3rd Person POV
Brunswick Farms
"Just like your friend, Ruby... I was a silver-eyed warrior," Maria explained, standing beside Sincline as the two of them watched the pile of shrouded bodies burn into ashes. After revealing that she had silver eyes, she had cut off Sincline's questions of surprise by insisting that they first pay respects to the Apathy's victims. Sincline had initially hesitated, having been caught up in the moment, but, upon remembering the body of that little girl, quickly agreed.
It had taken them most of the night, but they had eventually gathered all the bodies from their homes and laid them in a grave dug by Sincline via an Ion blast. After what seemed like hours, Sincline had emerged from the main house with the little girl in his arms.
Staring down at the girl's lifeless form, Sincline's jaw clenched... and he gently set her down, laying her to rest beside the already covered bodies of her parents. Removing her blanket, he laid it over her body and stepped back.
"This isn't right," Sincline whispered, staring at the covered bodies in muted horror. Now that the danger had passed, all he could do was stare at the field of corpses, their bodies covered in the blankets they slept in.
"It's not," Maria agreed, sighing. "But... this is all we can do for them now."
Nodding, Sincline turned his attention back to the field of bodies and extended a hand, targeting the shroud of each corpse. He fired, and dozens of low-powered Ion beams passed over the bodies, the chilling heat of the beams lighting the shrouds on fire.
And now here they stood, watching as the numerous bodies of men, women, and children were consumed by the blaze.
"Silver-eyed warrior?" Sincline echoed, and his thoughts turned to a familiar pair of shining silver eyes that he knew and loved. Ruby... what does Ruby have to do with all this?
"We're not as popular as we used to be," Maria admitted. "To put it simply, we're a lineage group whose origins predate the establishment of both Huntsmen and Kingdoms. According to legend, those born with silver eyes are destined to lead the life of a warrior."
"I see..." That would explain why Ruby keeps getting into danger, Sincline realized and silently resolved that if Ruby was to live that life, he'd stand by her every step of the way.
Maria chuckled. "Well, I'm glad one of us can."
Sincline blanched. "Sorry—"
Maria waved a hand, stifling a laugh as she did so, but it was hollow. "Relax. I can still see to my heart's content. Although, with this generation, that's not always a good thing." She trailed off, her expression darkening.
Sincline hesitated. "If you don't mind me asking... you said you were a silver-eyed warrior. What do you mean?" Obviously, her eyes were damaged... but I doubt it was by accident. Not with Aura.
Maria paused, as if weighing her options. "Tell me, Sincline... since your arrival on Remnant, how many people have you seen with silver eyes?"
Sincline blinked, caught off guard by the question, but answered anyway. "If you count photos... two." Ruby and Summer... now that I think about it, why haven't I seen any other eyes like theirs?
"Let me guess: Ruby and a photo of her mother?" Maria asked knowingly, causing Sincline to stare at her in shock.
"How did you—?"
"Just because I'm old doesn't mean I can't keep up on what's going on in the world," Maria huffed. "But as I was saying, silver eyes are very rare. While most information on us is largely rooted in myths and legends, real silver eyes are even harder to find. What's known, though, is that the eyes themselves are special, allowing their wielders to strike down Grimm with a single glance, and that those who possess them are fighters of unprecedented prowess."
Sincline nodded. That made sense given how Ruby and he often matched each other blow for blow during their combat training, both moving at speeds that very few could hope to match... and why Ruby gave him more a fight than Voltron did. Could they unleash more firepower? Without a doubt. But when it came to combat prowess, there was little contest.
"It was supposed to be a routine hunt," Maria recalled, staring into the fire. "I was tracking down a Nevermore by a ravine after following it for days. I managed to bring it down and kill it with my eyes... but that's when they showed up."
Sincline blinked, momentarily taken off guard by the sheer venom in the Legend's voice.
"Someone sent mercenaries after me... a Faunus named Tock and her henchman, claiming I only had 60 seconds to live. We fought, and I thought I could handle them... I was wrong. I managed to kill her henchmen, but Tock used their deaths to occupy me while she went for her target... my eyes.
"After that... everything went black. It was just... pain... I couldn't see. Not like I can now. But I remember. She taunted me, telling me that the only reason I was being hunted down was because of her master."
Master? Sincline wondered but kept silent, waiting for her to finish.
"She said I was a fighter till the end... but I wasn't." Maria bowed her head for a long moment, staring at the crackling corpses as their bodies were consumed by fire. "I went into hiding soon after."
All Sincline could do was stare at her, stunned. He knew she was anything but a normal Huntress, but now... only one person fit her description, one who Ruby couldn't help mentioning every time she discussed her weapon. "You're... you're the Grimm Reaper," he breathed, well aware that he was sitting beside a living legend. "You were... a legend. But then you disappeared... how?"
Maria sighed. "I never used my name, never showed my face. So many people thought I was just laying low for a time. Then, after so many years, they believed I was dead." She scoffed. "Well, I'm nothing but a disappointment."
Sincline blinked. "How... can you say that?" he asked in disbelief. "You were a hero. A legend. People still look up to you."
She sighed, turning to face him. "Child, whether you're a Huntress or a Huntsmen, the final undertaking remains the same: we're supposed to protect others to the bitter end. But after I lost my eyes, I only ever looked after myself." She clenched her fist. "Even after my surgery, I was too afraid to fight... afraid someone would find me again and finish what the others started. You shouldn't aspire to be like me, especially when you are clearly stronger already." She gave a wry smile. "It's... comforting, seeing that your generation seems up to the task of inheriting this world."
Sincline blinked. "But... I'm not from Remnant. I wasn't born here, I... I don't belong here."
Maria scoffed, and, if she had eyes, Sincline was sure she would have rolled them. "Does it matter? In the end, you chose to be a Huntsman. That's all that matters. I'm just sorry I didn't do more."
Sincline paused, weighing his options. "Then maybe you can do something now," he said finally. "My friend, Ruby... she has eyes just like yours. And if someone went after you, they're bound to go after her. Please... teach her to use her powers the way you could."
Maria hesitated. "I'm... not sure I can anymore," she admitted. "Maybe a couple years ago, I could have."
"Please," Sincline pleaded. "You don't have to train her personally. Just... any piece of advice that I can pass on to Ruby to help her... anything."
Maria hesitated... and that's when Sincline's scroll started ringing, causing both of them to jump in alarm as the sound cut through the silence and the crackling flames.
His blood roaring in his ears, Sincline forced himself to calm down as he dispelled his summoned scimitars and pulled out his scroll. Opening it, he found the call to be from... Ironwood. Uh oh... looks like I ran out of time, Sincline thought.
"Friend of yours?" Maria asked.
"Sort of," Sincline replied and answered the call, watching the pile of bodies return to dust as the smoke crawled into the predawn sky.
Timeskip
"Nothing is ever normal with your generation, is it?" Maria commented as Sincline's ship sheared through the clouds, snowflakes shattering upon its form as he curved around a mountain, sunlight sparking off its wraith-like armor.
"Doesn't seem like it," Sincline agreed, his thoughts flashing back to his call with Ironwood. As it turned out, the Atlesian General had been waylaid by a Grimm attack on one of Atlas's borders while on his way to pick up a team of Atlesian Specialists for the unveiling of Atlas's first Particle Barrier.
Ironwood had asked if he had made contact with the Argus base yet, and Sincline explained what had happened. From intercepting the Grimm at the train to meeting Maria (Sincline knew Yang would enjoy the screenshot he took of the General's surprised expression when he recognized her. Evidently, he was a fan) to discovering Brunswick farms.
"I can't believe it... the entire village?" Ironwood asked, his voice cutting across the clearing since Sincline had his scroll set to speaker mode for Maria's benefit.
Sincline nodded, his expression darkening. "Everyone. The women... men... even the children. No survivors."
"We took out the Apathy, but I wouldn't send anyone here just yet," Maria added, watching as Sincline stared at the burning embers that swirled into the trees. "Their effects are fading, but they won't be gone for a few weeks."
Ironwood nodded. "Understood."
"So... how long until we get to Argus?" Maria asked, snapping Sincline out of his thoughts.
"1 minute," Sincline replied and glanced at her. Part of him wanted to press for more information about the silver eyes, but at the same time... he didn't. Whatever she did with her powers alerted whoever was chasing her to her location... and she lost her eyes. And if that was the case, he could understand her reluctance to share the knowledge that would put Ruby in danger.
But... the silver eyes are part of her, Sincline thought. She said it herself. And if the legends of silver warriors are right... then Ruby's going to be in danger regardless. Hopefully, he would have enough time to convince Maria.
In the end though... it was up to Maria on whether or not she imparted the information, just like how it was up to Sincline on whether or not Atlas would receive higher technology.
And that reminds me... that's just one of the things Ironwood and I need to talk about, Sincline thought. The plan was simple: get to Argus base, wait for Ironwood to arrive, test the defenses, negotiate a way to take care of Weiss's father, lend Ironwood the new technology, hopefully convince Maria to teach Ruby how to use her eyes, then reunite with Ruby at her home. Easy.
An alert flared, and Sincline smiled. He jerked the throttle, and his ship accelerated, a shockwave ripping through the snow and scattering the clouds.
"What is it?" Maria asked as Sincline's vessel crested the top of a hill, skimming the treetops by mere centimeters and creating a trail of smokey ice and snow. "Grimm?"
"Nope," Sincline replied, and his ship leveled out, the viewport filling with the image of a large city surrounded by a stone wall several stories tall with a single large gate allowing for road access. Cobblestone lined the streets and had a transit system with streetcar-like hovering vehicles following a groove in the roadway. Most of the buildings seemed to be made out of brick and were only a few stories in height. The city also had a harbor with three small islands connected to it, forming the Atlesian base Ironwood had described.
The first island had a large rock spire, with the second possessing a large hangar and an expansive landing pad with dozens of Manta airships on it. There was also a third island, but it had no visible purpose.
"Ladies and Gentlemen... we have arrived at Argus."
Timeskip
"You know, I'm surprised we haven't been blasted out of the air yet," Maria commented as Sincline piloted his ship closer to the wall, the snowstorm fading away as they drew nearer.
Sincline shrugged. "My ship has the same clearance that Ironwood's specialists do," he replied. "As far as they're concerned, I'm one of his."
"Riiiiight... and a giant alien vessel is exactly what Ironwood's specialists fly on a daily basis," Maria deadpanned, making a motion similar to Yang when she rolled her eyes.
"...then as far as they're concerned, I'm one of his specialists flying a highly advanced experimental ship, the first of its kind," Sincline amended, earning another 'eyeroll' from the legendary Huntress.
As it turned out, much to Maria's indignation, the Atlesian forces stationed at the base did believe he was one of Ironwood's specialists since he and Maria didn't face any opposition as Sincline set his vessel down in a clearing a mile away from the gate's entrance. That... or they only care about ships that cross the wall into their airspace, Sincline thought. Honestly, he wasn't sure which option was more concerning.
Exiting the ship, Sincline stepped out behind Maria and waved a hand, causing his ship to shatter into thousands of purple fragments that promptly dissolved seconds later.
Maria raised a prosthetic eyebrow, and Sincline shrugged. "According to Yang, it makes me look cool," he replied.
"And this Yang... you trust her on a lot of things?" Maria asked skeptically as the two began making their way toward the gate.
Sincline opened his mouth to reply... then closed it, trying to figure out how best to answer. "I trust her on... certain topics," he replied honestly, deciding to go with the truth.
Shaking her head, Maria chuckled, and the two Hunters made their way down the cobblestone pathway, passing through the gate and into Argus.
"You know, Argus is a lot bigger than I thought it'd be," Sincline commented, looking around at the many civilians walking the streets. Something that caught his attention was the lack of Faunus. Blake said Faunus aren't treated well, especially in Atlas, thanks to Weiss's... father, but does that go for every place with Atlesian influence?
"It's actually one of the largest non-capital cities in all of Remnant," Maria explained as she and Sincline got on a tram and began riding it down the street toward the other side of Argus. They probably could have flown straight to the base, but since Ironwood was still a day away, they decided to look around for a place to stay.
Sincline frowned. "Wait... wouldn't it be hard to settle something this big away from the main kingdom?" he asked as the tram crossed a bridge. Especially with such horrible security. We LITERALLY walked right through their gate.
Maria nodded. "It was... until Mantle showed up. Early settlement attempts by Mistral didn't go well. But colonists from Mantle were able to help them brave the cold climate and return for goods that the rest of Solitas, Atlas's continent, couldn't provide."
They passed a theater, and Sincline saw that Tryst in the Mist and the Demon in the Deep were premiering that night.
"The two nations worked together to create a hybrid city," Maria went on. "While it still falls under Mistral domain, Atlas keeps a military presence here to help keep the people safe and to ensure that trade between the two nations remains steady."
Upon mentioning the militaristic Kingdom, Sincline noticed how it seemed like steel had been injected into her tone. "Don't like Atlas?" he asked.
Maria snorted. "Not any more than the next sensible person," she muttered under her breath.
...I'll take that as a no, Sincline thought as the tram stopped at the top of a hill several courtyards shy of the harbor. They exited, and Sincline stepped onto the cobblestone courtyard, his boots clicking sharply against the stone. "So... what now?" he asked. "Should we visit the base and see if they can take us in?"
Maria snorted, resting her hands on top of her cane as she leaned on it for support. "The day I willingly ask Atlas for help is the day I ice myself," she replied.
"...I'll take that as a no," Sincline replied and sighed. Why did I have to be stuck with the one being who will antagonize the person I'm trying to negotiate with? he wondered.
"Excuse me?" a voice asked, and Sincline and Maria turned to find a young woman with wavy, dirty blond hair and blue eyes. She wore an orange sleeveless top with a beige sleeveless vest, light brown trousers with orange stitches on each side, and dark brown boots. She also had a bootlace necklace around her neck.
"Hi," she greeted, waving with a bright smile on her face. "I heard you guys need someplace to stay?"
Sincline nodded slowly, eyeing her warily. After the last 'welcoming' place he encountered, well... needless to say, he was a little uneasy. "That's right." Maybe she actually just wants to help... maybe....
"Well, if you need someplace to rest your head tonight, you two are welcome to come home with me," she said politely, a warm smile crossing her lips.
Sincline and Maria exchanged looks before turning back to her, Sincline eyeing her warily. "We don't have that much money," he replied. Is it just me, or is this girl... somewhat familiar? he wondered. Something about her blue eyes... and her blond hair....
She waved a hand dismissively. "You don't have to worry about paying," she assured, smiling. "This is all on me. It's the least I could do for a pair of Hunters."
Sincline glanced at Maria, and she shrugged, spreading her hands in a 'what can I do about it?' gesture.
"I'm Sincline," the mech-turned-human introduced. "And this is—"
"Maria Calavera," the elder Huntress replied. "Just because I'm old, doesn't mean I can't introduce myself." She shot a look at Sincline, and he stepped back, holding up his hands in surrender.
"It's nice to meet you," the woman replied, and smiled. "I'm Saphron. Saphron Arc."
Sincline blinked, his eyes widening. No... way... then again, that did explain the blond hair and blue eyes... and why she seemed so familiar. "An Arc... you wouldn't happen to be related to someone named 'Jaune' by any chance, would you?"
Timeskip
I can't believe I'm meeting one of Jaune's sisters, Sincline thought as he and Maria sat on a couch in Saphron' s living room. After telling Saphron that he knew her brother, Sincline, and by extension, Maria, were practically dragged to her home and into her living room, where she had sat them down and asked/demanded that they tell her everything they could about Jaune's time at Beacon... even though they knew practically nothing.
Surprisingly, Saphron took the reveal of him being an alien superweapon and Maria being the legendary Grimm Reaper quite well... after the five-minutes of fangirling.
"I can't believe my baby brother is on a team with the Pyrrha Nikos," Saphron commented as she sat on a couch opposite them at a large round wooden table on top of a rectangular tan rug. The wall opposite a large green-gray bookcase had a staircase that reached up to the second floor. "He's always idolized her, you know."
"Really?" Sincline asked. For some reason, Jaune hadn't mentioned that during their trip into the woods.
Saphron nodded, and Maria chuckled. "Yup. He used to say that he only got the cereal boxes for the cereal... but I'm pretty sure it was because of the cover."
Sincline sweatdropped. "Riiiight...."
"But you have to tell me something, something that I really need to know." She leaned forward, her face serious... except for the light sparkling of her eyes. "Does my brother... have a girlfriend?" she asked eagerly.
Sincline blinked. Of all the questions she could ask, that... was not one he expected. "Well... uh..." Sorry, Jaune, but this needs to be done, he thought. Then again, Jaune hadn't made him swear on the 'bro code' as Mercury called it, so... "Mercury and I managed to get him and Pyrrha together."
Saphron blinked, and Maria's jaw dropped. "Wait... my baby brother... is dating a superstar?!" Saphron asked, her voice going shrill at the end.
Sincline did the only thing he could. He nodded... and was promptly knocked over by the squeal of pure joy that exploded from Jaune's sister.
With Jaune
"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, watching her boyfriend uncertainly as he stiffened, hand on the windowsill as he began shivering. "Are you alright?"
Jaune nodded, albeit shakily. "I'm fine, it's just... have you ever had the feeling that someone somewhere just revealed something that will doom you for the rest of your days?" he asked.
Pyrrha blinked, caught off guard by the rather... random and specific question. "Um... no?"
Jaune sighed and promptly plopped down on the bed, burying his face in his pillow as he did so. "I think I'm gonna pass out now for a few... years... until the danger's over," Jaune muttered... and promptly fell asleep, much to Pyrrha's befuddlement.
Staring at his form for a long moment, Pyrrha finally sighed and shook her head, a fond smile crossing her lips. "Jaune..."
Back with Sincline
"Ugh..." Sincline groaned, rubbing the side of his head as his ears rang. Why do I get the feeling that Jaune just realized he's in danger? he wondered.
"You okay?" Saphron asked worriedly, helping Sincline up with one hand against his back.
"I'll be fine," Sincline assured and stretched, rubbing his shoulder where he had hit the ground. "Trust me, I've been through worse." Mainly, Blake's squeal when that new Ninja book came out. Needless to say, Sincline had an appreciation for how loud girls could be when they were happy.
Saphron giggled. "I can imagine that living with a whole team of girls will do that to you." I still can't believe he's an alien, she thought. He's pretty humanlike. She gave him a once over and nodded approvingly. Not that bad looking either. She sighed. It's a shame he's already taken. Good looks, nice personality... whoever Ruby was, she was definitely a lucky girl.
"Yeah, they're something else," Sincline agreed, unaware of Saphron's thoughts as he smiled fondly at the memories of his fellow team members. "So... you're the only Arc living here?" he asked curiously as he sat back down on the couch, and Saphron did the same. "I thought you had six other sisters."
"Yep," Saphron affirmed proudly. "Moved the second I could. Jaune and I are the only two living away from home." She pulled out a photo and held it out for Sincline and Maria to see. "I guess he just wanted to be like his big sis," she added as an afterthought.
Examining the photo, Sincline blinked. "That's... a lot of blond," he said finally, staring at the seven young girls lounging happily around a large red sofa with a young Jaune in the middle, holding up a sign with the word 'help' inscribed on it. And that's when he saw it. "Wait... is that the same hoodie?!" he asked incredulously.
"Yup," Saphron replied, popping the P before collapsing in a fit of giggles. "If I wasn't there, I would've guessed he was born with it."
Sincline blinked. "Is that even possible?"
Saphron shrugged. "Who knows?
"And you're sure it's alright if we stay with you for the time being?" Maria asked.
"Of course," Saphron assured, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm happy to house a Huntsman and Huntress. You all risk so much to keep people like... well, people like me safe. It's the least I could do. Besides," she added, a smile playing across her lips, "any friend of my baby brother is a friend of mine."
Sincline blinked. That works? Wait, that must be another Remnant thing. It would explain why most people who knew his teammates were so friendly.
"So, what's your plan for tomorrow?" Saphron asked curiously, breaking Sincline out of his thoughts.
Sincline exchanged looks with Maria, and she shrugged, the message clear. Up to you. He paused, weighing his options. It wasn't like this meeting was that secret. And this was Jaune's sister... and she was giving them shelter. The least we can do is tell her why, he decided. "We're meeting with General Ironwood at the base to help test a new defense system for the Kingdoms," he explained. "We're starting with the military base here. If it works, we'll apply the defense to the rest of the Kingdoms' borders."
Saphron hesitated, drumming her fingers on her thigh nervously as she scratched the back of her head, something Sincline had seen Jaune do quite often when he was nervous. "Um... about that...."
Maria huffed, and Sincline blinked, tilting his head. "What's wrong? Whatever it is, it can't be that bad.
The Next Morning
"...orit can be," Sincline deadpanned as he, Maria, and Saphron watched the gates ofthe Argus military base slam shut in their faces, locks clicking into place. Well...this is gonna be fun.