Pearls on a String

Volume 2

Chapter 26: Aftermath

Malachite's Atlas Base

Early Tuesday Morning

Evie paced irritably around the circumference of the laboratory, her arms clenched tightly around her middle. Two other individuals, those who were conscious in the room with her, followed her with their eyes.

The first, Huntress Frost Schnee, kept her ice-blue orbs trained on the other individual as well, the man directly responsible for the condition of Team PERL's leader.

"Let's run through this again," the Cat Faunus began, her voice low and deadly. She resisted the urge to finger the scars running down her face, even though their new presence weighed heavily upon her mind. Though not as much as her concern for her blue-haired girlfriend, still unconscious but slumbering more or less peacefully on top of several blankets and pillows in the corner of the room.

Her sapphire eyes flickered over to the prone form of Beryl, but she pushed aside her worry that whatever the diminutive girl had done caused herself permanent damage. Think about it later. More pressing issues right now.

"You claim there's no way to reverse the process," Evie continued, not pausing in her slow, methodical pace. "And yet you're this apparent 'expert' in dust infusion. How exactly are we supposed to believe that?"

"Because I am, indeed, the leading authority in dust infusion," Dr Viridian replied nervously. "Believe me, I would if I could… I do very much enjoy this existence and have no wish to depart it any time soon…"

Evie rounded on him furiously, her tail bristling behind her. "Then tell me how to help her!" she snarled. "How can we make Pip better?"

Viridian sighed, trying to straighten out his rumpled lab coat. "As I was trying to say before… The only way to fix her is to complete the process."

The Cat Faunus stared at him blankly, her hands clenched at her side to resist the urge to draw her scimitar. We need him, we need him and I cannot kill him, that would be wrong…

"Explain," Frost demanded shortly.

Evie's Faunus ears flickered over towards the white-haired huntress, the left one still feeling a bit strange now that it was missing a small chunk on the side. It didn't hurt at all, which was odd considering how sensitive her appendages were, but it made her feel off-kilter nonetheless.

The scientist sighed once more and folded his arms, looking down at the floor. "We did not complete the full process with Subj- er, that is, Pip. Just the initial stage, the most dangerous one with the greatest likelihood of failure. After the initial settling-in period is complete, forty-eight hours in my estimation, then we would complete the process and allow the subject fuller control over their abilities. We were unable to do so before she was, er, liberated prior to relocation to our other facility. The final step would have been to implant the control unit."

"Right." Evie let out a relieved breath. So she doesn't have the control unit in her, just as we all hoped… But, doing more of this to her? I'll be Dust-damned if I let her go through it again.

"There has to be another way-" she began, but cut herself off as she picked up on movement outside the lab.

Lustre walked through, supporting a tired-looking Pip who was now clad in a hospital gown with a lab coat over her lanky frame.

"I'll do it," the blonde rasped out, her throat still raw from her earlier ordeal.

"Pip, no, sweetie…" Evie's eyes blurred with tears as she stepped forward, an imploring hand outstretched.

Pip took hold of her hand and grasped it weakly, though her smile was as bright and reassuring as always. "I can't keep living like this, babe."

"But… it's still dangerous!" Evie whirled on the scientist. "Isn't it?"

Viridian gave a small nod, seemingly shrinking in the presence of his former experimentation subject. "Slightly, yes, but much less than the initial procedure. Far lower probability of expiration."

"Evie," the blonde murmured, squeezing her hand to bring her attention back to her. "I want to be able to think straight again. I want… I need to be myself. It's… getting harder to want to take the shots anymore, waking up with my head clear but knowing it's all gonna go away soon…" Pip took a deep breath and exhaled, straightening her shoulders as she did so. "I'd rather take this chance to live like a person again."

"Pip…"

"Please, babe?"

Evie closed her eyes. "Lustre?" she whispered.

"I am sorry, Evie, but I must side with Pip on this. Her reasoning is sound, and I believe we can trust the doctor here to do as he has promised."

"Yeah, about that…" Her eyes shot open again to regard Viridian intently. "You need to earn my trust here. What was the plan to control the Grimm?"

"Oh, yes, certainly," the scientist nodded rapidly. "Er, we have a control unit implanted in each creature, a simple series of commands would cause each subject to immediately expire… at least they should, if they are still in range of the signal…"

"So do it. Right now," Frost demanded, standing upright and clasping Myrtenaster at her side.

"Very well, yes…" He indicated the console unit there in the lab. "May I?"

Frost escorted him over, watching his actions closely to make sure he didn't try anything else.

"Are you sure about this, sweetie?" Evie whispered.

Pip nodded. "Very. Beryl woken up yet?"

She shook her head morosely, glancing over at her prone girlfriend again. "I can only imagine how much aura she must have given me… there was so much blood on the floor of that room…"

Lustre sighed and stepped over, now that Pip was supporting herself on the edge of a counter, to give Evie a gentle hug. "Do not worry for her," the silver-haired girl murmured. "You know how strong she is."

"Lustre… I should be missing an eye. She regrew my eye!" Evie trembled slightly at the thought. "How is that even possible?"

"I believe because it was not just her healing you, but the two of you, together. Your combined auras made it possible."

Frost and Viridian had stepped back over by this point. "It's done," the huntress reported. "According to the readouts on the console, almost every single one of the enhanced Grimm should be dead."

"Okay, then," Pip said resolutely. "Lustre, see if you can't get the CCT here and elsewhere released so we can talk to people again. Frost… would you mind staying with me?"

"Of course," Frost replied solemnly. "I shall make sure he keeps his word."

As they made to leave, the blonde shot the Cat Faunus a warm look. "I'll be fine, babe. You look after Beryl, okay?"

Evie just nodded, watching the three of them head across the hallway towards an operating room.

Giving her another reassuring squeeze, Lustre stepped over to the console, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

But now that the situation with Pip was out of her hands, and the Grimm terrorizing the kingdoms now under control, the only thing she cared about was Beryl.

She quickly strode over towards her girlfriend where she was curled up, sitting down by her head and stroking her blue hair.

"I love you so much, you bloody fool," she murmured. "But you shouldn't have hurt yourself like this on my account."

Her hand drifted towards Beryl's shoulder and down to her bare arm, as they'd removed her armor to make her more comfortable. The swirl of colors was still there as she concentrated her aura, dimmer than before but undeniably still a combination of white and cerulean blue.

"Okay, then," she said determinedly. "Time for you to wake up."

Evie crouched over, tilting Beryl's head to the side so that she might place a tender kiss against her lips. Her own aura was still weak, but in the time since she'd woken up it had begun to replenish itself.

She just hoped it was enough to help.

Her aura flowed past her lips like a breath of warm air and into her girlfriend, filling her up as best she could. While she prayed to Oum that it would help somewhat, she was wholly unprepared for Beryl's reaction.

The blue-haired girl's eyes flew open, and she let out a gasp against Evie's lips before eagerly returning the kiss.

Evie could taste the salt of her happy tears as her tongue danced alongside Beryl's, but she knew her girlfriend was weeping just as much.

Finally they broke apart, lightly panting but the both of them grinning widely.

"Hey, you," Evie murmured.

Beryl's bronze eyes were wide and almost uncomprehending as they danced around Evie's face, and her small hand crept up to trace the dual scars, one across her cheek and the other above and below her eye.

"You're okay…" she whispered.

Evie nodded. "Yeah, I am. Thanks to you."

Her brow furrowed though as she glanced up at her Faunus ears. "Oh…"

"No, it's okay, really. Doesn't hurt at all. And I don't mind the scars either… I just…" She sighed. "You shouldn't have done that. You could have died."

Beryl shrugged slightly from her prone position and gave her a sheepish grin. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Evie blinked, more tears filling her eyes. "Gods, I love you so much."

"And I love you, kitty."

Their lips mashed together again, this time with a longing need to express the depths of their feelings for each other that words alone could not possibly fulfill.

At least, until they were interrupted by a gentle clearing of a throat.

"I am sorry to disturb you both," Lustre's musical voice sounded from behind, filled with humor. "But the CCT signal has been restored. You should contact Professor Ozpin."

Evie sighed against Beryl's lips. "Duty calls."

"I'm not going anywhere," the blue-haired girl grinned. "Go on."

The Cat Faunus stood and pulled her scroll out, letting Lustre help her partner to her feet as she selected Ozpin's icon and then held it up to her face. Dimly she overheard Beryl being filled in on Pip's current status.

The surprised grey-haired visage of their headmaster filled the screen. "Miss Black."

"Professor," she replied nervously.

He blinked his eyes at her, his normally imperturbable mask seeming to slip slightly. "Well. The number of occasions I've actually been at a loss for words I could count on one hand." He gave her a small smile. "Congratulations on making the list."

Evie couldn't help herself and let out a small giggle. "Er, well, yes… I suppose you'd like to know what we've been up to?"

"That would be an excellent start, yes."

Fifteen minutes later and Ozpin was reclining back in his chair, sipping from his ever-present mug. It was quite likely, given the activities of the past few days, that at this point it contained at least some amount of alcohol.

"That is quite the tale, Miss Black," he murmured thoughtfully. His gaze flickered up to her scarred ear. "And the rest of your team is alright?"

"Yes, sir. Though… hopefully we will be hearing about Pip soon."

"I see." Ozpin set his mug down and peered at her thoughtfully through his spectacles. "I can confirm that we have received reports, now that the CCT has been restored, of these enhanced Grimm suddenly dying. Allow me a few minutes to gather reports, now that I can do so, and I shall contact you soon. For now though…" He offered her a small smile. "You and your team have my gratitude."

Evie nodded as he reached over to close the connection, and then slipped her scroll back into her pocket, blowing out a relieved breath.

"So, he didn't seem too pissed off, huh?"

She turned to her girlfriend with a smile. "So far, anyways. How are you feeling, sweetie?"

Beryl shrugged as she hopped up onto the top of the counter she was leaning on, swinging her feet as she took another sip from the aura restoration drink in her hand. "Better, I s'pose. Lustre's keeping me from going to see Pip."

Evie glanced over at the doorway where their silver-haired partner stood resolutely with her arms crossed. "You two need to recover," she declared. "We shall hear of Pip's condition soon enough."

"Yes, ma'am," the Faunus girl smirked, slipping an arm around Beryl's skinny shoulders. "Dust," she sighed. "It's gonna be nice to get into our own beds again."

"Mmhmm," Beryl mumbled around her drink. "I get to be the big spoon first."

"Oh, really?"

The blue-haired girl nodded, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "I gots me some ear scritching to do."

"Well," Evie replied, a pleased grin on her face. "Far be it from me to dissuade you any."

Evidently deciding to get a head start on things, Beryl reached up with her free hand and began to gently rub in between her Faunus ears, causing her eyes to flutter shut and a low purr to build up in her chest. She placed both of her hands behind her to keep herself upright, though really all she wanted to do was to curl up in this wonderful girl's lap and never leave.

After some time her eyes shot open again at a commotion by the door. Frost was there now with a small but reassuring smile on her face.

"She will be fine," the huntress announced. "Viridian has her resting now, but the prognosis is good."

"It worked?" Evie asked anxiously. "The procedure, it… it's going to help her?"

Frost nodded as she dragged Viridian back into the room, directing him to sit in a chair away from the console. "Yes, so he tells me. We'll see more after she's rested some."

Evie and Beryl gave each other a tight hug. "Oh, thank Oum," Beryl murmured.

Before she could reply, Evie's scroll vibrated, indicating an incoming call.

"That was fast," she murmured, pulling the device back out and answering the call. Their headmaster faced her once more, though his usual mask was in place again.

"Miss Black," he greeted her. "Anything more to report on your end?"

"Yes, sir!" she said happily. "Pip is out of surgery, she should be fine and more in control of herself. Um, we'll know more when she wakes up again."

"That is excellent news. Now, then, I do have some rather unfortunate tidings to relay. Is Miss Frost Schnee with you still?"

"Yes, sir, she's right here." She passed the scroll over to their recent ally, who took it with a gracious nod.

"Hello, Professor Ozpin," the elegant women said solemnly. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"And you as well, Miss Schnee. First I must thank you for your assistance with my students in their efforts to end this latest threat."

"Of course, I felt it only proper with how my actions, or rather inactions, allowed things to progress as far as they did."

Ozpin nodded solemnly. "And I personally do not hold you in any way responsible for that. I do, however, have some regretful news I must impart." He paused momentarily before continuing. "Your brother Damian was found dead in his mansion a short while ago."

Frost stared at him in shock, fumbling behind her for the counter's edge. Lustre was quick to move over and wrap a supporting arm around her waist.

"How…?" the white-haired woman breathed.

"It would seem to be the same method used previously by the man called Leech."

Frost's face contorted in anger. "Damn him… Damn them both."

"I understand from Miss Black that both Leech and the other member of Malachite's circle, called Whisper I believe, had escaped after their defeat. I have their descriptions out, and hopefully they will surface again soon."

"Thank you," Frost whispered, handing the scroll back over to Evie.

"So… what happens to your company now?" Beryl asked quietly.

"I don't know," Frost sighed. "I suppose… that makes me CEO." She laughed bitterly. "Not that I want it, I never have."

"Then what will you do?" Lustre asked, concern on her face.

Evie looked over their little group with a small smile. Even though Frost had been only a temporary ally, fighting together and putting your life on the line for each other created a certain bond. They were all worried for their new friend now.

"I do not know," Frost murmured. "I can't just become a huntress again, my name will precede me and cause problems, especially once it comes out how Damian was involved… And I can't just let my grandfather's company go to ruin, even though I don't know a thing about running it…"

"Perhaps," Ozpin spoke up from the scroll where he was still listening in. "You might allow the board of directors to run the company for now. They do, after all, have the experience and the interests of the company in mind."

Frost glanced over at the scroll and nodded slowly. "I suppose… Yes, that will have to do. Ownership of the company passes to me, but I do not have to actually run it." She sighed once more. "But then what shall I do?" the huntress murmured.

"You live your own life," Ozpin replied. Evie turned the scroll so that the camera was facing Frost as the headmaster continued. "It just so happens I have an opening at Beacon for a combat instructor."

Frost stared at him blankly. "Are you… offering me a job?"

"Well, the opportunity for one," he replied calmly. "You'd still need to go through the application process, of course."

"Of course," she murmured. "Well… I shall think upon your offer, Professor. Thank you."

"You are most welcome. And, Miss Black?"

Evie turned the scroll back to her again. "Sir?"

"I do hope for a speedy recovery for Miss Cerise. Once she is back on her feet again, I expect to see the four of you soon. Please let me know when you are able to depart Atlas and visit my office."

"Yes, sir," she gulped, ending the transmission.

"Sooo…" Beryl drawled nervously. "Maybe we're not as out of the woods as we thought?"

"I guess we'll find out," Evie sighed, a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.

A/N: See, still alive, haven't forgotten about y'all… I have one more chapter to finish up this story arc (volume) and then we'll go on a little bit of a hiatus, perhaps only a couple of weeks at the most, while I flesh out the third volume a little more. You'll have an idea of what it will entail by the end of the next chapter.

And yes, we're definitely going to see more of Frost.

Martin Hooper1: Actually let me nip that right off the bat - Beryl is neither a maiden nor something similar to a silver-eyed warrior. It'll get discussed a little more in the next chapter, but it will be some time until she figures out what's going on.

allie300093: Thanks! Had fun with the glyph-bonanza, and while Frost will be departing our team after the next chapter, she will certainly show up again. We'll get to know a little more about her too.

Stay shiny!