Chapter Fourteen: Awaken, O Lordling.
Gunfire jolted Quin awake.
BRRT. BRRT.
His ears rang like they'd just been punched by thunder. His skull throbbed deep, bone-deep,and his hand reflexively clutched the side of his head as he groaned.
"Me lleva la chingada…" he muttered to himself.
(I'm fucked)
He was on a couch, the faint scent of citrus and gun oil permeating his nostrils. The soft thrum beneath his spine told him he was airborne, or at least on something with a big ass engine. Slowly, as the ache in his body receded enough for his brain to string thoughts together, Quin peeled open his eyes.
A Valean airship, mid-sized, same one they used in the first episode or two, though this one was probably a VIP transport due to the velvet trim and increased armour plating on the inner panels. Holographic displays flickered to life on either side of the deck, detailing altitude, atmosphere density, local news, grimm counts-
Wait, Grimm counts?
He struggled upright, the blanket pooled around his waist falling away to reveal his rumpled jacket and a faint smear of dried blood on his sleeve. One of Mordred's stubby legs were peeking out from under the couch, like she crawled halfway under during takeoff and decided it was her safe place.
"Of course," Quin croaked. "Qrow probably threw me on like a sack of potatoes... that dusty old man..."
The ship banked hard, enough that Quin had to grip the couch again.
Another BRRT, louder this time, and he turned his head toward the source, just as a fresh gust of wind blew through the open drop doors at the back of the deck.
There she was.
A girl stood near the edge, framed by the evenung sun. She wore a cocoa-brown beret framed perfectly by her hair, a waist cincher over a brown shirt, and chique sunglasses he didn't expect her to pull off. She handled the oversized minigun like it was part of her, smooth bursts of fire snapping out in controlled chug-chug-chugs.
Coco Adel.
And before her, a war. Grimm, Manticores mostly, dove and twisted through the clouds like living missiles. Her team was already out there: Fox moving like a one man army, Velvet skimming past claws with grace, and Yatsuhashi turning anything in his path into a nondescript heap at his feet.
But that wasn't all.
Quin's pikemen were there too.
They weren't nearly as strong as Yatsu, or as fast as the speed specialized hunters, but they were organized at least. Metal tips glinting as they jabbed upward into Grimm that dared come close to the ship's hull... or well, only those that still had spears after the whole Ursa fiasco... the others without one were using their daggers to harass.
"What in the hells…?" Quin murmured, blinking as a pike skewered a diving Manticore just in time for Fox to finish it off with a slash from his arms.
A Manticore wing slammed into the edge of the hull with a clang, sending a brief spray of sparks through the air. Coco didn't flinch, turning the barrel of her gun and letting it rip again, the creature's body vanishing into dust mid-scream.
The deck shook. Wind howled in through the open doors. Holograms blipped red, then yellow.
And Quin?
He dragged himself fully upright, gripped the nearest support rail with all his might, and stared out at the battle... entirely missing the metal squealing under his touch, the aluminum alloy crunching like tin foil.
The last Manticore didn't so much roar as wheeze its final breath. Its wings shredded by bursts of gunfire, it fell in a spiral of ash and smoke, smashing into treetops and leaving a trail of carnage in its wake. Coco tilted her head, assessing the field behind those sleek sunglasses, then gave the minigun a flick, collapsing the weapon into a black and gold handbag.
Fox gave a sharp nod from the other end of the airship ramp, blood and dust smeared across his sleeves. Velvet lowered her camera, a gentle breeze tugging at her bunny ears, and tapped a few holographic keys with a look of satisfaction. Yatsuhashi? He just stood there, stoic, like a cliff made of muscle and serenity, pike from one of Quin's boys resting in one hand, apparently borrowed mid-fight to increase his range.
The Grimm were gone.
And with them, the need to be serious.
"What's for dinner, you think?"
"Mhmn."
"You're no fun"
Quin exhaled, only now realizing he'd been holding his breath. The pressure in his head had receded to a dull hum. Everything ached, from shoulder to ankle, and his knees felt like they'd been replaced with wet rope. But he still pushed off the broken railing and began a slow, uneven wobble across the deck.
Step. Wince. Step. Limp.
"God, I feel like someone dropped a vending machine on me..." he mumbled, dragging himself forward, each footstep unsteady.
His soldiers straightened as he passed, still jittery with adrenaline. One of them, helmet off and grinning wildly, gave Quin a manic thumbs-up. Another patted his own pike proudly like it was a pet. A third was dancing, must be that dance routine they've mentioned a thousand times.
He gave them a slight nod. "Yeah, alright, you didn't die. I'm... weirdly proud."
Is this what fatherhood is like? Neat.
Quin reached the edge of the open doors, the wind cold against his sweat-slick shirt. His hair whipped into his eyes, and he squinted out at the horizon. Dust trails smeared the sky where Grimm had died, but overall? He rated the view 7/10... could've been better had it not stunk of Dust.
He turned toward Coco just as she sling her weapon behind her shoulder like it weighed nothing. Close up, she was even more cool... would it be wrong to admit she was his favorite character? Well, person*.
"...Hi," Quin said, still panting.
Coco gave him a once-over. "You look like hell,"
"Thanks," he wheezed. "I was going for something between... 'death's door' and 'homeless'"
He immediately collapsed against the nearest wall.
Coco raised an eyebrow behind her sunglasses, one corner of her mouth tugging upward.
"Well," she said, kneeling just slightly so they were at eye level, "Not bad, not many can pull of 'death' like you do."
Quin opened his mouth to respond, but only a wheeze came out.
From behind, Velvet briskly approached, ears twitching with concern as she tucked her scroll back into her coat. "Alright, that's enough," she said, clapping her hands once before planting them on her hips. "You're goin' back down, you're leakin'."
"I'm fine," He insisted, trying to wave her off with what might have once been dignity.
He wasn't too sure about that, in all honesty.
Then he coughed.
Not just a little throat-clearing kind of cough, but the heavy, gut-clenching kind. He bent forward, a hand flying to his mouth and when he pulled it away, it glistened red.
"...Okay," he muttered, eyes wide. "I might be... slightly... not fine."
It's okay, his bleeding is internal. That's where it's supposed to be.
Velvet's expression didn't change, but her ears dropped about two inches.
"No kidding," she muttered, guiding him with surprising strength back towards the couch "Down, no arguments."
"But-"
"Down."
"Alright, alright," he grumbled, collapsing into the cushions like a sack of bricks. "You're scary when you're bossy, you know that?"
Velvet gently pressed a cloth to the side of his face. "Yes."
Nearby, one of Quin's soldiers did a celebratory backflip, another popped a streamer into the air like they'd just won a carnival game, and a third pointed dramatically at Coco, shouting, "Queen energy!" before immediately tripping over the couch's armrest and disappearing from sight with a thud.
Coco didn't bat an eye. She was still watching Quin, folding her arms, one hip cocked.
"So what's your deal, anyway?" she asked. "You've got the headmaster practically doing backflips to secure you, which, believe me, is not a thing he does."
Her voice lowered to a degree.
"And colour us surprised when we arrived to find you sprawled across the floor like you've just had your soul sucked out of you.*
Quin stared at the ceiling, one arm flopped dramatically over his eyes… guess Qrow didn't tell CFVY, thanks oldie.
"I ask myself that every day." He deflected
Coco chuckled. "You got a name?"
He peeked out from under his arm. "Quin."
"That's it, no last name?"
He coughed again, groaning. "Moreno."
"Notedd."
Velvet, still fussing with gauze and what might've been a bottle of gel, glared at him. "Don't move, your everythin' is... well."
"Wouldn't be the first time," he murmured.
"Or the last," Coco added, already turning back to the ramp where the rest of her team was checking their weapons. "We'll continue this once you're less... gooey." She grimaced.
"Appreciated."
He watched her leave, then let his head loll back with a dull thump against the cushions. "Coolest woman I've ever seen," he muttered.
Velvet paused, staring down at him. "You know she can hear you, right?"
Quin smiled faintly. "I was kind of hoping she could."
He knew he wasn't exactly her type, being a guy and all, but surely appreciating coolness was universally accepted.
Right?
Right?!
Velvet just sighed. "Gremlin," she said, and adjusted his pillow with passive-aggression. "Absolute gremlin."
Quin blinked at her, brow furrowing. "Hey. Rude."
"Accurate."
He made a noise like an indignant frog and flopped an arm dramatically off the couch. "I'm sure actual gremlins are pretty neat once you get to know them..."
"Mhmn, sure they are."
"They are!" He pointed at the far wall, as if the very memory were etched there in blood and soot. "Feisty as they might be, you'd be out of look to find a better meat shield than 'em."
She stared at him, then snorted.
"Yeah, that sounds about right."
"I feel seen," Quin muttered, burying his face in the fluff of the pillow. "...and I feel bullied."
"You are bullied," she said sweetly, then walked off before he could retaliate.
…
The ship soared steadily over the ocean, its engines thrumming like a giant's heartbeat. The viewing deck was one of the quieter places on board, and Quin had claimed the length of a couch as his own.
Between naps, painkillers, and half-hearted attempts to sit upright, he watched the days roll by.
Most of the trip blurred together. He remembered a lot of clouds. A lot of water. The distant flash of lightning at one point, chased by turbulence that had him clutching the armrest with white knuckles. He wasn't proud of the scream.
Though, he did find out about his increased strength! He kinda forgot about the Witcher Mutation until he saw the wood splinter.
Velvet didn't exactly share his enthusiasm, as he continued to break and malform numerous objects.
…
She sighed, already reaching for a maintenance kit. "You owe this ship three spoons and a chair."
"They were defective," he muttered.
"You bent one stirrin' oatmeal."
"…It was dense oatmeal."
…
There were also... interruptions.
Like the moment a pike soldier burst into the lounge dragging a luggage cart he'd somehow commandeered, shouting "LEERROYYYYYYY" as he rode it down the sloped hallway and straight into a bulkhead.
Surprisingly, he didn't injure himself.
There was also the coordinated ambush of Team CFVY by three pikes wielding cutlery. They leapt from behind a supply crate, spoons at the ready, yelling "BANQUET RAID!" before Coco threw them backwards with a smack of her weapon like unruly children. They were careful of her from then on.
Quin couldn't tell if they were being insubordinate or enthusiastic… Maybe both, now that he thought about it.
There were more Grimm attacks, though none as intense as the first. A couple Lancers swooped too close during one sunrise, their shadowy forms outlined in gold. The pikes surprisingly handled them before CFVY could even get on deck, they stabbed their banner into the corpse of one, using it as a base before it dispersed.
Velvet had taken a photo of that one.
---
[ Mission Complete ]
Delegation: Kill 10 Enemies using subjects. (11/10)
[ Reward: Unit Gacha ]
[ Claim ]
---
If he could kiss them without being called a pervert, he would've… they've singlehandedly carried him to this point.
Still… he hesitated over the [Claim] button.
Not yet.
Summoning a new unit in front of everyone, especially seasoned Huntsmen like CFVY, would invite questions. Too many questions on top of the ones he already had to answer, better to keep this quiet until he had some privacy, maybe once they made landfall.
…
Sometime on the fourth day, Quin sat upright, resting his back against the couch's curved arm and exhaling slowly. His ribs still ached, but he could think a little more clearly now. The ship's lounge was empty, the only sound was the rumble of turbines and the faint hum of holographics.
With a sigh, he lifted a hand and swiped downward, summoning the pale blue flicker of his system interface.
It hovered quietly in the air before him, familiar, unwelcome, but undeniably useful.
"Ugh…" He rubbed his temple. The list was getting long, too long. The more units he added, the more cluttered this whole thing became.
Then he noticed it, a small, grey [-] symbol at the top right of the panel.
Quin tapped it cautiously.
The list shrank, folding itself into tidy rows of icons and brief labels. No more full descriptions unless he clicked them. Just a neat column of little avatars and categories.
He exhaled, relieved. "Finally."
---
[Units]
1x ★ Stone Imps [Forked Hatchet] (Elden Ring) (+1 Authority)
5x ★ Servitor Skulls [4x Sensor, 1x Medicae] (Warhammer 40k) (+1 Authority)
4x ★ Blue Slimes (Stardew) (+1 Charm)
9x ★★Pike Soldiers (Bad North) (Energetic)
[ Resummon ]
---
His gaze drifted to the [Resummon] button, pulsing faintly at the bottom.
He hesitated, for the same reasons as the gacha... it'd attract just the wrong kind of attention.
Still, its good to know he could. Moving them discreetly in the future, when they reached Vale, or wherever else, could save him a lot of trouble.
Ozpin would find out eventually, and consequently so would Qrow and Glynda too. But until then, it was nice having cards up his sleeve.
That also reminds him, he needs to test out just how much this Witcher Mutation effected him, hopefully Ozpin doesn't mind him asking to borrow a training room for an hour or so.
Quin closed the panel with a flick of his hand and leaned back again, letting his body sink into the upholstery.
Outside the window, Vale's distant shores finally began to rise from the horizon, pale against the setting sun.
"Almost there," he muttered, and closed his eyes.
…
Sometime Later.
Quin's head had just started to settle back against the pillow, Mordred all bundled up in his arms, when a sharp thud hit his shin.
"Ow-! What the fuck?!" he groaned, lifting his leg to rub it slightly, the pain slowly going away as his regeneration healed the bruising that definitely would've occurred.
"Rise and shine, cupcake."
The voice was unmistakable, gravel-dry, cocky, somewhat slurred.
Quin cracked an eye open.
"Qrow?" He sat up slowly, brushing his hair back with one hand, still blinking away the fog. "When did you get here?"
"Not too long ago," Qrow said with a shrug, arms crossed. He looked the same as always: worn coat, wrinkled shirt, and a flask that never left his side. "Had to take care of some leftover business in Anima, figured the B-Team over there could keep you safe until I got back."
He nodded vaguely toward Team CFVY—Coco, still somehow polishing her sunglasses; Velvet, asleep with a book over her face; Fox, stretching; and Yatsuhashi, quietly meditating like aBuddha statue
Quin narrowed his eyes. "You didn't say how you got here."
Qrow just smirked, reaching into his coat. "Airship, obviously."
Of course that was a lie, he hadn't seen it in person yet, but he knew. That stupid, flapping cheat of his. He could already picture it: feathers, wind… the only thing that could make him feel a little less jealous, is if Qrow was hit by a falling ball of red roses.
"Anyways," Qrow went on, stepping past him and tapped against the glass with a flick of his fingers, "take a look."
Quin followed the gesture, squinting out through the reinforced glass. The morning sun spilled across waves of green and gold, the coastline of Vale fast approaching in the distance. Towers and cliffs rose like jagged teeth along the sea, with the high walls of the city glittering faintly under the cloud-streaked sky.
His home, for now… he had a couple ideas for his plans going forward, but they'd have to wait till he and Ozpin had a little talk.
Qrow took the moment to tip his flask back, draining the rest of its contents before tucking it away.
Better to drink now before he has Glynda breathing down his ass about it… not that he cares, it's just a pain to go through really.
2826 Words
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Double chapter! And also the introduction of some more cast members, finally.