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Breathe Chapter 25: Reunion
🕑 Added 2024-09-09 05:08:32 +0000 UTC“As it stands, Robyn Hill and her merry band of Huntresses are currently being held in custody, pending an investigation into their past actions,” Lisa Lavender announced. “Mister Calavera…”
And I immediately began tuning out the news report. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before, at this point they were mainly speculating on what would happen next, ranging from Robyn Hill being let off to her losing her Huntress license and everything in between.
The worst part was when they began to theorize on what I was going to do or how I felt about being wrongfully attacked by Robyn Hill when I really didn’t care. There were much bigger things to worry about than Robyn Hill. I don’t think that I would ever get used to being a celebrity.
“Look on the bright side, at least they know your name,” Maria said. “Hell, they even got our babysitters name right, but for me… I’m stuck with Coal’s guardian or his grandmother.”
“Winter does work directly for Ironwood and she is the oldest Schnee sibling. Being well known hasn’t exactly been that great,” I began before pausing for a moment. “Wait a minute. You’re already a well known Huntress… I mean, people think you’re dead, bu…”
Maria stomped on my foot.
“Why’d you…”
“Because I’ve already seen how people act around you and I don’t want them acting that way with me,” Maria explained. “I was just complaining for the hell of it, not because I actually want the attention.”
Several soldiers marched by the door. Glancing outside, I watched as they made their way towards a Bullhead that had recently landed.
“It shouldn’t be much longer before they get here,” Maria hummed. “You excited to see red again?”
“A little,” I nodded.
It would be nice to see Pyrrha again. Truthfully, I had been a little worried about her and her mom. Salem had targeted me… her whole plan was ruined due to my actions and she had lost her most loyal subordinate.
Being in Atlas with both Ozpin and Ironwood, I was currently out of Salem’s reach, however, I wouldn’t put it passed her to target people that I know and care about. Once Pyrrha and Thetis arrived, I would finally be able to relax.
Funnily enough, that wasn’t all that was happening today. Seven days had officially passed since I fought the Ancient Grimm… More than that, seven days had passed since I had used Fusion… well, it would be seven days in a few hours.
It wouldn’t be much longer before my Aura reactivated and I was able to access my Semblance again. With that, I would be able to see if there were any negative repercussions for awakening the demon slayer mark.
“About time,” Maria yawned, stretching as she stood up. “I’ve grown too used to comfy chairs to go back to these plastic abominations.”
Glancing out the window, I saw a pair of red heads talking to a soldier at the base of a newly arrived Bullhead. From the looks of it, he was taking down their details.
“You used to sleep in a chair with only a fire and a thin blanket to keep yourself warm,” I deadpanned while standing.
Stepping outside, onto the Bullhead docking station, a cold wind blew by. The air outside was noticeably thinner. Noticing us, Thetis smiled and tapped Pyrrha on her shoulder.
“Mother?”
“Look over there,” Thetis said, gesturing towards us.
“Hey,” I called out as we made our way over. “Long time no s…”
Launching herself forward, Pyrrha collided into me, sending me skidding back several feet while she wrapped her arms tightly around me.
“It’s good to see you, Pyrrha,” I hummed, hugging her back. ”I’m sorry that I worried you so much. Between the attack, the Ancient Grimm rising and Wind Path being in its path, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
“It’s okay,” Pyrrha mumbled, gripping me tighter. “You’re alive and that’s all that matters.”
Thetis waved as she made her way over, leaving her bags in the care of several Atlesian soldiers. “Coal, Maria, it’s been a while,” She greeted. “We would have been here sooner, but traveling between the Kingdoms is a nightmare right now. We wouldn’t have been allowed through if it wasn’t for Jasmine arranging passage for us.”
I could believe that. The sudden influx of Grimm due to the panic brought on by CCT being hacked had changed the migratory patterns of the Grimm surrounding Mistral. From what I understood, military vessels were still allowed to travel, but it was currently too dangerous for commercial vessels.
Within a week or two, the new migratory patterns should be completely tracked and travel between Kingdoms should be safe again.
“You haven’t exactly missed much,” Maria waved her off. “Coal only woke up on the fourth day after the attack. It’s been pretty boring here actually… well, except for yesterday.”
I probably would have woken up a lot sooner if the doctors that were treating me hadn’t strapped a mask to my face, limiting my breathing. They had been trying to save my life, that much was true, but my body wasn’t like the average Huntsman anymore. Total Concentration Breathing and the demon slayer mark had seen to that.
“Yesterday?” Thetis asked. “Sorry, there wasn’t any signal on the Bullhead and we were onboard for… fifteen hours. We’re going to have to find a hotel immediately so I can wash that flight off of myself.”
“If you want, you could use ours,” I offered. “General Ironwood was nice enough to give us an apartment during our stay here in Atlas. You could get some rest there and look for a place later… if you don’t want to stay with us.”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. We have more than enough room,” Maria hummed.
“Well… as long as we’re not intruding,” Thetis replied.
“You spent fifteen hours on a Bullhead all to get to Atlas and check on Coal,” Maria began. “Trust me on this, you’re not intruding.”
“Thank you,” Thetis said sincerely. “Pyrrha honey, do you think that you could separate yourself from Coal long enough to help me carry the bags?”
“Hm?” Pyrrha hummed. Pulling back, she looked around. Noticing that we were all watching her, her face slowly began to turn red. “Yes, sure, I’ll get right on that,” She said in a rush, darting back to the Bullhead.
“That daughter of mine,” Thetis muttered, shaking her head. “I should probably go as well.”
“If you need any help…” I offered.
“We can handle it,” Thetis shook her head. Walking up to me, she pulled me into a quick one armed hug. “I’m glad that you’re alright. We were both worried about you… especially when we saw the broadcast.”
“Sorry about that.”
“You don’t need to apologize. You’re not at fault for the actions of those two terrorists” Thetis said. Stepping back, she sighed as she looked towards the Bullhead. “I best go find my wayward daughter, she’s probably hiding out on the Bullhead. I haven’t seen her turn so red since I showed her the photos I took of you two when she was asleep in my car.”
…Breathe…
The new apartment that Ironwood had given us was far nicer than what Maria and I were used to with its massive windows, second indoor floor, view of Atlas and general open space. General Ironwood had spared no expense when it came to ensuring Maria and I had somewhere to stay.
One thing was abundantly clear, this was easily the most luxurious place that Maria and I had ever stayed.
“Make yourselves at home,” Maria announced as we all stepped inside. “There are eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, a lounge, dining room, kitchen a freaking balcony pool… I’m not even sure what we would do with that here, neither of us really swim.”
“This is certainly… a lot,” Thetis commented.
It certainly was a lot, more than any of us were used to. The building itself was incredibly secure with Atlesian soldiers on the ground floor and an authentication system built into the elevator.
“This place looks like it was designed to host two teams,” Pyrrha hummed while looking around.
“Hm, I’ve never really thought about it that way,” Maria replied. “Why don’t the two of you go choose your rooms and get a shower while I order us some food?”
“You don’t need to tell me twice,” Thetis said, eagerly marching off to find a shower. A long trip trapped in a metal box would do that to a person.
“I…” Pyrrha began slowly, before shaking her head. “I suppose I should also get showered.”
Watching Pyrrha trail after her mother, I turned my attention to Maria who let out a relaxed sigh as she sat down in one of the lounge chairs. Shrugging, I followed suit and sat down next opposite her.
“You know, it’s a little hard to believe where we are,” I said, staring out onto the city of Atlas below. “Several months ago, we were living in a cabin in the middle of nowhere eating canned beans and other scavenged food. Now we’re here in what’s probably the most expensive apartment in the entirety of Remnant.”
“That’s life,” Maria hummed. “You just keep on heading forward and when you finally look back you realize just how far you’ve come. The same goes for you. It wasn’t that long since you were just barely able to fight of an Alpha Beowolf and now you’re regarded as the strongest Huntsman in Remnant.”
“The strongest?” I asked.
“You killed what everyone thought was an Ancient Grimm. Entire militaries and some of the most powerful Huntsman and Huntresses to ever exist failed to do what you did alone.”
“I guess I just never really thought about it like that.”
Ping!
Oh, my Aura was back. I took a deep breath and pulled up my Status screen. It was time to see if the demon slayer mark had any repercussions.
…
Coal Calavera
Semblance: Gamer Lite
AP: 2425/20 125
STR: 99 => (470.25)
DEX: 109 => (517.75)
CON: 132=> (627)
AUR: 161 => (402.5)
…
What the actual fuck?!
My Aura had nearly doubled since the fight and my Constitution had also gone up by quite a large degree. There were also some improvements to Strength and Dexterity.
Was this a side effect of the demon slayer mark? It had to be, right? I mean, with it I was strong enough to completely overwhelm one of the Happy Huntresses on my own and while they weren’t that impressive, they were all still fully licensed Huntresses.
…
Sun Mark (Passive)
Awakening this mark grants access to the Transparent World, the Selfless State and the ability to turn your Nichirin blade bright red through pressure. The power and potency behind all Sun Breathing Techniques are increased massively.
…
That was a relief, it didn’t mention any negative aspects or any costs… Then again, the Iron status effects did more than what they said they did. Iron mind was able to resist an Apathy’s will draining scream and Iron soul had resisted Tyrian’s Aura tearing Semblance.
It was entirely possible that there was more to the Sun Mark than what its description said it did. Hopefully it wouldn’t be anything negative or costly. For the time being, it seemed that the mark hadn’t cost me anything.
…
Transparent World (Active) Lvl Max
Through use of this optical ability, you can perceive all living things as transparent and to a lesser extent, solid objects, allowing them the ability to see the inner workings of a body. Perception is sped up to the point where people and objects moving at blinding speed now appear to be moving at a normal, perceivable speed.
Selfless State (Active) Lvl Max
Through intense concentration focused on the inner workings of your body, you can access a state of being that erases all fighting spirit and hesitation allowing you to react to attacks without effort. Using the state instantly brings out the full strength of your body without any conscious thought.
…
The description for the Transparent World didn’t give me any new information, but the Selfless State on the other hand… I had completely forgotten that it existed. I was definitely going to have to test it out sometime soon.
One thing in particular that I was interested in seeing was if it could allow me to become invisible to Grimm. After all, Grimm sensed negative emotions and this… this erased that, leaving the user indistinguishable from nature.
Looking through my menu and the different status effects, it seemed that not much else had changed. Fusion had disappeared, but seeing as it was listed as a onetime technique, I figured it would have. My best guess was that my Semblance had made the technique in order to give me a way to awaken the Sun Mark.
Perhaps the requirements for Fusion had actually been the requirements to surviving the awakening of the Sun Mark.
…Breathe…
A few hours passed since Pyrrha and Thetis arrival and I suddenly found myself sitting next to Pyrrha, under her scrutiny, oddly enough. It wasn’t anything malicious, no, instead it seemed to be curiosity.
“Anything I can help you with?” I asked, breaking the ice.
“I… yes. I’m wondering about that tattoo…”
“It’s not a tattoo,” I explained. “It’s… well, it’s a little difficult to explain what exactly it is. It appeared after I fought the Ancient Grimm… after pushing my body as far as I could.”
Pyrrha hummed softly to herself as she looked at the mark. “Well I like it. I think it makes you look distinguished.”
“Thanks.”
We sat in comfortable silence for several moments, before I let out a sigh. I was out of time. Salem had made her move and it had pulled me directly into the spotlight.
I would be a target now, but that wasn’t the issue, I was more than capable of fending off her Grimm and subordinates after all. The issue was related to Pyrrha. If Salem decided to drag her into this, she wouldn’t be ready to fend off her attacks..
“Hey Pyrrha, there’s something that I need to talk to you about,” I said softly. “Something that’s important.”
“What’s this about?” Pyrrha asked, tilting her head to the side.
“I’ve… got a secret, one that only Maria knows about,” I began, trying to figure out what I was going to say. “Originally, I was going to tell you about it when I took you on a mission after I got my Huntsman license, but… things have changed.”
“Is it that you’re a Faunus?” Pyrrha asked.
“I… What?” I asked. “I’m not a Faunus.”
“Are you sure, it wouldn’t change anything if you were one,” Pyrrha reassured me. “It would also explain why your senses are so sharp.”
“I’m really not a Faunus,” I deadpanned. “My senses are sharp because I trained them. What I wanted to talk about was a training technique… one that is guaranteed to help you become stronger.”
Of all the Secrets that I had, being a Faunus would rank so low that I wouldn’t even see the point in keeping it a secret.
“Oh,” Pyrrha hummed. “I remember you mentioning a training technique before you left for Wind Path.”
“It’s the same one,” I nodded. “Would you be interested in learning it… and keeping it a secret?”
“You’ve already taught me how to read my opponents patterns and that I need to pace myself when fighting Grimm. I think learning one of your other training methods would be grand,” Pyrrha replied. “But if I can ask, why keep it a secret.”
“I suppose you could say it’s because of how dangerous it could be,” I said. “I’m placing my full trust in you with this.”
“Then I will be honored to learn it,” Pyrrha smiled brightly.
There were a lot of risks to teaching Pyrrha Total Concentration Breathing. As things were now, everyone just assumed that my breathing techniques were a part of my Semblance.
With Pyrrha, however… there would eventually come a time when people would realize that her Aura is regenerating faster… that she was able to use similar techniques to the ones I used.
Salem would become aware that there was another power out there that could shared, much like the Maidens.
All things considered, now was the best possible time to teach her… after all, two Headmasters were here and I was certain that neither of them were secretly working for Salem.
“And I’ll be happy to teach you,” I replied. “But there are a few things I should probably explain… Getting everyone together would be killing two birds with one stone,” I mused aloud. I should probably contact Ozpin first before I make any decisions.
…Breathe…
The hallway leading up to Ironwood’s office, much like the entire Academy, was kept pristine. There were dozens of classrooms with several of them currently being occupied by students, but there was no disorder. Everything worked like a well oiled machine.
“Everyone seems to know where they fit,” Pyrrha commented. “I feel a little out of place being here.”
“I know the feeling,” I hummed.
“Miss Nikos,” Ozpin greeted, waiting by Ironwoods door. “And Mister Calavera. I must admit, I became most interested when you contacted me yesterday, asking for a meeting. Is there any chance I could find out what this is about before we head in?”
I suppose I could give him a hint.
“It’s something we talked about a while ago,” I replied.
Ozpin hummed before shooting a quick glance towards Pyrrha. “I have an idea to what it’s not about. It appears that I’m going to have to wait in order to have my suspicions confirmed.”
Entering the office, the first thing I noticed was how empty the room was. Sure there were bookshelves on the sides, but other than that, there was only a single desk at the end of the room with only one chair that was currently being occupied by the schools Headmaster.
“Mister Calavera, Ozpin mentioned that you had something you felt was important to discuss,” Ironwood said, stepping out from behind his desk. “And Miss Nikos. I don’t believe we’ve ever met.”
“We haven’t,” Pyrrha confirmed. “I have however gotten a few invitations to attend Atlas Academy.”
“We like to keep a look out for those with exceptional talent,” Ironwood nodded. “But I don’t believe that’s what we’re all here to discuss today.”
“I believe you to be correct,” Ozpin agreed. “Coal, if you could please enlighten us on why you asked for this meeting.”
“I will, but first… how secure is this room?” I asked. “There’s no chance of video footage being hacked or anyone spying on us?”
I was met with a blank look from Ozpin. “Don’t you think that you’re being a little paranoid?”
“It’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you,” I shot back.
“He’s got you there Ozpin,” Ironwood chuckled. “To answer your question,” Pressing a button on his table, Ozpin, Pyrrha and my own scroll all let out a single soft buzz alerting us that they had suddenly lost connection to the CCT. “This is one of the most secure rooms on Remnant.”
“Good to know,” I hummed. “I suppose the easiest way to get this started would be by asking what you all know about my Semblance.”
Ironwood raised an eyebrow before relenting. “It increases the speed at which your Aura regenerates and allows you to amplify your strength and speed while also making your Aura more damaging to Grimm. You’re also able to heat your blade and manifest fire when straining yourself. It’s a Semblance that has multiple uses much like the Schnee family’s hereditary Semblance.”
That wasn’t a bad description, Ironwood had certainly been watching closely. I turned my attention towards Ozpin.
“James has nearly everything covered,” Ozpin hummed. “But he did miss a few points. You have also displayed the ability to use your Semblance with either no Aura or next to none. You also see things that aren’t there.”
That last one had me a little worried. Did Ozpin know about the Shadow or had he seen me glancing at my stats and Aura level.
“Pyrrha?” I asked.
“I think they got everything,” Pyrrha replied.
“You would think that,” I nodded as a grin came to my face. “But they actually got everything wrong. None of that is my Semblance.”
“Perhaps you could explain what you mean by that,” Ozpin suggested. “Are those other aspects merely a byproduct of your Semblance?”
“Nope,” I smirked. “The truth is, my Semblance has no real combat aspect to it. All it does is let me know how my body works and when I’ve learnt something new. How fast I can go, how strong I am, how much Aura… You would be amazed at what you could accomplish if you simply master your body.”
I was forced to suppress a laugh at the looks on everyone’s faces as the room became deathly silent. It seemed that I was even able to stump Ozpin. Maria was going to regret not coming along when I tell her about this.
“You said that to me once before,” Pyrrha realized. “Wait… that training technique you said you wanted to teach me…”
“Is the very first thing I learned,” I nodded. “It passively increases the body’s capabilities while also increasing the amount of Aura you have along with increasing the rate at which it regenerates.”
“Incredible,” Ironwood said. “Your abilities can be taught to others.”
“To some degree, yes,” I replied, immediately noticing an almost eager glint in Ironwood’s eyes. “I kept these techniques to myself mainly to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Could you imagine what the White Fang would be like if their members could rapidly regenerate their Aura… how about people that are worse than the White Fang. These techniques need to remain secret for as long as possible.”
Catching onto my hint, Ironwood paled. “Yes, I see. I believe you made the correct choice. Such an ability must be carefully guarded.”
“I must admit, never in all of my life have I ever heard of such an ability,” Ozpin began. “Are you certain that this isn’t just your Semblances?"
Well, there was Oscar who was able to pick up Total Concentration Breathing and help me master Constant, so I was pretty sure I wasn’t just imagining everything.
“I am,” I nodded.
“Then I will eagerly look forward to see the results of your teachings,” Ozpin replied with a small smile. “It seems that there are still things on Remnant that are capable of surprising me.”
…Breathe…
Arriving back at our Apartment building, Pyrrha looked lost, as if she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with herself now that she knew a secret that had the potential to change the world. I was glad that Ozpin hadn’t seen fit to inform her about Salem’s existence, that would have only served to stress her out.
Walking into the lobby, I stopped when someone tapped me on my back.
“Mister Calavera?” A male voice asked.
“Yes?” I replied, turning around to find a short balding man with brown hair and a large moustache, dressed in a fine suit with a waistcoat in place of a jacket.
“Very good,” The man nodded. “My name is Klein Sieben and I’ve come here on behalf of Jacques Schnee to personally hand you an invitation to a social event he is hosting. He has expressed interest in meeting you and hopes that you will be able to attend.” Handing me an envelope, Klein nodded once more before making his exit.
Turning it over in my hand, I found that the envelope had been sealed with the SDC logo. “What the hell just happened?”
Comments
James French
Yeah I’d be pissed I was Maria 🤣
Ricardo Torres II
More
Aeden Emrys
Thanks for the chapter! Looking forward to seeing Pyrrha start training!
