Hazredous Interruptions - HunterS
- Thread starter 11thMessenger
- Start date
Canis
Shoulder Puppy
- Location
- United States
Nanoha is actually a spin-off from a series of H-Games that feature her father and elder siblings being part of a clan of not-magic superhuman (but not too superhuman) ninjas. While there's some discontinuity between them and the Nanoha series there's been a number of hints that most of the background for her parents and siblings is mostly the same.
The fact that the purple haired friend and her big sister that appear in the original MGLN aren't (apparently) vampires is one of those differences.
- Location
- local group, mikyway, sol,sol-3,north america
MLGN earth has magic too just it's pretty much so small a community they keep it under-wraps, and it gets expressed in a lot of novel ways, liked Nanoha's Ninja clan roots
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ecs05norway
Zenryoku Zenkai!
Arisa and Suzuka also come from explicitly magical backgrounds, if the TriangleHearts source material is in effect.
Arisa is a ghost of some sort. Suzuka's entire family are vampires. The maid? A robot.
A good story to check out that looks into this is DezoPenguin's Blood and Spirit.
A good story to check out that looks into this is DezoPenguin's Blood and Spirit.
- Location
- Somewhere in the USA, EST
I love that story. More to the point though, while I definitely like the idea of them having magical ability/potential, HI already has a looooot of characters to bounce around and I'm wary to add two more to any notable extent. They got included in a scene in the first HI Epilogue, but I don't know if they'll be further included.
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
Omake fodder. Get on it thread.
- Location
- Tokyo, Japan
Then again, in the side materials, we get to see Suzuka having slightly superhuman abilities.
Like, Suzuka in her pre-teens is capable of keeping up with Miyuki (a well trained teenage martial artist) in a swimming race, Suzuka also manages to shoot down Fate in a Dodgeball match by throwing back the ball at her at speeds Fate can't react.
Not to mention my favorite; Suzuka was able to see every second of Nanoha stopping a baseball that was about to hit Arisa in the face, to the point she can explain what happened.
Actually, I think Arisa doesn't really count, at least as you place it.
After all, Arisa doesn't get a serious case of dead in MGLN.
Then again, given that her TH3 counterpart became a major grudge ghost soon after getting brutally murdered, Arisa having Magical Potential seems possible.
Then again, given that her TH3 counterpart became a major grudge ghost soon after getting brutally murdered, Arisa having Magical Potential seems possible.
- Location
- Somewhere in the Ashes
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Pretty much. The only "normal" member of Nanoha's family is her mother. Considering said woman's only biological child is Nanoha however...
Well, let's just say there's a non-zero chance the woman's an Al Hazredian.
(Raising Heart would barely let Yuuno use her, and she's an Al Hazredian artifact. Then Nanoha comes along and it's "Yes my master" this and "I can be shot" that. Methinks there might be something fishy at work here...)
ecs05norway
Zenryoku Zenkai!
Yeah, there's a reason Power Games treats Momoko the way they do. I love that aspect of the story, that Nanoha's family and friends don't just get shuffled off to the side and ignored for the rest of the story once she starts doing magic stuff.
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
RH had just become very very bored at always being used as a mere multi/omni-tool for mages over the years/decades/centuries/millennia. Then along comes Nanoha who uses it as an artillery piece/Mega-particle beam weapon/Wave motion gun.
Canis
Shoulder Puppy
- Location
- United States
As amusing as it is, I think the in-universe reasoning - either stated outright or hinted at in the first season/series - is that Yuuno's primary magical talent (support magics) is not very compatible with Raising Heart's core functions (attacking magics) and as such there wasn't a great deal that Raising Heart could do to help Yuuno.
Or in more technical terms, RH is a Black Mage's weapon and Yuuno is a White Mage. He can technically still use it, but it's not going to help him cast his magic much and everyone knows you don't want the mage doing physical attacks because they'll do piddly amounts of damage if they do damage at all.
- Location
- Somewhere in the Ashes
- Pronouns
- She/Her
...and then Nanoha used it as a club...
MWKillKenny84
Lurking from the Trauma Switch.
- Location
- Vado Ligure
Or she uses a spoon... with results that are super effective for shipping.
Nevermind what Nanoha can do with a stick. A wooden stick.
What the frak could she acheive if she was fully trained in the family style and with a blade in hand???
TimeDiver
Herald of Dis Lev
- Location
- In-between the parallel worlds...
Flash Step spam (presuming that the technique requires ki/chi/magical energy to execute) the likes of which one would expect from Fate Testarossa instead?
Not like the Fuwa/Mikami Sword Style(s) makes use of ranged techniques that much... then again, it's been forever since I even last thought of Triangle Hearts 3.
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- Location
- Tokyo, Japan
Well, the TH3 OVA should shine some hints about what might be possible if she becomes fully trained in the style.
Though, the MGLN version of Nanoha has the sort of Spatial Awareness that is frankly insane, so that might translate into Nanoha being able to 'place' her blade in a way that make it seem like her opponents fell into her blades by their own volition.
Flash Step spam (presuming that the technique requires ki/chi/magical energy to execute) the likes of which one would expect from Fate Testarossa instead?
Eh, I remember that the main point of the 神速 Shinsoku isn't the Flash Step, but more about how it is basically a mental clock-up, allowing the user to react much faster to things. The Flash Step is just the bonus, or more like the combination of heightened focus and well honed physicals.
In this case, a Mikami-Style Nanoha would have the perfect focus she can use, and while the Flash Step itself is limited by the user's physical limits, if Nanoha applies the idea by replacing her physical moves with magic... yeah.
Well, they are seen using throwing knives and garrote wires, at least.
To bring back things to the topic, in this timeline, Nanoha has her Aura, which means she can keep up with and surpass her siblings in the physical department (until they somehow unlock their Aura as well), thus we might see a flash-stepping Nanoha at some point.
(EDIT: Of course, as Eleventh mentioned, I can see the trained Mikami-Style users managing to beat up Nanoha even with the Aura gap, and Nanoha flash stepping will probably be in a distant future.)
If that happens, though, I can see people from Remnant mistaking that as her Semblance.
And maybe get a wake up call when she pulls out something else.
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Suryn
On the wings of a Dragon
I don't know if you know, but it got finished here and on ff.net, after SB thread went off.
Chapter Two - The Gang's All Here
- Location
- Somewhere in the USA, EST
'Hazredous' Interruptions - HunterS
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY
Chapter Two - The Gang's All Here
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY
Chapter Two - The Gang's All Here
Watching a Dimensional cruiser dock with TSAB Headquarters was a long time draw for people spending time onboard. Starburst Station floated fully within the Dimensional Sea, existing within a bubble of realspace generated by its own monumental wards and barrier systems. Surrounded on all sides by the Dimensional Sea, an approaching ship's own generated realspace would merge with the station's, stabilizing it in respect to Headquarters and allowing it to close and dock. The kaleidoscope of colors of the shifting dimensional space around them made every docking action a true spectacle, and the lounges overlooking the docking spars had been constructed specifically for that purpose.
Nanoha shifted impatiently from foot to foot, waiting for the L-class cruiser Zephyrus to finish docking procedures. She wasn't actually in the lounge 'overhead' watching, she was standing at the entry gate itself, waiting along with dozens of other equally impatient people. The Zephyrus had been on an extended duration patrol, and many of them had loved ones aboard that they hadn't seen in months.
The red warning lights surrounding the blast door flashed green, and the heavily-reinforced barrier retracted into the ceiling. Crew members began passing through the gate one at a time, many being greeted by enthusiastic shouts.
Finally, she caught sight of black and blonde, and bounced up on her toes in anticipation. "Fate!"
"Nanoha!"
They hurried toward each other, and Nanoha threw her arms around Fate in a tight, emphatic hug. Not too emphatic of course, they were standing in the midst of dozens of others at the moment. After a long moment, Nanoha let go, reaching for Fate's- "...ah, where's your luggage?"
"It's getting transferred directly to The Four Seasons. How've you been?" Fate smiled at her, taking her hand lightly and gently tugging Nanoha along beside her as they left the gate compartment.
"Good, good! The new recruits are coming along, no real trouble there. How was your deployment?"
"Boring. I mean, the mage teams had a few skirmishes so I was busy, but every investigative lead was a cold trail. Nothing but data for the librarians to correlate." Fate huffed out a breath. "So I was told that they're bringing the Beacon teams back together?"
"Mmm! We're going back to Remnant and getting our Hunter licenses!" Nanoha nodded happily, lightly swinging their clasped hands back and forth as they walked. "Then it's back to Mid-childa."
Fate blinked, turning her head. "Hayate finally got everything together?"
"Signed and notarized by the high brass. They're renovating an old training base for our headquarters in Cranagan. I heard we're going to have a top of the line terrain simulator, even!"
"Wow, I wonder how many strings she had to pull to get that." Fate marveled in silence for a moment, then blinked and shook her head. "It's going to be weird wearing brown."
[ *** ]
"Airlock retracted. Life support showing green across the board."
"Disengage docking clamps."
"Disengaging clamps in three, two, one." A series of thumps echoed through The Four Seasons' frame. "We're free of the station."
"HQ registers disengagement, we're authorized to use lane seventeen."
Chrono nodded. "Engines reverse at point one G. Take us out five hundred meters, then set course zero three zero by zero."
"Engines to reverse, point one G. Five hundred meters, zero three zero by zero aye."
The Four Seasons edged back from the docking spar, then turned slowly in place and followed the holomarkers floating in the void toward the edge of the station's realspace.
"Dimensional Wards active, Captain. We're clear to breach the bubble."
"Take us out, Lieutenant."
Within moments, the ship was surrounded by the dimensional sea, course set for the TSAB's newest signatory world.
Chrono spent the next half hour going over ship reports and issuing orders to the crew, then stood. "Schnee, you have the bridge for the next cycle."
"Sir."
Even with the ship so dissimilar to standard Bureau cruiser design, over two years captaining meant that he was intimately familiar with the layout of the corridors. It was only a few moments' walk to the mess, and the door parted silently for- "Soft Shield."
A flying tomato came to a sudden stop in the center of S2U's shield spell, hanging in the air motionless. "Really."
"Ah- C-c-captain Harlaown sir! It's not what it looks like!" Ruby Rose snapped to attention, trying to ignore the tomato slurry dripping down her face.
"Really," Chrono said again, looking around. "Because it looks like you're having a food fight, Sergeant Rose."
She was silent for a long moment. The rest of RWBY, Team JNPR, the Wolkenritter… everyone else stayed perfectly still, as if hoping his attention would remain fixed on Ruby. "Well, sir. You, uhm, you see sir, I didn't think you were co-"
"On my ship."
Ruby gulped audibly. A blob of tomato dripped off her cheek, hitting the deck with a wet blap. "Y-yes sir."
Chrono shook his head. "And you didn't even have the common courtesy to wait for me. Soft Serve."
"....Captain?"
"Soft Serve," S2U echoed. The tomato caught in his shield rocketed back the way it came, detonating across Ruby's face and knocking her clean off her feet.
Chrono dove for the cover of a table, even as the room erupted into messy violence again. "Fate, I need ammo!"
"On your left!"
The battle was joined.
[ *** ]
Hayate let out a happy hum, stretching her legs out on the bench. "Done yet, you two?" She let her cheery smile color her tone, tapping a happy beat with her feet.
"No..."
"Shut up already, Hayate!"
"I'm just saying, long hair is great and all, but it's so much easier to clean when it's short!" Nanoha's grumbles were the only immediate answer, and she heard more splashing as she and Fate washed the last remnants of the food war out of their hair.
Eventually the water cut off, and another minute saw Nanoha and Fate step out of the shower enclosure, towels wrapped around their heads. "Just because you plan ahead for getting gooey messes out of your hair," the blonde retorted softly, "doesn't mean we have to."
Hayate's eyes widened. "Fate! Was that- did you just-" Her hands flew to her mouth, the gesture projecting affront. "You did! You just tried to zing me! How scandalous!"
Fate flushed, glancing down at the floor. "I- it seemed like it was a good comeback-" Nanoha's giggles cut her off.
Hayate broke into full out laughter, dropping her hands to hold her belly. "Ah hahaha! I'm so proud of you! First Chrono joins in the food fight willingly, and then you go for the low hanging fruit at my expense! This is already a great flight and it just started!"
"A-anyways!" Fate cleared her throat, trying to change the subject. "Nanoha said your taskforce got approved!"
Hayate let her laughter fade, though she couldn't quite wipe the grin away. Oh, I'll let her have it, fine. "That's right, they did. Lost Property Riot Force Six is a go, once we get back. They should be finishing with the refurbishing and construction right around when we land on Remnant."
"Even the simulator field?"
"More than that, even. Here, come look at this! Schwertkruez, bring up file RFSix dash two oh one." A three-dimensional schematic expanded out from her pendant, hovering in the air between them and spinning slowly. "Meet the Eos!"
Fate and Nanoha exchanged surprised glances, then leaned forward to get a closer look. "That's a Remnant ship." Fate squinted, reading the tiny text. "Alsius Class Corvette?"
"Mm-hmm! She's ours, for off-planet investigation. Riot Force Six isn't going to have to wait for the Navy to ferry us around!" Hayate rubbed her hands together.
"How'd you manage that? I'd heard that the Lost Logia scares had settled down the last few years." Nanoha scratched her head, frowning. "I'd have thought they'd have restricted your budget, not expanded it."
"Well, since most of the bureaucracy had already gone through, I was able to convince High Command that it would have been a waste of expended resources to disband Riot Force Six. But, with a nominal increase in manpower and equipment-"
"Nominal?! Hayate, they're giving you a top-of-the-line corvette!" It was Fate's turn to sound affronted, except this time it was real.
"Nominal, I said. With an increase in operational capability, we'd be able to expand our investigations beyond the Mid-Childan system and even chase down hot leads without having to wait for transportation orders to be approved, while still maintaining a presence on Mid-Childa proper for fast reaction." Hayate nodded, flipping to a new document with wave of her hand. "In exchange, we're to be available to spend some of our resources on additional mission orders from High Command."
"What about Knight Carim's prophecy? She's still one of your backers in High Command, right?" Fate had looked away from the ship schematics, watching Hayate now.
"She is, and without her support we wouldn't be discussing this. But the last two times she managed to read the Prophetinschriften, it had lost what clarity it had. She still sees my command being useful, even necessary, but…"
Nanoha nodded slowly, still frowning. "So you traded some of your command independence for a wider operational jurisdiction and the resources to support it."
It was Hayate's turn to grimace. "I'll be honest, Nanoha. It was this, or letting Riot Force Six die before it even started. To move up the ladder in the Ground Forces, you've got to play the game."
Fate stayed silent for a long moment, looking at the wall. "...what did she see?"
"Only one thing." Hayate stared through the projection, eyes unfocused. "Fire."
[ *** ]
"You weren't at the food fight, what gives?"
Emerald tilted her holoscreen down to peer over the glow, and saw the familiar, statuesque figure silhouetted by the bright corridor lights. She preferred to keep the lounge lights low. "It's just not my scene, Arf. It never was, and I don't have to act anymore."
"Yuuno's all worried you're gonna go antisocial, ya know." Arf stepped through the hatch, letting it close behind her. "Figured I'd find you in here. Makes me think he might be right."
Emerald rolled her eyes, sighing, and Arf took the unspoken invitation to plonk down onto the couch next to her and throw an arm over her shoulders. Emerald leaned into the one-armed hug, shaking her head. "I'm not, and I'll happily join everyone when it's a normal party."
"I'm holdin' you to that." Arf play-growled, giving her a friendly shake. "So whatcha reading?"
"The Puppetmaster."
"The biography of Ixpellia? Em, we're on leave!"
"It's interesting!"
"You say that about everything relating to the Belkan wars!"
"Because it's all interesting! I have a lot of history to read up on!"
"Gods, you're turning into a worse bookworm than Yuuno is."
"Books don't try to use you."
Emerald felt the cushion shift, and then Arf was in front of her, hands on her shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes. "...hey. None of that. We're all good people here, it's okay."
It took effort, but she didn't look away. "I- I know that, I know that. I do. The TSAB's been good to me, better than I deserve."
"I said none of that!"
"I know! Working at the Library has been… it's been really great. It's just-"
"...it's just we're going back to Remnant." Arf pursed her lips, then pulled Emerald in for a hug. "Cinder's not gonna be there, Em. She's still in prison, that isn't going to change for a long time."
She felt her throat tighten. It… hurt to be seen through so easily, but at the same time it was a good hurt. She had people who actually cared, not people who just wanted to… use her. "You're right."
"Damn right I am. We're gonna rock Beacon when we get there, you know. You too! Getting your license will do you a lot of good."
"It's just a sheet of paper with a stamp on it, Arf." Emerald snorted, rubbing away the moisture in her eyes.
"A sheet of paper that means people trust you, too."
She didn't have a good response to that. Emerald licked her lips, fighting the sudden onset of anxiety. "Do you really think I'll pass?"
"Of course you will. C'mon, let's hit the training arena, bring up our Auras and get some practice in."
"But my limiter-"
"So we'll do it by the rules. I'll drag Chrono and Hayate and Fate along. Three people on oversight for your limiter release, right? They've got high enough clearance."
Emerald swallowed, then let out a breath and smiled. "Okay. Let's do that, yeah. It'll be good to knock the rust off."
[ *** ]
While not a fraction of the height of the original CCTS tower, the Arthra remained an impressive edifice that was taller than any other building on Beacon's Campus, dominating the landscape from nearly any viewpoint.
In the old ship's shadow, cast by the early-morning sun, a few dozen figures were arranged in a orderly rows, following the belted out commands of their upperclassmen. Morning PT was a relatively new, and optional, addition to Beacon's curriculum, and only a minority of the normal huntsman trainees tended to participate. For the TSAB Ground Forces exchange students, however, attendance was mandatory. No Aura assistance was permitted, as supernatural bolstering of physical ability countered the purpose of improving physical ability.
As one, they formed into a tight group, still in their rows and columns, and started jogging across the campus. Marching cadences were barked out by the highest ranking soldier, and the bellowed responses echoed through the old brick and new metal buildings around them.
The group turned toward the outdoor obstacle course, which was another new addition to the campus proper, and split into smaller teams to tackle the objectives there. As always, Subaru Nakajima was the anchor point for her PT team; stronger, tougher, and more agile than the rest, it was her job to either be the first over to help others up, or the last one across after giving the rest a boost.
Teana Lanster fought back a grimace as she jogged gamely for the climbing wall. Subaru was waiting at the bottom, hands already forming a stirrup at her waist and urging her on. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Just don't throw me this time with that brute strength of yours!"
"I won't! We're almost done, come on!"
A moment later, arms windmilling for balance on top of the climbing wall, Teana at least had to admit that Subaru didn't throw her too high.
[ *** ]
Ozpin waved away the image of controlled mayhem on the holo-display with a dismissive gesture, minimizing it at the bottom of his office's viewport and restoring the view of the tranquil campus. "And lessons continue apace. No trouble in your classes, as far as I am aware?"
"None at all, Headmaster." With an audible hiss of escaping energy, Summer Rose disconnected the storage flask on her belt, raising it up to give the faintly glowing, ice-white powder inside a critical glance. Satisfied, she capped the flask and set it aside, replacing it with an empty spare. The glare from her eyes winked out, letting her blink away the darkness as her eyes adjusted. "Between Raven and I, we've got the hunter styles well in hand, and the twins are perfect teachers for the Mid-childan arts."
"What of Miss Nakajima?" He gestured at the miniaturized screen, where the girl in question was skating on ahead of her compatriots toward the cafeteria. "A Modern Belkan user, according to her dossier. Quite a different beast than standard Mid-childan."
"Not so different, according to Aria. Modern Belkan supplements gaps missing in the understanding of Ancient Belkan with Mid-childan, and what they can't teach she practices well enough on her own. At least, well enough that she's more than keeping pace with her partner. Nakajima and Lanster have been a matched pair for years, from what I know." Summer sat across from Ozpin, kicking her feet up on the coffee table and sipping from her cup of steaming coffee. "Damn shame to lose them both so early, they'd make good huntresses if we kept them for all four years."
"I've spoken with James, he has a newly broken team in Atlas and is willing to send the two remaining members here as replacements. They aren't taking well to Atlas' style, and he hopes their enthusiasm will improve here at Beacon. So, yes, we will lose two promising huntresses, but two more will benefit, and the team will remain whole." Ozpin gestured with his own mug at Summer's belt, perking an eyebrow. "The device is working as promised, I see. No complaints?"
"None at all. It's great having night vision again, let me tell you."
"Excellent. Now then, if I remember correctly we're going to send some expeditions into Forever Fall, yes? Another of Peter's sap-gathering missions. Perhaps we can turn it into a multipurpose event?"
[ *** ]
"I'll be holding another class this Sunday at Sixteen Hundred station time. Practice what we've gone over today, since we'll be building on that. Also, the cell block commander wanted me to tell you all that there's an excess of tailoring credits to be earned over the next few days, and that the cafeteria duty station has more details. Thank you again for participating today."
"Class dismissed," the security officer called. "Follow your assigned escort and report back to your normally scheduled activities."
Cinder closed her binder, rising from her workstation at the front of the room. A half-dozen of her fellow inmates started packing their tailoring supplies, putting them away in their assigned stations before lining up for the rest of the security team to lead away. When she turned to look for her own escort, she felt her eyebrows perk in mild surprise. "Lieutenant Venza. I didn't realize you were observing today."
"I just got here, actually. With me, please." Venza gestured for her to fall into step next to him, and she twitched at her jumpsuit for a moment before following. "We received a couple communications that are relevant to you."
"Oh? Was my requisition request for more materials approved?" Cinder couldn't stop the note of optimism from coloring her tone, not that she really wanted to. Over the last two years, she'd followed Venza's advice as best she could, and her social life in the cell block had improved dramatically. The officer hadn't let her down yet, and she appreciated everything he'd done for her.
"It has. You'll be pleased to know that we'll be receiving a shipment of snowsilks from Administered World Six. They should be arriving once all the paperwork is cleared. Maybe… by the end of the month?"
"Fantastic. I've heard stories about what the tribes of Alzus produce." Just like that, her steps were a little lighter as they moved through the block's corridors. "That isn't everything though, is it? You implied there's more."
"There is. I've been authorized to inform you that in a couple months, you'll be receiving an escort off station."
That brought her up short, and Cinder stopped walking. "...really? I can't imagine it's parole related, I'm not eligible for another seven years."
"It's not. You'll be going back to Remnant under armed guard."
"...why?"
Venza worked his jaw for a moment. "Because of your special circumstances. I've been informed that Remnant is just starting to see effects from your… absence. Specifically, from the absence of your ability."
"I don't understand."
"You're the Maiden of Fall, Cinder. One part of a balanced system designed to keep the planet habitable, and the absence of your power is just beginning to make itself known. Your orders will be to spend time on Remnant until the biosphere stabilizes, and then you will be returned here."
"I- I've only been… gone for three years. Is it really so bad?" I'm… not sure I want to go back.
"The situation is not dire, and as I am led to understand it, it will not become dire for decades. But, both Remnant leadership and TSAB High Command are eager to prevent it from becoming a real problem." Venza looked at her, his gaze sharp. "This will be a test of your character, Cinder. The biggest test you're yet to take here. Do not screw this up."
"I… won't. I'll do what's required of me. Nothing less, and nothing more, I promise. You won't have to worry about me, Lieutenant." Cinder took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Even just hearing about it, she could feel her gut clenching with anticipation and anxiety both. "Thank you for letting me know ahead of time. It will give me a chance to prepare myself."
""Like I said, not for several months, still. You haven't let me down yet. Do this right, and it'll speak well for your record."
[ *** ]
"Sir."
"Commander. Is there a problem?" Chrono raised his eyebrows, glancing up from the status report he was reading.
Winter watched him for a moment, letting her brow furrow the slightest bit. Working with Chrono for over two years had given her quite the ability to read her commanding officer, just like she'd been able to do so for General Ironwood before. It was a useful skill for an XO to cultivate, and one she'd put much effort into over her years in the militaries. "The ship is running smoothly, you know as well as I do about that, and yet you continue to busy yourself with readiness reports and, quite frankly, micromanaging what the division leaders are more than capable of handling without supervision."
The captain sighed, waving away the holoscreen. "Have there been any complaints?"
"No, but if you continue with this there will be." Winter fixed him with a look. "You are anxious, and not about the ship."
Chrono's lips pursed, and he fell silent for a moment. Winter waited, knowing he'd speak up when he was ready. Finally, he looked away. "...I just want this flight to be over, Schnee. Amy and the kids are on Remnant, and nothing I can do can make a cruiser move through the Sea faster."
"I figured that was the cause." Winter nodded, bringing up a holowindow and sending a scheduling update over to S2U. "I have taken the liberty of reserving the training room from eighteen thirty to twenty hundred, and after dinner the leftovers will be transferred over."
"..." Chrono looked down at the file, then back at her. "...Schnee, did you just schedule another food fight?"
"I did, and I would prefer you to keep to the schedule, sir. I understand the value of stress relief, but please do it where it will not cause the maintenance crew additional problems. There is a time and a place for everything."
"...I am going to plaster you with a tomato, Schnee."
"With all due respect, Harlaown? You can try." Winter snapped her window closed. "At the appropriate time and place."
[ *** ]
"I can't believe Chrono has a copy of Remnant: The Game here. I haven't schooled you all in this in years!" Yang was already unpacking the box, spreading the map out on one of the lounge's tables.
"And it looks like it's seen some use, too. Must be a favorite of the crew's." Blake held up one of the little miniatures. The little soldier miniature's rifle was slightly bent, probably from being dropped.
"And they have Grimm-Fighter Four! GRIMM-FIGHTER FOUR!" Nora was vibrating with impatient energy, waiting for the game console to finish loading. "IT JUST CAME OUT THIS YEAR!"
Helping to sort out the cards from the board game box, Weiss rolled her eyes. "You know you could have just ordered a copy to be delivered to the base."
"Not the same and you know it!"
"How is it not the same?"
"Don't ask questions, you wouldn't understand! Where's Jaune! I need to own him!"
From the couch by the door, Ren glanced up from a home decor magazine. "He and Pyrrha said they'd be a little behind."
"Bah! Ruby, get over here then!"
[ *** ]
"How's your team doing, anyways? It's Team Alpha now, right?" Reinforce Zwei had long ago earned her place as the chattiest individual Sentra Lockheed had ever known, and she'd been quick to defend her title when they'd run into each other near The Four Seasons' barracks. The two of them were walking down one of the ship's corridors, catching up on the last few years. At least, one of them was walking. Reinforce was flying at head level, as she tended to do when she wasn't sitting on someone's shoulder. "I heard you got promoted to Alpha Lead!"
"I did, yes." Sentra shot the little device a smile, turning to show off her uniform's badge. "Captain Raytheon got the captaincy of the Summer, and his sectionmate went with him as his operations commander. He put in a recommendation for me to fill his role, and, well…"
"He's got enough clout that people listened! Well I think that's great!" Reinforce twirled as they continued down the corridor. "You'd have had to pull in some replacements though, right? How are they working out?"
"Just fine. They stick to the book enough for Commander Schnee to be happy, but they're flexible enough for my tastes. More than that, we had two section pairs transfer on at Starburst Station."
"That's only half a Mage Team. Why'd Chrono only requisition four people?"
"Commander Schnee says she and the captain intend to bring on a Huntsman team from Remnant for more operational flexibility. I can't say I disagree with the idea." Sentra tilted her head, watching Reinforce drift and twirl through the air. While flying, the little Unison Device never held still if she didn't have to. "How've things on Mid-Childa been?"
"Oh, you know! Easy enough, easy enough. Things will be kicking into high gear soon, so everyone's waiting with bells on!" Reinforce giggled behind her hand. "Picture that if you will! Especially Zafira, it's a great mental image!"
Sentra let out a small laugh. She couldn't picture that even if she wanted to, but the concept was still amusing. "Never change, Sergeant."
"I don't plan to!" A glance around, and Reinforce let out a little squeal of glee. "Oh, oh! Hold on a minute I want to go say hi to Jaune and Pyrrha! Maybe they'll come get dinner with us!"
Sentra slowed to a stop, waiting while Reinforce flitted over to a door along the corridor. Her eyes glanced it over, picking out a conspicuous, unmarked yellow post-it note stuck to the frame. "Ah- Sergeant, now may not be the best-"
Too late. The door slid open at Reinforce's casual wave, and she disappeared inside. "Jaune, Pyrrha, how have you bee-ACK!"
Sentra raised a hand to her face, massaging the bridge of her nose. Reinforce rejoined her immediately, blushing a furious red. "I'll, uh, talk to them later. They're busy!"
[ *** ]
Space was always a premium on ships of any kind, whether they sailed the seas of water or dimensions. Even with pocket-dimension technologies, the amount of room the inhabitants of a vessel had to move around in was limited at best, cramped at worst.
Because of that, the lounges of TSAB ships of the line were a study in efficient luxury. Generally located along the hull of a ship, lounges tended to be wide and shallow, following the shape of the hull, with reinforced bulkheads behind them protecting the critical sections of the ship in case of mishap or deliberate assault.
Most of the lounge was taken up by a light dozen yelling, carousing enlisted personnel. Even at their calmest, Teams RWBY and JNPR were a textbook study in youthful chaos. Thanks to a basic privacy field, however, Glynda couldn't even hear them, and was free to enjoy the cup of coffee that had been poured for her. "I still find it amazing that I can enjoy a quiet moment with that going on right next to me."
"Truer words were never spoken." Winter Schnee took the seat across from her, blowing on her own coffee to cool it. "You are now done with Mid-childa, yes?"
"I am. The Ground Forces Aura Training Center is in good hands, now that Specialist Aurora has taken over. I believe that she'll be a better fit for the role than I ever was, given Atlas' own training techniques."
"Homesick?"
"Very. I made no big deal about it, but there is something to be said for returning home."
Winter nodded, taking a sip of her drink. "And I am sure that the headmaster will be pleased to have you return to the fold."
[ *** ]
It took a week's journey for The Four Seasons to arrive in Remnant's space. The light from the system's star, a main sequence G-type known to the locals as Monument, shined brightly off of dozens of specks in various orbital tracks.
In the three years since Remnant's introduction to the TSAB, the planet's space industry flourished, sprouting from nothing but the dreams of theorists to billions of Lien worth of new infrastructure. Access to new, and more importantly, Dust-independent technologies and workforces had allowed the planet's inhabitants to reach far and wide for resources that were previously far out of reach. Industrial stations built for the purpose of space mining were manufactured in modules on the surface, then boosted into orbit and assembled in place. Already, the first metal-rich asteroid formed a tiny, second satellite, chasing Remnant's original shattered moon in its lazy path around the planet, which hosted its own small constellation of satellites and research platforms. Plans were already being made to move a second asteroid into place, once the most suitable candidate was determined.
The Four Seasons slotted itself neatly into the assigned orbital vector, a constant stream of communications bouncing between the ship and local space controllers. In a few days' time, the cruiser would descend into the planet's atmosphere, scheduled to land in Vale's construction yards for examination and minor refit.
For the moment, though, a select number of the ship's inhabitants would be taking an intra-orbital shuttle down ahead of time to Beacon Academy.
[ *** ]
The sun was high in the sky, the few light, fluffy clouds never daring to block its light from falling over Beacon's campus. Headmaster Ozpin waited alone on the tarmac, both hands clasped around the head of his cane, as the shuttle came down from above.
With slow grace, the sleek shuttle touched down on its landing gear, and the low thrum of its propulsion arrays died down to silence. The hatch hinged open downward to touch the ground, the inner surface unfolding into a set of stairs. In groups of two, the passengers disembarked, forming into their respective teams in front of him.
"Welcome back to Beacon, students," Ozpin said, letting a small smile show. "It is good to see you all again."
"It's good to be back, Headmaster!" Team RWBY was first in line, of course, clad in a varying array of military gear and personalized clothing, weighty duffel bags waiting at their feet.. Ruby Rose smiled widely back at him, and he gave her team a studious examination. Ruby was by and far the shortest of them now, having not grown even an inch taller, but she'd gained some sturdiness and defined bulk to her frame, made apparent by the regulation tank-top she was sporting. She'd kept her hairstyle, though, he noticed. Yang Xiao Long, by contrast, seemed to have not changed at all; the buxom blonde had already been in admirable form when she'd first started attending Beacon, and had clearly made efforts to maintain both the practical and aesthetic parts of her physique.. Blake Belladonna gave him a small nod in return; the faunus girl had let her hair grow back out a bit since the events before the Grimm assault on Vale, and was keeping it in a short ponytail with her bangs loose in front. She, too, had maintained her fitness but had not changed greatly. Most pointedly, her cat ears were bare for the world to see.
Weiss Schnee on the other hand… "I've heard much about how the four of you had grown into your own on Mid-childa, but I did not know you had taken it so literally, Ms. Schnee." The once-tiny former heiress would come up to his chin now, and she clearly had put effort into making her new stature part of her presence.
Even more impressively, she took the comment in stride. "It surprised me as well, Headmaster, especially when I one day realized I could look Winter in the eyes. The doctors in Cranagan told me they've seen this kind of delayed maturation happen before amongst mages coming into their ability. But, apparently, I take after my mother more than I'd thought."
"Indeed. You seem pleased, I must say."
"Anything to set me further apart from my father." She lifted her chin challengingly, as if daring him to argue the point.
"Boldly spoken. Old Nicholas would be proud of you if he could see you today, for everything you've become." Ozpin nodded, then tapped his cane once and gestured with it toward the campus. "For now, though, your attendance is required in the arena. The sooner you finish with your duties here, the sooner you can all relax."
"You heard the Headmaster, team! Arena, double time! Hup-hup!" At Ruby's playful command, the four grabbed their gear and rushed toward the campus proper, even maintaining some semblance of formation as they jogged off.
Ozpin turned his eyes to the next in line. Team JNPR arrayed themselves in front of him, standing at full attention. His eyebrows perked when Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, and Cardin Winchester offered Belkan salutes, crossing their right arms over their chests and resting their fists against the hollow of their shoulders. "Team JNPR reporting, Headmaster," their leader said.
"Ah, yes. At ease, I believe is the proper response?" The three relaxed their posture, while Nora and Ren remained standing easy, and all five waited for his examination. Jaune Arc surprised him; his first semester, the boy had been tall but uncoordinated, having muscle only from physical labor and not combat training. Now, he was broad of shoulder and strong of arm, musculature toned and defined by effort and regimen. If this Jaune Arc had been the one to apply to Beacon, perhaps Cardin would not have found him nearly so easy prey in the hallways. Pyrrha as ever looked the part of champion, a perfect balance of power and athletic fluidity.
Lie Ren was almost completely unchanged, pink eyes watching Ozpin with tranquil expectation, and while Nora Valkyrie was still the short, stocky fighter he remembered, she seemed to have grown in ways that defied easy description. Something about the way she stood implied a level of patience that had been absent before.
Cardin Winchester, however, was a different man entirely. Where Jaune had become imposing, his appearance was tempered by his kind nature, softening the impact. Cardin was, plain and simply, intimidating. The young man's artificial arm was enameled a deep scarlet red, smooth plates and angled edges clearly labeling it as being built for combat, and the rest of his frame matched its aggressive construction well. The squire seemed to embody violence, but on a tight, controlled leash, waiting for the moment it was required and not a moment before.
After a few moments, during which the five hardly shifted at all, Ozpin nodded in satisfaction and motioned them on their way. "To the training arena."
One last person waited for him when they cleared the field, perhaps the one Ozpin was most interested to see. Emerald Sustrai waited anxiously, her feet shoulder-width apart and hands hidden behind her back. Her mint-green hair was longer than it was the last time he saw her, loose behind her shoulders and falling to the middle of her back, and her clothing was nothing but simple civilian wear, a far cry from the form-fitting top and shorts she used to sport. "Ms. Sustrai."
"Prof- er- Headmaster Ozpin." She swallowed nervously, lower lip curling under her teeth. She felt was being judged, he knew, and feared being found wanting.
"I have been in… contact with the Infinity Library in general, and with your caseworkers in particular, a great number of times the over last two years."
"Yes, Headmaster Ozpin." Her lips twitched in a grimace, and she kept her eyes fixed on a point somewhere behind his left shoulder.
Ozpin let his head tilt to one side, eyeing her speculatively. "Is there anything you would like to say for yourself?"
The girl swallowed again. "Only that my actions since my trial speak for me, Headmaster."
"Hmm. To let your actions speak for you. Well, your actions are specifically what your superiors and I have spoken about at length, and their opinions of you are, to put it simply, positive. Glowing, even. You apply yourself to every task put before you, request assistance when needed but not before, and you have caused no problems of any note." She didn't respond immediately, but there was the slightest release of tension from her frame. "Have you been maintaining your studies?"
"I-" Emerald cleared her throat, starting again. "I've been trying, but it's- it's difficult, Headmaster. I'm under a limiter, and I'm only allowed to access my Aura under close supervision. It's hard to practice regularly."
"Being a huntress is more than just fighting, Ms. Sustrai. Bartholomew would be quite cross with me if I did not remind you of this fact." Ozpin straightened, tapping his cane on the tarmac. "I've been told you have been instrumental in indexing our information regarding the Creatures of Grimm into the Library's archives. Report to the main lecture hall, please. Professor Port is waiting for you to test you on the breadth of your knowledge regarding the Grimm. After all, a huntress must first know her enemy if she is to succeed."
"I-" For a moment, the girl was stunned. Then her face cleared, and he could see hope in her eyes for the first time that day. "Y-yes, Headmaster! Right away."
"Off with you, then." Another shuttle was landing, now that the first one was taking off. "I must greet the rest of our arrivals."
[ *** ]
Beacon's training arena was no longer a domed interior portion of the academy's campus. Destroyed by the fall of the old CCTS tower, it had been rebuilt as a mini-stadium, open stands protected from the elements above by a hardshield similar to the one that protected Amity Colosseum. Mostly empty stands at the moment, only filled by the arrivals from TSAB space and those taking part in their assessment.
Lindy Harlaown took a short, skip-step forward, putting Durandal through a deft, lightning-fast spin to knock Raising Heart's edge wide, and in the opening provided lifted a knee to her chest and stomped forward. Nanoha's readied shield provided a perfect target, and Lindy planted her foot right in the center, all of her Aura-enhanced might slamming the circular shield back into Nanoha's torso and blasting her back and off her feet. Nanoha rolled upright just at the edge of the ring, teetering on her heels and struggling for balance; a perfect target for the high-caliber rifle round the retired admiral fired as a follow up.
The buzzer blared as Nanoha fell on her rear, out of bounds. "Nya-hahaha... Lindy!" The ace was laughing as she sat there, shaking her head. "Chrono wasn't kidding around when he said you'd been keeping up your studies!"
Lindy strode forward to offer the flightmage a hand up, letting a smile show. "It helps that I have some of the best instructors on Remnant here at Beacon. Raven would never have let me hear the end of it if I didn't take the shot when it was there to take."
In the circle next to theirs another fight was accelerating towards a decisive end as well. Despite the reach advantage Schwertkreuz's zweihander mode provided, Hayate struggled to land a hit past Amy Harlaown's own angular buckler. The old Arthra's comm officer had her game face on, punishing Hayate for the slightest misstep, brutal slashes chipping away at the smaller girl's massive Aura reserves. A quick charge to get inside Hayate's reach led to a shield bash right to the nose, a leg hooked behind the knee, and a shove to topple Hayate like a cut tree. The buzzer sounded with Dipping Swallow's point resting in the hollow of Hayate's throat, and an owlish expression on the mage's face.
Nanoha's eyes were wide as well; she'd never really viewed Amy as dangerous before. Lindy let out a small chuckle as the victorious brunette helped Hayate to her feet. "Amy too. She can't rely on her semblance for combat, so she's pushed herself to improve as much or more than most of the other students here. Come though, we should clear the floor. STRQ is going to test ZFSH as a team, they'll need the room."
Nanoha shook her head as she followed Lindy to the stands, "I could hardly keep track of her movements. Are all the fourth years like that?"
"Not all, not even most. Amy's an agility fighter, and she's one of the better ones in the class. She's still fragile though, her Aura strength is only in the twenty fifth percentile even after three years." Lindy took a seat in the second row, gesturing for Nanoha to sit with her. "Still, Chrono's never been happier to know that Amy's no pushover."
"Speaking of Chrono, where is he? He was on the shuttle down, but I lost track of him."
"Business in Vale. CSAL's being tested tomorrow, so it's no problem."
[ *** ]
After dark, during the weekends, Junior's club hosted dozens, if not hundreds, of rampant partygoers, eager to dance and drink and put the stress of the week behind them. Fortunate enough to have survived the tumultuous assaults on Vale several years ago, the club had developed a sort importance, a street-level fame that bolstered its clientele to new highs.
During the week, in the afternoon, was a different story. Other than Junior's black-suited staff, the club floor was empty. A few of the newer hires pushed brooms across the tiled floor, cleaned the mirrors lining the walls, and in one case in the corner, struggled to fill a plastic bag with a 'smoke sample' from the fog machine that his peers had told him to get. Hei "Junior" Xiong himself was at the bar, checking the amount of liquor in the various glass bottles displayed behind at. Miltia and Melanie Malachite sat at the bar itself, sipping at the disgustingly sweet cocktails they always asked him to prepare.
The entrance double doors pushed open, and Junior paused in his work, listening. Three pairs of footsteps echoed through the club. Making sure his rocket-club was near at hand, he turned to see who the hell- "Roman?"
"Junior! Long time no see! It's been years now, hasn't it?" Roman Torchwick strode up to the bar, followed by Neopolitan and a little blonde girl Junior didn't recognize.
"I thought you died in the Grimm assault, you son of a bitch. Where the hell have you been?" Junior was genuinely surprised to see the criminal.
"Oh, just out and about. It's a big galaxy out there. Figured I'd catch my ride early." Torchwick hooked a stool with his cane and pulled it out, sitting down. "I'll have the usual, and Neo will have-" An image of a Bloody Mary phased into being on the bar top, and Roman pointed at it with his thumb. "-one of those."
Junior reached for a pair of glasses, but his eyes twitched over to the third member of his group. "I can make excuses for Hunter students, look the other way if I have to. But the tyke is a bit young for this place, Roman."
"She'll be fine, old bear. What do you want, Squirt?"
"Oh! Oh! A Shirley Temple! With a cherry on top!" The blonde girl- and she couldn't have been more than ten- bounced up and down on her toes.
"A what?" Junior perked an eyebrow.
"Grenadine and ginger ale," Torchwick translated with a sigh, "and put one of those marinated cherries in it. She had one when we were on another planet a few weeks ago and won't shut up about them."
Non-alcoholic, sweet enough to rot teeth… It'd be easy enough. "I can do that." As he started mixing the drinks, he could hear the twins' snide whispering.
Torchwick picked up his double-pour of whiskey and stood, gesturing with his cane. "I need the back room for a bit, old bear. Business to take care of."
"Someone's already using it, Roman."
"I'm aware. Think the twins will mind babysitting for me while I'm in there?" Apparently Torchwick's ears were as sharp as ever; he'd heard the two making comments as well.
There was a loud slurping noise, and the blonde girl put her empty glass back on the bar. Her smile was wide, cheerful, and the slightest bit vicious.
Torchwick was already striding away. "What are the rules, Peppermint?"
"I got it, I got it! No property damage, no ambulances, don't break any merchandise, and they can tap out anytime they want!"
"Good girl. Go have fun."
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jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
I somehow have the feeling that the twins will be tapping out in rather short order.
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
So much! It's amazing!
- Location
- Somewhere in the Ashes
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Mildly psychotic hitgirl Vivio was not something I would have said I needed in my life. Evidently, I am a fool.
- Location
- Somewhere in the USA, EST
She has the best instructors. Torchwick's the one that's teaching her, but Neo's her combat tutor. Plain and simple, Torchwick can't keep up with her, but Neo can.
- Location
- Somewhere in the Ashes
- Pronouns
- She/Her
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
Considering that Neo is a combat cyborg in this 'verse and Vivio/Peppermint is the clone of Olivie Sägebrecht, Torchwick would have to cheat like three kinds of **********'s in order to have a chance in heck of keeping up with them in a fight.