Chapter 14
Ice sang.
Nex ducked, stalactites whooshing. The chill brushed his extra pair of ears.
Hrunting's blade shortened, the barrels clicking over silvery steel.
The Mistralian leapt away, the hailstorm stabbing into the far wall.
Nex smirked, his finger twitching.
The barrels roared. A shell caught the huntsman mid-air. The boom probably chunked his aura, sending him crashing into the dirt.
The Mistralian's partner—a woman wielding an electrified baton. Rushing him.
Apparently, she saw it as an opening.
It was most definitely not.
The compact, dagger-shotgun form of Hrunting had its uses. But not here. Not in such a flat, open field.
In hindsight, he could have used Hrunting's longer forms to outreach the baton. But there was no point in revealing more of its gimmicks.
Nex lunged.
The huntress was awfully predictable.
Slow.
Not even on his partner's level.
Certainly not on Neo's.
But maybe the comparison to one of Remnant's best assassins was unfair.
Nex grinned.
Hrunting's blade extended, flashing as it parried every single one of her strikes. Razor-sharp light coated the blade, drawing from the dust folded into its steel. Imperceptible to the average viewer. But it was enough to prevent the sparks from hopping to his weapon.
Nexus Shade could not give ground.
Weiss Schnee was most vulnerable in close quarters.
It would be a death sentence to let the huntress engage his partner.
"Weiss!" Nex said. Hopefully, his partner was listening. "Try to aim at the enemy only!"
The tanned woman's frustration showed on the muscles of her cheeks. Taut like rubber bands. She was probably used to having an advantage. Against enemies who wielded metal, an electrified stick was a solid counter.
But if it was everything she had, then she might as well quit while she was ahead. As long as she could not figure out why her schtick was malfunctioning, he held the undisputed advantage.
Both psychological and tactical.
He had to win.
Weiss could be a scary motivator, threatening to never let him sleep in Beacon if he half-assed the tournament.
Besides, he hated losing.
Whether it was a match or sleep.
"Sorry!" Weiss yelled. Another glyph tinkled, sprouting tongues of fire. They hissed through his extra pair of ears. "I'll try not to hit you!"
The heat rushed over.
It grazed the huntsman—the one with the rifle. He dodged again, this time rolling on the dirt.
Apparently, the huntsman learned his lesson.
Acrobatic dodges in mid-air were good and all. Except when one needed to dodge the next hit.
The baton arced downwards. But his semblance already saw it coming.
Nex stepped into her guard. Reaching in. His empty left hand crushed her right wrist.
The one with the baton.
The huntress' eyes widened. Her body tilted away.
Nex tugged back.
Got her.
Hrunting's pommel smashed into her nose.
The huntress flinched. A fatal mistake.
He let go.
She reeled back.
Hrunting whistled through the gap, its hilt extending a few inches. The two-handed reverse slash would have missed otherwise.
His blade carved a bloody hole into the huntress' exposed neck.
That was, if she were a civilian.
The huntress would be bleeding to death if not for her aura.
"Shoal Green's aura is in the red! In one blistering cut, the contestant from Sanctum Academy is out of the match! Nexus Shade from Atlas Primary is proving to be quite the ruthless and unorthodox combatant!"
The announcer boomed, a hundred people or so clapping.
Spikes of ice harassed the huntress' partner.
The huntsman rolled right into a black glyph. He collapsed, squirming on the dirt. Then again, acrobatic dodges also had their uses.
Yellow glyphs spun.
Thunder rumbled.
The man convulsed and slumped. Probably unconscious, the huntress already jogging towards him.
"And Dusk Noir is out of the match! Weiss Schnee, ladies and gentlemen! Once again, Weiss Schnee proves that the Schnee family semblance is quite fearsome and deadly!"
The audience clapped even louder.
Nex sheathed his longsword, spinning around to face his partner.
Weiss huffed, smiling as she clipped her rapier to her waist.
Fuck. He just realized. His trench coat was cheap in comparison to her dress. Maybe it was time for an upgrade.
"That was great, Nex," Weiss said as they strolled through the tunnel. The one reserved for the contestants. "We're going to the finals. Maybe we're even going to win."
Nex shrugged, drawing ragged breaths. His partner looked out of breath as well, sweat racing down her exposed clavicle. There was that black thing on her chest. Whatever it was. Probably some unpronounceable accessory.
"Maybe. Don't expect too much from me, Weiss," Nex said. "I'm not as talented as you."
And that was the sad truth.
Weiss Schnee had a hereditary semblance—glyphs that tapped into the potential of dust. Whatever dust really was.
While Nexus Shade could not claim to be born with such a boon. For every single thing he could do, he poured in a lot of blood, sleep, and tears. It was called dedication, not talent. The kind of dedication where one started swinging a sword at four and picking up a shield at five. Never stopping once to take a break.
Weiss shook her head. "That's not true, Nex. I almost hit you from behind."
The ice would have turned him into a very cold porcupine if not for his extra pair of ears.
While she had a valid point, it hardly compared to the existence of the Schnee glyphs. It spoke more about their lack of experience together—mostly the problem with the tournament. People partnered up with their friends for fun, but the lack of collaborative combat in the curriculum prevented them from fighting at their best.
Teamwork was something the four huntsman academies apparently taught, while the combat schools provided the individual foundations. Participation was not really required. Nor was it graded.
Apparently, fighting for nothing was the real shit for some people.
"It's fine, Weiss. We don't really have a lot of experience together," Nex said, offering her a smile. "Teamwork isn't something that we can develop in a short time."
Weiss coughed, red already staining her glistening cheeks. "I see your point. We'll have to spend more time together then. To work on this deficiency, of course."
They parted in the hallway, going to the separate gendered locker rooms. Thankfully, Signal Academy was kind enough to allow combatants to store their clothes in the adjoined building.
Nex opened his temporary locker, taking out a fresh set of Atlas Primary's uniform. Seeing as he was the only one in the locker room, with most of the students enjoying the festivities, there was no point in changing somewhere more private.
Sighing, he slipped on his fresh duds. He attached Hrunting Vigilance to his belt, wearing his trench over his uniform, leaving the midnight-blue coat open. It eliminated the need to carry the thing to their tent.
He dumped his sweaty clothes into a plastic bag, securing it with his left hand.
"That's better," Nex said, sighing as his right hand brushed Oathkeeper's hilt.
The door swung open.
Qrow Branwen tiptoed his way around the benches, doing his best impression of a hedgehog.
Fuck.
Nex groaned, closing the locker. He spun and loped towards the exit. But apparently, the birdbrain was having none of it.
"Hey, kid. That was a good match," Qrow said, grinning as he pumped both fists. "The other profs say you pulled a dirty trick, but I say anything goes in a fight."
Nex walked around the huntsman, wrinkling his nose. Same old stink. "Right."
"I see you and the littler Schnee worked out," Qrow said. "Good for you, kid."
Nex shrugged, hand twisting the doorknob. Ancient history. "Yep. All I had to do was try."
The hallway blurred past, even as the huntsman moved to follow him.
Qrow matched his pace, slouching even more as he brought his signature flask to his lips. "Where'd you learn how to fight like that?"
"A legacy of a misspent youth," Nex said, his shoes skidding on the tiles. "Should I be calling you professor?"
Qrow flinched, his hand shaking as he put away his flask. "Nope. You're cool. I don't think the one who's giving me drinks should call me professor. It's bad for my self-esteem."
But still, Qrow Branwen was a professor of Signal Academy, no matter how inebriated the huntsman may seem. And that had been a surprise to learn. Combat schools actually allowed drunk birdbrains to hold class.
Maybe drinking classes, then.
However, the standardized curriculum did not have those.
Well, maybe he could mention something about Professor Branwen in the Huntsman's Respite. Just to see the look on Qrow's face. Bonus points if Winter was there. The drunken banter would be the stuff of legends.
Weiss rounded around the corner, already dressed in her uniform. "There you are, Nex. I was starting to wonder if you went ahead."
And entertain the crowds alone?
No way. Not even for all the lien in the world.
Weiss stilled, glancing at the drunk birdbrain. Her eyes narrowed. "And who is this?"
Qrow grinned, straightened his posture, and dwarfed the two of them by at least a head. "The name's Qrow Branwen, professor of Signal Academy. You're the littler Schnee?"
Weiss stiffened, plastering a smile on her face. "I am. My name is Weiss Schnee. It's an honour to meet you, sir."
Nex rolled his eyes. Right. Because it was such an honour to serve Professor Branwen beer and watch the birdbrain drink himself to unconsciousness.
But there was no point in popping her Weiss-bubble.
And there was no harm in playing along with Qrow. The huntsman was planning something, judging from that familiar glint in his eyes.
"So the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Qrow said, elbowing his shoulder. "Your partner does take after the ice queen. Can't say I'm surprised."
Weiss shifted on her heels. "'I'm sorry? Are you perhaps referring to my older sister, Professor Branwen?"
"He probably is," Nex said, smirking at Professor Branwen. "He's a bit of a drunk birdbrain, so you'll have to be patient with him."
It was his motto as a bartender.
Patience, Determination, Vigilance.
Patience to attend to his customer's demands, determination to get through the long night, and vigilance that should someone fall asleep on the glass, he would be there to wake them up with pints of freezing water.
The fact that he only started doing it when Qrow began showing up was a mere coincidence. He did not dislike the huntsman, per se. But it was a matter of principle. Certainly nothing personal.
Weiss fixed him a thorny glare. "Nex! He's a professor from Signal Academy. He deserves to be treated with the proper respect."
Professor Branwen shot him a look—a look he returned, matching the grin on the huntsman's lips.
Weiss either missed the exchange or she was simply too far into her rant to notice. Well, Weiss was still Weiss. That was, a stickler for rules and the arbitrary totem poles of society.
"I'm sorry, professor. My partner didn't mean it," Weiss said, huffing as she glanced at Professor Branwen. "I'm sure that he'll apologize. Won't you, Nex?"
Nex shrugged. Apologize? Nope.
Weiss scowled, her eyes stabbing holes into his.
Nothing new there.
Qrow slapped his back. "No need. Me and the cheeky kid here are quite familiar with each other. You could say that we have a long, storied history."
Yep.
Said history involved drinking in his mother's house, drinking in his mother's memorial, and drinking in her son's bar.
But the huntsman did offer some helpful advice from time to time.
Purpose.
And this time, maybe he had the beginnings of an answer. Perhaps it was enough to forgive Qrow Branwen. But beating Qrow up with an umbrella was still appealing. Or even spiking his flask.
Again.
Did the huntsman even notice?
"Is that so, Professor Branwen?" Weiss said, her eyes darting between them. "And how exactly do the two of you know each other?"
Qrow grinned. "The kid used to challenge me and his mother to a lot of spars. He's a fighting nut, obsessed with weapons and training. Says it's an art."
Really?
His brain spat out a few pointed words for that one.
Scratch that. A lot.
But how exactly should he phrase them?
"Yep. And I remember almost beating him up with my umbrella," Nex said, cracking a smirk. "Too bad he chickened out of that spar."
Said spar equated to his mother's funeral. But it was nothing but semantics.
At that point in time, he would have beaten Qrow with an umbrella even if the huntsman did show up after the funeral.
The scare-Qrow glanced at him, definitely confused. But there was no point in elaborating. Let the birdbrain think on it over a couple of drinks.
"Well, I better get going," Qrow said, his cape fluttering as he spun and strolled away. "My cute little nieces are up next."
Weiss breathed a sigh of what was definitely relief. "Goodbye, Professor Branwen. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"You do know that I'm going to wreck your cute little nieces, right?" Nex said, tapping the tiles with a shoe. "It's simply a matter of principle. I hate losing."
Qrow chuckled, already five feet away from them. "That would be a proud sight to see, kid. A proud sight for a birdbrain like me..."
Yep.
Apparently, Qrow Branwen was putting his lien on Nexus Shade.
Good for him, even if the act seemed irrational. Why not put the lien on his cute little nieces?
"Nex," Weiss said, tapping his forearm. "Are you sure you've never met your father?"
Nex shrugged. Why was she even asking? "Nope. If I did, I'd have kicked him in the balls already."
Maybe even a supercharged shell instead of a simple kick. Hrunting and Vigilance would enjoy the exercise. His father was definitely personal.
Weiss frowned, her eyes fixed on the drunk birdbrain—the red speck at the other end of the hall. "If you're sure. Let's go then."
They shuffled along the hallway, minding their own business as combatants slipped in and out of the arena.
Signal held two matches at the same time on two separate battlefields, thinning the herd throughout the entirety of the first day. It was a blur of back-to-back fights, a menagerie that left their bodies sagging even as they finally reached their tents. Tomorrow, on the third day of the festival, they were apparently fighting in the final round.
Fuck.
Was it too late to ask Neo to teleport him to The Club? A strawberry sunrise to wet his parched throat would be nice.
Their booth in Signal Academy's central square consisted of a stage, a hologram giving an overview of their project, and their robot corgi.
It was a relief the presentation part involved nothing but sitting still and waiting for curious onlookers to ask about their project.
Weiss took care of that one, mesmerizing the crowds with her academic poise and grace.
Nex simply played second fiddle, or a handy manual should a particularly inquisitive student ask about the dog's more complex inner workings, like its weapon systems and artificial intelligence.
Come to think of it, there was one of those right now, slipping from another booth to theirs.
"Nex," Ruby Rose said, hands on her black skirt. Her outfit made her look like a girl straight out of a goth fantasy. The red sun burned her cloak. "What's your project?"
Nex blinked, fixing his eyes on her dainty, button-like nose. "Weiss can explain that one. Hey, partner. Ruby wants to know about our dog."
No reply.
Nex glanced at the chair where his partner was supposed to be sitting.
Empty.
Instead, she stood a few ways from their booth, talking with a tall redhead. Seeing as the redhead only nodded along while his partner hogged most of the conversation, he reserved the unfortunate woman his sincerest condolences.
Weiss could be surprisingly persistent and energetic when something piqued her interest.
Crap.
Did he really have to explain their entire project to Ruby?
Weiss took an awful long time when she explained it, elaborating on every single detail. But maybe he could shorten it a bit. Not as if his partner was here to listen.
"Well, this thing is a robot dog," Nex said, matching the silver-eyed girl's smile. No shit, Nex. His smile twitched. "Its design is based on a corgi. It has state-of-the-art programming, modelled after realistic canine behaviour and Atlesian combat data. It also has advanced weapon systems and automated protection AI should its owner, well, run into a dangerous situation."
Ruby stared at the mechanized corgi. The one sitting on the stage. "That's so cool! It's just like Zwei. Except, you know, it's made of metal and it has weapons. But that only makes it a lot cooler."
Great.
Ruby gushed, stars dancing in her silver eyes. "Can I pet it? Can I see its guns?"
"Wait. Slow down a bit," Nex said. "What's a Zwei?"
Ruby flushed, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "Zwei's my pet corgi. He's adorable."
Nex tapped his scroll.
The robot dog barked to life, the tiny beads that passed for its eyes glowing pale blue. It pranced around the stage, shooting confetti from the high-velocity cannons that protruded from its back.
The mechanized corgi jumped off the stage and landed in Ruby's waiting arms. She was telling the truth then. Apparently, she had practice catching dogs falling off places.
"That was awesome," Ruby said, the robot dog in her arms barking. "Can I take it home?"
Nex shook his head, schooling his face into his best deadpan. "Nope. You'll have to wait for Atlas to release it to the public."
Ruby pouted, the dog clambering up the stage. "Awww, really?"
"Just kidding," Nex said, managing a smile. "This is a competition. Maybe ask Weiss and me when it's finished."
"I can wait," Ruby said, twiddling her fingers. "So... How did you and Weiss meet?"
Nex quirked an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"You seem very close," Ruby said. "Not that Yang and I have been watching you or anything—it's just that you seem more in tune with each other than the others in the tournament and—"
The silver-eyed girl rambled on at about Mach Two per second.
Yep. This was the life.
The only person missing was Jaune.
Then they could have a tea party among the socially challenged elite. Definitely the height of awkwardness. He would be playing host, of course. It was an excuse to start the conversation, stay quiet, and possibly catch some sleep.
But still, he had to say something eventually.
Nex shrugged, lifting his lips into a smile. "What?"
Brilliant.
Eloquent.
Easily speech material.
"Err... Never mind," Ruby said, scratching her neck. "Let's go back to my original question."
How he and Weiss met.
That was a thought.
"We met in school," Nex said. "Weiss and I were partnered in Dust Practical."
Ruby tilted her head, her reddish bangs concealing a portion of her silver eyes. "That's it?"
"Yep," Nex said, nodding. "That's it."
Ruby sighed, contemplating her boots. Probably expecting a mystical and otherworldly answer. "I hope that my future partner's like Weiss. You get along so well."
Nex smiled, resisting the urge to ruffle her cropped hair. "Eh. Sometimes. Sometimes we don't."
At the corner of his eye, the tall redhead quivered.
Weiss closed in on her like a hungry wolf.
Oh well, oh well. The irony was definitely thick.
"Excuse me," Nex said. Far be it from him to interrupt, but a crowd would eventually come along and ask him to explain their project. Then he would need Weiss. "I have to stop my partner from devouring a redhead."
Ruby waved goodbye, disappearing in a flurry of rose petals.
Too fast.
Instantly.
Breaking laws upon laws of Physics.
Unless—
His semblance screamed.
Impossible.
For a moment, the roses bled into black.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the much-awaited finals of the Sanus Festival! On one side we have Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose, sisters from our very own Signal Academy! Facing them will be the undisputed pair from Atlas Primary—Weiss Schnee and Nexus Shade!"
Yang bounced on the balls of her feet, grinning as if the match was the highlight of her month. "Hey, Weiss-cream. Don't get salty when you lose."
Weiss scowled, crystal-white rapier already in hand. "Excuse me? What did you just call me?"
Ruby clutched a folded weapon to her chest. His semblance deduced it was a bolt-action sniper-scythe hybrid. Not bad. It compensated for the scythe's weakness at close range with the rifle's extreme range.
His work was cut out for him.
Yang's weapons complimented the silver-eyed girl's perfectly. Shotgun gauntlets worked extremely well at close range.
He had to divide the battlefield, tease Yang in close quarters while Weiss distracted Ruby.
Distract, not defeat.
That short of glimpse of Ruby's semblance revealed its true nature. It was a speed-based semblance, operating on the principles of time dilation. To the average viewer, it would simply appear as if she had super speed. Rose petals manifested whenever she used it. The reason was unknown, and it held no apparent weaknesses. His semblance lacked the data necessary to synthesize them.
Yang's semblance was unknown. A variable. A threat. Apparently, none of the other contestants managed to push her into using it. Or at least, according to Weiss. But his semblance poked him whenever he purposely thought about hitting her. It must have been something in the way she carried herself. Or the data his semblance gleaned from her weapon.
After all, there must have been a reason why her weapons damaged her, right?
It was a clue, at least.
He needed to see more of their abilities. To use Weiss as a deterrent—a way to control the awfully open battlefield. Sniper rifles were a godsend in Signal's arena. But then again, so were glyphs.
Nex tapped his partner's shoulder.
Just as their adversaries walked away.
It was customary to greet them before the match. He used that time for some last-minute plans while others flapped their gums. His partner was good at politely greeting people. Certainly better than he was.
"How good are you at dodging?" Nex said. "I mean, really dodging?"
"I'm—" Weiss said, looking like she was the one with the precog semblance. "Not very good."
Nex sighed, drawing Hrunting from Vigilance. His left hand lingered on Oathkeeper. No choice then. "Distract Ruby. Her weapon is a sniper rifle and a scythe. She has a speed semblance. It manifests with roses, so you have moments to predict and react.
"Don't let her get close. Play pinball with her. If she targets me, take the opportunity to put traps around the battlefield. I can stall them both if I dual-wield. Maintain a defensible position. I'll take Yang and knock her out if I can."
Left unsaid was the fact that Hrunting and Vigilance's more destructive forms could have easily won the match. But using his secret techniques in a televised tournament was undoubtedly stupid.
Not to mention a waste of dust.
Weiss blinked. "And if you don't?"
Nex smiled, drawing Amariss Shade's fancy sword from its plain scabbard.
Oathkeeper hummed with bloodlust, the gold stained red by the afternoon sun. The cartridges in its cross-guard rotated, revealing every type of dust there probably was.
Amariss got around, collecting rare dust that never even graced the public eye. Some of them she took from remote locations. Some acquired with her partner. And some even bargained for in the black market. They boasted unique effects, invaluable for some inspiration.
Weiss glanced at his second sword. She quirked an eyebrow, smiling as she stared at the multi-coloured dust compartment.
It looked similar to the one on her crystal-white rapier. Evidently, she was pleased he seemed to be pulling out everything he had.
If only she knew better.
"Then I guess you'll have to take them both out," Nex said, his muscles loosening as his aura flared. "I'm sure you can manage."
Weiss chuckled, a yellow glyph spinning on her rapier. "To victory then. Let's make Xiao Long eat her words."
His heart raced.
Her heartbeat matched its thumping.
His legs leaned forward.
They touched the other end of the field.
"And... Begin!"
Ruby disappeared.
A bullet.
Straight through his shoulder.
Nex weaved. "Move!"
Yellow flashed.
The world shattered into grey fractals, flowing like mercury in a test tube.
Still.
Lifeless.
The remnants of the world stood frozen.
His semblance was breaking his mind into steel, analyzing and synthesizing everything there was.
Weiss and Ruby would exchange projectiles. The second with her rifle and the first with her glyphs. None of them would manage to score a clean hit. His partner's glyphs would defend her well, making it risky to rush in. The silver-eyed girl's semblance would make her unpredictable, making his partner's attacks miss.
Attrition.
Victory hinged on who had more dust, ammo, and aura. Who used them more efficiently.
The world rushed from stillness into motion.
Fists came.
Nex deflected the flurry, the flats of his swords catching them without fail.
His arms vibrated.
The kinetic force behind her punches was no joke.
His blades spun and weaved, creating a twister of steel. It was an impenetrable defence. The pinnacle of dual-wielding combined with his semblance. His obsession in action.
His swords weathered through the blasts that came with some of her punches. Every time a blade parried, a punch followed.
His semblance guided him through the blitz, like Weiss telling him they were going to win.
His name was Nexus Shade.
The tempest.
The calm inside a sea of whirling blades.
And it seemed Yang Xiao Long was the exact opposite.
Yang roared, pulling back a punch more forceful than the rest. "Why won't you attack!"
Why did she want him to attack?
Nex smirked, twisting on his heel.
Her punch passed his body by mere inches, the wind blowing his fringe.
Oathkeeper blurred, the curved golden blade brushing her bicep.
Hrunting batted her follow-up, the straight silvery blade redirecting the impact.
Odd.
His semblance failed to react.
The very idea of committing to an attack caused his semblance to scream.
But not when he accidentally made that glancing blow.
Oh.
Well then.
Apparently, Yang's unknown semblance had a weakness.
All that was left to do was exploit it so thoroughly that she would not have the chance to win their duel.
Time for some Neo inspiration.
The dance resumed.
Nex tilted his body, dodging the punch Oathkeeper should have intercepted.
Hrunting's hilt extended into a shaft, the barrels locking over the blade.
Its tip pierced into the dirt.
Nex gripped the shaft, propelling his body around the makeshift pole.
His boot lashed out and scored a swift kick on Yang's mug.
His semblance failed to react.
Hypothesis confirmed.
The blonde growled, glaring at his longsword's second form. She lunged, resuming her fast but predictable attacks.
Patience and tactics would win him the battle. Chipping at her aura bit by bit with soft, infrequent attacks would do the trick.
His semblance did not reveal what her semblance was, but it did reveal how to counter it.
Hrunting's shaft retracted into a hilt, the barrels shortening.
His tempest returned.
Only this time, he made sure to hit the blonde brawler every once in a while. Not enough to trigger his semblance. But enough to piss her off. Make her punches clumsy. Her form, sloppy. Little nicks on her forearm. Little cuts on her legs.
Her aura was sliding into the orange while his stayed in the lower greens.
"And would you look at that, folks! Yang Xiao Long's aura is slowly sinking into the deep red! Nexus Shade's dual-wielding surprise seems to have her stumped! What else does the enigmatic student from Atlas Primary have in store for us?"
A lot.
But Oathkeeper and Hrunting would have to do.
The audience roared.
Yang hopped back, her eyebrows furrowing as she took erratic breaths. "How the hell do you know?"
Somewhere on the battlefield, the duel between Weiss and Ruby raged.
They zoomed around, circling him and his adversary. Each one was probably trying to nail the other with various projectiles. Shooting at the melee combatants was definitely out of the question. Friendly fire was too great a risk.
Weiss was doing her job well, keeping Ruby away from him and setting the pace of their protracted duel. It allowed him to fight without worrying about her.
"Know what? Your semblance?" Nex said, cracking a smirk. A smirk meant to piss her off some more. Cons of being a hothead? Definitely. "I don't. Not really. But you're not doing a very good job of hiding it."
Yang snarled, her irises bleeding red. "You are so pissing me off!"
Golden fire erupted, the heat scorching his lungs.
Apparently, he succeeded.
She tore through the gap.
Nex barely had the time to resume his dance.
Her punches came faster.
Rabid.
Wild.
His adversary traded precision for raw, explosive power. The frequency of her shotgun blasts intensified.
It did not resemble dancing. Not even close.
Yang took the form of a bull rampaging through the market.
No choice then.
The only way out was to deflect her enraged punches. A direct hit, even a glancing blow, would hobble him, chunking his aura and ruining his rhythm. Blocking them directly would disarm him.
Being bereft of one sword would force him to draw Vigilance.
Unacceptable.
Hrunting and Oathkeeper should be enough.
His dance heightened into its climax.
Her punches turned into a manic blur. Desperate to put an end to him.
He channelled more aura. Magnifying his semblance. He went even faster, further, slipping heavier strikes through the blonde's battered guard.
Her aura was dangerously low.
There was no point in playing the waiting game.
"What a shocking turn of events, ladies and gentlemen! Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee hit the red—at the same time!"
Yang sighed, lowering her fists. "Well, it's up to Ruby."
The blonde loped away, squatting on the sidelines.
Good for her.
Nex nodded, glancing around the battlefield.
Weiss cradled a twisted left arm with her right hand. It bent past her shoulder, as if she were a broken doll. She shot him a look, and smiled through an ugly grimace as she limped off the battlefield. The hole on her sleeve revealed exactly what happened.
Ruby managed to put a bead through her glyphs, the bullet's impact breaking her sword arm.
Fuck.
Fuckity fuck.
Weiss did enough.
Ruby's aura lingered in the mid-orange.
His chest burned.
He had to win.
Defeat was not an option.
"Shit," Nex said, glaring at his last opponent. The silver-eyed warrior held a crimson scythe, her cloak anaemic. Bleeding. Bleeding into white. "You'll pay for that."
Oathkeeper returned to its scabbard.
He was too naive. Too complacent.
If only he used Vigilance right from the start.
His partner would not be hurt.
Nex rushed the silver-eyed warrior with Hrunting, his left hand on Vigilance.
She disappeared.
The scythe flashed. It moved slow. Bulky.
Predictable.
Vigilance expanded.
The scythe's tip skittered off its surface.
He spun into her guard, slashing at her chest. His blade sliced through roses.
Summer roses.
Hrunting extended into a spear. Its cross-guard grappled with the scythe's shaft.
Silver eyes widened.
Her hands pulled at her scythe.
Too late.
Vigilance slammed into her jaw.
His weapons bashed and stabbed and smashed.
His partner was relying on him.
Hrunting led. Vigilance followed.
The scythe was near-useless against a spear that matched its length and a shield that slipped into its owner's guard.
Lightning roared.
Ice tinkled.
The fires of ancient cosmic destiny blazed on his shield.
People made the mistake of thinking the shield was a tool for defence.
It was not.
It was as deadly as the sword and the spear when used right.
Perhaps even more.
"Stop! Kid! She's out!"
Black feathers.
Was it a crow?
Or a raven?
Nex blinked.
A broadsword flashed, slamming into his shield.
His boots slid on the dirt.
Nex lowered his weapons, his arms replaced by blocks of lead. "What?"
"In a surprising twist, Signal Academy's Professor Qrow Branwen steps in to stop Nexus Shade's frantic assault! Who knew that injuring his partner could cause the calm and collected huntsman to lose his cool?!" the announcer screamed. "Ruby Rose's aura is depleted! Due to the intervention of Signal staff, the match defaults and goes to Atlas Primary. Give it up to the winners of the Sanus Festival tournament—Nexus Shade and Weiss Schnee!
The audience clapped and cheered.
But Ruby looked like she went through a meat grinder, scrapes and bruises on her pale face. Her dress was littered with spear-tipped holes, brown spots splattered on the black fabric. Angry, red burns streaked her face. Shards of ice were embedded in her sleeves, and she reeked of charred skin and thunder.
Silver eyes met his.
Her breath hitched.
Little red quivered, hiding behind the huntsman's impressive height.
Qrow Branwen crossed his arms, sword already tucked under his cape. The huntsman's red eyes stared through his.
Seemingly lost somewhere.
Just out of reach.
Hrunting and Vigilance returned to his belt.
His veins burned, blood thundering in his neck.
A marching band.
"Shit," Nex said. Not again. "I'm sorry."
A drink. Definitely one of those. Or perhaps a dozen.
Chapter 16
Nex. You've been quiet for the entire trip," Weiss said, frowning. "Are you okay?"
The sea ebbed and shook, shimmery-red under the pale blue sky.
The Atlesian airship lanced through the clouds, buoyed by the power of limitless technology.
He would have jumped out of the window, if not for the glass that would prove solid enough to stop his fall.
Instead, he turned to look at his partner.
"I'm fine," Nex said, his lids half-closed. Darkness seemed to cover half his partner. "Just... a bit tired."
Weiss pursed her lips, her fingers lacing around his. Warm under the armrest, their hands resting on his thigh. "It wasn't your fault, you know. Combatants tend to lose themselves in the heat of battle. And you had more cause than most."
More cause did not excuse his actions. Losing control was one thing, but venting his pent-up feelings on Ruby was another.
It was his burden.
Not hers.
Ruby Rose was not her mother. No matter how much she looked like a younger version of Summer Rose. The sins of the mother were not meant for the daughter to bear.
"Weiss," Nex said, glancing at her arm. "Does it still hurt?"
Weiss shook her head, her ponytail brushing his shoulder. "Not anymore. They treated me well in the infirmary. And Nex, if you're trying to distract me, it's not going to work."
Nex rolled his eyes. This woman. How very eloquent of her. And so very Weiss-like.
A few months ago, the diversionary tactic would have worked. He needed a better one.
"Seriously. I'm fine," Nex said, breathing a sigh. "I just need more sleep."
More sleep solved everything in the world.
"Then sleep. I'll wake you up when we arrive," Weiss said, smiling as she squeezed his hand. "You've earned the rest, partner."
When sleep came, so did the monsters of the night.
A boy raced through the withered trees, bitter fire scorching his lungs. Twin birds flew. Crimson eyes. Following him. Haunting him. It was the ghost in his bedroom. Metaphorically, that ghost was him.
A gun fired. Dead earth moved to swallow its meal, the gritty rock closing in. Relentless, even as the boy groped at the slime, his features locked into a scream. Mud slipped into his mouth, creeping through his lungs and smothering his stomach.
The boy fell. Drowning in slow motion. A pale-skinned girl reached out, the storm crackling in her hands—
"Nex," Weiss said, her thumb stroking his wrist. "Wake up. We're here."
Nex groaned. No winning even in those dreams. "Thanks."
"Happy to be of service," Weiss said, grinning as she poked his forearm. "Sleepyhead."
It was approximately four minutes past seven when Nexus Shade and Weiss Schnee officially stepped on Atlesian soil.
The soil part being completely metaphorical, as they stepped on marble tiles instead.
A bustling tide surged around them.
Weiss dragged her suitcase through the station, sticking close to the white-washed walls.
Nex matched her hurried pace, keeping his eyes peeled on their surroundings.
Strangers filled the station, their true intent unknown. Nighttime coaxed out the dirty secrets of Atlas. Being cautious was mandatory.
Minutes later, they stepped into the neon-lit streets.
Nex took a long drag of cold, smoky Atlas. There was no smell like home.
A black car screeched, stopping right before them. The vehicle bore the emblem of Atlas, flashing the white staff on its side.
Its door slid open. The driver was definitely familiar. She gestured for them to get in.
"Winter?" Weiss said, pushing her bag into the back seats. Plenty of room for six people inside. "Not that we're ungrateful, but why are you here?"
"General Ironwood wants to see Nex," Winter said, smiling as she glanced at him. "It's simply more efficient to pick the both of you up."
Nex groaned, shoving his bags into an empty seat. "Can't this wait until morning? I thought the good general knew that I was busy."
Busy with sleep, anyway.
Seriously, did he really have to talk to the guy?
"What?" Weiss said, settling into the passenger seat. "Why does General Ironwood want to see him?"
Nex sank into the backseat, sighing at the soft leather. Did they make this car en masse for government officials? If they did, it was money well spent.
"That's classified, I think," Nex said, staring at the back of the specialist's head. "Right, Winter?"
"Yes. I'm afraid it's classified, Weiss," Winter said. The doors slid shut. She drove, the car going on a leisurely pace. "But I assure you, Nex is not in trouble. In fact, I believe General Ironwood is indebted to him. The entire military is, whether they know it or not."
Right.
General Ironwood wanted the little renovations to their robots to remain a secret.
Only that was no longer the case.
Cinder Fall and Roman Torchwick knew. Cinder was even asking him to crack the military's new code. His own work. And he was planning to tear it down himself.
None of them had any idea he was the one behind all of it. None of them did, even if he was effectively screwing all of them over.
His situation was definitely absurd. Something that only happened in the books. Or in the movies.
Weiss turned her head, beaming at him. "That's great, Nex. Meeting General Ironwood is quite an honour. Don't waste this opportunity."
For fuck's sake. What opportunity?
It was better to crawl into a bush and die.
"Well, I won't," Nex said, offering her a smile. "I'll be sure to see what the good general wants."
Undoubtedly, what the good general wanted was the safety of Atlas. The very same safety Cinder Fall threatened to jeopardize in the future.
There was no way out of it, trapped as he was between a rock and a hard place.
Telling Ironwood that some woman was planning to hack the Atlesian mechs was out of the question. That idea was drowned as soon as it was born. It would bring into question how he knew about the existence of such a plan, leading into a dark rabbit hole he could not possibly escape.
For now, he had to ride the waves. Until he found an island. An opportunity to turn it all around.
His partner's lips bore a brilliant smile, its rays bouncing off the car's front mirror.
He had to turn it around the same way he always did.
Without anyone knowing.
Without risking any more than he had to.
Without losing anything or anyone else.
He hated losing.
"Nex, I'll see you after I pass father's test," Weiss said, the doors sliding open. "Good luck with the general."
Nex shrugged. "Good luck with your father."
Weiss clambered out of the car.
An estate stood in the distance, overlooking the entire upper district.
Another car stopped in front of her, bearing the Schnee snowflake. A portly, brown-haired man helped her into the fancy vehicle.
"I take it Weiss told you?" Winter said, her car swerving as she took them on another street. "About certain familial matters?"
It was insane how a father could clip his own daughter's wings. But then again, all he really knew about family was from observing them in the park, or in the public school after his mother died.
Family days.
Days spent sleeping alone.
Maybe he was better off without it.
"Yep. Weiss will pass his stupid test," Nex said. "I have faith in my partner."
Winter hummed, taking a sharp left. "I'm certain you have reservations about our father. But you must understand, things are not as black and white as Weiss views the world."
Winter did not need to tell him that.
"The arranged marriage is needed for the company," Nex said. "But Weiss wants to be a huntress, not playing wife to some rich guy she doesn't even love. Why not let her do what she wants? I'm sure the SDC can manage without another connection."
Winter nodded. "True. And that is the exact question that I posed to my father as well. I was the heiress of the SDC once, trapped in a similar situation."
"He gave you a test too?" Nex said. "Sorry for saying this, but your father seems to have missed his lesson."
"Nex. The marriage is a decoy. Everything is," Winter said, a sly smile on her lips. "Father wants something else out of his children. Why give a test when he could simply force the issue?"
Admittedly, it made sense.
If the man really wanted an arranged marriage to further his company, then he could have sold Weiss to the highest bidder. Not put her through a test where the outcome was uncertain. Surely, the SDC did not become a corporate giant by hedging its bets. Not when securing a favourable outcome was more than possible.
"Then why?" Nex said. "Why go through all these hoops?"
Winter stomped on the gas, zooming through the gates of Atlas Academy. The real one, not just the combat school. "That's something you can ask him yourself. He didn't see fit to tell me."
"Why?" Nex said. "He told you about all this. Why stop there?"
Winter parked the car in front of what was probably an elevator. "I passed his test, but I didn't have what he was looking for in an heir. I was chosen by General Ironwood to become a specialist. And so, Weiss took my place as the heiress of the SDC."
If Winter did not have what the Schnee patriarch was looking for in an heir, then who did?
The question burned, but there was no point in forming a half-cocked opinion. Not yet. There were too many variables, too many circumstances that could change the big picture. The only thing that mattered was the truth. Or even their own versions of the truth.
Nex shrugged, smiling at the cute little wolf on the dashboard, bobbing its spiky blonde head. "That's the official story. What's the unofficial one?"
The car's door slid open.
Winter motioned for him to follow. She swiped some sort of card on the terminal.
The elevator hissed, blue lights lining its walls.
"The unofficial one? You are more than you seem," Winter said, stepping into the elevator. He followed. "But it's not appropriate to discuss it here. General Ironwood is waiting."
The box ascended.
Moments later, he was sitting face-to-face with the general himself.
Alone, Winter having been dismissed.
"Nice office you have here," Nex said, staring at the lone bookshelf in the room. It was that bare. "It's a really, uhh... a conducive work environment. No distractions from the job."
Ironwood was dressed in a sharp white suit like Winter's. The burly man placed a thermos on the black-wood desk.
"I'd like to begin by giving you my personal thanks, Mr Shade," Ironwood said. "The disaster you averted could have spelt doom for us all and the other kingdoms."
Nex nodded, smiling even if the general's stone-carved face did not move an inch. "Happy to help. Atlas is my home and I'd hate to see it destroyed."
Left unsaid was the fact that if Atlas was destroyed, then he would have slept just fine. There was still that suitcase stuffed with millions of lien. Vacuo or Vale was just one Neo-teleport away.
But the general did not need to know that.
It was contingency.
Not actuality.
"Is that so?" Ironwood said. "Then just how far would you go to protect humanity?"
Nex frowned, tapping the wood. "I don't think I'm the one meant to protect humanity. I'm just an ordinary guy."
An eyebrow quirked on Ironwood's face. Right below the shiny-looking strip. Cybernetic enhancements, maybe?
Ironwood's lips curled into a smile. It must have been his imagination.
"An interesting outlook to have for one so young," Ironwood said. "Most huntsman trainees would readily take on the weight of the world on their shoulders."
Nex shrugged. "The weight will crush them. Why lift when you can have something else do it for you?"
"Indeed. And that's why we built the four kingdoms," Ironwood said with a nod. "Bastions against the dangers of our world. Walls so sturdy that we don't need to fight the Grimm every day."
Ironwood reached somewhere under the desk, pulling out a stack of papers. The general placed the stack on the wood. It smelled like something in between crisp papers and you're so fucking screwed.
"What's this?" Nex said, licking his lips. Shit. "I'm not in trouble, am I?"
Ironwood pushed the papers towards him. "These are your records, Mr Shade, along with transcripts that need filling up."
Great.
Nex leafed through the files. Pretty standard stuff. School, address and other things that any official record had to have. There were no mentions of his less-than-legal activities, particularly the Roman or even the Mekel kind.
Thank the gods for that.
"Top of Atlas Primary's combat curriculum, freelance mercenary at the age of nine, an orphaned faunus," Ironwood said. "Partner of Weiss Schnee in Dust Practical, winner of the Sanus Festival tournament, and son of Amariss Shade, one of the best huntresses of her generation."
Well, his mother probably was. She was definitely stronger than him.
Amariss Shade called on nature's wrath better than he ever could, even with his semblance. Probably even better than Weiss with her glyphs. But still, he could probably beat his mother, if they sparred with weapons alone, now that the gulf of a generation no longer divided them.
In theory, at least.
Nex shrugged. "You knew my mother?"
"Your mother was the best of us," Ironwood said, the general's blue eyes boring into his. Just a shade darker than his partner's. "Her duty took her away from you. I'm sorry."
The general said us.
First Qrow, Amariss, and now Ironwood. Not to mention Summer.
There was definitely something going on here. Something hidden in the shadows. A cloak and dagger conspiracy, even.
Qrow said there was always something more than met the eye. The only question was what. It was doubtful Ironwood wanted to spill. But the question was definitely there, filed away in his brain.
"It's fine. I know she was involved in something more," Nex said, the general's heartbeat shifting. A minuscule shift, gone after a millisecond, but it definitely happened. His semblance did not lie. "Something bigger than all of us, I mean. It's why we fight the Grimm, right?"
Ironwood pulled out some of the papers. "Indeed. Now, let's discuss why I brought you here. As of today, you are an official graduate of Atlas Primary. Which academy do you want to go to?"
Ironwood could do that?
The graduation ceremony did not happen yet, and the public school would not have given him a certificate if he slept through graduation.
"I'm already a graduate?" Nex said. "Don't I have to attend graduation for that?"
Ironwood shot him a look. "No, of course not. Combat schools have no official graduation ceremony. Rather, attendance at the Sanus Festival marks you as a graduate. As combat schools and huntsman academies reopen in a few weeks, an official graduation ceremony would take too much time. We cannot afford to slow down, not when the aptitude of humanity's guardians depends on how well their training proceeds."
"I see," Nex said. He never really paid attention to the passage of time before. The general's reasoning made sense. "Then I guess I'm going to Beacon."
Ironwood took out his pen. "May I ask why? Why not our kingdom's very own Atlas Academy?"
Once upon a time, the answer would have been simple. He wanted to attend Beacon because it was the school that Amariss went to. Just to emulate her. To follow in her footsteps and become as strong as she was. But now, there were other reasons.
Weiss wanted to go to Beacon. Jaune, as awkward as Vomit Boy was, wanted to go to Beacon. Yang wanted to go to Beacon.
Well, some friends were definitely better than the soldiers in Atlas Academy, right?
"I have reasons," Nex said. "One of them is because my best friend's going there."
Ironwood pressed the tip of his pen into the paper. "The friend you're referring to is Weiss Schnee, correct? It's a shame that Atlas Academy will miss out on so many talented trainees from this generation."
"How'd you know?" Nex said.
Ironwood signed with big, blocky letters. "Her father and I are close associates. We talk about the goings-on of Atlas quite often."
Nex nodded, looking at the paper Ironwood just signed.
It was an official notice of transfer, telling Atlas Primary that Nexus Shade would not be moving up to Atlas Academy of Atlas. He would be transferring to Beacon Academy of Vale instead.
"I'll email Ozpin and give him my personal letter of endorsement," Ironwood said. "Think of it as a token of my gratitude and that of Atlas."
Nex grinned. "Really? That's great. Thanks, general."
"It's not a problem, Mr Shade. I am a man that recognizes talent," Ironwood said. "And I hope that same talent will be used to safeguard humanity."
Fuck.
It was most certainly a shame, but he was definitely not as talented as everyone mistook him to be.
Nexus Shade was nothing but a fraud. An orphaned faunus. A criminal. An opportunistic hacker planning to breach his own code for a favour from another thief.
And if it came down to humanity or himself, humanity would find itself being tossed to the wolves.
But correcting that one, tiny fact would have entailed losing.
And nothing else surpassed his hatred for that word
Chapter 17
You're fired," Mekel said.
Contrary to popular belief, Nex did not flinch. Instead, he lowered the mug, putting aside the towel in his hand.
Mekel took the stool right in front of him, the guests giving the bearded seven-foot man a wide berth.
His boss smiled and placed an envelope on the counter, pinning it to the glass with a tanned digit.
Absolutely no one mustered the courage to ask for a drink.
It was definitely not terrifying.
"What? If this is your idea of a joke," Nex said, his eyebrows twitching. The smirk on his employer's rugged face did not budge. Not even an inch. "It's not very funny."
Mekel practically shoved the envelope towards him. "You're my best employee, Nex. But you've places to be. A little bird says you got accepted."
Nex fingered the smooth, white envelope. Dare he even open it? "Alright. What's in it? My severance package?"
"The truth. Cold, hard lien," Mekel said, rolling his eyes. "You take your pick. Nothing speaks more truthfully than money in this world."
Nex shrugged. Nothing less from the seasoned tycoon.
Well, the man's pockets did have almost every gang in both Mantle and Atlas.
Mekel funded protection rackets, smuggling rings, and money laundering operations. The crime lord ran a bar while getting big and drunk on lien outsourced from his completely legal businesses—all fronts of course.
He almost copied Mekel's methods once. Legal businesses as fronts for his cut from Roman. But acquiring property in Atlas and Mantle was a bitch and a half when the records say he was a dirt-poor orphaned faunus. Now, where would someone like that ever get the money to start his own business, much less get rich?
It was faster to just throw himself in jail.
"Gee, thanks," Nex said, swiping the envelope. It filled out tight in his pocket. A fuckton of lien. Probably enough to last an entire year. "Do I go now or do I have to finish my shift?"
Mekel chuckled, springing to his feet. "You finish your shift, Nex. I'm not paying double for a bartender."
Nex grinned, grabbing the towel. He resumed wiping the mug. Same old Mekel. There was no way his boss would let him go without something in exchange.
It was at the end of his graveyard shift when a familiar face slouched through the sliding doors.
The familiar face exchanged a few words with his boss, bumping fists under their hips.
Qrow grimaced, flexing his wrist.
Mekel grinned and clapped his back, sending him soaring across the club.
Right towards the counter.
The birdbrain crashed into the tiles, skidding on his stomach. His tattered cape could have definitely wiped the dance floor clean.
Great.
At least it was good for something.
Nex wiped the glass, rubbing at a stubborn stain. "Here for a drink?"
"Not this time, kid," Qrow Branwen said, smirking as he hobbled to his feet. His knees wobbled, even as he patted his rolled-down sleeves. "Let's get out of Mekel's dump. A little bear says you got fired."
Bear?
Probably Mekel.
Whatever.
Nex shrugged, unbuttoning his suit. He slipped it off, revealing the t-shirt underneath. I'll give you bad advice because I'm bad at life featured in bold black over white.
Qrow's eyes lingered on his chest.
The huntsman shook his head, spun, and strolled away.
Thus, Nexus Shade left the Huntsman's Respite.
Maybe forever.
Nex shuffled after Qrow as the huntsman led him through empty sidewalks and dark back alleys.
Places no Atlesian mech patrolled.
Well, shit.
His calves tensed, his semblance itching even more.
Not entirely unexpected.
Hrunting and Vigilance hung heavy on his belt, should the huntsman decide to kill him off and shove him in a dumpster.
It would be a close fight, but Qrow's weapon turned from a broadsword into a scythe, boasting a shotgun similar to his. The huntsman's choice of armament transformed from a superior melee weapon into an inferior melee weapon.
Retarded.
It was the reverse of what extra forms were supposed to accomplish. Scythes were cool in movies, but swords were practical in a fight.
In contrast, Hrunting turned from a sword into a spear, giving him the luxury of distance and opening more avenues of attack. Vigilance had the ability to outlast ranged attackers and even use dust if more destructive methods were necessary. Not even mentioning the fact that Hrunting and Vigilance in its complete form unlocked a whole slew of deadlier transformations.
Qrow stopped in front of a windowless hovel. "Here we are. Let's go in."
"Is this supposed to be the hole where you're going to bury me?" Nex said, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't mean to hurt Ruby. I'm not that cruel."
And he was definitely cruel enough to roll with Neopolitan of all people. Out of all the sociopathic thieves in the world. But still, he had a limit. It was doubtful his mute friend slash colleague had something comparable.
Qrow shook his head, taking a swig from his signature flask. "Kid. Shit happens in a fight. And besides, today's a big day for you."
It was?
Nex opened his mouth to ask exactly why, but the huntsman already slipped into the hovel.
Its rickety door hinged open, swinging in the Atlesian breeze.
The darkness descended into the bowels of the earth. There was the humming of machinery, deeper than it should ever have been. Water dripped from the stone ceiling, but the tiny tunnel bore the scent of alcohol.
Fresh alcohol. Not old.
Qrow probably used this place a lot while he was in Atlas.
"Welcome to the cave, kid," Qrow said, swiping at the wall. "The Qrowbar if Yang was here."
Nex rubbed his eyes, black spots dancing in the suddenly lit room. "Why'd you bring me here?"
Whatever here was.
It was practically a bachelor's pad crossed with a teenager's bedroom. Bottles of beer, piles of discarded clothes, and who knows what else littered the carpet.
His nose wrinkled. A certain odour permeated the place. It made the bowels of Mantle smell like the fanciest establishment of Atlas.
And at the middle of it all—the crowning glory of the birdbrain's dump—stood a wet bar fully stocked with drinks.
Fuck.
Fuckity fuck.
A waste of time.
An utter waste of time.
"You didn't bring me here to drink, right?" Nex said, his lips twitching. His fingers brushed Hrunting and Vigilance. "I'm underage. Sixteen."
Winter was the only person who could have gotten him wasted. And it was only because the woman provided stimulating conversation. It was something in common with her, something that made the words flow like draft.
Never mind the fact that they were both forgetful lightweights.
Nope.
That was definitely not the reason.
"Seventeen," Qrow said, grinning as he clicked his tongue. "You didn't seriously forget your birthday."
Admittedly, Qrow was correct. His birthday passed a few days ago. It was the same day that they arrived in Atlas.
But there was no point in celebrating.
Birthdays came every year, the same as any other day. Deathdays were the ones worth noticing.
They only came once in every person's life.
"Still underage," Nex said, following the huntsman as he went past the bar. "Where are we going?"
Nex skirted around the broken bottles, cringing at a spot that looked redder than the rest.
Qrow stepped on it all, seemingly nonplussed by the crunching of glass or the slime stuck to his fur-lined boots.
Seriously.
Did it physically hurt the huntsman to clean up a little?
He definitely cleaned his flat more than this, and that was speaking a lot about the drunk birdbrain and the sleepy teenager.
Qrow stopped in front of the only other door in the room. "I have something to give you. A birthday present."
A birthday present.
Well, there were certainly worse reasons to bring an underage teen into a grown man's room. He would have definitely bolted if the birdbrain said it was for candy.
The drunk birdbrain shoved the door, the scratched wood hanging open.
There, on the bed inside the room, lay the one thing that should not have existed at all.
At least, not anymore.
"My mom's armour," Nex said, padding into the room. Spit stuck to the back of his throat. His fingers left Hrunting and Vigilance. "Why do you have it?"
The silver cuirass sat on the ruffled sheets. Its breastplate depicted a golden wolf howling at the moon—his mother's emblem. The stained heraldry matched the one on Vigilance. A trench coat wrapped around it, the colour of midnight. Two swords crossed over a kite shield hung on its chest strap. His very own emblem embossed in gold.
"I had Mary's stuff recommissioned," Qrow said, nudging him towards the armour. "I figured you should have something other than that ratty coat if you're going to Beacon."
He wanted to tell the birdbrain he'd worn that ratty coat since the start of his mercenary work. It identified Nexus Shade as the cute little kid who wore an adult coat, making him look bigger in the eyes of his enemies. Sometimes, that was all it took. And sometimes, it took his sword and his shield. But that ratty blue coat saw him through it all.
It even saw him through Atlas Primary.
But telling the birdbrain all of that would have been unfair.
Qrow went through the trouble of having Amariss' armour remade even though he did not have to. The birdbrain certainly had no reason to throw him a bone. All those times he poured cold water on the birdbrain's head, spiked his flask, whacked him with an umbrella—and the huntsman brought him here, giving him a birthday present of all things.
He wanted to give the birdbrain a hug and apologize, but both of them would probably cry if he did. And that was something both of them would have certainly laughed at.
"Thanks, Qrow," Nex said. "This is... this is great. I really appreciate it."
Qrow grinned, ruffling his hair. "Go on. Try it out, kid. I got your size from Mekel. I'll punch the bastard if the coat doesn't fit right."
Qrow versus Mekel.
That would have been a sight to see.
His boss—well, former boss, was an ex-huntsman. Something that allowed him to run a bar catering to professional huntsmen and huntresses as a hobby.
Mekel's weapon was unknown. But the ex-huntsman's very presence, the way he commanded fear and respect among the patrons of the Huntsman's Respite—the grizzly bear definitely did not need a weapon.
Qrow's drunkenness belied his experience. It was in the way the drunken huntsman moved, the way his semblance itched whenever Qrow was present.
His lien was definitely on Mekel, considering that the ex-huntsman was strong enough to send Qrow Branwen flying with only a friendly clap. Even with the added weight of his broadsword.
But still, the hypothetical match had the potential to go both ways.
Nex shook his head. No point in continuing that line of thought. Instead, he smiled as he pressed the fabric of the trench.
It was soft, but firm.
Solid.
Like the claws of the Grimm were incapable of putting a tear into it.
"Variable dust-infused fabric," Qrow said, sounding amused at the concept. "The craftsman used hard light dust as its base, but a skilled enough dust mage can weave more into the coat."
Nex nodded. The new trench coat would be irreplaceable.
Roman's bonus supply of hard light dust just found its new purpose.
"I can do that," Nex said. "I'm something of a dust mage myself."
He ran his hand over the cuirass. The cool metal slid under his touch. He flicked its breastplate, smiling at the hollow clang.
"Kid, that piece of armour has a new trick," Qrow said, tapping the emblem. "Here. Let me show you."
The cuirass shimmered, dissolving into a sludge that resembled mercury at room temperature. It fizzled, shrinking over the sheets. The only thing that remained of the armour was a bracer.
Qrow snatched it up and tossed it towards him.
Nex caught it with his left hand. The bracer was a plain band of metal, the same silvery colour as the cuirass. His mother's golden emblem was cut into its polished surface.
"Use your aura, the armour goes or comes out," Qrow said. "Just put it on. Afterwards, the bracer should only respond to you, or if you happen to register someone else."
Holy shit.
The tech was highly experimental, cutting-edge Atlesian programmable nano-bots. Unavailable to the public, but the military advertised it as the next big leap towards the future. There was no way Qrow could have acquired a working customized model without some massive clout.
Nex clasped it around his right forearm, warmth surging through his skin despite the cool metal.
"I know what this is," Nex said, swiping at the bracer. "How'd you get unreleased tech?"
A hologram flickered, displaying a 3D model of the cuirass.
Nex flicked to the right. There were rows upon columns of empty boxes. The blue hologram flickered green. It was probably recording his bio-signatures. Debug mode disabled flashed on the hologram. A filled bar appeared topside of the display. It even measured his aura.
Maybe it could be programmed to interface with his scroll, or even his weapon.
Qrow grinned like he was going to toot his own horn. "What can I say? I'm the cool, expert uncle here. I know some pretty high-up people."
Right. Probably Ironwood. Or maybe even Winter.
"Gee. And I was going to give you a hug too," Nex said, rolling his eyes. "But I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for all the shit I put you through. I'm sorry for trying to beat you up with an umbrella."
Qrow smiled, patting his shoulder. "Nope. It's fine. I deserve all of it for being a stupid, drunk birdbrain."
The birdbrain got that right.
Amariss would have agreed.
But still, there was no point in spoiling the moment.
Nex slipped on the trench coat, fastening the strap. It just fit. His emblem ended up right over his left breast. The coat went down to his thighs and stopped right above his knees. It left his shirt visible, peeking through the gap between the unbuttoned folds.
He tugged on his aura, pushing some of it into the bracer. The liquefied nano-bots creeped out of the trench coat, moulding around his body.
His mother's cuirass coalesced over his torso. It was skin-tight, hard to the touch. It did not weigh as much as Vigilance, nor was it as rigid.
He flexed his shoulders. His body moved as if he was not wearing any armour at all.
"It's perfect," Nex said. "The nano-bots recharge with ambient energy?"
His semblance was already running on overdrive, trying to figure out how the new duds worked.
Qrow nodded, raising an eyebrow. "You're awfully smart, kid. So, how do you look?"
Nex spun, facing the mirror. The obligatory I look awesome was already on the tip of his tongue. He lifted his chin, grinning as he stared at the glass.
Who stared back was someone else entirely.
His brain flinched.
His semblance screamed.
Red dripped over gold.
Fuck.
Fuckity fuck.