(A/N: Fighting to keep to my three a week but I still plan on doing just that even if it crosses over to the weekend. I should have everything in order, aka, have reliable transportation in the next week or so, which means we should be back in our usual routine then.)
XOXO
Massive metal structures led out from the very end of Argus' main roads, creating highways that bridged the coastal city to three different islands. Similar in size, the small islands had been fashioned into distinct platforms, each likely serving a different function but coming together to form what was possibly the biggest Atlas Military base beyond its own kingdom.
Whether they were natural or some manmade efforts played a role in it, the islands were perfectly positioned, allowing for the constructure of several floodgate like that kept Argus' immediate coast cut off from everything that resided within the greater sea waters. It was safe to assume the hardlight walls beyond them were inactive at the moment, the technology nothing new at this point, but I wasn't sure about that giant mech that'd been in the latter volumes.
Either way, there was no understating how big an asset Atlas considered Argus to be despite it being in another kingdom, tons of resources poured into keeping it, and subsequently, its people, safe.
Breaking into and actually escaping from a place like that was no easy task.
I closed my eyes, cool wind passing by. On the other hand, the sea breeze felt pretty good.
A thud came from behind, steps approaching from the other side of the rooftop I stood on. "You just couldn't help yourself."
Pushing off the foot I had placed against the roof's edge, I turned, giving Qrow a wave. "Sup, Uncle Qrow." I said, smiling. "I just happened to be around on a little vacation. You know, enjoying my time before the tournament like you said. Figured I'd see if you needed any help while I was around."
"Right, and you just happened to choose Argus for your little vacation?"
"It is known for having the safest beach across all of Remnant. I hear the seafood is pretty good too."
Qrow shook his head as he stepped up beside me, gazing out at the base too. It was dark, the sun still a ways off from rising but the lights lining the bridges that led to the bases keeping things visible for him "There's not much to help with yet. The soldiers in there are still trying to solve some issues."
"What kind of issues?"
"Something was up with their surveillance systems. There was a bunch of tech talk I couldn't make heads or tails of."
"I'm guessing these problems started around the same time as the attack you were talking about?" Qrow nodded. "Sounds convenient."
This base being attacked by anything aside from Grimm was practically unheard of. The people who used state of the art military tech suddenly having problems with their surveillance system at the same something like that went down?
"I doubt you were called in if that was all. Was something stolen?"
"Not from what I've been told, but some of the soldiers caught up the attack were killed by poison. The others wounds matched up with Tyrian's weapons." Qrow admitted before signing as he rubbed the back of his head. "Look, I really wouldn't mind your help with this, kid. I already know you can handle yourself, but old Ironwood doesn't consider sis to be one of us. Far as he's concerned, you're both compromise as he puts it."
I…couldn't actually hold it against the man. Teaming up with Salem in any way was as suicidal and nonsensical as it got, even attempting to play something like double agent too risky a choice when there was no telling what kind of magic she could use. And there was that whole parasitic Grimm Cinder had made use of; had that thing been capable of doing more than allowing her to steal the power of maidens?
All that aside, it still didn't change that fact that even if Mom thought the same thing, preferring to be as far from Salem as possible, she had briefly joined hands with Cinder without me around to change things. Only to backstab her of course but Mom wasn't really what I would call a beacon of trust for most.
"Seriously, just enjoy your vacation." Qrow said, patting my shoulder as he passed me. "Might as well treat it like a real one since you're here." Walking off, he headed towards the edge of the roof, dropping off into an alleyway only for a crow to come flying out of it, soon soaring overhead.
Even if Tyrian was the only one in or around Argus, he hadn't been acting alone. The trouble with the surveillance system sounded like the work of Arthur Watts.
I hadn't been too sure when he started working for Salem but had intended on Atlas being next up after I was done in Mistral. Beyond him and a few things related to him like the security measures on Atlas' systems, there were a few semblances that would've been worth seeing for myself.
It was too early to say for sure, but if Watts was in Mistral too, I could cut down two of Salem's key people if I played my cards right. Between Cinder being with me and that possibility, besides Hazel, whoever Salem acted through, if at all, would be a mystery to me going forward. Finding Amber and confirming the identities of all the other maidens would be next on my list.
Well, that might actually depend on what I did and didn't learn from Jinn.
Stepping back myself, I dropped off the roof.
There were too many variables to be trying to bother with a solid plan that far ahead, anything liable to change where I went and what I did. Better to focus on seeing if I could pick up whatever trail Tyrian might've left in this city.
Spending more time getting acquainted with the place would only make that easier.
XOXO
Five fingers. Four. Three. Two. And finally, one.
Mercury, along one of the walls of our shared room, steadied himself in a nearly perfectly controlled handstand. Well, fingerstand at this point. Controlling his breaths, he held himself up with a single finger and balanced with support from the wall for nearly half a minute before swapping to the pointer finger of his other hand without losing that balance.
Whether it be aura or purely physical, the guy didn't need any training or help from me. Experience and the natural growth of his body, something that'd both take time, were all he needed to reach his prime.
Starting with a knock just to warn him, I used telekinesis to open up the window to our room and slip in, landing just past the dresser beneath it. Mercury had quickly righted himself, falling shirt pulled down and fixed to hide all his scars. We might've all seen them but, as unbothered as he was by most things, those and the attention they brought bothered him.
"You got any plans besides training?" I asked while heading towards my bed, propping my sword up beside it.
"We going to fight?"
"Not planning on it." Honestly that was probably the only reason he agreed to come at all. Qrow talked about me trying to enjoy a vacation, but this guy needed to learn how to do literally anything besides something related to fighting. Or maybe he already did. He was closed off compared to others, keeping to himself whenever he split off. "But I do plan on seeing the beach. You ever train in anything like sand before?"
Either way, while I couldn't just pull him away from those habits maybe a change in environment would help him get comfortable with the idea of doing more around the others.
XOXO
"How does it look?"
"Like it fits."
"That's not a real answer." Emerald complained, wondering why she even expected anything else from Cinder. "Does it look good or bad on me?"
Cinder shrugged. "It looks fine."
Emerald thought maybe just the fact that they were on a vacation, a handful of days where they wouldn't be doing any kind of fighting or tiring training, and in whole new city would give Cinder some kind of energy. Crossed armed across from her within a private dressing room of the store they were in, she didn't look any different than usual.
But Emerald didn't plan on giving up.
Even if she didn't wear most of the outfits around or talked much about them, Cinder definitely had a good eye for style. Just about everything she bought for herself the few times they did this always looked good on her. She wouldn't let Cinder cold shoulder her way out of this opportunity.
"Then which one do you think looks better than this?" Emerald asked, gesturing towards all the other swimsuits she'd brought in with them and hung along the wall. It took far more insisting and probing than she would've thought but Cinder did eventually pick one out, Emerald looking herself over in a full body mirror.
It was a pure white two piece with black straps that ran along both parts edges, securing itself around her shoulders and back. Simple and nice. Definitely not like anything she ever wore but apparently everyone wore these kinds of things out on the beach here.
"Yeah, this is good." Emerald said, turning around and smiling at Cinder. "Thanks for this."
Cinder nodded.
"Now we got to get one for you."
"I'm not going to the beach." Cinder said firmly, shooting down all attempts to convince her otherwise just as quickly.
As much as Emerald hoped otherwise, she'd expected this. The way Cinder liked to dress and keep to herself, it was hard to imagine her wanting to deal with a bunch of people in place where they'd pretty much all be showing skin. Plus, just accepting that there was no Grimm in the water was a big ask even for her.
But Talon was going so it's not like that would be a real problem.
Speaking of Talon, he was in a different part of the shopping center they'd all been making their way through, sampling food, Mercury, surprisingly enough, with him. He'd been visiting all kinds of places, some that didn't seem like the sort of thing anyone would be interested in. His odd exploration aside, he'd left her with some advice before they split off.
"You know, sand is supposed to good thing to train in. I think it's called resistance training or something like that." Emerald said. The perfect kind of bait for Cinder, Talon having used excuses like that to introduce her to a bunch of different things.
"Did Talon tell you to say that?" Cinder instantly asked, giving her a deadpan stare.
"…would knowing that change your answer?"
Stare held for a moment, Cinder eventually pointed at the swimsuit she was wearing. "I'm not wearing anything like that."
Emerald smiled again. If Cinder was going to be picky about what kind of swimsuit she wore then it just meant they'd be here longer.
XOXO
(A/N: Thinking about doing less ANs in general. At least while I'm strapped for time. We'll see how it goes.
On a side note, I've still been checking out that Chaos Gacha thing some readers told me about. Still fairly interested since I did do good bit of writing for a practice story using the concept and site. Not certain whether or not I'll post it but it's a thing at the back of my mind.
We'll see how I'm feeling about it in the future.
On that note, I am rather curious. The Sharingan story is well on its way to to approaching the 100 mark. Any ideas about a special? If you want a special chapter at all? It doesn't have to be anything canon. I could probably just make a post that's a Q and A if interest in something like that is stronger.
As always, here is the link for those who want to read ahead for anything I'm writing:
patreon .com/ thirdratewriter
See you all around.