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Breathe Chapter 23: Tuning in
🕑 Added 2024-08-26 05:35:50 +0000 UTCI sat leaned forward, holding the half skull mask that Maria gifted me on the day of the Mistral tournament. The world pulsed and I briefly peered through the metal, seeing the inner workings of my hands before my vision returned to normal.
“You seem to find that mask interesting,” Ozpin noted. “I admit, I too find it interesting. That mask resembles one that a Huntress that’s no doubt long since past used to wear.”
“Well you’re no spring chicken yourself,” Maria muttered to herself, her words going unheard to everyone else but me.
“It was a gift,” I replied. Holding the mask up, I once more accessed the transparent world and glanced through the metal, seeing into Ozpin’s body. ”You’re talking about the Grimm Reaper, right?”
“I am,” Ozpin nodded. “She was an excellent Huntress that wore a skull mask similar to that one and also wielded a scythe much like your side weapon. She was a legendary warrior of her time and her story serves as a warning for future generations.”
“What do you mean by warning?” Maria asked slowly.
“It’s mainly told to warn Huntsmen from the dangers of fighting Grimm alone,” Ozpin explained before turning his gaze towards me. “I informed you about Salem not because I expect you to fight on your own, but because I believe that you’re owed the knowledge of what you’ve been dragged into. You don’t have to worry.”
“Worry?” I hummed, glancing towards Maria who shrugged.
“Yes. Although very well hidden, you have a look of worry on your face,” Ozpin explained. “Although Salem has seen fit to involve you in this conflict, know that you are not fighting alone.”
“That’s really nice and all, but it’s not what I’m worried about,” I replied. “I’m mainly just focused on this interview that’s coming up.”
“Truly?” Ozpin asked quizzically. “There’s no shame if you are worried about the threat Salem poses.”
“Ozpin,” I began. “When I chose to be a Huntsman, I did it knowing that I would be facing a never ending hoard of Grimm. The addition of Salem doesn’t really change anything for me.”
“The fact that she can control Grimm…”
“Doesn’t mean a damn thing,” I continued. “She’s obviously got an upper limit to how many she can control, otherwise she would have already conquered Remnant on her own by now.”
The Bullhead shuddered as it began to make its descent.
“It seems that we’re nearing our destination. What a pity, I was enjoying our talk,” Ozpin chuckled. “I hope that it won’t be too long before we can pick this conversation up again. It’s been far too long since I’ve talked to a person like you.”
“Sure,” I shrugged.
…Breathe…
I waited to the side of a stage, just outside of eyeshot. Out of habit, I reached for my sword, only to remember that I didn’t have it on me at the moment which made this all the worse. I almost felt naked without my sword.
Ironwood was currently on the stage along with Ozpin standing to his side, addressing a large group of reporters.
“You’ve been awful quiet ever since we got here,” Maria noted. “You doing alright?”
“Yeah, sure. I mean, I’ve already faced bandits, Salem’s minions and one of the most powerful Grimm in existence without flinching. Why would a few people bother me?”
Maria shot me a peering look, before shrugging. “I guess you’re right… after all, you’ve already dealt with something similar before, back when you were participating in the Mistral Regional Tournament. What’s a few more kingdoms watching… besides the tens of millions of people.”
My eyebrow began to twitch.
“Most people in Remnant will tune in today, after all, the death of an Ancient Grimm is a historical event,” Maria continued. “And you don’t have any experience with being interviewed… I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“Maria… please stop talking,” I muttered.
“I don’t really have much experience with being interviewed myself, but there were a few points in my life where I had to instruct a large group of Huntsmen on what their duties were when protecting a settlement… there were also a few times where I had to address those settlements and advise they evacuate,” Maria hummed. “If you want, I can give you some advice that’ll help you out.”
Alright, Maria officially had my attention.
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Alright,” Maria smiled. “Now this is pretty simple, all you’ve got to do is imagine that everyone you’re talking to is…”
“Naked?” I interrupted.
“Hell no. What kind of sites have you been visiting on your Scroll? You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know,” Maria replied. “I was going to say that you need to replace them with something you’re comfortable with facing and since you enjoy fighting Grimm so much…”
Ah, that made much more sense than the naked thing. I was never sure how that bit of advice was ever supposed to be helpful.
“So just imagine that all the reporters are Grimm and I should be fine.”
“Yep… Just don’t get too caught up in it and attack them.” Maria gave me a pointed look. “I don’t think your newfound fame will help out if you end up hospitalizing a reporter… it might be for the best that you don’t have your sword on you right now.”
“I’m not that bad,” I defended myself.
“Well apparently you thought that imagining everyone as naked would help you feel less stressed,” Maria shook her head. “Honestly, Coal. The trick is to replace the stressful event with something that you’re used to… That whole naked thing would only work if you were a porn star.”
“I remember someone in my past giving me that advice before, they were the ones that said the whole imagine everyone as naked thing.”
“Then they must have been heavily into po…”
I did my best to tune Maria out and focused my attention towards the coming interview. I felt a little more relaxed from Maria’s advice. A room filled with Grimm didn’t sound that bad… it certainly sounded better than a room full of reporters.
…Breathe…
“As I’ve mentioned earlier, the four kingdoms condemns the acts of terrorism committed by Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart. Having said that, Atlas is lending military support to Mistral in order to aid in restoring peace and to act as a deterrent against any potential future attempts,” Ironwood announced.
“Do you have any comments on the sudden death of Headmaster Lionheart?”
“Is it possible that the White Fang may have assisted in destroying the dam?”
“What of how the CCT was hacked? Is there any chance that it will be hacked again in the future?”
“Is there any news on Coal Calavera’s condition?”
“Is Coal Calavera alive?”
The numerous reporters’ voices sounded through the auditorium in a chaotic cacophony. Ironwood bore the brunt of it without a hint of stress or worry, having already done interviews such as these dozens of times throughout his career.
“To see a man that I’ve known and respected for years fall is nothing less than a tragedy,” Ironwood said diplomatically. “To address some of your other questions, there is no evidence to say that the White Fang were involved in this attack at all, in fact, the Hazel Rainart’s involvement seems to point at the opposite being true as the White Fang have never involved humans in their attacks.”
Ironwood took a moment to pause and calmly regarded the reporters.
“Concerning the hacking of Mistrals CCT, our top technicians are currently working around the clock to discover how it was hacked and are working to ensure that it never happens again,” Ironwood added. “I believe that’s all I have to say on the matter which should conclude my portion of this interview.”
“With all due respect, General, everything that has been said today has already been covered in previously” Lisa lavender began, stepping forward. “Both you and Headmaster Ozpin have been avoiding a certain subject… the people have a right to know about the condition of Coal Calavera.”
Ozpin coughed into his hand, drawing the attention of the reporters. “Yes, it is true that we have avoided the topic of mister Calavera’s health, but I assure you it isn’t for any sinister reason. We have an… expert on the topic which has been brought in for this interview. In fact, if he could please come to the stage now.”
…Breathe…
“That’s your cue,” Maria hummed. “Good luck up there.”
“Thanks.”
Stepping forward onto the stage, I took a slow breath and made my way further onto the stage. Hearing a few gasps, I ignored the nearly blinding light and turned to see the sea of reporters that stood at the base of the stage, surprise prominent on their faces.
“So,” I began slowly, stopping at the center of the stage in front of Ironwood and Ozpin. “I hear that you’ve all been worried about my health.”
There was a moment of silence before the sea of reporters exploded into action, each one screaming over the next to have their question heard.
“Holy crap that’s loud,” I muttered, feeling my ears ring.
Lifting his cane up, Ozpin brought it down rapidly. A loud bang sounded through the auditorium, silencing the reporters instantly.
“Please behave yourselves in a manner befitting your station,” Ozpin said loudly. “This won’t be a productive interview if none of us can hear the questions being asked.”
Glancing at Ozpin, I turned my attention back towards the now silent reporters. It seemed that having a few hundred years worth of experience as an educator had taught him how to silence a room immediately.
“It’s a little difficult for me to hear each one of you individually when you’re talking over each other, so why don’t I pick those that have a question to ask,” I suggested. Hearing a hum of approvement, I pointed towards the first reporter I recognized. “Lisa Lavender, right? You seemed… eager to say something earlier.”
“Yes,” Lisa Lavender said, stepping forward. “I believe the question I have is the one on most of everyone’s minds right now. You managed to kill one of the Ancients and prior to that you singlehandedly won the Mistral Tournament. There’s no record of you before that so I must ask… where did you come from?”
“I lived out in the woods with my mentor and guardian, Maria Calavera,” I replied easily. My connection to Maria wasn’t exactly a secret, there was no real point in trying to hide it. “We began to make our way towards Argus after I exhausted the Grimm in the surrounding forest during my training. There’s no record of me because I was only registered after entering Argus which was about a week before the Regional Tournament.”
I pointed towards the next interviewer, an enthusiastic looking man with green hair.
“Ted with Champ news,” The man introduced himself. “What are your plans now that you’ve killed an Ancient Grimm? Are you planning on fighting any of the other Ancient Grimm?”
“The entire reason why I was even in the area of the ancient Grimm to begin with was in order for me to get my Huntsman license… speaking of,” I turned my gaze towards Ironwood and Ozpin. “I never got the chance to ask either of you if I passed that test.”
“You killed a Grimm that was previously thought to be unkillable. You’ve more than passed,” Ozpin chuckled.
“Cool… well, my main plan was to travel around a little after becoming a Huntsman, but I think I’m going to spend a little time here before deciding on my next step,” I explained.
I needed to be a little more careful now that I was certain Salem had her eyes on me. I was confident that I could handle whatever she threw at me now, but I wasn’t so certain about those around me, Pyrrha and Maria to be specific.
“And to answer your other question, no, I’m not planning on hunting down any more Ancient Grimm currently.”
Looking throughout the crowd of reporters, I pointed towards the next person.
…Breathe…
Pyrrha sat at the end of her neatly made bed, a pair of silver suitcases that were initially neatly packed on top of one another had toppled to the floor, but she paid it no mind as she focused all of her attention on her scroll.
“Pyrrha, I’ve just got off the phone with your,” Thetis announced, entering her daughters room. “She managed to secure us a pair of tickets to Atlas… That woman truly is impressive, managing something like that during an emergency lockdown.”
“Okay,” Pyrrha hummed softly.
“What’s this? I thought you would be more excited. One moment you look just about ready to stowaway on a Bullhead and now you’re… distracted,” Thetis noted. “What’re you watching over there?”
“Coal, he’s being interviewed by some reporters in Atlas,” Pyrrha replied distractedly.
Rushing over, Thetis sat down next to Pyrrha. “Why didn’t you say so? What have I missed so far?”
“He said he’s going to be spending some time in Atlas before deciding what he’s going to do next.”
“Then it’s a good thing that we’re going there,” Thetis hummed, before giving Pyrrha a small smile. “He’s definitely going to draw a lot of attention from now on, you better snatch that up quick.”
“Okay,” Pyrrha nodded before realizing what her mother had just said. “Mom!?”
“What, I’m just telling the truth,” Thetis shrugged. “You know how it is. A lot of girls are going to be interested in him, if not for his personality, then for his looks or his fame. Luckily he’s in Atlas right now. People aren’t as open with their emotions there, so you shouldn’t have to worry about someone your own age stealing him away.”
Pyrrha blinked at that. “I suppose that…”
“The older woman on the other hand, they’re… how do the kids say it now a days… thirsty,” Thetis continued. “They might not want to settle down with a younger man like Coal, but that won’t stop them from taking a bite out of the chocolate, if you know what I mean.”
“MOTHER!?” Pyrrha squawked, her face turning bright red.
“Oh hush. It’s a natural part of life.”
…Breathe…
Jacques Schnee stood silently in his house, watching the interview take place with Coal Calavera. His youngest children were watching as well. Seeing as it was a little past ten in the morning, Willow was likely out in the garden drinking her wine.
The death of an Ancient Grimm didn’t affect him or his family whatsoever. At least, it shouldn’t. Jacques was in the business of mining dust, not killing Grimm… but there was something… something telling him that there was more to this situation, something that could be useful.
Unlocking his Scroll, Jacques quickly paged through it, before coming to a stop on a map of Remnant with his mines clearly marked on it along with red marked zones that were strictly prohibited, preventing him and anyone else from mining there.
“He’s staying in Atlas for the time being?” Weiss hummed softly. “I wonder if I’ll get the chance to meet him.”
Meet him? This Coal Calavera? That… might just be what he needed to do, but first he needed to be completely sure of what his hunch was telling him.
“Klein, contact the lawyers and tell them to look up some of the older laws that concern Ancient Grimm.”
“Right away sir,” Klein nodded.
“Father?” Whitely began, looking up at his father curiously.
“There’s nothing to be concerned about,” Jacques reassured his children. “I’ve simply gained an interest in this Coal Calavera, that is all.”
…Breathe…
“Please.”
“No!”
“Oh come on, just a little one.”
“Absolutely not!”
“Everyone’s going to be doing it now, why can’t I?”
“Because I said so!”
“I’m just going to get one next time I’m in Vale.”
“What was that?!” The blonde father asked. “Yang Xiao Long, so long as you’re under my roof, you’re not going to get a tattoo!”
“So I can get one when I go to Beacon?” Yang mused with a smirk on her face. “That’s only a few months away, I can wait.”
Taiyang let out an angry huff.
“Hold on, I went to Beacon first. Technically that still counts as under my roof,” Taiyang argued. “In fact, during survival training I camped outside so anything under the night sky counts as under my roof, so you’ll never get a tattoo.”
Yang sighed dejectedly, muttering something under her breath.
“What was that, young lady?” Taiyang snapped.
“I said that I just wanted an awesome tattoo like the one you’ve got on your arm… to remember you by when I’m at Beacon,” Yang said softly.
“You… I thought that you wanted one because of that guy who killed an Ancient Grimm, Coal… I can’t remember his last name,” Taiyang replied, losing steam.
“It’s Calavera,” Qrow called out from his spot on the family couch.
“Right, thanks,” Taiyang nodded. “I thought you wanted to get a tattoo because of this Coal Calavera guy.”
“Seeing his… did make me want to get one, but I’ve been thinking about getting one for a while,” Yang replied hastily. “To… remember the… awesome dad that you are when I don’t have you at Beacon.”
“Yang,” Taiyang hummed softly, looking touched. “I suppose we can see about getting you a small one, but not on the face or anywhere too personal. Did you have anything in mind?”
“I was thinking about having this really cool looking flame that goes down my arm,” Yang said excitedly.
“So this really was just about getting a tattoo like that guys,” Taiyang accused, pointing towards the holographic display dramatically.
“It’s just so badass!”
“Yang!”
“Dad!”
Qrow let out a relieved sigh as the duo took their argument to the kitchen. “I’ll admit, she almost had him there, but she came on too strong with the design,” He chuckled. “Which one do you think is going to get their way, Ruby?”
“Hm, did you say something?” Ruby asked distractedly.
“I said… You doing alright there, kid?” Qrow asked in a concerned tone. “I know the past few days have been a little stressful, but everything turned out for the better. I don’t want you to fall back into that depression again.”
“Geez uncle Qrow, I’m fine,” Ruby hummed. “You don’t have to worry so much.”
“No can do kid, it’s what us adults do,” Qrow laughed, rubbing Ruby’s head, messing up her hair. “I just… none of us ever want to see that hopeless look in your eyes again.”
“It was just a nightmare,” Ruby sighed, slipping a cookie out of her pocket. “A really bad one.”
“Well whatever it was, it had us all worried,” Qrow replied. “Come to think of it, it was the news that Mistrals Invincible Girl losing that seemed to snap you out of your depression… I guess I’ve got one more thing to thank this Coal Calavera for… Besides killing an Ancient Grimm.”
“It was… I just… I didn’t think Pyrrha would lose there,” Ruby replied.
“You and damn near everyone else. I lost some good money betting on her,” Qrow chuckled. “You know, the Headmaster of Beacon owes me a few favors, if you want, I could cash in on a few and see about introducing you to this Coal guy.”
“I… don’t have the time. I need to work extra hard if I want to be admitted into Beacon early.”
“A week or two off won’t hurt your chances,” Qrow hummed. “Besides, you would be traveling with yours truly. A few weeks of training with me will equal a few years at Signal.”
Ruby rubbed her chin in thought before taking a bite of her cookie. “I’ll think about it… but, if I do say yes, you’ve got to train me seriously.”
“You got it, kid,” Qrow smiled.
…Breathe…
Cinder sat at a dusty old table in a dusty old safe house that was located too far into the wilderness for anyone to accidentally stumble across. She and her faction had been stuck in Mistral ever since a lockdown had been announced.
It was better for them to stay here instead of being caught and having it discovered that they were working for Salem… or at least that’s what Watts had said to Salem in order to convince her to order them to stay.
The plan had been a complete failure on all fronts. Lionheart had ended up giving them terrible information, the Spring Maiden in his care had turned out to be fake. Tyrian was dead, an Ancient Grimm had been slain and the one who had done it was alive and well, bringing hope to the masses.
As her anger grew, heat began to build in her hands. Placing her Scroll onto the table, she looked around the old, dilapidated room for something to burn, only to find nothing. The only thing left was the shack itself which she would eventually burn down, but only when she left.
Glaring down at her scroll, she once more began to play back the events that led her to being stuck in this shack.
…Breathe…
“Ugh, how much longer do we have to wait?” Mercury complained.
“Until Cinder so,” Emerald replied.
“We were supposed to be in there already, what gives?”
“Patience,” Cinder silenced her teammates. “All good things to those who wait.”
They were currently waiting at a small café in Argus, right across from a hidden containment facility for the Spring Maiden. The plan was simple, once the video of the dam breaking played and the Ancient Grimm was woken, they could act.
Everything was arranged perfectly. The Lionheart had uploaded the virus Watts had given him several days ago, they were stationed near the Maiden, now all they had to do was wait. Within an instant, every Scroll, every billboard, every electronic device began to stream Tyrian Callows fight with Coal Calavera.
“Finally,” Mercury sighed, standing up.
Cinder paid no attention to the fight that was going on. Instead, she chose to focus on her goal. She was so close to attaining her goal… attaining the power of one of the Maidens. It was right within her grasp. Stepping into the building that housed the Maiden, she was met with a few guards.
“Hey, you’re not supposed to be here.”
“Mercury, Emerald,” Cinder hummed, nodding towards the guards. “Keep it quiet.”
The duo rushed forward. Emerald weaved illusions around the guards to keep them from realizing what was going on while Mercury landed several powerful kicks on their bodies, killing them near instantly. It barely took them a minute before the building was completely empty of security.
Heading in deeper, Cinder stopped in front of a secure door with a Scroll pad attached to the wall next to it. Waving her scroll over it, the door clicked open with a beep, revealing the contents.
Strapped to a bed with several tubes attached to her was the Spring Maiden, Vernal. Her body kept in a comatose state in order to prevent her from attempting to escape.
“All that power at your disposal and you still managed to get caught,” Cinder said softly, walking towards the helpless bandit. “Don’t worry, I’ll be putting that power to a better use.”
Standing next to the bed, Cinders gloved hand hovered over the bandits face, before she suddenly had an idea. Grabbing the IV that was keeping Vernal unconscious, Cinder gave a short tug, removing it. The straps would be more than enough to keep Vernal restrained for a few moments.
“For a Maiden to fall so low as to be captured by regular Huntsmen… You’re not worthy of that power or a peaceful death, wake up.”
Heat burned in Cinders hand as she brought it against the restrained bandits arm. Vernal’s body jolted and she let out a scream muffled by the various tubes that were in her mouth.
“That’s better,” Cinder smirked as her gloved hand once more hovered over Vernal’s face. “Now, say goodbye to your powers.”
A small Grimm beetle pulled itself out of the front of the glove and spat a black web that attached itself to Vernal’s face.
“Yes. The power is… mine?”
There was nothing there. She could feel it through the link the Grimm had initiated. Cinder had only gotten the slightest trickle of Aura flow into her before it gave out. Nothing else came, Vernal wasn’t the Spring Maiden.
Cinder pulled her hand back and stared down numbly at Vernal’s corpse after the Grimm beetle had retreated back into the glove. This… it wasn’t supposed to be this way. Today was supposed to be the day when she gained the powers of a Maiden and yet… nothing.
“Lionheart,” Cinder growled. He was the one that assured them that he had the Spring Maiden. They had bet everything on this plan with Lionheart’s assurance that it would succeed. Things would be much tougher now that Ozpin would learn what they were after.
Heat burst from Cinders hands as she tore through the room, destroying millions of Lien worth of equipment.
“Is everything a…” Emerald froze under Cinders hateful glare.
“We’re leaving, now!”
“What’s the problem?” Mercury asked. “I thought you’d be happier now that you got the Spring Maidens power.”
“Lionheart was wrong,” Cinder snapped. “She wasn’t the Spring Maiden.”
“O…Oh,” Mercury hummed, following as Cinder made her way out of the building. “Look at it this way, the plan wasn’t a complete failure. That Ancient Grimm was woken up. It’ll be years before Mistra…”
“My god, do you see that?” One of the few civilians that still stood on the sidewalk noted loudly, pointing towards one of the large billboards that had been hacked by Watts’ virus. “He’s actually managing to fight it off… He’s nearly cut that things head off.”
Cinder gnashed her teeth as she stalked her way down the street. Her day had been completely ruined.
…Breathe…
Cinder leaned back into her chair, staring blankly at her Scroll. Recalling her moment of triumph snatched away from her left her feeling hollow. It was a false hope to begin with. One of her many regrets of the failed plan was that she hadn’t been able to kill Lionheart herself.
“This is complete bullshit, that guy’s only powerful because of his Semblance,” Mercury complained loudly. “Some of us don’t have a choice and actually have to work for our power while he gets it all handed to him from what… genetics?”
“Shut up,” Emerald snapped. “It’s bad enough that we’re stuck in this cabin, don’t add your bitching to the list.”
“I’ll bitch all I want.”
Cinder sighed to herself. She couldn’t take much more of this. If these arguments continued, she’d be down one member of her team.
“I’m just saying, my Semblance was taken from me while he gets to have one that’s completely overpowered from the start.”
“I don’t care, we’re going to be stuck here for who knows how much longer. The least you could do is shut your mouth.”
Cinder stared down in contemplation, before her eyes snapped open in realization. Ozpin would have his eyes set on the Maidens now that it was obvious that one was targeted. Even Maidens would struggle to fight an Ancient Grimm while Coal Calavera had managed to fight off one by himself with the power of his Semblance.
“Mercury,” Cinder began. “Your fathers body… where would it be right now?”
“Hell if I know, I killed the asshole and lit the house on fire.”
“Then perhaps you should find out,” Cinder replied. “We may have some use for it.”
…Breathe…
I let out a tired sigh as I looked over the sea of reporters. They just kept asking so many different questions, from how I felt during my fight with the Ancient Grimm to which Kingdoms I was going to visit in the future.
There were a few questions I wasn’t open to explaining, mostly the ones revolving around my Semblance. In the end, they saw that I wasn’t going to answer those questions and simply moved towards a different topic.
“I believe there is time for one more question before this little event comes to a close,” Ozpin announced.
“Finally,” I muttered under my breath. Looking out towards the sea of reporters for one I hadn’t picked yet, I found myself pointing towards a woman with large mouse like ears on her head.
“Do you have anything to say to those in Mistral that are struggling from the sudden influx of Grimm?”
That was a really good question that I didn’t have a straight answer for. I closed my eyes and took a slow breath, before looking up, outward over the sea of reporters.
“I suppose… That the only things I could say to them are the same things I say to myself,” I mused loudly. “It’s our choices that define us. The choice to not give up when everything looks bleak, the choice to try just a little harder, the choice to tell yourself ‘one more time,’ every time you fall.” I took a moment to pause. “Things may look dark, but don’t close your eyes or you’ll miss the sun rise.”
Comments
James French
Fucking love that ending
SkulduggeryHaven
Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Aeden Emrys
Thanks for the story so far! Looking forward to reading much more of this interesting story!
Ricardo Torres II
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