- Just her image broke out of nowhere!" The man's frantic panic is decidedly not reciprocated by his calm leader. Seeing no reaction, the man urges on. "We must alert the watch and find-"

Aranea opens the door further, revealing Neo sitting on her room's desk lightly kicking her feet. Rather chipper. Nearby is Vindhler, glaring daggers at the mute.

"-her..." The scout cools, like water splashed on him. "Uh-"

"It's fine. Leave us." Aranea orders. The man leaves, confused while the leader turns to the mute.

Vindhler sneers. "Some panic would do them good. It's careless to let this girl wander freely." He locks eyes with Neo, the girl smirking just to annoy him. "They're not part of us, and we're adhering to escorts at all times."

"After a while, you begin to tire of your brothers being embarrassed losing track of her." Aranea comments. "We're working together, and I doubt this girl is sabotaging us. Best to put our energy towards the operation."

"Today's ally of convenience is not loyal tomorrow." Vindhler twitches annoyed. Neo sends him a coy look before turning away. "She's fishing for secrets."

That makes Neo make a grossed out face, shrugging her shoulders.

Aranea turns to her second in command. "She's been spying on our brothers who conspire against them." At Vindhler's furrowed brow, she turns to Neo. "Another one bother you?"

Neo smirks, removing a note from a pocket in her cropped jacket interior. The leader accepts the note and begrudgingly reads it over. The amount of time passing makes the man in the room shift uncomfortable. "Well?"

"Gareth and Erik of the arming camp have suggested to some drunkards to make an attempt on CRBN's lives." Aranea looks up. "This is the third note in the last week of someone's behavior trying to go behind our backs."

Vindhler scoffs. "And you believe her? She can scarcely explain herself-... Wait, is that why you shunted Frye's original monitoring schedule?" His defense immediately catches on in rising ire.

Aranea closes her eyes in thought, opening her drawer and producing a knife with a polymer handle. "Frye had commissioned this knife made that fingerprints cannot adhere to. Harald admitted to its purpose when I questioned him about Frye."

Vindhler's face twists in fury seeing Neo seemingly doing as Aranea speculates.

"But, you do raise a point." Aranea brings up. "Which is why I haven't rescinded the escorts on the CRBN members. And also why anyone with sensory semblances have been relegated to guarding the armory." Aranea sends a curt glare at Neo. "Agreement or not, you enter there, and we WILL know."

Neo loses her smirk, pouting as she slouches a bit. Her brow bounces up as she turns away.

"Vindhler, if you would be so kind as to be her escort for now. I need you to make nice with them before we finalize our operation."

The horned man bows, his fake voice back. "As your grace would command." He looks to Neo, eyes narrowed. "And command you as well."

Neo smirks, eyes blinking as the colors switch sides. She scoots off the desk as the two leave the room. Aranea watches them go until resting her head in her palms. Stress...

. . .

Within the settlement, Blair dwells within a dark tent. She lights a lantern, illuminating the area showcasing a workbench with varying tools. Oddly enough... It's Velvet Valentine, Roman's weapon, that lies before her.

She scrutinizes it...

The scorched damage along the shaft of the weapon...

The Atlas Agent, Whis Palmo. His lightning whip did this when Roman allowed it to coil his weapon. According to Roman and Neo, the lasso was capable of fusing a person's elemental semblance with latent dust ports inside, infusing the entire length with the enhanced element...

The coiling lasso had managed to bite into Velvet's haft, into the gun barrel inside. It's critically damaged, unable to transform or fire. Hush had been coiled by the lasso as well, but the parasol's black dust infusion for its casing nullified the dust aspect of the elemental enhancement. Not enough lightning could burn into Hush's material, saving the defensive umbrella from harm.

By comparison, Roman's prize possession is... crippled.

He's had this since before he met Carmine. Something from his childhood, his old family. It truly meant something to him.

Oh, disregarding his lackadaisical response to his weapon's state when they'd first arrived to the settlement with an unconscious Carmine. He'd said "A tool breaks at some point," and went off.

But, she saw his eyes. A slight linger. His hands fidgeted every so often since they'd arrived here. To some degree, he's hiding the weapon's attachment to him.

Hence, why she thought to try fixing it!

But it's a completely different material from meager ones she has access to. In fact, She had planned to obtain a surplus of material to smelt and mix with the original material, reform the casing, and reattach the new completed pieces as needed. But... The available material is too brittle. Velvet Valentine is also made of too fine material.

Because of course it's adamantine cobalt! She can't tell what percentage it is. High end is more likely. Not pure, as very, VERY few items in the world can boast that.

She COULD smelt and mix in the lesser materials and decrease the content. The weapon will be significantly less durable. The complexity of the fire dust shots would have to be changed for either burst fire or even semi automatic, to keep from overheating the interior.

… Not that even doing so would keep the poor iron material at hand from melting under the dust usage.

Who'd have thought a tricked out cane would be potentially the most complex craft of their weapons?

Blair sighs, needing a break. She looks to her scroll grabbing it before heading for the door. Her escort is outside. "I need to make a call. Will you escort me out of the base?"

. . .

Some time later, Blair is riding in the hills with her escort driving the civilian vehicle. The spotted faunus seems keen to not speak with the cold blonde, which Blair is thankful for.

"This is far enough." Blair notes once she has a decent signal. The car comes to a halt on a rough gravel road, a dusting layer of snow on the low altitude area. Blair looks to her escort. "If you wish to inform your leader later, I am notifying an informant that we will be alerting Atlas to AZRL's location after our operation is over. Beyond that, this conversation is private."

The escort narrows their gaze, but removes the keys with the car in park. He exits the driver side and leaves Blair inside the car alone.

The blonde centers herself before making the call...

Two rings. Three. Four. Five-

The screen flashes before the video call shows on the set scroll on the dashboard...

Rowa is on the other end of the line, lips pursed with a single raised brow.

"..." Blair maintains a poker face composure, but blinks slowly.

"..." Rowa holds the look, not speaking... bad sign.

"Ahem... I can explain." Blair clears her through and starts diplomatically.

Her best friend co*cks her head at that, no facial change. "Oh, please do."

Blair gives a full rundown. "AZRL targeted the Apollo and partnered with the White Fang to start the riot. Their end goal was to use the young of the elite for extortion of enough political leverage to cement their immunity from the military, and the Fang was promised they'd get their promoted policies if the plan worked. Obviously, we cut too much into their goal lines for hostage numbers."

"Just confirming what I already know." Rowa lets in a mildly impatient tone.

The blonde lightly gulps. "... The agent who was one of AZRL's assets attempted to kill Roman and Neo. As you and the public are aware, that ended poorly for him. Which... I presume us being placed on the most wanted list is placing a great deal of stress upon you-"

"~Mhm!" Rowa nearly cuts her off with attitude. "That all?"

Blair's brow furrows as she looks off. "... I saw that Arnold joined the General on stage for a few press conferences. I am thankful he was not harmed by Spyyra." No response from Rowa. "We tried everything in our power to help the situation?" Her tone turns to a question still seeing no response from her friend. "I... fail to see what else that needs addressed."

"Oh, you passed it. Not nearly satisfied, though." At Blair's blinking in surprise, Rowa slouches. Ire gives way to concern, stress showing. "Blair, it was one thing to disobey Ozpin's orders to bring you in knowing that the conflict was over Carmine's whereabouts. I'm supposed to be trusted, but that whole thing clearly impacted his faith in me already, but... but just TALKING to you right now is treason to Atlas. Where I'm trying to build a home life with my husband! Said husband is literally head of the task force whose current initiative is to locate YOU!"

The blonde jolts with that last sentence, seeing the conflict she's stirring in the woman on screen. She nearly blurts out a question about exactly that, but... priorities. Personal priorities. A grimace pulls at her while looking at her friend. "I promise that fixing all this will come... I am so sorry for putting all of this on you. It was never my intention to create a rift between you and your love either."

Rowa gives a long look at that. Blair is able to see the bloodshot coloration in the eyes. Rowa's running on low sleep. Still, she manages a half smirk. "Arnold actually made it easier. He said he can't be complicit with hiding information if said information never gets to him, so..." She shrugs. "Talking about you guys from either side is off limits for now. He wants you to succeed, but doesn't want to compromise his loyalties either."

"You married an astounding man." Blair adds, smiling for her. "This should all be over in two months at the most."

THAT gets Rowa's attention, furrowed brows showing. "... You need something. Can you explain?" She sounded defeated, hurting the enthusiasm a bit, but her willingness to speak touches the blonde.

"Within a few weeks, we will have located AZRL's last outpost in the mountains." She watches as Rowa straightens. Last? "Given their movements and loss of resources, it is extremely unlikely that any other locations remain outside of safe houses or personal locations to individual generals. This is it. More than likely the final location where AZRL still has its children, resources, and power."

The information processes quickly, the lavender haired woman straightening up. "Give me the location! I'll alert Arnold and-" She stops upon Blair shaking her head. "What? I get you not wanting Atlas around since they want to arrest you, but something like this should absolutely peak their interest."

"First and foremost is that we have been hired out by a third party." Blair remains vague. "A third party that wants AZRL gone... to regain their own children from the events at the Apollo BEFORE Atlas gets involved. In fact, our involvement with them is the only reason they've agreed to allow Atlas to hear of it at all."

"Third part-..." The woman straightens. "Missing peoples from the event- YOU!" Rowa shakes her head, the camera shifting with clear movements of the woman in her home. Steps sound, until finally, Rowa slaps her own scroll in place on a counter, clearly taking a lap around the room with her fingers on her temples. "First, you mess with the Cult, and now the FANG?! You literally just were fighting them."

"AZRL stabbed them in the back. They are... quite vindictive to say the least. A noble opponent is more trustworthy than a conniving traitor." Blair cuts an eye to the driver side door of the car, the faunus escort outside. "They are accommodating, and quite cold. It's purely business, but in our favor. When we've located the base entrance, we and the Fang will be assaulting the compound in a united front."

Rowa grimaces. Her voice cracks as she forces herself. "I can be there!"

"No."

The lavender haired woman double takes and slams her hand on her kitchen counter. "You can't expect me to let you go to war when your own side will leave you gutted! We're not talking old school White Fang. The time of Ghira is clearly dead after that... that... BULLsh*t at the Apollo. Let me watch your back, Blair. Please."

Blair sighs. "I need you elsewhere. That is why I'm calling." Rowa perks slightly. "I need you to be the liaison for Atlas. From the moment the battle starts, I will forward you the location. It'll be two hours at minimum for Atlas to arrive with their troops, giving plenty of time for the battle to happen... and the Fang to clear out. I need you to be ready with the cavalry and ready to put our work in the best light to Atlas."

She continues, letting her face wash with hope. "Rowa... this is it. It'll be over. We'll be done!" She smiles. "A job only a Huntress could do..." She says low, looking off.

That sore spot... Rowa frowns. "I just don't understand why we can't all be there at once. I just hate how the stupid politics of all this are making it that much harder." She pauses, glancing over. "Allow me to guess. You wouldn't allow Atlas there regardless of the Fang, would you? I could contact Ozpin to send Qrow, or Glynda."

Blair smirks. "You are correct... because that is the second reason." Her gaze narrows fierce. Possessive. "This is OUR mission. Our opponent. AZRL dies by CRBN's hand, and that includes Aline Zandril. He belongs to us. It's only right."

Rowa frowns with a light skeptic glance.

"Neo's whole life taken from her, Roman betrayed to them by his family, the sheer level of death Carmine has seen done to kids like him as well as to our allies... And yes, I am quite ready to meet out justice for Cella." Blair ends fiercely. "Survivors may exist, but we've come to terms with this. Aline Zandril dies by our hand. He and Spyyra both. By no one else. US!"

Her friend closes her eyes, processing. "Hinging your closure on revenge isn't exactly healthy..."

Blair raises a brow. "But..." She knows that tone. The tone that admits the blonde is right.

Rowa glares forward. "But when you find them, and when you kill them, you will tell me each and every detail so I can sleep very well that night."

The blonde nods, resolute. "Even Glynda would agree." Seeing an expecting look from Rowa, she purses her lips. "What?"

"Got anything to say to her?" Rowa pries.

Blair takes a breath, less put off than she'd expected. "Pass on a message for her. For Ozpin as well." THAT gets a stiff shock from the woman. "Tell them to expect two highly decorated students next Fall. We shall mend bridges in time for my kids to take over that school." Blair ends in a prideful smirk.

Rowa barks out a laugh. "Your kids, I see. I think I'll use that exact wording." She gets serious with a final nod. "Be careful."

The call cuts, leaving the blonde alone to her thoughts.

. . .

Back at the hidden settlement, Blair enters with her escort to a stir within.

The crowds were a bust with mutterings. Her escort perks and begins speaking with a nearby guard. Blair looks over their faces. Grim... She follows the escort further until arriving back at the primary manor.

Upon entering, she finds Carmine, Roman, and Neo already in the mix with Aranea and Vindhler. Approaching, she immediately catches ire from the male faunus. "Oh, look. We've been graced with the completed party..."

"Loose ends are tied for the day we attack." Blair starts, seeing the grim look from Carmine. "What happened?"

Carmine shares a look with Aranea, letting the faunus speak for her people. "We have narrowed AZRL's base to one of six mountains, with higher likelihoods with three of them. But... we've lot half of our scouts. AZRL knows we are coming, and... the settlement is coping with more losses."

Ah. She nods at that. "My condolences..."

"Using the utmost of care and caution, yet we still get outdone so easily." Vindhler grumbles, glancing over to the CRBN crew. "You were given power. Seems moving forward will require you."

Roman clicks his tongue, looking off.

"Oh, please say what you are holding back, sir." Vindhler sarcastically drawls.

"We arm you, we arrange transport, and we agree to get your young, but still you ache for help like a whimpering child. Oh, to be incompetent." Roman mocks.

Carmine steps between them. "Stop it. I'm not in the mood for you sass, Roman." He then sends a look to Vindhler. "Or your toxic attitude. Not doing us any good."

The male opens his mouth, but Aranea raises a hand to cut him off. She grumbles and looks off. She takes the lead. "He does have a point. We will likely require your assistance with the scouting parties to be able to start approaching. Our scouts couldn't even tell attacks were occurring."

"Test for Blacks." Roman comments. Catching attention, he raises a finger. "Series Blacks in their training would often be paired or grouped with unknown handlers, each called Johnson. The purpose would be giving them an assignment that tests their stealth, stress problem solving, or combat capability. I saw my fair share of them."

Neo tenses. Carmine and Blair spare a glance to her, noting her tightened grip on Hush. She remembers... She attempted to betray AZRL during one of said test missions... It resulted in the loss of her ability to communicate.

Roman catches her nostalgia, or lack thereof, to make an additional point. "Typically, such tests are done in heavily controlled environments, never quite this open to someone wanting to defect. Yet, no one was brave enough to take a step to speak with your scouts. Despite having only a few months in training, they are progressing somehow."

"You think the Blacks are subjects not from the Apollo incident? More disciplined?" Blair offers.

"Neo was in their training for two years, but from her version, that's her being too unruly to sell yet just talented enough to keep trying." Roman shrugs. "It's not impossible they've got some leftovers, but considering how dire their situation is to stab the Fang in the back to begin with... doubtful."

"They're training the ones they just got. That includes the faunus they captured." Aranea adds to the speculation. "Vindhler, how much did you interact with them before the Apollo riot? How did they seem to treat their young?"

Her second crosses his arms and stands as tall as he can. "Ruthless." He turns to the CRBN group. "Loath as I am to ask in a more befitting way, we cannot continue to pursue our scouting without some more manpower on hand."

Blair steps up. "I can come then. My semblance will help knowing when the enemy approaches."

"No." Carmine cuts her off. "Roman needs a replacement weapon, and you're better at making weapons than the rest of us." A quick look to the conman before he rattles off. "If she can't fix Velvet, get a design ready for her. We can't wait for materials."

A touch of light lost in the man, Roman hums nonchalant, shrugging. "Figures we'd run low on resources. I'll throw a miracle together." He flicks a hand as he walks off. The CRBN members notice the off tone to his smarmy reply.

No matter. Carmine turns to Neo. "You and me. We'll help the scouting." Neo smiles and nods. Looking back to the faunus, he gives his reasoning. "Between her illusion cover and my spotting, we should speed things along and have some backup."

Vindhler scoffs. "The children? Hmph!"

"Children just murdered your scouts." Carmine cuts back, heated.

Aranea steps in. "Our remaining scouts are still recovering, and I don't think morale is high enough to go shoving them back out there."

Vindhler steps up, catching attention. "Then I shall accompany the two brats on scouting." He speaks plainly, not as hostile- Is he showing off? He gives a sneer Carmine's way. Never mind. "Well? Don't hold us up, boy."

The red haired boy glares after him, but speaks to Blair first. "The final materials for your machine aren't molded yet, so Rama couldn't send them. It'll be a few weeks still. Focus on other avenues til then."

The blonde grimaces, annoyed by the news. She nods. "I understand."

Vindhler, flanked by Carmine and Neo, makes for the door...

. . .

Some time later, Blair finds herself drawing a blank on ideas. The materials available are able to be made into simple weapons, nothing more. Even attempting to make a duplicate of the damaged piece on Velvet failed spectacularly. The new material just can't deal with the heat from Roman's fire dust.

She pulls back, scowling at the metals before her.

"Lien for your thoughts?"

Blair resists the urge to flinch, Roman's voice coming from behind. She looks over, seeing him smirking. "That the White Fang is exceptional at terrible craftsmanship. These metals cannot be used to fix Velvet Valentine... I'm sorry."

Roman stares at the broken weapon on the desk a touch too long, but covers his expression with a brow raise. "Oh, that? I already took care of it."

Crrk...

Blair scoots the chair in her sudden stiff shift, now sitting upright. "Care to repeat that?"

Roman saunters up, an odd click missing Blair's detection for the moment. "It's a museum piece. Very useful, but can't afford to weep over it." He smirks at Blair. "Did I not mention? Part of our communications with home. Got my replacement."

Click Click...

Blair tilts her head down, looking at the cane in his hand. Much simpler than Velvet, using solid colors with no underlying patterns...

A white hook handle, a hidden trigger function within the grip. A red connection connects it to dark gray, almost black, metal shaft. Immediately after the red, part of the black is cut out, revealing a white slide... Ammo insertion? Further, the black shaft down to a pattern forged red plating on the end of the shaft.

Roman raises the cane, pointing the red end directly at Blair's chest...

With an unseen movement, the end tip flips up, becoming a gun sight! The shaft of the cane is a gun barrel as well! With a flick, the sight covers the bottom again.

Instantly she understands. Velvet Valentine stood out more since its ammo drum had to be concealed outside it. This weapon is simpler, more easily used for subtlety. The trade of course is that it must have next to no sustained fire capability. Given the barrel size, it's likely compensated by a much more powerful fire dust round. A many time greater caliber than the hundreds of shots Velvet has.

It's handle only having the hook also limits some melee function, losing piercing power of Velvet's pick side. Blunt force won't be much different.

Blair twitches. Flabbergasted by the mystery weapon's appearance, she blurts out. "How long has this been an asset?!"

"Rama sent the completed work along with the weapons shipment for the Fang from the Mibu." Roman explains easily.

"So... you have a weapon." A statement. Not a question.

"Mhm..." Roman smirks.

"... That you kept secret from Carmine."

"Getting warmer, Love." Roman mockingly eggs on, inspecting his finger nails dramatically.

"Getting you and I out of scouting thinking I should be fixing your weapon."

Roman shrugs. "Time alone for us? I wouldn't say no to that. I am but a humble opportunist." He leans closely by her, speaking low. "I'm game if you are."

Blair narrows her gaze. "Carmine and Neo are risking themselves on scouting, and you wish to fraternize?"

He pretends to think it over before giving a coy look. "Nope!" He POPS the P, his mirth well known now. "Fraternizing isn't strong enough, and it's been a while."

The blonde maintains a heated gaze on him, irritation bubbling. Still, she only holds the look. "..."

"..." Roman looks just as pleased with himself.

"Three things." Blair states with held up fingers.

"Gimme number two first." Roman steps back with a smarmy grin.

"You're going with the first relief scouting party to relieve Carmine and Neo for this stunt."

Roman scoffs. "The boring one on the first shot, huh... Okay, gimme number one."

"What happens with Velvet Valentine for now? Shall I mail it to Haddon?"

The conman spares a considerate look upon his primary weapon. "... Yes. I'll get around to having Rama fix it, but that's for our victory lap." He then glances annoyed. "Number three?"

"Does your quick replacement have a name?" Blair eyes the cane holding his weight.

Roman flourishes the cane up before presenting it. "Melodic Cudgel."

"Mhm. Mhm..." Blair nods along with the name. "A touch elegant mixed with underlying brutality. I suits you." She cuts a look to the bed in the room. "Now, get on the bed."

"And there it is!" Roman chuckles knowing she's been pent up as well.

. . .

In the mountains, three figures in white cloaks shift in the snow. The wind is picking up, drowning out sounds, so the three move in closer proximity.

Vindhler stops at the head of a cliff, scrunching down. "Vantage point reached. We can lay in watch here for the next hour."

Carmine shufflers up, glancing behind them. A shimmer in the air.

Shattering sounds drown out in the wind, the shimmers easily confused as a trick within the white of snow. Neo is using her illusions to cover their tracks, then in raking the snow smooth using Hush as a brush.

Covering their trail from all but their scent.

The boy nods. "Good work, Neo." He shifts up next to the horned faunus, scanning around. "Any odd smells in the air?"

Vindhler growls, tensing. "Already ordering me like a tracker hound?!"

Carmine cuts a glare. "For f*ck- You have enhanced fangs. Carnivorous animals almost universally have heightened smells for tracking, one of many reasons why most, nearly all, faunus have much better senses of smell than humans! So, if you're done bitching, speak up when something smells off, please!" He rolls his eyes and begins scanning the area with binoculars.

"Well, since our senses are oh so higher developed than yours, what help exactly are you?"

Carmine bites back a retort. Something about Vindhler's general intelligence, but he lets it go. "I'm a shooter. Long range scouting is something I can help with."

Though, Makara eclipsed him in that regard... He wonders how she is for a moment.

Stay on target. He continues. "Waiting on that response. I'm not smelling much myself."

"You wouldn't." Vindhler snipes back, but finally moves on. "Nothing out of the ordinary so far. A mountain ram may have gone through here before the last bout of snow fall."

"Not even a trace of your comrades?" Carmine mutters. "That means they didn't even make it this far before getting found themselves."

That makes Vindhler growl under his breath. "The scouts never even got close to 2-5-2?" He looks around. "Culled while en route. We'll have to round the edges of the mountain for me to be sure no one even approached this area."

Carmine looks to him a moment, looking back to Neo after. "Neo, much as I hate to subject you to him, will you cover Vindhler's check for the others?"

Neo grimaces, but then looks back to the boy.

"We literally just got here."

The boy nods. "We have two ways to go about this, and we can cover both. I'll keep a lookout up here for movement since no scouts got this far. But, if you can find where the scouts died..."

"Then we track the trail from there. Find their killers." Vindhler grumbles. "But, with only the three of us, I must say I am less than enthused to instigate a fight."

Neo huffs. Vindhler glances to her as she shakes her head and gives a co*cky smirk. He intuits her meaning.

"Useful you may be, do not allow arrogance to be our downfall." The faunus lectures.

"Hmm!" Neo snorts a laugh, looking at the faunus like he grew a second head. Like he's one to talk.

Carmine gives a last look. "Neo, tune your scroll to our FM frequency. Have him call for me if something happens. I'll do the same if I see something." The other two begin to shuffle away, leaving Carmine alone in the snowy landscape.

He settles for the long lay... Thank goodness for aura shielding and very, VERY warm clothing, or he'd wish for death.

. . .

Alone...

Being alone to his thoughts has long since been Carmine's personal hell. His casual ability to spiral into the furthest reaches of his mind's guilt and regrets. Yet, since waking up in the White Fang camp, something new has waved off his lingering shadow of self reflection... That figure in his dream.

That internal mind landscape always appears during his periods of lingering between no aura, lack of consciousness, and out of body experience. For a long time, he presumed it was like anyone who had their own out of body experience or lucid dreaming. Even Blair was able to help him craft the lucidity of the scene before... when he first accessed his magic in full.

Now, he's come to associate that mental environment with his magic. ESPECIALLY in light of the figure's speech to him.

She was most certainly not Summer. But, why was Summer absent when he was out of it for a freaking month?! She's always appeared before. Is that her adhering to her last cryptic message?

"When next you see me, you'll be at a crossroads." That's what Summer, the Summer in his head, had said.

Damn it, he's still personifying the image. Summer is dead! Now, he's off topic. His magic. That's what's causing this. What does it mean?

His mind is always locked in that location whenever he's out of aura, so could that be it?

… Oh.

He freezes in place. Not from the cold.

When he has no aura? Something that... kills you... Is he... dead when he's there?

No.

No, that's nonsense. Ridiculous!

But, Summer being there, and that new apparition's words. 'This is not your mind', was it? Is it some sort of purgatory?! But, his magic always preserves his body, keeping him physically alive until his consciousness revives.

But, always explore avenues... What if that is the case?

What if that place isn't where his magic is, but rather a place where his mind is? Soul, spirit, or conscious? Ah, f*ck. Now, he's going full existential. So, what? His magic is preserving his body and pulling his mind back before he goes into the afterlife?! His magic acting as a beacon?

His thoughts dwell to Beacon... a light in the darkness, right? He shakes it off.

What's worse is... that would mean each time he's been in that mind, that place, he would have died if not for his magic...

Yay... Comfort... sarcasm.

Which, going further in that line of thought, would certainly mean even Carmine would be dead if not for his magic. He really needs to speak with his father about this. Who knows what else Ozpin is hiding from him regarding the world of magic.

He returns to scanning the area.

. . .

Neo totally got the short end of the stick.

Cleaning up the snow trail with Hush as a glorified sweeper was acceptable from Carmine, but doing so only for the abominable prick? She hears him cease walking, so she stops as well. Checking over her shoulder, she sees they've reached a cliff edge, snowy bulbs showing a bit below with gaps and holes.

Vindhler speaks low. "Forested patch down the cliff. Clear our trail, and we'll drop through one of the gaps to ground level. Must be..."

Neo sweeps the snow behind them, rounding to his side to gaze upon the view. Must be sum one hundred feet at least. She looks to the faunus, seeing his one large sword on his back. Oh well. His plan. His landing strategy.

Vindhler sniffs. Eyes narrowing. A few more sniffs. "Frozen blood..." He looks over, expecting a response, only to again realize he's with a mute. Annoyance fills him. "It's still faint. Could be the wind carrying the scent away and throwing off my gauge."

The girl puts a hand up, stepping from the ledge as her semblance shimmers! The girl takes on the image of a falling mass of snow, zooming straight down between the gaps between two trees. The Shatter snow hits the ground, the impact on the snowy ground sounding out with a puff of blown white. The breaking of the illusion is covered up as Neo covers with another illusion of a mound of icy buildup.

Not a soul.

The frozen forest is snowed over, the canopy of tree tops above shielding somewhat from the wind. Neo steps out from the breaking image. The snow level is much lower than above, having built up on the trees.

Still, it didn't take long to spot the red...

A second impact nearby. Vindhler lands.

Neo is already walking towards the red, seeing more of the body. Sure enough, it's a bird faunus, their back splayed open. Their body was frosted, eyeballs frozen balls at this point, but the back...

Oh, the back...

Vindhler approaches, eyes snapping wide, face twisting in fury.

Neo looks about for tracks, quickly finding disturbed snow in a trail going deeper into the forest. She lets him approach the body to check it. He clears some of the snow around the spot, avoiding the parts of the frost bed stained red. "These wounds look like explosives, but disturbed earth underneath signals a struggle while the wound was applied. This raking was part of the kill." He frowns looking upon the faunus. "Three steps beyond flaying. This was sloppy and slow. Amateur."

The mute pauses, coming back to appraise it. She crouches down, making Vindhler almost snarl protective. She ignores him, looking in.

She forms a note and hands it to him. Not bothering to sign for him. He reads. "Roman was right."

"What makes you certain?"

The note changes. "Sometimes, Blacks would be assigned to act out a first kill. The first is almost always the slowest and bloodiest. A mix of hesitation and misinterpreting their method will cause it to be more messy... These are their new ones. Possibly even the faunus we want to save."

With this knowledge, Vindhler appraises the wounds with a measure of clarity. "Right... Percy, that's who this is, was pinned from behind. The attacker must have been trying to stab between ribs for a swift kill. Misplaced. Percy fought to push off, but the attacker just... kept going until they... succeeded." He nearly gags. "How barbaric."

Neo points at her scroll, handing it to Vindhler.

. . .

With Carmine, the radio pops on.

"CRBN leader, do you copy?"

Carmine, feeling the need for a distraction, decides to push for conversation. "You can use my name, and yes. I copy. What's going on?" He looks to the mountain side he and Neo had descended. A quick scan to see if he can spot them.

"Hmm. We've located scout Percy. Butchered by what appears to be an unskilled hand."

Unskilled? Carmine frowns, hunching in slightly. "So, Roman was right on the money. They're using counter measures against us as training missions. That complicates things." A short pause before he adds. "What's your location?"

"Forest on the eastern side. We leapt down a cliff into the thicket, so you won't see it."

Carmine shifts and turns with a look through the binoculars in hand. "sh*t, you guys covered ground... Okay, I see the forest poking out a little north towards a slanted field connecting to the next mountain. If that's your direction, I can spot for you."

"Then luck blesses us. The trail his killer appears to use is northward."

The boy keeps an eye on the area. A trail means action at any moment.

. . .

Vindhler continues. "Do also alert us to any Grimm, if you would."

Neo, ahead of him, keeps a look around. Yet, that comment catches her. Why hasn't there been any Grimm? There's been wild animals. Mountain rams, birds. Must be a mountain lion somewhere in the area with some tracks they'd passed.

To not see a single Grimm is... odd.

In fact, Grimm sightings in this area are incredibly low, given the scouting reports. In Vale, it made sense to have huge swaths of land Grimmless because of Huntsman patrols. Much of Vale territories have sparse populations, after all.

Atlas, on the other hand, is incredibly rare with its rural populations, gravitating almost ninety percent towards massive population centers or small cities in key points. As such, Atlas doesn't do the level of wild Grimm hunting as Vale, instead focusing on expansion of force centers rather than the patchwork protections allowing frontier farmers ease of risk.

For this area to be so devoid of Grimm would imply someone is clearing them...

She smirks. Another point to AZRL. They must be doing so. That has to be it. Grimm will once again freely walk the mountains once AZRL is gone.

She pauses, blinking. Her eye colors swapping with the realization.

When they're done here... AZRL will be gone. The four of them will celebrate and... what? Head back to Haddon, live with the Mibu? Develop a trade?

And that would mean... in just one year, she'll be off with Carmine to a hunter academy?

… Is she going to become a huntress? Dealing with the Grimm, like those missing from here, will be her job?!

She double takes, blinking her eyes cross colors multiple times. She shakes it off and continues to search around. She's not one to dwell and lose her head in the moment, but... she knows Carmine's likely career path once AZRL is finished. She knows, more than anything, that he won't be alone. She WILL be by his side.

So, that means Neopolitan Rhodes will become a Huntress in Training within the year.

… That... No. That can't be right?

A slight look away.

It's not like that's a bad thing. Hell, the idea seems incredibly fun. Slaughtering monsters, showing off to others. And sure, there is that whole thing with that cult... Life of adventure.

But, like? Neo? Paragon of virtue?

Heh... That would be something to shove in her bitch mother's face someday.

The best part of it would be Carmine and Blair, though. Neo feels a touch of warmth dwelling on them. That she, the thief, could possibly live up to their aspirations? Cause, like Roman, Neo doesn't have the bleeding heart of the hunters. Granted, she's not quite as jaded as him. The girl is more than happy to achieve something if it's for the two that believe in her that unconditionally.

Like family. A love and a mother. As well as her begrudging father in the corner.

Someone should write a sitcom with that kind of dynamic!

"We've moved out from the mountain cover into the open forest." Vindhler speaks into the scroll radio.

Neo is snapped from the inside thoughts. She stops in a gap between trees, sending a glance towards the mountain top to their side.

Carmine's voice chimes in. "Gotcha. Scanned ahead and only found some elk. Give me a second to just... find... Ah hah! There's Neo!"

She smirks, raising a hand and waving it towards the distant peak.

"Hi, Neo." He replies chipper.

The slight goofiness breaks her smirk into a giggling grin. Such a dork! She can also see the ire in Vindhler's gaze, which may be why Carmine committed to the bit. Either way, she relishes it.

"If you're done flirting like the school children you are, would you enlighten us to the path ahead?" He condescends while beginning to walk ahead of Neo.

"Besides the storm cloud that's always over just YOUR head, there's a creek line half a mile ahead of you. While I'm sure it's frozen and only runs during summer, I would expect it's an area where wild life will still be. I've seen the odd wolf around, so be wary. If your path takes you up creek, you can get to a nice vantage point to scout the area, but that depends which way your path is going."

Neo and Vindhler begin their trek.

The streaks left by the scout's killer continue on until reaching the creek Carmine mentioned. Suddenly, more disturbances in the snow become apparent. They crouch by and look it over. Neo smirks. "Mhm!" She hums her acknowledgment. A group of people.

Vindhler eyes it slightly longer, crouching. "Agreed. At least six people. We were following one. This must have been a rendezvous point." He eyes a split in the paths. "Two came from up stream towards the vantage point given." He turns the other way, looking ahead. "Three came from the pass reaching towards the next mountain." He sniffs one more time. "All six then double back towards the pass."

Neo begins walking, Vindhler stands and follows. He keys the radio.

"We've got a substantial path. We have crossed the creek, so that's a no go on the vantage point. Do you have eyes on the pass towards the next mountain?"

A few seconds before Carmine chimes back "-ck." He finishes a curse word before letting it get caught over the radio. "I have some view, but hold your position. I'll come to you and head up stream to the vantage point for you."

Vindhler rolls his eyes. "Be quick with it."

Thus the pattern goes.

Neo and Vindhler follow the building paths, and Carmine shifts from vantage point to vantage point providing overhead security.

This goes until they clear the mountain completely, reaching the pass to the next one...

Vindhler and Neo each move over a merged crossing to the next cliff side, slowly checking their surroundings with each step. More open and exposed, Neo begins covering them in her illusion, Vindhler once again taking point.

. . .

At a new high point, Carmine slinks down against a rock, scanning over the area.

This is odd... They're long since passed what must have been the border areas the scouts died in. They were found and slaughtered because they got too close.

So... where's the welcome wagon? Where's the counter guards?

Carmine switches scopes, pulling out a set of binoculars with a view screen rather than eye slots. He holds it up. A wave reader!

Blair made sure to have one of these stored at Haddon in case they needed it sent for any reason. A scope that views electronic wave patterns instead of light waves. Rather than seeing the landscape before him, he instead sees slight waves in his field of view. Intensity of radio frequencies. The intensity of the colors can help determine the types of radio waves being used.

The reason for this baby is to determine many things. One, to make sure no one is tapping into similar frequencies to them. Two, to find wireless and various types of trap or sensory devices. Granted, this wouldn't help much with those hard wired underground. But, here's hoping AZRL doesn't have THAT much of resources to hard wire multiple mountains.

Then again, that would fit with them.

All the more angering when nothing comes up, save for spikes of red whenever Vindhler and Neo communicate with him! Damn it!

Maybe if... wait.

He finds a spot of haze around a corner. The frequency is low both from its power and length. He frowns and communicates. "Heads up. Ridge ahead has electrical interference of some kind. Look out for mechanical traps, sensors, whatever."

. . .

Vindhler and Neo pause at the traffic, sharing a look. "We read. I'm toning down your traffic to go low sound. Don't expect responses."

As they approach, Carmine chimes in. "Gotcha. The ridge is blocked by a formation, but I see at least two exits from your direction. One uphill, one downhill."

Coming to the corner, the two back against the rock formation blocking their lookout's view. Vindhler pulls a pocket mirror out, peaking it around the corner. His face scrunches, slowly angling to alternate views... Then pockets the mirror with a sigh of relief.

He steps round the corner, speaking over the radio. "False alarm." Neo eases and glances around, curious.

Before them is a burrow entrance to a cave, barely large enough for Neo to squeeze through. Strange. Must be a drainage crack in the rocky land allowing excess melting snow to wash into creaks lower down the mountain.

But all this was the second thing they noticed...

Crystal. Indigo shimmers mixed with the rock splitting the sediments. The crystalline substance creeps up near fifteen feet up the rock climb. Like cracks in glass, the vein appears. It runs into the burrow. Neo recognizes it similar to CRBN's first job with the cult... In the city of Verniay.

They'd fought a Nelo inside an newly discovered shaft... Dust deposits. Unrefined.

They'd fell through the surface into a massive one. This on the other hand.

"It's a genuine, raw dust deposit." Vindhler peers in closer. "It's naturally intermixed into a crystal deposit as well. Why, with proper refining, this could yield both dust and... is that quartz? Yes..."

He brings the radio back up. "It's a raw dust vein that's grown in with a quartz deposit. The dust must be lightning dust to merge so well, using the quartz as a conductor."

"And that's sending waves out like a solar flare? You sure there's no tech involved?"

"Certain. No reason to leave a vein like this without harvesting. The cracks around the exposure is fairly clean. I would say it's only be exposed rather recently." Vindhler inspects the crystal. "I'm going to mark this for later use."

Neo sends a curious gaze, so he elaborates.

"After AZRL and Atlas are gone from the region, the Fang could use a natural resource like this. Especially once we can reliably refine it without Atlas's tools." Vindhler is... excited. He's not holding back the optimism of the find!

The girl lets him have it, choosing instead to check the surrounding stone. Vindhler was right on the money. Jagged splits in the rock around must have broken off from a shift in the land. The pieces had snow on them, but not as much as others. Indeed, this was fresh, which seemed odd.

She glances about only to find a disturbed clump of snow... She checks it-

"Hm!" Her high pitch, closed mouth gasp chips, pulling Vindhler's attention.

A body hidden in the snow... small, lithe. Stiff as stone.

The two look it over, Neo grimacing as Vindhler looks it over, wiping snow from the head. "This is... a human." He looks up to Neo. "Not one of our scouts."

Neo points to the broken stone that revealed the dust vein, earning a look of clarity. The two shift the frozen corpse in hand until peeling the red frost caked jacket up. Eventually, they expose lifeless blue pale skin with black lettering... '10,121'.

The two stare at the evidence before sharing a glance. Neo nods, immediately scouring the area. Footprints, more snow disturbances, anything?

Meanwhile, Vindhler keys the radio. "The updates continue. We found a dead Series Black. Number 10,121. One of our scouts, or at least something in the area, fought back successfully it seems."

"Which way do tracks go? If there's even a chance they're still alive out here, we need to rescue them!" Carmine responds, earning a frown from the faunus.

Neo hums, catching his attention. The tracks go downhill. She swipes a touch of snow aside, revealing frozen red soaked further in. Small drops of blood that must have come from the survivor... The snow is disturbed, human sized tracks where the feet cleared the snow height, streaks where they failed to lift their foot enough.

Vindhler snarls. "Of course, we're mounting a rescue, fool! The tracks lead downhill. What can you make out ahead?"

. . .

Carmine eyes the path ahead of Neo and Vindhler's position. Darker. The lower altitude won't be as thick with snow, but the path moves to a rougher landscape. Breaks between the mountains and steep slopes eventually disappear under gaps and connections above.

"A lot of breaks in sight going that direction. You'll need to watch your steps." He frowns as he looks at the nearest cliff from him. "If something happens with you guys, I can use my armor to drop down fairly quickly, but once that happens, down is the only way to go. That path might force us to end the scout search, but not much else to do."

"You so casually accept an end to the search."

Sneering at the radio, the boy snipes back. "Hope for the best, expect the worst, right? Just how the hell are you supposed to be a charismatic second in command?"

. . .

Later...

Neo and Vindhler slide down a rocky slope, following the disturbances in the snow. However, now much of the ground shows the rocky earth poking out from the white. Tracking gets trickier and trickier, as even the small specks of blood seemed to leave.

However, Vindhler catches the smells...

He pauses, his feet slipping a second before stabilizing. Neo gives a concerned glance nearby as he turns. "Three scents are clear. Four total. Three are faunus. One is... not human or animal." He grimaces. "Something else that throws me nauseous."

Neo does some test pointing around, so Vindhler whiffs the air before nodding diagonally down the drop. Neo nods, leaping off and opening Hush. The girl glides along the air, softly touching down ahead of Vindhler, earning a glare.

"Impish wench." He mutters.

"Cave ahead of you. You seem to be heading for it, but it won't be visible til you round the next cliff wall." Carmine chimes in.

Neo frowns. Without the snow illusion trick, they're out in the open now. The scout must have come through during the night, seeking refuge. Indeed, around the turn is a cave. She and Vindhler approach, stopping at the mouth of the cave.

"Be careful. I won't be able to read you or reach you if that goes too deep." The CRBN leader chimes back.

Vindhler sighs, drawing his sword. "Must you pester?" He says to himself, radio away. Neo sends a side glare, so he scoffs. "Oh? Did you assume I forgot you could hear? I do not care if you heard."

She sneers and looks ahead. He's such a genuine asshole from her point of view.

They enter...

Going into the cave harbors some measure of heat inside. No, it's shelter from the wind. It's night and day, the difference. As they march on, they check the surroundings. The ground is bone dry, only dirt and sediments around. Nothing of value like the dust vein before.

However, both she and Vindhler halt at the same moment, eyes locked before them...

A line. A single thread connecting diagonally from one corner to another, right in front of their waist lines. So thin... Neo peers at it, seeing more ahead in the dark. Vindhler hands her scroll back to her, squinting in the dark. He must have better vision in the dark than her, so she clips the device to her belt, the light on.

Further on, more threads...

Vindhler growls low under his breath. "Silk..." He whiffs in the air and glances around. "Only one... the problem is where?"

And how big, Neo wishes to ask, but doesn't. Most spider Grimm aren't too terribly large, maybe the size of a very, very large dog. The outlines of the cave clearly show some den making on its part, expanding size. So, this must be an Alpha.

An Alpha Spider Grimm.

Reaching into another corner, the silk is now covering parts of the floor, as well as wrapped husks of material... prey...

Drained of life. Consumed. Suckled dry within the fangs of the beast to come.

They finally reach the inner chamber... webbing all around each side. The ground is uneven, and the lumps of wrapped material are larger. Less consumed...

Vindhler frowns. "It knows we're here... It's trap is laid." Glancing at the webbing, he frowns. "Ground is meant to impede us. No matter where we step, we'll be stuck. No way to pursue it inside."

Not necessarily, Neo disagrees. She eyes the floor inside. One spot where the webbing doesn't quite overlap. She nudges him and points with Hush.

"You're so arrogant. It will strike true if you're wrong."

She nods and signs. "Once I expose it, go for the kill. Then, criticize me." She smirks co*cky back at him as she widens her stance.

Suddenly, the girl leaps into the lair!

She lands, her smiling dropping as the web seems to shift... The middle of the lair's floor opens, revealing a multi eyed mask on the center of a rising body with fangs! White bone spike hairs line its bulbous back! An Alpha Spider Grimm!

It lunges in a second, fangs out and forward pedipalps open. The threat lunge comes as it bites into the shocked teen girl with the ferocity of a trained hunter-

SHATTER!

The beast flinches in place, its eight legs flapping wildly as it tries to right itself! Confusion of its prey disappearing crafts the opening...

"HYAH!" Vindhler leaps in and lunge thrusts the full length of his large sword into its center body from the side! The spider thrashes in a screech of pain, fighting to turn and snap at the man, but he digs his footing in. Even as the webbing sticks him into place, his sword inside the monster anchors its angle!

It cannot free itself without ripping the blade through a vital area... It has become the trapped prey, flailing helpless before its predator.

A final crack, and Vindhler pries the sword out, slicing the beast between the fangs! It's knocked onto its back, twitching out before succumbing to the deadly wounds.

He flicks his blade, disgust written on him. He then glances over his shoulder, scowling.

Neo is still outside the lair, smiling and waving... She never even entered. Cheeky little brat!

Attempting to move, he finds his feet rather stuck in the webbing. A growl comes as Neo smiles wider. "Hmm Hmm!" She sing songs her humming laugh before leaping in. Aiming her jump, she lands directly on the dead spider, delivering a quick double tap slash for safe measure.

Using their weapons to slice and carve the webbing aside, they now begin searching the lair. Lumps of drained animal corpses around, but they're here for...

AHA!

Three human shaped wrappings! They pause though... one of the shapes shriveled and ripped open at the gut with tinges of red through the cocoon... Neo and Vindhler share a look before slowly carving some of the web free, just enough to find skin-

Soft... The internal bone structure and organs have been dissolved and drunk!

They move to the other two. Quickly slicing open the wraps, they find structure! Thank the Brothers! Both scouts, a deer faunus and rabbit faunus, are pried free from the cocoons! One is out cold, Vindhler pawing him over and checking vitals.

The other creeps his eyes open, choking for air as Neo props his head up. He gasps, looking to see Vindhler leaning his head into the other scout's chest.

"No breathing. Still warm! Prop for his head!"

Neo nods, leaning the conscious scout away as she holds the other in place. Vindhler begins chest compression. Working him over for the better part of thirty seconds, the man finally flinches and coughs. His rabbit ears pin back.

Neo releases a sigh of relief. Both men still alive.

Instantly, Vindhler is on his feet, looking them over. "Get your bearings, brothers. Get your breath under control." The two faunus lay until eventually pushing up. "Can you move? Cid?"

The deer faunus winces. "I... it feels like... my arm can't bend." Vindhler checks it over, straightening the fabric.

"Circulation. You were bound in a way that stopped blood flow for too long. Doubtful that it is permanent." He comments, crouching and tugging said arm of the deer over his shoulder. He lifts up, getting this Cid off the ground and away.

Neo crouches with the rabbit faunus, whose gaze still sees the ceiling. "Brother Vindhler?" His raspy voice comes, throat dry. Color has drained from him, but already begins looking better than a minute before.

Vindhler looks to Neo. "Switch." Neo moves to him, swapping who Cid leans against. This lets Vindhler approach the second. "Brother Emir." Clasping the rabbit faunus, he looks into the man's eyes. "You managed to pull through. Take pride in that."

"I..." Emir wheezes, shifting as he gets his bearings.

"Take your time We'll be getting you home shortly."

Emir looks back to him. "I... I saw their base."

Neo freezes with Cid outside the lair. Vindhler is shocked by the news, but immediately quells it. "If I show you the map, can you point it out?" The rabbit faunus looks up, stoic as he nods.

. . .

Carmine is eyeing the cave through the scope. His anxiety gets to him, not knowing. "Come on, come on, come on..." He grumbles, taking a moment to sweep the area before looking again.

He gasps.

Vindhler and Neo emerge from the cave with the two faunus! Each assist one of the two faunus with moving, as he sees Neo handing Vindhler the radio!

A beaming smile stretches on the boy! "HA! Hell yeah!" He grabs the radio, positively delighted. "You guys picked up some dates! Congratulations."

He watches Vindhler look up frustrated at his outburst in the distance. The faunus then retorts. "We'll be setting dates as well. We have AZRL's home base location! We're falling back now! The climb uphill will take til night fall."

Carmine huffs, looking along the landscape over a ledge. A connection of the uneven land eventually getting to a slanted cliff on his own mountain. "Don't need to waste that much time. Between my Jager boosters and Neo's Hush, we can fly one person up this mountain at a time. Come directly South until you meet the cliff. I'll flash my scope if you need a guide."

Crouching low, he begins using a function on the scope, producing a slow light up flash twice. Through the scope, he sees them properly orient themselves towards him. He stops the flashing.

Vindhler responds. "I would rather lay on a bed of bamboo spikes than trust you for an ascension, but I am loyal to a fault, it seems."

Nearly half an hour, he watches the group slowly make their way on the slanted land towards the base of his cliff. Carmine keeps a look out, checking for anything, anyone. Once they're finally below, Carmine smirks.

"Jager!" His armor flashes to his legs as he steps from the ledge! Dropping down, small bursts from his armor jut him away from the slanting rocks, but he eventually full boosts! His descent slows to a halt just inches from the ground. The boost ceases, letting him drop one more inch to stand on the ground easily. He's in front of the four. "Yo."

Disgusted, Vindhler scoffs. "Just get them up."

Carmine looks to Neo, offering a hand. "I'll be safe with it."

The girl shifts closer, handing Hush over to him. The faunus look confused as Carmine opens the parasol over his head. He moves to Cid, getting a grip on him. "Alright, hold on tight. Tight as you can." The faunus gives a weak grip around the boy's shoulders. Carmine purses his lips. "All strength, please."

Gripping slightly tighter, Carmine crouches before leaping up! A Jager boost propels him up. Using the boost, he before boost walking up the slope of the mountain cliff! Using Hush to slow himself from losing altitude between boosts, Carmine manages to get the faunus up the cliff in a minute!

Upon reaching the top, Carmine lets the faunus sit down, wrapping himself cold. Carmine grins. "Take a moment to get your bearings. Don't move. I'll get Vindhler, then your friend, then Neo."

The faunus is put off, but nods with a hesitant smile.

. . .

Another hour passes.

Carmine had gotten the group up the mountain one at a time, and they've spent the rest of the trip back moving directly away from the location Emir marked as AZRL's base... Just two mountains over.

Being this close.

KNOWING that they are this close... Carmine feels anxious. His overthinking starts looking at each and every corner waiting for enemies to appear.

Yet, he manages to quell it and focus. The scouts had quite the tales.

It was Cid would killed the series Black that had attacked him. They weren't well trained. Too green, as it were. They had an aura unlocked, much stronger than his own, but their skill and hesitance allowed him to survive.

The description haunts Carmine a bit... knowing they may be fighting the very people they mean to save.

Emir on the other hand got visual over what looked like a shimmer in the air. He approached, eventually finding the white in the area to not be snow, but energy.

Sounds suspiciously like a hard light dust barrier... Similar to Atlas. Similar to the Silver Auditorium podium when it protected Aline...

Yay... problems to come.

The group of five had made it back to the forests that span to the original mountain they started at. Upon getting so far, Neo was once again able to use her semblance to cover them, sweep covering their snow tracks behind them again.

Carmine and Vindhler march with the injured scouts supported shoulder to shoulder.

Mid step, Vindhler's eyes widen! He sniffs... "Stop!"

No insults with it? Alert?

Neo and Carmine both stop. Both Cid and Emir do as well, sniffing in the air while Emir's rabbit ears slightly shift.

"Move. Faster." He begins hustling with Emir. Carmine tries to catch up with Cid! Neo tries to cover their tracks, but Vindhler calls out. "Finish and stick to the thinnest areas! Beneath the trees!"

She does, turning and sprinting after the men as they run through the covered areas. Carmine keeps a look over his shoulder. Something behind them? Must be coming on fast.

Vindhler and the faunus sniff about until Cid mutters in Carmine's side. "Blood... in the air? Metallic?"

Carmine and Neo both chill at that. Not from the cold.

Not again. Not on another frozen tipped mountain.

"sh*t... We need to move!"

After a solid hustle, Cid and Emir are unable to keep going fully. Cid wheezes. "They're gaining, aren't they?!"

Vindhler snarls. He doesn't answer, so Carmine takes command.

"Hide! Hide with Neo and let them pass. We can't keep going like this!" All five move around the trees, getting to a thicker section of trees!

Cid trips... Energy giving out.

This causes him and Carmine to stumble apart, separating.

Vindhler, Emir, and Neo manage to get behind one large trunk of a tree! Carmine and Cid, still in the open, try to recover.

The sound of a motor rings over the mountain. Louder than the wind. Louder than their hearts in their ears. Carmine tries to pick Cid up. "Come on!" He yanks on the deer faunus, but Cid looks to the others. His eyes on Emir...

So, he shoves Carmine with all his strength. The boy is shoved behind a tree, precisely two trees away from the others. Carmine's eyes remain on the faunus, wide in disbelief. Cid rolls behind the trunk closest to him, much closer to the open area of the forest than them!

Carmine almost moves for him...

Then the motor rings around the corner...

Carmine curses under his breath and crouches low.

A snowmobile runs through the forest, a fairly breezy speed. Slow and deliberate. Behind it, three more come. The front of lead by a familiar face...

Spyyra's orange eyes scan the forest, rather bored. His snow gear coats him, but the dark iron dust is still coating his upper body.

His gaze flicks... noticing something. He stops the throttle, slowing and turning around ahead before doubling back to the group's position. He stops a short distance away, in the direction they came from.

The man steps from the snowmobile, stepping over and crouching. The other snowmobiles come to a halt, three vehicles each with two man rides. He lifts goggles off, revealing his orange eyes as he eyes a minor speck of snow that managed to find an otherwise untainted, uncovered root.

sh*t. In not leaving tracks in the deep snow, some was brushed where there wasn't any...

He follows the tree line away from them.

Carmine closes his eyes, hoping. Praying. Please move away. More away!

As if his thoughts and prayers were answered by a devil, Spyyra turns and looks their direction. He narrows his gaze, looking to his six backup met. "Do we have any more heartbeat sensors on hand?"

All five in hiding suck in a breath at the words.

Neo grits her teeth. Vindhler is leaned against the tree, Emir against him, as Neo shifts and places one hand on either side of them.

Electronic sensors detecting the impulses of the body, particularly of the heart, are very rare for a military like application. Then again, they did have an SDC head doctor as a supplier...

The guards nod and grab a device on the back of a snowmobile, planting it into the snow to steady it. One hooks it up to a scroll, turning on a field of view. A radar. A heartbeat sensor radar.

Carmine's eyes clamp shut. Focus on your aura... block out the detection. Aura shields and aura healing, just as they always tamper with medical procedures also hamper these types of machines.

In that same notion, Neo covers herself and the two faunus before her in an illusion! Her semblance, held in her aura, should block it out.

… But one is alone... alone and unable to support an aura shield...

Ding... Ding...

The guard points directly forward... right at the tree hiding Cid.

Spyyra marches forward... waltzing right around the tree to find the cringing faunus, looking away...

"Well, look at you..." Spyyra smiles, his eyes seeming unaffected by the smile lifting his face. He crouches. "You look like crap. Got a name."

Cid gulps, slowly turning to look the man in the eyes. Sweating profusely, he remains silent.

Spyyra clicks his tongue, shaking his head. "Now, come on. This doesn't have to be the end! After all... We're still looking for two more of you, unaccounted for."

sh*t... He's referring to Emir and the other scout the Grimm killed.

"Tell you what! I'll let you join us. Full benefits! One of us!" He sways and leans against the tree, looming over the faunus. "Just point us in a direction for the other two."

Cid sneers back at him. "You... killed my brothers. My sisters!"

Spyyra holds a hand up in mock surrender. "Whoa, whoa! Listen. I understand! You grow up in an organization that, well, it's your family! And I did the same. Family on all sides. We've all felt those pains."

The faunus growls. "You... STOLE... our young!" He grinds out, his lack of energy succumbing to a spike of adrenaline.

"Daw... Well." Spyyra scoffs and looks off. "Guess cooperation is out the door."

No.

Carmine just moments ago had the man in his arm! Help him!

… but Carmine will die... He can't beat Spyyra, and he knows it. If he didn't know it, he would jump into action, but...

They're not ready. They can't beat Spyyra-

That's why Cid pushed him... Cid separated himself from Carmine to save the group. He volunteered himself to die...

Carmine flinches, panic filling him. Another death. His fist clenches harder. No. f*ck. NO!

"Any last words, partner?" Spyyra says, jovial. Iron dust fades off his jacket, forming a large blade around his right arm.

Cid loses any energy to him, but meets the stare. "I'll see you in hell. It won't be long." He lets a wry chuckle come. "Life to the Fang..."

Spyyra chuckles...

Then impales Cid into the tree with a single thrusting impact! His blade arm punctures through the faunus's entire chest cavity, nearly bisecting the torso! The green haired man smirks. "Not bad, but your Fang has chipped." He pulls back, iron dust retreating back into his jacket.

Cid flops into the snow. Lights out... a husk...

Carmine hears the life end, a bubble of fear and anger mixing within. He fights to keep his breath silent.

Despite his success, Spyyra still lingers. "So, any others?"

The guards check the sensor. "No, sir!"

The sad*st's skepticism shows as he looks over the trees around. He looks to the next tree. The one Carmine is behind... He takes a step closer... and another. "Well, always gotta be sure when these hero types talk big."

Two more trees back, Neo sucks in a breath.

Neo nearly stumbles out to look for Carmine. She peers just enough to know Carmine's position, only for Vindhler to yank her back in!

Not good enough! Neo slowly allows the illusion hiding the three to break... building an illusion around Carmine's position some thirty feet away! Over Carmine's position, the illusion of more of the tree trunk moves to cover him. As if the tree grew with an enlarged side with more roots going into the snow.

Spyyra steps around the tree, looking directly at Carmine... yet looking only at the illusion of tree bark. Carmine, on the other side of the illusion, stops breathing, staring right back at the inquisitive AZRL agent.

Seconds tick by, until the green haired man shrugs and turns away. "Alright, pack it up. We're moving on."

Relief... They live another day-

Ding!

The guard looks up. "Another heartbeat! Further back!"

Vindhler looks furiously at Neo... Her previous illusion is gone... They've detected Emir!

Spyyra cackles. "Oh! I love being right!" Mid speech, his iron dust peels and forms into a giant throwing star! He launches it directly at Neo's tree, slicing through it! The large plant collapses, revealing Neo, Vindhler, and Emir... Neo's eyes widen meeting Spyyra's.

"..." Panic fills the girl, exposed.

A splitting smile grows on Spyyra's face. "My little girl-"

BOOM!

Carmine hits a double shot through the Shatter illusion. It strikes Spyyra right in the ribs, against his aura shield. The man is thrown off his feet!

The boy whips around the tree, using the remaining four shots in the cylinder on each of the four snowmobiles! All disabled, the AZRL guards take cover as Carmine snap reloads!

Vindhler hikes Emir up, rushing with him. Neo sprints out, opening Hush to block shots from the guards! All four of our heroes make for a sprint in the forest.

However, the throws star comes back, splitting the snowy ground, zipping between the four! It jams into the stone cliff, stuck. Spyyra is charging after them, grinning madly. "Well! Looks like we're in business!"

Vindhler takes point, Carmine behind him, and Neo in back, using Hush to block from behind.

They manage to outrun the six guards, but Spyyra is gaining on them too fast. He moves ready to blitz at them... until a shine.

POP!

A flare bursts down, between the four the their pursuer! The blinding flash makes Spyyra halt, shielding his eyes with his arms. The remaining four flinch from the flare, but it's behind them. They keep moving as fast as they can.

Another snowmobile sounds, ramping off the cliffs above... the vehicle drops and hits the ground zooming! Two more land as well!

The mobiles catch up with the heroes, revealing two White Fang scouts... and Roman on the lead vehicle. He smirks as he drives up next to the others. "Your chariots. I accept cash payments only!"

Carmine flops onto the back of Roman's snowmobile. "JUST DRIVE!"

Neo lands on the back of one of the scouts rides. Vindhler and Emir get on the third. All three snowmobiles gain distance! More and more!

The flare dies, Spyyra looking up dazed to find his targets fleeing. He sucks in a breath, furious, as he raises his hands... He releases a growl. "Gah! Too far..." He looks up, but shakes it off. "Guess we're really knocking two birds with one stone."

The guards catch up. "Sir! Shall we pursue?!"

"No. We can't catch them as we are. We'd be running into a trap even if we find them." He looks over. "We're headed back. Call the mission over with the Series Blacks. We need to put out ALL the sensors. Team CRBN is going to get past our current surveillance."

"SIR!" All six salute before turning and marching off.

Spyyra is left behind, looking off after CRBN. He narrows his eyes. So close, yet so far... Damn it. He shakes his head as he follows his men.

. . .

White Fang Settlement

"Get the healers!" "Wounded, incoming!" "Move it, move it!"

Night time was fully starting to set in. Less than 24 Hours since hearing their scouts were decimated, the faunus of the small cover town once more get a bust with news! They swarm out, but clear the central path as the scouts return, Carmine and Vindhler helping to carry Emir.

The rush of fleeing from AZRL ruptured something within... His jacket was disposed of, revealing a spider bite. Likely, it was the Grimm when it first was incapacitating him in capture. Internal bleeding became evident on their way back.

Carmine shouts at Roman. "Get Blair!" He then looks to Neo. "Go to Aranea!" The two rush off, Carmine and Vindhler getting the rabbit faunus to a healer's hut. Getting him onto a table, the faunus healer bursts at attention.

Vindhler cuts her off. "Spider Grimm bite. He has internal bleeding, likely some venom. Limbs might be hindered in circulation from him getting wrapped in web. Wounds likely got worse when retreating from the enemy."

The healer nods, getting to work.

Carmine and Vindhler step away as Blair bursts into the hut! She sees the rabbit faunus. Carmine nods ahead. "Healer has the details. Go on." She moves to the healer, immediately receiving the details.

Vindhler double takes, scowling at Carmine. "She is not cleared to treat our-"

Carmine cuts him off. "How about we focus on saving a life?!" He brushes by Vindhler, exiting the hut. Furious! A storm whirling under his skin ever since descending the mountains. Marching out, he feels prickly, hand brushing over his head and scratching the back of his head.

Seconds later, Vindhler stomps out from the hut, closing distance with the boy until wrenching Carmine by the arm to turn him!

The boy whips around, almost feral. He stops himself from punching the faunus outright. Blue orbs flash gold, ready to strike if provoked! Vindhler's azure blue eyes slightly glow with his aura as well.

"What?!" Carmine shrugs off Vindhler's grip, taking an aggressive step forward. "What? What imaginary slight do you want to criticize me for now?!"

Vindhler meets the aggressive tone. "What right do you have?"

"Excuse me?" Carmine's voice drops. Anger still there, not intermixed with awaiting stupidity.

"Do not pretend to care for my brother in there when you allowed Cid to die back there!" Vindhler snarls back.

Carmine's teeth grind, eyes wide with fury. "What do you-"

"Oh. Allow me to elaborate." Vindhler is snide, smirking. "Cid sacrifices himself for us, and you think you have the right to mope?! You pretend to give a damn about faunus rescue and feel bad? If you held such empathy, perhaps it should have been you to die instead! Alas." He steps back, sneering.

The boy fires back, stepping after him. "Enough! Faunus this. Right to care that! You're offended that I care about faunus?! Make sense of that you empty headed bastard!"

The two are yelling at one another now...

A crowd forming to look at them. Roman approaches, seeing the irritation. After him, Neo and Aranea begin to approach. Aranea pauses, narrowing her gaze on her angry second in command.

"Offended? Yes, you found a correct word for once." He condescends, stepping around Carmine as his hands flippantly gesture around. "The very idea that some human brat claims to have stake with us indeed offends me. It's the same tripe as what Ghira would sell. Newsflash. Humans do not care about faunus. Period."

Carmine turns with the man, keeping eye contact. "It's dumbasses like you that keep things the way they are. My news for you! My mother was a faunus, Dipsh*t!"

Vindhler pauses. The outburst makes several of the wary faunus confused, but the second in command retorts with a boisterous laugh, barking in the boy's face. "HA- HAHA! You cannot be serious! Each and every one of us knows that a human child cannot come from a faunus mother, or vice versa-"

He's cut off. "The offspring favors the race of the mother. Yes, I know. It's called adoption, ass." Carmine bites back.

That makes the man pause. "Oh, cute." He moans out, rounding to stand nose to nose with the boy again. "And the father? I presume he was human then?"

"What? Are you against race mixing entirely, now?" Carmine snidely retorts.

A smile. A grimy smile that returned. "So, your mother let herself be a pet. It all came full circle, cause she at least made a pet of you. I can somewhat get behind that-"

Vindhler draws his sword, blocking Carmine's armored fist!

He steps and brings a false edge cut at the boy, but Carmine deflects with his armored left arm. His armor in Zero mode. The boy Recalls Heulin Noon into his right hand, bringing it up to aim at Vindhler's chest!

Vindhler's off hand brushes the gun off point. Both fighters push off, taking combat stances.

"ENOUGH!" Aranea shouts and steps between them. The faunus in the crowds seem split in their reactions, many ready to grab at their own weapons. She rounds on Vindhler. "Great Hall. Now! You will report everything to me." She holds the look on the man until he sheaths his weapon. He bows and marches off. Then, she turns to Carmine, who puts his gun away.

She glances to the crowd around...

Vindhler's view is shared... they don't accept this boy as having a legitimate care for faunus. That mistrust makes them believe him insincere. Business unfortunately is muddled with this animosity. It must be addressed first.

"You, Carmine... answer a question for me." She watches him cross his arms, waiting. Usually respectful, it seems Vindhler got to him. One look at the crowd around, she decides to have the conversation here. "Your mother was a faunus. Did she hail from Menagerie?"

Carmine blinks, raising a brow. The crowd hushes a bit around them. Even Vindhler stops his march off, turning with irritation. The boy nods. "Yes."

"What was her name?"

He tilts his head. "Senaya Uhlric. Her maiden name was Senaya Enville." Without prompting, he continues. "She left Menagerie to join Beacon Academy. She became a Huntress, met my father, Jared Uhlric. They married." He sneers. "I used to hear bed time stories about the formation of the White Fang as a peace movement!"

Aranea nods, holding his look a moment. It certainly tracks. Vindhler was on point that it sounded like one of those inspired Ghira. She turns from him, looking to the onlookers. "Who here immigrated from Menagerie?"

In the crowd, a number of people step back while some others step up. Some opt to raise hands. Each looks shocked to be addressed.

"Do any of you know of whom he speaks? Does anyone know of our lost sister?" She asks calmly.

The onlookers range in age. Clearly, none of the young adults or teens could know, turning off. One by one, the elders among them shake their heads.

"I-I did." Attention moves to a middle aged male. Darker skinned, he has fang teeth and some scales in his skin. He looks at Carmine oddly. "Senaya? She was a d-"

"Dog faunus." Carmine and the man say simultaneously.

Aranea smirks. Confirmation is a funny thing. She turns to the male. "What do you remember about Senaya?"

The male shifts, weirdly. "Ah, well... She was a few years younger than me." He looks to Carmine, seeing interest from him as well. The interest makes the man chuckle. "If I remember right, she was a stray orphan from some accident in..."

"Vale..." Carmine adds, breathless. "W-water Grimm attack. It's... why I had no grandparents from her side."

The male nods, a sad smile. "Yes. She was one of many orphans raised collectively by our people back home. Really opinionated, but talented. Though, most I remember of her is this... fantastically petty feud she had with a certain younger cat faunus."

This was news.

Carmine perks. "Feud? What?"

"Cats and dogs." The man simply muttered. "I'd think Senaya leaving Menagerie ended it, but I wouldn't know." He asks, curious. "Sorry. My name is Mihm. What ever happened with Sister Senaya?"

Carmine frowns. "She... became a doctor. Head surgeon for the city of Sanctuary." He looks off. "She died protecting me almost eleven years ago."

Mihm frowns. "Oh... I'm so sorry."

Aranea smiles. "Do you believe this boy when he says faunus are his concern?"

The man looks Carmine over, realizing he's put on the spot. The others listen as he takes a second. "I do."

Aranea nods. Then, she glances over her shoulders at a scowling Vindhler in the crowds. The others around look more comfortable. "Rightly so. I will tolerate no more distrust among our alliance, temporary as it may be, for petty squabbles. Human or faunus, we have reason to work hand in hand. Understood?" A final look to the crowd, they collectively nod and salute. Finally, she looks to Carmine, nodding. "Cool off, and come debrief in ten minutes after I'm finished with Vindhler."

As the crowd disperses, quiet returning, Carmine watches Aranea approach and lay into Vindhler. He cannot determine the words, but he feels substantially better after her interference...

He hopes she's a good influence for the White Fang... Maybe the organization has hope.

. . .

Time passes.

Emir's life was saved by Blair and the settlement healer. Meanwhile, Aranea listened to Vindhler's debrief of the situation. Then, she met with Carmine. Finally, when able, she heard out Emir in the hut.

A night of rest, we find our heroes once again in the main settlement house.

Aranea stands at her desk. Before her stands all of Team CRBN as well as Vindhler.

Taking the lead, she starts. "Let this meeting begin." She looks to Carmine. "Where are we at?"

Carmine starts. "The Mibu weapons have started being distributed among all your warriors. Five custom weapons were in the shipment." He side eyes Roman. "I thought five were for your best warriors, but only four are, actually." He eyes Roman's new cane, Melodic Cudgel. He looks forward to Aranea. "Full arms and full power like you guys haven't seen before."

Aranea allows a smirk. "Vindhler and I will enjoy our picks. The remaining two weapons shall be assigned to Bosco and Tyr. Thank you."

Neo steps forward, handing a note to Carmine. He blinks, taking it and reading. "Um... After full rounds of the camp, Neo reports no conspiracy or gossip, nor rumors of dissent towards working with us."

The girl smiles and bows to Aranea.

The bird faunus returns the look, bowing back. "Thank you."

Vindhler growls under his breath, looking off.

Roman steps forward. "I have a confirmation for transport. Junior of the Vale Mafia is willing to provide aerial transports, which I will teach your people to pilot properly."

Aranea frowns. "What is his demand in exchange?"

The conman produces a list. "Here is a list of cities with little to no local organized crime in Atlas. All along the southern coast line. I've cross referenced them with Fang activity and know you guys have your mitts in a few of them. He would like you to formally stand aside. No opposition to him. He wants his foot in Atlas to expand."

The leader accepts the list from Roman, frowning. "I dislike the man."

Vindhler shrugs. "This Junior cannot be as terrible as some others. From what I hear, he has less bite than most in his line of work. We could always deal with him at a later time, if need be."

"Regardless." Aranea sets the list on her table. "We will honor this deal. Tell him, thank you. We will be ready to retrieve his vehicles within the week, as well as provide a list of procedures for how we may avoid conflict with one another." She looks to the blonde. "Moving on."

Finally, Blair steps forward. "When the attack begins, we will be on a time limit. Atlas will be notified, per the original agreement of our alliance. We will have a few hours to settle the battle, pilfer their belongings, and leave the area with our quarry."

Aranea sighs. "I do not appreciate such limits... but, understood."

The blonde continues. "Finally, the last pieces of a device of my making will be here within two weeks. Putting it together and testing will take only a few days. From that point... we will be ready to attack."

The faunus raises a brow. "This machine is... necessary? Explain."

Blair nods, holding up her sword. "My weapon has the capability of using other people's semblances once I've captured their blood. I've created the blueprints for a machine that will allow me to further project a captured semblance by inserting my blade within it. This will allow me to use two functions critical for the attack. Firstly, an EMP to disrupt their defenses before your approach. Second, to assist in countering the enemy's strongest fighter, Spyyra Barnall."

Aranea takes in a breath. She nods. "Then the wait will be worth it. I look forward to seeing it in action." Blair bows her head at the agreement. The bird faunus then turns her head to Vindhler. "How are we looking on setting a date for the attack?"

Vindhler steps aside, bringing forth a projector. The projector lights an image on the wall, a map of the mountains. Specifically, mountain labeled '2-5-5'. He points out to the projection. "Brother Emir assisted us in narrowing the base location here." He points into an indented area of the mountain.

He continues. "The base is located near a lake, about half way up the mountain. It is protected by a white field, hard light dust barrier very similar to that used by the city of Atlas. It likely has checkpoints at ground level that allow passage. The white color of it camouflages against the snow, making it invisible from the air."

"Meaning an assault can't start until that shield is brought down." Carmine chimes in, clearly unhappy.

Vindhler looks at him. A moment of irritation comes over the two, but the faunus nods. "Correct. We are at an impasse until it comes down. A frontal attack, even with everything we have, would be blind and likely lead to slaughter. We must have a plan of attack before questioning timing."

"We could benefit from waiting until their auction begins." Roman speaks up. Everyone looks at him like he's groan a second head. He clicks his tongue, sauntering forth. "Hear me out. No way would our dear friends in AZRL be rolling out a red carpet for people hiking up and down the mountains. Anyone he's invited to purchase your kids would almost certainly be traveling by air. This means, that barrier will not be active."

"We would also have to contend with those who came to buy them." Blair criticizes.

But Roman is ready, looking to the faunus. "And thus more dear, sweet justice to deliver, taking out both AZRL as well as those who seek to enslave your kidnapped kiddies. It might make it difficult, but I see great opportunity in that case."

"And we already know we'll be fighting the Series Blacks regardless." Carmine adds unhappily. "But, they'll have more training than they already do."

Neo snorts. She looks up, looking unimpressed. She smirks and signs. "Four months of training doesn't put them on any of our levels."

Blair looks to Aranea. "I suppose we would like your opinion on that. If we wait until the event, it will be high risk, higher reward. If we attempt to press the attack now, then we have some unknowns to contend with."

Aranea frowns. "The buyers are certainly an issue themselves, but... I do believe they are a problem for tomorrow, not today. If we manage to defeat AZRL completely, then obtaining the information of their contacts should not be impossible."

Carmine smirks. "Welp." He looks to Roman. "Guess that means we're the vanguard." At the curious looks, especially from Roman, he smirks. "That shield needs to go down, and what's the Team CRBN way of taking things down?"

The Team CRBN way... Well, if Vaterra, Menagerie, Sanctuary, Ostium Mortis, the SDC, and Fairmare are anything to go by...

Collateral damage. Lots and lots of collateral damage.

Roman smirks back. "Silver Streak, you've embraced it fully." He looks to Aranea. "Mother Hen, I'm going to need all your most volatile and destructive compounds." He's called her that enough that the woman doesn't even flinch anymore.

"What for?"

Their leader smirks. The boy answering. "Bomb. A big bomb." He crosses his arms. "Let us take the shield down. That will be the signal."

Aranea looks between them all, seeing the CRBN members satisfied. Vindhler grumbles. "So simple." He mutters under his breath. Vindhler then looks up. "But, giving them time to make everything... We can be ready by the last Saturday of November."

"Then it's decided." Aranea offers a hand to Carmine. "Will this satisfy your needs as well?"

Carmine swallows the lump in his throat, but smiles back, accepting the hand. "Yes, Ma'am." He looks to the others. "Guys?"

Neo puts her hand in, chirping happily. Aranea is shocked by her inclusion. Blair sighs, despite the smile, and reaches in as well.

They look to Roman, who stares back in disgust. He scoffs. "Sappy nitwits." He looks off, but lets his hand in.

Then all eyes go to Vindhler, even Aranea going along happily. He glares at the display, eyes locked on the collection of hands. Slowly, he looks to Carmine.

"For our brothers and sisters. Anything is worth it." He offers his hand in. "Let's kill the bastards."

Six hands in... Trust issues settled, Team CRBN will unite with the White Fang and attack in one month's time...

It'll all be over.