Of Maidens and Mecha - Five

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Kali would never, ever allow anyone to believe she loved Menagerie any less now than she had ten years ago. But as she stepped out of the blocky, silver airship that had brought her here and onto the landing pad built just below Haven Academy, she couldn't deny that seeing the old city brought up some… Nostalgia.

Entire blocks had been changed, of course. Entire stretches up and down, crossing through tiers and even into the mountains themselves, had been carved up and out by the Cybetronians living in the city. Towering gray monoliths rose up there, hundreds of meters into the sky, with a maze of walkways, landing pads and ventilation ducts spider-webbing between them. Even from here, she could see the mechanical beings moving along those walkways, or lifting up and flying away from the landing pads.

Some even in Cybertronian sized ships… Built for one or not, they were massive, blocky things with enough space for a couple dozen Faunus, studded with auto-guns.

She was happy they were on her side…

But, beyond the Cybertonian quarters as they were called, Mistral was still much the same as it always had been. Clay-tile roofs, stone and wood walls, tall lightning rods with streamers flapping in the wind, and all the other trappings of Old Mistral. Some of the roads were wider now, to accommodate their larger citizens, and more than a few of the turbines and sleek black solar panels installed on Menagerie's defensive walls had cropped up, but…

It was all so nostalgically old, compared to Menagerie.

"Lady Belladonna." She heard the old, familiar voice say, plastering on a smile and straightening her black and white island robes as she turned to the man and bowed her head.

"Headmaster Lionheart." She said, "It's good to see you."

"And as ever, it is a pleasure to be seen." He smiled, "And to see you in turn."

The man had aged well, in her opinion, even if he'd put on some weight. His brown robes were fine and comfortable, and fit the Headmaster Haven, and his beard and tail were well kept and trimmed. But even for the muscle she still saw in him, from the way he moved to the flexing of his fingers as they shook hands, she could see the roundness he was taking on. An unfortunate side-effect of life behind a desk.

And one she - and her hips - were more than merely familiar with.

"It's quiet." Kali noted as the man led her in, through a hallway and to Haven's great entry hall, with its towering statue and dark wooden walls. A student on the landing was all Kali could see, and she shuffled by quickly enough that Kali raised an eyebrow and asked, "Classes are in?"

"For the next, oh, forty minutes, yes." Leonardo said, climbing the steps, "You're just a bit early."

"Ah." She nodded, "The new ships are fast."

"That they are." He chuckled, "I've food ordered, but it won't be done and brought up for twenty odd minutes."

"Tea will more than suffice." She smiled. "Don't worry so much."

"Oh 'don't worry so much' says the bloody Chieftain of Menagerie, and Councilwoman of Mistral." Lionheart chuckled, "I need to at least look like I care about government officials, you know, Kali."

"Fair enough." She sighed, "If a bit daft."

"Ah, politics." Leonardo sighed, pushing the office door open, "Oh so very important. But also so very stupid."

She'd been in Leonardo's office more than once, and found it as unchanged as ever. Even compare dto how it had been when he received it. The only thing of any new note was the cyberized desk, forged and built specifically for him. It was mostly a normal desk, but with a holo-comm unit on one side and a built-in computer terminal on another, whose information was backed up to a hard-block system in the desk itself. It even came with a small heating element on the side opposite the holo-comm, which Leonardo picked a pot up off of to pour them each a cup while Kali sat.

"So…" Leonardo murmured, pausing to take a sip of his tea. "How go things on Menagerie? The cross-continental road was almost done, last I heard."

"Finalized the finishing touches earlier this week." She nodded, smiling as she went on, "With plenty of lanes for 'Bot traffic and our own, the sea-lanes will be cleared in a month or so. Menagerie's settlements will be linked by land, with plenty to protect it from the Grimm."

"All the better for trade."

"And patrol." She nodded, "The Leviathans have… I don't know how to phrase it, truly. They're building up, almost. Menacing our waters."

"And ours." Leonardo nodded, "It's strange, but… We have the defenses to keep them at bay."

"For now."

"For now." He agreed, "And we've plans for more coming to a fund-vote the day after tomorrow. As you're aware, I presume."

"I am." She'd gotten the Council manifesto days ago, and always made certain to read it through. It was always a dry affair, but then, it was a nice way to make herself relax.

A glass of wine helped too.

"Well, with all that aside…" Lionheart licked his lips, suddenly, and obviously, anxious in that way of his. "Why, uh, why are you here? If you don't mind. I don't mind the company, of course, but… You aren't often one for social calls."

"Am I really that predictable?" She chuckled, turning the cup in her hand and watching the tea slosh gently in it.

"And, if you'll forgive me saying…" Lionheart sighed, "Distant, too. You have been ever since-"

"Ever since the war ended." She nodded, "I know, Leonardo. Every time we're alone, you mention it…"

"I'm just concerned-"

"Yes, well, I'm perfectly fine, thank you." She cut him off, turning a hot glare on him until he sighed, leaned back and nodded his surrender. Then she let herself cool and sighed, tiredly, "I appreciate the concern, Leo, I do. I just… I've been busy."

"For ten years?"

"I'm a leader of a nation and a single mother." She smiled, "Just one of those is enough. But both?"

"Fair enough." The man chuckled, "On the topic of Blake, though…"

"Hm?"

"You should know, she's still yet to come out of the library." He smiled, "It's been two days, now. I know she can…. Get absorbed in her books, and her privacy- And that blasted web-net, but- Well, it's just rather worrying to me. A-And I know you trust me with her, but sometimes-"

"She needs her mother?"

"Mhm." He nodded, "I think being here, away from all the noise and bustle on Menagerie, is good. But…. I think she needs your hand, right now, for whatever funk she's wound up in."

"Alright." She sighed, standing and rolling her shoulders. "It'll be nice to catch up in any event… She's there now?"

"Ought to be, yes."

"Alright." She nodded, "By your leave…?"

"Please, Kali, please." He laughed and smiled warmly, "Go wherever you wish. You're welcome here, as ever, Chieftess."

She rolled her eyes but took her leave without another word.

Outside, the halls were still empty, and she passed by a number of classrooms with teachers lecturing or testing the students inside. It was kind of nice to see, to stop and listen at the doors, but she knew better than to linger. She was a known face, after all, and didn't want to be spotted through one of the windows on the doors and interrupt the class. Or be caught in the halls when students were let out, and inevitably get stuck answering questions.

Which wasn't something she minded, of course, but…

Blake was her focus, right now.

The library was a classical design, with thick, heavy wooden walls, warm-light sconces in between the shelves against the walls and hanging chandeliers between the rows of towering book-cases. It had been left unscathed after the battle, and showed it with hanging portraits of old, Human heroes and a wider selection of Human literature than Faunus. But not just Human works - entire shelves had been set aside for her people, and a painting of Ghira hung from a support column built directly in the center of the room.

She let herself linger on it, on his warm smile and soft eyes, for a moment…

Then she turned, marching through the shelves and desks, looking for her daughter.

But… The library was empty, and silent. Too silent, she realized suddenly.

"Where is the librarian…" Her eyes flitted towards the back of the room, to a wider desk with a door behind it, crowded by books, maps, scrolls and notebooks waiting needily for the librarian's attention. She slipped around the desk and rapped a knuckle on the door, "Excuse me? It's the Chieftess. I need to speak with you."

Silence answered, and sent a chill up her spine…

Something felt wrong, suddenly.

She tried the knob and it was unlocked, so she pushed it to open. Or tried to, at least - something blocked it and she growled under her breath, turning and slamming her shoulder into it once, twice, and then a third time until it finally opened enough for her to stick her head in.

The acrid, fetid, iron taste hit the back of her throat before she could blink and adjust to the dark…

"Gods." She murmured, looking down at the old woman, crumpled against the door. Turning, she bellowed, "I need help here! A woman's been murdered!"

And there was no sign of Blake, either…

Heart hammering in her chest, she turned and yanked out her Scroll, typing out a message and then hissing and calling the man instead. "Leonardo? Get to the library. There's been a murder and…. And I can't find my daughter."

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Lazerbeak, standing in for his ancient comrade while he tended to other matters, watched the… 'Repaired' Mistralian woman step out onto the arena floor with a sharp, careful gaze.

Her cybernetic replacements were as extensive as they were primitive, with simple armor plates covering wires, tubes and servos inside the limbs and subdermal implants that ran up her spine to the base of her skull. Presumably they were required to relay commands from her brain along her nervous system to the foreign limbs - though he did not see any applicable use for the extraneous ones on the backs of her shoulder-blades - as well as to convey whatever limited sensations the limbs could receive. As limited as those sensations were, the implants and nervous system connectors were… Impressive.

At least, relatively speaking.

Cyber-organic limb replacers would have offered more of every aspect of what these did, however. Articulation, sensation, even aesthetic - so the question once again reigned. Why elect to use such primitive cybernetics? The Dark Mountain facility should have been capable of producing better, and by now someone should have learned to use it. Yet even with all this, and the demonstrable fact they used it judging by the Mistralian, they chose the less advanced - and potent - option.

Thus far, all inquiries he, his comrades and even Soundwave himself had produced were two oanswers. The first was that these were simpler to maintain for the recipients, which was sensible. The second was that they 'posed less risk of rejection'.

Why, though, was… Left unsaid. Be it for secrecy, ignorance, or another reason, he wasn't certain.

"Quite perplexing…"

"Hm?" His - their, he supposed - partner hummed curiously. "Sup, Echo?"

"It is perplexing." He repeated, slowly panning a look over the entirety of the room, taking it all in and scanning the occupants idly. Thinking quickly, he made up an excuse for his errant words, "That she can fight so well, even with such… Implements."

"You… Mean her legs?"

"I do." He nodded, "I'm not trying to insult her, but…"

"I get it." She waved him off, "I dunno much about 'em but, I mean… They're pretty badass, from what Ruby's told me about it all."

"Your sister is knowledgeable regarding prosthetics technology?" He asked, fishing a bit more eagerly than he perhaps should have for the potential lead - as ironic as it would have been, given the situation.

"Not… Not specifically?" Yang chuckled, "But, like, she's a tech-head. Dust, weapons, armor- Especially Insecticon stuff. Like, alien laser guns? That kind of stuff is right up her alley."

"Mhm." He nodded, "You mean Cybetronian."

"Eh, same-same."

"It…" He grimaced, "It really isn't."

"What?" She turned to give him a look, one brow raised and head cocked. "Scared I'll offend the giant murdr-robots?"

"In a sense…"

"Yeah, well, if you say so, I guess." She smirked as Pyrrha's opponent for the day came out, long mace slung across his shoulders. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and turned to wink at him. "Tell ya what, you don't tell 'em about it, I won't. Eh, partner?"

The irony almost made him groan…

Even so, he rumbled a quiet, "Deal."

"Thanks, partner." She smiled, looked away, then grimaced and asked quietly, "Are you, uh, feelin' okay, by the way?"

"I am… Fine?"

"You sure?" She asked, turning to flick a look up and down his drone-frame and then turning back to watch Goodwitch speak to the two fighters. "You just seem… I dunno, off, kinda, somehow."

"I… Do?"

"Mhm." She nodded, "Normally, you're quiet, but… Chill. Now, though, you're sitting like someone shoved a rod up your ass. And got your head on a swivel like, I dunno, you expect something."

"I see…" It should have even been a question - he had known Soundwave for eons, and believed he was replicating his mannerisms here well enough - but was she somehow discerning the difference between himself, Soundwave and the others? Hers wasn't a Semblance that affected perception, so the error would have to be one of theirs.

This meant they had two options…

Either they were performing poorly, which was unlikely. Or she was paying close attention to them, and was far more perceptive than any of them had anticipated.

Two impossible options, and neither were exactly comforting…

"It's fine if you're just… In a mood." Yang offered, "Just wanted to let you know I'm here. If you, I dunno, need something. Like, to talk. Or to fight."

"To fight?"

"Sometimes, a good scrap to get the blood flowing makes me feel better when I'm in a funk." She shrugged, "Just… I'm here, okay?"

"Alright…" He murmured, logging the encounter for the others to review later. "I will remember this."

It was a kind gesture, even if it was misguided.

"Oh, that motherfucker.." Yang suddenly growled, dragging him out of his internal memory systems, where he'd been tagging the encounter for review, and back to her. She saw him turn to her, confused, and explained, "Winchester. Said he 'wasn't sure about fighting a cripple'. And Nikos looks pissed…"

She did - scowling and curling and uncurling her fists slowly - and he chuckled, "Foolish of him."

"Mhm." She nodded, "This oughta be a fun show."

"Indeed." He nodded, "It should be."

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The repair chamber had been built beside the Human woman's own, and filled with all the needed amenities and accoutrements for extensive repair and maintenance. Dozens of cubbies lined the walls, filled with spare patriots, scrap, energon canisters, and all else a doctor might need. Andlong with several repair rms, folded up on ball-sockets around the room. Under them, ensconced into the ground, sat a simple, dull silver stasis-pod, status lights along its side blinking dull greens and purples as they ran their checks and found the occupant still, in fact, alive.

Another light, on the top of the machine, blinked red, indicating the occupant was conscious, and so Soundwave spoke up, "How are you?"

"Lethargic."

"To be expected." Soundwave rumbled, pressing a button on the floor with his foot to elevate the stasis pod and running his fingers over the readouts, flicking them out to display a holo-screen with more details. "Your systems report as nominal, however."

"If you say so."

"You feel differently?"

"I am immobile." Shockwave answered pointedly. "And presently, lacking legs."

"They will be reattached within forty-eight standard units." Soundwave assured him, "With your level of servo-damage, replacement was easier, less painful, than repairing them."

"I am aware. You are not the only scientist on this moon, Soundwave." Shockwave responded wearily, and somewhat aggravatedly as well, to Soundwave's audio receptors, changing course before Soundwave could respond. "How is Summer?"

"She is… As expectable." He answered, "Her condition is unimproved. Though she can remain conscious for longer, now, and is far less prone to panic."

"She is awake now?"

"Indeed."

"And… Alone?"

"Indeed."

"She should not be." Shockwave said, voice laced with…. Concern. Enough to give Soundwave pause for not the first time. Quietly, the other 'Bot went on, "Humans get bored easily, and that can be detrimental to health. Mentally and physically."

"I shall get a radio-receiver for her." Soundwave stated and then, on a whim, he added, "And, if you wish, I shall set up a communications terminal for you to share."

"Why should that be necessary?"

"Humans require socialization for proper mental health." Soundwave answered, concealing his own motivation - he didn't want to have her badgering him every time he entered her quarters, as she had been doing. Whether she liked them or not, he and his minicons were the only sentient beings to speak to, and she insisted upon it. As an after-thought, he added, "Cybertronians benefit from socialization as well. And you could do with the practice."

"I suppose…"

"Allow me to be frank." Soundwave sighed, "You need someone other than myself and my Minicons to speak to. You are fond of Humans. Speak with her."

"Very well." He rumbled, "As you insist."

Soundwave nodded, and allowed the stasis-pod to descend once more as he turned to leave. In truth, he had already set up the system, but he would wait a few cycles to inform him it was ready so they could speak. It would be a good change of pace, to not have to interact with the organic every time he entered.

Shockwave may have, but he himself had found little love for the soft, squishy creatures.

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Raven sat in her tent, poring over the map of Mistral laid out before her and frowned. It was a detailed map, with patrol routes marked out, watchtowers and their sightlines catalogued, and even air-patrol patterns annotated on the side. Several heavy gun batteries on the city wall drew her gaze and she laid a finger on one, humming.

"Those won't be a problem, you know." The tinny voice spoke, echoing out of the radio pinning one corner of the map down. "The Grimm will keep them busy while we fly in."

"I understand that, Cloud-Strike." She sighed, "But it's not the going in that concerns me- It's the going out."

"You seriously think they can shoot me down?"

"I think you're arrogant." She snapped, "And that they can shoot you down, yes."

"Confident." He corrected, "And they can. But they have to hit me first. Easier said than done, that."

"Mhm." She sighed, "Just remember, you can't do all that twisting and rolling with Vernal and I on your back. We'll fall. And while I can fly-"

"You don't want to send up a flare about what we're up to." Cloud-Strike cut her off, "I know, boss lady, I know. Just gotta look forward to the pay-day, eh?"

"I suppose." She nodded, standing and rolling her shoulder to pop it. "Keep up surveillance. I'm going to make sure the camp is ready- We'll have Grimm too, no doubt."

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Atomic Ray :

I will probably have more! It's a new way to do exposition for me, but one I rather enjoy.