The Games We Play

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryuugi. This has been pulled from his Spacebattles publishment at threads/rwby-the-gamer-the-games-we-play-disk-five.341621/. Anyway on with the show...err read.

Dungeon

In the process of observing and cataloging the entire freshman year, I'd noted several that had stood out, both as individuals and as teams. The first, of course, had been the heirs—the friends I'd made on my last trip to Mistral. Beyond having all received specialized training, they were important in other ways, both because of who they'd one day be and because of who might target them for that fact. Without any idea of Cinder's true intentions, I had no real way of knowing who she might target, but given who they were…well, I resolved to keep an eye on my friends, just in case. They were the first people I'd started watching.

But they weren't the only ones. Several others had drawn my eye, for a number of reasons. A few had useful skills and Semblances, while others stood out from the pack for their overall power. As my power reached up through the walls of stone, I sensed that two of the people I'd noted had already made it to the second level of the Labyrinth, and focused my attention on them briefly, confirming that they were a pair.

This Monkey's Gone To Heaven

LV44

Sun Wukong

Who Dashes Against the Stones

LV41

Neptune Vasilias

The first—Sun Wukong—was a Monkey Faunus that, according to his profile, had moved to Mistral from Vacuo. He and his partner, a native named Neptune, had either stumbled upon or been led to a nest of Rat Kings, and the unusually large rodents skittered towards them with murderous chittering. Though they tended to gather into large groups with plagues of hundreds having been reported, they were only about the size of large dogs, which made them small for Grimm, though it still meant they were more than large enough to eat someone alive, as they were wont to do to the unwary.

It seemed pretty unlikely that that would happen here, however, as the two seemed to have things well in hand, which was unsurprising given their levels. I'd first noticed Sun primarily because his level stood out from the others, placing him above even Ulaan and Itri, and more through observation had revealed several things of interest.

For example, his weapons of choice were a pair of shotgun-nunchaku that could be linked together into a bo staff, which I'd thought was an odd choice. Though it wasn't uncommon for Hunters-in-training to buy or inherit weapons—such as I did with Crocea Mors—it was more common for them to build their own, creating something they knew inside out and which matched their specific fighting style. While the incorporation of long-range weapons was standard, for use against flying opponents like the Nevermore, I'd been a little surprised to note that his shotguns were built directly into his nunchaku; I assumed the training to use that weapon had been interesting.

Nonetheless, train he obviously had as he was quite skilled in their use. Each swing of the nunchaku was punctuated by a gun shot that, despite the speed of the swings, tore into the Grimm with brutal accuracy. Beside him, Neptune cut loose with an advanced-looking gun, blasting Rat Kings with electrified blasts of energy. Like his partner, he used an interesting weapon—an energy gun that turned into a beam-edged Guandao that could spilt into a trident.

I'd figured as much from watching them before, but the two obviously had a fair amount of experience working together. They steadily reduced the Grimm's numbers with calm, focused attacks at range, that left no openings between them, switching over to melee only when the sheer number of their enemies allowed them to push forward against the tide. When that happened, Neptune strode forward with his Guandao and kept them back with wide, shocking swings that made the horde pause. As they did, Sun clasped his hands together in a sign and a glowing figure appeared to either side of him and his hair and tail began to glow. The two figures dashed forward past Neptune, diving into the fray and exploding in the midst of the rodents. Neptune had already pulled his goggles down to shield his eyes and kept firing through it all, picking off any of the creatures who'd survived.

A few seconds later, the fight was won and I pondered the results. Having read his profile, I'd already known Sun had clones, but seeing it in action had revealed a great deal more about it. Blake had also used clones, but as with all Semblances, there were details that set them apart. Blake's 'Shadow' created very short lived clones that could be dispelled with a hit and could only exist close to their creator; as a result, she used them defensively and strategically, leaving them to take hits while she dodged, to distract an enemy, or even to make her more maneuverable. Sun's Semblance, amusingly named 'Sun,' could create clones that could venture further from his body and manifest a number of effects besides explosions…but at the cost of leaving him immobile while using it. It was something that had to be used carefully, though it could be powerful if done well.

It was a topic I'd gotten a bit interested in since I'd obtained the skill Shedding of the Serpent's Skin. While it didn't allow me to create clones, per se, the movement technique allowed me to leave behind very brief afterimages of myself. I hadn't gotten much time to practice it and the skill only allowed short range movement, but it was something I was looking forward to playing with when I had the time. Maybe because of that, a part of me toyed with the idea of teaming up with the two of them; if nothing else, they seemed nice. It would have been easy for me to arrange a meeting with them—a few subtle nudges to attract their attention and lead them in the right direction and they'd make it to the end of the maze faster than they would otherwise, avoiding obstacles here and there. But…

Because they seemed nice, I hesitated. It looked like they were already on their way towards another team, guided by the controllers of the Labyrinth and…well, I knew I'd probably end up leaving Haven after a semester or two. At the rate I knew I could grow, I should have a solution to at least some of my problems by then, at which point it would be time for me to go, both for my sake and for the people I could help elsewhere. A part of me was already looking forward to leaving, but I couldn't help but feel a little bad for whoever I'd end up leaving behind when I broke up our team.

Maybe I wouldn't need to, a part of me thought. Maybe after weeks or months, I'd get close enough to my teammates to reveal my secrets and then I'd be able to train them like I had Adam. In the end, maybe we could all leave together and I wouldn't have to break up anything. It was possible. But while possible, there was no way to know for sure. I had a lot of secrets nowadays and most of them weren't even mine to tell. More would put people close to me at risk or reveal things that would do nothing but cause people pain in the long run. I'd toyed with the idea of training others like I'd trained Adam; it would require revealing the secret of my power for all the world to see, and that was something I'd done my best to keep hidden, but if I did…if I trained people the same way I had Adam, over and over again, it might slow down my own progress, but with a few days of training I could make a fairly powerful Hunter out of even a student.

If I did it often enough, if I carefully directed how they spent their points…I might be able to succeed where the expedition to Jericho Falls had failed. Sure, dozens of Hunters had failed and died there, but what if I went in with a few hundred? It'd take time, to be sure, but I could do it eventually. I couldn't be sure without getting close enough to see what I'd be up against, but it might even work.

But I was smart enough to know that even if I won, most of the people I brought with me to that fight would die. Some would say that it would probably be worth the cost for a chance at the secrets hidden there—God knows the Kingdoms had all sent countless people to their deaths for far, far less.

But that didn't change the fact that I'd be sending people I knew, people I trained with, people I'd probably even come to think of as friends to their deaths, purely for a strategic advantage—and that was something I refused to do if there was an alternative. Too often in books and movies, people confuse making 'hard' decisions with things that are actually stupid, unnecessary, and amoral. If I had to, if it was the only way to save the world, I felt pretty sure I could sacrifice whatever I had to, because what is necessary is what's right by virtue of being the only thing you can actually do, but that stops being true the moment you have access to better options.

I did. I knew how much I could improve over time, how strong I could get. Better yet, I didn't intend to run in there and start a fair fight. I had Raven on my side in this, had her portals, and I could approach this from angles that others could not. If possible, I'd try to get in without a fight at all, and if not, well…I was more than happy to stack the deck a mile high. Several dozen Hunters had given their lives trying to fight the Grimm in Jericho Falls; it seemed only logical to learn from their sacrifice. I didn't mind help—I was truly thankful that Adam had volunteered to come along, just because he was my friend—but Conquest had proven how easily the people around me could die.

While, for whatever reason, the Grimm wanted me alive, they didn't seem to mind destroying everything I cared about. I didn't plan to forget that.

So, in the end, I did nothing and let the two continue on their way towards their future teammates, sighing quietly in my chair far beneath their feet. Stuff like this is why I spend so much time training; being forced to sit still and do nothing reminded me of how depressing my situation was, in a lot of ways. I preferred knowing I was doing something to change that, to improve the odds and help make things better. Let it never be said that cool superpowers and giant explosions can't lighten one's mood.

Absently, I turned my attention a short ways down the maze, checking on Sun and Neptune's future teammates. The two of them were also on my watch list and I couldn't say I was all that surprised they were being paired together; it was a pretty good choice, all things considered. The pair was composed of a dark-skinned young man with green hair who was absently choking the life from a Beowolf with his bare hands, and a somewhat androgynous looking boy with red hair that covered an eye.

The Mountain Thrower

LV45

Sage Agathiyar

The Crowned and Mirrored Flower

LV43

Scarlet Nastenka

I gave another small sigh and wished them luck before continuing my search. Hopefully, they'd all get along…although I wondered what the hell they were going to name their team.

Shaking my head, I moved on and continued my search elsewhere.

On the other side of the Labyrinth, Kyanos and his future team were well on their way. I suppose that wasn't too surprising, though; even ignoring the fact that they'd all probably been alerted to the nature of the test, getting them on a team together was important to the people in charge of the experiment. Instead of distracting them with the various threats of the maze, ensuring they crossed paths took precedence.

Still, I suppose it didn't really matter. None of the politicking going on behind the scenes changed the fact that they were well equipped to handle pretty much anything they'd encounter within the maze. Melania's Semblance allowed her to shroud an area in darkness, and while not the most devastating of Semblances on its own, it worked well as part of a group—she seemed to be able to adjust it somehow so her allies could see through it, at least somewhat. It still reduced visibility for anyone within it, but while it might be like a blindfold for an enemy, it could be just a pair of sunglasses for an ally.

Or, at least, that seemed to be what the ability's profile implied. I wasn't certain exactly how much she could adjust the visibility. Regardless, she'd obviously trained with Kyanos for years, because he moved through the darkness as he would the day, using his power to tear apart the Grimm that got in their path. Kyanos himself was able to manipulate his own inertia in a variety of ways, with one application being to fuel it with his Aura to keep from slowing down or to change directions. On an impact with a target, he could use that to drive right through a target without slowing down, limited only by the Aura it required to stay in motion. While moving like that, he could maintain his top speed even while punching through walls, fly through the air, and literally splatter anything unfortunate enough to get in the way—and in Melania's darkness, that included a great deal of Grimm.

I watched him zigzag down the halls of the maze for a moment, peering through Melania's summoned shadows, and then shifted my attention down the path he was headed. Ulaan and Itri were already moving towards him and while they didn't seem to have as much experience working together as Kyanos and Melania, they didn't seem to need it, either. Itri's power was one that could work well with just about anyone's, adjusting the space around him by degrees to make it harder to move. In a way it was similar to my sister Olivia's, but it wasn't space he was manipulating; rather, he seemed to be increasing the effects of friction and other forces within an area around himself, making it physically harder to move. Several of the Grimm that tried to approach the pair seemed frozen still, while others were tearing their own flesh just to try and push towards them.

In either case, Ulaan decapitated them one by one as they passed, not even bothering to use his poisonous Semblance. In fact, he didn't even bother walking quickly, simply matching his steps to Itri's as they cut a path. At the rate they were going, they'd meet up with Kyanos and Melania in perhaps fifteen minutes and then they'd continue on their way together.

Having confirmed they'd all be able to make it just fine and getting a rough idea of how they'd improved, I turned away and devoted only a small amount of my attention to them. Unless they ran into something major, they should be fine, and their powers worked fairly well together. Melania and Itri's Semblances allowed them to blind and slow an opponent, opening them up to a debilitating blow from Ulaan and leaving the target weakened so Kyanos could end things. Against a lot of opponents, a combination like that would prove exceedingly dangerous, which had probably been a factor in the making of the team.

Looking around for a bit, I noted a few others I'd made note of, whether because of their Semblances, their weapons, or their levels. None of them appeared to be doing badly, but a number of them—of students in general, really—seemed to be struggling with their partners. Not all of them were lucky enough to have known and worked with their partners beforehand, just as not all were lucky enough to have had sponsors to arrange things behind the screens. Although…even among those who did, there seemed to be spots of trouble. Few had Semblances that would mesh without effort; fewer had personalities that would do so. That would fade with training and time, I was sure, but for their first day…I suppose it was to be expected.

Still, it was a bit sad to see some of them lag behind for the moment. There'd been a young man with an interesting power to imbue weapons with certain odd effects and they'd been partnered with a long-range Dust user. When they found the other members of their team, both would likely shine, but I'd hoped to see the power in action.

Oh well.

Sighing quietly to myself, I returned to my attention to the pair closest to us—to Emerald and Mercury, who were obviously holding back and just as obviously waltzing through the maze despite it. It was easy to see that they weren't so much concerned with drawing attention as with drawing the wrong kinds of attention, just like Adam and I. Neither seemed to be using their Semblances at the moment, but that just gave me a chance to see their skills with weapons.

Emerald apparently favored a pair of complex-looking weapons—revolvers that could extend into sickles at melee ranges, and then into kurasarigama to give them a bit of reach. In all its forms, she seemed to favor precision and speed, with the revolvers hitting with pinpoint accuracy and the sickles shredding through the Grimm easily as she flipped between forms.

In comparison, Mercury had gone for something simple—a pair of greaved boots with a built in firing mechanism. His fighting style favored acrobatics and devastating kicks that could—and did—knock someone's head off. In a lot of ways, his weapons and fighting style were similar to Yang's, just favoring his feet instead of his fists. I'd need to see if I couldn't draw from that skill with my Psychometry, next time I met him; I could probably use a number of my own skills with my feet, with some doing.

Still, it was plain to see that they were strong, even for their level. Just as Adam and Penny had both possessed significantly more stat points then their levels implied, purely by the numbers, the two were more in the sixties than the fifties. There was still a fair gap between them and Adam—to say nothing of them and me—but the fact remained that they were as out of place as either of us.

Again, I had to wonder what Cinder was planning, setting up shop here and drawing in her forces. There had to be a point to it and if it was just to murder the entire student body, she could have easily done it. A part of me had wondered if she was hoping to spread her sickness to Mistral's future defenders—assuming, of course, that she was really a Rider—but she'd been a student at Haven for some time now and yet I hadn't found anyone else with marking's like hers. What was she aiming for, spending her time at school? I knew I was here to find out, but a part of me was annoyed I hadn't learned anything yet. Despite the breadth of my senses, all I seemed to be able to find were more questions, just like when I'd fought Conquest.

Hopefully, this round would turn out better, but God had I really begun to hate mysteries. They just never seemed to turn out well for me.

Speaking of how things were turning out, however…given their current position, their lack of teammates, and the fact that they'd likely reach us soon, it seemed like Emerald and Mercury were going to reach the end of the Labyrinth next, most likely becoming our new teammates. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

Well, maybe that wasn't true. Did apathy count as an emotion or simply a lack of emotion? Because I suppose I felt a little apathetic. I couldn't say I was particularly worried about them; should it come to that, I doubted I'd have much trouble tearing them to pieces with my bare hands. I both watched and Observed them carefully and they were nothing that I couldn't handle.

But I wasn't happy about it, either. Not upset, but not happy—which was kind of how I felt about this entire school experience, so maybe that was it. While they might be useful as potential sources of information on Cinder and her plans, which in and of itself was plenty of reason to keep them around, 'around' was a broad term with me. I'd intended to constantly monitor both them and their Mistress, so being in close proximity to them wasn't all that useful to me. I suppose it gave me the chance to try and prompt information from them and see how they reacted to me, but…

So for a moment, I thought about turning them away or interfering with their progress. I could take them down the wrong paths with quick images and a few sudden sounds or even shift the maze around them to slow them down. People might notice something wrong, but it's unlikely they'd associate it with me; hell, if I really needed to, I was pretty sure I could murder them without anyone—or at least anyone who'd do anything about it—knowing.

But on the other side of the apathy fence, while having them on my team didn't add anything of value, it didn't really cost anything meaningful. I knew I could cover my own reactions to anything that happened and could do the same for Adam, thanks to my illusions and senses. So it didn't really make a whole lot of difference.

I sighed again, slouching in my seat besides Adam, who'd already fallen asleep. I couldn't blame him, really; while a part of me, the kid who'd dreamed of being a Hunter for years, told me that I should be feeling excited about this, about the day I entered one of the Hunter Academies and found my team, I was…

I was just really bored.

Taking one more look around to make sure no one was going to die in my absence, I shut my eyes and began to meditate, following my Elementals on a race through the structure of reality until it almost seemed like I was somewhere else.