Chapter 49: Interruption

Chapter 49: Interruption

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.

Interruption

The flames in the arena dissipated in an instant, snuffed out against my will by aI wasn't even sure how to describe it, but they just seemed to slip through my fingers, washed away on contact with a ripple of blue-green light I assumed only I could see. An instant after it passed over me, I felt arms wrap around me before I found myself being carried swiftly out of the arena. I stiffened, reflexively preparing myself to fightbefore just as quickly relaxing, catching sight of the Aura of my captor and recognizing it.

"Mom," I said. "You can put me down now."

She did, setting down on my feet in one of the Coliseum's halls, right beside the locker rooms. A quick glance showed that we were not alone. Just a short ways down the hall was a woman walking our way, casual for all that she held Pyrrha bridal style. When she saw me looking, she smiled gently and set Pyrrha back on her feet, standing right behind her. The three-time champion didn't complain about the treatment or even say a word while the smiling woman gently straightened Pyrrha's hair, bringing it back to its orderly ponytail and combing it with her fingers. Almost absently, she brushed dust and dirt off the Champion's armor, licked a thumb to wipe away a smudge on her face, and then gently embracing her from behind, resting her face against Pyrrha's.

"Thetis," My mother greeted the serene-looking woman, probably for my sake though I could see her name hanging in the air above her blue hair. "Your daughter fights as well as you said."

"It's kind of you to say so," Her expression didn't change as her eyes moved slowly towards me. "I'd like to say the same of your son, but you appear to have forgotten to mention a few things. Jaune, was it?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said. "Are you Mrs. Nikos, then?"

"I am," She nodded towards me. "My, but you two caused a stirand before the tournament, as well. It was just a spar, but this is the first time in years I've worried about my Pyrrha in battle."

"Mother" The Champion said, falling silent as Thetis drummed a finger on her shoulder and pulled her closer.

"But perhaps it's for the best. Much as I hate to worry, things have been quite tedious for my daughter, lately," She continued as Pyrrha went quiet. "It's good to have some excitement in your life, isn't that right, Isabelle?"

My mother snorted out a breath and I assumed it was some type of in-joke between them.

"Did you have fun together?" She asked, turning her attention back to the two of us. I nodded, as did Pyrrha, making her smile widen even further. "That's good. I hope you'll entertain one another in the tournament as well. Speaking of which"

She shook her head and sighed.

"My, but what a hard act that will be to follow," She said ruefully. "Everyone who'd been looking forward to the tournament up 'til now will find the first few rounds rather disappointing, I think. Your mother and I saw you in the square, you know, on one of the big screens. And how it was advertisedwhether it was a preview or meant to get people excited for the matches or part of the first day's celebrations, it must be hard for all the other participants, to be written off so early on."

My mom frowned at me.

"What were you even doing here, anyway?" She asked. "I thought you were withI thought you were going to stay at home."

"I was going to take a walk and see Mistral," I said, shrugging. "But Grandma gave me some advice about meeting people."

Mom's face twisted.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

"That explains far too much," She spoke as if she'd just tasted something awful. "I thought those children looked familiar. What were their namesKyanos and Ulaan?"

She directed the question at Thetis, but I nodded anyway.

"And Melanie," I added, before tilting my head to the side. "What does it explain, exactly?"

"Did she send you out here alone?" Mom demanded fiercely, ignoring the question.

I was curious, but

"No," I said. "She sent a man named Grigio with me."

"Grigio," She nearly spat. "Of course she'd send you out with Bigio's boy. What is sheno, I know exactly what she's thinking. You should have stayed at home, Jaune."

I glanced over at Pyrrha and saw the sudden concern in her eyes, though she remained silent at her mother's side. I looked back at my own, glancing over her face. She wasn't upset about the fighting, I was pretty sureand I doubted she minded me showing my powers, either, given the all the planning and training we'd donebut

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked. "If I did, I'm sorry."

After a moment, my mother sighed, leaning back against the wall.

"No," She said. "It's nothing you didnothing you could have avoided, really. I'm sorry, it's justat times like this, I remember why I avoid coming home. Should we meet up again tomorrow, Thetis?"

She nodded easily.

"Peleus will want to address this soon, anyway," She mused.

"Jeanne and Cynosarges will get to it first," My mom shook her head. "It won't be that simple."

Thetis seemed to concede that, nodding slightly in my mother's direction.

"Even so, he'll wish to speak to Cynosarges," She replied. "Despite everything that's happened, he stood beside the man for years. Maybe still does, in his own way."

Mom made a face at that but nodded in acceptance.

"It was good to meet you, Jaune," Thetis said, smiling at me. "I wish you luck in the tournament."

"Thank you, ma'am," I said, smiling at her. "Goodbye, Pyrrha. I'm sorry we have to leave it at this, but I'll look forward to fighting you again."

The Invincible Girl looked between her mother and mine, as if putting pieces together, but looked at me when a spoke and nodded resolutely with a smile.

"And I as well, Jaune," She said. "I'll hope to meet you again in the tournament; we'll continue where we left off."

Thetis patted her daughter's shoulder once and then gently tugged her away, waving at us one last time. As she did, though, I couldn't keep from glancing up at her title one last time.

The Terror of the Sea of Monsters

LV71

Thetis Nikos

With a title like that, I had to wonder

But I didn't ask. As Pyrrha and her mother walked away, I waited silently beside my mom and didn't say a word. Only once they were gone did I look at her and speak. I didn't ask who her friends were or who they had been, what she was doing, or even what was going on, even though I wanted to. I trusted my mother just as I trusted her to tell me those things if I needed to know; until then, I trusted her with her secrets, as well. But there was something I did need to know.

"Mom?" I asked. "What did I do?"

"Nothing," She said. "Except what you were supposed to, I suppose. It doesn't matter; none of this is your fault."

I nodded at that, accepting it even if I didn't understand.

"Did Grandmother do something, then?" I asked. "You're mad at her."

"Damn right, I'm mad at her," She growled. "Shethere's things happening in Mistral right now, but sheshe just tells you to go off and fight and when you do well, she throws it up for all the world to see. Does she even know what could be happening?"

As a person who absolutely didn't, I had to force myself past that. When I did, though, I tilted my head to the side and thought about it.

"I know," I agreed. "I'm just saying that, however true it may be and whoever I may be related to, the 'We're not so different, you and I' argument is probably not going to work. I didn't think old blood really mattered."

"It doesn't," He sighed. "It doesn't mean a thing. But it'spolitics"

"Ah," I said, musingly. "The White Fang is looking to set up in Mistral? Ican't imagine that going over well, Adam."

"It didn't," He stopped as we reached a street, letting cars roll by. "It'sthe White Fang tried before, back when it first got started; Mistral was the natural choice, given its position aswell, one of the more accepting Kingdom's, at least. But the leadership in Mistral doesn't abide competition or dissent. It didn't go well and the White Fang focused its attentions on Vytal instead. But stillthings are better for the Faunus here in some ways, worse in others."

"That's Mistral, for you," I shrugged a shoulder, waiting patiently for the lights to change. "Land of the highs and lows."

He conceded with a snort, turning to look at me out of the corner of an eye. He'd put on some sunglasses, despite it being nighttimewhich looked kind of silly, but I guess he could see fine that way so

"The Families can all trace their lines back to some Faunus, whether they were descended from one, taught by them, married them, or whatever," He continued. "Most of it long enough ago that it doesn't matter genealogicallybut historically, they were famous people, remembered in myths and legends, so it does matter. After all, people know they're related to Faunus, so it's not like they could hide or distance themselves from the fact. As a result, the Families have taken to a policy of, at the very least, neutrality towards the Faunus, which is both good and bad. On one hand, the rulers of Mistral are not prejudiced against Faunus and so official discrimination. On the other hand, the rulers of Mistralaren't very nice people."

"Ah," I said, looking down a bit. "Yeah."

"Because the people who most publically support and are related to the Faunus arehow shall we saycriminal scum," Adam nodded towards me as if as an example. Which I guess I was, sort of, but it was kind of hypocritical coming from him. "The view of Faunus in Mistral has been altered accordingly and such perceptions often force them into the roles because of discrimination against them in their daily lives."

I eyed me friend a tad disbelievingly, looking him up and down.

"Um," I said. "No, offense Adam, but if you want to make people stop thinking of the Faunus as criminalswell, I'm not sure the White Fang are the best people for the job, is all?"

"I fucking know, right?" He actually laughed. "Anyway, that's the official explanation and its trueit's probably even on the agenda, somewhere down the line. Butwell, that's not why we're here; why the White Fang wants to set up shop, I mean. Changing all thatthat's long term stuff, something that's not gonna be fixed except over decades. Ideally, the White Fang wants official backing and support from Mistral but it's largely been content with things on that front for a while now. Since the change in management, we've even done a few odd jobs for the Families in exchange forconsiderations, let's say. But the Families control most everything and are willing to keep things positive, so we've largely focused our efforts elsewhere. Everything else can be handled later."

"I'm sensing a 'but' here," I noted, frowning.

"Things have apparently changed," He said, looking up. I got the feeling he had closed his eyes. "We'veI don't know what's happening, not really, but I'm getting the feeling that the schedule's been moved up. For whatever reason, they think things will start to change very soon. Things that shouldn't matter for another few decades are getting brought up. The guys in chargethere'sthere's been talk. They're expecting something soon."

"How soon?"

He shrugged a shoulder, the set of his mouth making him look uncertain.

"A year?" He guessed. "Maybe two? Not right now or anything, but for something as big as this"

It was too fast, I finished the thought, frowning slightly. I couldn't really argue with him thereif he was talking about cultural change on the scale I thought he was, it just wasn't something that could happen quickly, not without heavy resistance. If the White Fang suddenly thought they had a realistic chance of pushing something like that through anywaythen this was something big. Really, really big.

Quite possibly big enough to warrant getting my mother involved in. Which meant I was walking into the situation I wanted to avoid, potentially putting myself between my family and friendswhich was somewhere I really didn't want to stand. And

"What's this have to do with me?" I asked before putting several pieces together. "And why'd you bring up that I was a Roma?"

Adam just looked at my calmly and I pursed my lips, abruptly wanting to react. Even so, the Gamer's Mind kept me calm and I took a deep breath, considering things. Silence could speak as loudly as words and I knew what his was hinting at.

"The Families," I said at last. "They're involved?"

"Of course they are," He replied. "However good a time the Olympia Festival may be for meetings like this, nothing goes on in this city without the knowledge and consent of at least one Family. I'm not sure how much or why, but"

I nodded, accepting that even as I swallowed down words.

"And my Family?" I asked. "My grandmother? Does she know what's going on?"

Ifif my grandmother came down on one side of this and my mother on the otherand if my sister's got involved, too, the rest of my familyif this was

Careful, Jaune, I thought to myself as I forced my mind away from the thoughts, the implications, my sudden concerns for the future. Baby steps.

"I don't know," Adam said at lastor, at least, it felt like I'd been waiting on his answer for ages. In reality, maybe he'd answered promptly. "ButI thought you should be aware. Of what you're getting into."

I nodded, accepting that calmly.

"And the White Fang," I continued. "You don't know what they're planning?"

This time, Adam did hesitate, pausing for a minute as he looked at me and remained quiet. At that moment, there was a part of me that wanted to demand the answers, take them, make him tell mebut I didn't. That was fear talking; a very logical, quiet, steady concern that hardly felt like an emotion at all, but which set up shop in the back of my head and showed little sign of moving. I was aware of it, felt it even, but I thought through it with my power and waited patiently. It didn't control me.

"No," Adam said finally. "They're keeping things quiet and they're working with someonewho's working for someone who's working for someone else, from what it sounds like. Distancing things."

I looked over his face for a minute before nodding slowly.

"Okay," I said. "Thank you. For telling me, I mean. Ididn't want to know this, but maybe I needed to. So thank you; I know what you must be risking for this."

He grunted at that, a bit uncomfortably, and shrugged like it was nothing.

"You're not the only one who has reason to worry," He said and I wondered if he meant himself or Blake.

"But," I proceeded regardless. "I need more information."

"Yeah." He agreed.

"And you know what I have to do to get it?" I asked.

"Yeah."

I nodded again and looked forward, organizing things in my thoughts. My mom, my grandmother, Autumn and Gou, the situation in Mistral, the White Fang and the Families, there was

God, how do I get wrapped up in so much, so quickly?

"Okay," I said aloud. "What first?"

"First," He replied. "We need to make sure everyone believes it's you."

I assumed he meant Jian Bing and glanced his way.

"Have there been imposters?" I asked.

"Imposters, crazy people, the usual," He shrugged. "Nothing major, but we'll need to deal with it now."

"What do you propose? I can use some of my powers, but I'm not sure what they'd recognize, considering. The White Whale is kind of noticeable and also on another continent. The mask and cloak?" I shook my head in irritation. "Can't you just vouch for me? You were there."

"My presence will do a lot to prove your identity," He nodded. "But a few people might be suspicious about you abruptly turning up. Just in case, it'd be best to avoid questions. It doesn't need to be unquestionable or anything, just enough to stall any questions. From therewell, improvise."

"A show of power?" I guessed.

He blew out an exhausted sounding breath and nodded.

"A lot of Grimm always gather where the White Fang does," He said. "Negativity and all. They need to be dealt with regularly to avoid drawing attention, but things tend to get troublesome after a while, as more and more come. But for this, they should work fine. SoGod, I'm regretting this already, butlet's go Hunting, Jaune."