Chương 96: Chapter 89: The Cold and Warm Receptions

The coastal wind of Argus bit through their clothing the moment the heavy iron doors of the train slid open, carrying the sharp scent of sea salt and freezing snow. The sprawling transit hub of the northern city was a bustling hive of Mistralian culture and Atlesian engineering, filled with travelers bundled in thick furs and military personnel marching with rigid purpose. Stepping out onto the frosted platform, the vanguard moved as a tight, unified group.

Qrow Branwen led the way, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, while Oscar Pine walked close behind, the satchel containing the Relic of Knowledge held securely against his side. Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Blake, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora followed, their eyes wide as they took in the majestic, cliff-side architecture of the city. Trailing slightly behind the students was the most peculiar trio in Remnant.

Maria Calavera hobbled along, her wooden cane tapping rhythmically against the concrete, her thick shawl wrapped tightly around her tiny frame. Beside her walked Saitama, looking entirely out of place yet remarkably sharp in his tailored black suit and pristine white trench coat. Resting perfectly atop his bald head was Roman Torchwick's signature bowler hat, concealing his iconic shine from the public eye.

He was casually carrying a large plastic grocery bag brimming with Mistralian snacks, his flat, dotted eyes entirely unbothered by the freezing temperature. To ensure no one outside their immediate circle connected her to the legendary "Hero of Vale" or her own infamous past, Neopolitan walked at Saitama's side under the veil of her Overactive Imagination Semblance.

To the casual observer, she was completely mundane: her vibrant dual-colored hair was shifted to a solid, ordinary brown, and her tailored combat attire was masked by a standard, unassuming winter coat. She clung close to Saitama, playing the role of a quiet civilian companion to perfection. As they navigated the crowded streets toward the upper cliffs, the conversation naturally drifted to the tiny, formidable woman walking among them.

"So, you were the Grimm Reaper," Qrow said, glancing down at Maria with a mixture of reverence and lingering disbelief.

"You have no idea. You were an absolute legend. I actually modeled my own weapon, Harbinger, after yours. Life and Death." Maria let out a sharp, raspy scoff, her cybernetic goggles whirring as she looked straight ahead.

"A legend is just a fancy word for someone who survived long enough to be romanticized, boy. Don't put me on a pedestal. I'm nothing but a disappointment."

"How can you say that?" Ruby asked, her silver eyes filled with genuine confusion.

"You fought the Grimm! You saved people!"

"I did, once," Maria muttered, her grip tightening on her cane.

"Many years ago, I had just finished dispatching a massive Nevermore. Single-handedly. But I was foolish. I let my guard down. Before I could catch my breath, I was ambushed by a group of assassins." The group grew quiet, listening intently to the grim history.

"Their leader was a crocodile Faunus named Tock," Maria continued, her voice dropping into a dark, bitter register.

"She didn't want my Lien. She didn't care about my bounties. She told me, plainly, that she had been ordered to hunt me down for one specific reason." Maria tapped the side of her brass-rimmed goggles.

"My eyes." Blake's feline ears twitched beneath her bow.

"Sent by who?" Maria shook her head.

"A master who desired the extinction of the Silver-Eyed Warriors. I managed to kill them all, but not before Tock's blades found their mark. She slashed my eyes right out of my skull. Left me blind and bleeding in the dirt." A heavy, suffocating realization washed over the Huntsmen and Huntresses. They exchanged dark, knowing glances, carefully ensuring Saitama, who was currently trying to open a bag of gummy candies with his teeth, wasn't paying attention. The assassin Tock had undoubtedly been sent by Salem.

The Grimm Queen's crusade to extinguish the light was older than any of them had realized.

"After that," Maria lamented, her voice frail in the freezing wind, "I gave up. I hid. Without my eyes, I thought I was useless. I only ever looked out for myself. Seeing you children fight on that train... you have proven far stronger than I ever was."

"That's not true," Pyrrha said gently, stepping closer to the elderly woman.

"You survived. And you're here now, helping us."

"Yeah!" Ruby nodded fiercely.

"And you promised to teach me! About the Silver Eyes. How hard is it to awaken the power?" Maria's mechanical lenses auto-focused on Ruby's eager face.

"It is not a matter of striking a match, child. It is a matter of the soul. But we will have time for lessons once we are secure. Right now, we have a border to cross."

The winding path finally leveled out, bringing the group face-to-face with the imposing, fortified gates of the Atlesian Military Base. The massive steel barricades completely blocked access to the landing pads and the communication towers beyond. Yang Xiao Long stepped up first, placing her golden-gauntleted hands firmly on the freezing iron bars of the gate to speak to the sentries stationed on the other side.

"Come on! You didn't even hear us out!" Yang argued, her lilac eyes flashing with frustration.

"Our orders are clear: The Mistral-Atlas border is closed!" the first Nubuck guard replied, his posture stiff and unyielding.

"Please!" Yang pressed.

"Have a good day!" the guard stated loudly.

"But--""A good day!!" both Nubuck guards shouted in unison. Qrow dragged a hand down his face, stepping forward.

"Hey, if you don't wanna believe that we have clearance from Ironwood--""General Ironwood!" the guards corrected simultaneously, standing at rigid attention.

"Yeah, General Ironwood, then fine," Qrow grumbled, losing his patience.

"But look, we have Weiss Schnee with us and we're trying to get her home safely." Weiss looked down, a profound reluctance washing over her features at the mention of her family name. The two guards exchanged a wide-eyed look before turning their attention back to the group.

"Approach!" they commanded. Weiss shared a weary look with Blake, who merely shrugged in sympathetic solidarity. Taking a deep breath, Weiss walked up to the gate. The two guards stepped forward, bending down awkwardly to inspect her face through the bars. After a long, scrutinizing moment, both guards snapped straight back up.

"Very well!"

"You may speak with our commanding officer!" the second guard announced.

"We will fetch her at once!" the first added. The two guards turned around in perfect, robotic synchronization. Chanting a bizarre, rhythmic "Hup hup hup" and "Atlas Atlas Atlas," they jogged away toward the main command building. Blake blinked, her ears flattening.

"They were... kind of..."

"Super weird? Uh, yeah," Jaune finished, rubbing the back of his neck. Maria narrowed her hidden eyes, leaning heavily on her cane.

"Hmm..."

"What's wrong?" Oscar asked, looking down at her.

"Well, I... may know this commanding officer," Maria muttered.

"That's good, isn't it?" Ruby smiled hopefully.

"If she's your friend, then maybe she'd be more willing to help us."

"I wouldn't exactly call us...

'friends'," Maria scoffed.

"Acquaintances?" Weiss guessed.

"Not quite."

"Colleagues?" Ren offered smoothly.

"Warmer."

"Enemies?" Nora chimed in with a bright, chaotic grin.

"That's the one!" Maria confirmed, pointing her cane at the bomber-jacket-wearing girl. Oscar's jaw dropped.

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, yes," Maria chuckled darkly.

"I come through here about once every ten years to get my eyes checked up in Atlas. You bring outside cashews on one flight, and suddenly you're placed on the additional screening list for life!" Qrow groaned, tilting his head back to the sky.

"You've gotta be kidding me..."

"Now, now, let's not give up hope yet," Maria said cheerfully.

"Maybe she's dead!" Suddenly, the heavy iron gates whirred, opening up quickly as the two guards returned.

"Introducing!" the first guard shouted.

"Special operative!" the second echoed.

"Caroline Cordovin!" they announced together. Sharp, authoritative footsteps clicked against the pavement. The group braced themselves as a short-statured elderly woman, roughly around Maria's age, marched into view. She wore a pristine, standard Atlesian officer uniform, her posture radiating absolute, unwavering superiority. Caroline Cordovin stepped forward. Her eyes instantly locking onto the tiny woman with the cybernetic goggles.

"Witch," Cordovin spat, her voice dripping with venom.

"She-devil," Maria shot back without missing a beat.

"Hm. I've seen you've chosen larger contraband to smuggle this time," Cordovin sneered, her eyes sweeping disparagingly over the Huntsmen and students.

"Oh, Cordo," Maria chuckled, a wicked grin on her face.

"You know they say time changes people, but I see you've still got that stick right up your--" This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

"H-hello!" Ruby interrupted loudly, stepping in front of Maria with a frantic wave of her hands.

"Miss, uh, Cordovin. My name is Ruby Rose. We are sorry for the disturbance, but we need to get to Solitas immediately. General Ironwood sent the authorization through the grid to you." Cordovin's gaze shifted to the young leader, her expression hardening into a wall of bureaucratic ice.

"I don't know what kind of scam you're running, Miss Rose, but there is absolutely no clearance in the Atlesian grid for your little vanguard." She looked at the entire group, her nose turning up in disgust.

"You civilians are clearly incapable of comprehending the importance of our mission here in Argus. So allow me to say this slowly, with smaller words." As if on cue, a massive holographic backdrop projecting the Atlesian flag flared to life behind her.

"This base, that relay tower, the very safety of Argus are all gifts from the glorious Kingdom of Atlas! And it is my duty to uphold them, as only I have the wit and tenacity for such a task."

"Such wit!" Guard Nubuck 1 praised.

"Such tenacity!" Guard Nubuck 2 echoed.

"Or maybe Atlas just wanted to get you as far from the kingdom as possible," Maria remarked dryly. Cordovin let out a furious growl.

"You're just like the rest of these Argus ingrates! This city wouldn't even be here if it weren't for our Atlesian ancestors, and what do we get in return? The entire world is ready to put a knife to our throats!"

"Please," Ruby pleaded, taking a step forward.

"We know your kingdom had nothing to do with the Battle of Beacon. We were there."

"No one's happy about the Atlas borders or embargo," Weiss added, her tone diplomatic but strained.

"But I know General Ironwood is just worried. It's why we need to talk to--""The General is no coward!" Cordovin interrupted fiercely, her fists clenched at her sides.

"Atlas is strong. If all the kingdoms plan to make us their enemy, then so be it! Atlas will prevail!"

"Atlas will prevail!" the two guards chanted flawlessly. Yang folded her arms, entirely unimpressed by the theatrical display.

"Do you guys seriously have to do that?" Cordovin let out a sharp, haughty sigh.

"If Miss Schnee has truly come to her senses and wishes to return to her proper family, then, of course, the Atlas military will escort her home. But the kingdom will not be responsible for her 'friends' of...

'questionable' characters." As Cordovin spoke, her judgmental gaze drifted past the students, lingering explicitly on Blake's feline features, and then landing on the bald man in the back who was currently digging through his grocery bag.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss demanded, her voice instantly dropping into a hostile, icy register as she stepped protectively in front of Blake.

"It means we're done here," Cordovin declared, turning her back on them to return to the warmth of the command center. Before the gates could fully close, Saitama paused his rummaging. He popped a sweet-puff into his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, and turned his flat, dotted eyes toward Qrow.

"Is everyone in Atlas this annoying?" Saitama asked bluntly, his voice echoing perfectly across the silent courtyard. Cordovin stopped dead in her tracks. She turned her head slowly, her face turning a violent, explosive shade of crimson that rivaled Ruby's cloak.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Cordovin shrieked, marching back toward the gate, her finger trembling as she pointed it directly at Saitama's bowler hat.

"You insolent, bowler hat ruffian! I represent the absolute might of the Atlesian military! I command respect!" Maria burst into a fit of breathless, wheezing laughter, slamming her cane against the pavement in absolute delight. Beside Saitama, Neo covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she let out a silent, highly amused chuckle at her protector's profound bluntness.

"Ha! Tell her, cue-ball!" Maria cheered, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Put her right in her place!"

"Enough!" Cordovin roared, her pride completely shattered by the mockery.

"If you people come here to cause trouble again, I will report it as an assault and you will be branded as fugitives!" The heavy iron gates violently slammed shut with a deafening clang, leaving the group standing in the freezing cold once again. Qrow let out a long, agonizing sigh, dragging a calloused hand over his face.

"Well. That went exactly as terribly as I expected." The frustration among the students was palpable. They were exhausted, freezing, and carrying the heaviest burden in the world, only to be stone-walled by a bureaucratic tyrant.

"Ah... It's already dusk," Saitama complained, looking up at the darkening, bruising sky of the coastal city. He aggressively picked at a dark, oily smudge on the lapel of his white trench coat.

"I wanted to find a laundromat and get groceries, but everything's probably closing. This grease stain is going to drive me crazy." Jaune Arc stepped forward, a sudden, shy smile breaking through his fatigue.

"We don't have to look for a random lodging tonight. Actually... my older sister lives here in Argus. We can all stay at her house." The exhaustion on the faces of Team RWBY and the rest of JNPR instantly melted away.

"You have a family member here?!" Ruby gasped. Nora's eyes shining with excitement.

"Oh, we are definitely crashing there!"

The lower suburban districts of Argus were charming and incredibly cozy, a stark contrast to the cold, militaristic steel of the upper base. The streets were lined with warmly lit, multi-story townhouses. Jaune led the large vanguard up the snowy steps of a beautiful, blue-paneled home. He took a nervous breath and knocked. The door swung open. A young woman with bright blue eyes and messy blonde hair tied in a casual bun gasped, dropping a handful of mail onto the welcome mat.

"Jaune!" Saphron Cotta-Arc shrieked, throwing her arms around her younger brother in a massive, crushing hug.

"Hey, Saph," Jaune wheezed, comically trying to free his arms.

"You're so big! And you're alive!" Saphron laughed, pulling back to aggressively pinch both of his cheeks.

"Look at you, Mr. Big Strong Huntsman!"

"Saph, cut it out, my friends are watching!" Jaune whined, his face burning with embarrassment as he swatted her hands away. A darker-skinned woman with short, practical black hair and warm brown eyes stepped into the hallway, balancing a babbling, incredibly chubby baby boy on her hip.

"Terra! Adrian! Look who finally decided to visit!" Saphron cheered, ushering the massive group inside out of the cold. Jaune cleared his throat, standing tall as the group filed into the warm, spacious living room.

"Saphron, Terra, these are my friends. Team RWBY: Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. And you already know Ren and Nora."

"It is so wonderful to meet you all!" Terra smiled, adjusting baby Adrian, who immediately began giggling and reaching out toward Ruby's bright red cloak. Jaune took a deep breath, turning toward the tall, beautiful Spartan standing beside him. He gently took Pyrrha's hand, his face is slowly blushing.

"And, um... Saphron, Terra. You know Pyrrha Nikos too. Um... She's..." Pyrrha stepped forward, her own cheeks burning brightly, but her green eyes beamed with absolute, quiet pride.

"Hello, I'm Jaune's girlfriend. It is wonderful to finally meet you both." Saphron gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in pure, unadulterated glee.

"Oh my gosh! Jaune! You landed the Invincible Girl?!" Jaune's face flushing a more furious, tomato red.

"W-well... Yeah, we're in a relationship."

"I am so, so happy for you two!" Saphron lunged forward, pulling both Jaune and Pyrrha into a massive, tearful hug.

"Way to go, fearless leader!" Yang teased from the back of the room, elbowing a highly embarrassed Jaune in the ribs.

"They grow up so fast," Nora wiped a fake tear from her eye, causing Ren to smile softly. While the teenagers crowded around Terra to coo over baby Adrian, who was currently entirely fascinated by Blake's twitching ears, Saphron's eyes drifted toward the older members of the group hovering near the kitchen archway.

"And who are your other friends here, Jaune?" Saphron asked curiously. Jaune straightened up, immediately shifting into cover-up mode.

"Right! These are elite Huntsmen who are helping us on an extended training mission. This is Qrow, Maria, and Oscar." Jaune gestured to the three, then pointed to the bald man in the white trench coat and his brown-haired companion.

"And this is Neo, and... Darwin." Qrow choked on his own spit. Saitama's dotted eyes widened to the size of saucers, completely caught off guard by the alias of his highly anxious Beacon body-double.

"Yep! Darwin!" Ruby chimed in rapidly, sweating profusely.

"He's a very important... tactical... consultant!" Saphron squinted, stepping closer to Saitama. She tilted her head, her blue eyes scanning his sharp suit, the pristine bowler hat, and his utterly blank expression.

"You know..." Saphron murmured, tapping her chin.

"You look incredibly familiar. Have I seen you somewhere before? You kind of remind me of that hero in Vale... the bald one that's always on the news?" A comical panic seized Saitama's entire body. He immediately reached up with both hands, gripping the brim of Roman's bowler hat and violently yanking it down until it practically covered his eyes, desperately hiding his shiny scalp.

"I have a lot of hair!" Saitama squeaked, his voice cracking.

"So much hair! Very luxurious! Definitely not bald!"

"Haha! It's just your imagination, Saph!" Jaune laughed hysterically, physically stepping between his sister and the sweating god.

"He just has one of those faces!" Saphron blinked, thoroughly unconvinced, but she was quickly distracted as Nora pointed to a framed photograph sitting on the nearby bookshelf.

"Oh my gosh, Jaune, is this you?!" Nora shrieked with laughter. The entire group crowded around the photo. It depicted the seven Arc sisters doing various crazy, chaotic poses around a young, miserable-looking Jaune, whose hair was tied into adorable pigtails as he held up a cardboard sign that simply read: HELP.

"Saphron, put that away!" Jaune yelled, burying his burning face in his hands as Ruby, Yang, and Weiss burst into hysterical laughter.

"Make yourself at home, everyone," Terra smiled warmly, setting Adrian down into his playpen.

"Thank you all so much for risking your lives to keep people like us safe. Providing you a roof and a hot meal is the absolute least we can do. Though..." Terra turned her gaze toward Qrow, pouring him a cup of coffee.

"I admit, I'm surprised that an elite Huntsman like yourself requires students to help you on a mission." Qrow accepted the mug, taking a sip before his arm was violently, simultaneously bumped by Ruby and Weiss.

"Ah, well," Qrow recovered smoothly, leaning against the counter.

"Like Jaune said, it's an extended training mission. I used to be a professor at their academy. But honestly? These kids are way better than me and my team ever was at their age." Saphron looked incredibly impressed, turning a proud smile toward her brother.

"Really? Wow, Jaune. The last time I saw you fight, you were crying because a Beowolf stepped on your shoe."

"I was ten!" Jaune yelled defensively, though he quickly puffed his chest out with pride.

"But it's true. We got a lot stronger. We had the absolute best training. It's all thanks to the Hero of Vale, actually. He became our Tactical Kinetic Evaluator." Standing near the fridge, Saitama crossed his arms and muttered bitterly under his breath, "I got scammed by a lady with a riding crop..." Qrow and Ruby instantly lunged forward, violently bumping Saitama from both sides to shut him up. Saitama's jaw snapped shut with a comical clack, his dotted eyes darting nervously toward the hosts.

The sky has darkened outside the Cotta-Arc household.

"Dinner is almost ready!" Terra called out. As everyone dispersed to wash up, Saitama opened the refrigerator to store his plastic grocery bag. He carefully placed a carton of Neapolitan ice cream on the freezer shelf. Immediately, a small, gloved hand reached out to grab it. Saitama effortlessly caught Neo's wrist.

"One," he stated flatly. Neo glared at him, holding up two fingers in a demanding, authoritative gesture.

"I said one," Saitama repeated, shaking his head.

"You already had too many sweets today. Your teeth will have cavities." Neo bared her teeth, attempting a lightning-fast, sleight-of-hand maneuver to snatch the second carton.

"Stubborn," Saitama didn't even blink. He reached out and firmly pinched her soft cheek, stretching the skin with parental strictness. Neo froze, letting out a silent, muffled squeak of indignity. She violently swatted his hand away, rubbing her reddened cheek with a deep, furious pout. She snatched the single ice cream carton, turned her back on him, and began eating it with aggressive, silent spite. Saphron, watching the exchange from the stove, giggled warmly.

"You two are so cute. You act exactly like brother and sister." Saitama frowned.

"No, we're actually--" Across the kitchen, Qrow, Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and Jaune all leveled absolutely terrifying, synchronized death glares directly at Saitama's face. If he admitted he was harboring a notorious terrorist, their cover was entirely blown. Saitama swallowed hard, sweating profusely.

"Uh... I mean, yeah. Something like that," he finished with comical, terrified weakness. The group gathered around the massive dining table, the warmth of the home-cooked meal a stark contrast to the freezing tundra they had endured. Between bites of stew, the group carefully explained their need to reach Atlas, meticulously omitting any mention of Salem, the Relic of Knowledge tucked safely in Oscar's bag, and the true identity of the bald man sitting at the end of the table.

"We tried the military base," Weiss explained, her tone laced with frustration.

"But Cordovin rejected us entirely."

"Oh, Cordovin," Saphron groaned, rolling her eyes.

"She's the worst. She treats Argus like it's her own personal kingdom."

"I have to deal with her military bureaucracy constantly," Terra sighed, resting her chin on her hand.

"I'm a technician for the town's relay tower. We share a physical space with the military's radar system on the coastline. I've been preoccupied all week with some reported glitches at the station, and Cordovin's people keep falsely blaming my team for the interference."

"Glitches?" Qrow frowned, his tactical mind turning over the information.

"That might explain the total blackout in the grid. I'm going to head down to the local CCT hub tomorrow and try to force a secure comms-link with Ironwood. I need to figure out what happened to our clearance."

"I can help you with that, Qrow," Oscar offered, sitting up straighter. Qrow looked at the boy, knowing fully well it was Ozpin offering his ancient expertise.

"I'll be fine, kid. You should take a stroll tomorrow. Clear your head," Qrow offered a subtle, pointed look, silently telling Ozpin to stop hijacking the boy's life for a few hours.

"We'll try the gates of the base again tomorrow," Ruby declared, stabbing a carrot with her fork.

"Maybe if we explain it differently, she'll listen. And we can take a stroll around the city, too! You should come with us, Oscar!" Oscar blinked, letting out a small, relieved sigh.

"Okay. I will." Ruby turned to the end of the table.

"Sait--I mean, Darwin! You and Neo want to come with us to see the city too?" Team JNPR, Yang, Weiss, Blake, Oscar and Qrow glanced to Ruby, who was almost spilled Saitama's name. Ruby gave them an apologetic smile.

"Nah, I'll pass," Saitama answered instantly, taking a massive bite of bread.

"I already have a plan for tomorrow. Need go to the laundromat, and then finding a grocery store. I am not resting until I get this grease stain out of my coat." Saphron giggled, covering her mouth.

"Darwin is a very funny person, isn't he?" The entire table of Huntsmen and Huntresses let out a collective, heavy sigh of pure, unadulterated exhaustion.

"You have no idea," Qrow muttered, reaching for his coffee.