The Games We Play

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryugii. This has been pulled from his Spacebattle publishment. Anyway on with the show...errr read.

Contact Point

I sat between my grandmother and Cynosarges, watching the proceedings in my periphery. A part of me, a pretty large part of me, wished my mom was here, too, but she still hadn't come home. At this point, I was edging into honest worry about her and could see my grandmother doing the same, but I remained on target. My grandmother had no doubt sent out feelers for her already and if her suspiciously long absence was, as I expected, because of her mission…well, then that was just another reason to keep going. If she was being held up by the White Fang or…or whoever, then odds were good that this quest was my best chance of finding out what.

Smiling a bit grimly, I couldn't help be shake my head. Wasn't that the story of this whole quest? It was my best chance of figuring things out. From Raven and the White Fang to the mysterious forces at work in the city, somehow this seemed to be what tied all the pieces together. For what purpose, I hadn't the slightest idea, but somehow it did.

And so I watched the crowd. With my Clairvoyance, I scanned thousands of names and faces, noting anyone that stood out. Though the tournament wasn't as famous as the one held during the Vytal Festival, the Mistral Regional Tournament drew such a massive crowd that trying to keep track of anything…it made the pain in my head worsen until I was sure that anyone else's brain would be sizzling like bacon.

Thank God I'm me. It hurt but I was getting accustomed to it, somewhat. Well, at the very least it could be said that I managed to work through the pain. Still…

The worst part was the wait, really. The marker, as it turned out, was meant for the Coliseum as a whole; once we'd gotten to our seats, Pathfinder essentially told us to wait and even provided a timer that was slowly ticking down. As such, we…well, we waited and watched the events. At least, Cynosarges watched them, if mainly just to laugh. My Grandmother just looked bored and alert as she waited for something to happen, not caring what else was going on, and I was busy actually working.

As the timer counted down to zero, though…

My fingers curled, ready to take everything within my range into another dimension if something happened, but my senses gave no warning nor did I see any true shift. Staying alert for a moment as Cynosarges and my grandmother subtly shifted to prepare for the worst, I scanned the area quickly with my many senses and didn't see any evidence of explosive, chemical, or biological weaponry, nor did anyone pull out a gun and open fire on a crowd, nor did…well, none of the things we'd feared came to pass. If they had, I'd have either moved everyone to Naraka or moved everyone but the cause and my older allies. Either way, it would have been dealt with.

I wasn't sure whether to consider it a good or bad thing that that wasn't necessary. None the less, I slowly lowered my guard and refocused my far-flung senses on my immediate vicinity. The wait command had dulled as a new one appeared below it, map marker shifting as it did.

'Speak with Isaac Fallow.'

I nearly clicked my tongue at the vague command but tapped each of the older Hunters on the arm three times before putting my hands in my lap. Cynosarges went back to watching the games without missing a beat, but I could see my grandmother shift slightly, readying herself for whatever happened next. I gave her a small, reassuring smile, and then looked back into the crowd, scanning the air above heads once more. Beneath my Clairvoyance, Pathfinder's markers glowed with a subtle light and I searched for it quickly once I confirmed on my map that 'Isaac Fallow' was in the Coliseum.

I found him in the left half of the stadium opposite me, taking a seat in the seventh row of the fourth section.

The Taste in the Air

LV17

Isaac Fallow

I memorized his face carefully, Observing him. He was a Faunus, of course, though he kept his forked tongue mostly hidden. I saw his breath slightly and confirmed what his profile said when the tips of the muscle touch his teeth in two places as it sampled the air; a small thing that most wouldn't have noticed, but…well, I had good eyes. Emotional state…he wasn't particularly nervous, which could have been good or bad, but he was barely watching the Coliseum floor or the matches that were slowly beginning.

A slight shift in perspective and I saw the radio signals being drawn his way. He was receiving things from all around him, drawing them in through his Aura with what I confirmed to be his Semblance, but he didn't seem to be transmitting anything, at least not at the moment. A few more glances at his profile didn't tell me anything I couldn't have figured out on my own; loyal to the White Fang, he was an information broker who skimmed information in transit to gather things for the White Fang. I made a note to take that into account when it came to being paranoid and to warn my grandmother about the potential dangers. On the upside, the range didn't seem to be that great from what I could see of the ability, which probably made the ability a bit less useful than it might be otherwise.

Other than that, I didn't spot anything particularly dangerous. He didn't seem to be carrying any weapons and probably wouldn't have been a danger even without it. The power of information was not to be underestimated, but even from her I was pretty sure I could take him out easily enough.

But instead, I reached out to him. The sight of him had given me an idea and…well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Hello, Mr. Fallow," I said in the voice of Jian Bing, though my body's lips didn't move. Levant was the one who gave the words breath in my steed, weaving the air into a quiet voice positioned right by Fallow's ear. I saw the man jump and turn reflexively, stiffening when he saw that there was nothing there. His Aura stretched out slightly, flaring into a hood or a dish, and I touched it deliberately with my own power. I gave that a second to sink in before continuing. "No need to look around, Mr. Fallow; I'm nowhere near you right now. I take it you know who I am? You can whisper back, if you like; I can hear you just fine from here—and I'll make sure no one else overhears."

He was silent and still for a moment, glancing around subtly—not looking for me, I don't think, but rather glancing at those around him. The seat to his left was empty for the moment, but he was surrounded on all other sides. Nonetheless, I saw his lips twitch slightly and smiled.

"Jian Bing," He said, voice quite enough that even if there hadn't been a cheering crowd, the person beside him likely wouldn't have heard. None of which mattered to Levant, of course; the Air Elemental could feel the vibration of air, however soft it was, and simply whispered it into my ear with a slight adjustment in volume. At the same time, the words died a short distance from his lips, fading into the air as they were consumed.

"Yes," I said, making my voice sound satisfied. "Good. Then you know why I'm here?"

He hesitated before shifting his head ever so slightly to either side.

"Oh?" I asked and had a fraction of a second to consider what to say. I chose strength and confidence, in the end, and replied back with a relaxed voice. "Well, let's correct that. After talking briefly, Jeanne Roma and Cynosarges Alexandria have expressed an interest in further supporting the White Fang. They also stated that they were confident that the other Families would follow suit, when the time came."

Fallow stopped breathing for a second and I was glad that the information was as valuable as I'd thought.

"Sir?" He answered slowly, a touch of amazement to his voice. I chuckled back warmly, as if amused by the reaction, and when I spoke again it was with a fond tone.

"Now, now," I said. "It's nothing to be too impressed over; they were quick to see reason once we got a chance to speak. I assume everything else is progressing according to plan?"

Fallow glanced around again and then took a deep breath as he seemed to force himself to be professional.

"Of course, sir," He replied immediately, though there was a slight undercurrent to the words. Nervousness, perhaps? "With your help, everything should be in order now."

"Are you concerned, Mr. Fallow?" I asked him. "If there is something you wish to say, I would be glad to listen."

He was silent for a long minute, shoulders shifting slightly in agitation until he blurted the words.

"Are we really going to work with these humans, sir?" He asked, surprising me with the vehemence in his voice. "Do you really think we can trust them? You know what they've…"

Was he talking about the Families? Or could this be a clue about the mysterious third party at work in Vale? If it was…

I played a long, heart beating faster.

"Trust them?" I asked, faint traces of amusement to my tone. It wasn't hard to fake given that…well, maybe it was just me, but this conversation was going somewhere rather ironic. "My…I certainly wouldn't go that far. It would be somewhat foolish to extend such a valuable thing so easily, don't you agree?"

I had no idea who we were talking about, but Fallow nodded in agreement. I wondered if I might not end up causing trouble for myself later with my words but…one thing at a time.

"Still, it never hurts to have allies, does it? I understand my fellow's reactions somewhat, in that regard." I continued. "We've so many enemies that it's hard to be picky when it comes to allies. It's a bit worrying, but for the time being, let's leave it at that, shall we?"

"But what do we do if they betray us?" Fallow asked, tone insistent.

"That should be obvious," I said back, shifting my tone to make it sound like I was smiling gently. Fallow seemed mollified by the undertone to my words. "Do not worry, Fallow; I understand your concerns. Whatever the situation may be like, there's no denying the dangers involved, so I'll keep careful watch over the matter. Can I count on your assistance in looking after our new friends?"

"Sir," He said and I smiled for real.

"Good," I said. "I'll be relying on you from now on, then. We'll need to meet face to face, I think. Perhaps—"

Fallow's head snapped to the side fast enough that he got an odd look from the large man beside him. I saw his expression shift as his eyes widened.

"Sir," He interrupted. "I just got through a secure transmission and I can't confirm anything yet, but…sir, you're not going to believe this."

If only that were true, I thought, feeling my own eyes widen as Pathfinder revealed the next objective.

"I…Excuse me; I need to pass this one up the line, sir," He said. "She's…God, she's supposed to be Vacuo right now, but if she's here instead, that means…"

From the way he said the words, I knew they couldn't mean anything good. Wherever she was 'supposed' to be, I imagined she was glad she wasn't there, but for her to be here…

Damn it. Was this a coincidence? Or…no, of course not; I'd been led her, hadn't I? But if not for my Pathfinder, if I hadn't come here, would this have…I wasn't sure I wanted to know. But…

The words that appeared before my eyes were deceptively simple for the unexpected weight they carried. I knew I'd been missing something, but…perhaps I'd found one of the hidden pieces. I couldn't say it really made me happy, though, especially under the circumstances.

'Reach Weiss Schnee before the White Fang does.'

I couldn't keep myself from pausing for a moment, eyes going wide until I snapped back into motion. Time was of the essence, I knew, and if I wanted to have any chance of salvaging this mess, I had to move quickly.

"No need," I all but purred, the words just this side of smug. "I'm closing in on her now."

As Levant fabricated the words, I reached to either side, tapping Cynosarges and my grandmother urgently to draw their attention, even if I was suddenly unsure of…so many things.

"They're after the Schnee Company Heiress," I said, eyes scanning quickly as I flipped through my forms of vision quickly in an attempt to find the marker. At last, my eyes locked upon a building overlooking the show. "There."

I flicked my attention back to Fallow, scanning him quickly. The way his Aura drew in so many things from around it made it hard to find what I was looking for, but I could see the scroll in his hands and distantly make out other devices; one in a pocket, one inside his jacket, maybe one…

The point is, I knew where they were, more or less. Perhaps I could even fry them with Vulturnus?

But I hesitated. Would that have been too blatant a sign of betrayal? Would it ruin everything else I was trying to do? No, more than that, to penetrate his Aura with just enough force to fry the delicate parts of machinery without hurting Fallow himself…regardless of the situation, I couldn't do that hastily without putting his life at risk. Just shooting lightning bolts at him would be like…like removing a bug with explosives. I could seriously stop his heart if I just fired at will; I had to focus—

Farrow had been silent for a moment, typing with amazing swiftness on his scroll as I debated and concentrated, but he snapped it closed before I could do anything.

"Roger that, sir," He finally replied, not answering his phone as it buzzed. Instead, the signals danced in the air around him for a moment and then were drawn in swiftly, causing him to nod. "Groups are approaching to back you up, sir. It seems we even have some special help chipping in. They'll be there in just a few—"

I slammed my hands down on the armrests of the seat with a snarl, flinging myself high into the air and then down to the center of the arena. A moment before my fists demolished the armrests, the world changed in a surge of rushing power, Naraka sweeping the crowds away in an instant. I landed in the middle of an empty Coliseum and hit the ground running, reaching into my Inventory to draw out several Dust crystals to restore the power I'd wasted—but there was no choice, not when I needed to move. If that special help was who I thought it was…

God; I had to outrun a portal maker. That was gonna be a trick, mainly because the only way in hell it was ever going to actually happen was if I got there before Raven had a chance to zero in on where Weiss was and open a door. At this range, with what Fallow must have told them…

I had moments. I needed to move quickly and without concern for who saw me or what was in the way, and that meant this, despite the cost. I consumed the Dust crystals one after another, restoring myself to full power in perhaps half a breath and dropping to all fours in a run as my title shifted. A white tiger of light formed over me as I pulled up my speed boosting skills and rushed across the field with barely a thought because I didn't have time—

Which really made thinking things through while I could all the more important, didn't it? Perhaps half a second after my initial jump, I leapt into the air again and took a moment to think over what I'd done and what I'd need to do next.

This being about Weiss had changed everything. I'd planned for a bomb, an attack, even an assassination, but the fact that it was the Schnee Company Heiress between the crosshairs made things different.

The first thing I considered was the fact that I'd left Cynosarges and my grandmother behind which…may have been a wise decision, all things considered. I may have loved my grandmother, but I wasn't delusional, and I knew that while she might be willing to help Weiss, it probably wouldn't be altruistic. I mean, really? The Schnee Company heiress suddenly needing their help to survive? They might not do whatever the White Fang was planning, but I was certain they'd leverage the situation to their advantage. I didn't blame them for that, per se, but I didn't really want to assist them with it, either.

The question was, did I need their assistance. That my first reaction had been to leave them behind may have been telling, but their power was undeniable and they were on my side, at least within reason. Assuming they didn't just pull me away from the battles, if something happened, their power could be the difference between me dying horribly and, well, not dying horrible, depending on how this went down.

But really, how it would go down was the biggest issue here. It would be a lie to say I had a plan, as such; I wasn't going to lie and pretend I'd anticipated any of this because I sure as hell had not. So in those moments, as I ran towards the marker my power had set, I could honestly say I had no clue what I was going to do next. What I did have was all of, like, a second to think of something that wouldn't backfire, which seemed kind of unfair.

Complaining wouldn't help though, so I considered my options instead. There were really only a few ways to handle this and each had its upsides and downsides. There were who knows how many problems suddenly popping up but in the end, a lot of this was going to be decided in the first few seconds—decided when I met Weiss again.

And, more importantly, who I met her as. I'd been Jaune Arc in the stands and had shifted to Jian Bing to cheapen the cost of my techniques, but what faces would I wear in the following moments, when I emerged back into reality? Would I face her as Jaune Arc or Jaune Bing? Hamelin? Or should I try to whip together something new?

No, I discarded that last thought as soon as it popped into my head. The benefits and drawbacks of being an unknown were self-explanatory; no one would know who I was and I'd be unattached to any known group. And on the one hand, that would help hide my identity without drawing the ire of my 'allies.' But on the other it also meant I'd have no reputation to draw from—and my reputation was as good an armor as anything the Grimm could drop. Worse, if the White Fang caught up with me while I was so disguised, there would almost certainly be a confrontation and I'd be handicapped by the abilities I couldn't draw from or risk them making connections. Not only would I have to withhold Jian Bing's more visible techniques, but even a lot of the stuff I used against Pyrrha would be out. This would be a hell of a time to declaw myself.

All of which was moot because I didn't have time to come up with a disguise. For all I knew, I was running late already. No, if I was to have any chance at doing this, the only real choices I had were to do it as Jaune Arc or Jian Bing, who I could switch between with a title change.

If I went as Jian Bing, it was rather unlikely I'd receive a warm welcome. But if I went as Jaune Arc, would she just trust some random guy off the street? Would her guards? Granted, she might have seen me on TV over the last day or so, but…why would she believe what I had to say? There would be questions I didn't have time to answer, even if I could answer without giving something away.

Then there was the fact that I was, as far as anyone was concerned, a Roma. If I appeared alongside Weiss, it might deter anyone from trying something—or maybe not, depending on how valuable they considered the Schnee Company heiress. There was no guarantee that it would keep them from attacking Weiss and just separating me and delivering my back to my grandmother, either, especially if they had something to do with my mother's absence. Would they kill me? Almost certainly not. But they probably wouldn't stop at the sight of me, either. And that led into the biggest issue with appearing as myself; again, the limits it would impose on me and what skills I could use.

At the very least, I couldn't use the White Tiger of the West if a fight broke out. I'd like the say I was selfless enough to put my secret identity on the line so easily, but…but it wasn't just me that would be effected if I was tied to Jian Bing, whether as an accomplice or as his true identity. What such a thing would bring down on my family…I wouldn't just roll over and let myself die, but anything that could condemn my flesh and blood was only even a last resort because there was a part of me—a quiet, guilty, horrifying, and disgusting part, but one that was undeniably there—which told me that in a big enough emergency, if what I loved was on the line, I could always just kill everyone who saw something they shouldn't have. Even the thought of such a thing was appalling, but it lingered no matter how I tried to bury it.

Which really should tell you how far you'd need to push me to get me to make my blow my cover. I'd throw myself in front of a bullet for an innocent life—even a bullet that could actually hurt me—but could I sacrifice my family for such a thing? No. I wasn't sure if that made me good or bad or loving or selfish or what, but I wouldn't, even though that thought made me feel guilty sometimes. Even with the danger involved here, I couldn't risk them for a girl I barely knew however much I regretted what I'd done to her. I wouldn't murder people for her, either. If I went as Jaune Arc, it would mean fighting as Jaune Arc.

And that would be okay, maybe, if I thought I could win such a fight, but with Raven and whoever else might take an interest possibly watching and maybe stepping in…well, that seemed like a dubious proposition.

None of which changed the situation. She'd question me as Jaune Arc and demand proof and explanations, but while I'd be handicapped, she'd never be willing to leave with Jian Bing.

I considered that.

She doesn't need to leave willingly, I thought. If I got there before anyone else, I could grab her and run. If I really had to, I could even pull her into my little slice of hell here in Naraka. I had enough power to do that if I got there quick enough, but just in case—

I crashed through the window and rolled smoothly to me feet inside the empty room. In mid-roll, I reached into my Inventory and switched my clothing out for my new equipment.

Status 'Thirty-Two Shattered Forms' has been granted by the item 'Ganesha.'

Status 'Six Blind Fools' has been granted by the item 'Ganesha.'

Status 'Three Murdered Brides' has been granted by the item 'Ganesha.'

Status 'The Broken Mask' has been granted by the item 'Ganesha.'

Status 'Seven Trunks, Five Faces, Four Tusks, and a God' has been granted by the item 'Airavata.'

Set bonus! Status 'Brother of the Sun' has been granted by the simultaneous use of the items 'Ganesha' and 'Airavata.'

Status 'Thirty-Two Shattered Forms' has been partially negated by the skill 'The Gamer's Mind.'

Status 'Six Blind Fools' has been partially negated by the skill 'The Gamer's Mind.'

Status 'Three Murdered Brides' has been partially negated by the skill 'The Gamer's Mind.'

Status 'The Broken Mask' has been partially negated by the skill 'The Gamer's Mind.'

As always, the rush of horrific fates I'd avoided was somewhat disconcerting, but I ignored it. I'd have felt more comfortable in Lenore and Dreary Midnight, especially since my recent increase in level had revealed several of the statuses that had been hidden before, but…this was better suited for this task. If it came to a fight, the Fire and Lightning Affinity boosts alone would give me an edge, to say nothing of the increases in Strength and Vitality. Regardless, I didn't have any more time to waste.

And so I drew a final breath and then clawed my way through the walls of reality, emerging in the same room—sans the damages, of course—and landing on all fours on top of a sofa.

I wasn't alone, naturally. In an almost frozen moment, I took everything in and saw them; Weiss looking out the window at the stadium far below, three guards positioned around the room looking bored, one standing near the center looking absently at the hologram displaying the Coliseum—

But more than any of that, positioned right at the edge of the room, was a discoloration in the air under several forms of my vision. Red and black with a flow of Aura so strange I was at a loss for what it could possibly be doing…and yet, there was no question as to what it was.

Fuck you and your fucking portals, Raven, I thought angrily. If you want to get from point A to point B, then pass through all the fucking points in-between.

Externally, I just gave her a simple nodded of recognition—she knew I could see her and she could see me, which blew the 'get away before anyone knew' plan straight to hell. If I just grabbed Weiss and left through Naraka, I knew there'd be questions, even of me. In the midst of everything happening, especially, with my mother missing and the situation so…perhaps if I'd gotten her before Raven could set up shop, but if she was watching…

Part of me wanted to just grab the girl and run anyway, but this was more complicated than that and getting more so by the second. If I was going to get anywhere in this mess, I needed to—

The rest of the second finished passing and the guard's finally reacted. The guard in the middle of the room went for his gun, but I grabbed it and crushed it to scrap before he could even draw it from its holster. I pushed him to the ground and then strode across the room to shove a second guard into a wall. The third hit the floor as one of my tails pulled his feet out from under him and then the other hammered him into the realm of unconsciousness. I shoved the fourth and then caught him by the leg before he could crash through the window, swinging him around to throw him onto the couch.

I felt bad for treating them roughly, but the situation had gone far enough to hell that having them awake was just going to cause problems now; it was better that I dealt with them then give Raven any reason to. Guard's dealt with, I walked over to the window, scanning the area quickly. I noted the approaching White Fang members, counting them swiftly. With Raven effectively here already and…three, seven, nine…eleven more members in the immediate vicinity, and counting, this was just getting better and better.

Damn it. Even if I removed her now, she was in Raven's crosshairs. I could get her somewhere else with my barrier, but it wouldn't make her safe. I could try to move all the White Fang members into Naraka, but I didn't believe that would accomplish much of anything, since it probably wouldn't touch Raven, leaving her alone with Weiss. Even if it did, though, odds were decent Raven and he fellows could just kill me and dissolve the barrier. No, I needed to do something else; I had to remove Weiss as their target.

I had a plan, of course. Sadly, it primarily consisted of 'figure out how to do that.'

I suppose buying time was a decent place to start, even if it was pretty obviously not going to improve the situation.

"Hello again, Ms. Schnee," I said politely, still gazing out the window to watch those approaching. She was behind me, now, and a little to the left; though she'd gone for her weapon the moment she noticed me, she hadn't attacked when the guards had fallen, drawing back defensively.

"Jian Bing," She returned coldly, not seeming to have any difficulty recognizing me, despite the physical and wardrobe changes since last we'd met—but then, I was standing inside of a giant glowing tiger man thing. Maybe it gave me away; who knows.

Even so, the fact that she didn't act…I knew she was waiting, trying to buy time for the noise to draw the attention of the security force throughout the building—but of course, that wouldn't be happen. Levant had ensured no sound had left the room and it would be awhile until any alarm was raised, which both worried me and put me a little more at ease. Unfortunately, so long as Raven was watching, this room was a bloodbath waiting for a reason to happen and I had to keep as many people away from it as possible. If I could get a message to the guards through Levant and quiet tell them to send for help without making a fuss, though…but would Raven take action if she sensed Hunters approaching? Would the White Fang closing in on this building?

Good God but I needed a plan. Or more information. Or even just—

Pathfinder finally updated, revealing the next objective. It was vague, flimsy even, but given the breadth of my options…

"It's been awhile," I continued easily, still watching the window. I could see her reflection and the letters above her head were easy to reverse mentally. "It seems you've gotten a little stronger."

The Loneliest of All

LV36

Weiss Schnee

She didn't reply at first, but kept her sword raised to attack or defend as needed, her eyes sharp and cold and wary. I leaned my head forward as if chuckling, though, and they nearly flashed, her grip tightening on her weapon as she shifted and drew a deep breath.

"…What do you want?"

"To correct a mistake, of sorts. We didn't get a chance to speak much last time, did we?" I mused aloud. "Such a shame…I'd like to know a little more about you, Ms. Schnee. Or at least…about that necklace you're wearing."